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US 9,844,912 B2Granted
Connectors manufactured by three-dimensional printing
AssigneeA. Raymond Et Cie
InventorsTodd L. Hemingway, Nicholas Jackson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hollow conduit is provided. In another aspect, a quick connector, suitable to carry fluid therethrough, is made of layers of material, a light curable material and/or multiple built-up materials. Another aspect uses a three-dimensional printing machine to emit material from an ink jet printing head to build up a conduit.
Claims59
A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of three-dimensionally printable polymeric material onto a support surface;
- (b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
- (c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
- (d) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
- (e) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
- and
- (f) removing the completed conduit from the support surface.
4 more elements
A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
- (b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
- (c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
- (d) flowing the material from a head positioned above the support surface, at least one of the head and the support surface automatically moving relative to the other according to computer instructions in order to create identical multiples of the conduit in the same machine cycle, free of contraction or expansion due to the manufacture thereof;
- (e) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
- (f) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
- and
- (q) removing the completed conduit from the support surface.
5 more elements
A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
- (b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
- (c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
- (d) surroundinq at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
- (e) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
- (f) removing the completed conduit from the support surface;
- and
- (g) the material being a polymeric string emitted from a moveable head in a continuous manner from a spool which supplies the string to the head.
5 more elements
A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
- (b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
- (c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
- (d) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a qas during the depositing and creating steps;
- (e) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
- (f) removing the completed conduit from the support surface;
- and
- (g) at least ten of the conduits being substantially simultaneously manufactured in a single machine cycle in less than ninety minutes.
5 more elements
A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
- (b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
- (c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
- (d) flowing the material from an ink jet printing head including openings arranged in a linear array such that multiple material flows are simultaneously occurring for each layer of the conduit
- (e) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
- (f) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
- and
- (g) removing the completed conduit from the support surface.
5 more elements
A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
- (b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
- (c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
- (d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
- and
- (e) creating a seal in the through-bore integral with the body by depositing the second material, which is more flexible, adjacent the material defining the body, within the same machine cycle.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
- (b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
- (c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
- (d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
- (e) wherein the hollow conduit is a liquid carrying tube-connector;
- and
- (f) creating a female end and an opposite male end of a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the female end from at least one of the deposited materials.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
- (b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
- (c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
- (d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
- and
- (e) flowing the materials from an ink jet printing head including multiples of the openings being arranged in a linear array such that the materials simultaneously flow for each layer of the hollow conduit.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
- (b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
- (c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
- (d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
- and
- (e) flowing the materials from a head positioned above the support surface, at least one of the head and the support surface automatically moving relative to the other according to computer instructions in order to create identical multiples of the hollow conduit in the same manufacturing cycle of the machine, free of part-to-part tolerance differences.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
- (b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
- (c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
- (d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
- and
- (e) wherein the materials are three-dimensionally printable polymers.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
- (b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
- (c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
- (d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
- and
- (e) wherein at least ten of the hollow conduits are substantially simultaneously manufactured in the machine in less than ninety minutes.
3 more elements
A method of using a three-dimensional printing machine, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting material from an ink jet printing head of the machine;
- (b) building up a fluid carrying conduit by placing the material to define an elongated and hollow body, the fluid carrying conduit being a liquid carrying tube-connector;
- (c) creating a female end and a male end of the connector, the mail end being of a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the female end;
- and
- (d) curing the fluid carrying conduit with light as the conduit is being built up.
2 more elements
A method of using a three-dimensional printing machine, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting material from an ink jet printing head of the machine;
- (b) building up a fluid carrying conduit by placing the material to define an elongated and hollow body;
- (c) curing the fluid carrying conduit with light as the conduit is being built up;
- (d) wherein the fluid carrying conduit is a valve comprising a moveable fluid flow-blocking member located at least partially inside the hollow body;
- and
- (e) the member being created substantially simultaneously with the creation of the fluid carrying conduit such that post-curing assembly is not required.
3 more elements
A method of using a three-dimensional printing machine, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting material from an ink let printing head of the machine;
- (b) building up a fluid carrying conduit by placing the material to define an elongated and hollow body;
- (c) creating a seal inside the hollow body integral with the conduit by depositing a second and more flexible material adjacent the material defining the body, within the same machine cycle;
- and
- (d) curing the fluid carrying conduit with light as the conduit is being built up.
2 more elements
A method of making a functional quick connector adapted to carry fluid therethrough, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer from at least one ink jet printer opening to create an enlarged female end section of the quick connector;
- (b) creating a male end section of the quick connector from the at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer;
- (C) creating a middle section with at least one bend in an internal bore between the ends from the at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer;
- and
- (d) emitting a different three-dimensionally printable polymer from the at least one ink jet printer opening to create a seal integrally attached to at least one of the sections.
2 more elements
A method of making a functional fluid valve, the method comprising:
- (a) emitting at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer from at least one ink jet printer opening to create a body section of the valve between open end sections, a bore extending through the sections;
- and
- (b) creating a fluid flow-blocking member located at least partially inside the body section from the at least one three-dimensionally printable polymer, the member being created substantially simultaneously with the creation of an adjacent portion of the body section;
- and
- (c) creating the member relative to the sections during their manufacture so that the member is selectively moveable after the manufacture to block and open the bore in at least one valve operating condition.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.