Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Means applying electrical or wave energy directly to work – Radiated energy
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-08
2001-07-17
Pyon, Harold (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Means applying electrical or wave energy directly to work
Radiated energy
C425S375000, C264S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261077
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the formation of three-dimensional objects using a Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (RP&M) technique (e.g. stereolithography). The invention more particularly relates to the formation of the three-dimensional objects using an improved Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing apparatus with enhanced thermal and/or vibrational stability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Related Art
Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (RP&M) is the name given to a field of technologies that can be used to form three-dimensional objects rapidly and automatically from three-dimensional computer data representing the objects. Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing can be considered to include three classes of technologies: (1) stereolithography, (2) selective deposition modeling, and (3) laminated object manufacturing.
The stereolithography class of technologies creates three-dimensional objects by successively forming layers of a fluid-like medium adjacent to previously formed layers of medium and selectively solidifying these layers to form and adhere laminae (i.e. solidified layers). These laminae are solidified according to cross-sectional data representing successive slices of the three-dimensional object. Typically, adhesion between successive laminae occurs by chemical bond formation between the two laminae (e.g. inter-lamina cross-linking) during polymerization. In alternative embodiments, it is possible that adhesion could occur by application of a separate adhesive or by other mechanical bonding. In summary, adhesion may occur via an adhesive or cohesive phenomenon.
One specific stereolithography technology is known simply as stereolithography, and uses a liquid medium building material that is selectively solidified by exposing it to stimulation. The liquid medium is typically a photopolymerizable material (i.e. resin) and the stimulation is typically visible or ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation. The radiation is typically produced by a laser. Liquid-based stereolithography is disclosed in various patents, applications, and publications, of which a number are briefly described in the Related Patents, Applications and Publications section hereafter. Another stereolithography technology is known as selective laser sintering (SLS). Selective laser sintering is based on the selective solidification of layers of a powdered medium by exposing the layers to infrared electromagnetic radiation to sinter or fuse the particles. Selective laser sintering is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,538 issued Sep. 5, 1989, to Deckard. A third technology is known as Three Dimensional Printing (3DP). Three-dimensional printing is based on the selective solidification of layers of a powdered medium which are solidified by the selective deposition of a binder thereon. Three-dimensional printing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,055 issued Apr. 20, 1993, to Sachs, et al.
The present invention is primarily directed to stereolithography using liquid-based building materials (i.e. medium). It is believed, however, that the techniques of the present invention may have application in the other stereolithography technologies for the purposes of enhancing thermal and/or vibrational stability.
Selective deposition modeling, SDM, involves the build-up of three-dimensional objects by selectively depositing solidifiable material on a lamina-by-lamina basis according to cross-sectional data representing slices of the three-dimensional object. One such technique is called fused deposition modeling, FDM, and involves the extrusion of streams of heated, flowable material which solidify as they are dispensed onto the previously formed laminae of the object. Fused deposition modeling is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329 issued Jun. 9, 1992, to Crump. Another technique is called Ballistic Particle Manufacturing, BPM, which uses a 5-axis, ink-jet dispenser to direct particles of a material onto previously solidified layers of the object. Ballistic particle manufacturing is described in PCT Publication Nos. WO 96/12607 published May 2, 1996, by Brown, et al.; WO 96/12608 published May 2, 1996, by Brown et al.; WO 96/12609 published May 2,1996, by Menhennett et al.; and WO 96/12610 published May 2, 1996, by Menhennett et al. A third technique called Multijet Modeling (MJM) involves the selective deposition of droplets of material from multiple ink jet orifices to speed the building process. Multijet modeling is described in PCT Publication Nos. WO 97/111835 published Apr. 3, 1997, by Earl et al.; and, WO 97/11837 published Apr. 3, 1997, by Leyden et al. (both assigned to 3D Systems, Inc., as is the instant application).
Though, as noted above, the techniques of the instant invention are directed primarily to liquid-based stereolithography object formation, it is believed that the techniques may have application in the selective deposition modeling technologies to enhance thermal and/or vibrational stability of the selective deposition modeling systems.
Laminated object manufacturing, LOM, techniques involve the formation of three-dimensional objects by the stacking, adhering, and selective cutting, in a selected order, of sheets of material, according to the cross-sectional data representing the three-dimensional object to be formed. Laminated object manufacturing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,352 issued Jun. 21, 1988, to Feygin; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,312 issued May 14, 1991, to Kinzie; and in PCT Publication WO 95/18009 published Jul. 6, 1995, by Morita et al.
It is believed that the techniques may have application in the laminated object manufacturing technologies to enhance thermal and/or vibrational stability of the laminated object manufacturing systems.
A need exists in the art for rapid prototyping systems with enhanced thermal and/or vibrational stability for the efficient production of accurate three-dimensional objects.
2. Other Related Patents, Applications and Publications
The patents, applications and publications mentioned above and hereafter are all incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in full. Table 1 provides a table of patents, applications and publications co-owned by the assignee of the instant application. A brief description of subject matter found in each patent, application and publication is included in the table to aid the reader in finding specific types of teachings. It is not intended that the incorporation of subject matter be limited to those topics specifically indicated, but instead the incorporation is to include all subject matter found in these publications, applications and patents. The teachings in these incorporated references can be combined with the teachings of the instant application in many ways. For example, the various apparatus configurations disclosed in these references may be used in conjunction with the novel features of the instant invention.
TABLE 1
Related Patents, Applications and Publications
Patent/
Application/
Publication No.
Inventor
Subject
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,330
Hull
Discloses fundamental elements of
stereolithography.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,143
Hull, et al.
Discloses various removable
support applicable to stereo-
lithography.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,988
Spence
Discloses the application
of beam profiling techniques useful
in stereolithography for determin-
ing cure depth, scanning velocity,
etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,021
Spence,
Discloses the utilization
et al.
of drift correction techniques
for eliminating errors in beam
positioning resulting from
instabilities in the beam scanning
system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,974
Modrek,
Discloses techniques for
et al.
post processing objects formed by
stereolithography. In particular
exposure techniques are described
that complete the solidification
of the building material. Other post
processing steps are also disclosed
such as steps of filing in or
sanding off surface discontinues.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,592
Hull
Discloses various techniques
for reducing distortion, and
particularly curl type distortion, in
objects being formed by stereo-
lithography.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,734
Bishop Raymond J.
Chari Arvind
Everett Michael A.
Ferris Timothy A.
3-D Systems, Inc.
Bishop Laura
D'Alessandro Ralph
Nguyen Thu Khanh T.
Pyon Harold
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