US 9,248,611 B2 · 3-D printed packaging

Abstract

Items may be packaged for shipping or storage using additive manufacturing techniques, also known as three dimensional (3-D) printing. Packages made by such processes may be referred to as 3-D printed packages and may include packing material printed at least partially around the item(s) and/or an outer cover printed about at least a portion of an exterior of the packing material and/or the item(s). A packaging system may include a 3-D printer and a computing device communicatively coupled to the 3-D printer. The computing device may obtain a packaging model describing a package for one or more items. A print module of the computing device may include instructions to print the package at least partially about the item(s) according to the packaging model.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of packaging an item, the method comprising:

supporting an item in a printing area of a three dimensional (3-D) printer;
and
printing a package at least partially around the item in the printing area of the 3-D printer, wherein printing the package comprises:
printing packing material around the item;
and
printing an outer cover about an exterior of the packing material.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/146,725Filed 3 Jan 2014 · us provisional application

Priority

7 Oct 2013

Published

US 2015/0096266 A19 Apr 2015

Granted

2 Feb 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification38 codes

B65B 3/022
Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles: making containers by moulding of a thermoplastic…
A61J 1/03
Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes: for pills or tablets
B29C 64/112
Using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material: using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
B29C 64/171
Processes of additive manufacturing: specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects

3-D printed packaging

Life of this patent

3-D printed packaging

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25