Three-dimensional printer having an expandable envelope

• Main Authors: MEGARITY WILLIAM M, WORMSBECHER PAUL A, DAVIS ALVIN G, RUGGLES APRIL E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.04.2016
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CALCULATING; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; HAND TOOLS; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; MANIPULATORS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method of three-dimensional printing. The method includes a three-dimensional printer printing a first layer of an object onto a surface that is not part of the three-dimensional printer, wherein the first layer is printed while a printing platform of the three dimensional printer is in a first position. The printer is autonomously repositioned in a second position elevated above the first position by being supported either on the three-dimensional object itself or on a scaffold printed separate from the object. The printer prints a second layer of the three-dimensional object onto the first layer of the three-dimensional object while the printing platform is in the second position. The printer may have a plurality of legs for controllably repositioning the printing platform.