Solid imaging apparatus with improved part separation from the image plate
First Claim
1. A replenishing device in an additive manufacturing system, the device comprising:
- an image plate with a top image plate surface and a bottom plate surface;
a reservoir to hold liquid resin located above the image plate;
a cure inhibiting layer located between an area on the top image plate surface and the resin located within the reservoir; and
a sweeper that extends to a top of the cure inhibiting layer to be in contact with the cure inhibiting layer and horizontally across at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer;
wherein the sweeper is positioned across at least a portion of a side of the cure inhibiting layer to retard a flow of liquid resin across the cure inhibiting layer by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin to expose the cure inhibiting layer to a cure inhibitor source, agitate the liquid resin within the reservoir, and remove debris from cure inhibiting layer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A replenishing device in an additive manufacturing system is disclosed having a sweeper that extends to a base of a reservoir that holds a liquid resin and horizontally across at least a portion of a cure inhibiting layer located on the base of the reservoir that functions as an imaging plate, with the sweeper positioned across at least a portion of a side of the cure inhibiting layer to at least one of retard a flow of the liquid resin across a portion of a top surface of the cure inhibiting layer by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin, remove debris from the cure inhibiting layer, and agitate the liquid resin. Other devices are also disclosed.
48 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A replenishing device in an additive manufacturing system, the device comprising:
-
an image plate with a top image plate surface and a bottom plate surface; a reservoir to hold liquid resin located above the image plate; a cure inhibiting layer located between an area on the top image plate surface and the resin located within the reservoir; and a sweeper that extends to a top of the cure inhibiting layer to be in contact with the cure inhibiting layer and horizontally across at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer; wherein the sweeper is positioned across at least a portion of a side of the cure inhibiting layer to retard a flow of liquid resin across the cure inhibiting layer by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin to expose the cure inhibiting layer to a cure inhibitor source, agitate the liquid resin within the reservoir, and remove debris from cure inhibiting layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
- 16. A replenishing device in an additive manufacturing system, the device comprising a sweeper that extends to a base of a reservoir that holds a liquid resin and horizontally across at least a portion of a cure inhibiting layer located on the base of the reservoir that functions as an imaging plate, wherein the sweeper is in contact with the cure inhibiting layer, with the sweeper positioned across at least a portion of a side of the cure inhibiting layer to retard a flow of the liquid resin across a portion of a top surface of the cure inhibiting layer to expose the cure inhibiting layer to a cure inhibitor source by providing a physical barrier to the liquid resin, remove debris from the cure inhibiting layer, and agitate the liquid resin.
-
23. A replenishing device in an additive manufacturing system, the device comprising:
- an image plate slideable between a first image plate position and a second image plate position; and
a sweeper with a first end in contact with a cure inhibiting layer that is on a top surface of the image plate, the sweeper is positioned across at least a portion of a side of the cure inhibiting layer, the sweeper is slideable between a first position and a second position;
wherein at least one of the image plate slides in a single plane relative to the sweeper and the sweeper slides relative to the image plate to cause the sweeper to retard the flow of liquid resin when a bottom portion of the sweeper contacts the cure inhibiting layer to expose at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer to a cure inhibitor source, remove debris from the cure inhibiting layer, and agitate the resin, as the image plate slides between the first image plate position and the second image plate position. - View Dependent Claims (24)
- an image plate slideable between a first image plate position and a second image plate position; and
Specification