FDM printed luminaires with enhanced shiny appearance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337527-B2
Application number	US-202017779313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2020
Priority date	Nov 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a method for producing a 3D item using fused deposition modelling, the method comprising a 3D printing stage comprising: layer-wise depositing an extrudate comprising 3D printable material, to provide the 3D item comprising 3D printed material, wherein the 3D item comprises a plurality of layers of 3D printed material having a core-shell 3D printable material, wherein the core material comprises a core thermoplastic material and core additive material, wherein the shell material comprises a shell thermoplastic material and shell particles, wherein the shell material is light transmissive, wherein the shell particles comprise specularly reflective particles, wherein the core additive material comprises one or more of diffuse reflective particles, white particles, black particles, colored particles, and dye molecules, and wherein the core material and shell material differ in one or more optical properties selected from the group of color, reflectivity, type of reflectivity, and absorption of light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a 3D item by means of fused deposition modelling, the method comprising a 3D printing stage comprising: layer-wise depositing an extrudate comprising 3D printable material, to provide the 3D item comprising 3D printed material, wherein the 3D item comprises a plurality of layers of the 3D printed material, wherein the 3D printable material comprises core-shell 3D printable material comprising (i) a core comprising core material and (ii) a shell comprising shell material, wherein the core material comprises a core thermoplastic material and core additive material, wherein the shell material comprises a shell thermoplastic material and shell particles, wherein the shell material is light transmissive for one or more wavelengths in the visible wavelength range, wherein the shell particles comprise specularly reflective particles, wherein the core additive material comprises one or more of diffuse reflective particles, white particles, black particles, colored particles, and dye molecules, and wherein the core material and the shell material differ in one or more optical properties selected from the group of color, reflectivity, type of reflectivity, and absorption of light.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the shell particles comprise one or more of (i) polymeric flake-like particles having a metal coating or a metal oxide coating, (ii) glass flakes having a metal coating or a metal oxide coating, (iii) metal flakes, (iv) mica particles having a metal coating or a metal oxide coating, (v) holographic glitter particles, and (vi) colored reflective particles, wherein the method further comprises using a core-shell filament of 3D printable material or using a core-shell nozzle for creating the extrudate.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the shell particles comprise polyethylene terephthalate flake-like particles having an aluminum coating.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the shell particles have a particle length (L 1 ), a particle height (L 2 ), and a particle width (L 3 ) with an aspect ratio of L 1 /L 2 of at least 5, and L 3 /L 2 of at least 5, and wherein the method comprises printing one or more layers of the 3D printed material having a layer height (H), wherein the layer height (H) is larger than the particle length (L 1 ), and wherein the layers are stacked.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the shell particles have one or more dimensions selected from the particle length (L 1 ), the particle height (L 2 ), and the particle width (L 3 ), having a length selected from the range of equal to or larger than 2 μm and equal to or smaller than 5 mm.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the core additive material comprises one or more of (i) diffuse reflective particles and (ii) light absorbing particles.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the core additive material comprises metal particles, wherein the metal particles are wrinkled, and/or wherein the metal particles have a diffuse reflecting surface.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 3D printable material and the 3D printed material comprise one or more of polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), styrene-acrylonitrile resin (SAN), polysulfone (PSU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), semi-crystalline polytethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), and styrene acrylic copolymers (SMMA).

9. A core-shell filament comprising (i) a core comprising core material and (ii) a shell comprising shell material, wherein the core material comprises a core thermoplastic material and core additive material, wherein the shell material comprises a shell thermoplastic material and shell particles, wherein the shell material is light transmissive for one or more wavelengths in the visible wavelength range, wherein the shell particles comprise specularly reflective particles, wherein the core additive material comprises one or more of diffuse reflective particles, white particles, black particles, colored particles, and dye molecules, and wherein the core material and shell material differ in one or more optical properties selected from the group of color, reflectivity, type of reflectivity, and absorption of light.

10. A 3D item comprising 3D printed material, wherein the 3D item comprises a plurality of layers of the 3D printed material, wherein the 3D printed material comprises core-shell 3D printed material comprising (i) a core comprising core material and (ii) a shell comprising shell material, wherein the core material comprises a core thermoplastic material and core additive material, wherein the shell material comprises a shell thermoplastic material and shell particles, wherein the shell material is light transmissive for one or more wavelengths in the visible wavelength range, wherein the shell particles comprise specularly reflective particles, wherein the core additive material comprises one or more of diffuse reflective particles, white particles, black particles, colored particles, and dye molecules, and wherein the core material and shell material differ in one or more optical properties selected from the group of color, reflectivity, type of reflectivity, and absorption of light.

11. The 3D item according to claim 10 , wherein the shell particles comprise polyethylene terephthalate flake-like particles having metal coating or a metal oxide coating, wherein the shell particles have a particle length (L 1 ) and a particle height (L 2 ) with an aspect ratio of L 1 /L 2 of at least 5, and wherein the plurality of layers of the 3D printed material have a layer height (H), wherein the layer height (H) is larger than the particle length (L 1 ), and wherein the layers are stacked.

12. The 3D item according to claim 10 , wherein the core additive material comprises one or more of (i) diffuse reflective particles and (ii) light absorbing particles.

13. A lighting device comprising a light source and the 3D item according to claim 10 , wherein the 3D item is configured as one or more of (i) at least part of a lighting device housing, (ii) at least part of a wall of a lighting chamber, and (iii) an optical element.

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Hikmet Rifat Ata Mustafa
• Van Bommel Ties
• Gruhlke Stefan Willi Jukius

Classifications

• F21V1/26

  Manufacturing shades · CPC title

• F21V1/22

  the material being plastics · CPC title

• B29L2031/7472

  Lampshades · CPC title

• B29K2995/003

  Reflective · CPC title

• B29K2995/002

  Coloured · CPC title