Method of three dimensional printing
AssigneeZ Corporation
InventorsJames F. Bredt, Timothy Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a Three Dimensional Printing materials systems and method that satisfies the need for a quick, reliable, safe, and inexpensive method for producing both appearance models and small numbers of functional parts in an office environment. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three-dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built by using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous solvent to an adhesive particulate mixture, causing the particles of the mixture to adhere together, and to previous cross-sectional areas.
Claims26
A method for forming an article comprising:
- applying, to a first portion of a first film of particles that each carry an activatable adhesive, a fluid that activates said adhesive, in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within the first portion adhere together to form an essentially solid, singular article;
- forming a second film of the particles on the first film;
- and
- applying, to a first portion of said second film of said particles, said fluid in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within said first portion of said second film adhere to each other and to at least a portion of said first portion of said first layer to form an essentially solid, singular article from said first portion of said first film and said first portion of said second film article;
- wherein, at least a portion of said particles are sparingly soluble in said fluid.
A method for forming an article comprising:
- applying, to a first portion of a first film of particles that each carry an activatable adhesive, an aqueous fluid that activates said adhesive, in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within the first portion adhere together to form an essentially solid, singular article;
- forming a second film of the particles on the first film;
- and
- applying, to a first portion of said second film of said particles, said aqueous fluid in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within said first portion of said second film adhere to each other and to at least a portion of said first portion of said first layer to form an essentially solid, singular article from said first portion of said first film and said first portion of said second film article.
A method comprising:
- providing a plurality of adjacent particles of mean diameter of about 10-300 .mu.m, comprised of an essentially solid filler and an adhesive;
- applying to said plurality of particles a fluid, within which said adhesive is essentially soluble and said filler is sparingly soluble, that activates said adhesive from an essentially inert state, in an amount sufficient to bond said plurality of particles together to define an essentially solid, singular article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.