Method and system of making digital image transfer thermoformed objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616610-B2
Application number	US-201615051167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2007
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A method and system is provided for forming a three-dimensional image and, more particularly, for making three-dimensional digital image transfer thermoformed objects on, e.g., generic molds. The system comprises a computer infrastructure operable to receive images of a subject display the images, stitch together the images to form a single image, adjust portions of the images or single image to compensate for deformation during thermoforming of the single image, register the single image with points on a mold, and print the single image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:
receive a frontal and two side view images of a subject;
stitch together the frontal and two side view images to form a single image;
compress portions of the single image to compensate for deformation during thermoforming of the single image;
register the single image with points on a generic mold;
print the registered single image using dye sublimation printing by a dye sublimation printer; and
store a matrix of the generic mold.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes registration marks for orienting features of the single image.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the generic mold includes customized features.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the customized features are captured by a pin sculpture device.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein side portions of the single image are compressed to about 50% to 60%.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the side view images are taken at about a 30 degree angle from the frontal view.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the dye sublimation printing is a linear transport type.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein
the single image is printed onto a laminate using the dye sublimation printer, and
the laminate is comprised of Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic sheets.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Simons Lyle S

Classifications

• G05B2219/49023

  3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder · CPC title

• B29C51/26

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations · CPC title

• G05B2219/49007

  Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface · CPC title

• B29K2027/06

  PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride · CPC title

• G05B2219/35134

  3-D cad-cam · CPC title