Inlet for build material container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019105835-A1
Application number	US-201616088620-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples of an inlet to enable a forced air flow to enter a build material container in a 3D additive manufacturing system are described. In one case, the inlet has a structure having an inner face and an outer face forming at least one aperture through the structure through which forced air flows in use. The inlet has a longitudinal axis and the inner face and outer face are non-aligned along at least one axis which passes through each of inner face and the outer face and is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A build material container comprising:
an outlet through an outer surface of the build material container to enable build material to be extracted from the build material container; and an inlet through an outer surface of the build material container to enable a forced air flow to enter into the build material container in use, the inlet having a longitudinal axis and comprising: a structure having an inner face and an outer face forming at least one aperture through the structure through which forced air flows in use, wherein the inner face and outer face are non-aligned along at least one axis which passes through each of inner face and the outer face and is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

2 . The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the inlet is substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the build material container.

3 . The build material container of claim 1 , wherein each of the inner face and the outer face are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inlet.

4 . The build material container of claim 1 , the outer surface comprising a plane through which the longitudinal axis of the inlet projects, wherein each of the inner face and the outer face are substantially parallel to the plane of the outer surface.

5 . The build material container of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises:
a first element; and, a second element, wherein the first element comprises the outer face and the second element comprises the inner face, wherein the first element and second element disrupt an air flow entering into the build material container in use.

6 . The build material container of claim 5 , wherein the first element comprises a first aperture and the second element comprises a second aperture, wherein the first aperture is axially offset from the second aperture along an axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inlet.

7 . The build material container of claim 5 , wherein the first element has a first frame comprising a plurality of apertures in a first arrangement and the second element has a second frame comprising a plurality of apertures in a second arrangement.

8 . The build material container of claim 7 , wherein the first arrangement of apertures is substantially the same as the second arrangement of apertures.

9 . The build material container of claim 7 , wherein the first frame is rotated around the longitudinal axis of the inlet relative to the second frame, so that the apertures in the first frame are non-aligned with the corresponding apertures in the second frame.

10 . The build material container of claim 7 , wherein the first arrangement and second arrangement comprise at least one substantially hexagonal or trapezoidal aperture.

11 . The build material container of claim 5 , wherein the first element and second element are spaced apart longitudinally in the inlet.

12 . The build material container of claim 5 , wherein an air filter is supported between the first element and the second element.

13 . The build material container of claim 5 , wherein the inlet comprises an open end and the first element is arranged to releasably cover the open end of the inlet.

14 . A build material container comprising:
a reservoir to contain build material; an outlet structure to allow build material to be drawn from the reservoir; and an inlet structure to permit air to flow into the reservoir, the inlet structure comprising at least one aperture having an inlet face and an outlet face, wherein the inlet face and outlet face are arranged to create a rotational air flow passing through the inlet structure into the build container.

15 . A method of creating turbulent air flow in a 3D additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
applying a forced airflow to a powder output port of a build material container to induce an airflow through an inlet port of a build material container, wherein, the inlet port comprises an aperture having an inlet face and an outlet face, wherein the inlet face and outlet face are non-aligned to create a turbulent airflow passing through the inlet structure on entering into the inlet port.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Chanclon Fernandez Ismael
• Cabanes Jaime
• Jones Poppescou Ernesto Alejandro

Classifications

• B29C64/307

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

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B29C64/255 Primary

  Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers · CPC title

• B33Y40/10

  Pre-treatment · CPC title