Claims
- 1. A solid imaging apparatus, said apparatus including:(i) a vessel for containing a photoformable composition with a free surface; (ii) a movable platform disposed within said vessel; and (iii) a sub-assembly having (a) two doctor blades; and (b) a movable dispenser; wherein said movable dispenser is capable of lifting, at a position between said two doctor blades, an amount of said photoformable composition to a position above said surface.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a radiation source capable of curing said photoformable composition on said platform.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movable dispenser is further capable of depositing above said platform at least a portion of said amount of said photoformable composition.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein both said doctor blades are capable of leveling at least part of said at least a portion of said amount of said photoformable composition.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dispenser comprises a downwardly facing elongated slot.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said dispenser lifts said amount of said photoformable composition through said slot.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said dispenser lifts said amount of said photoformable composition through said slot.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said dispenser deposits said at least a portion through said slot.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said dispenser deposits said at least a portion through said slot.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dispenser includes at least one of said doctor blades.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said dispenser includes at least one of said doctor blades.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said dispenser includes at least one of said doctor blades.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a Continuation of: National Appln. No. 08/804,449 filed Feb. 21, 1997.
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/884,030 filed May 18, 1992 now U.S. Pat No. 5,626,919, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/804,269, filed Dec. 5, 1991, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/488,095, filed Mar. 1, 1990, now abandoned.
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Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
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Country |
0250121 |
Dec 1987 |
EP |
0450762 |
Oct 1991 |
EP |
61-114817 |
Jun 1986 |
JP |
61-114818 |
Jun 1986 |
JP |
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Entry |
Automatic Method for Fabricating a Three-Dimensional Plastic Model with Photo-Hardening Polymer, Hideo Kodama, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 52 (11), Nov. 1981, pp 1770-1773. |
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Continuations (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/804449 |
Feb 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/541025 |
|
US |
Parent |
07/884030 |
May 1992 |
US |
Child |
08/804449 |
|
US |
Parent |
07/488095 |
Mar 1990 |
US |
Child |
07/804269 |
|
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
07/804269 |
Dec 1991 |
US |
Child |
07/884030 |
|
US |