Patent ID: 9720363
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: B29C,B33Y,G03G,Y10T

Claim:
1. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part, the additive manufacturing system comprising: at least three rollers, the at least three rollers comprising a nip roller, a disengaging roller and a third roller, wherein each roller is positioned in a fixed position and rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the fixed position of the nip roller and the fixed position of the disengaging roller are proximate a build plane and wherein the fixed position of the third roller is located a distance from the build plane; an imaging engine configured to form imaged layers of a thermoplastic-based powder; a rotatable belt having a first surface and a second surface, the rotatable belt configured to receive imaged layers of the thermoplastic-based powder from the imaging engine on the first surface, each imaged layer having a length from a leading edge to a trailing edge, wherein the second surface of the belt is configured to engage the at least three rollers and wherein the at least three rollers define a path of travel of the belt wherein the travel path of the belt proximate the build plane follows a first distance between a transfer engaging location at the nip roller and a transfer disengaging location at the disengaging roller, and the travel path of the belt descends in a rotational direction toward the nip roller and ascends in a rotational direction away from the disengaging roller; a drive mechanism configured to rotate the belt at a rotational rate to transfer the received imaged layers; a build platform configured to move and receive the imaged layers from the belt in a layer-by-layer manner to print the three-dimensional part on the build platform; a gantry configured to move the build platform in a reciprocating pattern such that a top surface of the part being formed on the build platform travels within the build plane and out of the build plane, the movement being synchronized with the rotational rate of the belt, wherein the gantry is configured to move the the top surface of the part being formed in the build plane a second distance from a first build plane location to a second build plane location wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance, wherein the first build plane location is located a third distance in an upstream direction of the transfer engaging location such that the part being formed on the build platform is not in contact with the imaged layer or the belt at the first build plane location, and the leading edge of the imaged layer is configured to register with a front location of the build platform at the nip roller as the top surface of the part being formed moves in the build plane, and wherein the second build plane location is located a distance from the transfer disengaging location such that the trailing edge is configured to disengage the belt as the top surface of the part being formed moves in the build plane; and the nip roller is configured to operate with the build platform to register and transfuse the imaged layers onto the moving build platform utilizing heat and pressure between the nip roller and the moving build platform as the top surface of the part moves in the build plane.