Build material container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850447-B2
Application number	US-201816038812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Certain examples of a build material container for a three-dimensional printing system is described. The build material container has an external casing and an internal compartment within the external casing. The internal compartment may have a reservoir to store build material, where the reservoir has a channel structure, and a surround that encloses the reservoir. A partition is provided within which the channel structure is mounted, the partition forming an upper surface of the internal compartment and being independent from the external casing and the surround. The partition restricts access to the internal compartment and collects build material during use of the channel structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A build material container for a three-dimensional printing system, comprising:
an external casing;
an internal compartment within the external casing, comprising:
a reservoir to store build material, the reservoir having a channel structure;
a surround that encloses the reservoir; and

a partition within which the channel structure is mounted, the partition forming an upper surface of the internal compartment and being independent from the external casing and the surround,
wherein the partition restricts access to the internal compartment, and
wherein the partition is arranged to collect build material during use of the channel structure.

2. The build material container of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of reservoirs having a plurality of respective channel structures,
wherein the partition supports the plurality of channel structures within a set of respective apertures.

3. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the partition comprises:
a planar portion,
a plurality of side portions that project upwards,
wherein the side portions abut side walls of the external casing.

4. The build material container of claim 3 , wherein the planar portion comprises a lower surface of an upper compartment of the external casing and the side portions are accommodated between the side walls of the external casing and stiffening members of the upper compartment.

5. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the channel structure comprises at least one of an inlet and an outlet for the structure.

6. The build material container of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of columnar load-bearing elements arranged below the partition,
wherein load is distributed to the load-bearing elements through the partition.

7. A method of filling the build material container of claim 1 for a three-dimensional printing system, the method comprising:
supplying build material to an inlet of the reservoir that is internal to the build material container to fill the build material container; and
removing stray build material within a tray located above the internal reservoir during said supplying, said inlet being located within an aperture of the tray, the tray comprising flanges that abut side walls of the build material container to prevent stray build material from entering an interior of the build material container.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
following removing stray build material, closing the build material container to form an outer protective surface.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein supplying build material to an inlet of the internal reservoir comprises supplying build material to multiple internal reservoirs within the build material container.

10. A build material container for a three-dimensional printing system, comprising:
an external casing;
an internal compartment within the external casing, comprising:
a reservoir to store build material, the reservoir having a channel structure;
a surround that encloses the reservoir; and

a partition within which the channel structure is mounted, the partition forming an upper surface of the internal compartment and being independent from the external casing and the surround,
wherein the partition restricts access to the internal compartment,
wherein the partition is arranged to collect build material during use of the channel structure;
wherein the partition comprises:
a planar portion, and
a plurality of side portions that project upwards, wherein the side portions abut side walls of the external casing;

wherein the planar portion comprises a lower surface of an upper compartment of the external casing and the side portions are accommodated between the side walls of the external casing and stiffening members of the upper compartment and
wherein the partition comprises a plurality of slots to receive respective tabs of the stiffening members.

11. A method of assembling the build material container of claim 1 for a three-dimensional printing system, the method comprising:
obtaining the external casing for the build material container, the external casing comprising base and side portions;
arranging the reservoir internal to the external casing, the internal reservoir storing build material and comprising the channel structure and the surround; and
arranging the partition above the internal reservoir and the surround, the partition comprising an aperture to receive the channel structure of the reservoir, including:
arranging the partition to form a lower surface of an upper compartment of the build material container,
arranging the partition to restrict access to a volume of the external casing below the partition, and
arranging the partition to collect build material during use of the channel structure.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
supplying powdered build material to the internal reservoir via the channel structure; and
folding upper sections of the side portions over the channel structure of the internal reservoir to form a protective upper surface of the build material container.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein folding upper sections of the side portions comprises:
folding a first set of opposing upper sections to generate upper stiffening members that extend along opposing sides of the build material container, including securing flanges of the partition between the side portions and the stiffening members; and
folding a second set of opposing upper sections over the stiffening members to form the upper surface of the build material container.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein folding a first set of opposing upper sections comprises:
securing tabs located on the upper stiffening members within respective slots upon the partition.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
arranging an internal reservoir comprises arranging a plurality of internal reservoirs within a support structure, and
arranging a partition comprises aligning apertures within the partition with inlets of the plurality of internal reservoirs.

16. A build material container for a three-dimensional printing system, comprising:
an external casing;
an internal compartment within the external casing, comprising:
a reservoir to store build material, the reservoir having a channel structure;
a surround that encloses the reservoir; and

a partition having an aperture therein to accommodate the channel structure extending from the reservoir, the partition forming a cover over the internal compartment and being a separate piece from the external casing and the surround,
wherein the partition has a lip around its periphery to prevent material on the partition from entering the internal compartment and to collect build material during use of the channel structure.

17. The build material container of claim 16 , wherein the reservoir contains a quantity of a powdered build material for a 3D printing system.

18. The build material container of claim 16 , wherein the lip is accommodated between interior sides of the external casing and a stiffening member.

19. The build material container of claim 18 , further comprising load bearing elements extending from top to bottom in the internal compartment, the stiffening member being supported on the load bearing elements, the partition being disposed between the stiffening member and the load being elements.

20. The build material container of claim 18 , wherein the partition comprises slots located to receive tabs on the stiffening member to secure

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Gasso Xavier
• Martinez Castellanos Carlos
• Ferrero Ivan

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

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

• B29C64/307

  Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B65D5/503

  Tray-like elements formed in one piece (formed by folding a blank B65D5/5038) · CPC title

• B29C64/255 Primary

  Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers · CPC title