Metering build material in three-dimensional (3D) printing using a tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11931767-B2
Application number	US-201815956467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A metering apparatus and corresponding method meter a powder material in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system. The metering apparatus comprises a hopper with walls configured to contain a powder material, a metering roller, and a tool. The metering roller is located beneath an opening of the hopper. The metering roller and a given wall of the walls of the hopper are spaced apart by a gap therebetween at the opening; the gap in combination with rotation of the metering roller causes the powder material to flow from under the given wall of the hopper at a substantially predictable rate. The tool is positioned at the given wall where the flow emerges and is configured to force the powder material off of the metering roller to supply the 3D printing system with the powder material for printing a 3D object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of a three-dimensional binder jet printer for metering flow of a metal powder, the apparatus comprising:
a hopper having a plurality of walls defining a downstream opening;
a roller disposed downstream of the plurality of walls and spaced apart from the opening of the hopper by a predetermined distance so as to form an unobstructed gap between the opening and the roller, wherein, when the hopper contains the metal powder, the predetermined distance between the opening of the hopper and the roller is such that rotation of the roller is configured to facilitate flow and metering of the metal powder out of the opening and underneath a first wall of the plurality of walls of the hopper to dispense a metered amount of the metal powder onto a powder bed and ceasing rotation of the roller is configured to inhibit flow of the metal powder out of the opening and underneath the first wall; and
a leveler disposed between the rotatable device and the powder bed, the leveler being configured to move along a surface of the powder bed to follow the roller and to contact the dispensed metal powder.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tool spaced apart from the roller, wherein the tool is configured to span a length of the roller and to contact a surface of the roller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tool spaced apart from the roller, wherein the tool is at least one of a sheet, a wire, a brush, a blade, an air knife, or a razor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the roller is roughened.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the roughened surface includes one or more of a plurality of grooves, a plurality of knurl es, or an abrasive material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tool spaced apart from the roller, wherein the tool is flexible.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls of the hopper further includes a second wall, and wherein the first wall is parallel to the second wall.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls of the hopper further includes a second wall, and wherein a first distance between the first wall and the second wall at an upstream end of the hopper is greater than a second distance between the first wall and the second wall at the opening of the hopper.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tool spaced apart from the roller and a motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the tool.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first wall is coupled to an actuator configured to vibrate the first wall.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is coupled to a mechanical component mounted to the first wall and is configured to cause lateral motion of the first wall via the mechanical component.

12. The metering apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mechanical component is a push rod and the actuator is a linear voice coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roller overlaps the first wall in a vertical direction.

14. An apparatus of a three-dimensional binder jet printer for metering flow of a metal powder, the apparatus comprising:
a hopper including a plurality of walls defining an upstream opening, a downstream opening, and a flow path therebetween;
a roller positioned downstream of the downstream opening and spaced apart from the hopper so as to form a gap between the downstream opening and the roller, wherein, when the hopper contains the metal powder, a height of the gap is configured to facilitate flow and metering of the metal powder out of the downstream opening, underneath a first wall of the plurality of walls of the hopper, and directly onto the roller only when the roller is rotating; and
a tool configured to engage the roller.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a powder bed configured to receive the metal powder from the roller during printing of a three-dimensional object, wherein the hopper, the roller, and the tool are configured to move along a surface of the powder bed from a first side to a second side, opposite the first side, and back to the first side, and wherein the powder bed is configured to move vertically away from the apparatus after each successive movement of the hopper, the roller, and the tool from the first side to the second side and from the second side to the first side.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a leveler disposed between the roller and the powder bed, the leveler being configured to move along the surface of the powder bed to follow the roller and to level dispensed metal powder.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the tool is at least one of a sheet, a wire, a brush, a blade, an air knife, or a razor.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a surface of the roller includes one or more of a plurality of grooves, a plurality of knurl es, or an abrasive material.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the tool is flexible.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of walls of the hopper further includes a second wall, and wherein the first wall is parallel to the second wall.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of walls of the hopper further includes a second wall, wherein a first distance between the first wall and the second wall at an upstream end of the hopper is greater than a second distance between the first wall and the second wall at the downstream opening of the hopper.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the tool in a direction opposite a rotational direction of the roller.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first wall is coupled to an actuator configured to vibrate the first wall.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a leveler disposed between the roller and the powder bed, the leveler configured to move along a surface of the powder bed to level the metal powder received from the metering apparatus.

25. An apparatus of a three-dimensional binder jet printer for metering flow of a metal powder, the metering apparatus comprising:
a hopper having a plurality of walls and defining a downstream opening, wherein at least two of the plurality of walls are parallel to one another;
a roller positioned downstream of the downstream opening in a vertical direction and spaced apart from the hopper so as to define a gap between the downstream opening and the roller, wherein the downstream opening faces the roller, and wherein, when the hopper contains the metal powder, a height of the gap is such that rotation of the roller is configured to facilitate flow and metering of the metal powder out of the downstream opening and underneath a first wall of the plurality of walls of the hopper, and ceasing rotation of the roller is configured to inhibit flow of the metal powder out of the downstream opening and underneath the first wall; and
a tool configured to engage the roller.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the tool is at least one of a sheet, a wire, a brush, a blade, an air knife, or a razor.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the hopper includes at least one wall coupled to an actuator configured to vibrate the at least one wall.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising a movable belt contacting the roller and configured to be moved by the roller, wherein the meta

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Sachs Emanuel M
• Zero Midnight

Classifications

• B05C19/04 Primary

  the particulate material being projected, poured or allowed to flow onto the surface of the work (B05C19/02 takes precedence; involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B ){(B05C19/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B22F3/004

  Filling molds with powder (feeding material to presses in general B30B15/302) · CPC title

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B22F12/17

  to heat the build chamber or platform · CPC title

• B22F12/222

  for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer · CPC title