US 12,138,860 B2
Three-dimensional printing conductive elements
Sterling Chaffins, Corvallis, OR (US); Thomas A. Saksa, Corvallis, OR (US); Kevin P. DeKam, Corvallis, OR (US); Juan Sebastian Ramirez, Key Biscayne, FL (US); Dale Peterson, Corvallis, OR (US); and Jami Ryan Barone, Corvallis, OR (US)
Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/288,550
Filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/029655
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/222743, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063189 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/295 (2017.01); B22F 1/054 (2022.01); B22F 1/10 (2022.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.01); B29C 64/268 (2017.01); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/295 (2017.08) [B22F 1/054 (2022.01); B22F 1/056 (2022.01); B22F 1/10 (2022.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.08); B29C 64/268 (2017.08); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B29K 2995/0005 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making a three-dimensional printed article, the method comprising:
printing a conductive element comprising a composite of a conductive material and a polymeric build material;
printing an adjacent portion in contact with the conductive element, wherein the adjacent portion comprises the polymeric build material;
based on a three-dimensional object model, selectively jetting a fusing agent onto the composite and onto the adjacent portion, wherein the fusing agent comprises water and a radiation absorber;
exposing the composite and the adjacent portion to energy to selectively fuse the polymeric build material in contact with the radiation absorber to form the three-dimensional printed article;
cooling the three-dimensional printed article; and
then heating the conductive element in the three-dimensional printed article by running an electric current through the conductive element, wherein the heating of the conductive element also heats the adjacent portion to a temperature sufficient to change a physical property of the fused polymeric build material of the adjacent portion.