US 12,130,445 B2
Additive manufacturing devices and methods
Guang Zhu, Ningbo (CN); Mike Shang-Yu Yang, Belmont, CA (US); and Michael Robert Strohecker, Belmont, CA (US)
Assigned to LUXCREO (BEIJING) INC., Beijing (CN)
Filed by LUXCREO (BEIJING) INC., Beijing (CN)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/190,059.
Application 18/190,059 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2022/097817, filed on Jun. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/208,543, filed on Jun. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0236430 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 64/264 (2017.01); B29C 64/124 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); G02B 27/09 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 27/0927 (2013.01) [B29C 64/124 (2017.08); B29C 64/264 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); G02B 27/0938 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing device for manufacturing a transparent dental appliance, comprising
a light source configured to provide light to cure photocurable resins;
a building device including a resin tank configured to store the photocurable resins, the building device having a building surface on which the photocurable resins are cured; and
a light scattering member arranged between the light source and the building surface, the light scattering member being configured to alter a light propagation direction of the light from the light source to cause an inner-pixel light intensity change on the building surface,
wherein
the light scattering member includes a transparent scattering layer,
the transparent scattering layer includes a plastic layer that is in contact with the photocurable resins and an elastic layer that is not in contact with the photocurable resins, from which the transparent dental appliance is additively manufactured, the plastic layer having anti-sticking properties and being configured to separate the photocurable resins after curing, and the elastic layer having microstructures that are configured to increase scattering;
the plastic layer includes fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP);
the elastic layer includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); and
the elastic layer includes an elastic medium and a reinforcing scaffold, and the elastic medium is filled in pores of the reinforcing scaffold.