Apparatus and method for three dimensional model printing

• US 20050104241A1
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Objet Geometries
• Original Assignee: Objet Geometries
• Inventors: Kritchman, Eliahu M., Gothait, Hanan
• Application Number:
  US11/020,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided for printing or building three-dimensional object. The method and apparatus may, for example, dispense material from a printing head to form a layer of an object being built, and alter the thickness of a layer of the dispensed material to a pre-determined height using an object correcting apparatus. Excess material may be efficiently removed, and may be hardened before disposal, for example, using radiation and/or cooling. The object correcting apparatus may include, for example, a roller and a cleaning apparatus to remove material from the roller. The roller may operate at selected speeds and directions, and may be heated and/or cooled, to help in effectively altering dispensed material.

Claims

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

dispensing material from a printing head to form a layer of the object; and

altering the thickness of the dispensed material to a pre-determined value using an object correcting apparatus, said apparatus including a roller operative to make contact with said layer to remove surplus material from said layer during relative movement between said roller and said object, by rotating in a direction such that a portion of said roller in contact with the object moves in a contrary direction to that of the movement of the object relative to the roller.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining whether said layer exceeds a selected thickness threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting a collision of said printing head with dispensed material protruding above the operating level of said roller.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising ceasing said printing head operation when a collision has been detected.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising rotating said roller at a selected speed.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising rotating said roller in a selected direction.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising heating said roller.

8. The method according to claim 1 comprising cooling said roller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said cooling is performed using one or more elements selected from the group consisting of a cooling jacket coupled to a roller, a cooling liquid, radiator pipes and a cooling fan.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising scraping said surplus material from the roller surface using a scraping mechanism.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising transferring surplus material into a waste disposal apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising curing said surplus material.

13. An apparatus for printing a three-dimensional object, said apparatus comprising:

a printing apparatus to print a three-dimensional object; and

an object correcting apparatus adapted to alter the thickness of at least a layer of dispensed material to a pre-determined value, said object correcting apparatus including a roller operative to make contact with said layer to remove surplus material from said layer during relative movement between said roller and said object, by rotating in a direction such that a portion of said roller in contact with the object moves in a contrary direction to that of the movement of the object relative to the roller.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said roller is adapted to be rotated at a selected speed.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said roller is adapted to be rotated in a selected direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a cleaning unit to remove surplus material from said roller.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said cleaning unit comprises an aluminum cylinder with an anodized outer surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said cleaning unit is selected from the group consisting of a blade, knife, roller, and brush.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said cleaning unit comprises one or more sets of walls.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a container to store removed material.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a heating mechanism being coupled to said roller.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a cooling mechanism being coupled to said roller.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said cooling mechanism includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of a cooling jacket surrounding said roller, cooling liquid, radiator pipes and a cooling fan.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a sensing apparatus to determine actual collisions or potential collisions between the printing apparatus and the object being printed.

25. The sensing apparatus of claim 24, wherein said sensing apparatus includes one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of acceleration sensors and shock sensors.

26. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising an apparatus stopping mechanism to cease apparatus operation when a collision or potential collision has been detected.