Method and means for constructing three-dimensional articles by particle deposition
DCFirst Claim
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1. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional article from a coordinate representation thereof, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a controller adapted for receiving said coordinate representation and issuing movement commands in response thereto;
b. movement means in communication with said controller;
c. at least one jetting means coupled to said movement means and adapted for depositing liquid droplets of at least two solidifiable materials on a substrate in successive layers, said materials solidifying in direct contact with each other at the interface between them in the layer being formed when present in the same layer and during formation of said layer and being thereafter separable from each other to provide the desired article.
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Abstract
A three dimensional article is produced layer by layer by jetting droplets of at least two different hardenable materials, as appropriate, into the various layers, the first material forming the article itself, and the second material forming a support for the article as necessary. The second material is thereafter separated from the first material, e.g., by heat, to form the desired article.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional article from a coordinate representation thereof, said apparatus comprising:
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a. a controller adapted for receiving said coordinate representation and issuing movement commands in response thereto; b. movement means in communication with said controller; c. at least one jetting means coupled to said movement means and adapted for depositing liquid droplets of at least two solidifiable materials on a substrate in successive layers, said materials solidifying in direct contact with each other at the interface between them in the layer being formed when present in the same layer and during formation of said layer and being thereafter separable from each other to provide the desired article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for producing a three-dimensional article from a coordinate representation thereof, comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a controller adapted for receiving said coordinate representation and issuing movement commands in response thereto; b. providing movement means in communication with said controller; c. providing at least one jetting means in communication with said movement means and adapted for depositing liquid droplets of at least two materials on a substrate, wherein said at least two materials solidify, after deposit, into states that are separable from one another; d. causing said jetting means to deposit a first set of liquid droplets at points on said substrate corresponding to points of one plane of said three-dimensional representation; and e. causing said jetting means to deposit a second set of liquid droplets at points on said substrate in said plane corresponding to points other than those of said three-dimensional representation and in direct contact with said first droplets at the interface therewith, each said droplet solidifying on deposit and fusing with immediately adjacent droplets in the layer being formed to form self-sustaining structural elements of said three-dimensional structure. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Apparatus for producing a three dimensional article layer by layer in response to commands from a controller, comprising:
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A. means for jetting onto a surface droplets of a first material hardenable to form a cross-sectional layer of said body, and B. means for jetting onto said surface droplets of a second material hardenable to form a support structure within said layer in regions where said first material is absent, said first and second materials being formed in direct contact with each other at their interface in the layer being formed when present in the same layer and hardening in said layer to support formation of subsequent layers of said article, said first and second materials being separable from each other thereafter. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification