3-D printed packaging

• US 9,248,611 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3GPP LLC
• Original Assignee: 3GPP LLC
• Inventors: Divine, David A., Thompson, David S., Colson, Shay C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US14/146,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20150096266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 264/40.1, 264/129, 264/259, 264/279, 264/279.1, 264/308
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/171 specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/182 in parallel batches
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/688 the inserts being meshes or lattices B29C70/82, B29C70/683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/70 Completely encapsulating inserts B29C70/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/20 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/608 Honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/712 Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/06 Rigid airships; Semi-rigid airships B64B1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/022 Making containers by moulding of a thermoplastic material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/007 Perforating strips of completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/025 for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/182 : by applying tear-strips or tear-tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 : for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 63/005 : for marking or coding articles prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0206 : Separate rigid or semi-rigid trays or cups joined together, e.g. separate trays connected by single foil closure or crimped together plurality of trays formed in one piece B65D1/30
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/38 : Packaging materials of special type or form
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/527 : Tear-lines for separating a package into individual packages B65D1/30, B65D21/0206, B65D75/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 : Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 : 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 : Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface

Abstract

Items may be packaged for shipping or storage using additive manufacturing techniques, also known as three dimensional (3-D) printing. Packages made by such processes may be referred to as 3-D printed packages and may include packing material printed at least partially around the item(s) and/or an outer cover printed about at least a portion of an exterior of the packing material and/or the item(s). A packaging system may include a 3-D printer and a computing device communicatively coupled to the 3-D printer. The computing device may obtain a packaging model describing a package for one or more items. A print module of the computing device may include instructions to print the package at least partially about the item(s) according to the packaging model.

Claims

1. A method of packaging an item, the method comprising:

supporting an item in a printing area of a three dimensional (3-D) printer; and

printing a package at least partially around the item in the printing area of the 3-D printer, wherein printing the package comprises;

printing packing material around the item; and

printing an outer cover about an exterior of the packing material.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a shipping address directly onto the package in the printing area of the 3-D printer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein printing the package at least partially around the item comprises printing the package completely around the item, such that the item is encapsulated within the package.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the package is seamless and hermetically seals the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the package is suitable for shipping by common carrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein printing the packing material comprises printing at least one of a lattice structure, a honeycomb structure, a truss structure, a bubble structure, a web structure, or one or more support ribs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a size or material of the packing material is based at least in part on a weight of the item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a region occupied by the packing material has a lower density than a region occupied by the outer cover.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the packing material and the outer cover are printed of a same material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the packing material is printed of a first material and the outer cover is printed of a second material, different than the first material.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing at least a portion of the package of a desiccant material.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising supporting multiple items in the printing area of the 3-D printer;

and

printing the package at least partially around the multiple items in the printing area of the 3-D printer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein printing the package comprises printing at least one of:

an opening mechanism into the package and usable to open the package;

or

a tamper evident feature into or onto the package.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a portion of the package prior to supporting the item in the printing area, and wherein supporting the item in the printing area comprises supporting the item on the portion of the package printed prior to supporting the item.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to printing the package:

scanning the item with a scanner to obtain information about the item;

receiving the information about the item from the scanner;

generating a model of the item based the information about the item received from the scanner; and

generating a packaging model based at least in part on the model of the item,

wherein the printing the package is performed based at least in part on the packaging model.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the scanning the item comprises determining a weight of the item;

the generating the of the packaging model is further based on the weight of the item, such that the package is based at least in part on the weight of the item.

17. A method of further packaging a packaged item for shipping, the method comprising:

supporting the packaged item in a printing area of a three dimensional (3-D) printer, the packaged item being packaged in retail packaging; and

printing a non-retail package at least partially around the packaged item in the printing area of the 3-D printer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein printing the non-retail package comprises:

printing packing material around the packaged item; and

printing an outer cover about an exterior of the packing material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein printing the packing material comprises printing at least one of a lattice structure, a honeycomb structure, a truss structure, a bubble structure, a web structure, or one or more support ribs.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a region occupied by the packing material has a lower density than a region occupied by the outer cover.

21. A method of packaging an item, the method comprising:

supporting an item in a printing area of a three dimensional (3-D) printer;

scanning the item to determine;

dimensions of the item; and

weight of the item;

generating a packaging model based on the dimensions of the item and the weight of the item; and

printing, based on the packaging model, a package at least partially around the item in the printing area of the 3-D printer.

22. A method of packaging an item, the method comprising:

supporting an item in a printing area of a three dimensional (3-D) printer;

scanning the item with a scanner to obtain information about the item;

receiving the information about the item from the scanner;

generating a model of the item based the information about the item received from the scanner;

generating a packaging model based at least in part on the model of the item; and

printing a package at least partially around the item in the printing area of the 3-D printer, wherein the printing the package is performed based at least in part on the packaging model.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the scanning the item comprises determining a weight of the item;

the generating the of the packaging model is further based on the weight of the item, such that the package is based at least in part on the weight of the item.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein printing the package at least partially around the item comprises:

printing packing material around the item; and

printing an outer cover about an exterior of the packing material.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein at least one of a size or material of the packing material is based at least in part on the weight of the item.