3D Printer
OwnerGregory D. Vialleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile autonomous printer includes a body, a plurality of hollow arms extending outwardly from the body, a pump system in each of the plurality of hollow arms, wherein the pump system in each of the plurality of hollow arms is switchable to extrude or take in material, and a vessel disposed within the body for mixing materials prior to deposition. Articulation of the hollow arms provides for mobility of the mobile autonomous printer. A method of building a structure includes printing portions of the structure using a plurality of printers and embedding the plurality of printers into the structure. The printers embedded in the structure may function as a network of switchable pumps. Distinct conduits constructed into the structure supply chemically reacting constituents of the material that forms the structure.
Claims20
A mobile autonomous printer, comprising:
- a body;
- a plurality of hollow arms extending outwardly from the body;
- a pump system in each of the plurality of hollow arms, wherein the pump system in each of the plurality of hollow arms is switchable to extrude or take in material;
- a vessel disposed within the body for mixing materials prior to deposition;
- wherein articulation of the hollow arms provides for mobility of the mobile autonomous printer.
A method of building a structure, comprising:
- printing portions of the structure using a plurality of printers, each of the printers comprising at least one switchable pump for extruding or taking in materials for use in building the structure;
- embedding the plurality of printers into the structure;
- wherein the printers while embedded in the structure function as a network of switchable pumps.
A method of building a structure, comprising:
- printing a plurality of layers of the structure using a plurality of mobile autonomous printers, wherein each of the mobile autonomous printers comprises (a) a body, (b) a plurality of hollow arms extending outwardly from the body, (c) a pump system in each of the plurality of hollow arms, wherein the pump system in each of the plurality of hollow arms is switchable to extrude or take in material, and (d) a vessel disposed within the body for mixing materials prior to deposition;
- and
- embedding the plurality of the mobile autonomous printers into the structure as the structure grows to provide a switchable network of pumps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.