Method of making printed fastener
First Claim
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1. A method of making a fastener, the method comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of polymeric material onto a support surface;
(b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the fastener is completely created;
(c) creating the fastener to comprise a laterally enlarged head, a longitudinal elongated stem and a spiral formation surrounding at least a majority of the stem, made of the material, as part of the depositing steps;
(d) surrounding at least a majority of the fastener with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
(e) curing the fastener with light so that the layers of the material bond together; and
(f) removing the completed fastener from the support surface, wherein the completed spiral formation is flexible and includes a tapered inside surface at an acute angle relative to a facing surface of the stem, and a cross-sectional thickness of the spiral formation bounded by the tapered inside surface is less than a cross-sectional thickness of the adjacent stem.
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Abstract
A spiral fastener is provided. In another aspect, a spiral fastener, is made of layers of material and/or a light curable material. Another aspect uses a three-dimensional printing machine to emit material from an ink jet printing head to build up a fastener having a spiral formation.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of making a fastener, the method comprising:
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(a) depositing a layer of polymeric material onto a support surface; (b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the fastener is completely created; (c) creating the fastener to comprise a laterally enlarged head, a longitudinal elongated stem and a spiral formation surrounding at least a majority of the stem, made of the material, as part of the depositing steps; (d) surrounding at least a majority of the fastener with a gas during the depositing and creating steps; (e) curing the fastener with light so that the layers of the material bond together; and (f) removing the completed fastener from the support surface, wherein the completed spiral formation is flexible and includes a tapered inside surface at an acute angle relative to a facing surface of the stem, and a cross-sectional thickness of the spiral formation bounded by the tapered inside surface is less than a cross-sectional thickness of the adjacent stem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of using a three-dimensional printing machine, the method comprising:
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(a) emitting polymeric material from an ink jet printing head of the machine; (b) building up a spiral fastener by placing the polymeric material to define a fastener head; (c) building up the spiral fastener by placing the polymeric material to define an undercut and tapered spiral thread with a die-locked area being created along at least a majority of the spiral thread; and (d) curing the fastener with light as the spiral fastener is being built up. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of making a fastener, the method comprising:
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(a) using at least one ink jet printer opening to emit at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer to create a laterally enlarged head having a circular periphery; (b) using the at least one ink jet printer opening to emit the at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer to create a longitudinally elongated stem extending from the head; (c) using the at least one ink jet printer opening to emit the at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer to create a continuous and flexible spiral around at least a majority of the stem; and (d) making at least ten of the fasteners during a printing machine cycle within ninety minutes, without requiring fastener-specific dies. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 31)
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25. A method of making a fastener, the method comprising:
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(a) using at least one printer opening to emit at least one printable polymer to create a laterally enlarged head having a circular periphery; (b) using the at least one printer opening to emit the at least one printable polymer to create a longitudinally elongated stem extending from the head; (c) using the at least one printer opening to emit the at least one printable polymer to create a continuous and flexible spiral around at least a majority of the stem, and creating a die-locked acute angle continuously located between the spiral and the stem for multiple turns of the spiral which have the same outside diameter; (d) flowing the polymer from the printer openings positioned above a machine support surface, at least one of;
the machine support surface and the openings, automatically moving relative to the other according to computer instructions in order to create substantially identical multiples of the fastener in the same manufacturing cycle;(e) curing the at least one printable polymer with light as the polymer is built up to create the fasteners; and (f) making at least ten of the fasteners during a printing machine cycle within ninety minutes; wherein the printed polymeric fastener allows flexure of the spiral to withstand a greater linear workpiece-extraction force as compared to a smaller linear workpiece-insertion force, and the fastener is an automotive vehicular fastener. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification