3-D printer with manifolds for gas exchange

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12194536-B2
Application number	US-201916678625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

Aspects are provided relating to additive manufacturing. In one aspect, an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional (3D) structure is described that includes a build chamber having a top portion with windows through which radiative energy from one or more sources is provided to the build chamber to produce the 3D structure, and one or more manifolds disposed within the build chamber. The manifolds are configured to perform a gas exchange within the build chamber, and each manifold is positioned above a region where envelopes of radiative energy from the one or more sources overlap. In another aspect, the manifolds are moved to a first position adjacent to the top portion of the build chamber during a first mode of operation and moved to a second position away from the top portion of the build chamber during a second mode of operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional (3D) structure, comprising:
a build chamber;
a powder bed in the build chamber;
at least one radiative energy system configured to generate a plurality of envelopes of radiative energy that overlap to form a first overlap region and a second overlap region within the build chamber;
a first manifold disposed within the build chamber, positioned above the first overlap region and including a first opening in a lowest portion of the first manifold and oriented toward the first overlap region, the first manifold being configured to supply clean gas to the build chamber to remove byproducts from the first overlap region; and
a second manifold disposed within the build chamber, positioned above the second overlap region and including a second opening in a lowest portion of the second manifold and oriented toward the second overlap region, the second manifold being configured to remove contaminated gas from the build chamber to remove byproducts from the second overlap region; and
a position mechanism to move the first and second manifolds vertically between a first position positioned adjacent the first and second overlap regions during a first mode of operation and away from the first and second overlap regions during a second mode of operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the build chamber further includes at least:
a first gas outlet configured to remove from the build chamber contaminated gas, or
a first gas inlet configured to introduce into the build chamber a clean gas.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the build chamber further includes at least:
a second gas outlet configured to remove from the build chamber the contaminated gas, or
a second gas inlet configured to introduce into the build chamber, as part of the gas exchange, the clean gas.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first manifold includes an elongated structure vertically positioned above the first overlap region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first manifold and the second manifold are separately disposed along a length of the build chamber such that each manifold performs a gas exchange for a different region of the build chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the build chamber comprises two or more windows through which radiative energy from the at least one radiative energy system is provided.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first manifold or the second manifold is configured to perform a gas exchange during a mode of operation of the build chamber, the mode of operation being at least a fusing mode or a re-coating mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first manifold or the second manifold is configured to move along a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, a rotational direction, or a combination thereof relative to a top portion of the build chamber.

9. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional (3D) structure, comprising:
a build chamber configured to contain a powder bed;
at least one radiative energy system configured to generate two different envelopes of radiative energy that overlap in an overlap region within the build chamber;
at least one manifold disposed within the build chamber, wherein the at least one manifold extends from a side of the powder bed to a position above the powder bed, the at least one manifold including a plurality of openings and configured to either transfer a clean gas supplied at the side of the powder bed to the plurality of openings above the powder bed or to transfer contaminated gas from the plurality of openings to the side of the powder bed; and
a position mechanism to move the at least one manifold vertically between a first position positioned adjacent the overlap region during a first mode of operation and away from the overlap region during a second mode of operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising one or more additional manifolds, wherein the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds are separately disposed along a length of the build chamber such that any two consecutive manifolds perform a gas exchange for a different region of the build chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising one or more additional manifolds, wherein the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds are positioned adjacent to a top portion of the build chamber during the first mode of operation and positioned away from the top portion of the build chamber during the second mode of operation, and
wherein one of fusing or re-coating is performed during the first mode of operation and a gas exchange is performed by the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds during the second mode of operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds are repositioned adjacent to the top portion of the build chamber in the first mode of operation after the gas exchange is performed during the second mode of operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds perform an additional gas exchange during the first mode of operation that is different from the gas exchange performed during the second mode of operation, the additional gas exchange comprising introducing an amount of clean gas that is larger than an amount of contaminated gas to be removed.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising one or more additional manifolds, wherein the at least one radiative energy system is disposed opposite the powder bed in the build chamber and provides radiative energy into the build chamber during the first mode of operation, wherein the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds are positioned adjacent to a top portion of the build chamber during the first mode of operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the top portion of the build chamber includes one or more windows through which the radiative energy from the at least one radiative energy system is provided, the apparatus further comprising a number of the manifolds that is one greater than a number of the one or more windows.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds are separately disposed along a length of the build chamber such that each of the one or more windows in the top portion of the build chamber is positioned between two consecutive manifolds.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising one or more additional manifolds,
wherein a first manifold of the one or more additional manifolds is disposed at an end of the build chamber and is configured to introduce clean gas,
a second manifold of the one or more additional manifolds is disposed at another end of the build chamber and is configured to remove contaminated gas, and
one or more remaining manifolds of the at least one manifold and the one or more additional manifolds are separately disposed between the ends of the build chamber and are configured to introduce the clean gas and to remove the contaminated gas.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein
the first manifold includes multiple gas inlets to introduce the clean gas,
the second manifold includes multiple gas outlets to remove the contaminated gas, and
the one or more remaining manifolds include additional gas inlets to introduce the clean gas and additional gas outlets to remove the contaminated gas.

19. The apparatus of c

Assignees

• Divergent Tech Inc

Inventors

• Tenhouten Broc William
• El Naga Eahab Nagi

Classifications

• B22F10/322

  of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction · CPC title

• B22F12/70

  Gas flow means · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F12/45

  Two or more · CPC title

• B22F10/77

  of gas · CPC title