Build plate assemblies for continuous liquid interphase printing having lighting panels and related methods, systems and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220051-B2
Application number	US-201615762399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A build plate assembly for a three-dimensional printer includes: a lighting panel having individually addressable pixels configured to selectively emit light and/or transmit light from illumination below the pixels to a top surface top surface of the lighting panel; a rigid, optically transparent, gas-impermeable planar screen or base having an upper surface having an uneven surface topology and a lower surface that is affixed to the top surface of the lighting panel; and a flexible, optically transparent, gas-permeable sheet having upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface comprising a build surface for forming a three-dimensional object, the sheet lower surface positioned opposite the base, wherein the build plate is configured to permit gas flow to the build surface.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A build plate assembly for a three-dimensional printer comprising:
a lighting panel having individually addressable pixels configured to selectively emit light and/or transmit light from illumination below the pixels to a top surface of the lighting panel;
a rigid, optically transparent, gas-impermeable planar screen base having an upper surface and a lower surface that is affixed to the top surface of the lighting panel;
a flexible, optically transparent, gas-permeable sheet having upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface comprising a build surface for forming a three-dimensional object, the sheet lower surface positioned opposite the base, wherein the build plate is configured to permit gas flow to the build surface; and
an adhesive layer between the gas-permeable sheet and the gas-impermeable planar base, and a channel layer defining channels therein.

2. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the channel layer comprises a permeable material comprising a permeable polymer.

3. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the channel layer defines channels on a bottom surface opposite the adhesive.

4. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the channel layer is adhered to the base by chemical bonding.

5. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises a gas-permeable adhesive.

6. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film.

7. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an elastomeric layer between the channel layer and the base configured to increase an elasticity of the build surface.

8. The build plate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the permeable sheet and/or channel layer comprises a PDMS composite comprising fluorescent, oxygen-sensing particles for sensing oxygen.

9. The build plate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the permeable sheet, elastomeric layer and/or channel layer comprises a PDMS composite comprising electrically conductive particles for heating a portion of the build plate.

10. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lighting panel comprises a LCD panel.

11. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lighting panel comprises an OLED panel.

12. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lighting panel comprises an ultraviolet LED light source array.

13. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lighting panel is a grey scale lighting panel.

14. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , further comprising light guides in the build plate that correspond to the individually addressable pixels of the lighting panel.

15. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gas-permeable sheet includes a thickness, and the gap is less than or equal to five times the thickness of the sheet.

16. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein a region between the planar base and the gas-permeable sheet comprises gap regions between the planar base and the gas-permeable sheet in which a gap that is sufficient to increase gas flow and reduce an area of wetting on the gas permeable sheet is maintained.

17. The build plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rigid, optically transparent, gas-impermeable planar base has an uneven surface topology on the upper surface thereof.

18. The build plate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the base comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion comprises a patterned rigid polymer that provides the surface topology and the top portion is adhered to the bottom portion.

19. The build plate assembly of claim 18 , wherein the top portion comprises a first material and the bottom portion comprises a second material that is different from the first material.

20. The build plate assembly of claim 19 , wherein the second material comprises sapphire, glass and/or quartz.

21. The build plate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the surface topology comprises random or patterned features configured to maintain a predefined gap between the planar base and portions of the gas-permeable sheet.

22. The build plate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the surface topology comprises depressions or protrusions having a diameter of 1 to 10 μm.

23. The build plate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the surface topology increases gas flow to the build surface and is on the base upper surface.

24. The build plate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the surface topology increases gas flow to the build surface and is on the sheet lower surface.

25. The build plate assembly of claim 17 , wherein the surface topology has an optical scattering angle of less than 20%.

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Feller Bob E
• Herrmann Ariel M
• Tumbleston John R
• Moore David
• Dachs Ii Gregory W

Classifications

• B29C64/124

  using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified · CPC title

• B29C64/277

  using multiple radiation means, e.g. micromirrors or multiple light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B29C64/135

  the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title