System for rapidly producing plastic parts

• US 5,026,146 A
• Filed: 06/16/1989
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Melles Griot, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ray D. Reid, William F. Hug
• Inventors: Reid, Ray D., Hug, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US07/367,741
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 365/119, 365/111, 346/77 R, 346/160, 353/99, 353/122, 350/358, 350/3.63, 350/360, 350/361, 350/356, 350/355
• US Class Current: 71/24
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A system for rapidly producing a plastic part from a curable liquid which solidifies when subjected to ultra-violet light energy operates with a processor and computer aided design software. The system includes a receptacle and a moving mechanism which is electrically coupled to the processor. The receptacle stores the curable liquid part of which lies in a solidification plane. The system also includes an electronically erasable mask, a drawing device and a projecting system all of which are electrically coupled to the processor. The electronically erasable mask is an ultra-violet wavelength isolating image buffer. The drawing device may be a back lighted liquid crystal display or a high resolution cathode ray tube or an infrared diode laser raster scanner and electronically draws a plurality of images of successive cross-sectional laminae onto the electronically erasable mask. The projecting system projects ultra-violet light energy onto the electronically erasable mask so that the electronically erasable mask transfers frame-by-frame exposure of the plurality of images in order to reflect the ultra-violet light energy onto the curable liquid in the solidification plane thereby forming the successive cross-sectional laminae. The moving mechanism incrementally moves the cross-section laminae which are being formed in order to build up the plastic part in stepwise fashion.

Claims

1. A system for rapidly producing a plastic part from a curable liquid which solidifies when subjected to ultra-violet light energy in combination with a processor and computer aided design software, said system comprising:

a. a receptacle for storing the curable liquid which lies in a solidification plane within said receptacle;

b. an electronically erasable mask which is an ultra-violet is an ultraviolet wavelength isolating image buffer and which is electrically coupled to the processor;

c. drawing means for electronically drawing a plurality of images of successive cross-sectional laminae onto a Ruticon, said drawing means being electrically coupled to the processor;

d. projecting means for projecting ultra-violet light energy onto said Ruticon that said Ruticon transfers frame-by-frame exposure of said plurality of images in order to reflect said ultra-violet light energy onto the curable liquid in said solidification plane thereby forming said successive cross-sectional lamina; and

e. moving means for incrementally moving said cross-section laminae which are being formed in order to build up the plastic part in stepwise fashion.

2. A system for rapidly producing a plastic part according to claim 1 wherein said drawing means comprises an infrared diode laser raster scanner.

3. A system for rapidly producing a plastic part according to claim 1 wherein said drawing means comprises a high resolution cathode ray tube.

4. A system for rapidly producing a plastic part according to claim 1 wherein said drawing means comprises a back lighted liquid crystal display.