# US 12,759,223 B2 · Additive manufacturing system and method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,759,223 B2
- Document ID: US12759223B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/912,928
- Filed: 2024-10-11
- Published: 2025-04-17
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-10-12
- Assignees: NEOX Public Benefit LLC
- Applicants: NEOX Public Benefit LLC
- Inventors: Neri Oxman; Markus A.R. Kayser; David Franck; Florian Born
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759223B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
- B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles
- B29C 64/241: for rotary motion
- B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40)
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B29K 2067/04: {Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids}
- B29K 2995/006: Bio-degradable, e.g. bioabsorbable, bioresorbable or bioerodible
- B29L 2031/50: Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof
- B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- 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
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

An additive manufacturing system is described herein that includes an articulation system. The articulation system may include an actuator assembly, a base operably coupled with the actuator assembly, and an arm rotatable relative to the base. An end-piece may be operably coupled with a distal end portion of the arm. The end-piece may be rotatable relative to the arm. A print system may be configured to extrude an additive material towards the end-piece. A computing system may be configured to receive an input related to a defined design of an article, determine an end-piece path through actuation of the articulation system based on the defined design, and control the print system and the articulation system to extrude the additive material from the print system during the first additive process, wherein the first additive process comprises extruding multiple filaments of additive material simultaneously through the first nozzle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An additive manufacturing system comprising:
an articulation system comprising:
an actuator assembly;
a base operably coupled with the actuator assembly; and
an arm rotatable relative to the base;
an end-piece operably coupled with a distal end portion of the arm, the end-piece rotatable relative to the arm, wherein the end-piece defines a shoe last;
a print system configured to extrude an additive material towards the end-piece, the print system including a first nozzle having a plurality of orifices arranged in a concentric pattern; and
a computing system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to:
receive an input related to a defined design of an article;
determine an end-piece path through actuation of the articulation system based on the defined design; and
control the print system and the articulation system to extrude the additive material from the print system during a first additive process, wherein the first additive process comprises extruding multiple filaments of the additive material simultaneously through the first nozzle to form non-parallel, individual roads on the article that define voids in between the individual roads to form loops of material external of the first nozzle, wherein the individual roads randomly attach to other filaments during a common pass of the rotating shoe last, wherein the loops of material define voids defined by the additive material, and wherein the individual roads extruded from the first nozzle are of varied thicknesses relative to one another and the first nozzle is placed at varied distances from the rotating shoe last during the common pass.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the multiple filaments of the additive material are disposed on one another during the common pass of the end-piece along the first nozzle to form a varied compression level from at least one other section of the article.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the print system further comprises:
a blower configured to blow the additive material toward a defined location.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein the print system further comprises:
a second nozzle having a plurality of orifices, wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are directed towards a common defined location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the print system further comprises:
a probe configured to capture data indicative of a position of the first nozzle relative to the end-piece.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein the first nozzle and the probe are movable with one another along a Z-axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a compressor unit positioned within a working envelope of the articulation system, the compressor unit configured to alter a characteristic of the article based on contact between the compressor unit and the article.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises:
a first actuator configured to translate the base along an X-axis direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises:
a second actuator configured to translate the first actuator and the base along a Y-axis direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises:
a first torsion joint configured to allow rotational movement between the base and the arm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises:
a second torsion joint configured to allow rotational movement between the arm and the end-piece.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the additive material includes biodegradable or bio-derived content.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the additive material includes a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) or a blend thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the additive material includes a polyhydroxybutyrate (PHBV) or a blend thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the additive material includes a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB4HB) or a blend thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the articulation system is configured as a five-axis machine.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the articulation system is configured as a six-axis machine.

### Claim 18

An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a print system configured to extrude an additive material towards an end-piece, the print system including a first nozzle having a plurality of orifices, the plurality of orifices including at least a first orifice and a second orifice, the first orifice both laterally and vertically offset from the second orifice, the print system further including an adjustment actuator configured to alter a position of the first nozzle relative to the endpiece;
a compressor unit within a working envelope of the print system and remote from the adjustment actuator, wherein the first nozzle is movable via the adjustment actuator relative to the compressor unit; and
a computing system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to:
determine an end-piece path through actuation of an articulation system based on a defined design of an article;
control the print system to extrude the additive material from the print system during a first additive process, wherein the first additive process comprises extruding multiple filaments of the additive material simultaneously through the first nozzle along a common pass of the end-piece along the first nozzle, wherein the multiple filaments are extruded with varied thicknesses relative to one another and the adjustment actuator dynamically varies a distance of the first nozzle from the end-piece during the common pass to create air pockets within the additive material between the multiple filaments; and
control the print system to move the end-piece between the first nozzle and the compressor unit configured to compress the additive material to alter a characteristic of the additive material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 18, wherein the articulation system further comprises:
an actuator assembly;
a base operably coupled with the actuator assembly; and
an arm rotatable relative to the base, wherein the end-piece defines a form, and wherein the end-piece is operably coupled with a distal end portion of the arm.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 19, wherein the additive material includes biodegradable or bio-derived content.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 20, wherein the additive material is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHBV), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB4HB), or a blend thereof.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 18, wherein the multiple filaments of the additive material are disposed on one another during a common pass of the end-piece along the first nozzle to define gaps between the multiple filaments of the additive material.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 18, wherein the print system further comprises:
a blower configured to blow the additive material toward a defined location.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 23, wherein the print system further comprises:
a second nozzle having a plurality of orifices, wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are directed towards a common defined location.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 23, wherein the compressor unit is a weighted rod with a pad at a distal end portion.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 25, wherein the compressor unit further comprises a temperature device configured to alter a temperature of the distal end portion of the weighted rod.