Unpacking device for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object from the surrounding construction material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828835-B2
Application number	US-201715811485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2017
Priority date	Nov 14, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

An unpacking device ( 4 ) for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object ( 2 ) from the unsolidified construction material ( 3 ) surrounding it after completion of an additive construction process, comprising a suction and/or blower device ( 12 ) which comprises at least one suction and/or blower tool ( 10 ) with a suction and/or blower tool body ( 12 ), wherein the geometric structural design of the suction and/or blower tool body ( 13 ) can be or is adapted to at least a partial area of the geometric structural design of an additively manufactured three-dimensional object ( 2 ) to be unpacked.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unpacking device for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object from unsolidified construction material, the unpacking device comprising:
a robot comprising at least three robot axes, wherein the robot comprises a suction and/or blower device comprising at least one suction and/or blower tool on at least one of the robot axes, wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool is configured to receive at least one suction and/or blower tool body conforming to at least a partial area of a geometric structural design of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object, and wherein the suction and/or blower tool body is detachably attachable to the suction and/or blower tool;
a control device configured to generate control commands to control the robot, wherein the control commands comprise:
selecting the at least one suction and/or blower tool body from a plurality of suction and/or blower tool bodies based at least in part on at least the partial area of the geometric structural design of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked, wherein the at least one selected suction and/or blower tool body comprises a geometric structural design conforming to at least the partial area of the geometric structural design of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked; and
using the at least one selected suction and/or blower tool body to unpack at least a portion of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked.

2. The unpacking device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises a two-dimensional shape.

3. The unpacking device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises a three-dimensional shape.

4. The unpacking device of claim 1 , wherein selecting the suction and/or blower tool body is based at least in part on data describing the geometric structural design of at least one additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked.

5. The unpacking device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises a plurality suction and/or blower tool body segments detachably attachable to one another.

6. The unpacking device of claim 5 , wherein at least two suction and/or blower tool body segments comprise identical geometric structural designs.

7. The unpacking device of claim 5 , wherein at least two suction and/or blower tool body segments comprise different geometric structural designs.

8. The unpacking device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of suction and/or blower tool bodies are stored in a storage device when not detachably attached to the suction and/or blower tool.

9. The unpacking device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of suction and/or blower tool bodies stored in the storage device comprise a plurality.

10. The unpacking device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises an additively manufactured component.

11. An unpacking station for unpacking an additively manufactured three-dimensional object from unsolidified construction material, the unpacking station comprising:
an unpacking chamber;
an unpacking device disposed within the unpacking chamber, the unpacking device comprising a robot comprising at least three robot axes, wherein the robot comprises a suction and/or blower device comprising at least one suction and/or blower tool on at least one of the robot axes, wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool is configured to receive at least one suction and/or blower tool body conforming to at least a partial area of a geometric structural design of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object, and wherein the suction and/or blower tool body is detachably attachable to the at least one suction and/or blower tool; and,
a control device configured to generate control commands to control the robot, wherein the control commands comprise:
selecting the at least one suction and/or blower tool body from a plurality of suction and/or blower tool bodies based at least in part on at least the partial area of the geometric structural design of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked, wherein the at least one selected suction and/or blower tool body comprises a geometric structural design conforming to at least the partial area of the geometric structural design of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked; and
using the at least one selected suction and/or blower tool body to unpack at least a portion of the additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked.

12. The unpacking station of claim 11 , wherein the unpacking device is disposed in a fixed position in the unpacking chamber.

13. The unpacking station of claim 11 , wherein the unpacking device is movably supported in at least one freedom degree of motion in the unpacking chamber.

14. The unpacking station of claim 11 , further comprising a storage device, wherein at least one of the plurality of suction and/or blower tool bodies are stored in a storage device when not detachably attached to the suction and/or blower tool.

15. The unpacking station of claim 14 , wherein the storage device is disposed within the unpacking device.

16. The unpacking station of claim 11 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises a two-dimensional shape.

17. The unpacking station of claim 11 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises a three-dimensional shape.

18. The unpacking station of claim 11 , wherein selecting the at least one suction and/or blower tool body is based at least in part on data describing the geometric structural design of at least one additively manufactured three-dimensional object to be unpacked.

19. The unpacking station of claim 11 , wherein the at least one suction and/or blower tool body comprises a plurality suction and/or blower tool body segments detachably attachable to one another.

20. The unpacking station of claim 19 , wherein of the plurality of suction and/or blower tool body segments comprise different geometric structural designs.

Assignees

• Cl Schutzrechtsverwaltungs Gmbh
• Concept Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Zeulner Fabian

Classifications

• B22F12/88

  Handling of additively manufactured products, e.g. by robots · CPC title

• B22F10/68

  Cleaning or washing · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

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