US 11,718,029 B2
Three-dimensional printer resin curing system using Risley prisms
Joshua Lentz, Niceville, FL (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed by US Gov't as represented by Sec'y of Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/567,932.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/134,749, filed on Jan. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212406 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/268 (2017.01); B29C 64/135 (2017.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B23K 26/34 (2014.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/268 (2017.08) [B23K 26/34 (2013.01); B29C 64/135 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A three-dimensional printer resin curing system consisting of:
a laser that emits a laser beam;
a shutter in communication with the laser that selectively allows the laser beam to pass;
at least one pair of Risley elements in communication with the laser beam and shutter that direct the laser beam onto a current print layer;
a controller in communication with the at least one pair of Risley elements that independently rotates each Risley element to spatially reduce the laser beam using a polarization grating, and to position the laser beam onto a pre-defined location of a selected spatial size of a current print layer;
more than one holder that respectively receive each one of the at least one pair of Risley-elements for independent rotation, the holders being in communication with the controller;
more than one rotation actuator that are respectively engaged to each holder for rotation; and
a memory in communication with the controller, the memory containing an application and a lookup table, wherein the controller comprises a processor that executes the application to:
monitor current rotation positions respectively of the at least one pair of Risley elements reported by the respective rotation actuators;
determine the pre-defined location on the current print layer that corresponds to a selected size of a pattern of the current print layer;
determine a change in the rotation positions of each Risley element specified in the lookup table based on the current rotation positions and the two-dimensional position of the light beam; and
actuate each rotation actuator to effect the change in the rotation positions, wherein the at least one pair of Risley element comprises a second pair of Risley elements to further adjust the selected spatial size of the current print layer, wherein the at least one pair of Risley element comprises a second pair of annular Risley elements to further adjust the position of the laser beam onto the selected spatial size of an outer annular portion of the current print layer.