Three dimensional printing system that automatically removes particles from build plane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960602-B2
Application number	US-201815926148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A three dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel, a light engine, a movement mechanism, a fixture, and a controller. The resin vessel is for containing a photocurable resin and has a lower portion with a transparent sheet. The light engine is configured to selectively project radiation up through the transparent sheet and over a build plane. The fixture is coupled to the movement mechanism and has a lower face that faces the transparent sheet. The controller is configured to operate the light engine to solidify a particle trapping sheet proximate to the build plane thereby trapping particles that extend upwardly from the transparent sheet into the build plane.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A three dimensional printing system for manufacturing a three dimensional article comprising:
a resin vessel for containing a photocurable resin and having a lower portion with a transparent sheet;
a light engine configured to selectively project radiation up through the transparent sheet and over a build plane, the build plane defining a lateral extent of a layer of the photocurable resin that the light engine is capable of curing; and
a controller configured to operate the light engine to solidify a particle trapping sheet proximate to the build plane thereby trapping particles that extend upwardly from the transparent sheet into the build plane, the particle trapping sheet is disconnected from the transparent sheet, the particle trapping sheet spanning most of a lateral area of the build plane;
wherein the particle trapping sheet defines at least one opening passing through the particle trapping sheet.

2. The three dimensional printing system of claim 1 wherein the particle trapping sheet is solidified before fabricating the three dimensional article.

3. The three dimensional printing system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to fabricate tapering features on a lower side of the particle trapping sheet and then to fabricate the three dimensional article coupled to the tapering features.

4. The three dimensional printing system of claim 1 wherein the particle trapping sheet includes a parallelepiped shape.

5. The three dimensional printing system of claim 1 wherein the particle trapping sheet spans essentially all of the lateral area of the build plane.

6. A three dimensional printing system for manufacturing a three dimensional article comprising:
a resin vessel for containing a photocurable resin and having a lower portion with a transparent sheet;
a light engine configured to selectively project radiation up through the transparent sheet and over a build plane, the build plane defining a lateral extent of a layer of the photocurable resin that the light engine is capable of curing; and
a controller configured to operate the light engine to solidify a particle trapping sheet proximate to the build plane thereby trapping particles that extend upwardly from the transparent sheet into the build plane, the particle trapping sheet is disconnected from the transparent sheet, the particle trapping sheet spanning most of a lateral area of the build plane;
wherein the particle trapping sheet defines an array of openings that are laterally distributed across the particle trapping sheet.

Assignees

• 3D Systems Inc

Inventors

• Tanner Christopher
• Enslow Andrew
• Wynne Ben
• Mueller Robert
• Pingel James
• Johnson Martin Alan

Classifications

• B33Y30/00 Primary

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

• B29C64/124

  using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified · CPC title

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B29C64/227

  Driving means · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title