3D Polyhedral Printing with Relief Layers for Smoother Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Three-dimensional objects formed by polyhedral meshes often have sharp folding lines and flat faces, resulting in an uneven outer surface, which detracts from their smoothness.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves determining a surface difference between a polyhedral shape and a desired three-dimensional object, defining a relief layer based on this difference, and using a printing assembly to apply the relief layer, which is then folded to improve the smoothness of the object's surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a polyhedral mesh is used to represent a three-dimensional object, then the object can be formed using flat faces and sharp folding lines, but the outer surface becomes uneven and loses smoothness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat polygon mesh to a three-dimensional relief layer with varying thickness. By adding the dimension of thickness variation, the flat polyhedral faces gain surface relief that approximates the desired smooth three-dimensional shape, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacturing and surface smoothness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of layer thickness across the polygon mesh to create a relief structure. By varying the thickness parameter of the relief layer according to the surface difference between the polyhedral and desired shapes, the flat faces acquire curved surfaces that improve smoothness while maintaining the underlying polyhedral structure
2Manufacturing precision
If the relief layer thickness is increased to better approximate the desired shape, then the surface accuracy improves, but the difficulty of folding along common boundary lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the relief layer at the common boundary lines between adjacent polygons, creating folding lines that allow the thick relief structures to be folded separately. This segmentation enables each polygon face with its relief to be folded independently along the boundary lines, reducing the overall folding difficulty while maintaining shape accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The common boundary lines act as intermediary elements that facilitate folding between adjacent relief-covered polygon faces. By defining folding lines at these boundaries, the invention creates hinge-like structures that enable the thick relief layer to be folded without requiring the entire structure to bend uniformly
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for providing a three-dimensional object, the method includes the steps of providing a representation of the three-dimensional object; determining a polygon mesh of a polyhedral resembling the object, wherein the polyhedral fits within the object; determining a surface difference between an outer surface of the object and an outer surface of the polyhedral; defining a relief layer corresponding to the polygon mesh based on said surface difference; instructing a printing assembly to provide the relief layer; and folding the relief layer in accordance with the polygon mesh to form the polyhedral resembling the three-dimensional object. Thus, using a printing assembly to print two-dimensional layers, a three-dimensional object may be provided or at least approximated.