Patents Assigned to 3D Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11433618
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a support plate and a resin vessel. The support plate defines a central opening and an upper surface. The resin vessel is disposed upon the upper surface of the support plate and includes a substructure and a transparent sheet. The substructure includes a vertical wall and a tension ring that extends inwardly and downwardly from the vertical wall. The tension ring impinges downwardly upon an upper surface of the transparent sheet and tensions the transparent sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: David Sabo
  • Patent number: 11426937
    Abstract: A three dimensional printing system for manufacturing a three dimensional article includes a print engine, a receptacle, a pump motor system, a removable conduit assembly, and a resin container. The receptacle includes an upper portion with an opening and a lower interface portion. The removable conduit assembly includes: a fluid inlet extending upwardly from the lower interface portion; a pump head removably coupled to the pump motor system; a fluid outlet for supplying resin to the print engine. The resin container includes an internal reservoir and a leading and trailing end relative to a direction of insertion of the resin container into the receptacle. The resin container includes a fluid outlet that extends downwardly from the leading end. Installation of the resin container includes passing the leading end through the opening and lowering and coupling the leading end to the lower interface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney Hill, Keaton Jonathan Daniel Snyder
  • Patent number: 11413818
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes an array of platen sections, a plurality of compressive sheets, a chassis, a plurality of actuators, a powder dispenser, and an energy beam source. The array of platen sections individually have a top surface and a plurality of vertical side surfaces intersecting the top surface. The plurality of platen sections are positioned with adjacent pairs of platen sections having a pair of the vertical side surfaces in facing relation with each other and defining a vertical gap therebetween. Thus they define a plurality of vertical gaps over the array of platen sections. The plurality of compressible sheets fill the plurality of vertical gaps. The chassis supports the array of platen sections. The plurality of actuators is for individually and vertically positioning the platen sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James Francis Smith, III
  • Patent number: 11396134
    Abstract: There is provided improved laser sintering systems that increase the powder density and reduce anomalies of the powder layers that are sintered, that measure the laser power within the build chamber for automatic calibration during a build process, that deposit powder into the build chamber through a chute to minimize dusting, and that scrubs the air and cools the radiant heaters with recirculated scrubbed air. The improvements enable the laser sintering systems to make parts that are of higher and more consistent quality, precision, and strength, while enabling the user of the laser sintering systems to reuse greater proportions of previously used but unsintered powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: David H. Cullen, Rafael Enrique Hidalgo
  • Patent number: 11390036
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system is for fabricating or manufacturing a three-dimensional article. The three-dimensional printing system includes a substrate, a light engine, a radiation sensor, and a controller. The substrate has a surface positioned proximate to a build field. The surface supports a calibration target which includes or defines elongate light modulating bars disposed at two different orientations and including a Y-bar aligned with a Y-axis and an X-bar aligned with an X-axis. The light engine includes a plurality of projection modules including at least a first projection module and a second projection module. The first projection module configured to project an array of pixels onto a first image field. The second projection module configured to project an array of pixels onto a second image field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Kirt Winter
  • Patent number: 11384250
    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: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Khalil Moussa
  • Patent number: 11377538
    Abstract: Build materials for 3D printing applications are described herein which, in some embodiments, comprise a dye component operable to alter spectral characteristics of the printed part over the course of the build cycle. In some embodiments, for example, the dye component can provide desirable light penetration depth during article printing and sufficient optical clarity during final light curing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Mehrgan Khavari, Khalil Moussa, Scott Broce
  • Patent number: 11376693
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for the layered manufacture of a three-dimensional product starting from a powder, in particular a metal powder. More specifically, the invention relates to a system in which selective laser melting is applied to manufacture a product. Here, successive powder layers are covered by an energy beam, such as a laser beam, in order to melt the powder in this layer in whole or in part and subsequently to solidify or sinter it and to create successive layers of the product in this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jozef Verheyen, Brawley Valkenborgs, Luc Cuyt, Jonas Van Vaerenbergh, Filips Schillebeeckx
  • Patent number: 11370928
    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 20-60 wt. % oligomeric curable material; 10-50 wt. % cyclocarbonate (meth)acrylate monomer; and 0.1-5 wt. % photoinitiator, based on the total weight of the ink. Additionally, in some cases, the ink further comprises one or more additional curable materials differing from the oligomeric curable material and the cyclocarbonate (meth)acrylate monomer. An ink described herein, in some embodiments, also comprises one or more additional component that are non-curable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Khalil Moussa
  • Patent number: 11345089
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel containing resin, an imaging bar, a movement mechanism coupled to the imaging bar, and a controller. The imaging bar includes an arrangement of light emitting devices that selectively emit radiation from an exit surface of the imaging bar to define a build plane in the resin. The exit surface of the imaging bar is preferably less than 10 millimeters from the build plane. The controller is configured to scan the imaging bar along a scan axis and, concurrent with scanning, operate the imaging bar to selectively image a layer of resin at the build plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Beauchamp, Ning Zheng, James Francis Smith, III
  • Patent number: 11334777
    Abstract: A system and method for converting imaging data, for example, medical imaging data, to three-dimensional printer data Imaging data may be received describing for example a three-dimensional volume of a subject or patient. Using printer definition data describing a particular printer, 3D printer input data may be created from the imaging data describing at least part of the three-dimensional volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Oren Kalisman, Dan Pri-Tal, Roy Porat, Yaron Vaxman
  • Patent number: 11325314
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a print engine, a storage subsystem, and a controller. The print engine includes a resin vessel having a lower side with a transparent sheet, a light engine that defines a build field above the transparent sheet, and a motorized carriage for holding a support tray with a lower surface above the resin vessel. The storage subsystem is configured to store support trays. The controller is configured to: receive a build order including a plurality of incoming files individually defining a three-dimensional article to be fabricated, process and determine breakage-related risk factors for the processed files, define a build plan for at least some of the plurality of processed files based at least partly upon the determined risk factors, and operate the print engine and the storage subsystem to build and store three-dimensional articles according to the defined build plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Winthrop Childers
  • Patent number: 11305480
    Abstract: There is provided a 3D printing system, methods, and materials for the 3D printing of objects that include a cured hydrogel material, an uncured hydrogel material, and a support material. The cured hydrogel material may define a scaffold for organs or other biological structures. The 3D printing system selectively deposits the hydrogel material and support material, dries the hydrogel material, and selectively applies a catalyst to the hydrogel material to selectively cure the hydrogel material. Once the 3D printing has completed, the uncured hydrogel material may be drained and the support material may be melted or dissolved leaving a scaffold of cured hydrogel material that may be infused with living cells of the desired organ or biological structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles W. Hull
  • Patent number: 11298881
    Abstract: A method of determining a type of support structure for a three-dimensional (3D) object formed by additive manufacturing includes receiving solid model of the 3D object; performing a geometric analysis of the solid model to identify a region of the 3D object requiring a support structure; performing stress and warping analyses of the solid model at the region so identified, including one or more heuristic algorithms applied to the solid model, and excluding finite element analysis of a corresponding finite element model of the 3D object; selecting a type of support structure to place at the region so identified, the type of support structure being selected based on the stress and warping analyses so performed; and generating a shell of the 3D object based on the solid model, and including the support structure at the region so identified and of the type so selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy Sterenthal, Kirill Volchek
  • Patent number: 11298885
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes (1) receiving a data file, (2) analyzing the data file, and (3) defining a support structure. The data file defines a hollow three-dimensional article to be formed from a build material. Analyzing the data file includes identifying an opening that converges to an apex along the sequence of layers. The opening is at least partly defined by an inside edge of the three-dimensional article. The support structure is attached to the edge and closes the opening. The support structure includes a structural sheet portion and an interface web portion. The structure sheet portion defines a majority of an area of the support structure except for a boundary contour between the structural sheet portion and the inside edge. The interface web portion closes the boundary contour and defines a weakness contour for removing the structural portion from the three-dimensional article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Colin Leonard Blain
  • Patent number: 11285672
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a build platform, a light engine, a sensor, and a controller. The build platform is for supporting the three-dimensional article. The light engine is for addressing the build plane for selectively solidifying the material layer onto an active surface. The sensor is mounted on the light engine and is configured to generate a signal based upon vibrations from an external source. The controller is configured to form layers of the three dimensional article. Concurrent with forming the layers, the controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensor, analyze the signal to compare received vibrations to a predetermined vibration threshold, and, if the received vibrations exceed the predetermined threshold, take further action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Guthrie Cooper
  • Publication number: 20220072780
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a three-dimensional bioprinter for printing and/or patterning a single type or multiple types of cells into different geometrical arrangements and other three-dimensional structures, such as tissues. The bioprinter comprises multiple heads that can each be loaded with a different cartridge containing a biomaterial or biological material such as cells in a solution or cells in a hydrogel. Each bioprinter head and cartridge has the ability to heat or cool using Peltier technology. The bioprinter also has the ability to auto calibrate on a bed plate configured to accept a petri dish or microtiter plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Ricardo SOLORZANO, Eza KOCH, Guillaume ROBITAILLE-BEAUMIER
  • Patent number: 11254053
    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: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Evgeny Korol
  • Patent number: RE48998
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for allowing analysis results of scan data to have supplemental geometry and various measurements generated from the supplemental geometry or mutual common relations between geometric tolerances, and when the scan data changes, the analysis results according to the related data are recalculated in real time in order to simplify the repetitive inspection process according to the scan data changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Seock Hoon Bae, Dong Hoon Lee, Seung Yob Kim, Sung Wook Cho
  • Patent number: RE49149
    Abstract: A method for detecting two dimensional sketch data from source model data for three dimensional reverse modeling. The method includes the steps of detecting optional model data, establishing X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis of the model data depending upon a reference coordinate system information inputted from a user, and setting a work plane for detecting two dimensional section data of the model data; projecting, on the work plane, two dimensional section data to be detected from the model data or polylines detected by designating a detection position; detecting two dimensional projected section data of the model data projected on the work plane, and dividing the two dimensional projected section data into feature segments depending upon a curvature distribution; and establishing a constraint and numerical information in accordance with connection of the divided feature segments of the two dimensional projected section data, and creating two dimensional sketch data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Seock Hoon Bae, Dong Hoon Lee, Kang Hoon Chung