Reinforced thin-shell molds
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorERIC KUO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a system for forming a polymeric resin mold for molding plastic items, wherein the method includes: (a) using a rapid-prototyping process to create a polymeric resin shell having a configuration in the form of the mold; (b) introducing a reinforcing material into the shell; and (c) curing the shell. The system includes a rapid-prototyping apparatus that creates a plurality of the polymeric resin shells on a platform; a reinforcing material introduction apparatus that introduces a reinforcing material into each of the shells while the shells are on the platform to form a plurality of uncured molds on the platform; and a curing apparatus that cures the shells while they are on the platform.
Claims37
A method of forming a polymeric resin mold for molding plastic items, comprising:
- (a) using a rapid-prototyping process to create a polymeric resin shell having a configuration in the form of the mold;
- (b) introducing a reinforcing material into the shell;
- and
- (c) curing the shell.
A method of making a plurality of polymeric resin molds, comprising:
- (a) providing a platform having a top surface defining an array of predefined mold locations;
- (b) forming a plurality of polymeric resin mold shells on the top surface of the platform using a rapid prototyping process, each of the mold shells being formed at one mold location of the array of the predefined mold locations;
- (c) introducing a reinforcing material into each of the mold shells;
- and
- (d) curing the mold shells.
A system for making a plurality of polymeric resin molds, comprising:
- a rapid-prototyping apparatus configured and operable to create a plurality of polymeric resin shells on a platform, each of the shells having a configuration in the form of a mold;
- a reinforcing material introduction apparatus configured and operable to introduce a reinforcing material into the shells while the shells are on the platform, thereby forming a plurality of uncured molds on the platform;
- and
- a curing apparatus configured and operable to cure the uncured molds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.