Generating three-dimensional objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016339640-A1
Application number	US-201415112141-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Jan 16, 2014
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A build module is provided. The build module may include a housing and a build material chamber in the housing to hold build material. The build module may include a build chamber in the housing. The build material chamber may be beneath the build chamber or next to the build chamber. The build chamber may include a moveable support member to receive successive layers of the build material from a build material distributor. The build module may be removably insertable into a build receiver of an additive manufacturing system to allow the additive manufacturing system to solidify a portion the successive layers to be received onto the movable support member.

First claim

1 . A build module comprising:
a housing; a build material chamber in the housing to hold build material; and a build chamber in the housing, the build material chamber beneath the build chamber, the build chamber comprising a moveable support member to receive successive layers of the build material from a build material distributor, the build module being removably insertable into a build receiver of an additive manufacturing system to allow the additive manufacturing system to solidify a portion of the successive layers to be received onto the movable support member.

2 . The build module of claim 1 further comprising the build material distributor to provide the successive layers of build material from the build material chamber onto the support member of the build chamber.

3 . The build module of claim 2 further comprising a motor to drive the build material distributor.

4 . The build module of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a first fastening member to couple to a second fastening member of the build module to lock the build module in the housing.

5 . The build module of claim 1 wherein the build module is to be removably inserted into the build receiver generally laterally.

6 . A build module comprising:
a housing; a build material chamber in the housing to hold build material; and a build chamber in the housing, the build chamber comprising a moveable support member to receive successive layers of the build material from a build material distributor, a computer-readable medium in the housing, the computer-readable medium comprising build module data representing a feature of the build module, the build module being removably insertable into a build volume of an additive manufacturing system to allow the additive manufacturing system to solidify a portion of the successive layers to be received onto the movable support member.

7 . The build module of claim 6 wherein a controller in the additive manufacturing system is to control at least one of:
providing the build material by the build material distributor to the build chamber; and
selective delivering of coalescing agent by an agent distributor to the build material based on the build module data.

8 . The build module of claim 6 wherein the feature comprises a type of the build material to be held in the build chamber.

9 . The build module of claim 8 further comprising a sensor to detect the type of the build material.

10 . The build module of claim 6 wherein the feature is received in the computer-readable medium as input from a user.

11 . A build module for an additive manufacturing system, the build module comprising:
a housing; a build material chamber in the housing to hold build material; and a build chamber in the housing, the build chamber comprising a moveable support member to receive successive layers of the build material from a build material distributor, the build module being removably insertable into a build volume of an additive manufacturing system at a same time as another such build module to allow the additive manufacturing system to solidify a portion of the successive layers to be received onto the movable support member.

12 . The build modules of claim 11 wherein the build material distributor is part of the additive manufacturing system in which the build module is removably insertable.

13 . The build modules of claim 11 wherein the build material chamber comprises a moveable support member to hold the build material.

14 . The build modules of claim 11 wherein the build module is to be removably inserted into the build volume generally laterally.

15 . The additive manufacturing system to removably receive the build module of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Juan Fernando
• De Pena Alejandro Manuel
• Comas Esteve
• Davis Edward Dale

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29K2105/251

  Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046) · CPC title

• B29C64/165

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

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