Cartridge for a stereolithographic machine, stereo-lithographic machine comprising said cartridge and method of manufacturing said cartridge

• US 10,766,243 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dws S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Dws S.R.L.
• Inventors: Costabeber, Ettore Maurizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Xiao S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luk, Emmanuel S
• Application Number:
  US15/368,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• 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 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/255 Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/259 Interchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/00 Closing containers or receptacles after filling
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/16 Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons

Abstract

A cartridge for a stereolithography machine, including a container provided with an access opening, a reservoir for containing a base material, liquid or pasty, suited to be solidified through exposure to a predefined radiation, said reservoir being permanently associated with said container, feeding means suited to feed said base material from said reservoir towards said container, characterized in that the bottom of said container is at least partially transparent to said predefined radiation and is situated opposite said access opening.

Claims

1. A stereolithography cartridge, comprising:

a container provided with an access opening and a bottom situated opposite said access opening;

a reservoir containing a liquid base material or a paste base material, suited to be solidified through exposure to a radiation, said reservoir being permanently associated with said container to form a single body, the reservoir and the container belonging to a single containment structure, which comprises an intermediate wall separating the container from the reservoir;

means for feeding incorporated into the stereolithographic cartridge, the means for feeding suited to feed said base material from said reservoir towards said container, the means for feeding comprising a properly sized orifice that connects the reservoir to the container,

wherein the bottom of said container is at least partially transparent to said radiation and wherein the cartridge is disposable, allowing for modification of the base material by replacing the cartridge in a stereolithography machine with another analogous cartridge.

2. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir further comprises means for insulating the base material contained therein from the external environment.

3. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said means for feeding are configured so as to maintain the level of said base material contained in said container within a predefined interval.

4. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said means for feeding further comprises a valve controlled to allow or prevent the outflow of said base material from said reservoir to said container.

5. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said means for feeding further comprises a thrust device suited to thrust said base material towards said container.

6. Cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a detector suited to monitor the level of said base material contained in said reservoir.

7. Cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said detector configured to emit an electrical signal that represents the level of said base material contained in said reservoir, and further comprising a connector to allow the transmission of said electrical signal to a device external to said cartridge.

8. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir has a volume included between 1 cm³ and 50 cm³.

9. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir delimits a volume and said at least partially transparent bottom is opacified upon exposure to an amount of energy, in the form of the radiation, that does not exceed 110% of an amount of energy, in the form of the radiation, that is necessary to solidify an amount of base material corresponding to said volume.

10. Cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the radiation is suited to be emitted by an emitter belonging to the stereolithography machine.

11. Cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a connector for removable connection to the stereolithography machine.

12. Cartridge according to claim 1 wherein said means for feeding is adapted to provide a layer of base material in contact with said bottom.

13. A stereolithographv cartridge, comprising:

a container provided with an access opening and a bottom situated opposite said access opening;

a reservoir containing a liquid or paste base material suited to be solidified through exposure to a radiation, said reservoir

being permanently associated with said container to form a single body;

means for feeding incorporated into the stereolithographic cartridge, the means for feeding suited to feed said base material from said reservoir towards said container,

wherein the bottom of said container is at least partially transparent to said radiation;

a door movably associated with said access opening in such a way as to assume at least one open position and at least one closed position for said access opening insulating the base material in the cartridge from the external environment when arranged in said closed position.

14. Cartridge according to claim 13, wherein said door is motorized so as to spontaneously assume said closed position.

15. Cartridge according to claim 13 further comprising a lock to lock said door in said closed position.

16. Cartridge according to claim 13 wherein said door is configured to keep said cartridge completely tight at least until a first opening of said door.