Surface feature arrays for additively manufactured products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019009458-A1
Application number	US-201816007368-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Jan 10, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A polymer object includes (a) a body portion having a surface portion thereon; (b) at least a first array of feature elements formed on said surface portion, each of said feature elements comprising: (i) a support structure connected to said surface portion and extending upward therefrom; and (ii) a top segment connected to said support structure, said top structure and said support structure together defining an internal cavity formed therein; (c) said polymer object produced as a single piece object by an additive manufacturing process.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A polymer object comprising:
(a) a body portion having a surface portion thereon; (b) at least a first array of feature elements formed on said surface portion, each of said feature elements comprising:
(i) a support structure connected to said surface portion and extending upward therefrom; and
(ii) a top segment connected to said support structure, said top structure and said support structure together defining an internal cavity formed therein;
(c) said polymer object produced as a single piece object by an additive manufacturing process.

2 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said feature elements are configured to deform or collapse by bending and/or buckling upon application of pressure thereto and return to their previous configuration upon removal of such pressure.

3 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said support structure comprises a circumferential wall or a plurality of arms.

4 . The object of claim 1 , wherein:
(i) all of said feature elements in said array have a same external configuration, and optionally wherein at least some of said feature elements in said array have internal dimensions that differ from that of other feature elements in said array; or (ii) said array comprises a first set of feature elements and a second set of feature elements interspersed with one another, the feature elements of said first set having a height greater than the feature elements of said second set.

5 . The object of claim 1 , wherein at least some of said feature elements further comprise at least one support post positioned within said support structure, each said support post interconnecting said surface portion and said top segment.

6 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said top segment is flat, convexely curved, concavely curved, or a combination thereof.

7 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said array comprises a dispersed array, a nested array, or a combination thereof.

8 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said object surface portion on which said array is formed comprises a flat region, a concavely curved region, a convexly curved region, or a combination thereof.

9 . The object of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said top segment and said support structure has at least one orifice formed therein.

10 . The object of claim 1 , wherein:
each feature element has a height of from 1 millimeter to 20 millimeters; each feature element has a maximum width of from 1 millimeters to 40 millimeters; and/or said feature elements are included in said surface array at a density of from 1 per square centimeter to 300 per square centimeter.

11 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said additive manufacturing comprises stereolithography, including both top-down and bottom-up stereolithography comprising continuous liquid interface production or selective laser sintering.

12 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said resin comprises a dual cure resin.

13 . The object of claim 1 , wherein said object comprises a hand grip or hand grip wrap, and said surface portion comprises a gripping region of said grip or grip wrap.

14 . A method of making an object of claim 1 , comprising:
(a) forming said object by an additive manufacturing process; (b) optionally washing said object; and (c) optionally further curing said object.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said additive manufacturing process comprises selective laser sintering or stereolithography.

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Li Yongqiang
• Fortner Shawn
• Kabaria Hardik

Classifications

• B29C64/30

  Auxiliary operations or equipment · CPC title

• Y10T428/249991

  Synthetic resin or natural rubbers · CPC title

• Y10T428/249953

  Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.] · CPC title

• B32B3/085

  spaced apart pieces on the surface of a layer · CPC title

• B29C64/35

  Cleaning · CPC title