Displays for three-dimensional printers

• US 9,473,760 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC (Ultimaker BV)
• Original Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC (Ultimaker BV)
• Inventors: Buser, Anthony James, Douglas, Ariel, Lawton, Jennifer J., McGuire, Robert M., Pettis, Nathaniel B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US13/691,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 264/40.1, 264/401, 264/113, 264/308, 425/135, 425/375, 425/174.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/211 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects

Abstract

A variety of techniques are disclosed for incorporating displays into three-dimensional printers.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a three-dimensional printer having a working volume and an enclosure for the working volume;

a computing device positioned within the enclosure and removably and replaceably coupled to the three-dimensional printer for use of the computing device as a build platform within the working volume, the computing device including a display having a display surface facing the working volume and horizontally oriented such that the display surface forms a build surface of the build platform, wherein the display is visible through the working volume from a location outside of the working volume;

a processor configured to present information on the display related to operation of the three-dimensional printer; and

a panel on the enclosure, the panel having an opening for visual access to the working volume, wherein the display is positioned within the enclosure and oriented so that the display surface is visible through the opening in the panel.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes diagnostic information for the three-dimensional printer.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes status information for the three-dimensional printer.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the status information includes one or more of an x position, a y position, a z position, an extrusion temperature, a temperature of a working volume, a temperature of a build platform, a temperature of an object being fabricated, and an ambient temperature.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the status information includes data for a build executing on the three-dimensional printer.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes registration marks for calibration.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the information includes registration marks for calibration of a camera coupled to the three-dimensional printer.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the information includes registration marks for calibration of a three-dimensional scanner coupled to the three-dimensional printer.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the information includes registration marks for alignment of an x-y-z positioning assembly.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes a rendering of an object being fabricated by the three-dimensional printer.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes a representation of temperature for one or more regions of a build platform.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the rendering includes a two-dimensional rendering of a digital three-dimensional model of the object.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the rendering includes a silhouette of the object.

14. The device of claim 10 wherein the rendering includes an outline of the object.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes descriptive information for an object being fabricated by the three-dimensional printer.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes media synchronized to a fabrication of an object by the three-dimensional printer.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes an advertisement.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the advertisement is selected based upon an object being fabricated by the three-dimensional printer.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the advertisement is selected based upon a history of printing activity for the three-dimensional printer.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the advertisement is selected based upon a user of the three-dimensional printer.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein the advertisement is selected based upon one or more capabilities of the three-dimensional printer.

22. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes a user notification of a three-dimensional model available for download.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the three-dimensional model is published by a source subscribed to by the processor.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein the three-dimensional model is selected based upon user activity for the three-dimensional printer.

25. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes one or more of a firmware update available for the three-dimensional printer, a software update available for a device associated with the three-dimensional printer, and a website containing information related to the three-dimensional printer.

26. The device of claim 1 wherein the information includes social network information for an object selected for fabrication with the three-dimensional printer.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the information includes a ranking for the object.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein the information includes a printability statistic for the object.

29. The device of claim 26 wherein the information includes recommended print settings for the object.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein the information includes user-specific feedback for the object.