Patent ID: 11926105
Assignee: FORMLABS, INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  Y | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method of generating a support structure for an object, the object represented by a three-dimensional (3D) model, the support structure and the object to be fabricated via additive fabrication, the method comprising:
generating, using at least one processor, a 3D model representing the support structure for the object, wherein the 3D model representing the support structure comprises:
a plurality of support pillars;
a plurality of contact structures coupling support pillars of the plurality of support pillars to the object, wherein an orientation of each contact structure of the plurality of contact structures is determined based on a direction normal to the surface of the object at a point of contact between the contact structure and the object; and
a plurality of trusses, wherein trusses of the plurality of trusses couple to different support pillars of the plurality of support pillars at opposing ends of the truss,

wherein the support structure exhibits an untrussed region proximate to the object, which includes the plurality of contact structures and at least part of each of the plurality of support pillars, and which does not include any of the plurality of trusses,
wherein generating the 3D model representing the support structure for the object comprises, for each truss of the plurality of trusses, determining placement of the truss while only permitting the truss to couple to support pillars at or beyond an untrussed length, the untrussed length being a threshold distance from the object measured along the support pillars to which the truss is coupled, and
wherein the placement of each of the plurality of trusses is determined based on the same untrussed length;
generating instructions for an additive fabrication device that, when executed by the additive fabrication device, cause the additive fabrication device to fabricate the object and the support structure according to the 3D model representing the object and the 3D model representing the support structure;
executing the instructions by the additive fabrication device to fabricate the object and the support structure; and
removing the fabricated support structure from the fabricated object.