Patents by Inventor Chad C. Eichele

Chad C. Eichele has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Three-dimensional printer head including an automatic touchdown apparatus
    Patent number: 11731353
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printer head includes a drive motor, the drive motor including a drive shaft, a feed plate is affixed to the drive motor, and a feed hob is mounted to the drive shaft. The feed hob includes drive teeth configured to engage a filament. An idle assembly mounted to the feed plate configured to bias the filament against the drive teeth. The printer head further includes a z-axis plate assembly, wherein the z-axis plate assembly includes at least two flexures coupling a z-axis plate to the feed plate and a print nozzle mounted to the z-axis plate assembly. The printer head also includes a sensor coupled to the feed plate, wherein the sensor is configured to be triggered by the z-axis plate assembly when the z-axis plate assembly moves a given distance in a first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ESSENTIUM IPCO, LLC
    Inventors: William J. MacNeish, III, Erik John Gjovik, Alexander Stockton, Chad C. Eichele
  • THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTER HEAD INCLUDING AN AUTOMATIC TOUCHDOWN APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20210331390
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printer head includes a drive motor, the drive motor including a drive shaft, a feed plate is affixed to the drive motor, and a feed hob is mounted to the drive shaft. The feed hob includes drive teeth configured to engage a filament. An idle assembly mounted to the feed plate configured to bias the filament against the drive teeth. The printer head further includes a z-axis plate assembly, wherein the z-axis plate assembly includes at least two flexures coupling a z-axis plate to the feed plate and a print nozzle mounted to the z-axis plate assembly. The printer head also includes a sensor coupled to the feed plate, wherein the sensor is configured to be triggered by the z-axis plate assembly when the z-axis plate assembly moves a given distance in a first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: William J. MacNeish, III, Erik John Gjovik, Alexander Stockton, Chad C. Eichele
  • Three-dimensional printer head including an automatic touchdown apparatus
    Patent number: 11065811
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printer head includes a drive motor, the drive motor including a drive shaft, a feed plate is affixed to the drive motor, and a feed hob is mounted to the drive shaft. The feed hob includes drive teeth configured to engage a filament. An idle assembly mounted to the feed plate configured to bias the filament against the drive teeth. The printer head further includes a z-axis plate assembly, wherein the z-axis plate assembly includes at least two flexures coupling a z-axis plate to the feed plate and a print nozzle mounted to the z-axis plate assembly. The printer head also includes a sensor coupled to the feed plate, wherein the sensor is configured to be triggered by the z-axis plate assembly when the z-axis plate assembly moves a given distance in a first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: ESSENTIUM, INC.
    Inventors: William J. MacNeish, III, Erik John Gjovik, Alexander Stockton, Chad C. Eichele
  • THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTER HEAD INCLUDING AN AUTOMATIC TOUCHDOWN APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20200298478
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printer head includes a drive motor, the drive motor including a drive shaft, a feed plate is affixed to the drive motor, and a feed hob is mounted to the drive shaft. The feed hob includes drive teeth configured to engage a filament. An idle assembly mounted to the feed plate configured to bias the filament against the drive teeth. The printer head further includes a z-axis plate assembly, wherein the z-axis plate assembly includes at least two flexures coupling a z-axis plate to the feed plate and a print nozzle mounted to the z-axis plate assembly. The printer head also includes a sensor coupled to the feed plate, wherein the sensor is configured to be triggered by the z-axis plate assembly when the z-axis plate assembly moves a given distance in a first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: William J. MacNeish, III, Erik John Gjovik, Alexander Stockton, Chad C. Eichele