Process and apparatus for creating a colorful three-dimensional object
First Claim
1. Apparatus for making a colorful three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising:
- a supply of at least one primary body-building material in filament form;
a filament feeding device comprising at least one filament feeding channel at a predetermined distance from said supply for receiving said at least one body-building filament material therefrom and drive means to drive and regulate the flow of said at least one filament material in said feeding channel;
a dispensing nozzle having on one side a flow passage communicating with each said channel to receive said filament material therefrom, heating means at a predetermined position for supplying heat energy to said flow passage for converting a leading portion of said filament material therein to a flowable fluid state, and on another side a discharge orifice to dispense said fluid therethrough;
a multi-channel colorant-injecting module comprising at least one injecting channel in flow communication with said flow passage of the nozzle, at least one colorant-containing reservoir in flow communication with said injecting channel, and valve means in control relation to said at least one reservoir to regulate the flow of a colorant therefrom and through said injecting channel to mix with said leading portion of said filament material for forming a colorant-containing fluid;
an object-supporting platform disposed at an initially predetermined distance from said discharge orifice to receive said colorant-containing fluid discharged therefrom; and
motion devices coupled to said platform and said nozzle for moving said nozzle and said platform relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to deposit said colorant-containing fluid into a three-dimensional object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process and apparatus for fabricating a colorful three-dimensional object in accordance with a computer aided design (CAD) image of the object. The apparatus includes (a) a supply of one body-building material in filament form; (b) a filament feeding device including one feeding channel and a drive device to drive and regulate the flow of the filament in the channel; (c) a dispensing nozzle having a flow passage communicating with this feeding channel to receive the filament therefrom, a heater for converting a leading portion of the filament to a flowable fluid state, and a discharge orifice to dispense the fluid therethrough; (d) a multi-channel colorant-injecting module including at least one injecting channel in flow communication with the flow passage of the nozzle, at least one colorant reservoir in flow communication with the injecting channel, and control valves to regulate the flow of a colorant therefrom, with the colorant being directed through the injecting channel to mix with a leading portion of the filament for forming a colorant-containing fluid; (e) a platform disposed at a predetermined initial distance from the orifice to receive the colorant-containing fluid discharged therefrom; and (f) motion devices coupled to the platform and the nozzle for moving the nozzle and the platform relative to one another in an X-Y plane and in a Z direction orthogonal to the X-Y plane to deposit the colorant-containing fluid for forming the object. These procedures are automated by a computer system in accordance with the CAD image data files.
456 Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for making a colorful three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising:
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a supply of at least one primary body-building material in filament form; a filament feeding device comprising at least one filament feeding channel at a predetermined distance from said supply for receiving said at least one body-building filament material therefrom and drive means to drive and regulate the flow of said at least one filament material in said feeding channel; a dispensing nozzle having on one side a flow passage communicating with each said channel to receive said filament material therefrom, heating means at a predetermined position for supplying heat energy to said flow passage for converting a leading portion of said filament material therein to a flowable fluid state, and on another side a discharge orifice to dispense said fluid therethrough; a multi-channel colorant-injecting module comprising at least one injecting channel in flow communication with said flow passage of the nozzle, at least one colorant-containing reservoir in flow communication with said injecting channel, and valve means in control relation to said at least one reservoir to regulate the flow of a colorant therefrom and through said injecting channel to mix with said leading portion of said filament material for forming a colorant-containing fluid; an object-supporting platform disposed at an initially predetermined distance from said discharge orifice to receive said colorant-containing fluid discharged therefrom; and motion devices coupled to said platform and said nozzle for moving said nozzle and said platform relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to deposit said colorant-containing fluid into a three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23)
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2. Apparatus for making a colorful three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising:
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a supply of at least one primary body-building material in filament form; a filament feeding device comprising at least one filament feeding channel at a predetermined distance from said supply for receiving said at least one body-building material therefrom and drive means to drive and regulate the flow of said at least one filament material in said feeding channel; a dispensing nozzle having on one side a flow passage communicating with each said channel to receive said filament material therefrom, liquid-supplying means having a pipe in fluid communication with said flow passage, and on another side a discharge orifice;
said liquid-supplying means further comprising a liquid reservoir and valve means in control relation to said reservoir to regulate the flow of a carrier liquid therefrom into said pipe;
said carrier liquid being supplied for mixing with a leading portion of said filament material in said flow passage to form a flowable fluid which is then discharged through said orifice;a multi-channel colorant-injecting module comprising at least one injecting channel in flow communication with said flow passage of the nozzle, at least one reservoir containing a colorant and being in flow communication with said injecting channel, and valve means in control relation to said at least one reservoir to regulate the flow of a colorant therefrom and through said injecting channel to mix with said leading portion of said filament material for forming a colorant-containing fluid; an object-supporting platform disposed at a predetermined initial distance from said discharge orifice to receive said colorant-containing fluid discharged therefrom; and motion devices coupled to said platform and said nozzle for moving said nozzle and said platform relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to deposit said colorant-containing fluid into a three-dimensional object.
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9. A solid freeform fabrication process for building a colorful three-dimensional object comprising the steps of:
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providing a supply of at least one primary body-building material in filament form; feeding said at least one filament material to enter one end of a flow passage of a dispensing nozzle having a discharge orifice on another end; operating a multi-channel colorant-injecting module to inject a first colorant-containing material into said flow passage through a pipe in flow communication with said discharge orifice; operating said dispensing nozzle to convert a leading portion of said filament material therein to a flowable fluid which mixes with said first colorant-containing material for forming a first colorant-containing fluid, and to dispense said colored fluid through said discharge orifice to an object-supporting platform; and during said dispensing step, moving said nozzle and said platform relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to form said colored fluid into a three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A process for making a colorful three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
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creating an image of said three-dimensional object on a computer, said image including a plurality of segments defining said object and each of said segments being corresponding to one portion of a layer and being coded with a color; generating program signals corresponding to each of said segments in a predetermined sequence; providing at least one primary body-building material, delivered in a generally elongate rod form; feeding said at least one elongate rod material to enter one end of a flow passage of a dispensing nozzle having a discharge orifice on another end; operating a multi-channel colorant-injecting module to inject colorant-containing materials, one colorant-containing material at a time for each of said portions of a layer, into said flow passage through a pipe in flow communication with said discharge orifice; operating said dispensing nozzle to convert a leading portion of said rod material therein to a flowable fluid which mixes with said colorant-containing materials one colorant at a time for forming colorant-containing fluids, and to dispense said colored fluids through said discharge orifice to an object-supporting platform; and during said dispensing step, moving said dispensing nozzle and said object-supporting platform in response to said programmed signals relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane in a predetermined sequence of movements such that said colorant-containing fluids are dispensed in free space as a plurality of segments sequentially formed so that the last dispensed segment overlies at least a portion of the preceding segment in contact therewith to thereby form said three-dimensional object of multiple colors. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A process for making a colorful three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
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creating an image of said three-dimensional object on a computer, said image including a plurality of segments defining said object; evaluating the data files representing said object to locate any un-supported feature of the object, followed by defining a support structure for the un-supported feature and creating a plurality of segments defining said support structure; generating program signals corresponding to each of said segments for both said object and said support structure in a predetermined sequence; providing at least one primary body-building material delivered in a generally elongate rod form; feeding said at least one elongate rod material to enter one end of a flow passage of a dispensing nozzle having a discharge orifice on another end; operating a multi-channel colorant-injecting module to inject colorant-containing materials, one colorant-containing material at a time for each of said portions of a layer, into said flow passage through a pipe in flow communication with said discharge orifice; operating said dispensing nozzle to convert a leading portion of said at least one body-building elongate rod material therein to a flowable fluid which mixes with said colorant-containing materials one colorant at a time for forming colorant-containing fluids, and to dispense said colored fluids through said discharge orifice to an object-supporting platform; and during said dispensing step, moving said dispensing nozzle and said object-supporting platform in response to said programmed signals relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane in a predetermined sequence of movements such that said colored fluids are dispensed in free space as a plurality of segments sequentially formed so that the last dispensed segment overlies at least a portion of the preceding segment in contact therewith to thereby form said support structure and said three-dimensional object of multiple colors.
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Specification