Material manipulation in three-dimensional printing
AssigneeVelo3D, Inc.
InventorsBenyamin BULLER, Thomas Blasius BREZOCZKY, Yacov ELGAR, James FRECHMAN, Alan Rick LAPPEN
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing systems, apparatuses, software, and methods for the production of at least one requested 3D object. The 3D printer includes a material conveyance system, filtering system, and unpacking station. The material conveyance system may transport pre-transformed material against gravity. The 3D printing described herein comprises facilitating non-interrupted material dispensing through a component of the 3D printer, such as a layer dispenser.
Claims33
An apparatus for printing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising:
- an enclosure configured to accommodate the three-dimensional object during printing;
- a vertically translatable platform configured to support the at least one three-dimensional object during the printing, which platform is disposed in the enclosure;
- a compressed gas source configured to flow a gas in a direction;
- a material reservoir having at least one first wall that encloses a first volume configured to hold (i) a first atmosphere that has a gas content different from an ambient atmosphere and a first pressure, and (ii) a first material port disposed in the at least one first wall and configured to facilitate transport of a pre-transformed material therethrough, which material reservoir is operatively coupled to the enclosure and is configured to facilitate supply of the pre-transformed material to the enclosure to print the three-dimensional object;
- and
- a bulk reservoir configured to hold a second atmosphere having a pressure above the first pressure and a gas content different from an ambient atmosphere, which bulk reservoir comprises a second material port, a gas port, and at least one second wall that encloses a second volume configured to accommodate the pre-transformed material, which compressed gas source is operatively coupled to the bulk reservoir through the gas port to facilitate pressurized conveyance of the pre-transformed material from the bulk reservoir through the second material port to the first material port at least in part against the gravitational field.
An apparatus for printing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising:
- one or more controllers that are operatively coupled to a compressed gas source, to a material reservoir, and to a bulk reservoir, which one or more controllers are configured to (i) direct the compressed gas source to flow a gas through a gas inlet port of the bulk reservoir to establish a first atmosphere that has a first gas content that is different from an ambient atmosphere and a first pressure, which first atmosphere is of an internal volume of the bulk reservoir;
- (ii) facilitate pressurized transport of a pre-transformed material from the bulk reservoir to the material reservoir against a gravitational force, which material reservoir holds a second atmosphere that has a second gas content that is different from the ambient atmosphere and a second pressure lower than the first pressure, wherein pre-transformed material in the material reservoir is used for printing the three-dimensional object;
- and (iii) direct vertically translating the platform that is configured to support the at least one three-dimensional object during the printing.
A method of printing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising:
- (a) holding a first atmosphere in a first volume of a material reservoir which first atmosphere has a first gas content that is different from an ambient atmosphere, and a first pressure;
- (b) flowing compressed gas into a bulk reservoir to establish a second atmosphere that has a second gas content that is different from the ambient atmosphere and a second pressure greater than the first pressure;
- (c) flowing a pre-transformed material from the bulk reservoir to the material reservoir, which pre-transformed material in the material reservoir is used for printing the three-dimensional object;
- and
- (d) a vertically translating a platform supports the at least one three-dimensional object during the printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.