Source: http://patentyogi.com/boeing/boeing-patented-technology-3d-print-objects-levitating-space/
Timestamp: 2018-05-24 15:57:39
Document Index: 414802729

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n16', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22', 'art 22']

Boeing has patented technology to 3D print objects while levitating in space - Patent Yogi LLC
Title: Free-Form Spatial 3-D Printing Using Part Levitation
Document Type and Number: United States Patent Application 20180009158 A1
Inventors: Harkness, William A. (Mukilteo, WA, US); Goldschmid, Josh H. (Woodinville, WA, US)
Application Number: 15/693684
View Patent Images: Download PDF 20180009158
International Classes: B29C64/10; B29L9/00
Attorney, Agent or Firm: DUKE W. YEE (YEE & ASSOCIATES, P.C. P.O. BOX 802333 DALLAS TX 75380)
1. An additive fabrication method, comprising: forming a feature of a part by printing material into a space; levitating the part by acoustic levitation; changing a spatial orientation of the part while the part is levitating; forming another feature of the part by printing material into the space; and repeating the steps of changing the spatial orientation of the part and printing material into the space until an entire part is formed.
2. The additive fabrication method of claim 1, wherein levitating the part by acoustic levitation further comprises using an acoustic levitation system comprising: a number of pairs of acoustic radiators; a number of pairs of acoustic reflectors; wherein the number of pairs of acoustic radiators and the number of pairs of acoustic reflectors face each other on opposite side of the space forming an acoustic chamber within which the part is levitated.
3. The additive fabrication method of claim 2, wherein each of the number of pairs of acoustic radiators vibrates at a preselected frequency, emitting a radiated sound wave that passes through the space and is reflected back from an associated pair of the number of pairs of acoustic reflectors as a reflected sound wave, wherein the radiated wave and the reflected wave interfere with each other to produce a standing wave pattern defined by at least one node.
4. The additive fabrication method of claim 3, wherein a sound pressure force produced at the node is equal in magnitude to, but opposite in direction to a gravitational force exerted on the part at a point in space where the node occurs trapping and levitating the part at the node.
5. The additive fabrication method of claim 4, wherein a change in one of an amplitude, a frequency, or an orientation of a sound pressure wave causes the node and the part trapped at the node to move, rotate, or move and rotate within the space to a selected location and a selected orientation.
6. The additive fabrication method of claim 5, wherein each of the acoustic radiators comprises a 2-D array of acoustic wave devices.
7. The additive fabrication system of claim 6, wherein the 2-D array of acoustic wave devices comprise piezoelectric transducers that generate sound waves of varying frequency.
8. The additive fabrication method of claim 7, wherein each of the piezoelectric transducers includes an emitting surface for emitting varying sound waves.
9. The additive fabrication method of claim 8, wherein the piezoelectric transducers are controlled by a controller and a translation control program to selectively generate the radiated sound wave at differing locations over a surface of the acoustic radiator.
10. The additive fabrication method of claim 9, wherein a change in location on the acoustic radiator, from which the radiated sound wave emanates, shifts the location of the node and moves the part trapped in the node to the selected location.
11. The additive fabrication method of claim 10, wherein one of selectively or co-operatively controlling one or more radiators located around the part in the space translates, rotates or translates and rotates the part to a desired position relative to one or more print heads.
12. The additive fabrication method of claim 11, wherein responsive to variations in an amplitude or a frequency of the radiated sound wave or the reflected sound wave, that cause shifting of the node and undesired displacement of the part, a stabilization system actuates and stabilizes a standing wave pattern and fixes a position of the node and the part as material is printed.
13. The additive fabrication method of claim 1, wherein printing material into the space is performed by a plurality of print heads located at different positions around the space.
14. The additive fabrication method of claim 13, wherein printing material into the space is performed from different directions by multiple print heads.
15. The additive fabrication method of claim 14, further comprising: changing a spatial orientation of one or more print heads relative to the part by moving the print heads relative to the part.
16. An additive fabrication method, comprising: forming differing constituent features of a part by depositing a material into a space; levitating the constituent features of the part while the material is being deposited into the space; spatially manipulating the constituent features of the part; wherein the constituent features of the part are levitated by acoustic levitation.
17. The additive fabrication method of claim 16, wherein depositing a material into space is performed by a plurality of print heads.
18. The additive fabrication method of claim 16, wherein the acoustic levitation includes: producing an acoustic standing wave pattern having a node exhibiting a sound pressure force substantially equal to a gravitational force, and trapping the part within the node.
19. The additive fabrication method of claim 16, further comprising: stabilizing the part within the space.
20. An apparatus for additive fabrication of a part, comprising: a plurality of print heads located around a space, each of the heads being capable of depositing material into the space to form features of the part; a displacement system coupled with each of the print heads for displacing each of the print heads relative to the part; and an acoustic levitation system for levitating the part in the space as the features are being formed by the plurality of print heads comprising: at least one acoustic radiator for radiating a sound wave of alternating frequency, and at least one acoustic reflector positioned to reflect the sound wave, wherein the at least one acoustic radiator and the at least one acoustic reflector are arranged to form a standing wave pattern having a node in which the part is trapped and levitated.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/446,141, filed Jul. 29, 2014.
According to still another disclosed embodiment, apparatus is provided for additive fabrication of a part. The apparatus comprises at least one print head for depositing a material into a space to form features of the part, and a levitation system for levitating the part in the space as the features are being formed by the print head. The apparatus may also comprise a plurality of print heads located around the space, each of the heads being capable of depositing material into the space to form features of the part, and a displacement system coupled with each of the print heads for displacing each of the print heads relative to the part. The levitation system includes at least one magnet for generating a magnetic force substantially equal to a gravitational force acting on the part. The levitation system may also include at least one acoustic radiator for radiating a sound wave of alternating frequency, and an acoustic reflector positioned to reflect the sound wave. The acoustic radiator and the acoustic reflector are arranged to form a standing wave pattern having a node in which the part is trapped and levitated. The levitation system may further include position sensors for sensing the position of the part in the space, and a stabilization system for stabilizing levitation of the part.
The apparatus 20 further includes one or more controllers 32 such as special-purpose or general purpose programmed computer that control operation of the 3-D printer(s) 28, the levitation system 30 and the curing device 42. The controller 32 has access to STL (stereolithography) files 44, one or more build programs 46 and translation control programs 48. The part 22 is defined by one or more 3-D CAD (computer aided design) files 45 that are converted to STL files 44. The STL files 44 describe the surface geometry of the part 22 in a program language that allows the part 22 to be fabricated by the 3-D printer 28. The build programs 46 are used by the controller 32 to control operation of the 3-D printer 28 based on the STL files 44. The translation control programs 48 are used by the controller 32 to control translation (movement and/or rotation) of the part 22 using the levitation system 30.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-7, the entire part 22 is printed by incrementally adding material 25 to an initial nugget 27 of material 25 that is printed in space 24. In other embodiments however, the part 22 may be printed by printing two or more nuggets 27 at separated locations in the space 24, and then incrementally adding material 25 to each of the nuggets according to part build programs (FIG. 1), which specify the sequence in which the features 52 of the part 22 are to be printed. The portions of the part 22 that are printed at separated locations in space 24 and originate from differing nuggets 27 are combined into the part 22 as additional material 25 is added that joins the portions together into the various features of the part 22. In still other embodiments, it may be possible to place and levitate a component, such as, for example and without limitation, a shaft (not shown), of the part 22 in space 24, and then form additional features 52 of the part 22 by printing material 25 onto the component.
FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the apparatus that employs multiple print heads 34, and an acoustic-type levitation system 30 for levitating a part during the 3-D printing process. The use of an acoustic type levitation system 30 may be desirable in some applications because its ability to levitate objects is not dependent upon the type of material from which the object is formed. In this illustrative embodiment, a set of six print heads 34 are arranged at different positions along the X, Y and Z axes to jet 50 material 25 from six different directions (left, right, front, back, top and bottom) into space 24 in order to sequentially or simultaneously form differing portions of a part 22, which in the illustrated example is a simple gear. More or less than six print heads 34 may be employed and may be positioned at any desired location surrounding the space 24 within which the part 22 is levitated. Each of the print heads 34 may be of the type previously described having multiple nozzles 36 (FIG. 1) which jet, propel or extrude material 25 into the space 24. The material 25 may comprise a liquid metal which is magnetic or diamagnetic, or any suitable polymer.
Referring to FIG. 10, each of the radiators 58 may comprise a 2-D array 64 of acoustic wave devices such as piezoelectric transducers 66, for generating sound waves of varying frequency. Each of the piezoelectric transducers 66 includes an emitting surface 71 for emitting the varying (e.g. sinusoidal) sound wave (FIG. 8). The piezoelectric transducers 66 are controlled by the controller 32 (FIG. 1) and translation control program 48 to selectively generate the radiated sound wave 62 at differing locations over the surface of the radiator 58. By changing the location on the radiator 58 from which the sound wave 62 emanates, the location of the node 72 can be shifted, thereby moving the part 22 trapped in the node 72 to a desired location.
By selectively, or co-operatively controlling the various radiators 58 located around the part 22 in space 24, the part 22 can be translated and/or rotated to any desired position relative to one or more of the print heads 34. In the event that any variations occur in the amplitude or frequency of the radiated or reflected sound waves 62, 70 that occur which cause shifting of the node and undesired displacement of the part 22, the stabilization system 40 can be actuated in order to stabilize the standing wave pattern and thereby fix the position of the node 72 and part 22 as material 25 is being printed.
Embodiments of the disclosure may find use in a variety of potential applications, particularly in the transportation industry, including for example, aerospace, marine, automotive applications and other application where complex parts may be manufactured using additive fabrication techniques. Thus, referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, embodiments of the disclosure may be used in the context of an aircraft manufacturing and service method 96 as shown in FIG. 14 and an aircraft as shown in FIG. 15. During pre-production, exemplary method 96 may include specification and design 100 of the aircraft 98 and material procurement 102. During production, component and subassembly manufacturing 104 and system integration 106 of the aircraft 98 takes place. Thereafter, the aircraft 98 may go through certification and delivery 108 in order to be placed in service 110. While in service by a customer, the aircraft 98 is scheduled for routine maintenance and service 112, which may also include modification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, and so on. The disclosed method and apparatus may be used to print parts or components used during either of the processes 104 and 106, or later, when the aircraft 98 has been placed in service 110, as well as during maintenance and service 112 of the aircraft 98.
Systems and methods embodied herein may be employed during any one or more of the stages of the production and service method 96. For example, components or subassemblies corresponding to production process 104 may be fabricated or manufactured in a manner similar to components or subassemblies produced while the aircraft is in service. Also, one or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized during the production stages 104 and 106, for example, by substantially expediting assembly of or reducing the cost of an aircraft 98. Similarly, one or more of apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized while the aircraft 98 is in service, for example and without limitation, to maintenance and service 112.
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