US 12,186,800 B2
Metal deposition system
Peter Schmitt, Brookline, MA (US); Tom Davidson, Lexington, MA (US); and Matthew McCambridge, Lexington, MA (US)
Assigned to Fluent Metal, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Fluent Metal Inc., Woburn, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/462,780.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/074,261, filed on Sep. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0062983 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B22D 23/00 (2006.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/13 (2021.01); B22F 12/20 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22D 23/003 (2013.01) [B22F 12/13 (2021.01); B22F 12/222 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for forming molten metal droplets on demand comprising:
a carriage;
an actuator, wherein metal microwire is advanced by the actuator;
a heat source positioned proximate a tip of the metal microwire, thereby causing the tip of the metal microwire to be heated past its melting point such that a droplet is formed; and
a mechanism to create a change in a first momentum of the carriage, wherein the change in the first momentum of the carriage causes the droplet to separate from the tip of the metal microwire and move in the direction of the first momentum.