Three-Dimensional Plasma Printer
AssigneeKYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
InventorSvetlana Paskalova
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one aspect, a method is described. The method may include ionizing a plasma gas to generate a plasma in a plasma source and accelerating the plasma toward a work surface. The method may further include adding a material to the plasma, thereby melting the material and accelerating the melted material toward the work surface. The method may further include depositing successive layers of the melted material on the work surface to form a three-dimensional object. Each of the successive layers may correspond to one of a number of planar slices of the three-dimensional object.
Claims23
A method comprising:
- ionizing a plasma gas to generate a plasma in a plasma source;
- accelerating the plasma toward a work surface;
- adding a material to the plasma, thereby melting the material and accelerating the melted material toward the work surface;
- and
- depositing successive layers of the melted material on the work surface to form a three-dimensional object.
A system comprising:
- a work surface;
- a plasma source configured to generate a plasma by ionizing a plasma gas and to accelerate the plasma toward the work surface;
- a feeder configured to add a material to the plasma, wherein the material is melted and accelerated toward the work surface;
- and
- a controller configured to adjust the relative position of the plasma to the work surface to deposit successive layers of the melted material on the work surface.
A printing head apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object comprising:
- a first inlet configured to receive a plasma gas;
- a plasma source configured to ionize the plasma gas to generate a plasma, wherein the plasma source comprises an anode and cathode configured to generate a direct current arc plasma, a coil configured to generate an inductively coupled plasma, and capacitive electrodes configured to generate a capacitively coupled plasma, wherein the plasma source is configured to accelerate the plasma toward a work surface;
- and
- a second inlet configured to receive a powdered printing material and add the powdered printing material to the plasma, wherein the powdered printing material is melted and deposited on the work surface to form a three-dimensional object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.