METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES WITH IMAGE INFORMATION

• US 20170341304A1
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Todd W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,518,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/002 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/50 Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4078 using gradational references, e.g. grey-scale test pattern analysis

Abstract

A method and system for printing 3D structures using 2D monochromatic images (for example, greyscale images) is provided. The method can include instructing a printing device to print a 2D monochromatic image using print material in a reservoir known to contain a structural print material. Greater amounts of print material are printed in locations corresponding to relatively darker regions of the 2D monochromatic image.

Claims

1. A method of printing with a printing system, comprising:

receiving reservoir identification information corresponding to a reservoir of a printing device filled with a structural print material;

receiving an image file including information corresponding to a monochromatic image;

wherein the image file includes a shade level for each pixel of the monochromatic image;

instructing the printing device to print the image file using the reservoir corresponding to the reservoir identification information;

wherein a three-dimensional structure is formed as the printing device prints the image file;

wherein each location on an upper surface of the three-dimensional structure has a corresponding pixel in the monochromatic image; and

wherein a height of the three-dimensional structure at each location is determined by the shade level for the corresponding pixel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shade levels in the image file take on values in a range between white and black, including a plurality of grey shade levels between white and black.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further includes:

receiving a predetermined maximum height for the three-dimensional structure;

wherein locations of the upper surface of the three-dimensional structure having the predetermined maximum height correspond to pixels in the monochromatic image with black shade levels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein locations of the upper surface of the three-dimensional structure having a height less than the predetermined maximum height correspond to pixels in the monochromatic image with grey shade levels.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a relationship between the height of the three-dimensional structure at each location and the shade level of each pixel in the monochromatic image corresponding to each location is a linear relationship.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing device calculates the amount of structural print material to dispense at each location according to the shade level of the corresponding pixel in the monochromatic image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing device dispenses more structural print material at a first location corresponding with a first pixel having a first shade level than at a second location corresponding with a second pixel having a second shade level that is lighter than the first shade level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the printing device forms the three-dimensional structure by printing multiple layers of the structural print material;

wherein the printing device prints an equal number of layers in the first location and in the second location; and

wherein each layer printed at the second location has less thickness than each layer printed at the first location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the printing device forms the three-dimensional structure by printing multiple layers of the structural print material;

wherein each of the multiple layers of the structural print material are equal in thickness; and

wherein the printing device prints more layers of the structural print material in the first location than in the second location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservoir identification information is received from user input provided by an operator of the printing system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the image file is loaded into the printing system by an operator of the printing system.

12. A method of printing with a printing system, comprising:

receiving reservoir identification information corresponding to a first reservoir of a printing device filled with a structural print material;

receiving reservoir identification information corresponding to a second reservoir of the printing device filled with a color print material;

receiving monochromatic image information corresponding to a monochromatic image, wherein the monochromatic image information includes a shade level for each pixel of the monochromatic image;

receiving color image information corresponding to a color image;

instructing the printing device to print the monochromatic image information using the first reservoir; and

instructing the printing device to print the color image information using the second reservoir;

wherein a three-dimensional structure is formed as the printing device prints the monochromatic image information using the structural print material from the first reservoir; and

wherein a two-dimensional color layer is formed as the printing device prints the color image information using the color print material from the second reservoir.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each location on an upper surface of the three-dimensional structure has a corresponding pixel in the monochromatic image information;

and

wherein a height of the three-dimensional structure at each location is determined by the shade level for the corresponding pixel.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the printing system prints the color image information after printing the monochromatic image information to create an outer color layer of the three-dimensional structure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the printing system prints the color image information before printing the monochromatic image information to create an inner color layer of the three-dimensional structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the printing system receives color image information for another color image;

and

wherein the printing system prints the color image information corresponding to the another color image after printing the monochromatic image information to create an outer color layer of the three-dimensional structure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the three-dimensional structure and outer color layer are printed onto an article.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the article is part of an article of footwear.

19. A printing system for printing a three-dimensional structure, the printing system comprising:

a processing system configured to;

receive an image file including information corresponding to a monochromatic image, wherein the image file includes a shade level for each pixel of the monochromatic image;

receiving reservoir identification information corresponding to a reservoir of a printing device filled with a structural print material;

generate a set of printing instructions for the printing device, the set of printing instructions including instructions to print the shade levels of the image file using the reservoir corresponding to the reservoir identification information;

the printing device including the reservoir with the structural print material, the printing device being configured to;

receive the set of print instructions from the processing system; and

print the monochromatic image using the structural print material in the reservoir and according to the set of printing instructions.

20. The printing system of claim 19, wherein the printing device is further configured to print a constant number of layers for each location of the three-dimensional structure;

and

wherein the thickness of the layers at each location is varied according to the corresponding shade level for the location.

21. The printing system of claim 19, wherein the printing device is configured to print more layers of the structural print material at a first location of the three-dimensional structure corresponding to a first shade level of the image file than at a second location of the three-dimensional structure corresponding to a second shade level of the image file, wherein the second shade level is lighter than the first shade level.

22. A method of printing with a printing device, comprising:

generating an image file including information corresponding to a monochromatic image;

wherein the image file includes information related to a percentage of a selected spot color for each pixel of the monochromatic image;

instructing the printing device to print the image file, the printing device using a structural print material to print the image file;

wherein a three-dimensional structure is formed as the printing device prints the image file;

wherein each location on an upper surface of the three-dimensional structure has a corresponding pixel in the monochromatic image; and

wherein a height of the three-dimensional structure at each location is determined by the percentage of the selected spot color for the corresponding pixel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the selected spot color is grey.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein generating the image file includes retrieving information relating percentages of the selected spot color to printed layer thicknesses of the structural print material.

25. A method of creating a correspondence between percentages of a spot color and print material thicknesses, comprising:

printing a set of printed regions on a substrate, each printed region being printed according to a different percentage of a selected spot color;

measuring the thickness of each printed region;

comparing the thickness of each printed region with a target thickness for the printed region, the target thickness for the printed region being determined according to the percentage of the selected spot color used for printing the printed region; and

for each target thickness, determining an adjusted percentage for the spot color required to print a layer of structural print material having the target thickness.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected spot color is grey.