Connectors manufactured by three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844912-B2
Application number	US-201314091784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Jun 2, 2011
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A hollow conduit is provided. In another aspect, a quick connector, suitable to carry fluid therethrough, is made of layers of material, a light curable material and/or multiple built-up materials. Another aspect uses a three-dimensional printing machine to emit material from an ink jet printing head to build up a conduit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) depositing a layer of three-dimensionally printable polymeric material onto a support surface;
(b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
(c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
(d) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
(e) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together; and
(f) removing the completed conduit from the support surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is a liquid carrying tube-connector, the method further comprising using the deposited layers to create a female end and an opposite male end of a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the female end.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising using the deposited layers to create a flexible coupling and a rigid insert substantially simultaneously with the tube connector in the same machine cycle, at least part of the coupling and at least part of the insert being created inside the female end, the insert being hollow, and the insert being removeable from the coupling and female end after the curing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is air, the bore inside the conduit includes at least two turns, and the wall is a single piece.

5. A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
(b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
(c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
(d) flowing the material from a head positioned above the support surface, at least one of the head and the support surface automatically moving relative to the other according to computer instructions in order to create identical multiples of the conduit in the same machine cycle, free of contraction or expansion due to the manufacture thereof;
(e) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
(f) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together; and
(q) removing the completed conduit from the support surface.

6. The method of Claim 5 , wherein the material is a three-dimensionally printable polymer.

7. A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
(b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
(c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
(d) surroundinq at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
(e) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
(f) removing the completed conduit from the support surface; and
(g) the material being a polymeric string emitted from a moveable head in a continuous manner from a spool which supplies the string to the head.

8. A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
(b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
(c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
(d) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a qas during the depositing and creating steps;
(e) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together;
(f) removing the completed conduit from the support surface; and
(g) at least ten of the conduits being substantially simultaneously manufactured in a single machine cycle in less than ninety minutes.

9. A method of making a conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) depositing a layer of material onto a support surface;
(b) depositing subsequent layers of the material upon each prior layer until the conduit is completely created;
(c) creating the conduit to comprise a hollow bore extending inside an outer wall made of the material with at least one die-locked bend therein between a female end and a male end of the conduit, as part of the depositing steps;
(d) flowing the material from an ink jet printing head including openings arranged in a linear array such that multiple material flows are simultaneously occurring for each layer of the conduit
(e) surrounding at least a majority of the conduit with a gas during the depositing and creating steps;
(f) curing the conduit so that the layers of the material bond together; and
(g) removing the completed conduit from the support surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is a valve comprising a moveable fluid flow-blocking member located at least partially inside the hollow bore, and the member is created substantially simultaneously with the creation of the conduit such that post-curing assembly is not required.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a seal in the hollow bore integral with the wall by depositing a layer of a second and more flexible material adjacent the material defining the wall, within the same machine cycle.

12. A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
(b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
(c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
(d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step; and
(e) creating a seal in the through-bore integral with the body by depositing the second material, which is more flexible, adjacent the material defining the body, within the same machine cycle.

13. A method of manufacturing a hollow conduit adapted for carrying fluid, the method comprising:
(a) emitting a first material from at least a first opening in a machine;
(b) emitting at least a second and different material from at least a second machine opening;
(c) depositing the materials at desired locations on a support surface of the machine to build up a complete body of the hollow conduit including a through-bore;
(d) wherein the hollow conduit comprises a first section made of the first material and a second section made of the second material, with the sections being integrally attached together as a single piece by the depositing step;
(e) wherein the hollow conduit is a liquid carrying tube-connector; and
(f) creating a female end and an opposite male end of a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the female end from at

Assignees

• A Raymond Et Cie

Inventors

• Hemingway Todd L
• Jackson Nicholas

Classifications

• F16L37/0982 Primary

  with a separate member for releasing the coupling · CPC title

• B29C64/118

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

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/112

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