Granted Patent B2

US 12,291,823 · App. 17/981,468 · Granted May 6, 2025

Inventors: Robert A. Flitsch (Attleboro, MA); Frederick A. Flitsch (Waltham, MA)

E01C19/17B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y50/02E01C19/00G05D1/0219

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. An additive material array system comprising:

an array of deposition elements; wherein each deposition element comprises a release mechanism to individually release a discrete material element;

a storage element that feeds the array of deposition elements;

a thermal control element that maintains a temperature of the storage element;

a local heating system that provides energy to the discrete material element while the discrete material element is released by an element of the array of deposition elements, and

wherein the discrete material element comprises an inner core, a first coating layer comprising an adhesive, and a second coating layer surrounding the first coating layer, wherein the second coating layer prevents the discrete material element from binding to surrounding material while it is in storage; and

wherein the local heating system comprises a microwave emitter.

2. An additive material array system comprising:

an array of deposition elements, wherein each deposition element comprises a release mechanism to individually release a discrete material element;

a storage element that feeds the array of deposition elements;

a thermal control element that maintains a temperature of the storage element;

a local heating system that provides energy to the discrete material element while the discrete material element is released by an element of the array of deposition elements;

wherein the discrete material element comprises an inner core, a first coating layer comprising an adhesive, and a second coating layer surrounding the first coating layer;

wherein the second coating layer prevents the discrete material element from binding to surrounding material while it is in storage; and

an artificial intelligence processing system.

3. The additive material array system of claim 2 wherein the artificial intelligence processing system comprises an AI chip.

4. The additive material array system of claim 3 wherein the additive material array system further comprises a vision system.

5. The additive material array system of claim 4 where the artificial intelligence processing system processes a series of images from the vision system to determine a combination of array elements to release the discrete material elements.

6. The additive material array system of claim 5 wherein the discrete material elements are cube shaped.

7. The additive material array system of claim 5 wherein the discrete material elements are sphere shaped.

8. The additive material array system of claim 5 wherein the discrete material elements are disk shaped.

9. The additive material array system of claim 5 wherein the discrete material elements comprise bitumen.

10. The additive material array system of claim 2 further comprising an aerial drone, where the aerial drone may be released to map a surface to be processed by the array of deposition elements.

11. The additive material array system of claim 10 wherein the artificial intelligence processing system comprises an AI chip.

12. The additive material array system of claim 11 wherein the artificial intelligence processing system processes a series of images from a vision system of the aerial drone to determine a combination of array elements to release the discrete material elements.

13. The additive material array system of claim 1 further comprising a cleaning system wherein the cleaning system is used to clean a surface before it is processed with the array of deposition elements.

14. The additive material array system of claim 13 further comprising a line painting element.

15. The additive material array system of claim 14 wherein the line painting element comprises a spray unit.

16. The additive material array system of claim 15 further comprising an aerial drone.

17. The additive material array system of claim 16 further comprising an artificial intelligence processing system.

18. The additive material array system of claim 17 wherein the artificial intelligence processing system comprises an AI Chip.

Continuity (12)

References Cited (107)