US 12,290,979 B2
Hybrid 3d printing techniques
Mehdi Mojdeh, Fremont, CA (US); Michael Christopher Cole, San Jose, CA (US); Peter Dorfinger, Woodside, CA (US); and Shiva P. Sambu, Milpitas, CA (US)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/689,852.
Application 17/689,852 is a division of application No. 16/571,029, filed on Sep. 13, 2019, granted, now 11,318,667.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/731,610, filed on Sep. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0184883 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B29C 64/188 (2017.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B29C 64/232 (2017.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/264 (2017.01); B29C 64/295 (2017.01); B29C 64/307 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/118 (2017.08) [B29C 64/188 (2017.08); B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B29C 64/232 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/264 (2017.08); B29C 64/295 (2017.08); B29C 64/307 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
heating a material;
extruding the material from a nozzle to form a first layer of extruded material according to one or more digital files, wherein the first layer of extruded material has a first shape specified by the one or more digital files, and wherein the first shape corresponds to a first minimum line width based on a diameter of the nozzle; and
directing a light beam onto the first layer of extruded material according to the one or more digital files to cure a portion of the first layer of extruded material to create a first cured layer of the material, wherein the first cured layer of the material corresponds to a second shape of a first layer of three-dimensionally (3D) printed object specified by the one or more digital files, wherein the light beam has a beam diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle, and wherein the second shape has a second minimum line width that is smaller than the first minimum line width.