US 12,285,912 B2
Additive manufacturing on pliable substrates
Jifei Ou, Medford, MA (US); William Curtis Stone, Tweksbury, MA (US); Carlo Bares, Somerville, MA (US); and August Rabe, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to OPT Industries, Inc., Medford, MA (US)
Filed by OPT Industries, Inc., Medford, MA (US)
Filed on Feb. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/668,503.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/147,960, filed on Feb. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0250318 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/124 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/245 (2017.08) [B29C 64/124 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for printing a 3D object, the method comprising:
a. directing radiation at a first location of a volume of polymer precursor adjacent to a pliable substrate, thereby forming a first polymer layer on or adjacent to the pliable substrate;
b. moving the pliable substrate through the volume of polymer precursor while pinching peripheral edges of the pliable substrate by one or more pairs of pinch points on opposing surfaces of the pliable substrate such that at a corresponding contact point on the pliable substrate, the one or more pairs of pinch points are opposing to each other, wherein each pinch point of the one or more pairs of pinch points is configured to move linearly with the pliable substrate and maintain contact with the corresponding contact point on the pliable substrate while the pliable substrate is moving; and
c. directing radiation at a second location of the volume of polymer precursor which is adjacent to the first location, thereby forming a second polymer layer on the first polymer layer.