Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1995-02-01
1997-01-28
Ruggiero, Joseph
Boots, shoes, and leggings
264401, 36447424, 395119, 4251744, G06F 1900
Patent
active
055983405
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for the production of articles or models of industrial components, by the action of light and especially by the photo-transformation of a plastic or composite.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is desirable to be able to have recourse to an industrial component, such as, in particular, a mechanical component, before launching the full-scale manufacture thereof. Currently, in order to construct models of such components, it is necessary firstly to create dimensioned drawings, in the drawing office, based on numerical information defining the shape of the component. For some years, the method of "Computer-Aided Design" (CAD) has been used to define the shape of this component.
It is known to provide a production method and a production device with models of industrial components by direct use of the numerical data available in the output memories of the computer in order to construct the models of components without being obliged to pass via drawings, or to have to employ numerical-control machining machines, such as mills, lathes, etc.
Methods and devices proposed for the construction of models using CAD rely on laser-induced chemical polymerization. The servo-controlled movement of one or more laser beams, possibly focused at the same spot, permits local polymerization of an advantageously polyfunctional monomer and, progressively, the construction of the component.
For example, the document [1] describes a method whose general principle for constructing a component relies on the use of an apparatus comprising a tank which contains the liquid photopolymerizable monomer (or oligomer or mixture of the two) and flush with the level of this liquid is a movable platform which descends, step by step, during the operation. At the surface of the liquid, the laser beam traces successive cross-sections of the object to be produced, by virtue of a set of electronic deflection mirrors, driven by the database of the CAD system. The software has subdivided the virtual model of the article beforehand into a multitude of thin slices. Progressively as each slice solidifies, the "sculptured" model sinks slowly into the tank: with a 10-mW laser, this system permits a component 30 mm in height to be created in 50 minutes, with an accuracy of the order of one tenth of a millimeter. The model can be created from all kinds of (plastic) materials, in a great variety of colours, with different hardnesses and a wide range of abrasion resistances [3, 4].
This type of method, which requires a material being, in the initial state, in a liquid or pasty form, has a drawback when it is desired to manufacture components which include hanging parts. Once the orientation of the component has been fixed with respect to the vertical (defined by gravity during the manufacturing phase), it may occur that certain portions are not supported either by another part of the component or by the bed on which the component rests (cf. FIGS. 1A-1D).
In this case, when the light radiation comes to solidify the first part of this portion, the volume just solidified is not attached to any other solid and is isolated in the liquid. In general, the densities of the liquid and solid are different and the volume runs the risk of "flowing" if the surface tension is not sufficient to hold it at the surface. In addition, when putting the next layer of liquid in place, the component is moved, during construction, with respect to the liquid level. Since this movement is performed by means of the mechanical arm supporting it, it is impossible to impart the movement to the isolated volume, which will therefore no longer be integral with the rest of the component throughout the rest of the manufacture.
In order to solve this problem, current users of this type of method add to the component, prior to its manufacture, "supports" permitting the hanging portions to be rendered integral with the component or with the bed supporting it (cf. FIGS. 2A-2D).
Specifically, this addition is performed by modification
REFERENCES:
patent: 4575330 (1986-03-01), Hull
patent: 5031120 (1991-07-01), Pomerantz et al.
Allanic Andre L.
Medard Claude P.
Schaeffer Philippe J.
Laser 3D
Ruggiero Joseph
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