Custom Color Printed Flexible Structure
AssigneeRelatable Inflatables LLC
InventorsRabia Samma, Eman Samma, Ammar Samma, Muneeb Samma M.D., Tyler Crain, Aleksander V. Tropp, Michael T. McClure
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Abstract
A three dimensional printing system which creates a multiple color printed structure which may be e.g. an inflatable likeness. The printing is done with a stretchy material such as silicone and is printed in layers of different color in order to match the designed likeness colors. In preferred embodiments, the 3d printing is done inside a gel suspension with a specialized print head which dispenses silicone in layers of color to produce the final desired color of silicone in the particular locations as determined by the avatar or likeness design.
Claims10
A thin wall structure comprising:
- a body having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the exterior surface defining a three dimensional undulating pattern and the body being made from silicone;
- the exterior surface having different color appearance in different locations thereon, the different color appearance is provided by layers of silicone of different colors, wherein each layer of silicone is a substantially different layer and each layer of silicone is a constant color and the color appearance is made different in the different locations by varying a thickness of each of the layers in order to achieve a desired color;
- wherein the layers include at least three layers of different colors and an fourth layer which is a most interior layer of the flexible structure which is a white material;
- and
- wherein the material of at least two of the layers is translucent such that a perceived color from an exterior of the flexible structure is varied according to the varied thickness of the layers and wherein the different layers are arranged relative to each other across a build direction of the flexible structure.
A printed silicone structure comprising:
- a body having an exterior surface, the exterior surface defining a three dimensional undulating pattern and the body being made from silicone;
- the exterior surface having different color appearance in different locations thereon, the different color appearance is provided by layers of silicone of different colors, wherein each layer of silicone is translucent and a substantially different layer compared to other layers and each layer of silicone is a constant color and the color appearance is made different in the different locations by varying a thickness of each of the layers in order to achieve a desired color;
- wherein the layers are provided in a plurality of two dimensional slices of material having varied outer perimeters and the desired color changes around each perimeter;
- and
- wherein the material of at least two of the layers is translucent such that a perceived color from an exterior of the flexible structure is varied according to the varied thickness of the layers and wherein the different layers are arranged relative to each other across a build direction of the flexible structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.