Three-dimensional fabrication with cavity filling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836090-B2
Application number	US-201815866990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A three-dimensional printer is configured to fill interior cavities of a fabricated object with functional or aesthetic materials during fabrication. In general, a number of layers can be fabricated with an infill pattern that leaves void space within an exterior surface of the object. These void spaces can receive a second material such as an epoxy or adhesive that spans multiple layers of the object to increase structural integrity. Similarly, aesthetic materials may be used to add color, opacity, or other desired properties to a fabricated object. The void spaces can also or instead form molds that are filled with a build material to provide a fabricated object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on a controller of a three-dimensional printer, controls the three-dimensional printer to perform the steps of:
fabricating a number of layers of an object with the three-dimensional printer using a first material to print the number of layers including an exterior surface and an infill within the exterior surface, wherein the infill defines a void space;
depositing a second material within the void space; and
fabricating at least one additional layer above the number of layers to enclose the second material within the void space, wherein the void space is defined by a closed shape within at least two of the number of layers, where the closed shape in one of the number of layers has edges offset from at least one other closed shape in an adjacent one of the number of layers.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are a single type of build material.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional layer is fabricated from the first material.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional layer is fabricated from the second material.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the void space forms a mold for a three-dimensional object and the second material includes a build material for the three-dimensional object.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the void space has a regular geometry.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first material is an extruded thermoplastic material.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the second material is a structural filler.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the structural filler is one or more of a foam, a resin, an adhesive, an epoxy, a thermoplastic, and a glue.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the structural filler is a curable adhesive.

11. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the second material is an aesthetic filler.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the aesthetic filler is one or more of a colored filler and an opaque filler.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the aesthetic filler is a liquid.

14. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the void space extends through the number of layers.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the void space is shaped as a prism.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the prism is perpendicular to the number of layers.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the prism passes diagonally through the number of layers.

18. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the infill defines a plurality of void spaces shaped as prisms extending through the number of layers, and wherein each one of the plurality of void spaces has a top and a bottom each at a different layer height than another one of the plurality of void spaces.

19. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein a number of offsets for a number of closed shapes in a number of layers are arranged in a regular vertical pattern.

20. A computer program product comprising computer-executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices performs the steps of:
generating first instructions executable by a three-dimensional printer to fabricate a portion of an object with a first material, the portion of the object including an exterior surface of the object and an infill within the exterior surface, wherein the infill defines a void space;
generating second instructions executable by the three-dimensional printer to deposit a second material within the void space; and
generating third instructions executable by the three-dimensional printer to fabricate an additional portion of the object that encloses the second material within the void space, wherein the void space is defined by a closed shape within at least two of a number of layers of the portion of the object, where the closed shape in one of the number of layers has edges offset from at least one other closed shape in an adjacent one of the number of layers.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 , wherein the additional portion of the object is fabricated from one of the first material or the second material.

22. A method for controlling a three-dimensional printer comprising:
generating first instructions executable by the three-dimensional printer to fabricate a portion of an object with a first material, the portion of the object including an exterior surface of the object and an infill within the exterior surface, wherein the infill defines a void space;
generating second instructions executable by the three-dimensional printer to deposit a second material within the void space; and
generating third instructions executable by the three-dimensional printer to fabricate an additional portion of the object that encloses the second material within the void space, wherein the void space is defined by a closed shape within at least two of a number of layers of the portion of the object, where the closed shape in one of the number of layers has edges offset from at least one other closed shape in an adjacent one of the number of layers; and
executing the first instructions, the second instructions, and the third instructions on the three-dimensional printer to fabricate the portion of the object, to deposit the second material within the void space, and to fabricate the additional portion of the object.

23. A computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on a controller of a three-dimensional printer, controls the three-dimensional printer to perform the steps of:
fabricating a number of layers of an object with the three-dimensional printer using a first material to print the number of layers including an exterior surface and an infill within the exterior surface, wherein the infill defines a void space;
depositing a second material within the void space; and
fabricating at least one additional layer above the number of layers to enclose the second material within the void space, wherein the infill defines a plurality of void spaces shaped as prisms extending through the number of layers, and wherein each one of the plurality of void spaces has a top and a bottom each at a different layer height than another one of the plurality of void spaces.

Assignees

• Makerbot Ind Llc

Inventors

• Schmehl Peter Joseph

Classifications

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

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

• B29C48/265

  Support structures or bases for apparatus, e.g. frames · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title