Apparatus for removing an industrial powder from at least one shaped body manufactured generatively using the industrial powder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569468-B2
Application number	US-201815867759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2018
Priority date	Jan 11, 2017
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for removing industrial powder from a shaped body manufactured generatively using the industrial powder. The apparatus includes at least one container for holding the shaped body having a vertically adjustable construction platform, a vibrating screen, a tilting device for tilting the container, and at least one catching unit adjoining a transfer end of the vibrating screen for catching the shaped body. In one form, the vibrating screen, tilting device, and catching unit are arranged within a housing. In another form, the vibrating screen and catching unit are arranged within the housing and the tilting device is at least partially arranged in the housing. At least one opening in the housing is closed in an airtight manner by a glove such that a user can use the glove to grasp the shaped body caught by the catching unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for removing industrial powder from at least one shaped body manufactured generatively using the industrial powder, the apparatus comprising:
at least one container for holding the at least one shaped body embedded in the industrial powder, wherein the at least one container has a vertically adjustable construction platform;
at least one vibrating screen arranged in a sloping manner and having a feed end and a transfer end arranged at a geodetically lower level than the feed end;
at least one tilting device for tilting the at least one container;
at least one catching unit for catching the at least one shaped body sliding off the vibrating screen, the at least one catching unit adjoining the transfer end of the vibrating screen; and
a housing adapted to be closed in an airtight manner and is at least partially transparent,
wherein the container is introduced into the housing,
wherein the at least one vibrating screen and the at least one tilting device are arranged within the housing, and the at least one catching unit is at least partially arranged within the housing, and
wherein the housing includes at least one opening closed in an airtight manner by at least one glove, wherein the at least one opening and the at least one glove is configured for a user to grasp the at least one shaped body caught by the catching unit.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing includes two openings, each opening is closed in an airtight manner by a glove configured for the user to grasp the at least one shaped body and at least one cleaning device arranged in the housing for cleaning the at least one shaped body.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one cleaning device is a scrubbing brush, a cleaning brush, or an air gun.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one powder catching unit.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one powder catching unit is arranged underneath the at least one vibrating screen for catching the industrial powder falling through the at least one vibrating screen.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the catching unit for catching the shaped body sliding off the vibrating screen has at least one working plate, wherein at least one powder catching unit for catching the industrial powder falling through the working plate is arranged underneath the working plate.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one working plate is at least partially a screen design.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one holding container arranged in the housing and adapted for holding the industrial powder caught by at least one of the catching unit for catching the industrial powder falling through the vibrating screen and the catching unit for catching the industrial powder falling through a working plate.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one collecting container arranged in the housing and adapted for receiving at least one clean shaped body, wherein the collecting container is arranged in the housing such that the user can deposit the at least one shaped body in the collecting container using the at least one glove.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tilting device includes at least one tilting mechanism for tilting the at least one container and at least one lifting mechanism arranged in a sloping manner for raising the tilted container in a linear manner.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tilting device includes at least one lifting mechanism for raising the container in a vertical and linear manner and at least one tilting mechanism for tilting the container raised in a vertical and linear manner.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tilting device includes at least one lifting mechanism for raising the container along a curved path.

13. An apparatus for removing industrial powder from at least one shaped body manufactured generatively using the industrial powder, the apparatus comprising:
a housing adapted to be closed in an airtight manner, the housing comprising:
at least one sloping screen including a feed end and a transfer end;
a catching unit adjoining the transfer end of the at least one sloping screen, the catching unit comprising a working plate; and
at least one powder catching unit disposed under at least one of the at least one sloping screen and the working plate of the catching unit; and

a tilting device for receiving at least one container holding the at least one shaped body, wherein the tilting device includes at least one lifting mechanism for raising the at least one container and at least one tilting mechanism for tilting the at least one container.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the tilting device is disposed within the housing and the at least one container is raised by the lifting mechanism on a curved path defined by the tilting device.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the tilting device is disposed within the housing and the at least one container is raised by the lifting mechanism on a vertical path defined by the tilting device.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the tilting device is disposed partially within the housing and partially outside the housing.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the lifting mechanism of the tilting device comprises a vertically adjustable platform and the tilting mechanism of the tilting device comprises a tiltable plate and a drive unit that drives the tiltable plate.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the housing further comprises at least one opening, each opening closed in an airtight manner by a glove.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising at least one cleaning device, wherein the at least one cleaning device is at least one of a scrubbing brush, a cleaning brush, and an air gun.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:
a holding container disposed within the housing, wherein the industrial powder caught by the at least one industrial powder catching units is held; and
a collection container for depositing the at least one shaped body after the industrial powder is removed.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Koch Raphael
• Alves Bruno

Classifications

• B07B13/16

  Feed or discharge arrangements · CPC title

• B08B15/026

  Boxes for removal of dirt, e.g. for cleaning brakes, glove- boxes · CPC title

• B08B7/02

  by distortion, beating, or vibration of the surface to be cleaned {(B08B7/0007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C64/35 Primary

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title