Method and apparatus for automatic fabrication of three-dimensional objects
First Claim
1. Apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a fabrication material,said apparatus includinga layer formation station at which is formed on a substrate an individual layer of fabrication material which has an exterior surface and an internal bonding surface which bonds the fabrication material to the substrate but allows the substrate to be removed to expose the bonding surface upon separation of the substrate from the fabrication material,a stacking station at which a series of successive, individual layers of fabrication material are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object,a conveyor for conveying the substrate with the individual layer of fabrication material thereon to said stacking station,a registration mechanism which aligns successive, individual fabrication layers so that said successive, individual fabrication layers are in registration, andan affixing and separating mechanism at said stacking station which (i) brings the exterior surface of the fabrication material of said layer into contact with an exposed, internal bonding surface of a previously stacked fabrication layer, so that the layers become affixed, and (ii) separates the substrate from the individual fabrication layer thereon by incrementally pulling the substrate from the fabrication material to expose the bonding surface of said layer, so that another successive fabrication layer may be bonded thereto.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically fabricating a three-dimensional object from individual layers of fabrication material having a predetermined configuration. Successive layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form the object. The fabrication material is carried on a substrate to a stacker station. At this station the individual layers are stacked together, with successive layers being affixed to each other, with the substrate removed after affixation.
185 Citations
32 Claims
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1. Apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a fabrication material,
said apparatus including a layer formation station at which is formed on a substrate an individual layer of fabrication material which has an exterior surface and an internal bonding surface which bonds the fabrication material to the substrate but allows the substrate to be removed to expose the bonding surface upon separation of the substrate from the fabrication material, a stacking station at which a series of successive, individual layers of fabrication material are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object, a conveyor for conveying the substrate with the individual layer of fabrication material thereon to said stacking station, a registration mechanism which aligns successive, individual fabrication layers so that said successive, individual fabrication layers are in registration, and an affixing and separating mechanism at said stacking station which (i) brings the exterior surface of the fabrication material of said layer into contact with an exposed, internal bonding surface of a previously stacked fabrication layer, so that the layers become affixed, and (ii) separates the substrate from the individual fabrication layer thereon by incrementally pulling the substrate from the fabrication material to expose the bonding surface of said layer, so that another successive fabrication layer may be bonded thereto.
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10. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual successive layers having a predetermined configuration, where successive individual layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object,
said method including (a) providing a stacking station were the successive individual layers are stacked together, (b) forming on a surface of one or more carrier substrates a series of layers of fabrication material corresponding to the configuration of the individual successive layers, (c) conveying said individual successive layers on a carrier substrate to said stacking station, (d) aligning the layers and bringing each of said individual layers into contact with a successive individual layer so that said layers become affixed, and (e) after one of the layers is affixed to another layer, separating said carrier substrate from said one layer by grasping a portion of the substrate bearing said one layer and incrementally pulling sections of said substrate away from the fabrication material, exposing a bonding surface on said one layer to which another successive fabrication layer is affixed.
Specification