US 12,447,689 B2
Method for manufacturing low modulus articles
Peter Scott Turner, Venice, CA (US); Seth Astle, Berkeley, CA (US); Gregory Hurst, Bedford, NH (US); and Kyle Wardlow, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Lung Biotechnology PBC, Silver Spring, MD (US)
Filed by Lung Biotechnology PBC, Silver Spring, MD (US)
Filed on Nov. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/503,336.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/444,151, filed on Feb. 8, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/423,731, filed on Nov. 8, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0149532 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 64/40 (2017.01); B29C 64/124 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 64/40 (2017.08) [B29C 64/124 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B29K 2995/0077 (2013.01); B29L 2031/753 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional (3D) article having an outer surface using a print engine having a fluid tank, a moveable build surface coupled to a movement mechanism, and a light engine comprising:
filling the fluid tank with a photocurable liquid ink;
positioning the moveable build surface within the photocurable ink proximate to a build plane;
operating the movement mechanism and the light engine to fabricate a composite structure including the 3D article coupled to a support structure, the support structure including:
a conformal sheath having an inside surface that follows the outer surface of the 3D article with a gap between the inside surface of the sheath and the outer surface of the article; and
a plurality of strands that span the gap and individually have opposed ends that are coupled to the inside surface of the sheath and the outer surface of the article to maintain the gap, the gap filled with the photocurable liquid ink;
removing the composite structure from the fluid tank; and
removing the sheath from the 3D article including peeling the inside surface of the sheath away from the outer surface of the article, wherein the peeling progressively breaks the plurality of strands.