公开(公告)号：JP2006341594A

公开(公告)日：2006-12-21

申请号：JP2006130040

申请日：2006-05-09

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： PARTANEN JOUNI P ,  ZHENG NING ,  BISHOP RAYMOND J

IPC: B29C67/00 ,  B22F3/105 ,  B22F3/16

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize a build-up of a chemical by-product accumulated on a laser window 32 having the surface of which is exposed to a process chamber with a circular circumstance, mounted inside of a frame, in an apparatus for forming a three-dimensional body every layer from a powder material by a laser sintering. SOLUTION: An inert gas source for supplying an inert gas in a flowing direction to an exposed face of the window and an inert gas dispenser 16 mounted to the window covering less than the a half of the circumstance are provided and the dispenser 16 provides with an exhaust opening with at least one positive flow forward to the exposed face in a flow geometry effective for distributing an inert gas as a laminar flow at a speed effective to form a curtain of the inert gas over the exposed face and at a flow rate to distribute the inert gas as a laminar flow in an effective flow geometry having a characteristic Reynolds number less than 200 which is effective to minimize accumulation of a chemical byproduct made from the powder material on a window 32 during a laser sintering. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

公开(公告)号：JP2003136604A

公开(公告)日：2003-05-14

申请号：JP2002223192

申请日：2002-07-31

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： DARRAH JAMES F ,  ZU XIAOSHU

IPC: B22F3/105 ,  B29C67/00 ,  G05B19/4099

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the building time of an article in a method and an apparatus for selective laser sintering. SOLUTION: The method and the apparatus for computer controlling to manufacture a three-dimensional article layer by layer are provided. The method comprises the steps of distributing a fusible powder layer, then controlling the laser in a raster scanning method to irradiate the selected place of the powder layer with the laser, fusing the powder to the section of the article to be formed in the layer so that a plurality of the fusing sections are fused to become one article. In order to obtain an optimum filling scanning time, a laser scanning line is decided for each section. The optimum filling scanning time is determined by estimating the filling scanning times of the sections rotated at a plurality of rotary angles for at least one sample filling and scanning necessary to form the article by a computer. A real filling scanning vector used for the selective laser sintering of the article is rotate from a coordinate axis on the sample surface according to the sectional rotary angle for imparting the shortest estimating filling scanning time.

公开(公告)号：JP2002178413A

公开(公告)日：2002-06-26

申请号：JP2001329004

申请日：2001-10-26

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： FONG JON JODY

IPC: B29C67/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a cut surface in a desired state in a method for manufacturing a solid free shape of an article having a first part and a second part cuttably mounted along separating zones by distributing a material to a plurality of target positions. SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing the solid free shape comprises the step of selectively distributing a material for forming the first part 36. When the distributed material is contacted with the target position of the first part 36, the material has an internal volume temperature of a flowable temperature or higher of the material. The method further comprises the step of selectively distributing the material for forming a separating zone 40. When the distributed material is contacted to the target position in the zone 40, the material has an outer surface temperature of lower than a flowable temperature of the material. The method also comprises the step of selectively distributing the material for forming a second part 38. When the distributed material is contacted with the target position in the second part 38, the material has an internal volume temperature of a flowable temperature or higher of the material.

公开(公告)号：JP2002127260A

公开(公告)日：2002-05-08

申请号：JP2001245295

申请日：2001-08-13

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： MANNERS CHRIS R ,  BHATIA KABIR ,  NGUYEN HOP D ,  PHAN CATHY YENLY YU ,  MOUSSA KHALIL M

IPC: B29C67/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decrease a vertical distortion in a method for forming a three- dimensional item in a way of every layer by selectively curing a forming material. SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional item comprises a process of curing a first layer 21 of a forming material to be completely cured, a process of incompletely curing at least one of intermediate layers 24 of the forming material to be incompletely cured overlapping on at least a part of the first completely cured layer 21, the intermediate layer having a liquid area 26 of the forming material and a curing area 25 of the forming material, wherein the curing area 25 is not adhered to the first completely cured layer 21 after a cure conducted in a first scanning direction but is adhered to the first completely cured layer 21 after the second cure conducted in a second scanning direction and a process of curing the second layer 29 of the forming material to be completely cured and a liquid area 26 of the forming material in at least one of the incompletely cured intermediate layers 24.

公开(公告)号：JP2001353785A

公开(公告)日：2001-12-25

申请号：JP2001134484

申请日：2001-05-01

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： CHARLES W HULL

IPC: B29C67/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a complex, delicate shape promptly and economically in manufacturing a three-dimensional object. SOLUTION: In order to form the three-dimensional object (30) from the piled, cured thin layers (30a, 30b, and 30c), a surface layer of a curable fluid medium (22) is cured selectively by a curing means. A coating of a desired thickness is formed on the previously cured thin layer, the curing means (26) is applied selectively to the height of the working surface (23) of the medium (22), the cured thin layer adherent to the previously cured thin layer is formed, the formation and the application are repeated plurality of times, and the three- dimensional object (30) is formed from the adherent thin layers. In a forming process, a coating of an excess thickness is formed at least on a part of one thin layer, and then the excess thickness is reduced to the desired thickness.

公开(公告)号：JP2001287273A

公开(公告)日：2001-10-16

申请号：JP2001069485

申请日：2001-03-12

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： THOMAS O ORUMUKISUTO ,  CHARLES W HULL ,  BORUZO MODOREKU ,  SERKUCZEWSKI ANDRZEJ R ,  PAUL F JACOB ,  CHARLES W LEWIS ,  MARK A LOUIS ,  ABRAHAM RIRAN

IPC: B29C67/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To precisely measure the level of a liquid medium of an apparatus for shaping three-dimensional matter with high reliability. SOLUTION: In a device for measuring the liquid level of the fluid medium in the container of the apparatus for shaping the three-dimensional matter from the fluid medium curable by synergestic stimulation, a first tank 10 containing the fluid medium, a second tank 16 connected to the first tank 10 so that at least the liquid surface of the fluid medium in the second tank 16 is separated from the liquid surface 20 of the fluid medium in the first tank 10, a source 21 generating beam of non-synergistic electromagnetic radiation as a means for measuring the liquid surface 20 of the fluid medium of the first tank 10, a beam directing means and a sensor 22 changing a signal in response to the movement of electromagnetic beam incident on the sensor over the whole thereof are provided.

公开(公告)号：JP2000309058A

公开(公告)日：2000-11-07

申请号：JP2000031249

申请日：2000-02-08

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： KEREKES THOMAS ,  BEERS D ROSS

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  B29C67/00 ,  B29K105/32

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the vector exposure efficiency by forming a material layer which comes into contact with either one of material layers formed right before, and repeating an exposure work conforming to a plurality of exposure vectors a plurality of times, and providing a plurality of non-exposure vectors between a plurality of continuous specified exposure vectors. SOLUTION: A beam source which emits a specified curing stimulation beam is installed. As a preparation to form a next curing layer of a molded article, a new material layer which comes into contact with a material layer formed right before, is formed. Then, a curable material is exposed to the specified curing stimulation beam conforming to a plurality of exposure vectors expressing the next curing layer of the molded article, and the next curable layer is formed. Then, the curable layer forming motion and the exposure motion are repeated a plurality of times, and the article comprising a plurality of closely joined curable layers is molded. In this case, at least between a plurality of areas from among the continuous two exposure vectors, a plurality of non-exposure vectors are fed. The non-exposure vectors include a gradient vector and a jump vector.

公开(公告)号：JP2000272015A

公开(公告)日：2000-10-03

申请号：JP2000009785

申请日：2000-01-19

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： EARL JOCELYN M ,  MANNERS CHRIS R

IPC: B29C67/00 ,  G06T17/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To partly correct a curing width of a beam used for a three- dimensional object by exposing adjacent materials to a beam of a predetermined stimulation, forming a continuously thin layer of the object, and repeating operations of forming and exposing a plurality of times to form the object from the thin layers. SOLUTION: Data is manipulated to form altering object data for forming a three-dimensional object. In this forming step, data regarding one sectional boundary is shifted, and a layer of a material 5 adjacent to a layer of either finally formed material 5 is formed from the first shift value and second shift value. These materials 5 are exposed to a beam of a predetermined stimulation, and operations of forming and exposing are repeated a plurality of times until continuously thin layers 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 of the object 15 are formed. Thus, a curing width of the beam used for the three-dimensional object can be partly corrected.

公开(公告)号：JP2000141494A

公开(公告)日：2000-05-23

申请号：JP37376899

申请日：1999-12-28

Applicant: 3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： THOMAS O ORUMUKISUTO ,  CHARLES W HULL ,  BORUZO MODOREKU ,  SERKUCZEWSKI ANDRZEJ R ,  PAUL F JACOB ,  CHARLES W LEWIS ,  MARK A LOUIS ,  ABRAHAM RIRAN

IPC: B29C35/08 ,  B29C67/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To precisely measure level of a liquid medium of three-dimensional shaping apparatus with high reliability. SOLUTION: A device for measuring a liquid level of a fluid medium in a container of the three-dimensional shaping apparatus a three-dimensional article from the medium curable by synergistic stimulus has a first tank 10 for containing the medium, a second tank 16 connected the tank 10 having at least a level of the medium in the tank 16 isolated from a level 20 of the medium in the tank 10, a source 21 for generating a beam of a non-synergistic electromagnetic radiation as a means for measuring the level 20 of the medium of the first tank 10, a means for direction the beam, and a sensor 22 for changing a signal according to a movement of an electromagnetic beam incident over the entire sensor.

公开(公告)号：JP2000000893A

公开(公告)日：2000-01-07

申请号：JP16677199

申请日：1999-06-14

Applicant: 3D SYSTEMS INC ,  3 D SYSTEMS INC

Inventor： HULL CHARLES WILLIAM ,  LEWIS CHARLES WILLIAM ,  FREED RAYMOND SAMUEL ,  SPENCE STUART THOMAS ,  VINSON WAYNE ALLAN ,  SMALLEY DENNIS ROLLETTE ,  HULL CHARLES W ,  SPENCE STUART T ,  LEWIS CHARLES W ,  VINSON WAYNE B ,  WAYNE S FRED ,  SMALLEY DENNIS R

IPC: B29C35/08 ,  B29C67/00 ,  B29K105/24 ,  B44B1/00 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F17/50

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform the automatic designing economically with rapidity and high reliability by providing a step to partially change stored sets of data for defining the solid part of the shape of an object and coverting the solid part into a part consisting of a region where it is cured or a region where it is maintained in an uncured state according to each of exposure levels. SOLUTION: When a design displayed on the output image screen of a computer is satisfactory, parts are manufactured and when the design needs to be corrected, a change is repeatedly made through the computer. In this case, a pattern for stimulating each of many superposed thin layers 30a, 30b, 30c of a transferable fluid medium 22 is changed partially in a data processing step 25. Further, alteration data for converting the solid part to the part comprising a region where it is cured according to a first exposure level and a region where it is cured according to a second lower exposure level or a region where it is maintained in an uncured state while each of the thin layers 30a, 30b, 30c is initially formed, is created.