阅读说明：本技术 细丝容器 (Filament container ) 是由 E·J·耶维克 M·R·米切尔 W·J·麦克尼什三世 于 2020-02-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于容纳细丝卷轴的细丝容器包括限定内部容积的底座和盖子。盖子可旋转地附接到底座并可在关闭位置和打开位置之间移动,其中,在关闭位置时,内部容积基本上是密封的,而在打开位置时,可进入内部容积。第一水平轴和第二水平轴可旋转地支撑在内部容积内,并相互平行且间隔一定距离,且第一水平轴和第二水平轴均可绕各自的纵向轴线旋转。第一水平轴和第二水平轴适于将细丝卷轴垂直地支撑在内部容积内,并且当从卷轴和细丝容器中拉出细丝时,允许细丝卷轴围绕水平轴线自由旋转,水平轴线与第一水平轴和第二水平轴中每一个的纵向轴线平行且与其间隔开。(A filament container for containing a filament spool includes a base and a cover defining an interior volume. A lid is rotatably attached to the base and is movable between a closed position, in which the interior volume is substantially sealed, and an open position, in which the interior volume is accessible. First and second horizontal shafts are rotatably supported within the interior volume and are parallel to and spaced a distance from each other, and each of the first and second horizontal shafts is rotatable about a respective longitudinal axis. The first and second horizontal shafts are adapted to support the filament spool vertically within the interior volume and allow the filament spool to freely rotate about a horizontal axis that is parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of each of the first and second horizontal shafts as filament is pulled from the spool and filament container.)

1. A filament container adapted to receive a filament spool for an additive manufacturing machine, comprising:

a base and a cover, wherein the base and the cover define an interior volume of the filament container, the cover being rotatably attached to the base and movable between a closed position in which the interior volume of the filament container is substantially sealed and an open position in which the filament spool can be inserted or removed from the interior volume of the filament container; and

a first horizontal shaft and a second horizontal shaft rotatably supported within the filament container interior volume, the first horizontal shaft and the second horizontal shaft being parallel to and spaced a distance from each other and both being rotatable about respective longitudinal axes, and

wherein the first and second horizontal shafts are adapted to vertically support the filament spool within the interior volume and allow the filament spool to freely rotate about a horizontal axis that is parallel to and spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second horizontal shafts as filament is pulled from the spool and filament container.

2. The filament container of claim 1 wherein the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis are independently movable within the interior volume and a distance between the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis is selectively variable, the filament container adapted to selectively accommodate filament spools of different sizes.

3. The filament container of claim 2, further comprising:

a first bearing support rail and a second bearing support rail mounted on the base within the interior volume; and

a pair of bearings mounted on each of said first horizontal shaft and said second horizontal shaft, one bearing mounted on each of opposite distal ends of each of said first horizontal shaft and said second horizontal shaft, an

Wherein the bearing support rails each include a plurality of notches formed therein, the notches formed in the first bearing support rail being aligned with the notches in the second bearing support rail, the first and second bearing support rails being spaced apart from each other such that the aligned notches in the first and second bearing support rails support a bearing mounted on a distal end of the first horizontal shaft, and the aligned notches in the first and second bearing support rails support a bearing mounted on a distal end of the second horizontal shaft, the bearings being adapted to freely rotate the first and second horizontal shafts.

4. The filament container of claim 1 wherein the first horizontal shaft and the second horizontal shaft each include a channel formed therein adapted to hold a filament spool supported thereon in a central position between distal ends of the first horizontal shaft and the second horizontal shaft.

5. The filament container of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one bracket adapted to support an air conditioning device within the interior volume.

6. The filament container of claim 5 wherein the air regulating device is one of an air heater, an air cooler, a dehumidifier, and a humidifier.

7. The filament container of claim 5 wherein the air regulating device is a pack of desiccant material adapted to remove moisture from the interior volume.

8. The filament container of claim 1 further comprising an air inlet adapted to pump conditioned air into the interior volume of the filament container and an air outlet adapted to let air flow out of the interior volume.

9. The filament container of claim 8 wherein the air inlet is adapted to be connected to an external air conditioning unit that pumps conditioned air into the interior volume through the air inlet.

10. The filament container of claim 8 wherein the air inlet and the air outlet each comprise a substantially airtight door movable between an open position and a closed position, the door of the air inlet being openable to allow air flow through the air inlet or closed to prevent air flow through the air inlet, and the door of the air outlet being openable to allow air flow through the air outlet or closed to prevent air flow through the air outlet.

11. The filament container of claim 10, wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are adapted to engage with corresponding ports on the additive manufacturing machine, wherein conditioned air can be pumped into the interior volume through the air inlet from an air conditioner installed within the additive manufacturing machine, and air in the interior volume is expelled through the air outlet.

12. The filament container of claim 11, wherein the air inlet and air outlet doors are attached to the filament container by a spring hinge, wherein the hinge is biased to maintain the air inlet and air outlet doors in a closed position.

13. The filament container of claim 12, further comprising a first protrusion aligned with the air inlet and extending outward and a second protrusion aligned with the air outlet and extending outward, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are each adapted to push open a door of a corresponding port in the additive manufacturing machine when the filament container is moved into engagement with the additive manufacturing machine.

14. The filament container of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic plate mounted to an exterior surface of the filament container, the magnetic plate adapted to engage a ferrous surface on the additive manufacturing machine to hold the filament container in place relative to the additive manufacturing machine.

15. The filament container of claim 14 wherein the magnetic plate is positioned between the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

16. The filament container of claim 1, further comprising an electronic communication device storing filament spool information within the filament container, the electronic communication device further adapted to communicate with the additive manufacturing machine to cause the additive manufacturing machine to receive information stored therein.

17. The filament container of claim 16, wherein the electronic communication device is a radio frequency tag having read/write capabilities.

18. The filament container of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of casters mounted on a bottom surface of the base.

19. The filament container of claim 1 further comprising a filament port formed in the lid and adapted to draw a filament from the filament container.

20. The filament container of claim 1, further comprising a seal extending between the lid and the base to substantially seal the interior volume when the lid is in the closed position.

21. The filament container of claim 1 wherein the lid further comprises a window allowing visual inspection of the interior volume, a handle mounted on an exterior surface, and a latch mechanism to retain the lid in the closed position, wherein the latch is adapted to selectively open and close the lid.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a filament container for use with an additive manufacturing machine. The filaments are typically provided by a spool and drawn directly from the spool into an additive manufacturing machine for manufacturing various parts. Materials commonly used in additive manufacturing machines include polymers and thermoplastics. In most cases, a spool of polymer or thermoplastic material is placed in a container adapted to support the spool in a manner that allows the filament to be easily pulled from the spool into an additive manufacturing machine.

Background

Another important aspect of a filament spool container is to provide a controlled environment for the filaments. To ensure high quality and accuracy of the finished part, it is important to ensure the cleanliness of the filaments as they are fed into the additive manufacturing machine. Furthermore, moisture on the filaments can negatively impact the quality of the finished product.

Polymers and thermoplastics used in additive manufacturing machines are hygroscopic, which means that they absorb moisture from the air. The presence of moisture becomes a problem when extruding "wet" filaments. When the filament is heated, excess moisture evaporates and creates bubbles and voids in the print, structurally weakening it. In addition, "wet" filaments can lead to increased brittleness, increased diameter, degradation, blistering, and broken filaments. In contrast to "wet" filaments, filaments that remain "dry" by proper storage can consistently provide higher quality prints, and can even improve accuracy.

Thus, while present filament delivery systems achieve the intended purpose, there remains a need for a new and improved filament container that interfaces with an additive manufacturing machine, provides a controlled environment for filament spools and supports filament spools of different sizes to facilitate easy feeding of filaments into the additive manufacturing machine and to facilitate loading/unloading of the filament spools.

Disclosure of Invention

According to several aspects of the present disclosure, a filament container adapted to contain a filament spool for an additive manufacturing machine includes a base and a cover, wherein the base and the cover define an interior volume of the filament container. The lid is rotatably attached to the base and is movable between a closed position in which an interior volume of the filament container is substantially sealed and an open position in which the filament spool can be inserted or removed from the interior volume of the filament container. A first horizontal shaft and a second horizontal shaft are rotatably supported within the interior volume of the filament container. The first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis are parallel to and spaced apart from each other, and the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis are each rotatable about a respective longitudinal axis. The first and second horizontal shafts are adapted to vertically support a filament spool within the interior volume and allow the filament spool to freely rotate about a horizontal axis that is parallel to and spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second horizontal shafts as filament is drawn from the spool and filament container.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis move independently within the interior volume and a distance between the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis is selectively variable, wherein the filament container is adapted to selectively accommodate filament spools of different sizes.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the filament container further includes first and second bearing support rails mounted on the base within the interior volume, and a pair of bearings mounted on each of the first and second horizontal shafts. One bearing is mounted on each of the opposite distal ends of each of the first and second horizontal shafts. The bearing support rails each include a plurality of notches formed therein. The notches formed in the first bearing support rail align with the notches in the second bearing support rail. The first and second bearing support rails are spaced apart from one another such that aligned notches in the first and second bearing support rails support bearings mounted on distal ends of the first horizontal shaft and aligned notches in the first and second bearing support rails support bearings mounted on distal ends of the second horizontal shaft. The bearing is adapted to freely rotate the first horizontal shaft and the second horizontal shaft.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first horizontal shaft and the second horizontal shaft each include a channel formed therein adapted to retain a filament spool supported thereon in a central position between distal ends of the first horizontal shaft and the second horizontal shaft.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the filament container further includes at least one support adapted to support an air regulating device within the interior volume.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device is one of an air heater, an air cooler, a dehumidifier, and a humidifier.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device is a pack of desiccant material adapted to remove moisture from the interior volume.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the filament container further includes an air inlet adapted to pump conditioned air into the interior volume of the filament container and an air outlet adapted to let air flow out of the interior volume.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the air inlet is adapted to be connected to an external air conditioning unit that pumps conditioned air into the interior volume through the air inlet.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the air inlet and the air outlet each comprise a substantially airtight door movable between an open position and a closed position, the door of the air inlet being openable to allow airflow through the air inlet or closed to prevent airflow through the air inlet, and the door of the air outlet being openable to allow airflow through the air outlet or closed to prevent airflow through the air outlet.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the air inlet and the air outlet are adapted to engage with respective ports on the additive manufacturing machine, wherein conditioned air may be pumped into the interior volume through the air inlet from an air conditioner installed within the additive manufacturing machine, and air in the interior volume is exhausted through the air outlet.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the air inlet and air outlet doors are attached to the filament container by a spring hinge, wherein the hinge is biased to maintain the air inlet and air outlet doors in a closed position.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the filament container further includes a first protrusion aligned with the air inlet and extending outwardly and a second protrusion aligned with the air outlet and extending outwardly, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are each adapted to push open a door of a respective port in the additive manufacturing machine when the filament container is moved into engagement with the additive manufacturing machine.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the filament container further includes a magnetic plate mounted to an exterior surface of the filament container, the magnetic plate adapted to engage a ferrous surface on the additive manufacturing machine to hold the filament container in place relative to the additive manufacturing machine.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the magnetic plate is positioned between the air inlet and the air outlet.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the filament container further includes an electronic communication device that stores filament spool information within the filament container. The electronic communication device is further adapted to communicate with the additive manufacturing machine to cause the additive manufacturing machine to receive information stored therein.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the electronic communication device is a radio frequency tag with read/write capabilities.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the filament container further includes a plurality of casters mounted on a bottom surface of the base.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the filament container further includes a filament port formed within the lid and adapted to draw a filament from the filament container.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the filament container further includes a seal extending between the lid and the base to substantially seal the interior volume when the lid is in the closed position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the lid further includes a window allowing visual inspection of the interior volume, a handle mounted on an exterior surface, and a latch mechanism retaining the lid in the closed position, wherein the latch is adapted to selectively open and close the lid.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a filament container of the present disclosure according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the filament container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the filament container of FIG. 1 with its lid removed;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filament container of FIG. 1 taken along line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a filament container of the present disclosure according to another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the filament container of FIG. 5 with its lid removed;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a horizontal axis of the filament container.

Detailed Description

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a filament container 10 of the present disclosure is adapted to house a filament spool for an additive manufacturing machine. The filament container 10 includes a base 12 and a lid 14. The base 12 includes a front panel 16, a top panel 18, a rear panel 20, a bottom panel 22, a first side panel 24, and a second side panel 26. The cover includes a front panel 28, a top panel 30, a first side panel 32 and a second side panel 34.

A plurality of casters 90 are mounted to a bottom surface 92 of the bottom panel 22 of the base 12. Depending on the size of the filament spool and the type of filament on the spool, the weight of the filament container 10 on which the filament spool is mounted may be significant. The casters 90 facilitate movement of the filament container 10 without lifting.

The base 12 and lid 14 define an interior volume 36 of the filament container 10. The cover 14 is rotatably attached to the base 12. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the lid 14 is attached to the base 12 by two hinges 38. The hinge 38 securely secures the lid 14 to the base 12 and allows the lid 14 to move between the closed and open positions. In the closed position, the interior volume 36 of the filament container 10 is substantially sealed. While in the open position, the filament spool may be inserted or removed from the interior volume 36 of the filament container 10.

A filament port 94 is formed in the top panel 30 of the lid 14. The filament port 94 pulls filaments from the spool within the internal volume 36 of the filament container 10 from the filament container 10 into the additive manufacturing machine. The lid 14 also includes a window 96 for visual inspection of the interior volume 36. A handle 98 is mounted to an outer surface 100 of the front panel 28 of the lid 14. The latch mechanism 102 retains the lid 14 in the closed position and is adapted to selectively open and close the lid 14.

Referring to fig. 3, base 12 is shown without cover 14 attached thereto. The two side panels 24 and 26 of the base 12 and the edges of the top panel 18 and the front panel 16 define an opening 40. A seal 104 surrounds the opening 40 and extends between the lid 14 and the base 12 to substantially seal the interior volume 36 when the lid 14 is in the closed position.

When the lid 14 is opened, the opening 40 places the filament spool within the interior volume 36. Filament container 10 is adapted to support a cylindrical spool of filament within interior volume 36. A first horizontal shaft 42 and a second horizontal shaft 44 are rotatably supported within the interior volume 36 of the filament container 10. The first and second horizontal axes 42, 44 are adapted to vertically support the filament spool within the interior volume 36, as shown in phantom at 46 in fig. 4.

The first and second horizontal axes 42, 44 are parallel to each other and spaced apart by a distance 48. The first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 are each rotatable about a respective longitudinal axis 50, 52. The first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 each include a pair of bearings 54, one bearing 54 mounted on each opposing distal end.

First and second bearing support rails 56 and 58 are mounted to base 12 within interior volume 36. A first bearing support rail 56 is mounted horizontally to an inner surface of the first side panel 24 of the base 12 and a second bearing support rail 58 is mounted horizontally to an inner surface of the second side panel 26 of the base 12. First bearing support rail 56 includes a plurality of slots 60 formed therein, and second bearing support rail 58 includes a plurality of slots 62 formed therein. Notches 60 formed in first bearing support rail 56 align with notches 62 in second bearing support rail 58. The notches 60, 62 are adapted to support bearings 54 mounted on the distal ends of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44.

The first and second bearing support rails 56, 58 are spaced apart from one another. The bearing 54 mounted on the distal end of the first horizontal shaft 42 is supported by a first pair of aligned notches 60, 62 in the first and second bearing support rails 56, 58. The bearing 54 mounted on the distal end of the second horizontal shaft 44 is supported by a second pair of aligned notches 60, 62 in the first and second bearing support rails 56, 58.

Bearings 54 allow the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 to rotate freely. As the filaments are pulled from the filament spool supported within the filament container 10, the spool will rotate about a horizontal central axis that is parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis 50, 52 of each of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 as the filaments are unwound from the spool. As the spool rotates, frictional contact between the spool and the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 causes the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 to rotate with the spool in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the spool, thereby causing no sliding contact between the spool and the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44.

The first and second bearing support rails 56, 58 each include a plurality of aligned notches 60, 62. The first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 are movable between different pairs of aligned notches 60, 62. The distance between the first and second horizontal axes 42, 44 may be selectively varied by moving the first and second horizontal axes 42, 44 relative to each other. This ability to vary the distance between the first and second horizontal axes 42, 44 allows the filament container 10 to accommodate spools of different sizes.

Referring to FIG. 8, in one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 each include a channel 64 formed therein. The channel 64 is adapted to maintain the filament spool supported thereon in a centered position between the distal ends of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44. As shown in fig. 8, the outer surfaces of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 define a generally U-shaped channel 64 therein. The U-shaped channel 64 extends completely around the circumference of each of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 and longitudinally along the length of each of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 between the bearings 54. Channel 64 includes a rim 66, rim 66 providing a positive stop for preventing movement of the spool toward either distal end of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44. In this way, the spool is prevented from contacting either the bearing 54 or the surface of the interior volume 36, except for the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44. As previously described, the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44 rotate, thereby reducing frictional resistance to rotation of the spool within the filament container 10. By keeping the reel in the center of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44, the reel is prevented from coming into contact with other surfaces that hinder the rotation of the reel.

The filament container 10 further includes at least one support 68 adapted to support an air regulating device 70 within the interior volume. To maintain the integrity of the filaments stored therein, the interior volume 36 of the filament container 10 may be adjusted to maintain the interior volume 36 at a particular temperature or humidity condition. As a non-limiting example, the air conditioning device may be one of an air heater, an air cooler, a dehumidifier, and a humidifier. A common problem when handling polymers and thermoplastics is the moisture content inside and outside the filaments. The stand 68 of the filament container 10 of the present disclosure supports the use of a pack of desiccant material 71 to control the humidity level within the interior volume 36. By way of non-limiting example, the desiccant material packet 71 may contain silica gel or particles for absorbing moisture in the air and reducing the humidity of the interior volume 36.

The filament container 10 of the present disclosure also includes an electronic communication device 106 that stores information about the filament spools disposed within the filament container 10 with the filament container 10. The electronic communication device 106 is adapted to communicate with the additive manufacturing machine to cause the additive manufacturing machine to receive information stored therein.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic communication device 106 is a radio frequency tag 108 having read/write capabilities. When the filament spool is loaded into the filament container 10, identification information about the filament may be written into the radio frequency tag 108. When the filament container 10 is engaged with an additive manufacturing machine, the additive manufacturing machine reads the information stored on the radio frequency tag 108 to cause the additive manufacturing machine to verify that the type of filament currently in operation is correct. The radio frequency tag 108 has read/write capability and is therefore reusable. As the filaments within the filament container 10 change, new information is overlaid onto the radio frequency tag 108 to replace the existing information, thereby ensuring that the information sent from the radio frequency tag 108 to the additive manufacturing machine is accurate.

Referring to fig. 5, 6 and 7, in an exemplary embodiment, the filament container 110 includes an air inlet 72 adapted to pump conditioned air into the interior volume 36 of the filament container 110 and an air outlet 74 adapted to allow air to flow out of the interior volume 36. The air inlet 72 is adapted to be connected to an external air conditioning unit that pumps conditioned air into the interior volume 36 through the air inlet 72.

Both the air inlet 72 and the air outlet 74 include a substantially airtight door 76 that is movable between an open position and a closed position. Each door 76 is connected to the filament container 10 by a spring hinge 78. The hinge 78 is biased to maintain the doors 76 of the air inlet 72 and air outlet 74 in the closed position. The door 76 will pivot to the closed position when the door 76 is pushed inward with sufficient force to overcome the spring bias of the hinge 78. The door 76 of the air inlet 72 may be opened to allow airflow through the air inlet 72 into the interior volume 36 or closed to prevent airflow through the air inlet 72. The door 76 of the air outlet 74 may be opened to allow airflow out of the interior volume 36 through the air outlet 74 or closed to prevent airflow through the air outlet 74.

The air inlet 72 and the air outlet 74 are adapted to engage with corresponding ports on the additive manufacturing machine. The additive manufacturing machine may be configured with an air conditioning device, wherein conditioned air is pumped into the interior volume 36 through the air inlet 72 when the filament container 10 is connected to the additive manufacturing machine. Typically, since moisture in the interior volume is a major concern, heated drying gas is pumped into the interior volume 36 to cause evaporation of the moisture stored in the filaments within the filament container 110. At the same time, air within the interior volume 36 is caused to flow out of the interior volume 36 through the air outlet 74. When heated dry gas is pumped into the interior volume 36, the higher humidity air exits the interior volume 36 through the air outlet 74. Air exiting the interior volume 36 through the air outlet 74 may be discharged directly to the outside. Alternatively, air exhausted from the internal volume 36 may be captured by an air conditioning device within the additive manufacturing machine for analysis. The humidity of the air exiting internal volume 36 may be measured to determine the humidity level within filament container 10 and to control the air conditioning devices within the additive manufacturing machine.

The filament receptacle 110 includes a first projection 80 aligned with the air inlet 72 and extending outwardly. A first tab 82 extends laterally from the rear panel 20 of the base 12 forward of the door 76 of the air scoop 72. The first projection 80 extends outwardly from a first tab 82 that is remote from the back panel 20 of the base 12. The filament receptacle 110 includes a second projection 84 aligned with the air outlet 74 and extending outwardly. A second tab 86 extends laterally from the rear panel 20 of the base 12 forward of the door 76 of the air outlet 74. The second projection 84 extends outwardly from a second tab 86 that is remote from the back panel 20 of the base 12. The first and second protrusions 80, 84 are each adapted to push open a door of a respective port in the additive manufacturing machine when the filament container 110 is moved into engagement with the additive manufacturing machine. The additive manufacturing machine will be configured with similar projections adapted to push against the doors 76 of the air inlet 72 and the air outlet 74 to overcome the spring bias of the hinges 78 to open the doors 76 of the air inlet 72 and the air outlet 74.

A magnetic plate 88 is mounted on the outer surface of the back panel 20 of the base 12 to maintain the filament container 10, 110 in engagement with the additive manufacturing machine. The magnetic plate 88 is adapted to contact a ferrous surface on the additive manufacturing machine to hold the filament container 10, 110 in place relative to the additive manufacturing machine. As shown, the magnetic plate 88 is positioned between the air inlet 72 and the air outlet 74. Positioning the magnetic plate 88 in close proximity to the air inlet 72 and the air outlet 74 helps ensure a substantially sealed connection between the air inlet 72, the air outlet 74, and the corresponding ports on the additive manufacturing machine.

The filament container 10, 110 of the present disclosure has several advantages. Because the spools are supported on top of the first and second horizontal shafts 42, 44, filament spools of different sizes can be easily loaded and unloaded through the front/top opening. The spools are not supported on the central shaft, so there is no need to disassemble/reassemble the central shaft to remove the spools from or insert the spools into the filament spools. Further, the filament container 10, 110 of the present disclosure provides an air inlet 72 and an air outlet 74 to circulate conditioned air through the interior volume 36 of the filament container 10, 110 from an external air conditioning unit that may be integrated into an additive manufacturing machine.

The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.