Object Of Additive Manufacture With Encoded Predicted Shape Change And Method Of Manufacturing Same

Abstract

The combination of 3D printing technology plus the additional dimension of transformation over time of the printed object is referred to herein as 4D printing technology. Particular arrangements of the additive manufacturing material(s) used in the 3D printing process can create a printed 3D object that transforms over time from a first, printed shape to a second, predetermined shape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An object, comprising:
 an additive manufacturing material, the additive manufacturing material having a response to an external stimulus and being configured to cause a predicted transformation of the object from a first manufactured shape to a second manufactured shape in response to the external stimulus, the external stimulus being non-biasing with respect to the predicted transformation from the first manufactured shape to the second manufactured shape.   
     
     
         2 . The object of  claim 1 , wherein the external stimulus is a temperature change. 
     
     
         3 . The object of  claim 2 , wherein the additive manufacturing material has a glass transition temperature of approximately 0° C. to approximately 150° C. 
     
     
         4 . The object of  claim 3 , wherein the additive manufacturing material has a glass transition temperature of approximately 75° C. to approximately 90° C. 
     
     
         5 . The object of  claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing material is a first additive manufacturing material and wherein the object has a second additive manufacturing material arranged relative to the first additive manufacturing material to enable the predicted transformation of the object from the first manufactured shape to the second manufactured shape in response to the external stimulus. 
     
     
         6 . The object of  claim 5 , wherein the second additive manufacturing material has a second response to either the first external stimulus or to a second external stimulus to enable a corresponding second predicted transformation of the object to a third manufactured shape. 
     
     
         7 . The object of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second additive manufacturing materials compose the entire object. 
     
     
         8 . The object of  claim 5 , further comprising a third additive manufacturing material arranged relative to the first or second additive manufacturing materials, or both, and having a third response to the first external stimulus, the second external stimulus, or a third external stimulus to enable a corresponding third predicted transformation of the object to a fourth manufactured shape. 
     
     
         9 . The object of  claim 8 , wherein the first, second, and third additive manufacturing materials compose the entire object. 
     
     
         10 . The object of  claim 8 , wherein the third additive manufacturing material has a third response that modifies the properties of one or more of the first or second additive manufacturing materials. 
     
     
         11 . The object of  claim 10 , wherein the property modified is the stiffness of one or more of the first and second additive manufacturing materials. 
     
     
         12 . The object of  claim 5 , wherein the external stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a solvent, temperature change, electromagnetic energy, and pressure change. 
     
     
         13 . The object of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second additive manufacturing materials are arranged to form a joint of the object. 
     
     
         14 . The object of  claim 13 , wherein the joint is a means for effecting linear or rotational displacement of a first member of the object relative to a second member of the object. 
     
     
         15 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint has at least one cylindrical disc. 
     
     
         16 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint has at least one rectangular member. 
     
     
         17 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first and second additive manufacturing materials composing the joint has a three-dimensional structure. 
     
     
         18 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint is a means for curling. 
     
     
         19 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint is a means for folding. 
     
     
         20 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint is a means for linear elongation. 
     
     
         21 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint is a means for decreasing the size of a hole. 
     
     
         22 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint is a means for forming a curved crease. 
     
     
         23 . The object of  claim 14 , wherein the joint is a means for linear expansion. 
     
     
         24 . The object of  claim 5 , wherein the external stimulus is a solvent. 
     
     
         25 . The object of  claim 24 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material is more hydrophilic than the second additive manufacturing material. 
     
     
         26 . The object of  claim 25 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising one or more of hydrophilic acrylic monomers and oligomers. 
     
     
         27 . The object of  claim 26 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material is comprises a polymerized formulation comprising hydroxyethyl acrylate or poly(ethylene) glycol. 
     
     
         28 . The object of  claim 24 , wherein the second additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising one or more of hydrophobic acrylic monomers and oligomers. 
     
     
         29 . The object of  claim 28 , wherein the second additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising monomers of one or more of phenoxy ethyl acrylate, trimethylol propane triacrylate, and isobornyl acrylate. 
     
     
         30 . The object of  claim 24 , wherein one or more of the first and second additive manufacturing materials comprises a polymerization formulation that comprises one or more of a photoinitiator, surface active agent, stabilizer, and inhibitor. 
     
     
         31 . A method for additive manufacturing of an object, the method comprising:
 dispensing an additive manufacturing material having a response to an external stimulus, the additive manufacturing material being configured to cause a predicted transformation of the object from a first manufactured shape to a second manufactured shape in response to the external stimulus, the external stimulus being non-biasing with respect to the predicted transformation from the first manufactured shape to the second manufactured shape.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the additive manufacturing material has a glass transition temperature of approximately 0° C. to approximately 150° C. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material has a glass transition temperature of approximately 75° C. to approximately 90° C. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising exposing the object to an external stimulus, wherein the external stimulus is a temperature change. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the additive manufacturing material is a first additive manufacturing material and further comprising dispensing a second additive manufacturing material arranged relative to the first additive manufacturing material to enable the predicted transformation of the object from the first manufactured shape to the second manufactured shape in response to the external stimulus. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the external stimulus is a first external stimulus and wherein the second additive manufacturing material has a second response to either the first external stimulus or to a second external stimulus to enable a corresponding second predicted transformation of the object to a third manufactured shape. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the first and second additive manufacturing materials compose the entire object. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising dispensing a third additive manufacturing material arranged relative to the first or second additive manufacturing materials, or both, and having a third response to the first external stimulus, the second external stimulus, or a third external stimulus to enable a corresponding third predicted transformation of the object to a fourth manufactured shape. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first, second, and third additive manufacturing materials compose the entire object. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the third response of the third additive manufacturing material modifies the properties of one or more of the first or second additive manufacturing materials. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the property modified is the stiffness of one or more of the first and second additive manufacturing materials. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first and second additive manufacturing materials are arranged to form a joint of the object. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for effecting linear or rotational displacement of a first member of the object relative to a second member of the object. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the joint has at least one cylindrical disc. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint has at least one rectangular member. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein each of the first and second additive manufacturing materials composing the joint has a three-dimensional structure. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for curling. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for folding. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for linear elongation. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for decreasing the size of a hole. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for forming a curved crease. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the joint is a means for linear expansion. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material is more hydrophilic than the second material. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising one or more of hydrophilic acrylic monomers and oligomers. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the first additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising hydroxyethyl acrylate or poly(ethylene) glycol. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the second additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising one or more of hydrophobic acrylic monomers and oligomers. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the second additive manufacturing material comprises a polymerized formulation comprising monomers of one or more of phenoxy ethyl acrylate, trimethylol propane triacrylate, and isobornyl acrylate. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein one or more of the first and second additive manufacturing materials a polymerized formulation further comprising one or more of a photoinitiator, surface active agent, stabilizer, and inhibitor. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising exposing the object to an external stimulus selected from the group consisting of a solvent, temperature change, electromagnetic energy, and pressure change. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the external stimulus is a polar solvent. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, an alcohol, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein exposing the object to an external stimulus causes one or more of curling, folding, stretching, shrinking, and curved creasing. 
     
     
         63 . A non-transient computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes an apparatus to:
 access a database that includes first parameters of additive manufacturing materials;   access the database that includes second parameters for arranging one or more additive manufacturing materials relative to each other to form at least a portion of an object having a first manufactured shape in an absence of an external stimulus and having a second, predicted manufactured shape in a presence of, or following exposure to, an external stimulus; and   calculate, as a function of the first and second parameters, a sequence of machine-controllable instructions that, when provided to a machine, programs the machine to produce the object in the first manufactured shape.   
     
     
         64 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 63 , wherein the database further includes parameters of an environment in which the object will be employed, and wherein the sequence of instructions further causes the apparatus to calculate machine-controllable instructions as a function of the environment or adjust the previously calculated machine-controllable instructions as a function of the environment. 
     
     
         65 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 63 , wherein the external stimulus comprises one or more of a solvent, temperature change, electromagnetic energy, and pressure change. 
     
     
         66 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 63 , wherein the machine-controllable instructions cause the apparatus to dispense a first additive manufacturing material. 
     
     
         67 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 66 , wherein the machine-controllable instructions cause the apparatus to dispense a second additive manufacturing material in an arrangement relative to first additive manufacturing material to enable a predicted transformation of the object from a first manufactured shape to a second manufactured shape in response to the first external stimulus. 
     
     
         68 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 63 , wherein the external stimulus is a first external stimulus and the predicted transformation is a first predicted transformation and further comprising a third additive manufacturing material arranged relative to the first or second additive manufacturing materials, or both, wherein the third additive manufacturing material has a third response to the first external stimulus or a second external stimulus to enable a corresponding second predicted transformation of the shape of the object in response to the first or second external stimulus. 
     
     
         69 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 63 , wherein the database includes a library of joints. 
     
     
         70 . The non-transient computer readable medium of  claim 69 , wherein the library of joints includes one or more of a curling joint, a folding joint, a linear elongation joint, a joint that decreases the size of a hole, a curved-crease joint, and a linear expansion joint.