Multi-stage wash system for vat polymerization-based 3D printed parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12502834-B2
Application number	US-202318113544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2023
Priority date	Jan 6, 2020
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

The invention is a system for drying, recycling, and washing off residual resin from 3D-printed objects. Some aspects of the invention include a system for recycling solvents used to clean the 3D-printed objects in a washing chamber. The recycling system may include one or more solvent reservoirs that store a solvent for cleaning residual 3D-printing material off of 3D-printed objects, a wash chamber adapted to clean the 3D-printed objects, and a solvent recycling module. The solvent recycling module receives a saturated solvent from the one or more solvent reservoirs, evaporates or condenses the saturated solvent to remove residual 3D-printing material from the saturated solvent, and returns clean solvent to the one or more solvent reservoirs of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for recycling solvents used to clean 3D-printed objects, comprising:
one or more solvent reservoirs configured to store a solvent for cleaning residual 3D-printing material off of 3D-printed objects coupled to a platform; a wash chamber adapted to clean the 3D-printed objects, the wash chamber in fluid communication with the one or more solvent reservoirs configured to receive the solvent from the one or more solvent reservoir; an enclosure of the wash chamber adapted to receive the platform in a manner such that receiving the platform substantially seals the enclosure; and a solvent recycling module in fluid communication with the one or more solvent reservoirs, configured to:
receive a saturated solvent from the one or more solvent reservoirs;
evaporate or condense the saturated solvent to remove residual 3D-printing material from the saturated solvent; and
return clean solvent to the one or more solvent reservoirs.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the solvent recycling module is housed in an enclosure externally to a housing of the system or housed in an enclosure integral with the wash chamber or the one or more solvent reservoirs of the system.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the solvent recycling module comprises a distillation chamber adapted to remove the residual 3D-printing material from the saturated solvent.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more solvent reservoirs include a saturated solvent reservoir and an unsaturated solvent reservoir.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the recycling module is coupled to the saturated solvent reservoir.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recycling module is adapted to process the saturated solvent as a batch process or as a continuous process.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recycling module is adapted to heat and cool the saturated solvent using a Peltier effect.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recycling module comprises a heating chamber adapted to collect the saturated solvent.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the heating chamber is adapted to use waste heat from the system as a heat source or a thermoelectric heater.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recycling module comprises a distilled solvent chamber adapted to capture condensed distillate and enable flow into the distilled solvent chamber.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recycling module comprises a filter media adapted to capture a residue from the saturated solvent or access a cleaning fluid to dissolve the residue.

12 . A system for recycling solvents used to clean 3D-printed objects, comprising:
one or more solvent reservoirs configured to store a solvent for cleaning residual 3D-printing material off of 3D-printed objects coupled to a platform; a wash chamber adapted to clean the 3D-printed objects, the wash chamber in fluid communication with the one or more solvent reservoirs configured to receive the solvent from the one or more solvent reservoir; an enclosure of the wash chamber adapted to receive the platform in a manner such that receiving the platform substantially seals the enclosure; and a solvent recycling module in fluid communication with the one or more solvent reservoirs, configured to:
receive a saturated solvent from the one or more solvent reservoirs;
distill the saturated solvent to remove residual 3 D-printing material from the saturated solvent; and
return clean solvent to the one or more solvent reservoirs.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the solvent recycling module is housed in an enclosure externally to a housing of the system or housed in an enclosure integral with the wash chamber or the one or more solvent reservoirs of the system.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more solvent reservoirs include a saturated solvent reservoir and an unsaturated solvent reservoir.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the recycling module is adapted to process the saturated solvent as a batch process or as a continuous process.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the recycling module is adapted to heat and cool the saturated solvent using a Peltier effect.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the recycling module comprises a heating chamber adapted to collect the saturated solvent.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the heating chamber is adapted to use waste heat from the system as a heat source or a thermoelectric heater.

19 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the recycling module comprises a filter media adapted to capture a residue from the saturated solvent or access a cleaning fluid to dissolve the residue.

Assignees

• Sprintray Inc

Inventors

• Mansouri Amir
• Bassir Hossein
• Tian Huijian
• Ye Shukun
• Patel Aayush
• Ye Hang

Classifications

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B08B3/04

  Cleaning involving contact with liquid · CPC title

• B08B3/104

  using propellers · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title