Three-dimensional parts having interconnected hollow patterns, and method for generating and printing thereof

• US 9,399,320 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Kevin C., Swanson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jordan, Nicholas W
• Application Number:
  US13/790,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20140255647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/00 Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/12 characterised by a layer of regularly- arranged cells, e.g. a honeycomb structure
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24149 Honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24165 Hexagonally shaped cavities

Abstract

A three-dimensional part printed using an additive manufacturing technique, which includes sets of printed cell layers, each defining an array of hollow cells with wall segments, and sets of printed transition layers, each being disposed between adjacent printed cell layers, where the sets of printed transition layers each comprise sloped walls that diverge from a first portion of the wall segments and that converge towards a second portion of the wall segments to interconnect the hollow cells of adjacent printed cell layers, and where the sloped walls of adjacent printed transition layers have printing orientations that are rotated from each other in a build plane.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional part printed using an additive manufacturing technique, the three-dimensional part comprising:

a outer wall having an outer surface and an inner surface wherein the outer wall is printed in a layer by layer manner in a build plane;

a plurality of sets of printed cell layers wherein each of the plurality of sets of printed cell layers are printed such that printed cell layer is attached to the inner surface of the outer wall, each layer defining an array of hollow cells with wall segments; and

a plurality of sets of printed transition layers, each transition layer being printed between and attached to adjacent printed cell layers and attached to the inner surface of the outer wall, wherein the sets of printed transition layers each comprise sloped walls that diverge from a first portion of the wall segments and that converge towards a second portion of the wall segments to interconnect the hollow cells of adjacent printed cell layers in a manner that allows a fluid to flow through a plurality of the hollow cells, and wherein the sloped walls of adjacent printed transition layers have printing orientations that are rotated from each other about an axis substantially perpendicular to the build plane wherein the plurality of sets of printed cell layers, the plurality of sets of printed transition layers and the outer wall form a monolithic construction.

2. The three-dimensional part of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the hollow cells comprise hollow hexagon geometries.

3. The three-dimensional part of claim 2, wherein the printing orientations are repeated after a predetermined number of sets of printed transition layers.

4. The three-dimensional part of claim 1, wherein the printing orientations that are rotated from each other about the axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the build plane have rotation angles ranging from about 50 degrees to about 70 degrees.

5. The three-dimensional part of claim 1, wherein the hollow cells of the arrays are substantially aligned in the build plane.

6. The three-dimensional part of claim 1, wherein the sets of printed cell layers and the sets of the transition layers are each printed from a material that is soluble in an aqueous solution.

7. A three-dimensional part printed using an additive manufacturing technique, the three-dimensional part comprising:

an outer wall comprising an outer surface and an inner surface;

a first set of printed cell layers wherein the first set of printed cell layers are attached to the inner surface and wherein the first set of printed cell layers define a first array of hollow cells, wherein at least a first hollow cell of the first array comprises;

a first wall segment; and

a second wall segment that is opposite of the first wall segment across the first hollow cell; and

a first set of printed transition layers that are attached to the inner surface of the outer wall that defines walls comprising;

a third wall segment extending upwardly along a layer-printing direction from the first wall segment; and

a sloped wall extending at an upward angle from the second wall segment, wherein the sloped wall attaches to the third wall segment wherein the first set of printed cell layers, the first set of printed transition layers and the outer wall comprise fused layers of part and/or support materials that form a monolithic construction.

8. The three-dimensional part of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the hollow cells comprise hollow hexagon geometries.

9. The three-dimensional part of claim 7, and further comprising a second set of printed cell layers defining a second array of hollow cells over the first set of printed transition layers wherein the second set of printed cell layers are attached to the inner surface of the outer wall and to the first printed transition layers.

10. The three-dimensional part of claim 9, wherein the hollow cells of the first array and the hollow cells of the second array are substantially aligned in the build plane.

11. The three-dimensional part of claim 9, and further comprising a second set of printed transition layers that are attached to the second set of printed cell layers and to the inner surface of the outer wall.

12. The three-dimensional part of claim 11, wherein the second set of printed transition layers has a printing orientation rotated about an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the build plane such that the second set of printed transition layers is at an angle in the build plane relative to a printing orientation of the first set of printed transition layers.

13. The three-dimensional part of claim 9, wherein the first set of printed cell layers and the first set of the printed transition layers are each printed from a material that is soluble in an aqueous solution.

14. A method for generating and printing a three-dimensional part having an interconnected hollow pattern, the method comprising:

printing an outer wall having an inner surface and an outer surface

printing a first set of cell layers using an additive manufacturing technique such that the first set of cell layers are attached to the inner surface of the outer wall, wherein the first set of printed cell layers defines a first array of hollow cells with wall segments;

printing a first set of transition layers over the first set of printed cell layers using the additive manufacturing technique such that the first set of transition layers are attached to the first set of cell layers and the inner surface of the outer wall, the printing of the first set of transition layers comprises;

printing additional wall segments over first portions of the wall segments of the first array; and

printing sloped walls that diverge from second portions of the abutting wall segments, and that converge towards the printed additional wall segments; and

printing a second set of cell layers over the first set of printed transition layers using the additive manufacturing technique wherein the second set of cell layers is attached to the first set of transition layers and in the inner surface of the outer wall, wherein the second set of printed cell layers defines a second array of hollow cells with wall segments, wherein the first set of printed transition layers interconnects the hollow cells of the first array with the hollow cells of the second array wherein the outer wall, the first set of cell layers, the first set of transition layers and the second set of cell layers are of a monolithic construction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the hollow cells comprise hollow hexagon geometries.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the hollow cells of the first array and the hollow cells of the second array are interconnected in a laterally offset manner.

17. The method of claim 14, and further comprising printing a second set of transition layers over the second set of printed cell layers using the additive manufacturing technique wherein the second set of transition layers are attached to the second set of printed cell layers and the inner surface of the outer wall.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second set of printed transition layers has a printing orientation rotated about an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the build plane such that the second set of printed transition layers is at an angle in the build plane relative to a printing orientation of the first set of printed transition layers.

19. The method of claim 17, and further comprising printing a third set of cell layers over the second set of printed transition layers using the additive manufacturing technique wherein the third set of cell layers are attached to the second set of transition layers and the inner surface of the outer wall.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the three-dimensional part is a first three-dimensional part, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a digital model of a second three-dimensional part at a computer;

generating tool path instructions for the second three-dimensional part with the computer;

generating tool path instructions for the first three-dimensional part with the computer such that the first three-dimensional part functions as a support structure for the second three-dimensional part; and

transmitting the generated tool path instructions for the first and second three-dimensional parts to a controller of an additive manufacturing system.