US 11,904,534 B2
Additive manufacturing system
Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Post Falls, ID (US); Andrew Michael Stulc, Spokane, WA (US); Brock Adam Jahner, Coeur d'Alene, ID (US); and Stephen Tyler Wilson, Coeur D'Alene, ID (US)
Assigned to Continuous Composites Inc., Coeur d'Alene, ID (US)
Filed by Continuous Composites Inc., Coeur d'Alene, ID (US)
Filed on Feb. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/249,225.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/027,188, filed on May 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/981,515, filed on Feb. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0260821 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. B29C 64/165 (2017.01); B29C 64/255 (2017.01); B29C 64/194 (2017.01); B29C 64/264 (2017.01); B29C 64/336 (2017.01); B29B 15/12 (2006.01); B29C 70/06 (2006.01); B29C 70/38 (2006.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/165 (2017.08) [B29B 15/122 (2013.01); B29C 64/194 (2017.08); B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B29C 64/255 (2017.08); B29C 64/264 (2017.08); B29C 64/336 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B29C 70/06 (2013.01); B29C 70/384 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing system for fabricating a three-dimensional composite structure, comprising:
a support;
a print head operatively connected to the support, wherein the support is capable of moving the print head in multiple directions during the fabrication of the three-dimensional composite structure,
the print head including:
a housing;
a supply module operatively mounted to the housing and configured to hold a supply of a continuous reinforcement;
an impregnation module operatively mounted to the housing and configured to wet the continuous reinforcement with a matrix; and
a clamping module operatively mounted to the housing downstream of the supply module relative to movement of the continuous reinforcement through the print head, the clamping module configured to selectively clamp the continuous reinforcement;
a controller in communication with the support and the print head and configured to coordinate operations of the support and the print head to fabricate the three-dimensional composite structure by moving the print head in at least one of the multiple directions during the fabrication;
a compacting module operatively mounted to the housing and/or a curing module operatively mounted to the housing, wherein the compacting module is configured to move relative to the housing and/or the curing module is configured to move relative to the housing; and
a cutting module configured to cut the continuous reinforcement, and wherein:
the cutting module is configured to move together with the compacting module relative to the housing, and/or
the cutting module and the compacting module are configured to move together with the curing module relative to the housing.