Patents by Inventor Andrew Michael Stulc

Andrew Michael Stulc 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).

  • Patent number: 11465348
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a supply of continuous reinforcement, an outlet configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement, and a tensioning module disposed between the supply and outlet. The tensioning module may be configured to generate a signal indicative of a tension in the continuous reinforcement. The system may also include a processor programmed to selectively cause the supply to dispense the continuous reinforcement based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Brock Adam Jahner, Jeremiah R. Smith, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Andrew Michael Stulc, Samuel VanDenBerg, Stephen Tyler Wilson, Andrew John Overby
  • Patent number: 11420390
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed for use in fabricating a structure. The additive manufacturing system may include a support, and a print head configured to discharge a material and being operatively connected to and moveable by the support in a normal travel direction during material discharge. The print head may include a module located at a trailing side of the discharging material relative to the normal travel direction and being configured to compact the material and expose the material to a cure energy at a tool center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus Raye Vincent Brodie, Kyle Frank Cummings, Andrew Michael Stulc, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Brock Jahner, Stephen Tyler Wilson
  • Publication number: 20220118699
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may have an outlet configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement at least partially coated in a matrix, and a device located inside the print head and configured to at least partially coat the continuous reinforcement with the matrix. The system may also include a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an amount of the matrix, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the device. The controller may be configured to direct a command to the device to cause the device to advance matrix toward the continuous reinforcement during passage of the continuous reinforcement through the print head, and to selectively adjust the command based on the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David BUDGE, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Ryan C. Stockett, Andrew Michael Stulc
  • Publication number: 20220080653
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a first supply configured to hold a liquid matrix, a second supply configured to hold a continuous reinforcement, and a wetting module configured to separately receive the liquid matrix and the continuous reinforcement from the first and second supplies, respectively, and to discharge a composite material including the continuous reinforcement wetted with the liquid matrix. The wetting module may include a body forming an internal chamber having an upstream open end and a downstream open end, an entrant nozzle disposed within the upstream open end and configured to receive the continuous reinforcement, and an exit nozzle disposed within the downstream closed end and configured to discharge the composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Brock Adam Jahner, Jeremiah R. Smith, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Andrew Michael Stulc, Samuel VanDenBerg, Stephen Tyler Wilson
  • Publication number: 20220080657
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a supply of continuous reinforcement, an outlet configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement, and a tensioning module disposed between the supply and outlet. The tensioning module may be configured to generate a signal indicative of a tension in the continuous reinforcement. The system may also include a processor programmed to selectively cause the supply to dispense the continuous reinforcement based on the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Brock Adam Jahner, Jeremiah R. Smith, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Andrew Michael Stulc, Samuel Van DenBerg, Stephen Tyler Wilson, Andrew John Overby
  • Publication number: 20220080659
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include an outlet configured to discharge a material in a trajectory along a central axis of the outlet, and a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the trajectory and configured to press the material transversely against an adjacent surface. The outlet may be configured to translate relative to the compacting module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Brock Adam Jahner, Jeremiah R. Smith, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Andrew Michael Stulc, Samuel VanDenBerg, Stephen Tyler Wilson, Andrew John Overby
  • Publication number: 20220080660
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include an outlet configured to discharge a material in a trajectory along a central axis of the outlet; a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the trajectory and configured to press the material transversely against an adjacent surface, and a cutting module located between the outlet and the compactor. The compactor and the cutting module may be configured to move together relative to the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Brock Adam Jahner, Jeremiah R. Smith, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Andrew Michael Stulc, Samuel VanDenBerg, Stephen Tyler Wilson, Andrew John Overby
  • Publication number: 20220080658
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a first supply configured to hold a continuous reinforcement, a second supply configured to hold a matrix separate from the continuous reinforcement, and a wetting mechanism in separate communication with the first and second supplies and configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement wetted with the matrix. The system may also include a controller programmed to selectively pressurize the second supply to direct the matrix to the wetting mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Brock Adam Jahner, Jeremiah R. Smith, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Andrew Michael Stulc, Samuel VanDenBerg, Stephen Tyler Wilson, Andrew John Overby
  • Patent number: 11247395
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may have an outlet configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement at least partially coated in a matrix. The system may also include at least one doser located inside the print head and configured to at least partially coat the continuous reinforcement with the matrix, a sensor located downstream of the at least one doser and configured to generate a signal indicative of an amount of matrix coating the continuous reinforcement, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the at least one doser. The controller may be configured to direct a feedforward command to the at least one doser to cause the at least one doser to advance matrix toward the continuous reinforcement during passage of the continuous reinforcement through the print head, and to selectively adjust the feedforward command based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor David Budge, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Ryan C. Stockett, Andrew Michael Stulc
  • Publication number: 20210260821
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed for use in fabricating a structure. The additive manufacturing system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a housing, a supply module operatively mounted to the housing and configured to hold a supply of continuous reinforcement, an impregnation module operatively mounted to the housing and configured to wet the continuous reinforcement with a matrix, and a clamping module operatively mounted to the housing downstream of the supply module relative to movement of a reinforcement through the print head. The clamping module may be configured to selectively clamp the continuous reinforcement. The additive manufacturing system may also include a controller in communication with the support and the print head and configured to coordinate operations of the support and the print head to fabricate a three-dimensional structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Andrew STRANBERG, Andrew Michael Stulc, Brock Adam Jahner, Stephen Tyler Wilson
  • Publication number: 20200238619
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed for use in fabricating a structure. The additive manufacturing system may include a support, and a print head configured to discharge a material and being operatively connected to and moveable by the support in a normal travel direction during material discharge. The print head may include a module located at a trailing side of the discharging material relative to the normal travel direction and being configured to compact the material and expose the material to a cure energy at a tool center point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: Continuous Composites Inc.
    Inventors: MARCUS RAYE VINCENT BRODIE, Kyle Frank Cummings, Andrew Michael Stulc, Nathan Andrew Stranberg, Brock Jahner, Stephen Tyler Wilson