US5263130A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Three dimensional modelling apparatus
Assignee: Object Geometries Ltd
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Filing: 1991-02-25
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Granted: 1993-11-16
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Expires: 2011-02-25
Abstract
Abstract A system responsive to coordinate information for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising apparatus for selectably solidifying a solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis characterized in that following selectable solidification of a given layer, the non-solidified portions thereof are removed and replaced by a removable support material which is not solidifiable under the same conditions as the solidifiable material.
Inventors
- 👤 Itzchak Pomerantz
- 👤 Shalev Gilad
- 👤 Yehoshua Dollberg
- 👤 Barry Ben-Ezra
- 👤 Yehoshua Sheinman
- 👤 Gill Barequet
- 👤 Michael Nagler
- 👤 Avigdor Bieber
- 👤 Mathew Katz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 06:29
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/0037; B; B29; B29C; B29C64/00; B29C64/40; B33; B33Y; B33Y10/00; B33Y30/00; B33Y50/00; B29K; B29K2995/00; B29K2995/0037; B29K2995/0072; B29K2995/0073; G05; G05B; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/49; G05B2219/49013; G05B2219/49015; G05B2219/49039
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A system for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising: a selectably solidifiable material which solidifies when a given stimulation is applied thereto; means for generating said given stimulation in response to input data representing the three-dimensional configuration of said physical model; and means for selectably solidifying some portions of the solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis, thereby defining solidified and non-solidified portions of each layer of the solidifiable material, the means for selectably solidifying being characterized in that following selectable solidification of said layer, the non-solidified portions thereof are replaced by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to the given stimulation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
114 words
A system for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising: a selectably solidifiable material which solidifies when a given stimulation is applied thereto; means for generating said given stimulation in response to input data representing the three-dimensional configuration of said physical model; and means for selectably solidifying some portions of the solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis, thereby defining solidified and non-solidified portions of each layer of the solidifiable material, the means for selectably solidifying being characterized in that following selectable solidification of said layer, the non-solidified portions thereof are replaced by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to the given stimulation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system according to claim 1 and wherein said solidifiable material comprises an active resin having a given shrinkage coefficient mixed with a second resin having a given expansion coefficient in order to provide a mixture which has a zero or near zero shrinkage coefficient.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system according to claim 1 and also comprising: means for providing coordinate information with respect to a three-dimensional element; means arranged to receive the coordinate information from the providing means and manipulate the coordinate information so as to adapt it for use in three-dimensional modeling.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 3 and also comprising means for selectably associating stored shapes with said three dimensional model.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system according to claim 1 and wherein said support material is removable from said physical model without damaging the shape thereof or requiring disassembly thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 1 and comprising a mirror whose reflectance can be modulated in accordance with the coordinate information such that parts of the mirror are reflective, while other parts are not, thereby providing selectable illumination of said solidifiable material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system according to claim 1 and also comprising means for removing unsolidified solidifiable material comprising means for applying a solvent to the unsolidified solidifiable material, means for mixing the solvent with the unsolidified solidifiable material and means for suctioning the thus-dissolved unsolidified solidifiable material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system according to claim 7 and also comprising means for solidifying residual unsolidified solidifiable material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 1 and also comprising means for mechanically machining the layers building up the physical model.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system according to claim 1 and wherein said means for selectably solidifying comprises: means for applying a solidifiable liquid onto a support in layers; and means for irradiating said solidifiable liquid at a solidification plane defined therein, said means for irradiating including means for irradiating said solidifiable liquid through multiple masks.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system according to claim 1 and also comprising means for providing said removable support material in a melted state and means for subsequently cooling said support material for accelerating the hardening thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 1 and comprising fluid strip generating means for removal of non-solidified solidifiable material from said layer, thereby permitting reclamation of said non-solidified solidifiable material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system according to claim 1 and wherein at least a portion of said removable support material is removed as a solid unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein the given stimulation comprises ultraviolet radiation.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising the steps of: providing a solidifiable material which solidifies when given stimulation is provided; and selectably solidifying the solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis, the step of selectably solidifying comprising the step of performing the following steps a plurality of times: selectably solidifying an individual layer, thereby defining colidified portions of the individual layer and non-solidified portions of the individual layer; and removing the non-solidified portions of the individual layer and replacing the non-solidified portions by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to the given stimulation.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising the steps of: providing a solidifiable material which solidifies when given stimulation is provided; and selectably solidifying the solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis, the step of selectably solidifying comprising the step of performing the following steps a plurality of times: selectably solidifying an individual layer, thereby defining colidified portions of the individual layer and non-solidified portions of the individual layer; and removing the non-solidified portions of the individual layer and replacing the non-solidified portions by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to the given stimulation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to claim 15 and wherein the step of selectably solidifying an individual layer comprises the step of irradiation of solidifiable material in a pattern such that as shrinkage occurs and additional solidifiable liquid moves into place to take up the shrinkage and is solidified, uniform thickness of the entire solidified portion of the solidifiable liquid layer is maintained.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 15 and wherein the step of selectably solidifying comprises the steps of irradiation of solidifiable material sequentially in complementary patterns.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 15 and also comprising the step of removing said support material by melting it.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 15 and also comprising the step of removing said support material by application thereto of a solvent.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 15 and also comprising the steps of generating a fluid strip in operative association with said layer for removal of non-solidified solidifiable material therefrom, thereby permitting reclamation of said non-solidified solidifiable material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein the given stimulation comprises ultraviolet radiation.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising the steps of: receiving coordinate information; producing a plurality of masks on a reusable substrate in accordance with the coordinate information; after producing each said mask, sequentially irradiating a layer of a solidifiable liquid via the mask; and for each said layer, replacing the non-solidified portions by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to the radiating.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising the steps of: receiving coordinate information; producing a plurality of masks on a reusable substrate in accordance with the coordinate information; after producing each said mask, sequentially irradiating a layer of a solidifiable liquid via the mask; and for each said layer, replacing the non-solidified portions by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to the radiating.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 22 and also comprising the step of exposure of the plurality of layers through an individual one of the plurality of masks in a line-by-line manner.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 22 and wherein the step of producing a plurality of masks comprises the step of writing each individual one of the plurality of masks directly onto the surface of the solidifiable liquid.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 22 and wherein said step of sequentially irradiating comprises the step of selecting the optical geometry to at least partially compensate for overflow of material used in generating the mask, by deliberately enlarging a light source employed in said irradiating step to enlarge the areas of said layer exposed through said mask.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
106 words
A system for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising: means for selectably solidifying a solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis, the solidifiable material being solidifiable in response to a given stimulation, the means for selectably solidifying comprising at least one of each of the following elements: selectably solidifying apparatus for selectably solidifying some portions of an individual layer, thereby defining solidified and non-solidified portions thereof; and means for removing the non-solidified portions of the individual layer and for replacing the non-solidified portions by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to said given stimulation.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
106 words
A system for automatically providing a three-dimensional physical model of a desired geometry and comprising: means for selectably solidifying a solidifiable material on a sequential layer by layer basis, the solidifiable material being solidifiable in response to a given stimulation, the means for selectably solidifying comprising at least one of each of the following elements: selectably solidifying apparatus for selectably solidifying some portions of an individual layer, thereby defining solidified and non-solidified portions thereof; and means for removing the non-solidified portions of the individual layer and for replacing the non-solidified portions by a removable support material which is not solidifiable in response to said given stimulation.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
A system according to claim 26 wherein the given stimulation comprises ultraviolet radiation.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3428503A
Cited
US4404684A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-11-15 | 1997-05-17 | 1997-11-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-11-15 | 2001-05-17 | 2001-11-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-11-15 | 2005-05-17 | 2005-11-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |