Build material recovery for a three-dimensional (3D) printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11806936-B2
Application number	US-202217737284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2022
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A build material recovery system for a three-dimensional (3D) printer can include a selective solidification device to create a 3D object using build material, a build processing device to separate the 3D object from unfused build material, a material separating and conditioning device to condition the unfused build material, and a material storage device to store the conditioned build material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A build material recovery device for a three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising:
a material separating and conditioning device configured to iteratively, until a threshold preparation status is met:
condition unfused build material separated from a 3D object created at the printer; and
classify the unfused build material.

2. The build material recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the material separating and conditioning device is further configured to separate materials by separating the unfused build material from air.

3. The build material recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the material separating and conditioning device is further configured to separate materials by removing particles exceeding a size threshold from the unfused build material.

4. The build material recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the material separating and conditioning device is further configured to condition the unfused build material using at least one of cooling, deionizing, de-agglomerating, humidifying, and drying of the unfused build material.

5. The build material recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the material separating and conditioning device is further configured to:
remove, from the unfused build material, contaminants introduced from outside sources; and
collect waste material subsequent to removal of contaminants from the unfused build material.

6. The build material recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the material separating and conditioning device is located within a build chamber with a selective solidification device and a build processing device.

7. The build material recovery device of claim 1 , wherein the material separating and conditioning device is configured to recover the unfused build material as the unfused build material is separated from the 3D object.

8. A build material recovery system for a three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising:
a material separating and conditioning device configured to iteratively, until a threshold preparation status is met:
condition the unfused build material;
remove, from the unfused build material, contaminants introduced from outside sources; and
remove build material of a size outside the threshold preparation status from the unfused build material; and

a transport device configured to:
mix the separated and conditioned build material with fresh build material at a particular ratio; and
transport the mixed build material to a selective solidification device.

9. The build material recovery system of claim 8 , wherein the selective solidification device is located within a build chamber with the material separating and conditioning device.

10. The build material recovery system of claim 8 , further comprising a build material storage device configured to store the separated and conditioned build material prior to transportation.

11. The build material recovery system of claim 8 , further comprising a build processing device configured to use airflow and vibration to separate a 3D object from the unfused build material.

12. The build material recovery system of claim 8 , wherein the transport device is configured to transport build material throughout the build material recovery system pneumatically.

13. The build material recovery system of claim 8 , further comprising material storage devices configured to dose the fresh build material.

14. The build material recovery system of claim 8 , further comprising a 3D object recovery zone for 3D object recovery subsequent to the unfused material separation.

15. A method for build material recovery for a three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising:
preparing unfused building material, comprising iteratively:
conditioning the unfused build material;
classifying the unfused build material; and
removing, from the unfused build material, contaminants introduced from outside sources; and

in response to reaching a threshold preparation status, transporting the prepared build material to a material storage device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising transporting prepared build material from the material storage device for use in selective solidification of a 3D object.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising mixing the prepared build material with fresh build material during the transporting.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising collecting waste material subsequent to classifying the unfused build material.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method is performed automatically.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conditioning the unfused build material comprises at least one of cooling, deionizing, de-agglomerating, humidifying, and drying of the unfused build material.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Schalk Wesley R
• Roman Justin M
• West Randall
• Winburne Robert Lawrence

Classifications

• B29C64/357 Primary

  Recycling · CPC title

• B29B17/0005

  Direct recuperation and re-use of scrap material during moulding operation, i.e. feed-back of used material · CPC title

• B29C64/307 Primary

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

• B33Y40/00

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

• B33Y40/10

  Pre-treatment · CPC title