Patents Examined by John Robitaille
  • Patent number: 11577460
    Abstract: A spatter protection system for an additive manufacturing machine can include a sheet configured to be disposed over a build area of the additive manufacturing machine. The sheet can include an aperture configured to allow a spatter from the build area to eject through the aperture during energy application and to land on a back side of the sheet to prevent the spatter from landing on the build area. The system can include a motive system supporting the sheet and configured to move the sheet to locate the aperture over an energy application area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Binek, David W. Morganson
  • Patent number: 11577437
    Abstract: A plasticizing device that plasticizes at least a part of a material to generate a plasticized material, the plasticizing device includes: a drive motor; a screw configured to rotate around a rotation axis by a drive force of the drive motor and having a groove forming surface in which a groove is formed; a speed reducer disposed between the drive motor and the screw and configured to transmit the drive force of the drive motor to the screw; a barrel having a facing surface facing the groove forming surface and having a through hole into which the plasticized material flows; a first heater configured to heat the material supplied between the screw and the barrel; a first cooling unit configured to cool the drive motor; and a heat insulating unit disposed between the first cooling unit and the speed reducer. At least a part of the heat insulating unit overlaps the first cooling unit when viewed along the rotation axis of the screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenobu Maruyama, Daichi Miyashita, Yasuyuki Tanaka, Kenta Anegawa, Kenta Ozawa
  • Patent number: 11577404
    Abstract: An unpacking device (4) for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object (2) from the unsolidified construction material (3) surrounding it after completion of an additive construction process, wherein the unpacking device (4) is formed as a robot (7) having at least three robot axes (A1-A6), especially an industrial robot, wherein at least one unpacking tool (10) is arranged or formed on a robot axis (A6), which is provided for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object (2) from the unsolidified construction material (3) surrounding it after completion of an additive construction process, or the unpacking device (4) comprises at least one such robot (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: CONCEPT LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Florian Bechmann, Fabian Zeulner, Jens Stammberger, Ralf Hetzel
  • Patent number: 11571844
    Abstract: An injection molding device includes: a material storage unit storing a material; a drive motor; a plasticization unit including a rotor that rotates by rotation of the drive motor, a barrel facing the rotor, and a heater, and configured to plasticize and flow out the material supplied from the material storage unit; a nozzle through which the material after plasticization is injected toward a mold from the plasticization unit; and a material drying unit configured to collect waste heat of the drive motor and dry the material in the material storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kakeru Sasagawa, Kei Yokota, Kenta Anegawa, Seiichiro Yamashita, Yuji Shinbaru, Kazunobu Maruyama, Daichi Miyashita
  • Patent number: 11571857
    Abstract: Apparatus (1) for additively manufacturing of three-dimensional objects (2) by means of successive layerwise selective consolidation of layers of a build material, comprising a build material removal device (3) with at least one build material removal unit (4) adapted to remove non-consolidated build material (5) surrounding an additively built object (2), wherein the build material removal device (3) comprises a build material removal chamber (6) delimiting a build material removal volume (7), wherein the build material removal chamber (6) is arranged or arrangeable above the object (2), wherein the object (2) is successively moveable into the build material removal chamber (6), wherein the at least one build material removal unit (4) is adapted to remove non-consolidated build material (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: CONCEPT LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Alexander Hofmann, Daniel Winiarski
  • Patent number: 11565473
    Abstract: An image processing system acquires a first three-dimensional model of an object. The image processing system includes a processor and storage medium encoded with instructions executable by the processor. The instructions include instructions to define a material potential function for a material. The material potential function is a function of a three-dimensional origin point of the material in the object, a three-dimensional propagation limit of the material in the object, and a three-dimensional propagation function of the material in the object. The instructions include instructions to generate a second three-dimensional model of the object based in part on the material potential function and the first model. The second model illustrates propagation of the material through an interior volume of the object at a unit level. A controller generates control signals based on the second model, and a fluid ejection engine performs an additive manufacturing process based on the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Marcelo Riss, Jamie Machado Neto, Victor Praxedes, Ana Patricia Del Angel, Adriana Fontenele, Thiago Moura, Jun Zeng, Scott White, Sebastia Cortes i Herms
  • Patent number: 11565324
    Abstract: An inspection system for in situ evaluation of an additive manufacturing (AM) build part is provided. The inspection system comprises a build plane induction coil sensor configured and positionable so that during construction of the build part, the sensor's magnetization and sensor coils surround at least the last-produced layer of the AM build part in the build plane. The inspection system further comprises an energization circuit and a central processing system. The central processing system comprises a communication processor configured for sending command signals to the energization circuit and receiving impedance data from the build plane induction coil sensor, and energization controller configured for determining energization commands for transmission to the energization circuit, and an induction data analyzer configured for processing build part impedance data using complex impedance plane analysis and for identifying anomalies in the AM build part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Huntington Ingalls Incorporated
    Inventors: John W. Ralls, Zareh Soghomonian, Daniel John Hebert, Kyle A. Wade
  • Patent number: 11553987
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a controller configured to: receive an input file defining a geometry of the three-dimensional article; receive information specifying an interface surface of the article over which the article will fit against a three-dimensional body; slice the geometry; identify intersecting slices that intersect the interface surface; and for the intersecting slices, alter a halftone range along the interface surface. Along the interface surface, the article slidingly engages the three-dimensional body. The sliding engagement can be sufficient to provide a fluid seal along the interface surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Madison Stadtmueller, James Pingle
  • Patent number: 11554547
    Abstract: A quick release hotend is disclosed. The hotend includes a base having an input portion and an engaging recess, an engaging member having a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion, and a body having a protruding ring and a feeding inlet. The base has a through-hole penetrating the input portion and communicating with the engaging recess, and the base has a chamber in which an elastic element is disposed. The first engaging portion is separably coupled to the base and abut against the elastic element. The protruding ring is engaged with the engaging recess to communicate the feeding inlet with the through-hole. The body has a concave portion to which the second engaging portion is separably coupled. The body has a nozzle to which the raw material imported from the feeding inlet is guided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: INFINITY 3D PRINTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chung-Yi Liao
  • Patent number: 11534527
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of filling different two-kinds of multiple inks into an ink extruding member for a three-dimensional print and a method of three-dimensional printing using the filled ink, and relates to a three-dimensional printing method using multiple inks comprising a step of applying pressure to the retained multiple inks and extruding it into a single extruding port of the extruding part to prepare an ink extruded product and printing the ink extruded product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: T & R BIOFAB CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Geunseon Ahn, Songwan Jin, Jinhyung Shim, Wonsoo Yun, Donggu Kang
  • Patent number: 11534948
    Abstract: A cooling plate for an injection molding machine includes a plate body, a plurality of sockets in the plate body for receiving respective spigot portions of a plurality of cooling tubes, and a cooling fluid conduit system in the plate body for cooling the cooling tubes. The cooling plate further includes an air conduit system in the plate body for providing air flow communication with the cooling tubes. Each socket forms a blockable flow passage between the cooling fluid conduit system and the air conduit system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Niigon Machines Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert D. Schad, Roberto Sicilia
  • Patent number: 11518108
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus includes an acquisition unit and an elimination unit. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire information relating to an accumulation amount of a twisting force generated in a linear manufacturing material during applying. The elimination unit is configured to eliminate the twisting force based on the information relating to the accumulation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shigehiko Sasaki, Wataru Suzuki, Taichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 11504916
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing section that includes a drive motor, a heater, and a screw rotated by the drive motor and that plasticizes a material to form a shaping material, a moving mechanism section that changes a relative position of an ejection section that ejects the shaping material toward a stage to the stage, a state observation section that observes a state of the drive motor or the heater, a prediction section that predicts a service life arrival time of the drive motor or the heater from an observation result of the state observation section, a notification section, and a control unit that controls the plasticizing section and the moving mechanism section to shape a three-dimensional shaped article based on shaping data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeru Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11491687
    Abstract: A method of forming a retaining device with hooks, wherein: a molding strip is provided that presents an inside face and an outside face, and that has a plurality of cavities, each cavity defining a stem extending from the outside face towards the inside face and including an end forming a head that extends from the stem towards the inside face of the molding strip; the molding strip is positioned on rotary drive means, the inside face of the molding strip being arranged to bear against the drive means; and molding material is dispensed against the outside face of the molding strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: APLIX
    Inventors: Damien Bosser, Anthony Mahe
  • Patent number: 11465204
    Abstract: A build material management system for a 3D printing system is described in which one or more input ports of a housing of the build material management system is to connect to one or more respective transportable containers. The transportable containers contain a volume of build material comprising 3D printed parts and a portion of non-fused build material. A pump also comprised within the housing is operable to provide a pressure differential across a conduit network of the build material management system. The pump is connected to the input port(s) by the conduit network. An air-flow caused through at least one of the one or more input ports is controlled by processing circuitry also comprised within the housing. The air-flow causes cooling within the respective transportable container. In one alternative, the housing comprises at least two input ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Justin M. Roman, Xavier Alonso Becerro, Ismael Chanclon Fernandez
  • Patent number: 11465351
    Abstract: A configurable build volume system for a powder bed fusion manufacturing process includes a chamber wall defining a chamber, the chamber wall extending in the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions, a plurality of build platforms enclosed within the chamber, a plurality of adjustment mechanisms coupled to the plurality of build platforms such that each build platform is coupled to a separate adjustment mechanism, a sensor mounted within the chamber and configured to capture data regarding a Z-axis position of each of the plurality of build platforms, and a controller in electronic communication with the plurality of adjustment mechanisms and the sensor. The controller receives the Z-axis position data and generates a plurality of control signals to adjust a Z-axis position of each of the plurality of build platforms and each of the plurality of build platforms is actively and independently controlled by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: HyungMin Chae, Mark A. Smith, Richard J. Skurkis, Whitney A. Poling
  • Patent number: 11458042
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a multilayered wound dressing comprising a first layer; the first layer including channels that facilitate neovascularization of a wound; and a second layer in contact with the first layer, the second layer having the same or different chemical composition as the first layer; where the second layer comprises at least one surface that has a texture and the direction of the texture is operative to facilitate cell orientation and growth. A method includes forming a first layer of a polymeric material; forming a second layer of the same polymeric material as the first layer on the first layer; and forming a textured surface of the second layer of the same polymeric material as the first layer, the textured surface being operative to facilitate directional cell growth when used in a wound dressing, where the first layer and the second layer are formed using an additive manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: SHARKLET TECHNOLOGIES, INC., UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Chelsea Marie Magin, Anthony B. Brennan, Bradley Jay Willenberg, Gregory Scott Schultz, Dylan Burton Neale
  • Patent number: 11446853
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a tire tread includes extruding a rubber strip and conveying the rubber strip through an opening of a roller die. The opening is defined by an upper die and a lower die, wherein the upper die and lower die contact the rubber strip and define a cross-section of the rubber strip as the rubber strip is conveyed through the opening. The method also includes adjusting a distance between the upper die and the lower die as the rubber strip is conveyed through the opening. The method further includes applying the rubber strip from the roller die onto a receptacle that rotates about a receptacle axis. The method also includes translating the roller die in a first direction parallel to the receptacle axis while applying the rubber strip, thereby forming a spiral of the rubber strip about the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Jason J. Para, Zachary G. Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11440098
    Abstract: A system for forming a three-dimensional (3D) article includes a powder dispenser, a fusing apparatus, and a controller. The plurality of energy beams include at least a first beam and a second beam. The controller is configured to operate the powder dispenser to dispense a layer of powder and to operate the fusing apparatus to selectively fuse the layer of powder. Operating the fusing apparatus includes operating the first beam to fuse a first hatch pattern over a first area of the layer of powder and operate at least the second beam to fuse a contour that bounds the hatch pattern. The contour is formed from N scans along the contour. N is an integer that is at least equal to one. N is determined by a lateral alignment uncertainty between at least two of the energy beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: LAYERWISE NV
    Inventors: Nachiketa Ray, Jan Plas
  • Patent number: 11427722
    Abstract: Provided are compositions including a population of particulates that comprise an at least partially crystalline polycarbonate having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 1 to about 200 ?m, and have a weight-average molecular weight, per polystyrene standards, of from about 17,000 to about 40,000 Daltons. The composition exhibits a zero-shear viscosity of less than about 104 Pa·s at the melting temperature of the partially crystalline polycarbonate. Related systems and methods for utilizing these compositions in additive manufacturing applications, including selective laser sintering (SLS) applications, are also disclosed. Also provided are additively-manufactured articles made with the disclosed compositions and according to the disclosed methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SHPP GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Vandita Pai-Paranjape, Elena Miloskovska, Bruke Jofore, Raul Fernandez Cabello, Hao Gu