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US 11,141,969 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for making an object
AssigneeZydex Pty Ltd
InventorJustin Elsey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for making an object is disclosed. The apparatus has a flexible element having an upwardly facing surface for disposing thereon a material used to make the object, and a member connected to an actuator that can move the member. A controller is in communication the actuator. A method which may be executed using the apparatus is also disclosed.
Claims17
An apparatus for making an object, the apparatus comprising:
- a vessel for disposing therein a material used to make the object;
- a single activatable photohardening light source configured to generate a beam of light for solidifying the material;
- and
- a beam scanning apparatus configured to steer the beam of light when so generated with only a single rotational degree of freedom, and comprising a single scanning mirror including a polygon mirror mounted to spin around a first axis, the polygon mirror being operable to direct the beam towards the vessel and scan parallel to a second axis transverse to the first axis the beam of light across the material when so disposed, the beam scanning apparatus being translatable parallel to the first axis enabling the beam of light when so generated to address locations at the vessel and along the first axis and the second axis;
- wherein the activatable photohardening light source is translatably mounted for translation parallel to the first axis.
2 more elements
An apparatus for making an object, the apparatus comprising:
- a vessel for disposing therein a material used to make the object;
- an activatable photohardening light source configured to generate a beam of light for solidifying the material;
- and
- a beam scanning apparatus configured to steer the beam of light when so generated with only a single rotational degree of freedom, and comprising a single scanning mirror including a polygon mirror mounted to spin around a mirror axis, the polygon mirror being operable to direct the beam towards the vessel and scan parallel to a second axis only the beam of light across the material when so disposed, the beam scanning apparatus being translatable parallel to a first axis only and transverse to the second axis enabling the beam of light when so generated to address locations at the vessel and along the first axis and the second axis;
- wherein the activatable photohardening light source is translatably mounted for translation parallel to the first axis.
2 more elements
An apparatus for making an object, the apparatus comprising:
- a vessel for disposing therein a material used to make the object, the vessel including a flexible element at a bottom portion of the vessel, the flexible element having an upwardly facing surface for depositing the material thereon;
- an activatable photohardening light source configured to generate a beam of light for solidifying the material;
- and
- a beam scanning apparatus configured to steer the beam of light when so generated with only a single rotational degree of freedom, and comprising a single scanning mirror including a polygon mirror mounted to spin around a first axis, the polygon mirror being operable to direct the beam towards the vessel and scan parallel to a second axis transverse to the first axis the beam of light across the material when so disposed, the beam scanning apparatus being translatable parallel to the first axis enabling the beam of light when so generated to address locations at the vessel and along the first axis and the second axis;
- wherein the activatable photohardening light source is translatably mounted for translation parallel to the first axis.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.