Build material container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11007716-B2
Application number	US-201816038922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a build material container for a three-dimensional printing system. The container has an external casing and a plurality of reservoirs within the external casing. Each reservoir has an outlet to supply build material stored within the reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A build material container for a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
an external casing; and
a plurality of reservoirs within the external casing, each reservoir having an outlet to supply build material stored therein and a separate inlet structure to allow at least one of build material and gas into the reservoir, wherein the outlet comprises a first opening in the reservoir and the inlet comprises a second, separate opening in the reservoir, the first and second openings separated from each other by a portion of the reservoir;
each of the plurality of reservoirs having a bottom portion with sloping sides angled toward a central longitudinal axis of the reservoir;
wherein the reservoirs each comprise an aspiration channel coupled to the outlet and extending along the central longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

2. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein each reservoir comprises a deformable structure and a surround, the aspiration channel being within the deformable structure, wherein a base of each surround comprises a vertex formed at an end of the aspiration channel, the base comprising at least one lower angled surface, and wherein the build material container comprises a support structure to accommodate the vertices, and to support the lower angled surfaces, of the plurality of surrounds.

3. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the outlet structures are selectively sealable.

4. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reservoirs contain a common build material.

5. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of reservoirs contain different build materials.

6. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reservoirs are arranged to form at least one of: a plurality of columns; and a plurality of rows within the external casing.

7. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the reservoirs have common dimensions.

8. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein each reservoir comprises a polymer bag having a polyhedral base to accommodate an aspiration tube.

9. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein each reservoir comprises a deformable structure that is partially attached to an outer carton, each outer carton being accommodated within the external casing.

10. A method of making the build material container of claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing the plurality of build material reservoirs in a common housing of the external casing;
filling each of the build material reservoirs in the common housing with build material; and
sealing the deformable build material reservoirs.

11. The build material container of claim 1 , further comprising a support structure, comprising:
a plurality of polyhedral indentations in an upper portion of the support structure, each polyhedral indentation being configured to receive a base of one of the plurality of reservoirs, wherein a base of the support structure is arranged to rest on a planar surface.

12. The build material container of claim 11 , wherein the polyhedral indentations are regularly spaced in the upper portion.

13. The build material container of claim 11 , wherein the support structure is dimensioned to be accommodated within a base of a cuboid build material container.

14. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of each reservoir is in a top portion of the reservoir opposite the bottom portion having the sloping sides.

15. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion has a conical or pyramidal shape.

16. The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of each reservoir comprises a nozzle extending along the central longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

17. A build material container for a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
an external casing; and
a plurality of reservoirs within the external casing, each reservoir having an aspiration channel therein that is coupled to an outlet to supply powdered build material stored in the reservoir and a separate inlet structure to allow at least one of build material and gas into the reservoir, wherein the outlet and inlet each comprise separate openings in the reservoir;
wherein each of the plurality of reservoirs has a bottom portion with sloping sides angled toward a central longitudinal axis of the reservoir to form a vertex at an end of the aspiration channel opposite the outlet.

18. The build material container of claim 17 , wherein the external casing further comprises a base with a support structure to accommodate the vertices of the plurality of reservoirs while supporting the reservoirs within the external casing.

19. A build material container for a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
an external casing; and
a plurality of reservoirs within the external casing, each reservoir having an aspiration channel therein that is coupled to an outlet to supply powdered build material stored in the reservoir and a separate inlet structure to allow at least one of build material and gas into the reservoir, wherein the outlet and inlet each comprise separate openings in the reservoir;
wherein each of the plurality of reservoirs has a bottom portion with sloping sides angled toward a central longitudinal axis of the reservoir to form a vertex at an end of the aspiration channel opposite the outlet; and
further comprising folded stiffening members on top surfaces of a plurality of reservoirs and underneath the external casing.

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

• B29C64/357

  Recycling · CPC title

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B65D5/48

  Partitions · CPC title