System and method for constructing 3D objects

{
  "publication_number": "US9937697B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "System and method for constructing 3D objects",
  "abstract": "The present invention is directed to an object construction device configured to enclose a specified assembly area and assemble objects, such as toys, using standardized interlocking assembly units. The construction device includes processor with a memory device configured to access an instruction set encoding the assembly instructions of the object. The processor executes the instruction set in order to control and direct an assembly unit manipulator to additively construct or assemble the object from the interlocking assembly units. The assembly units are configured with surface features that interconnect the assembly units such that once connected they are substantially permanently attached to one another.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus for assembling an object with at least one assembly unit, the assembly apparatus includes, an object assembly area; an assembly unit manipulator configured with a drive motor and an arrestor, the drive motor configured to move the assembly unit manipulator about the object assembly area in response to an electrical signal, the electrical signal configured to cause the drive motor to advance the assembly unit manipulator at least an increment of L, and the arrestor configured to limit the movement of the assembly unit manipulator to increments of L for each electrical signal received by the drive motor; a processor with a memory device configured to access an instruction set encoding the assembly of the object out of at least one assembly unit and control the assembly unit manipulator, the at least one assembly unit having a plurality of surfaces including at least one of dimension L, at least one surface configured with an interlocking attachment mechanism for irreversibly mechanically attaching the assembly unit to at least one other assembly unit; at least one assembly unit storage device configured to supply at least one assembly unit to the assembly unit manipulator; and the assembly unit manipulator further configured to transport the assembly unit from the storage device to a location within an the assembly area and irreversibly mechanically couple the assembly unit with at least one other assembly unit.",
    "2. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly unit manipulator is configured to move the assembly unit within three dimensions in the object assembly area.",
    "3. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the object assembly area includes an assembly stage configured to move vertically within the object assembly area.",
    "4. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly unit manipulator is configured to alter an orientation of at least one assembly unit to present a selected surface at a given location within the object assembly area.",
    "5. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the arrestor is configured to permit a shaft of the drive motor to rotate after the drive motor has received a subsequent electrical signal.",
    "6. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the assembly unit is equipped with an alignment mechanism configured to align the assembly unit with at least one other assembly unit.",
    "7. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly unit is coated with an activated adhesive.",
    "8. The object assembly device according to claim 7, further comprising an adhesive activator configured to activate the surface adhesive.",
    "9. The object assembly device according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive activator is configured to dispense water vapor onto at least one surface of the assembly unit.",
    "10. The object assembly device according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive activator is configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation to the surface of the assembly unit.",
    "11. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein at least one voxel has at least one surface configured to reflect at least one of a CMYK color palette.",
    "12. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly unit storage device includes a plurality of removable cartridges.",
    "13. The object assembly device according to claim 12, wherein at least one removable cartridge includes a data storage device accessible by the processor and containing an instruction set for assembling at least one object, and data indicating the number of assembly units necessary to assemble the at least one object according to the instruction set, the assembly units arranged in the cartridge in an order corresponding to their use in assembling the object.",
    "14. The object assembly device according to claim 12, wherein the assembly units are stored on a storage strip located within the removable cartridge.",
    "15. The object assembly device according to claim 14, wherein the storage strip is wound on a spool located within the removable cartridge.",
    "16. The object assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the processor includes a data connection to a network in order to access at least one object assembly instruction set from a remote storage location."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for constructing or 3D printing objects using standardized assembly units according to a specific instruction set. In one particular arrangement, the present invention describes an apparatus configured to assemble or construct an object from a supply of multi-colored assembly units according to an electronic instruction set included along with the supply of standard assembly units. In another arrangement, the invention is directed to constructing an object, such as a toy, from standard assembly units that are permanently bonded or affixed to one another. This permanent bonding characteristic is accomplished by mechanical or chemical adhesion mechanisms.\n\nAdditive and subtractive manufacturing technologies enable computer designs, such as CAD files, to be made into three dimensional (3D) objects. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, typically comprises depositing, curing, fusing, or otherwise forming a material into sequential cross-sectional layers of the 3D object. For example, fused deposition modeling techniques, which are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,347 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329, herein incorporated by reference, describe melting a filament of material and extruding the material out of a dispenser that is moved in the x, y and z-axes relative to a print pad. The material is generally deposited in layers in the x and y axes to form cross-sectional layers that are stacked along the z-axis to form the 3D object. The prior art uses powders, resins and other substances to additively assemble structures.",
  "cpc": [
    "B32B 41/00",
    "B23P 19/04",
    "B25J 9/1687",
    "B29C 65/4835",
    "B29C 65/485",
    "B29C 65/56",
    "B29C 65/58",
    "B32B 2037/1246",
    "B32B 37/0046",
    "B32B 37/12",
    "B32B 37/1207",
    "B32B 37/18",
    "B32B 38/0008",
    "B32B 38/18",
    "B32B 39/00",
    "B65D 25/52",
    "G05B 19/4099",
    "G05B 2219/31044",
    "G05B 2219/40033",
    "G06F 17/5004",
    "G06F 17/5086",
    "G06F 30/13",
    "G06F 30/17",
    "Y02P 90/02",
    "Y02P 90/04",
    "Y02P 90/16",
    "Y02P 90/185"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B23P 19/04",
    "B25J 9/16",
    "B29C 65/48",
    "B29C 65/56",
    "B29C 65/58",
    "B32B 37/00",
    "B32B 37/12",
    "B32B 37/18",
    "B32B 38/00",
    "B32B 38/18",
    "B32B 39/00",
    "B32B 41/00",
    "B65D 25/52",
    "G05B 19/4099",
    "G06F 17/50"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "SEGAL EDO",
    "EDO SEGAL"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "SEGAL EDO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-03-13",
  "publication_date": "2018-04-10",
  "grant_date": "2018-04-10",
  "priority_date": "2014-03-12",
  "application_number": "US-201514657726-A",
  "family_id": "54068133",
  "citations": [
    "US2001042598A1",
    "US2006032582A1",
    "US2006054039A1",
    "US2007006542A1",
    "US2008109103A1",
    "US2010109247A1",
    "US2011123794A1",
    "US2011239593A1",
    "US2013189028A1",
    "US3809186A",
    "US4339984A",
    "US5686180A",
    "US7799383B2"
  ]
}