Patent ID: 11945150
Assignee: EXTRUDE TO FILL, INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  H  Y | IPC B  G  H

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus comprising:
a barrel comprising:
a first section defining a nozzle in an end associated with a mold;
a second section coupled to a hopper configured to feed a raw material into the barrel; and
a temperature transition section positioned between the first section and second section;

one or more heaters associated with the temperature transition section of the barrel to heat the raw material inside the barrel and transform the raw material into a molten material; and
an extrusion screw placed inside the barrel and rotatable in two opposing directions relative to the barrel,
wherein:
the extrusion screw is configured to move in an axial direction within and with respect to the barrel between a first position in which the extrusion screw is fixed axially to open the nozzle and rotates in a first direction relative to the barrel to continuously extrude the molten material into the mold through the nozzle and a second position in which a tip of the extrusion screw is received within the nozzle to seal the nozzle;
the extrusion screw is configured to move in the axial direction from the first position to the second position to seal the nozzle when the mold is filled while rotating in a second direction to decompress the barrel and to break a non-Newtonian action of the molten material;
the extrusion screw is configured to move in the axial direction from the second position to the first position to open the nozzle while rotating in the first direction; and
the barrel is configured to operate with an internal pressure that ranges between the same as and 10% higher than a pressure inside the mold when the molten material is extruded into the mold.