Thermal stereolithography
First Claim
1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object on a layer by layer basis, comprising the steps of:
- supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object;
separately containing a building material and a support material one of which is a selected material and the other of which is an unselected material, wherein the selected material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature;
maintaining said selected material at a temperature at least as great as said flowable temperature thereby causing said selected material to be flowable;
selectively dispensing said flowable selected material in a prescribed pattern, according to said cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below said flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material;
applying the unselected material, while in a flowable state, to regions adjacent to said areas of solidified material;
removing at least one of the selected material or unselected material located above a plane defining a desired upper surface of the layer; and
repeating the selectively dispensing, applying and removing steps a plurality of times and separating the building and support material to form the three-dimensional object from a plurality of adhered layers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for and related methods of forming three-dimensional objects out of a building material, which is normally solid, but which is flowable when heated. In one embodiment, a support material is used to fill in portions of layers which are not to be solidified as part of the object, thus providing support to otherwise unsupported portions of other layers. Advantageously, the support material is also normally solid and flowable when heated, and has a lower melting point than the building material enabling the support material to later be removed without damaging the object. In an alternative embodiment this support material can be used to build a support such as a web support, or the like, for supporting an object surface from a second surface. In another alternative embodiment, such an apparatus is combined with a conventional stereolithographic apparatus to provide means for forming an object out of conventional stereolithographic materials, but utilizing a normally solid but thermally-flowable support material to provide support to the object, either on a layer-by layer basis, or by building supports such as web supports.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object on a layer by layer basis, comprising the steps of:
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supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object; separately containing a building material and a support material one of which is a selected material and the other of which is an unselected material, wherein the selected material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature; maintaining said selected material at a temperature at least as great as said flowable temperature thereby causing said selected material to be flowable; selectively dispensing said flowable selected material in a prescribed pattern, according to said cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below said flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material; applying the unselected material, while in a flowable state, to regions adjacent to said areas of solidified material; removing at least one of the selected material or unselected material located above a plane defining a desired upper surface of the layer; and repeating the selectively dispensing, applying and removing steps a plurality of times and separating the building and support material to form the three-dimensional object from a plurality of adhered layers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 21, 22, 23, 29)
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12. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising:
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means for supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object; means for separately containing a building material and a support material, one of which is a selected material and the other of which is an unselected material, wherein the selected material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature; means for maintaining said selected material at a temperature at least as great as said flowable temperature thereby causing said selected material to be flowable; means for selectively dispensing said flowable selected material in a prescribed pattern, according to said cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below said flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material; means for applying the unselected material, while in a flowable state, to regions adjacent to said areas of solidified material; means for removing at least one of the selected material or unselected material located above a plane defining a desired upper surface of the layer; and means for repeatedly operating the means for selectively dispensing, means for applying and means for removing a plurality of times to form the three-dimensional object from a plurality of adhered layers. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 30)
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24. A method of forming a three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising the steps of:
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supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object; separately containing at least one building material and at least one support material, one of which is a selected material and the other of which is an unselected material, wherein the selected material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature, and the unselected material is contained in a flowable state; maintaining said selected material at a temperature at least as great as said flowable temperature thereby causing said selected material to be flowable; selectively dispensing said flowable selected material in a prescribed pattern, according to said cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below said flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material; applying the unselected material to regions adjacent to said areas of solidified material; removing at least one of the selected or unselected material located above a plane defining a desired upper surface of the layer; repeating the selectively dispensing, applying and removing steps a plurality of times to form the three-dimensional object; and separating the building and support material.
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28. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising:
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means for supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object; means for separately containing at least one building material and at least one support material, one of which is selected material and the other of which is an unselected material, wherein the selected material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature, and the unselected material is contained in a flowable state; means for maintaining said selected material at a temperature at least as great as said flowable temperature thereby causing said selected material to be flowable; means for selectively dispensing said flowable selected material in a prescribed pattern, according to said cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below said flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material; means for applying the unselected material to regions adjacent to said areas of solidified material; means for removing at least one of the selected material or unselected material located above a plane defining a desired upper surface of the layer; means for repeatedly operating the means of selectively dispensing, applying and removing a plurality of times to form the three-dimensional object; and means for separating the building and support material.
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31. A method of forming a three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising the steps of:
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supplying cross-sectional data descriptive of layers of the three-dimensional object; containing at least one building material, wherein the building material is normally in a solid state and which is made flowable when maintained at a temperature at least as great as a flowable temperature; maintaining the building material at a temperature at least as great as the flowable temperature thereby causing the building material to be flowable; selectively dispensing the flowable building material in a prescribed pattern, according to the cross-sectional data, into a building environment which is maintained at a temperature below the flowable temperature to form a layer having areas of solidified material; repeating the selectively dispensing and removing steps a plurality of times to form the three-dimensional object from a plurality of adhered layers; and periodically removing the building material located beyond a desired surface level of at least some layers.
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Specification