Method of forming objects from thermosensitive composition
First Claim
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1. A method for forming a three dimensional object comprising:
- (a) providing a volume of a thermosensitive resin, the resin having a rate of solidification which increases with temperature;
(b) rapidly raising a temperature of at least one interior spot in the volume of thermosensitive resin to a temperature sufficient to cause the thermosensitive resin to solidify by focussing a beam of radiation on the spot wherein the increased temperature of the thermosensitive resin in the vicinity of the spot causes the thermosensitive resin to solidify in the vicinity of the spot;
(c) building up a three-dimensional object by repeating the step of raising a temperature of an interior spot in the volume of thermosensitive resin for different spots; and
, (d) removing unsolidified resin from the three-dimensional object.
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Abstract
Three dimensional objects are formed by scanning a liquid thermosensitive resin with a laser beam causing imagewise heating of the resin. Because thermosensitive compositions do not obey the law of linear superposition, the problem of stray exposure is eliminated allowing the thermal polymerization of any point within the volume of the liquid without affecting adjacent points.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for forming a three dimensional object comprising:
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(a) providing a volume of a thermosensitive resin, the resin having a rate of solidification which increases with temperature;
(b) rapidly raising a temperature of at least one interior spot in the volume of thermosensitive resin to a temperature sufficient to cause the thermosensitive resin to solidify by focussing a beam of radiation on the spot wherein the increased temperature of the thermosensitive resin in the vicinity of the spot causes the thermosensitive resin to solidify in the vicinity of the spot;
(c) building up a three-dimensional object by repeating the step of raising a temperature of an interior spot in the volume of thermosensitive resin for different spots; and
,(d) removing unsolidified resin from the three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for forming a three dimensional object comprising:
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(a) providing a volume of a thermosensitive resin having a threshold temperature wherein the resin solidifies rapidly when raised to a temperature in excess of the threshold temperature;
(b) rapidly raising a temperature of an interior spot in the volume of thermosensitive resin to a temperature in excess of the threshold temperature by providing a beam of radiation focussed on the spot wherein the increased temperature of the thermosensitive resin in the vicinity of the spot causes the thermosensitive resin to solidify in the vicinity of the spot;
(c) building up a three-dimensional object by repeating the step of raising a temperature of an interior spot in the volume of thermosensitive resin for different spots; and
,(d) removing unsolidified resin from the three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification