Additive manufacturing in gel-supported environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953605-B2
Application number	US-201815945704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

Described are methods for making three dimensional objects. A nozzle is positioned within a gel inside a container of gel. The position of the nozzle within the gel is changed while depositing solidifying material through the nozzle. The gel supports the solidifying material at the position at which the solidifying material is deposited. The solidifying material is solidified to form a solid material, which is a three-dimensional object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:
a) positioning a nozzle within a carbomer gel inside a container of carbomer gel;
b) changing the position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel while depositing solidifying material which becomes part of the three-dimensional object, through the nozzle, whereby the carbomer gel supports the solidifying material at the position at which the solidifying material is deposited, which is suspended within the carbomer gel; and
c) solidifying the solidifying material in the carbomer gel to form a solid material, the solid material being a three-dimensional object,
wherein the carbomer gel does not scar, and
wherein the carbomer gel is a water based gel;

wherein the nozzle is a first nozzle, the solidifying material is a first solidifying material, and the solid material is a first solid material, the method further comprising:
d) positioning a second nozzle within the carbomer gel inside the container of carbomer gel;
e) changing the position of the second nozzle within the carbomer gel while depositing a second solidifying material through the second nozzle,
whereby the carbomer gel supports the second solidifying material at the position at which the second solidifying material is deposited, and
whereby depositing the first and second solidifying materials is performed so that the first and second materials contact each other in deposited state; and

f) solidifying the second solidifying material to form a second solid material,
whereby the first and second solid materials are joined together as the three-dimensional object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second nozzles have tips with different shapes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second solidifying materials are different.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology
• Steelcase Incorporated
• Massachusetts Institute Of Tech Cambridge Massachusetts And Steeicase Incorporated

Inventors

• Tibbits Skylar J E
• Guberan Christophe
• Laucks Jared Smith
• Kernizan Schendy G
• Hajash Kathleen Sofia
• Sparrman Bjorn Eric
• Noll Paul

Classifications

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title