US Patent 7052263 Apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object

An apparatus (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object (13) includes a trough (7) for holding material (11) which can be solidified under the influence of light. The trough (7) has on its lower side a transparent plate (8). On the transparent plate (8) and side wall (10) of the trough (7) is provided a resilient layer (9) from which solidified material is easier to detach than from the transparent plate (8). An exposure and projection unit (19) serves to expose and solidify the material (11) in the trough (7) from below through the transparent plate (8).