3-D electrostatic printer using track bound platens and registration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086558-B2
Application number	US-201615196177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

3-D printing system include development stations positioned to electrostatically transfer build and support materials to an intermediate transfer surface, a transfer station adjacent the intermediate transfer surface, guides adjacent the transfer station, and platens moving on the guides. The guides are shaped to direct the platens to repeatedly pass the transfer station and come in contact with the intermediate transfer surface at the transfer station. The intermediate transfer surface transfers a layer of the build and support materials to the platens each time the platens contact the intermediate transfer surface at the transfer station to successively form layers of the build and support materials on the platens. The platens and the intermediate transfer surface include alignment features. The alignment features temporarily join at the transfer station, as the platens pass the transfer station, to align the platens with the intermediate transfer surface as the platens contact the intermediate transfer surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional (3-D) printing system comprising:
an intermediate transfer surface;
development stations positioned to electrostatically transfer build and support materials to said intermediate transfer surface;
a transfer station adjacent said intermediate transfer surface;
guides adjacent said transfer station; and
platens moving on said guides,
said guides are shaped to direct said platens to pass said transfer station and come in contact with said intermediate transfer surface at said transfer station,
said intermediate transfer surface transfers a layer of said build and support materials to said platens each time said platens contact said intermediate transfer surface at said transfer station to successively form layers of said build and support materials on said platens,
said platens include first alignment features,
said intermediate transfer surface includes second alignment features, and
said first alignment features temporarily join with said second alignment features at said transfer station, as said platens pass said transfer station, to align said platens with said intermediate transfer surface as said platens contact said intermediate transfer surface.

2. The 3-D printing system according to claim 1 , said first alignment features are shaped and sized to lock with said second alignment features as said platens approach said transfer station, and to unlock from said second alignment features as said platens depart from said transfer station.

3. The 3-D printing system according to claim 1 , said first alignment features and said second alignment features are matching pairs of balls and sockets, cones and cone receptacles, or cylinders and tubes.

4. The 3-D printing system according to claim 1 , said guides comprise at least one of rails, tracks, slots, magnetic pathways, or tubes.

5. The 3-D printing system according to claim 1 , said guides are positioned in a loop and return said platens to said transfer station after said platens pass through said transfer station to have more of said layers of said build and support materials transferred to said platens.

6. The 3-D printing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive device moving said platens along said guides.

7. The 3-D printing system according to claim 6 , said drive device comprising at least one of an electric motor, a chain drive, and magnetic drive units.

8. A three-dimensional (3-D) printing system comprising:
an intermediate transfer belt (ITB);
development stations positioned to electrostatically transfer build and support materials to said ITB;
a transfer station adjacent said ITB;
guides adjacent said transfer station; and
platens moving on said guides,
said guides are shaped to direct said platens to repeatedly pass said transfer station and come in contact with said ITB at said transfer station,
said ITB transfers a layer of said build and support materials to said platens each time said platens contact said ITB at said transfer station to successively form layers of said build and support materials on said platens,
said platens include first alignment projections,
said ITB includes second alignment projections,
said first alignment projections temporarily join with said second alignment projections at said transfer station, as said platens pass said transfer station, to align said platens with said ITB as said platens contact said ITB, and
said platens include a height adjustment that moves a surface said platen away from said ITB as a stack of said layers on said platens becomes larger.

9. The 3-D printing system according to claim 8 , said first alignment projections are shaped and sized to lock with said second alignment projections as said platens approach said transfer station, and to unlock from said second alignment projections as said platens depart from said transfer station.

10. The 3-D printing system according to claim 8 , said first alignment projections and said second alignment projections are matching pairs of balls and sockets, cones and cone receptacles, or cylinders and tubes.

11. The 3-D printing system according to claim 8 , said guides comprise at least one of rails, tracks, slots, magnetic pathways, or tubes.

12. The 3-D printing system according to claim 8 , said guides are positioned in a loop and return said platens to said transfer station after said platens pass through said transfer station to have more of said layers of said build and support materials transferred to said platens.

13. The 3-D printing system according to claim 8 , further comprising a drive device moving said platens along said guides.

14. The 3-D printing system according to claim 13 , said drive device comprising at least one of an electric motor, a chain drive, and magnetic drive units.

15. A three-dimensional (3-D) printing system comprising:
an intermediate transfer belt (ITB);
development stations positioned to electrostatically transfer build and support materials to said ITB;
a transfer station adjacent said ITB;
guides adjacent said transfer station, said guides define a path; and
wheeled platens moving on said guides,
said guides restrict movement of said wheeled platens to only said path,
said guides are shaped to direct said wheeled platens to repeatedly pass said transfer station and come in contact with said ITB at said transfer station,
said ITB transfers a layer of said build and support materials to said wheeled platens each time said wheeled platens contact said ITB at said transfer station to successively form layers of said build and support materials on said wheeled platens,
said wheeled platens include first alignment projections,
said ITB includes second alignment projections,
said first alignment projections temporarily join with said second alignment projections at said transfer station, as said wheeled platens pass said transfer station, to align said wheeled platens with said ITB as said wheeled platens contact said ITB, and
said wheeled platens include a height adjustment that moves the top surface said platen away from said ITB as a stack of said layers on said wheeled platens becomes larger.

16. The 3-D printing system according to claim 15 , said first alignment projections are shaped and sized to lock with said second alignment projections as said wheeled platens approach said transfer station, and to unlock from said second alignment projections as said wheeled platens depart from said transfer station.

17. The 3-D printing system according to claim 15 , said first alignment projections and said second alignment projections are matching pairs of balls and sockets, cones and cone receptacles, or cylinders and tubes.

18. The 3-D printing system according to claim 15 , said guides comprise at least one of rails, tracks, slots, magnetic pathways, or tubes.

19. The 3-D printing system according to claim 15 , said guides are positioned in a loop and return said wheeled platens to said transfer station after said wheeled platens pass through said transfer station to have more of said layers of said build and support materials transferred to said wheeled platens.

20. The 3-D printing system according to claim 15 , further comprising a drive device moving said wheeled platens along said guides.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Thresh Donald
• Soures Michael N
• Ireland Jonathan
• Van Bortel James D
• Smith Bruce H

Classifications

• B29C64/40

  Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof · CPC title

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title