Nanotube particle device and method for using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780606-B2
Application number	US-201816138337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2014
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A nanotube particle device for two dimensional and three dimensional printing or additive/subtractive manufacturing. The nanotube particle device comprising a nanotube, a particle shooter, a positioning mechanism, and a detection sensor. The particle shooter shoots a particle down the nanotube towards a target, the detection sensor senses the collision of the particle with the target, and the positioning mechanism re-adjusts the positioning of the nanotube based on the results of the collision. A method for aiming the particle shooter and additive/subtractive manufacturing are also disclosed and described.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for aiming a particle shooter comprising:
positioning a nanotube toward a target;
shooting a particle from the nanotube towards the target at a first power;
sensing where the particle hits; and
re-positioning the nanotube based on the sensing of where the particle hits.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing includes detecting whether the particle hits a particle in the target directly, travels through a center of a hexagon in the particle, travels through a bond between particles, or hits the bond directly.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing includes detecting an oscillation/vibration or optical movement from the target, measuring the intensity, frequency and difference in time delays of the oscillation/vibration, and computing what the particle hits.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle is shot from one end of a nanotube to another end of the nanotube via a laser.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising shooting another particle from the nanotube towards the target at a second power after the nanotube has been aligned with the target.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the another particle shot at the second power hits a particle in the target and displaces the particle in the target.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the another particle shot at the second power hits a particle in the target and replaces the particle in the target.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the another particle shot at the second power hits a particle in the target and is deposited on the particle in the target.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein more than one particle is shot at the second power, hits one or more particles in the target and are deposited on the target until one or more layers is formed on the target.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle is selected from the group comprising a photon, an electron, an atom, and a molecule.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle is shot from one end of the nanotube to another and towards the target.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle can be shot from any point in the nanotube towards the target.

13. A method for additive/subtractive manufacturing comprising:
positioning a nanotube toward a target;
shooting a particle from the nanotube at a first power at the target;
sensing where the particle hits with regard to the target;
if sensing indicates that target was not directly hit, re-positioning the nanotube and repeat shooting a particle at a second power at the target and sensing where the particle hits with regard to the target; and
if sensing indicates that target was directly hit, shooting a particle down the nanotube at a third power at the target so that the particle couples with the target to build a layer on the target.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein after the particles couple with the target, further comprising re-positioning the nanotube to a new position towards the target and repeating the steps of claim 13 .

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising repeating the step of claim 14 until a layer is formed.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising repeating the step of claim 15 until the layers on the target form an object.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method is used for two dimensional or three dimensional printing.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to the positioning the nanotube toward the target, further comprising positioning a particle shooter relative to the nanotube to provide the particle to the nanotube.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the particle shooter is coupled to the nanotube by one or more optical elements.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein an optical element of the one or more optical elements is a microelectromechanical system device.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Howe Wayne R
• Hunt Jeffrey H
• Li Angela W
• Coad Dennis L

Classifications

• B82B1/001 Primary

  Devices without movable or flexible elements · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B28B1/001 Primary

  Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00) · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title