# US 10,766,193 B2 · Three dimensional printing system with resin containment solution

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- Number: US 10,766,193 B2
- Document ID: US10766193B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/992,385
- Filed: 2018-05-30
- Published: 2018-12-06
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-02
- Assignees: 3D Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: 3D Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: John Michael Harris; Christopher Tanner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766193B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/255: Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
- B29C 64/124: using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
- B29C 64/135: the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
- B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40)
- B29C 64/30: Auxiliary operations or equipment
- B29C 64/35: Cleaning
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING

## Abstract

A three dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel, a light engine, and a fluid spill containment vessel. The resin vessel is for containing resin and has a transparent sheet on a lower side that provides a lower bound for the resin. The light engine is disposed below the resin vessel for projecting pixelated light up through the transparent sheet. The fluid spill containment vessel is disposed between the resin vessel and the light engine to capture resin that spills from the resin vessel. The fluid spill containment vessel includes a housing for containing the spilled resin, a transparent window for allowing the pixelated light to project up through the fluid spill containment vessel and to the transparent sheet, and a fluid barrier wall surrounding at least part of the clear window and configured to reduce an amount of spilled resin required to occlude the pixelated light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article of manufacture comprising:
a resin vessel for containing photocurable resin and having a transparent sheet on a lower side that provides a lower bound for the photocurable resin;
a light engine disposed below the resin vessel to project pixelated light up through the transparent sheet; and
a fluid spill containment vessel disposed between the resin vessel and the light engine to capture resin that spills from the resin vessel, the fluid spill containment vessel including:
a housing for containing the spilled resin;
a transparent window for allowing the pixelated light to project up through the fluid spill containment vessel and to the transparent sheet; and
a fluid barrier wall surrounding at least part of the transparent window and configured to reduce an amount of spilled resin required to occlude the pixelated light.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 1 wherein the transparent window is generally horizontal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 2 wherein the fluid barrier feature is a vertical barrier feature that surrounds the transparent window on four sides to define a constrained volume within which spilled resin will accumulate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 3 wherein the constrained volume is less than ten percent (10%) of a volumetric containment capacity of the fluid spill containment vessel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 4 wherein the fluid spill containment vessel includes a trough that extends below the constrained volume.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 1 further comprising:
a vertical support; and
a support plate coupled to the vertical support, the support plate having an upper side and a lower side, the support plate supporting the resin vessel on the upper side and the fluid spill containment vessel on the lower side.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 6 wherein housing of the fluid spill containment vessel includes a pair of opposing upper lips, the lower side of the support plate includes a pair of rails for receiving the pair of opposing upper lips for supporting the fluid spill containment vessel on the lower side of the support plate.

### Claim 8

A fluid spill containment vessel for a three dimensional printing system having a resin vessel positioned above a light engine, the fluid spill containment vessel for capturing resin that spills from the resin vessel, the fluid spill containment vessel comprises:
a housing for containing the spilled resin and having a pair of opposing upper lips for removably mounting the fluid spill containment vessel between the light engine and the resin vessel;
a transparent window that aligns with an optical path between the light engine and the resin vessel to allow pixelated light to travel from the light engine, through the transparent window, and to the resin vessel; and
a fluid barrier wall surrounding at least part of the transparent window and configured to reduce an amount of spilled resin required to occlude the pixelated light.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The fluid spill containment vessel of claim 8 wherein the transparent window is generally horizontal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The fluid spill containment vessel of claim 9 wherein the fluid barrier wall is a vertical barrier wall that surrounds the transparent window on four sides to define a constrained volume within which spilled resin will accumulate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The fluid spill containment vessel of claim 10 wherein the constrained volume is less than ten percent (10%) of a volumetric containment capacity of the entire fluid spill containment vessel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The fluid spill containment vessel of claim 11 wherein the fluid spill containment vessel includes a vertical trough that extends below the constrained volume.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The fluid spill containment vessel of claim 8 wherein the three dimensional system includes a vertical support and a support plate coupled to the vertical support, the support plate having an upper side supporting the resin vessel and a lower side with a complementary pair of rails, the pair of opposing upper lips of the housing configured to couple the fluid containment vessel to the lower side of the support plate.

### Claim 14

A three dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article of manufacture comprising:
a vertical support member;
a support plate coupled to the vertical support and having an upper side and a lower side;
a resin vessel supported by the support plate;
a light engine supported below the support plate and configured to project pixelated light to the resin vessel; and
a fluid spill containment vessel supported between the resin vessel and the light engine to capture resin that spills from the resin vessel, the fluid spill containment vessel comprises:
a housing for containing the spilled resin;
a generally horizontal transparent window for allowing the pixelated light to project up through the fluid spill containment vessel and to a transparent sheet; and
a fluid barrier wall surrounding the transparent window to trap a constrained volume of spilled resin above the transparent window before the spilled resin can fill remaining portions of the housing.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 14 wherein the constrained volume is less than ten percent (10%) of a volumetric containment capacity of the entire fluid spill containment vessel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The three dimensional printing system of claim 14 wherein the housing is configured to mount to the lower side of the support plate.