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Three-dimensional printing using carriers with release mechanisms

  • US 10,668,709 B2
  • Filed: 08/12/2015
  • Issued: 06/02/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

  • providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween, said carrier comprising at least one retain and release feature;

    filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid;

    irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; and

    advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer;

    wherein said at least one retain and release feature is configured to;

    i) retain said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer on said carrier in a first state; and

    ii) facilitate release of said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer from said carrier in a second state, the method further comprising;

    maintaining said retain and release feature in said first state during said filling, irradiating and/or advancing steps; and

    switching said retain and release feature to said second state after said filling, irradiating and/or advancing steps to thereby facilitate release of said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer from said carrier;

    the method further comprising adhering a release layer to a surface of said carrier that faces said build region in said first state and releasing said release layer from said carrier in said second state;

    wherein said retain and release feature comprises one or more solvent delivery channels in said carrier, said one or more solvent delivery channels in fluid communication with said release layer, the method further comprising delivering a solvent through said one or more solvent delivery channels to said release layer in said second state to thereby decrease an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier, andwherein said release layer is a soluable release layer and said solvent is configured to dissolve said release layer.

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