GB2410459A

GB2410459A - Three dimensional model making

Info

Publication number: GB2410459A
Application number: GB0402384A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter David Hurley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-02-02
Filing date: 2004-02-02
Publication date: 2005-08-03
Also published as: GB0402384D0

Abstract

A method of producing a three dimensional object is disclosed, wherein the polymer bead string key provides for the integration of the polymer bead strings. To integrate and aid in structural integrity of the polymer bead string during curing the shape of a nozzle tip will create a key in the polymer bead string for the successive bead strings to engage with, a shown as a stepped shape tip. Polymer bead string shape is varied according to the distance between the vertices of profile lines.

Description

Three Dimensional Model Flaking This Invention relates to a production

method of an object jM the three dimensional Bonn. More particularly the invention relates to a method of spreading individual light curing polymer bead strings at the periphery of the objects with the bead string having a key to allow for the integration of the polymer bead strings.

It is known town GI3 2233929 also US 5204124 flee dispensing and layering of photo curable polymer to form a three dimensional object together With IJS l 37662 the use of layers of different thickness and El' 1094459 offsetting of boundary data.

I Lois invention address' the problem of the retention of integrity of the structure in a S-dimentional object while being produced without the need for additional support also the improvement in surface finish and a reduction in time to produce the object.

Accordingly, this process provides a sneaks by wliich a three dimensional object can be built utilising the device described in Patent Application GB 0110865.3 3-D Blast Maker together with the use of the invention in l'atent Application (iB 0400214.3 3-D Computer Modellig. The device receives model data of a 3-V object with the data being profile lines around the circumference' where there is an obtrusion in the model the distance between the vertices in the vertical direction are reduced and to accommodate this variation there are variant distances of the vertices, this data is used as a reference for producing the 3-D object by converting the data into slice data of the object and the centre point of the nozzle is determined by the distance betvee the vertices in the vertical. TV polymer bead string shape is varied according to the distance between tle vertices of to profile lilies and the volume of the dispensed polymer together with the shape of the dispensing nozzle tip either stepped, tapered, convex or dove tailed together with the density, viscosity and surface tension of the polymer. Tle volume of polymer dispensed is controlled via a volume control valve which could be motor driven stepper or servo connected to a gearbox epicycle or worm and wheel through to a screw lead or ballscrew also this could be by piezoeiectric linear actuator and attached to the restrictor producible a variable orifice. The liquid polymer being pumped to the control valve could be by a variable displacement pump which could be a compressed air or electric driven diaplra?n pump or a centrifugal prunp. The slope of the polymer bead strifes could be flat top arid bottom with rounded edges or recessed on top to allow for keying of the successive bead strings. The density of the polymer is limited due to the need for penetration of the light us curing brit the viscosity and surface tension could be naripulated to produce integrity ofthe bead string during dispensing.

Tle objective of this invention can be demonstrated by using three dimensional infonnation of the surface of the human head and reproduce the human head in a three dimensional form' by manipulating the surface co-ordinate data of the human head arid the Netted of processing this data ilk the production of a 3-dinentional model bust, to produce a 3dimenticnal bust model without the need tor additional support to the bust dunug construction with filler surface detail in a reduced time.

A preferred embodi:et of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Drawing 1110 slows in plan elevation of the ''dividuai vertices positions of a section taken at a given height in the Y-axis, around the circumference of the head ( I) with an indication of the orientation in 3-D space X front to back 7. side to side directions to flee Cartesian co-ordinate system.

Drawing 2110 illustrates the vertices connected will, a boundary line ( I) .

Drawing 3/10 illustrates the line ( I) converted to a splice and snvoth. ed to a Bezier Fit.

Drawing 4110 illustrates tl:e spline ( I with the enlarged area of the right ear.

Drawing 5110 illustrates the area enlarged of the spline ( I) with the nozzle ce'tre E at a distance O. P. Q or R. / 2 from the spline ( I), with the indication of different radii for external A & C' and internal B & D curves.

Drawing 6/10 shows: Fig I. a 3-D view of the polymer bead string F at the right ear, laid to the boundary line ( 1) showing the difference in radii of the internal and external curves A, B. C & D. Fig 2. a 3-D slew of the start of the process starting at point G for the first bead string then progressively rising above each bead string from point H on the circumference to allow for the confines motion of the dispensing nozzle.

Drawing 7110 illustrates a dispensing unit at four different dispensing positions all working to the same datum-line ( 2): Fig 3. J volume control valve adjuster, 1 body oi dispenser, K volume control valve, L liquid polymer, M dispensing nozzle.

Fig 4. J volune control valve adjuster, I body of dispenser K volume control valve, L liquid polymer, M dispensing nozzle.

Fig 5. J volume control ante ad juster, 1 body of dispenser, K volume control valve, I, liquid polymer' M dispensing nozzle.

Fig 6. J volume control valve adjuster, I body of dispenser' K volume control valve, I, liquid polymer' M dispensing nozzle.

Drawings 8/10 illustrates the dispensing nozzle with various bead string configurations: Fig 7. L liquid polyner, M dispensng nowle, F polyner bead string, N-l polyner bead string thickness; O polymer bead string width.

Fig 8. L liquid polymer, M dispensing nozzle, F polymer string bead, N-2 polymer bead string thickness' P polymer bead string width.

Fig, 9. L liquid polymer, M dispensing, nozzle, F polymer string bead, N3 polymer bead string thickness, Q polymer bead string width.

Fig I V. L liquid polyn:er, M dispensing nozzle, 1< polymer string bead N4 polyester bead string thickness, R. polymer bead string width.

Drawing 9110 illustrates various dispensing nozzle tip shape configurations: Fig I I. M tapered tip, L liquid polymer, F polymer bead string.

Fig 12. M dove tailed tip, L liquid polymer, F polymer bead string.

Fig 13. M convex tip, L liquid polymer, F polymer bead string.

Fig 14. M stepped tip, L liquid polymer, I; polymer bead strifes.

Drawing 10!10 illustrates the cross section of the nose as manufactured, where the bead strings are laid one on top of each other with various bead string widths O. P. Q & R and various overlapping distances with venous thickness N- I, N-2, N-3, & N-4 and where the bead strings interconnect with each other.

With reference to drawings l.flO thiougli to 10''10, the surface coordinates of the human head are received in the form of profile lines these lines being a representation of the surface of the human head at increments around the head in a vertical plain arid are used as the boundary Allen reconfiguring the co-ordinates of the surface.

When tle model is built the load strings are laid with a predetermined bead string width and thickness according to the obtuseness of the model at that particular height in the model, where there is a overhang or underhand in the model the bead strifes width increases and thickness decrease for the lull circumference of the mode and tlen the thickness increase and width reduces where there is no obtuseness, and to accommodate the change in bead string width and thickness, a or a number of variant bead string widths and thickness are used prior to any change in bead string width and thickness.

With the parameters set for the variants in bead string height from the information given by invention GB 0400214.3 the surface co-ordinates Of the head are still in vertical profile splines and if viewed as a horizontal section through the head this will show to vertices ( I / I O I), the individual horizontal vertices of eacl, profile spline are then contacted ( 2il 0 1 and converted into a spline and smoothed to a Bezier it ( 3110 1), if viewed from the plan view each slice would show the ciicunference of the head at that height with flee X-axis front to back and the Z-axis side to side, this new boundary spline is checked for snootiness in relations to the vertical splines and when necessary the process of vertical spline and horizontal spline smootliig is repeated until an optiTnuTn smoothness is achieved.

Fitly the new horizontal boundary spline set ( 3110 1) a dispensing nozzle centre spline is generated on the inside ofthe new boundary spline ( 5/lO E), this nozzle centre distance is determined by the height increment in the Y-axis vertices ( 5110 V, P. Qua or R divided by two), the nozzle Gentre spline \vill flow become the circunference path for the dispensing nozzle M) and \sTill follow this spline around spreading the polymer bead strings ( 6110 Fig 1 F & 2 F) ( 8110 F) 9/10 F)( 10110 F) Where there Is a small radius in the boundary spline ( 6!10 Fig I A) the dispensing nozzle path increases this radius ( 6110 Fig 1 B where there is a large radius in the boundary spline ( 6t10 Fig I C.' ) the dispensing nozzle path reduces this radius ( 6110 lair I D) keeping the bead string laid within the boundary spline (6ilOFigl 1).

Alden producing the 3-dimensional object the bead stings are laid in a continuous motion starting with the bottom bead string at: the back of the head ( 6110 Fig 2 G) and worldling through to the top bead string, at a predetermined feed rate for each bead string of application, to accommodate the rise in height of each bead string, at the start of each new bead string there is a progressive increase in height of the nozzle ( M) in the Y-axis starting prior ( 6/10 Fig 2) to the step over of each bead strip:.

In producing the bead string the dispensing body and nozzle ( 7110 1 M is positioned at a given height above the datum line ( 7110 2) and by lowering the body together with the nozzle towards the datum line or raising above the datum line, and with each new bead string providing a new datum line, the bead string width and thickness is produced, as the height of the body and nozzle above the datum line changes the amount of polymer fluid ( 7110 L) delivered will vary, this is achieved by the positioning of the control valve ( 7/10 K), as the control valve ( 7110 Fig 3 K) is lifted away from the nozzle ( 7110 Fig 3 M) by the anticlockwise rotation of the lead screw ( 71lO Fig 3 J) the area for the polymer fluid ( 7110 Fig 3 L) to pass is enlarged, as the control valve is lowered ( 7110 Fig 6 K) towards the nozzle ( 7110 Fig 6 M) the area is restricted therefore restricting the flow of the polymer fluid ( 7/10 Fig 6 L) with the volume of polymer fluid dispensed being one of the controlling factors in the bead string shape.

When producing the different bead string widths and thickness ( 8110 Fig 7 - 10) the bead string width and thickness is determined by the position of the nozzle above the datum and the volume of polymer fluid delivered, with the nozzle at a position 8110 Fig 7, the bead string has a width of O and a thickness of N- 1 with a semicircular shape at the edges, when the nozzle is closer to the datum 8110 Fig 10) the head string width is R and the thickness is N-4, this control will determine the amount of overlap of each bead string when laid over the previous bead string, producing a cantilever effect for the bead strings.

To integrate and aid in structural integrity of the polymer load string during curing the shape of the nozzle tip will create a key in the polymer bead string for the srccessivc bead strings to engage with, as shown as a stepped shape tip ( 9110 Fig 14) producing the integration of the polymer bead strings( 10/10 F's).

Claims

Claims Claim 1. A method of producing a three dimensional object, wherein

tle polymer bead string key pr.'vidcs for the integration of the polymer bead strings.

Claim 2. A method of producing a three dimensional object substantially as described herein Fitly reference to Drawings:- 1110, 2110. 3/lO, 4/10, 511 O. 6ilO Fig: ( 1 & 2), 7110 Fig: 3, 4, 5 & 6), 8,'1() fig: 7, 8, 9 & 10), 9/10 Fig: ( 11, 12 13 & 14) 10/10.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims Claim 1. A method and apparatus for the nanufacture of a three dimensional object comprising the steps of:- receiving co-ordinate data, converting the data into slice data, smoothing the data in two perpendicular axis, producing a nozzle centre guide, dispensing: a layer of the bead string polymer wherein, the polymer bead string key provides for the integration of the polymer bead strings, curing the bead string, elevating the bead string nozzle, lay the next bead string.
Claim 2. As claimed in Claim 1, wherein the nozzle centre Wide is determined by the obtuseness of the mode] particulars.
Claim 3. As claimed in Claim 1, wherein means are provided to configure the bead string.

Claun
4. As claimed in Claim 3, wherein means are provided to engage and integrate the bead strings.
Claim 5. As claimed in Claim 1, wl'rein means to progressively move the dispensing nozzle on each successive layer at a predetermined point on the circumference of the layer.
Claim 6. Apparatus for the method of manufacturing a three dimensional object as claimed in Claim 1 comprising:- machine for 3-D manipulation, means for conveying and controlling polymer, conSgred dispensing nozzle, means to compute, computer, computer software.
Claim 7. A method of manufacturing a three dimensional object substantially as described herein with reference to Drawings:- 1/10, 2110. 3/10, 4/10, 5110, 6/10 Fig. ( 1 & 2), 7/10 Fig: ( 3, 4, 5 & 6), 8110 Fig: ( 7, 8, 9 & 10), 9/10 Fig: ( 11, 12, 13 & 14), 10110.