Patent Application
20170203468
The present disclosure relates to a structural formation system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a structural formation system that is configured to incorporate at least two distinct materials when forming a three-dimensional structure.
Contour crafting is a manufacturing process used to fabricate large-scale, three-dimensional structures in a layer-by-layer manner by extruding a flowable material for e.g., concrete. The flowable material is extruded through an extrusion tip carried by a print head, and deposited in a sequence of paths on a substrate in a plane. The extruded material fuses with previously deposited material, and solidifies over time and/or with decrease in temperature. The position of the print head relative to the substrate is then incremented along a height, perpendicular to the plane, and the process is then repeated to form the three-dimensional structure. The movement of the print head with respect to the substrate is performed under computer control, in accordance with preprogramed depositing paths. The depositing paths are obtained by initially slicing a digital representation of the three-dimensional structure into multiple horizontally sliced two-dimensional layers. Then, for each sliced two-dimensional layer, a path for depositing the flowable material is determined.
For reference, U.S. Pat. No. 8,518,308 discloses an apparatus for contour crafting. The apparatus includes a nozzle assembly configured to extrude material through an outlet; and a controllable robotic arm coupled to the nozzle assembly. At one end of the robotic arm, a gripper is provided. The gripper is configured to pick up an element and deposit the element at a desired position relative to the extruded material. The element may be one of: a reinforcement member for a structure being constructed; a segment of a plumbing pipe; an electric network component; and a tile.
However, numerous other requirements associated with contour crafting have necessitated the use of other types of equipment and implements to handle and deposit materials in a specific manner. Accordingly, manufacturers of various construction equipment have been undertaking efforts in developing systems that are directed towards improving a handling and/or incorporation of such materials when forming a required structure.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, a structural formation system includes a first component that is configured to deposit an unhardened first material for forming one or more layers of a three-dimensional structure. The structural formation system also includes a second component that is configured to at least partly incorporate a second material within the unhardened first material of the three-dimensional structure. Moreover, the first and second components of the structural formation system are independently operable for forming the three-dimensional structure integrally with the first and second materials.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a concrete structure formation system includes a concrete deposition mechanism that is configured to lay down a first material required to form a three-dimensional structure. The concrete structure formation system further includes a reinforcement insertion mechanism that is configured to incorporate a second material at least partly within the first material as the first material is laid down. Moreover, the concrete deposition mechanism and the reinforcement insertion mechanism are independently operable for forming the three-dimensional structure integrally with the first and second materials.
In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, embodiments disclosed herein have also been directed to a machine having a frame that is configured to pivotally support the first component and the second component thereon. In an embodiment of this disclosure, the machine could be embodied in the form of an excavator.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to same or like parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims.
As depicted in
Mobile machine 100 may include a power system 108 providing power to move ground engaging devices 106 and may include one or more power sources, such as internal combustion engines, electric motors, fuel cells, batteries, ultra-capacitors, electric generators, and/or any power source which would be known by a person having ordinary skill in the art. Power system 108 may further be used to power various functions of a structural formation system 110 or any other elements and subsystems associated with the mobile machine 100 and/or structural formation system 110.
For positioning and control of structural formation system 110, mobile machine 100 may further include one or more linkage arrangements 112. For example, two linkage arrangements 112a and 112b are shown in the illustrated embodiment of
Each linkage arrangement 112a and 112b may include a boom 114 operatively coupled with a stick 116. As shown, the structural formation system 110 may be attached to linkage arrangement 112a and/or 112b at, for example, a distal end 118 of the stick 116. Structural formation system 110 may be positioned and/or otherwise moved using a plurality of actuators. The term “actuator” refers to a component that is configured to selectively apply force against another component. The plurality of actuators may include, but are not limited to, hydraulic actuators, motors, or any other suitable device. The plurality of actuators may receive instructions to actuate a part of mobile machine 100, a part of structural formation system 110, or any other component associated with the structural formation system 110. In some embodiments, the plurality of actuators may be coupled to a pressurized oil system of mobile machine 100, and may be used to raise, lower, push, pull, rotate/pivot, or otherwise adjust the position of various components in the structural formation system 110 as will be described later herein.
The plurality of actuators on each linkage arrangement 112a and 112b (e.g., boom, stick, and tool actuators) may include a group of first actuators 120 and a group of second actuators 122. The group of second actuators 122 are capable of moving various components of structural formation system 110 independent of linkage arrangement 112. In one example, the group of second actuators 122 may include more than four prismatic actuators, such as, hydraulic cylinders. One example of the group of second actuators 122 that may be used consistent with the present disclosure is a Stewart platform. In a Stewart platform, the movement of structural formation system 110 may occur from a combination of synchronized motions of six hydraulic cylinders implemented on each of the linkage arrangements 112a and 112b.
The structural formation system 110 includes a first component 110a that is configured to deposit an unhardened first material 119a for forming one or more layers of a three-dimensional structure 126. As shown, the first component 110a may be located on the first linkage arrangement 112a. In embodiments disclosed herein, first material 119a could include a flowable cementitious mixture for e.g., concrete. As such, in various embodiments of this disclosure, the first component 110a may be embodied in the form of a concrete deposition mechanism. Accordingly, in such embodiments, the structural formation system 110 can be regarded as a concrete structure formation system.
Moreover, the concrete deposition mechanism may be regarded as an additive construction device for e.g., an extruder that includes at least one print head 124. Although one print head is shown in the illustrated embodiment of
As shown, the structural formation system 110 further includes a second component 110b that is configured to at least partly incorporate a second material 119b within the unhardened first material 119a of the three-dimensional structure 126. As shown, the first component 110a could be located on the second linkage arrangement 112b. In various embodiments of this disclosure, the first and second components 110a and 110b are independently operable for forming the three-dimensional structure 126 integrally with the first and second materials 119a and 119b.
Consistent with the present disclosure, the construction of structure 126 may be executed according to a related manufacturing plan. The manufacturing plan may include instructions with defined depositing paths for successive layers of material to be laid and/or extruded until construction of structure 126 is completed. The defined depositing paths may be generated based on a digital, three-dimensional model. When extruding flowable material along a defined depositing path, the speed, position, and trajectory of the first component 110a can be controlled. Similarly, the manufacturing plan may further include instructions with defined paths for movement of the second component 110b when segments of the second material 119b 112b are to be incorporated until construction of structure 126 is completed. Therefore, when incorporating the second material 119b within the unhardened first material 119a along a defined incorporation path, the speed, position, and trajectory of the second component 110b can be controlled.
In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the second component 110b is a reinforcement insertion mechanism including at least one of: a magnetic end effector 128 (as shown in
In an embodiment as shown in
In another embodiment of this disclosure, the second component 110b could, also be configured to modulate a shape of the second material 119b prior to incorporating the second material 119b within the unhardened first material 119a. For example, as shown in
It is hereby contemplated that for accomplishing a modulation in the shape of the second material 119b, the second component 110b could include associated system hardware such as, but not limited to, material feeder systems, bar benders, wire extruders, and the like. Further, for incorporating individual segments of the second material 119b within the unhardened first material 119a, the second component 110b could additionally include system hardware such as, but not limited to, shearing mechanisms, cutters, blades, or other mechanisms typically known to one skilled in the art so that the continuously fed second material 119b may be cut into individual segments.
In an embodiment as shown in
Various embodiments disclosed herein are to be taken in the illustrative and explanatory sense, and should in no way be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. All joinder references (e.g., attached, affixed, associated, coupled, engaged, connected, locked, and the like) are only used to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and may not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the systems and/or methods disclosed herein. Therefore, joinder references, if any, are to be construed broadly. Moreover, such joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected to each other.
Additionally, all numerical terms, such as, but not limited to, “first”, “second”, “third”, “primary”, “secondary” or any other ordinary and/or numerical terms, should also be taken only as identifiers, to assist the reader's understanding of the various elements, embodiments, variations and/or modifications of the present disclosure, and may not create any limitations, particularly as to the order, or preference, of any element, embodiment, variation and/or modification relative to, or over, another element, embodiment, variation and/or modification.
It is to be understood that individual features shown or described for one embodiment may be combined with individual features shown or described for another embodiment. The above described implementation does not in any way limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood although some features are shown or described to illustrate the use of the present disclosure in the context of functional segments, such features may be omitted from the scope of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.
Embodiments of the present disclosure have applicability for use and implementation in contour crafting to produce three-dimensional structures. Moreover, embodiments of the present disclosure also have applicability in providing improved systems for incorporating additional materials into a base material when forming a structure.
As embodiments herein allow the incorporation of the second material as the first material is laid down, implementation of the disclosed embodiments can help construction personnel to produce structures quickly and with better strength as compared to previously known systems. Moreover, as the first component 110a and the second component 110b of the structural formation system 110 are co-located yet independently controllable in relation to one another, operators can beneficially vary the individual feed rates or deposition/incorporation rates of the first and second materials 119a and 119b when forming the structure 126.
Further, it may be noted that although the first and second components 110a and 110b of the structural formation system 110 are located on the independently movable linkage arrangements 112a and 112b, the first and second components 110a and 110b could be implemented as a single package mounted to a single linkage member of an articulating machine.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems, methods and processes without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
