Gantry assembly for use in additive manufacturing system

摘要

A gantry assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, the gantry assembly comprising a first bearing shaft, a carriage slidably engaged with the first bearing shaft, and a second bearing shaft operably supported by the carriage, the second linear bearing extending along a second axis. The gantry assembly also comprises a tool-head mount slidably engaged with the second linear bearing, a drive belt secured to the tool-head mount, a first motor having a first drive shaft engaged with the drive belt, and a second motor having a second drive shaft engaged with the drive belt.

主权项

1. A gantry assembly having a first axis and a second axis that define a plane, the gantry assembly comprising:
a first bearing shaft extending along the first axis, and operably biased in a direction along the second axis; a carriage slidably engaged with the first bearing shaft, and comprising only three bearings; a second bearing shaft operably supported by the carriage, wherein the second bearing shaft extends along the second axis and is operably biased in a direction along the first axis; a third bearing shaft extending along the first axis substantially parallel to the first bearing shaft, and operably biased in a direction along the second axis such that the first bearing shaft and the second bearing shaft are operably biased toward one another and wherein the only three bearings of the carriage engage the first and third bearing shafts with a triangular bearing arrangement to reduce pivoting of the carriage; a tool-head mount slidably engaged with the second, bearing shaft; a single drive belt secured to the tool-head mount; a first motor having a first drive shaft engaged with the single drive belt; and a second motor having a second drive shaft also engaged with the single drive belt, wherein the first motor and the second motor are configured to operate independently to rotate the single drive belt in manners that move the carriage along the first bearing shaft and that move the head-tool mount along the second bearing shaft based on relative rotational directions and rotational rates between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft, so as to allow movement of the tool-head mount in any direction by a selected combination of movement along the first axis and the second axis in the plane to arrive at any coordinate location within the plane.