3-D printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712849-B2
Application number	US-202016921638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Jul 6, 2020
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A method of operating a 3-D printer apparatus includes a tank structure with a bottom wall with a printing area defined above and spaced apart from the bottom wall. A gas permeable liquid within the tank overlays the bottom wall of the tank structure defining a first mobile layer below the printing area. An inhibition liquid within the tank overlays the gas permeable liquid defining a second mobile layer below the printing area. A polymerizable resin overlays the inhibition liquid and flows into the printing area. Positioning of an object carrier controlled such that a lower surface of the object carrier is initially located within the polymerizable resin and within the printing area. Operation of a resin curing device beneath the bottom wall provides light to the printing area polymerizing predetermined portions of the polymerizable resin forming an object attached to the lower surface of the object carrier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 3-D printer apparatus, comprising
a tank structure having a bottom wall and a printing area located above and spaced apart from the bottom wall, the tank structure further including a first side wall, a second wall and a third side wall extending upward from the bottom wall that at least partially define an interior volume within the tank structure;
a gas permeable liquid within the tank, above and along the bottom wall of the tank structure defining a first mobile layer below the printing area;
an inhibition liquid within the tank, above, overlaying and contacting the gas permeable liquid defining a second mobile layer below the printing area;
a polymerizable resin above, overlaying and contacting the inhibition liquid and located within the printing area;
an object carrier initially located within the tank during a printing process with the printing area being defined along and below a lower surface of the object carrier;
a carrier movement device attached to the object carrier;
a resin curing device configured to provide light to the printing area;
an electronic controller controlling the printing process and being in electronic communication with the carrier movement device and the resin curing device, the electronic controller being configured to control positioning and movement of the object carrier via operation of the carrier movement device and controlling operation of the resin curing device; and
the first wall having a manifold area that includes a plurality of ports, each of the plurality of ports including a diverging end open to the interior volume of the tank structure, the plurality of ports being located to provide a laminar flow of the gas permeable liquid along the bottom wall of the tank structure toward the third wall, the second wall includes a reservoir, located above the bottom wall, that retains the gas permeable liquid, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the manifold area of the first wall, wherein the gas permeable liquid functions, in part, as a coolant that draws heat from within the tank during the printing process and releases some of the heat via an exterior surface of the second wall and the reservoir to an ambient air.

2. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the gas permeable liquid defining the first mobile layer one or more of the following group of materials: silicone containing polymers include polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly((trimethylsilyl)propyne) and cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) core and a polydimethylsiloxane and a poly(sils esquioxane) (PDMS/POSS), nafion (sulfonated tetraflouroethylene); one or more of co-polymers including: poly(dimethylsiloxane)-polyamide multiblock copolymer; copolymerizations of diphenylacetylenes having various silyl groups [PhC{circumflex over ( )}CC6H4-R]; R ¼ p-SiMe3 (TMSDPA), p-SiEt3 (TESDPA), p-SiMe2-n-C8H17 (DMOSDPA), and p-SiPh3 (TPSDPA)]diphenylacetylene having a tert-butyl group (PhC{circumflex over ( )}CC6H4-tertBu; TBDPA poly(TPSDPA-co-TBDPA, poly(TMSDPA-co-TBDPA), poly[1-(p-trimethylsilyl)phenyl-2-(p-trimethylsilyl)phenylacetylene]; amorphous fluoroplastic resins having polytetrafluoroethylene, Dimethylsilicone rubber, Dimethylsilicone oil, Fluorosilicone, Fluorosilicone oil; Nitrile rubber and PTFE.

3. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the gas permeable liquid defining the first mobile layer includes one or more of the following group of materials: silicon oil with addition of solid oxygen permeable particles, silicon oil with addition of silicone containing polymers that enhance oxygen permeability including at least one inorganic material, metalloids, boron nitrides, metal oxides (including iron oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide) and metal sulfides, ZnS and CdS, 100-200 nm in size and 1-10% weight percentage of inorganic materials.

4. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the polymerizable resin above the inhibition liquid is a photopolymer that includes one or more of the following group of materials: nylon, acrylic, styrene, acrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, PVC homopolymer, PVC copolymer and aromatic polyurethane.

5. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the inhibition liquid defining the second mobile layer is a polymer that is infused with oxygen that suppresses polymerization thereof.

6. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the polymer of the inhibition liquid includes the photopolymer of the polymerizable resin.

7. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bottom wall of the tank structure is made of a transparent material.

8. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the resin curing device located below the tank and is located to selectively project light upward through the bottom wall of the tank structure.

9. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third wall includes an outlet manifold that receives the gas permeable liquid and returns it to the reservoir.

10. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the third wall includes at least one fluid movement device that draws the gas permeable liquid from the tank structure and urges it into the reservoir.

11. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the at least one fluid movement device is an ejector pump that includes a compressed gas source that provide gas to a venturi tube drawing the gas permeable liquid upward from the outlet manifold of the third wall.

12. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the compressed gas source is only compressed oxygen.

13. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the electronic controller is further connected to the compressed air source such that the electronic controller controls the flow of compressed air into the venturi tube.

14. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the at least one fluid movement device is a plurality of fluid movement devices that all draw the gas permeable liquid from the tank structure and into the reservoir.

15. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to position a lower surface of the object carrier within the printing area, and thereafter operate the resin curing device to cure predetermined portions of the polymerizable resin located within the printing area thereby forming a portion of an object along the lower surface of the object carrier.

16. The 3-D printer apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to re-position a lower surface of the object carrier a predetermined distance above the printing area such that the polymerizable resin flows into the printing area along a lower surface of the object, and thereafter operate the resin curing device to cure predetermined portions of the polymerizable resin located within the printing area under the object thereby forming a further portion of the object.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Zhao Nanzhu
• Cao Jinwei
• Dale Nilesh
• Patil Sandeep
• Gumeci Cenk
• Abdul Jabbar Mohammed Hussain

Classifications

• B29C64/245 Primary

  Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) · CPC title

• B29C64/135 Primary

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

• B29C64/255

  Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers · CPC title

• B29C64/264

  Arrangements for irradiation · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title