Patent ID: 11964426
Assignee: CONTINUOUS COMPOSITES INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 26:
27. A continuous-composite printing apparatus for manufacturing an object, the continuous-composite printing apparatus comprising:
a platform;
a positioning system;
a supply device that provides a supply of polymer;
a providing device that provides a fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer;
a head having an outlet end and configured to receive the supply of polymer and the fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer and to dispense the supply of polymer and the fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer through the outlet end;
a mount connecting the head to the positioning system;
a heater configured to heat at least one of the polymer or the fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer within the head;
a computer system including a processor operatively coupled to the platform, the positioning system, the providing device, the supply device, and the heater, the computer system configured to:
receive a model of the object defining a plurality of slices of the object;
control the supply device to press a first path of the supply of polymer through the outlet end of the head to form a first layer of the object based on a first of the plurality of slices;
control the providing device to press a second path of the fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer through the outlet end of the head to form a second layer of the object based on a second of the plurality of slices;
control movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform to position an end of the second path onto the first layer; and
control movement of at least one of the positioning system and the platform to pull the positioned end of the fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer such that the fiber strand pre-pregged with polymer is pulled through the outlet end of the head and onto the first layer.