Patent Publication Number: US-2016236413-A1

Title: Nozzle cover coating

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority of Provisional Application No. 62/117,439 filed on Feb. 17, 2015, inventors Michael Daniel Armani and David Souza Jones, entitled “3D Printer”. The entire disclosure of this provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference thereto, in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a nozzle, nozzle cover, tip, and protective member, especially for use in 3D printers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a problem in the art to provide a printer extruder nozzle for use in 3D printing that reduces charring and burning; is child-safe; and reduces and/or prevents odors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     From the foregoing, it is seen that it is a problem in the art to provide a device and meeting the above requirements. According to the present invention, a device is provided which meets the aforementioned requirements and needs in the prior art. Specifically, the device according to the present invention provides a nozzle cover or coating that prevents sticking and charring of plastic on 3D printers. 
     Specifically, a cover or coating on the end of a 3D printer nozzle, such as silicone or PITT, prevents plastic from getting stuck on the nozzle and also prevents plastic near the nozzle end from overheating or charring or excessive fumes from charring plastic. Imagine you are cooking food on the stove. It smells good as long as the food is in the pan. Once the food falls out of the pan onto the hot heating elements, it starts to char and create very foul smelling fumes. This is the same as in 3D printing. By covering the tip of the nozzle with a protective coating, you reduce the amount of heat that can be dumped into plastic near the end of the nozzle. By using silicone or PTFE on the tip, the plastic also doesn&#39;t stick as well as it would to hot metal. This prevents the plastic from staying on the nozzle long enough to char and create foul odors and prevents charring of the plastic. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a nozzle assembly for use in printing 3D articles in a 3D printer. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the nozzle assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , and showing internal details of the nozzle assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , and showing internal details of an alternative embodiment of the nozzle assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a 3D printer with an extruder carrying the nozzle assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a nozzle assembly  10  for use in printing 3D articles in a 3D printer  1  (shown in  FIG. 5 ). An internal nozzle tube  815  is inside of nozzle  811 . The nozzle assembly  10  indicates a nozzle  811  and a nozzle cover  813 . 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the nozzle assembly  10  and nozzle cover  813  of  FIG. 1 . The nozzle cover  813  includes a thin disk-shaped member  813   a  surrounding the nozzle tip  811   a.    
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , and showing internal details of the nozzle cover  813 . In this view, a heating element  812  is depicted. The two wires leading to heating element  812  are not shown. 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , and showing an alternative embodiment of nozzle cover  813  in a two-part design comprised of nozzle cover alternative  814  and nozzle cover disk  816 . Nozzle cover disk  816  is in close contact with the bottom of nozzle cover alternative  814 , and is described further hereunder. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view an extruder on 3D printer  1  carrying the nozzle  811  and nozzle cover  813  of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     Specifically, the nozzle cover  813  has the disk-shaped member  813   a  surrounding the nozzle  811   a  of the 3D printer nozzle  811 . Alternatively, disk-shaped member  813   a  may be formed as a coating on nozzle tip  811   a  on the internal and/or external surfaces of nozzle  811 . A coating on nozzle  811  may be used in conjunction with disk-shaped member  813   a  or nozzle cover disk  816 . Said coating could be a number of different high-temperature materials, including PTFE. 
     The member or coating  813   a  is formed of material such as silicone or PTFE, and prevents plastic from getting stuck on the nozzle and also prevents plastic near the nozzle end from overheating or charring or excessive fumes from charring plastic. 
     In an alternative embodiment, shown in  FIG. 4 , nozzle disk  816  is a separate component that is not part of nozzle cover  813  or nozzle cover alternative  814 . It may be in the shape of an o-ring, X-profile o-ring, square o-ring, or any other type of disk-shaped seal. 
     As an example of this, imagine you are cooking food on the stove. When burning food, it smells good as long as the food is in the pan. Once the food falls out of the pan onto the hot heating elements, it starts to char and create very foul smelling fumes. This is the same as in 3D printing. By covering the tip of the nozzle with a protective coating, the amount of heat can be reduced that can be transmitted or dumped into plastic material (such as that of a printed article or from the extruded plastic material from the nozzle) which is disposed near the end of the nozzle  811 . By using nozzle cover  813  on the nozzle tip  811   a,  the plastic also doesn&#39;t stick as well as it would to hot metal. This prevents the plastic from staying on the nozzle long enough to char and create foul odors and prevents charring of the plastic. 
     Additionally, this forms a child-safe feature. As seen in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , the nozzle cover  813  is relatively very flat near the nozzle tip  811   a,  and when the 3D printer is in operation, nozzle cover  813  prevents a child from inserting an object or fingers closely to the nozzle tip  811   a.    
     The invention being thus described, it will be evident that the same may be varied in many ways by a routineer in the applicable arts. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.