Makerbot Industries, LLC

Eaglepicher Technologies, LLC

Cameron International Corporation

Michael C Pappas

Vishnu Anantha

Taylor S Goodman

Greg Miller

Donald Scott Coonrod

Mark Palmer

Samuel Holland

Kevin C Rand

Michael Joseph Kobida

Mark Waller

Jim Ferraro

Christopher James Yarka

Dharmesh Bhakta

Greg Kirk

John Bennett

Mike Parrot

Matthew Scott Sterling

Derek Redd

Kelvin Singleton

Thomas Vest

Kevin Havis

Jennifer Gaines

Adam Castillo

Amber Tucker

Graham Schlanger

Tyler Smith

Isaac S Anderson

Michael Riemer

Eric Justin Macneil

Donald S Coonrod

A cap for an extruder of a three-dimensional printer is removeable and replaceable on the hot end of the extruder, e.g., for cleaning or other maintenance of the cap or extruder. The cap may be formed of a polymer having a lower thermal conductivity than the hot end of the extruder such that the cap forms a thermal barrier between the hot end of the extruder and an external environment. Further, the cap may protect the hot end of the extruder from damaging contact with deposited build material (e.g., spatters) as well as other undesirable contact during a three-dimensional printing process.

Removable extruder cap

Drawer for a three-dimensional printer

Extruder for a three-dimensional printer

Extruder cap

An extrusion head of an extruder is configured to move along a feedpath independently from a heating element so that the extrusion head can yield to extrusion-related forces. Specifically, the extruder may include an extrusion head movably coupled to a thermal core to permit axial displacement of the extrusion head relative to the thermal core. In use, the extrusion head may be displaced within the thermal core when the extruder is subject to extrusion-related forces (e.g., an upward force created by a refraction of build material or a downward force created by an advance of build material). This motion can facilitate better transitions by the extruder between different layers or z-axis positions in a model during fabrication.

Extruder for three-dimensional printers

A power supply apparatus has at least one modular reserve battery magazine with a plurality of compartments. A plurality of reserve battery modules may be respectively replaceably provided in corresponding ones of the plurality of compartments, each of the plurality of reserve battery modules being configured to provide power when a reserve battery provided therein is activated. Each reserve battery module of the plurality of reserve battery modules includes a sleeve and a reserve battery provided within the sleeve, the sleeve being configured to fit within one of the plurality of compartments in a predetermined orientation. Each sleeve may be detachably connectable within any compartment of the plurality of compartments and includes electrical connections so that each reserve battery module of the plurality of reserve battery modules is separately replaceable while the power supply apparatus remains remotely located.

Power supply apparatus with reserve battery modules and method for providing backup power

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Michael C Pappas