Simultaneous multiple layer curing in stereolithography
First Claim
1. A method of making at least a portion of an object, the object defining an object an object envelope, by stereolithography from layers of a medium being stacked along a z-dimension, the medium having a minimum solidification depth and being solidifiable upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the steps of:
- selecting an area element of a first cross-section at an upper surface of a first layer of medium, the area element having a z-dimension value corresponding to a z-dimension value of said first cross-section of the object;
determining a thickness along the z-dimension between the area element at the upper surface of the first layer of medium and the object envelope underlying the area element;
comparing the determined thickness to the maximum solidification depth;
forming at least one next layer of medium over the first layer, thereby increasing the thickness along said z-dimension, without exposing the area element of the first cross-section to synergistic stimulation, until said at least one next layer of medium is formed over the first layer and said thickness is at least approximately as great as said minimum solidification depth; and
exposing at least the area element to synergistic stimulation to form said at least portion of the object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for making an object by stereolithography from layers of a medium solidifiable upon exposure to synergistic stimulation by selecting an area element of a first layer of medium. The depth of the medium within the object underlying the area element is determined and compared to the depth to the minimum solidification depth of the medium. The area element is exposed to solidifying synergistic stimulation only if the depth of the medium equals or exceeds the minimum solidification depth. A next layer is created over the first layer without exposing the first layer to solidifying synergistic stimulation, if the depth is less than the minimum solidification depth. The layers may have a thickness selected such that the minimum solidification depth is a integer multiple of the layer thickness.
87 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of making at least a portion of an object, the object defining an object an object envelope, by stereolithography from layers of a medium being stacked along a z-dimension, the medium having a minimum solidification depth and being solidifiable upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the steps of:
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selecting an area element of a first cross-section at an upper surface of a first layer of medium, the area element having a z-dimension value corresponding to a z-dimension value of said first cross-section of the object; determining a thickness along the z-dimension between the area element at the upper surface of the first layer of medium and the object envelope underlying the area element; comparing the determined thickness to the maximum solidification depth; forming at least one next layer of medium over the first layer, thereby increasing the thickness along said z-dimension, without exposing the area element of the first cross-section to synergistic stimulation, until said at least one next layer of medium is formed over the first layer and said thickness is at least approximately as great as said minimum solidification depth; and exposing at least the area element to synergistic stimulation to form said at least portion of the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
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6. A method of making at least a portion of an object by stereolithography from layers of a medium having a minimum solidification depth and solidifiable upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the steps of:
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selecting an least one area element of a first cross-section of a first layer of medium comprising a non-up-facing area element; determining an uninterrupted thickness of the object at the at least one non-up-facing area element between an upper surface of the first layer of medium and a lower object surface underlying said at least one non-up-facing area element; creating a next layer of medium over the first layer without exposing said at least one non-up-facing area element to synergistic stimulation until the thickness below said at least one non-up-facing area element is not less than the minimum solidification depth; and exposing said at least one non-up-facing area element to synergistic stimulation to form at least said portion of the object. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. In a method for stereolithographically forming a three-dimensional object from layers of a material capable of physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation comprising the formation of layers of said material and selectively exposing said layers to synergistic stimulation corresponding to cross-sections of the three-dimensional object to build up the three-dimensional object layer by layer, the improvement comprising the step of:
leaving untransformed material on at least one portion of one cross-section, at least until after that cross-section has been coated over with at least one layer of additional untransformed material, in preparation for formation of at least one successive layer of the object, wherein the at least one portion is transformed by exposure to synergistic stimulation through the material in the at least layer of additional material that has been applied. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a method for stereolithographically forming a three-dimensional object from layers of a material capable of physical transformation upon curing by exposure to synergistic stimulation comprising the formation of layers of said material and selectively exposing said layers to synergistic situation corresponding to cross-sections of the three-dimensional object to build up the three-dimensional object layer by layer, the improvement comprising the steps of:
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forming said object from a material that has a minimum solidification depth which is greater than a thickness of at least a first layer being used in the formation of a first cross-section of the object; curing at least some of any portions of at least said first cross-section of the object that have an object thickness at least as great as the minimum solidification depth; curing any portions of said at least first cross-section that are up-facing portions; and refraining from curing at least one portion of said at least first cross-section, which does not have an object thickness at least as great as said minimum solidification depth and which is not an up-facing portion, at least until after a coating of unsolidified building material has been formed over said at least first cross-section in preparation for formation of at least a second cross-section of said object.
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18. In a method for stereolithographically forming a three-dimensional object from layers of a material capable of physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation comprising the formation of layers of the material and selectively exposing the layers to synergistic situation corresponding to cross-sections of the three-dimensional object to build up the three-dimensional object layer by layer, the improvement comprising the steps of:
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forming the object from a material that has a minimum solidification depth which is greater than a thickness of at least a first layer of material formed in preparation for formation of a first cross-section of the object; comparing successive initial cross-sections of said three-dimensional object to determine in association with which layers of material individual portions of at least said first cross-section will be cured by exposure to synergistic stimulation. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. In an apparatus for stereolithographically forming a three-dimensional object from layers of a material capable of physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation comprising the formation of layers of said material and selectively exposing said layers to synergistic situation corresponding to cross-sections of the three-dimensional object to build up the three-dimensional object layer by layer, the improvement comprising:
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means for leaving untransformed material on at least one portion of one cross-section, at least until after that cross-section has been coated over with a least one layer of additional untransformed material, in preparation for formation of at least one successive cross-section of the object; means for forming a coating of additional material over said at least one portion; and means for exposing said at least one portion to synergistic stimulation through the material in the at least one layer of additional material. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. In an apparatus for stereolithographically forming at least a portion of a three-dimensional object from layers of a material capable of physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation comprising the formation of layers of said material and selectively exposing said layers to synergistic situation corresponding to cross-sections of the three-dimensional object to build up the three-dimensional object layer by layer, the improvement comprising:
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means for building with a material that has a minimum solidification depth which is greater than thickness of at least a first layer of material formed in preparation for formation of a first cross-section of the object; and means for comparing a plurality of successive initial cross-sections of said three-dimensional object to determine in association with which layers of material individual portions of at least said first cross-section should be cured by exposure to synergistic situation. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification