Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Charles W. Hull · Borzo Modrek · Brent Parker · Raymond S. Freed · Thomas Almquist · Stuart T. Spence · David J. Albert · Dennis R. Smalley · Richard A. Harlow · Phil Stinebaugh · Harry L. Tarnoff · Hop D. Nguyen · Charles W. Lewis · Tom J. Vorgitch · David Z. Remba · Wayne B. Vinson ·
Assignee(s)	3-D Systems, Inc. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Lyon & Lyon ·
Primary Examiner	Leo B. Tentoni ·
Application Number	US7697487
Filing date	05/02/1991
Issue date	08/11/1992
Predicted expiration date	08/11/2009
U.S. Classifications	264/22  · 118/620  ·
International Classifications	B29C 3508  ·
Kind Code	A
International Classifications	26422;40.1;162;236;255;298;308;347 ·
Related U.S. Application Data	This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/269,801, filed on Nov. 8, 1988, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/182,830, filed on Apr. 18, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,359.

Patent Family

Abstract

An improved stereolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, information defining the object being specially processed to reduce curl and distortion, and increase resolution, strength, accuracy, speed and economy of reproduction even for rather difficult object shapes, the successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Independent Claims | See all claims (59)

1. 1. A system for producing a high resolution reproduction of an object cross-section by cross-section out of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:at least one computer programmed to form cross-sectional representations from an object descriptive representation, wherein at least some of the cross-sectional representations are comprised of vectors formed from said object descriptive representation at planes corresponding to slicing planes;means for selectively exposing layers of the material in accordance with said cross-sectional representations to form said object cross-section by cross-section.
2. 29. A process for providing a high-resolution reproduction of an object cross-section by cross-section out of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:providing an object descriptive representation;forming cross-sectional representations from said object descriptive representation, wherein at least some of the cross-sectional representations are comprised of vectors formed from the object descriptive representation at planes corresponding to slicing planes; andselectively exposing layers of the material in accordance with said cross-sectional representations to form said object cross-section by cross-section.
3. 54. A system for producing a high resolution reproduction of an object cross-section by cross-section out of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:at least one computer programmed to form cross-sectional representations from an object descriptive representation, wherein at least some of the cross-sectional representations are formed utilizing said object descriptive representation at planes corresponding to slicing planes; andmeans for selectively exposing layers of the material in accordance with said cross-sectional representations to form said object cross-section by cross-section.
4. 57. A process for producing a high resolution reproduction of an object cross-section by cross-section out of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:providing an object descriptive representation;forming cross-sectional representations from said object descriptive representation, wherein at least some of the cross-sectional representation are formed from said object descriptive representation at planes corresponding to slicing planes; andselectively exposing layers of the material in accordance with said cross-sectional representations to form said object cross-section by cross-section.