US 11,673,316 B2
Apparatus and methods for additive manufacturing with variable extruder profiles
Narender Shankar Lakshman, Los Angeles, CA (US); and Broc William TenHouten, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to DIVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed by DIVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/840,129.
Application 16/840,129 is a continuation of application No. 15/886,761, filed on Feb. 1, 2018, granted, now 10,751,934.
Prior Publication US 2020/0230870 A1, Jul. 23, 2020
Int. Cl. B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B29C 64/112 (2017.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B29C 64/20 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/112 (2017.08) [B29C 64/118 (2017.08); B29C 64/20 (2017.08); B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B29C 64/386 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing (AM) apparatus, comprising:
a print material source; and
a three-dimensional (3-D) print applicator comprising an actuator system, the actuator system comprising:
an extruder including at least one print member having an opening configured to receive print material from the print material source and to deposit sequential layers of the print material onto a build plate to produce an AM component;
an actuator configured to adjust an opening profile of the opening of the print member; and
a print controller in communication with the actuator,
wherein the actuator is configured to replace, during print operation and responsive to instructions from the print controller, a first print member with a second print member having a different profile.