PRINTHEAD CONFIGURED TO REFILL NOZZLE AREAS WITH HIGH VISCOSITY MATERIALS

• Main Authors: GULVIN PETER, REDDING GARY D, MANTELL DAVID A, MA JUN, HAYS ANDREW W, NYSTROM PETER J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 28.12.2016
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

The present invention relates to a print head configured to refill nozzle areas with highly viscous materials. A printer comprises a print head configured to discharge highly viscous materials and refill an internal manifold with the highly viscous materials. The print head comprises: a layer having an opening forming a reservoir to maintain the highly viscous material volume; and at least one member placed within a container formed by the opening of the layer. The at least one member has a mounted electro-active element, and an electrical signal generator is electrically connected to the electro-active element. A controller operates the electrical signal generator by selectively activating the electro-active element with a first electrical signal to move the at least one member and thins the highly viscous materials adjacent to the at least one member to move the thinned material away from the at least one member. 프린터는 고점도 재료를 토출하고 내부 매니폴드를 고점도 재료로 다시 채우도록 구성되는는 프린트헤드를 포함한다. 프린트헤드는 고점도 재료 체적을 유지하는 저장소를 형성하는 개구를 가지는 층 및 층의 개구로 형성되는 용기 내에 위치하는 적어도 하나의 부재를 포함한다. 적어도 하나의 부재는 장착되는 전기활성 요소를 가지고, 전기신호발생기는 전기활성 요소에 전기적으로 연결된다. 제어기는 전기신호발생기를 작동시켜 제1 전기신호로 선택적으로 전기활성 요소를 활성화시켜 적어도 하나의 부재를 움직이고 적어도 하나의 부재에 인접한 고점도 재료를 박화하여 박화 재료를 적어도 하나의 부재로부터 멀어지도록 이동시킨다.