US 10,377,106 B2Granted

Methods and apparatus for three-dimensional printed composites based on flattened substrate sheets

AssigneeImpossible Objects, Inc.

InventorsRobert Swartz, Buckley Crist, Eugene Gore, Joseph M. Jacobson

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A 3D object according to the invention involves substrate layers infiltrated by a hardened material. The 3D object may be fabricated by a method comprising the following steps: Flatten a substrate layer. Position powder on all or part of a substrate layer. Repeat this step for the remaining substrate layers. Stack the substrate layers. Transform the powder into a substance that flows and subsequently hardens into the hardened material. The hardened material solidifies in a spatial pattern that infiltrates positive regions in the substrate layers and does not infiltrate negative regions in the substrate layers. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate is carbon fiber and excess substrate is removed by abrasion. Flattening a substrate layer involves reducing planar inconsistencies or imperfections, and comprises applying heat to each substrate layer, cooling the substrate layers, and optionally applying tension and/or pressure to the heated and cooled substrate layers.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A system for fabricating a three-dimensional (3D) object, comprising:

a means for pre-processing each of a plurality of substrate sheets to reduce planar inconsistencies or imperfections, wherein a substrate sheet comprises a binder and corresponds to a layer of the 3D object, and wherein each substrate sheet is heated to a temperature greater than the substrate sheet's binder glass transition temperature or melting point, and then subsequently cooled below the substrate sheet's binder glass transition temperature or melting point
a dispenser for selectively depositing an adhering agent in a desired pattern onto portions of a pre-processed substrate sheet for each layer;
an applicator for applying powder on areas of each of the plurality of substrate sheets corresponding to both regions where the adhering agent is selectively deposited and regions where the adhering agent is not selectively deposited;
a mechanism for removing loose powder;
and
an alignment mechanism for stacking the substrate sheets in a predetermined order for creating the 3D object.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/722,653Filed 2 Oct 2017 · continuation
Priority: 29 Aug 2011
Published: US 2018/0022065 A125 Jan 2018
Granted: 13 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification30 codes

B32B 5/26
One layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer: another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary
B29C 64/141
Processes of additive manufacturing: using only solid materials
B29C 64/147
Using only solid materials: using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross…
B29C 64/153
Using only solid materials: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting

Family

Application61/528,537Us provisional application · filed 29 Aug 2011
PCT/US2012/052946Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Aug 2012
Application61/769,724Us provisional application · filed 26 Feb 2013
PCT/US2014/018806Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Feb 2014
Application14/703,372Parent of this continuation · filed 4 May 2015
US 2018/0022065 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Jan 2018
US 9,776,376 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/703,372Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application13/582,939Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 9,827,754 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2013/0171431 A1Published application
US 2015/0231825 A1Published application
US 10,377,106 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.