Water soluble rapid prototyping support and mold material
First Claim
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1. A method for forming prototype mechanical elements from at least one polymer material on a platform comprising the steps of:
- a) positioning a cylindrical rod of said polymer material comprising poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) blended with at least one inert filler in a cylindrical housing having a throughbore with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical rod, said housing being connected with and attached to a discharge head member having a uniform diameter bore connecting with the throughbore, a discharge tip, a reduced diameter discharge opening in the tip, and a circumferential heater to liquify the material in the bore;
b) compressing the material in the housing with a piston while simultaneously liquefying the material in the head member to thereby discharge a ribbon of material from the tip;
c) transporting the platform in the x and y directions while discharging material thereon to form the cross sectional shape of the element; and
d) transporting the housing and head member in the z direction simultaneously to form the element in elevation.
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Abstract
A water-soluble thermoplastic composition for three-dimensional modeling comprising poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) is disclosed. The composition in the form of an extrudable object may be extruded by an extrusion apparatus in a programmed pattern onto a base as a ribbon of liquified polymer to create a support structure for a prototype object or to create a water-soluble polymeric element.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for forming prototype mechanical elements from at least one polymer material on a platform comprising the steps of:
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a) positioning a cylindrical rod of said polymer material comprising poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) blended with at least one inert filler in a cylindrical housing having a throughbore with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical rod, said housing being connected with and attached to a discharge head member having a uniform diameter bore connecting with the throughbore, a discharge tip, a reduced diameter discharge opening in the tip, and a circumferential heater to liquify the material in the bore; b) compressing the material in the housing with a piston while simultaneously liquefying the material in the head member to thereby discharge a ribbon of material from the tip; c) transporting the platform in the x and y directions while discharging material thereon to form the cross sectional shape of the element; and d) transporting the housing and head member in the z direction simultaneously to form the element in elevation. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for forming prototype mechanical elements from at least one polymer material on a platform comprising the steps of:
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a) placing filament containing said polymer material comprising poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) blended with at least one inert filler in a cylindrical housing having a throughbore with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the filament, said housing being connected with and attached to a discharge head member having a uniform diameter bore connecting with the throughbore, a discharge tip, a reduced diameter discharge opening in the tip, and a circumferential heater to liquefy the material in the bore; b) liquefying the material in the head member to thereby discharge a ribbon of material from the tip; c) transporting the platform in the x and y directions while discharging material thereon to form the cross sectional shape of the element; and d) transporting the housing and head member in the z direction simultaneously to form the element in elevation. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method for forming prototype mechanical elements from at least one polymer material on a platform comprising the steps of:
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a) placing filament containing said polymer material comprising poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and an alcohol plasticizer, wherein the modulus of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazonline) is decreased by the addition of the alcohol plasticizer, in a cylindrical housing having a throughbore with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the filament, said housing being connected with and attached to a discharge head member having a uniform diameter bore connecting with the throughbore, a discharge tip, a reduced diameter discharge opening in the tip, and a circumferential heater to liquefy the material in the bore; b) liquefying the material in the head member to thereby discharge a ribbon of material from the tip; c) transporting the platform in the x and y directions while discharging material thereon to form the cross sectional shape of the element; and d) transporting the housing and head member in the z direction simultaneously to form the element in elevation. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Depositing a water-soluble thermoplastic composition as a ribbon of material to form a three-dimensional solid object, the composition forming the ribbon comprising poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and an inert filler.
Specification