Three-dimensional printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434109-B2
Application number	US-201414156474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing method for forming a three-dimensional object on a base is provided. The method comprises providing a model library comprising at least one supporting member, selecting the at least one supporting member from the model library and disposing the at least one supporting member onto the base. The three-dimensional object is printed over the base and the at the least supporting member, and the three-dimensional object has an overhanging portion relative to the base and the at least one supporting member is filled between the overhanging portion and the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional printing method for forming a three-dimensional object on a base, and the three-dimensional printing method comprising:
providing a model library and the model library comprises at least one supporting member;
developing an iconic model of the three-dimensional object, wherein the three-dimensional object has at least one overhanging portion relative to the base;
calculating a required supporting space of the overhanging portion of the iconic model relative to the base;
searching for a supporting member from the at least one supporting member in the model library according to a result of calculating the required supporting space;
selecting the at least one supporting member and disposing the at least one supporting member onto the base; and
printing the three-dimensional object over the base and the at least one supporting member, wherein the at least one supporting member is filled between the at least one overhanging portion and the base.

2. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the required supporting space is a height of the overhanging portion of the iconic model relative to the base
and a height of the supporting member is less than or equal to a height of the overhanging portion of the iconic model relative to the base.

3. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
calculating an orthogonal projection contour of the overhanging portion of the iconic model onto the base; and
selecting the supporting member from the at least one supporting member in the model library, wherein an orthogonal projection contour of the supporting member onto the base approaches or matches with an orthogonal projection contour of the overhanging portion onto the base, and an orthogonal projection area of the supporting member onto the base is smaller than or equal to an orthogonal projection area of the overhanging portion onto the base.

4. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 3 , the model library comprising a plurality of supporting members, and the three-dimensional printing method further comprising:
selecting a plurality of supporting members from the model library, wherein an orthogonal projection contour of the plurality of supporting members onto the base approaches or matches with the orthogonal projection contour of the overhanging portion onto the base, and an orthogonal projection area of the plurality of supporting members onto the base is smaller than or equal to the orthogonal projection area of the overhanging portion onto the base.

5. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one supporting member is a pillar.

6. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1 , wherein a material of the at least one supporting member is the same as that of the three-dimensional object.

7. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1 , wherein a height of the at least one overhanging portion relative to the base is larger than a height of the at least one supporting member and the three-dimensional printing method further comprises:
printing the at least one overhanging portion and a wastage portion over the at least one supporting member, and the wastage portion is removably connected to the at least one overhanging portion and the at least one supporting member.

8. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
printing a dismantling structure between the at least one supporting member and the wastage portion; and
separating the wastage portion and the at least one supporting member through the dismantling structure.

9. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 8 , wherein the dismantling structure is a three-dimensional structure of line-up perforation pores.

10. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 7 , wherein a volume of the wastage portion is smaller than a volume of the at least one supporting member.

11. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
recycling the at least one supporting member to the model library.

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc
• Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Ltd

Inventors

• Ding Ming-Hsiung

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/112

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title

• B29C64/165

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B29C67/0092 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic