Large array stereolithography with efficient optical path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11806932-B2
Application number	US-202217731468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel containing resin, an imaging bar, a movement mechanism coupled to the imaging bar, and a controller. The imaging bar includes an arrangement of light emitting devices that selectively emit radiation from an exit surface of the imaging bar to define a build plane in the resin. The exit surface of the imaging bar is preferably less than 10 millimeters from the build plane. The controller is configured to scan the imaging bar along a scan axis and, concurrent with scanning, operate the imaging bar to selectively image a layer of resin at the build plane.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of manufacturing and configuring an imaging system including an imaging bar configured to image a build plane in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
providing a substrate with an array of light emitting devices;
fabricating a polymer material collimation layer having an array of collimators corresponding to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators including an array of openings that extend through the polymer material and have reflective inside surfaces; and
overlay the polymer material collimation layer onto the substrate with the array of collimators aligning to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators is configured to reflect and redirect light from the array of light emitting devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein fabricating the polymer collimation layer includes one of injection molding the polymer material collimation layer and a micro embossing the polymer material collimation layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein fabricating the polymer collimation layer includes vacuum deposition of a metal to form the reflective inside surfaces.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the openings are parabolic.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the openings have a length to width ratio greater than three.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising overlaying the polymer material collimation layer with at least one lenslet layer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one lenslet layer includes two lenslet layers.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising overlaying the at least one lenslet layer with an aperture layer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the aperture layer includes a glass plate with a metal mask layer defining apertures that are individually aligned to lenslets within the at least one lenslet layer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging bar defines an exit surface and the method further comprises mounting the imaging bar into the three-dimensional printing system with the exit surface less than 10 millimeters from the build plane.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the exit surface is less than 5 millimeters from the build plane.

12. A method of manufacturing and configuring an imaging system including an imaging bar configured to emit radiation from an exit surface and to image a build plane in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
providing a substrate with an array of light emitting devices;
fabricating a polymer material collimation layer having an array of collimators corresponding to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators including an array of openings that extend through the polymer material and have reflective inside surfaces;
overlay the polymer material collimation layer onto the substrate with the array of collimators aligning to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators is configured to reflect and redirect light from the array of light emitting devices;
overlay the polymer material collimation layer with a lenslet layer;
overlay the lenslet layer with an aperture layer; and
mounting the imaging bar into the three-dimensional printing system with the exit surface less than 10 millimeters from the build plane.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein fabricating the polymer collimation layer includes one of injection molding the polymer material collimation layer and a micro embossing the polymer material collimation layer.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein fabricating the polymer collimation layer includes vacuum deposition of a metal to form the reflective inside surfaces.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the openings are parabolic with a length to width ratio of greater than 3.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising forming the lenslet layer from injection molding or micro embossing a polymer material.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the polymer material is one or more of cyclic olefin polymer (COP), Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), acrylic, and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC).

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the aperture layer includes a rigid plate with a metal layer.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising patterning the metal layer to define optical apertures corresponding to the light emitting devices.

20. A method of manufacturing and configuring an imaging system including an imaging bar configured to emit radiation from an exit surface and to image a build plane in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
providing a substrate with an array of light emitting devices;
fabricating a polymer material collimation layer having an array of collimators corresponding to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators including an array of openings that extend through the polymer material and have reflective inside surfaces;
overlay the polymer material collimation layer onto the substrate with the array of collimators aligning to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators is configured to reflect and redirect light from the array of light emitting devices;
fabricating one or more lenslet layers individually having a plurality of lenslets;
overlay the polymer material collimation layer with the one or more lenslet layers with each of the plurality of lenslets overlaying one of the array of collimators;
patterning an aperture mask on an aperture layer, the aperture mask defining an array of optical apertures;
overlay the lenslet layer with the aperture layer with each of the array of optical apertures overlaying one of the lenslets; and
mounting the imaging bar into the three-dimensional printing system with the exit surface less than 10 millimeters from the build plane.

Assignees

• 3D Systems Inc

Inventors

• Beauchamp Robert W
• Zheng Ning
• Smith Iii James Francis

Classifications

• B29C64/277 Primary

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

• B29C45/00

  Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor (injection blow-moulding B29C49/06) · CPC title

• B29C59/00

  Surface shaping {of articles}, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor {(in-mould printing B29C37/0025; by using liquids B29C71/0009; by using gases without chemical reaction B29C71/009; for decorating in general B44; abrasive blasting B24C; chemical aspects C08J7/00)} · CPC title

• B29C63/02

  using sheet or web-like material (B29C63/26 {and B29C63/38} take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C64/286

  Optical filters, e.g. masks · CPC title