The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 10, 1991
Filed:
Feb. 15, 1990
Timmy B Heller, Attleboro, MA (US);
Ray M Hill, Smithfield, RI (US);
Abdalla F Saggal, Pawtucket, RI (US);
Quadrax Corporation, Portsmouth, RI (US);
Abstract
A solid three-dimensional article is formed from a liquid medium by initially coating a layer of the liquid medium on an apertured support plate. An initial cross-section or profile of the article then is formed by solidifying the liquid medium, or at least a portion thereof, on the support plate. An expandable member at a bottom of a container for holding a supply of the liquid medium, then is expanded an incremental amount to raise the level of the liquid medium in the container upward through the apertured support plate to a level above the support plate so as to form a meniscus around the solidified cross-section or profile of the article. The solidified cross-section or profile of the article then is coated with an additional layer of the liquid medium, causing the meniscus to break and the just-added liquid medium layer and the previous liquid medium to merge, whereupon the additional layer is essentially immediately solidified to form another cross-section or profile of the article. The expandable member then is again expanded an incremental amount to again raise the level of the liquid medium in the container upward to define a meniscus around the second solidified cross-section or profile of the article. The foregoing sequence of operation then is repeated until the article has been completely formed.