Nozzle device and additive manufacturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017282297-A1
Application number	US-201515509413-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A nozzle device includes three or more rail members, three or more slider members, three or more arm members, a nozzle portion, and a drive mechanism. The three or more rail members each includes rails parallel with each other. The three or more slider members are connected to the rail members to be movable along the rails, respectively. The three or more arm members are connected to the slider members, and movably and rotatably supported in the rail members through the slider members, respectively. The nozzle portion is rotatably connected to the three or more arm members to inject a material and emit an energy beam. The drive mechanism includes at least five actuators that set one of a relative position and a relative angle between each of combinations of two mutually connected elements among the rail members, the slider members, the arm members, and the nozzle portion.

First claim

1 . A nozzle device for an additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
three or more rail members each including rails parallel with each other; three or more slider members connected to the rail members to be movable along the rails, respectively; three or more arm members connected to the slider members, and movably and rotatably supported in the rail members through the slider members, respectively; a nozzle portion rotatably connected to the three or more arm members to inject a material and emit an energy beam; and a drive mechanism including at least five actuators that set one of a relative position and a relative angle between each of combinations of two mutually connected elements among the rail members, the slider members, the arm members, and the nozzle portion.

2 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actuators of the drive mechanism include a first actuator that sets a relative position between the rail members and the slider members.

3 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the actuators of the drive mechanism include a second actuator that sets a relative angle between the rail members and the arm members.

4 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the rail members are rotatably provided about a rotation axis extending along the rails.

5 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
a distance between first connections and second connections is changeable, the first connections being connections between the arm members and the slider members, the second connections being connections between the arm members and the nozzle portion, and the actuators of the drive mechanism include a third actuator that sets a relative position between the first connections and the second connections.

6 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the arm members are movably connected to the slider members.

7 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the three or more rail members are positioned to surround an object while jetted with the material and irradiated with the energy beam during manufacturing.

8 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the arm members is provided with a passage for the material, and at least one of the arm members is provided with a transmission path for the energy beam.

9 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
positions of the three or more rail members are changeable.

10 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the nozzle includes at least part of a cooler that cools the material irradiated with the energy beam.

11 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the material is powder.

12 . The nozzle device according to claim 1 , wherein
the material is a linear material.

13 . An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
the nozzle device according to claim 1 ; an energy beam source; and a material feed device.

14 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the energy beam is a light beam, the energy beam source is a light source, and the light source supplies the light beam to the nozzle through an optical fiber.

15 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the material feed device includes a tube, and the material is fed to the nozzle through the tube.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ohno Hiroshi

Classifications

• B22F10/50

  Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up · CPC title

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B22F12/58

  for changing the material composition, e.g. by mixing · CPC title

• B22F12/22

  Driving means · CPC title

• B22F10/36

  of energy beam parameters · CPC title