Patent ID: 9688025
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: B29C,B33Y

Claim:
1. A three-dimensional (3D) printing device comprising: one or more computer processors; and one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform operations comprising: determining a location at which to print a 3D cleaning object, the determining based at least in part on an intended location at which to print a 3D object; causing a multi-head filament-providing element to print, with one or more print heads of the multi-head filament-providing element, a layer of the 3D cleaning object and a portion of a layer of the 3D object; and responsive to a determination that a first print head of the multi-head filament-providing element is being deactivated and a second print head of the multi-head filament-providing element is being activated: cleaning leftover filament from the first print head by passing the first print head over a first portion of the 3D cleaning object; extruding filament from the second print head, the extrusion sufficient to match or exceed a maximum amount of filament lost during a prior deactivation of the second print head, the maximum amount of filament determined based on historical sensor data for filament historically lost after deactivating the second print head; cleaning some or all of the extrusion from the second print head by passing the second print head over a second portion of the 3D cleaning object; and printing a portion of the 3D object using the second print head.