Aesthetic housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707719-B2
Application number	US-201314067264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A variety of techniques are disclosed for customizing a digital model of an aesthetic housing to receive a functional component and an interface component for the functional component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a selection of a three-dimensional aesthetic housing in a user interface;
receiving a selection of a functional component in the user interface;
identifying an interface component for the functional component;
automatically determining a position for the functional component in a digital model of the aesthetic housing;
automatically determining a second position for the interface component on an exterior wall of the digital model of the aesthetic housing; and
modifying a three-dimensional shape of the digital model of the aesthetic housing to receive the functional component and the interface component, thereby providing a customized model.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a kit including the functional component, the interface component, and a copy of the customized model stored on a computer readable medium.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the customized model to a three-dimensional printer for fabrication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the functional component includes an integrated circuit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the functional component includes a printed circuit board.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the functional component includes a battery.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the interface component includes one or more of a button, a switch, a dial, a slider, a connector, a display, and a speaker.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the aesthetic housing includes two or more parts.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the digital model to provide a path within the aesthetic housing to electrically couple the functional component to the interface component.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the digital model to provide one or more mechanical attachment points to secure the functional component with one or more of a clip, a screw, and a bolt.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the digital model to provide one or more mechanical attachment points to secure the interface component with one or more of a clip, a screw, and a bolt.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a manual adjustment of the position of the functional component to a new position in the user interface and conditionally updating the customized model with the new position if the new position satisfies one or more design rules.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a manual adjustment of the second position of the interface component to a new position in the user interface and conditionally updating the customized model with the new position if the new position satisfies one or more design rules.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a user-selected surface treatment for the aesthetic housing and including the user-selected surface treatment in the customized model.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the user-selected surface treatment includes one or more of a logo, text, and a picture.

16. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
receiving a selection of a three-dimensional aesthetic housing in a user interface;
receiving a selection of a functional component in the user interface;
identifying an interface component for the functional component;
automatically determining a position for the functional component in a digital model of the aesthetic housing;
automatically determining a second position for the interface component on an exterior wall of the digital model of the aesthetic housing; and
modifying a three-dimensional shape of the digital model of the aesthetic housing to receive the functional component and the interface component, thereby providing a customized model.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising code that performs the step of creating a kit including the functional component, the interface component, and a copy of the customized model stored on a computer readable medium.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising code that performs the step of transmitting the customized model to a three-dimensional printer for fabrication.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising code that performs the step of modifying the digital model to provide a path within the aesthetic housing to electrically couple the functional component to the interface component.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising code that performs the step of receiving a user-selected surface treatment for the aesthetic housing and including the user-selected surface treatment in the customized model.

Assignees

• Makerbot Ind Llc

Inventors

• Kroner Matthew Ryan
• Hickey Neil Joseph
• Briscella John Michael
• Dimatos John S

Classifications

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29C64/00

  Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering · CPC title

• H04N1/00827

  Arrangements for reading an image from an unusual original, e.g. 3-dimensional objects · CPC title

• B29C64/386 Primary

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title