Patents Assigned to 3D Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11767440
    Abstract: In one aspect, inks for use with a three-dimensional (3D) printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink described herein comprises 10-70 wt. % cyclopolymerizable monomer, based on the total weight of the ink. The cyclopolymerizable monomer comprises a first ethenyl or ethynyl moiety and a second ethenyl or ethynyl moiety. Additionally, the ?-carbon of the first ethenyl or ethynyl moiety and the ?-carbon of the second ethenyl or ethynyl moiety have a 1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7-, or 1,8-relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffery H. Banning
  • Patent number: 11766825
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a build platform, a movement mechanism, a coating module, a consolidation module, and a controller. The controller is configured to (1) operate the movement mechanism and the coating module to deposit a new powder layer over an upper surface of the build platform or powder, (2) operate the consolidation module to selectively consolidate the new powder layer, and (3) repeat (1) and (2) until a three-dimensional article is fabricated from a plurality of layers. Step (1) includes, at least one of the plurality of layers (a) operate the movement mechanism and the coating module to deposit a first sublayer of powder having a thickness T1 over the upper surface, and (b) operate the movement mechanism and the coating module to deposit a second sublayer of powder having at thickness T2 over the first sublayer of powder. T2 is less than 20% of T1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Carl Borgstrom, Dustin Crouse, Nachiketa Ray, James Vander Linden
  • Patent number: 11760032
    Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a vertical support, a support plate, a resin vessel, a fluid spill containment vessel, and a light engine. The support plate is affixed to the vertical support at a proximal end. The support plate has an inner surface defining a first central opening. The resin vessel is supported above the support plate and has an inner edges surrounding a second central opening. The resin vessel includes a transparent sheet that closes the second central opening. The fluid spill containment vessel is supported below the support plate and includes a transparent window. The light engine is supported below the fluid spill containment vessel. The first central opening, the second central opening, and the window laterally overlap to provide an optical path whereby the light engine can project light upwardly to a build plane in the resin vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Christopher Tanner
  • Patent number: 11739221
    Abstract: Polymerizable liquids are described herein which, in some embodiments, can produce 3D printed articles of high resolution and desirable mechanical properties. In one aspect, a polymerizable liquid comprises an acrylate component, and a composite resin comprising a curable carrier and polymeric particles dispersed in the curable carrier. The polymerizable liquid also comprises a photoinitiator component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: John Fong
  • Patent number: 11738518
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) printing system includes a vessel, a coating subsystem, a calibration block, and a controller. The vessel is configured to contain a photocurable resin having a resin upper surface. The coating subsystem includes a coater module including a coater blade, a lateral movement mechanism coupled to the coater module, a sensor mounted to the coater module, and a vertical actuator system. The calibration block has a calibration surface. The controller is configured to operate the lateral movement mechanism to position the coater blade over the calibration block, operate the vertical actuator system to lower the coater blade into engagement with the calibration surface of the calibration block, operate the sensor to measure a distance to the calibration block, and store the distance as indicative of a vertical position of a lower edge of the coater blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Eric M. Innes
  • Patent number: 11731347
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for solidifying a photocurable resin in a layer-by-layer manner at a build plane includes a scan module, a transparent plate, a sensor, and a controller. The scan module is configured to scan the light beam along two axes to address the build plane. The transparent plate is positioned in the optical path between the scan module and the build plane. The transparent plate has at least one reflective feature in the optical path. The sensor is mounted above the glass plate and is positioned to receive light reflected from the reflective feature. The controller is configured to operate the scan module to scan the light beam across the build plane, receive a signal from the sensor when the light beam impinges upon the reflective feature, and analyze the signal to verify a proper alignment of the light beam to the build plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Guthrie Cooper, John D. Clay
  • Patent number: 11724452
    Abstract: In the context of a system that uses a pellet-type extruder head to form solid objects by moving the extruder relative to a build surface while melting and extruding pellets of raw material, systems and methods are provided which comprise cooling at least a portion of a pathway by which pellets of raw material are conveyed to a rotating extruder lead screw of the extruder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Clay M. Guillory, Nicholas Booth
  • Patent number: 11718030
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling the temperature of powders in a powder-based additive manufacturing system using spatial light modulation. Powder layer temperatures can be measured and selectively controlled using a radiation source comprising a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator applies a visible light radiation and/or IR radiation. In addition to controlling the pre-fused temperature of the powder in the image plane, the spatial light modulator can also apply the radiation to fuse the powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC
    Inventor: Charles W. Hull
  • Patent number: 11718743
    Abstract: Polymerizable liquids are described herein which, in some embodiments, can produce 3D printed articles of high resolution and desirable mechanical properties. In one aspect, a polymerizable liquid comprises an acrylate component, a polymeric additive, and a monomeric curing agent, wherein the acrylate component and monomeric curing agent are copolymerizable upon exposure to light. In being copolymerizable, the acrylate component and monomeric curing agent can form a copolymer. As described father herein, the monomeric curing agent can enable further reaction of the copolymer with one or more crosslinking species to link the copolymer with one more polymeric networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Pingyong Xu, John Fong, John Stockwell
  • Patent number: 11701838
    Abstract: In one aspect, urethane waxes are described herein comprising a reaction product between monofunctional polyethylene oxide and polyisocyanate. In some embodiments, the urethane waxes are combined with other components to provide support materials for use in three-dimensional printing applications. A support material ink, for example, comprises a urethane wax comprising a reaction product between monofunctional polyethylene oxide and polyisocyanate. The support material ink, in some embodiments, further comprises monomeric curable material, oligomeric curable material, or mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Bo Wu
  • Patent number: 11702559
    Abstract: In one aspect, inks for use with a three-dimensional (3D) printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink described herein comprises up to 80 wt. % oligomeric curable material; up to 80 wt. % monomeric curable material; up to 10 wt. % photoinitiator; up to 1 wt. % non-curable absorber material; and up to 10 wt. % one or more additional components, based on the total weight of the ink, and wherein the total amount of the foregoing components is equal to 100 wt. %. Additionally, the photoinitiator is operable to initiate curing of the oligomeric curable material and/or the monomeric curable material when the photoinitiator is exposed to incident curing radiation having a peak wavelength ?. Moreover, the ink has a penetration depth (Dp), a critical energy (Ec), and a print through depth (DPT) at the wavelength ? of less than or equal to 2×Dp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Khalil Moussa
  • Patent number: 11697247
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a vertical support beam, a resin vessel assembly coupled to the vertical support beam and including a resin vessel, and a support tray positioning system. The support tray positioning system includes a support tray elevator, a lead screw nut, a motorized lead screw, an intermediate nut, and a linear bearing. The motorized lead screw engages the lead screw nut to raise and lower the support tray elevator. The linear bearing constrains motion of the support tray elevator to vertical motion. The support tray elevator, the intermediate nut, and the lead screw nut interlock to constrain rotational motion of the lead screw nut with respect to the support tray elevator while allowing for two dimensional lateral motion of the lead screw nut with respect to the support tray elevator to accommodate mechanical tolerances of the lead screw with respect to the linear bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: David Sabo
  • Patent number: 11679547
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel, a support tray, a motorized carriage, a light engine, and a controller. The resin vessel has a lower side with a transparent sheet which provides a lower bound for photocurable resin contained within the vessel. The support tray has a lower face for supporting an object being fabricated. The motorized carriage is for supporting and vertically positioning the support tray. The light engine is for projecting radiation up through the transparent sheet to a build plane. The controller operates the motorized carriage and the light engine to fabricate the object. The object includes a vertical arrangement of dental arches suspended from the lower face and a plurality couplings that connect pairs of the dental arches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Michael Hsu, Patrick Dunne
  • Patent number: 11679563
    Abstract: A three dimensional printing system for manufacturing a three dimensional article includes a movement mechanism, a support tray, a resin vessel, a light engine, a sensor, and a controller. The support tray is mounted to the movement mechanism and has a lower surface for supporting the three dimensional article. The resin vessel includes a transparent sheet defining a lower bound for resin contained therein. The light engine projects pixelated light through the transparent sheet and to a build plane. The controller is configured to (a) receive a start indication for a build process, (b) operate the sensor, (c) determine if polymerized build material is in a flag region from the sensor signal, and (d) if polymerized build material is determined to be in the flag region, halt the build process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: John Lewis Morton, III
  • Patent number: 11673319
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel, a support plate, a light engine, a build tray, motorized support, and a controller. The resin vessel includes a vessel body defining a central opening and a transparent sheet that closes the central opening. The transparent sheet is at least partially formed from a cast polypropylene (CPP). The support plate is for supporting the resin vessel and includes a rigid transparent central portion for supporting the transparent sheet. The light engine is configured to project pixelated light to a build plane within the resin. The build tray defines a support surface for supporting the three-dimensional article to be at least partially submerged in the resin. The motorized support is configured to align and adjust a vertical position of the build tray. The controller is for controlling the light engine and the motorized support for fabricating the three-dimensional article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Hai Quang Tran
  • Patent number: 11654618
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article includes a resin vessel, a motorized build plate, an imaging bar, and a movement mechanism. The resin vessel is for containing a photocurable resin, the photocurable resin having an upper resin surface. The motorized build plate is for supporting the three-dimensional article in the photocurable resin. The imaging bar includes a plurality of light emitting devices arranged along a transverse axis for emitting light generally downwardly and a transparent sheet disposed below the plurality of light emitting devices. The transparent sheet has a lower surface to contact the resin and define a build plane below the upper surface of the resin. The movement mechanism is for imparting movement of the imaging bar along a scan axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James Pingel, Robert W. Beauchamp, Dominic Murphy
  • Patent number: 11638965
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing using an additive manufacturing process includes providing a deposition system, the deposition system configured to provide a plurality of cells to form a blank of a part, depositing a first layer of the blank, the first layer comprising a first deposited cell, a second deposited cell spaced apart from the first deposited cell, and a third deposited cell spaced apart from the first deposited cell and the second deposited cell, and depositing a second layer of the part on the first layer, the second layer comprising a fourth deposited cell, a fifth deposited cell spaced apart from the fourth deposited cell, and a sixth deposited cell spaced apart from the fourth deposited cell and the fifth deposited cell. Each of the first layer and the second layer are formed using non-continuous deposition to form the blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Gabriel Steinberg, Rex Thomas Alexandre
  • Patent number: 11623399
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article includes a motorized build platform, a dispensing module, a pulsed light source, an imaging module, a movement mechanism, and a controller. The imaging module receives radiation from the pulsed light source and includes a two-dimensional mirror array. The movement mechanism imparts lateral motion between the imaging module and the build platform. The controller is configured to operate the motorized build platform and the dispensing module to form a layer of build material at a build plane, operate the movement mechanism to laterally scan the imaging module over the build plane, operate the pulsed light source to generate a sequence of radiation pulses that illuminate the mirror array, and operate the mirror array to selectively image the build material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Evgeny Korol
  • Publication number: 20230095466
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosure disclose manifolds, microfluidic systems and methods that provide control over fluid flow distribution to an array of bio-scaffolds contained within the manifolds. In some embodiments, multiple perfusates may be injected into the manifold via multiple inlets where the manifold contains a bio-assembly with a substrate having a bio-scaffold disposed thereon. Biological investigations of the perfusates may then be conducted in the vascular components and chambers of the bio-scaffold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Bagrat GRIGORYAN, Jordan MILLER, Selene ALIKAH, Matthew GELBER, Faraz JIVAN, Andres RUIZ, Jacob SNOOK
  • Patent number: 11602892
    Abstract: A method of printing a three dimensional article is provided wherein particles are bonded together with chemical bonds having a bond strength of at least 10 kJ/mol. In one aspect, kits for three dimensional printing are described herein. In some embodiments, a kit described herein comprises a substantially dry particulate material (20) comprising an insoluble filler having a first functional group on the surface of the insoluble filler; and a fluid binder material (26) comprising a multifunctional linker having a second functional group, wherein the insoluble filler is insoluble in the fluid binder material and wherein the first functional group and the second functional group can react with one another to form a covalent bond between the insoluble filler and the multi functional linker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Khalil Moussa