Importance

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Abstract

A process and apparatus for fabricating a colorful three-dimensional object in accordance with a computer aided design (CAD) image of the object. The apparatus includes (a) a supply of one body-building material in filament form; (b) a filament feeding device including one feeding channel and a drive device to drive and regulate the flow of the filament in the channel; (c) a dispensing nozzle having a flow passage communicating with this feeding channel to receive the filament therefrom, a heater for converting a leading portion of the filament to a flowable fluid state, and a discharge orifice to dispense the fluid therethrough; (d) a multi-channel colorant-injecting module including at least one injecting channel in flow communication with the flow passage of the nozzle, at least one colorant reservoir in flow communication with the injecting channel, and control valves to regulate the flow of a colorant therefrom, with the colorant being directed through the injecting channel to mix with a leading portion of the filament for forming a colorant-containing fluid; (e) a platform disposed at a predetermined initial distance from the orifice to receive the colorant-containing fluid discharged therefrom; and (f) motion devices coupled to the platform and the nozzle for moving the nozzle and the platform relative to one another in an X-Y plane and in a Z direction orthogonal to the X-Y plane to deposit the colorant-containing fluid for forming the object. These procedures are automated by a computer system in accordance with the CAD image data files.

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First Claim