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:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 22, 1998
Ampere A. Tseng, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Tae-Woo Lee, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (US);
Abstract
Improved assembly and methods for manufacturing a three-dimensional object are described. The assembly includes a crucible for holding molten metal, an orifice disposed in the bottom of the crucible through which a jet of molten metal can flow towards a movable substrate, and a mechanically oscillating member immersed in the molten metal for controlling the flow of molten metal through the orifice and for breaking the flow of molten metal into the sequence of molten metal drops. As the drops land on the movable substrate, a three-dimensional object is built up. Continuously variable diameter or controllable planar jets may be used as the orifices. In forming drops from the output of a planar jet, the jet is first broken up by the oscillating member into horizontal cylindrical ligaments and the ligaments are then broken up into drops by acoustic energy applied by audio loudspeakers adjacent the falling ligaments. The assembly and methods are useful in the fields of rapid prototyping and materials processing.