Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090043424 | AUTOMATED PLUMBING, WIRING, AND REINFORCEMENT - An apparatus may include a nozzle assembly configured to extrude material through an outlet; and a controllable robotic arm coupled to the nozzle assembly, the robotic arm having at one end a gripper 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. | 02-12-2009 |
20090134539 | TECHNIQUES FOR SENSING MATERIAL FLOW RATE IN AUTOMATED EXTRUSION - An extrusion construction system may include an extrusion nozzle configured to extrude construction material through an outlet onto an external surface, the extrusion nozzle including an excess flow port disposed substantially adjacent an edge of the outlet, an imaging device coupled to the extrusion nozzle, and a controller configured to adjust the rate of material flow through the extrusion nozzle in response to receiving one or more images captured by the imaging device showing excess material being extruded through the excess flow port. | 05-28-2009 |
20090134540 | TECHNIQUES FOR SENSING MATERIAL FLOW RATE IN AUTOMATED EXTRUSION - An extrusion construction system may include an extrusion nozzle, a channeling element coupled to the extrusion nozzle and to a source of construction material, the channeling element configured to transport the material to the extrusion nozzle for extruding the material onto a surface, wherein a surface of the channeling element comprises a transparent substrate such that a flow of the material is viewable through the substrate, an imaging device configured to capture a plurality of images through the substrate of the material flow, and a controller configured to estimate a flow rate based on the plurality of images. | 05-28-2009 |
20090154982 | MULTICOLOR WRITING AND PAINTING INSTRUMENTS WITH MULTIPLE, BUNDLED, HARD, WEAR-RESISTANT NIBS - A multicolor writing and painting instrument may include a plurality of hard, wear-resistant nibs at an end of the tubular housing. Each nib may have a tip. The nibs may be bundled together such that the tips of the nibs lie in substantially the same plane and approximately on the circumference of a common circle. The instrument may include an ink reservoir for each of the nibs within the tubular housing. Each ink reservoir may be configured to hold a colored ink. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154983 | MULTI-COLOR WRITING AND PAINTING INSTRUMENTS WITH SINGLE NIB FED WITH USER-SELECTED COLORED INK - A multicolor writing and painting instrument for writing and painting on a writing surface may include an ink-receiving surface which may be configured to receive a flow of one of a plurality of different colored inks. The instrument may include a nib configured to deliver the flow of ink received by the ink-receiving surface to the writing surface. The instrument may include a separate ink reservoir configured to hold each of the different colored inks. The instrument may include a fluid delivery system configured to controllably channel ink from any one of the ink reservoirs to the ink-receiving surface. The instrument may include a color selection control configured to enable a user to select one of the colored inks and to cause the fluid delivery system to deliver the selected colored ink from the reservoir which is holding this ink to the ink-receiving surface. | 06-18-2009 |
20100025349 | Gantry Robotics System and Related Material Transport for Contour Crafting - Apparatus and methods are disclosed that are useful for robotic gantry systems that are lightweight while at the same time offering rigidity or stiffness for implementation in Contour Crafting construction and material delivery techniques. The present disclosure is directed to robotic gantry system and material transport apparatus that use of very light structural members that have sufficient compressive strength, but which may otherwise be weak in the presence of bending forces, in conjunction with cables that provide stiffness against bending. Use of such cables provides needed tension while at the same time allowing the robotic gantry system to be very light compared to solid structures, e.g., those with I-beams, etc. Material delivery systems including passive articulated arms are also disclosed. | 02-04-2010 |
20100112119 | MULTI-CHAMBER VIBRATING VALVE FOR CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL - A nozzle for extruding cementitious material may include an outlet sized and configured to extrude the cementitious material, a material flow pathway configured to channel the cementitious material to the outlet, and a vibration-actuated valve interposed in the material flow pathway. The valve may include a plurality of spaced-apart plates configured to form a plurality of flow channels, and a vibration-generating device coupled to the plates and configured to controllable cause the plates to controllably vibrate. The vibration-actuated valve may be configured such that the cementitious material must flow through the channels formed by the plates in order to reach the outlet, The spacing between the plates and the surface of the plates may be in amounts which collectively cause the flow of the cementitious material though the plurality of flow channels to be blocked when the vibration-generating device is not vibrating, and the cementitious material to flow through the plurality of flow channels simultaneously when the vibration-generating device is vibrating. | 05-06-2010 |
20100116368 | FLUID METERING DEVICE USING FREE-MOVING PISTON - A fluid metering device may meter the flow of fluid. The device may have a main chamber and a piston configured and oriented to reciprocate within the main chamber. The piston may be configured and oriented to define a first and a second sub-chamber whose volumes vary inversely as a function of the position of the piston during its reciprocation. The fluid metering device may have a first inlet valve configured to controllably regulate the flow of fluid into the first sub-chamber, a first outlet valve configured to controllably regulate the flow of fluid out of the first sub-chamber, a second inlet valve configured to controllably regulate the flow of fluid into the second sub-chamber, and a second outlet valve configured to controllably regulate the flow of fluid out of the second sub-chamber. A valve controller may be configured to control each of the values in a manner that causes fluid to flow through the each of the sub-chambers at an average rate that substantially tracks a control signal which is delivered to the valve controller. | 05-13-2010 |
20100136340 | DRY MATERIAL TRANSPORT AND EXTRUSION - A process for making construction material may include mixing predetermined portions of two or more components of cementitious materials without ingredients that would allow the mixture to cure, and separating the un-curable mixture of the two or more components into a plurality of pellets, each having substantially the predetermined portions of the two or more components. An extrusion system may include a transport line configured to transport the dry pellets in a gaseous transport stream. | 06-03-2010 |
20100257792 | CONTOUR CRAFTING EXTRUSION NOZZLES - An automated extrusion construction system may include an extrusion nozzle configured to extrude construction material in a substantially horizontal direction against an elongated and substantially vertical surface. An extrusion nozzle may have a height adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the height of an outlet in response to level deviations in the surface on which the construction material is extruded by the extrusion nozzle. An automated extrusion construction system may include a slicing mechanism configured to controllably slice through the extruded layer. | 10-14-2010 |
20100318222 | AUTOMATED PLUMBING, WIRING, AND REINFORCEMENT - An apparatus may include a nozzle assembly configured to extrude material through an outlet; and a controllable robotic arm coupled to the nozzle assembly, the robotic arm having at one end a gripper 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. | 12-16-2010 |
20110049905 | GENERATION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY USING CABLE-SUPPORTED WINDMILLS - An electric energy generation system may include a plurality of windmills, a windmill support system, an electric generator, and a coupling system. The windmills may each be configured to transform wind energy into rotational energy. The windmill support system may support the windmills in positions that are spaced apart from one another. The electric generator may be configured to transform rotational energy into electric energy. The coupling system may be configured to couple the rotational energy generated by each of the windmills to the electric generator in a manner that permits the windmills to rotate at different speeds during operation of the electric energy generation system. Other configurations are also disclosed. | 03-03-2011 |
20110076350 | EXTRUSION OF CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL WITH DIFFERENT CURING RATES - A cementitious material delivery system comprising may include a flow divider, a first and second chemical agent, a first and second mixer, and a nozzle. The flow divider may be configured to divide a flow of cementitious material into a first stream and a second stream that is separate from the first stream. The first chemical agent may cure the cementitious material at a first rate when mixed with the cementitious material. A first mixer may be configured to mix the first chemical agent with the first steam of cementitious material to produce a first mixed stream of cementitious material. A second chemical agent may be configured to cure the cementitious material at a second rate when mixed with the cementitious material which is faster than the first rate. A second mixer separate may be configured to mix the second chemical agent with the second steam of cementitious material to produce a second mixed stream of cementitious material. A nozzle may be configured to extrude the first mixed stream of cementitious material and the second mixed stream of cementitious material separate from the first mixed stream of cementitious material. | 03-31-2011 |
20110241354 | MULTI-SEGMENT WEIGHT IN WELLBORE ENERGY STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL - A system for storing and retrieving energy may include a cable and a multi-segment weight connected to the cable. The multi-segment weight may include a chain of weight segments. The chain of weight segments may be flexible so as to permit each weight segment to rotate with respect to each of its neighboring weight segments. | 10-06-2011 |
20110241356 | SPACED-APART CABLE MODULES IN WELLBORE ENERGY STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL - A system for storing and retrieving energy may include a cable and a weight connected to the cable. A plurality of cable modules may be attached at spaced-apart locations to the cable above the weight. Each cable module may prevent the cable above and below the cable module from coming in contact with a neighboring stationary wall. A hoist may controllably raise and lower the weight by sequentially grabbing each neighboring cable module. | 10-06-2011 |
20120038074 | AUTOMATED PLUMBING, WIRING, AND REINFORCEMENT - An apparatus may include a nozzle assembly configured to extrude material through an outlet; and a controllable robotic arm coupled to the nozzle assembly, the robotic arm having at one end a gripper 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. | 02-16-2012 |
20130059025 | EXTRUSION OF CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL WITH DIFFERENT LEVELING CHARACTERISTICS - A cementitious material delivery system may include a flow divider, a first and second chemical agent, a first and second mixer, and a nozzle. The flow divider may be configured to divide a flow of cementitious material into a first stream and a second stream that is separate from the first stream. The first chemical agent may cure the cementitious material at a first rate. A first mixer may be configured to mix the first chemical agent with the first steam of cementitious material. A second chemical agent may be configured to cure the cementitious material at a second rate. A second mixer separately may be configured to mix the second chemical agent with the second steam of cementitious material. A nozzle may be configured to extrude both mixed streams of cementitious material separate from each other. | 03-07-2013 |
20140120491 | ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE WITH SNAP FITTED, NON-SLIDING ARCHWIRE - An orthodontic appliance may include an archwire and multiple orthodontic brackets. The archwire may fit within a human mouth and contain multiple male connectors. Each orthodontic bracket may have a configuration that facilitates attaching the orthodontic bracket to a single tooth. Each orthodontic bracket may allow one of the male connectors to be locked into the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action. The male connector may be unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracket after being locked in the orthodontic bracket. A manual unlocking action may allow the male connector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket. | 05-01-2014 |
20140271961 | INSERTING INHIBITOR TO CREATE PART BOUNDARY ISOLATION DURING 3D PRINTING - A 3D printing system may print a desired 3D object. A fusible powder may fuse when subjected to a fusing condition. A deposition system may deposit portions of the fusible powder on a substrate. A fusing system may apply the fusing condition to the deposited fusible powder. Inhibitor material may not fuse when subjected to the fusing condition. An insertion system may insert a portion of the inhibitor material between portions of the deposited fusible powder after having been deposited by the deposition system, but before being fused by the fusing system, so as to form a boundary that defines at least a portion of a surface of the desired 3D object. | 09-18-2014 |
20140308381 | CONTOUR CRAFTING EXTRUSION NOZZLES - An automated extrusion construction system may include an extrusion nozzle configured to extrude construction material in a substantially horizontal direction against an elongated and substantially vertical surface. An extrusion nozzle may have a height adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the height of an outlet in response to level deviations in the surface on which the construction material is extruded by the extrusion nozzle. An automated extrusion construction system may include a slicing mechanism configured to controllably slice through the extruded layer. | 10-16-2014 |