Methods and systems for thermal forming an object

• US 9,108,338 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Sirovskiy, Yevgeniy, Culp, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thrower, Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, XUE H
• Application Number:
  US13/186,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20120261847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 264/16, 264/322, 264/40.6, 264/292, 425/144, 219/494
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 13/023 Half-products, e.g. films, plates
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2013/027 Obtaining a temperature gradient over the surface of films or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/422 to produce a temperature differential B29C51/426 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for thermal forming an object. A mold is provided, a shape of which corresponds to a desired shape of the object. A material is inserted into a heating area, and the material is heated using a plurality of independently controllable heat sources that heat different areas of the material. The heated material is then disposed over or into at least a portion of the mold so as to deform the material. The deformed material may then be trimmed so as to form the object.

Claims

1. A method for thermal forming an object, comprising:

providing a mold;

receiving a mold identifier identifying the mold;

determining mold process information for forming the object based on the mold identifier, the mold process information comprising material information and heating information;

inserting a material into a heating area, the material having a geometry selected based on the material information;

heating the material using a plurality of independently controllable heat sources that heat different areas of the material, wherein the heat sources are controlled based on the heating information; and

disposing the heated material over or into at least a portion of the mold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a temperature of the material during heating.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein heating the material includes controlling the heat sources based on the monitored temperature so that the temperatures at the different areas of the material selectively reach a desired temperature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the desired temperature is reached without overshooting.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring a temperature of the material during heating includes independently monitoring the different areas of the material.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the temperature in each of the different areas of the material to a desired temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displacing the heated material from the mold; and

trimming the displaced material so as to form an orthodontic appliance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold is a physical tooth model.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a heat direction of one or more of the heat sources is changed based on the heating information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold identifier is read from the mold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold identifier is read from an RFID chip.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold identifier is read using a bar code scanner.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a material identifier identifying the material, wherein said determining mold process information is further based on the material identifier.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the geometry comprises a shape or a thickness of the material.

14. A method for thermal forming an object, comprising:

providing a mold;

determining mold process information for forming the object based on a mold identifier associated with the mold, the mold process information comprising material information and heating information;

inserting a material into a heating area, the material having a geometry selected based on the material information;

heating the material using a plurality of independently controllable heat sources that heat different areas of the material, wherein an output and heat direction of one or more of the heat sources is controlled based on the heating information; and

disposing the heated material over or into at least a portion of the mold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a heat direction of one or more of the heat sources is changed based on the heating information.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring a temperature of the material during heating.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein heating the material includes controlling the heat sources based on the monitored temperature so that the temperatures at the different areas of the material selectively reach a desired temperature.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring a temperature of the material during heating includes independently monitoring the different areas of the material.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing the temperature in each of the different areas of the material to a desired temperature.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the geometry comprises a shape or a thickness of the material.