[Discuss] 3D printing patents

[Robert Cornell]

Sorry to follow up my own post, I used the term 'wide ranging'.

I had a look at MakerBot's other patents. http://goo.gl/hKbmyU

Downloadable three-dimensional models, Networked three-dimensional
printing, Augmented three-dimensional printing and my personal favorite:
Fabrication of objects with enhanced structural characteristics. Thats
basically finite element analysis of a fabricated object.

I'd laugh but I can't hear myself think over the sound of the brakes being
applied to my business model.

Rob
--
openpart.co.uk


On 14 May 2014 03:50, Robert Cornell <bobnet604 at gmail.com> wrote:

> On reading the article I assumed it was something novel (with a blade
> inside), the patent is wide ranging and not limited to FDM.
> The RepRapPro method I linked to would I think be covered.  No detailed
> prior art yet, but somewhere.
>
> Best not to create the list on Thingiverse!!! Seriously though, is there a
> known database, methodology or best practice for this kind of activity.
>
> Rob
> --
> openpart.co.uk
>
>
> On 13 May 2014 18:07, Michael Weinberg <mweinberg at publicknowledge.org>wrote:
>
>> To the extent that versions of this were documented "in the wild, "
>> pulling them together would be an incredibly worthwhile activity. If they
>> do exist, it would them we worth having a conversation about making sure
>> that the patent office also saw them sooner rather than later.
>>  On May 13, 2014 12:50 PM, "Robert Cornell" <bobnet604 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> RepRapPro have a blog post
>>> https://reprappro.com/2014/04/15/multimaterial-research/ and I've been
>>> playing with the idea.
>>> It's a better method that would make the patent mentioned irrelevant.
>>>
>>> When Stratasys took over MakerBot and they closed their design there was
>>> a lot of discussion about how they cashed out
>>> on open source efforts. I suppose something like this was inevitable.
>>>
>>> I can't recall seeing this exact method before so maybe they did
>>> 'invent' it. I'm going to read the patent and dig into the archives.
>>>
>>> Rob
>>> --
>>> openpart.co.uk
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 13 May 2014 17:28, Matt Maier <blueback09 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> What do y'all think about this?
>>>>
>>>> http://3dprint.com/3187/makerbot-3d-printer-invention/
>>>>
>>>> *"Makerbot has invented a new type of process which, if it works
>>>> properly, will allow 3D printers to change build material mid print.  They
>>>> have filed a patent to protect this solution over a year and a half ago,
>>>> but just recently was it published for the public to see, and 3DPrint.com
>>>> has uncovered it."*
>>>> *"The multiple materials would be fed into their individual feeds,
>>>> which are connected to a filament changer (or build material changer).  The
>>>> filament changer would be able to slide the extrusion head from material to
>>>> material, in a fluent motion.  It would also consist of a blade or other
>>>> cutting edge, that would cut the 1st material before proceeding to the
>>>> second"*
>>>> *"It covers them for other types of print processes other than FDM, and
>>>> also allows for two separate extruders to be alternately positioned along
>>>> the tool path for a similar effect..."*
>>>>
>>>> It seems like this patent is exactly the sort of thing the community
>>>> has been discussing. Did Makerbot really invent this, or are they trying to
>>>> patent something that the open source community developed first? Is this an
>>>> example of the sort of thing we'd want to respond to in a structured way,
>>>> like doing the prior art search on behalf of the USPTO and pushing the
>>>> results to them?
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> http://lists.oshwa.org/listinfo/discuss
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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