Nozzle, processing apparatus, and additive manufacturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780634-B2
Application number	US-201816132683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2018
Priority date	Sep 19, 2017
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A nozzle according to one embodiment includes a nozzle unit and a guide surface. A first passage, a second passage, and the guide surface are provided to the nozzle unit. The first passage has a first open end. The second passage has a second open end, and a section that is positioned upstream of the second open end and that extends in a second direction. The guide surface has an edge in a first direction. The guide surface is exposed on the outer side at the edge, is along a third direction at the edge, the third direction being a direction becoming more distanced from an axis than the second direction does, as the third direction is extended further toward the first direction. A flow of fluid ejected from the second open end follows the guide surface, and becomes separated from the nozzle unit at the edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nozzle comprising:
a nozzle unit that is provided with a first passage through which an energy ray passes, and a second passage through which fluid passes; and
a guide surface that is provided to the nozzle unit, wherein
the first passage extends along an axis, and includes a first open end that is positioned on one end of the first passage in a first direction along the axis, and that opens to outside of the nozzle unit,
the second passage includes a second open end that is positioned on one end of the second passage in the first direction, that opens to the outside of the nozzle unit, and that is more distanced from the axis than the first open end is, on an outer side in a radial direction, and a section that is positioned upstream of the second open end, that extends in a second direction, and through which the fluid flows in the second direction,
the guide surface has an edge that is positioned on one end of the guide surface in the first direction, is exposed on the outer side in the radial direction at least at the edge, and is along a third direction at the edge,
the guide surface allows a flow of the fluid in the second passage or a flow of the fluid ejected from the second open end to follow the guide surface and then to become separated from the nozzle unit at the edge, and flow in the third direction, and
the third direction is any one of:
an approaching direction in which the fluid separated from the edge approaches the axis diagonally while flowing, an angle between the axis and the approaching direction being smaller than an angle between the axis and the second direction,
a parallel direction to the axis, and
a distanced direction in which the fluid separated from the edge is distanced diagonally from the axis while flowing.

2. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the guide surface is positioned inside the second passage.

3. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the second direction approaches the axis diagonally.

4. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the guide surface has a first curving surface having a convex shape curving toward the axis.

5. The nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein an angle between a normal vector of a tangent plane at each point of the guide surface and a unit vector of the first direction increases as the point is moved further toward the first direction.

6. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the guide surface has a part that is nearer to the axis than the edge is.

7. The nozzle according to claim 1 , further comprising a reduced surface that is provided to the nozzle unit, and that extends from the edge to approach the axis diagonally.

8. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the third direction is the approaching direction.

9. The nozzle according to claim 1 , further comprising an inner surface that is provided to the nozzle unit, that is positioned in the section, and that faces an outer side of the nozzle unit in the radial direction, wherein
the guide surface continues smoothly to the inner surface.

10. The nozzle according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an inner surface that is provided to the nozzle unit, that is positioned in the section, and that faces an outer side of the nozzle unit in the radial direction; and
a second curving surface that has a convex shape curving toward the axis, that continues smoothly to the inner surface, and that continues smoothly to the guide surface.

11. A processing apparatus comprising:
the nozzle according to claim 1 ;
an optical device that supplies the energy ray into the first passage the optical device including an oscillator; and
a fluid feeder that supplies the fluid into the second passage.

12. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
the nozzle according to claim 1 ;
an optical device that supplies the energy ray into the first passage the optical device including an oscillator:
a fluid feeder that supplies the fluid into the second passage; and
a material feeder that supplies powder material into the nozzle, wherein
the nozzle unit is provided with a third passage through which the powder material is passed,
the third passage includes a third open end that is positioned on one end of the third passage in the first direction, that opens to the outside of the nozzle unit, and that is more distanced from the axis than the first open end is, on an outer side in the radial direction,
the second open end is more distanced from the axis than the third open end is, on the outer side in the radial direction, and
the nozzle melts or sinters the powder material ejected from the third open end with the energy ray.

Assignees

• Tech Res Association Future Additive Manufacturing
• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Machine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Hiroshi
• Tsuno Satoshi
• Sasaki Mitsuo
• Yamada Tomohiko
• Shiomi Yasutomo
• FUJIMAKI Shimpei

Classifications

• B22F10/322

  of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction · CPC title

• B22F12/70

  Gas flow means · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F10/66

  by mechanical means · CPC title