Solid Image Apparatus With Improved Part Separation From The Image Plate

• US 20130292862A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B9Creations, LLC
• Original Assignee: B9Creations, LLC
• Inventors: Joyce, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/255 Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/307 Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0058 Liquid or visquous
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

Devices, methods, and computer program products for facilitating the assembly of three-dimensional parts in a layer-wise fashion are disclosed, wherein separation forces between the assembler device and the parts are minimized at certain interfaces. Parts may be produced from polymers, photopolymers, metals, or other materials. In some aspects of the present disclosure, separation forces are minimized via the utilization of a cure inhibiting layer on a top surface of the image plate and via sliding the part from contact with a portion of the image plate having high elevation to above a portion of the image plate with low elevation. In some aspects, the assembler device further comprises a sweeper configured to expose the cure inhibiting layer to a source of cure inhibitor after a cure cycle.

Claims

1. An assembler device for constructing a three-dimensional part in a layer-wise fashion from liquid resin wherein a layer has a cross-section and a thickness, the device comprising:

an image plate comprising;

a top image plate surface;

a bottom image plate surface;

a high elevation area; and

a low elevation area;

wherein the image plate is configured to allow layer-wise construction of the part on the top image plate surface;

a cure inhibiting layer;

wherein the cure inhibiting layer is located on an area of the top image plate surface and configured to prevent curing of an adjacent volume of liquid resin;

a means for supplying a cure inhibitor to the cure inhibiting layer; and

a build table located adjacent to the image plate, wherein the build table comprises;

a table portion configured to receive the part being constructed,

wherein the vertical distance between the image plate and the part being constructed may be altered by sliding the part between a first part position over the high elevation area and a second part position over the low elevation area.

2. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the part is constructed of layers of a thickness, t, and the high elevation area is at least one thickness t higher that the low elevation area.

3. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the part is constructed of layers of a thickness, t, and the high elevation area is more than one thickness t higher that the low elevation area.

4. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the part is constructed from liquid resin by curing selected portions of the liquid resin via exposure to light, the device further comprising:

a light source with an output directed toward the bottom image plate surface, the light source configured to cure successive layers of the part,

wherein the high elevation area is transparent and configured to allow light to pass through the bottom image plate surface the top image plate surface of the high elevation area where a layer of liquid resin may be deposited on the image plate and cured by the light, constructing a layer of a part.

5. The assembler device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reservoir comprising;

a reservoir bottom;

wherein the reservoir is connected to the assembler device and configured to hold liquid resin and supply at least one layer of liquid resin to the image plate.

6. The assembler device of claim 5, wherein the reservoir bottom further comprises the image plate, the reservoir is located below the build table, and the reservoir is configured for movement relative to the build table.

7. The assembler device of claim 6, further comprising:

an actuator connected to the reservoir and configured to slide the reservoir between a first reservoir position wherein the build table is adjacent to the high elevation area and a second reservoir position wherein the build table is adjacent to the low elevation area.

8. The assembler device of claim 5, further comprising:

a resin reserve comprising;

a container; and

a delivery channel;

wherein the container is configured to hold an additional volume of liquid resin, the delivery channel is connected to the reservoir such that the liquid resin can flow from the container to the reservoir, and the resin reserve is configured to maintain the volume of liquid resin in the reservoir within a specified range.

9. The assembler device of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator;

wherein the actuator is connected to the build table and configured to move the build table with respect to the image plate.

10. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the cure inhibiting layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

11. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the cure inhibiting layer is at least one millimeter thick.

12. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the cure inhibiting layer is removably connected to the assembler device.

13. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the cure inhibitor supplying means provides oxygen to the cure inhibiting layer.

14. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the cure inhibitor supplying means comprises:

an oxygen source, the oxygen source comprising;

an opening;

a regulator, the regulator comprising;

an inlet; and

an outlet;

a pathway, the pathway comprising;

a first portion; and

a second portion;

wherein the inlet is connected to the opening for receiving oxygen from the oxygen source and the regulator is configured to selectively release an amount of oxygen at the outlet and the pathway is connected to the outlet at the first portion for receiving oxygen from the regulator, the first portion is configured to allow oxygen to flow from the first portion to the second portion, and the second portion is configured to introduce the oxygen to the cure inhibiting layer.

15. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the cure inhibitor supplying means comprises:

at least one channel comprising;

a first channel portion; and

a second portion;

wherein the channel is connected on a first channel portion to the cure inhibiting layer, the second channel portion of the channel is exposed to the atmosphere, and the channel is configured to allow atmosphere to enter the second channel portion and flow to the cure inhibiting layer via the first channel portion.

16. The assembler device of claim 1, wherein the image plate is slidable between a first image plate position and a second image plate position, the assembler device further comprising:

a sweeper, the sweeper comprising;

a first sweeper portion; and

a second sweeper portion;

wherein the first sweeper portion is proximally located to the cure inhibiting layer, the sweeper is positioned across a side of the cure inhibiting layer such that the image plate may slide relative to the sweeper and retard the flow of liquid resin by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin, and the sweeper is configured to expose at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer to the atmosphere as the image plate slides between the first image plate position and the second image plate position.

17. The assembler device of claim 16, wherein the second sweeper portion further comprises:

a cavity;

wherein the cavity is configured to allow liquid resin to pass from a first side of the sweeper to a second side of the sweeper through the cavity.

18. A liquid resin reservoir for use in assembler devices, the reservoir horizontally slideable between a first reservoir position and a second reservoir position, the reservoir comprising:

a bottom reservoir portion, the bottom reservoir portion comprising;

an image plate, the image plate comprising;

a top image plate surface, the top image plate surface comprising;

a cure inhibiting layer;

wherein the cure inhibiting layer covers a portion of the top image plate surface and is configured to prevent curing of an adjacent volume of liquid resin;

a bottom image plate surface;

a high elevation area; and

a low elevation area;

wherein a portion of the high elevation area is transparent and configured to allow light to pass through a bottom image plate surface to the top image plate surface where a layer of liquid resin may be deposited on the image plate and cured by the light;

a sweeper, the sweeper comprising;

a first sweeper portion; and

a second sweeper portion,

wherein the sweeper is positioned across a side of the cure inhibiting layer such that the image plate may slide relative to the sweeper and the sweeper may retard the flow of liquid resin by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin, the first portion of the sweeper is proximally located to the cure inhibiting layer, and the sweeper is configured to expose at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer to the atmosphere as the image plate slides between a first image plate position and a second image plate position.

19. A method of producing a three-dimensional part via layer-wise curing of liquid resin using an assembler device, wherein the assembler device comprises an imaging projector, a build table, and a reservoir horizontally slideable between a first reservoir position and a second reservoir position, the reservoir further comprising a bottom image plate portion having a top image plate portion, a bottom image plate portion, a high elevation area, and a low elevation area, wherein a portion of the high elevation area is transparent, the image plate having a cure inhibiting layer located on an area of the top image plate portion, a sweeper having a first sweeper portion and a second sweeper portion, the sweeper positioned across a side of the cure inhibiting layer such that the image plate may slide relative to the sweeper and the sweeper may retard the flow of liquid resin by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin, the first sweeper portion proximally located to a top portion of the cure inhibiting layer, wherein the sweeper is configured to expose at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer to the atmosphere as the reservoir slides between a first reservoir position and a second reservoir position, the method comprising:

imaging a desired cross-section of liquid resin for a specified time wherein a part layer is cured; and

causing the reservoir to slide horizontally from a first reservoir position wherein the part being constructed is located above the high elevation area to a second reservoir position wherein the part being constructed is located above the low elevation area.

20. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

pausing for a specified amount of time, the pause time chosen to allow the cure inhibiting layer to reoxygenate;

raising the build table at least height t, wherein the height t corresponds to the thickness of the next layer being formed; and

causing the reservoir to slide horizontally from the second reservoir position to the first reservoir position.