Rapid prototyping apparatus
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Abstract
Apparatus for producing an object by sequentially forming thin layers of a construction material one on top of the other responsive to data defining the object, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of printing heads each having a surface formed with a plurality of output orifices and controllable to dispense the construction material through each orifice independently of the other orifices; a shuttle to which the printing heads are mounted; a support surface; and a controller adapted to control the shuttle to move back and forth over the support surface and as the shuttle moves to control the printing heads to dispense the construction material through each of their respective orifices responsive to the data to form a first layer on the support surface and thereafter, sequentially the other layers; wherein each printing head is dismountable from the shuttle and replaceable independently of the other printing heads.
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Citations
90 Claims
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1-59. -59. (canceled)
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60. Apparatus for producing an object by sequentially forming thin layers of a construction material one on top of the other responsive to data defining the object, the apparatus comprising:
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a movable set comprising multiple printing heads, each having a surface formed with a plurality of output orifices offset from each other in a first direction by a first distance, the plurality of printing heads of the set being placed in order in a second, scan, direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a controller adapted to scan the movable set with respect to a support surface in the second, scan, direction and to control the printing heads to dispense the construction material through each of their respective orifices responsive to the data, such that each orifice dispenses material along a construction line separated by said first distance from the line along which a neighboring orifice in a same head dispenses its material, wherein the each of the heads that deposits construction material after the first head, deposits construction material along lines between the lines along which construction material was previously deposited by the other printer heads. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 79, 80)
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64. Apparatus for producing an object by sequentially forming thin layers of a construction material one on top of the other responsive to data defining the object, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one printing head, having a surface formed with a plurality of output orifices offset from each other in a first direction by a first distance; and a controller adapted to scan the at least one printing head with respect to a support surface in the second, scan, direction perpendicular to the first direction and to control the printing heads to dispense the construction material through each of their respective orifices responsive to the data, such that each orifice dispenses material in accordance with a first pixel matrix having a pitch to form a first layer of patterned construction material; and
then to scan the at least one printing head with respect to the support surface in the scan direction to form a second layer above the first layer, responsive to the data in a second pixel matrix,wherein the first and second pixel matrices are offset from each other in one or both of the first and second directions by an amount that is less than the pitch. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89)
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73. Apparatus for producing an object by sequentially forming thin layers of a material one on top of the other responsive to data defining the object, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one printing head having a surface formed with at least one output orifice and controllable to dispense a photopolymer material in liquid form through the orifice; a wiper; and a controller adapted to control the printing head to dispense the photopolymer and sequentially form the layers, and to move the printing head over the wiper to clean the surface in which the orifices are formed, wherein the cleaning blade is formed with at least one slot that partitions the cleaning blade into a plurality of teeth each having an edge that contacts an orifice surface of a different one of the plurality of printing heads and scrapes excess construction material form the surface. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 88, 90)
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Specification