Build material container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10751941-B2
Application number	US-201616094426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An additive-manufacturing build-material container ( 201 ) comprises a reservoir to hold build material, an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir, an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection unit to collect build material from the bottom and guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the collected build material to the outlet opening at the top; and a vent opening in a top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into the one end of the longitudinal collection tube; wherein on the gas flow path there is at least one turbulent gas-flow-generation feature ( 237 ) to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An additive-manufacturing build-material container comprising:
a reservoir to hold build material;
an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir,
an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection tube to suck up the build material at one end thereof, from a bottom region of the reservoir, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top portion;
a vent opening in the top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into said one end of the longitudinal collection tube; and
a baffle in said gas flow path to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube; and
wherein portions of the reservoir are arranged to flex upon said gas flow.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein relatively rigid structures extend across the vent opening.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the vent opening is of approximately the same diameter or of a larger diameter than the diameter of the outlet opening to admit gas from outside the reservoir at a sufficiently high gas flow rate to enable said turbulent gas flow in the reservoir.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening extends through the center of the top portion of the reservoir, and the vent opening extends through said top wall next to, but spaced from, the outlet opening.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein other portions of the reservoir are inhibited from flexing during said gas flow.

6. An additive-manufacturing build-material container comprising:
a reservoir to hold build material;
an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir,
an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection tube to suck up the build material at one end thereof, from a bottom region of the reservoir, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top portion, said one end of the longitudinal collection tube having laterally protruding fins;
a vent opening in the top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into said one end of the longitudinal collection tube; and
a turbulent suction port formed at said one end of the longitudinal collection tube to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube.

7. An additive-manufacturing build-material container comprising:
a reservoir to hold build material;
an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir,
an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection tube to suck up the build material at one end thereof having lateral openings, from a bottom region of the reservoir, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the collected build material to the outlet opening at the top portion, said one end of the longitudinal collection tube having a cap under the lateral openings, the cap adjacent to, or touching upon, a bottom wall of the reservoir; and
a vent opening in the top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into said one end of the longitudinal collection tube.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein said one end of the longitudinal collection tube has laterally protruding fins between said lateral openings.

9. An additive-manufacturing build-material container comprising:
a reservoir to hold build material;
an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir,
an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection tube to suck up the build material at one end thereof, from a bottom region of the reservoir, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top portion;
a vent opening in the top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into said one end of the longitudinal collection tube;
a lower vent opening to admit gas from outside the reservoir into a lower portion of the reservoir; and
a baffle in said gas flow path to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the lower vent opening is an opening at the end of a vent tube.

11. The container of claim 9 wherein the outlet tube structure includes, nested one in the other, said longitudinal collection tube and said vent tube having a lower vent opening to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the lower portion of the reservoir.

12. An additive-manufacturing build-material container comprising:
a reservoir to hold build material;
an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir,
an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection tube to suck up the build material at one end thereof through inlet openings, from a bottom region of the reservoir, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top portion; and
a vent opening in a top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir;
wherein said one end of the longitudinal collection tube include baffles next to the inlet openings and part of the side walls of the reservoir are to vibrate under the influence of air/build material flow and part of the side walls are to remain in place under the influence of air/build material flow.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the vent opening extends through a top wall, next to the outlet opening.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein a build material filter holder is provided in the vent opening.

15. The container of claim 12 , and comprising a cap disposed facing said one end of the collection tube.

16. The container of claim 12 , wherein the reservoir includes:
an upper portion of more than half the height of the reservoir, having relatively non-converging side walls, and
a lower funnel portion between the upper portion and the bottom, having converging side walls, at least in a filled state; and
the longitudinal collection tube extends from the top of the reservoir into the funnel portion.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Chanclon Fernandez Ismael
• Alonso Becerro Xavier
• Jones Poppescou Ernesto Alejandro

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/225

  used in level-measurement devices, e.g. for level gauge measurement · CPC title

• H01Q1/02

  Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out {; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion} · CPC title

• H01Q1/002

  Protection against seismic waves, thermal radiation or other disturbances, e.g. nuclear explosion; Arrangements for improving the power handling capability of an antenna · CPC title