Build material recycling system of a three-dimensional (3d) printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019202128-A1
Application number	US-201716075805-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2017
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Jul 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some examples, a build material recycling system of a three-dimensional (3D) printer can include a build material transport system of the 3D printer, a build material recycling device of the 3D printer that includes a fluidizing membrane and is connected to the build material transport system, and a recycled build material hopper of the 3D printer connected, via the build material

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A build material recycling system of a three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising:
a build material transport system of the 3D printer; a build material recycling device of the 3D printer that includes a fluidizing membrane and is connected to the build material transport system; and a recycled build material hopper of the 3D printer connected, via the build material transport system, to the build material recycling device.

2 . The build material recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the recycled build material hopper provides build material recycled by the build material recycling device for use in a build process by the 3D printer.

3 . The build material recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the build material transport system is connected to a build material removal device.

4 . The build material recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the build material transport system is connected to a porous build platform.

5 . The build material recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the build material recycling device includes a chamber to recondition build material when the build material is received by the build material recycling device.

6 . A build material recycling system of a three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising:
a pneumatic build material transport system of the 3D printer connected to a build area of the 3D printer; a build material recycling device of the 3D printer to:
receive non-solidified build material from the build area via the pneumatic build material transport system; and
recondition the received non-solidified build material via a fluidizing membrane of the build material recycling device;
a recycled build material hopper of the 3D printer to:
receive, via the pneumatic build material transport system, the reconditioned non-solidified build material from the build material recycling device; and
transport, via the pneumatic build material transport system, the reconditioned non-solidified build material to a build platform in the build area.

7 . The build material recycling system of claim 6 , wherein the reconditioned build material is transported from the recycled build material hopper to the build area of the 3D printer via the pneumatic build material transport system to be used in a 3D build process by the 3D printer.

8 . The build material recycling system of claim 6 , wherein the build material recycling device reconditions the received non-solidified build material by percolating conditioned gas through the fluidizing membrane of the build material recycling device into the received non-solidified build material.

9 . The build material recycling system of claim 6 , wherein:
the build area includes a build material removal device to collect incidental non-solidified build material; and the incidental non-solidified build material is transported to the build material recycling device via the pneumatic build material transport system.

10 . The build material recycling system of claim 6 , wherein:
the build area includes a porous build platform to collect unused and non-solidified build material; and the unused and non-solidified build material is transported to the build material recycling device via the pneumatic build material transport system.

11 . A method, comprising:
recovering, from a build area of a three-dimensional (3D) printer, non-solidified build material; transporting, by a pneumatic build material transport system, the non-solidified build material to a build material recycling device of the 3D printer; reconditioning, by the build material recycling device, the non-solidified build material by percolating conditioned gas through the non-solidified build material via a fluidizing membrane included in the build material recycling device; transporting, by the pneumatic build material transport system, the reconditioned non-solidified build material from the build material recycling device to a recycled build material hopper of the 3D printer; and transporting, by the pneumatic build material transport system, the reconditioned non-solidified build material from the recycled build material hopper to the build area for use in a build process by the 3D printer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the method includes transporting the non-solidified build material in the pneumatic build material transport system as a gas and build material mixture.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein recovering the non-solidified build material from the build area includes pulling non-solidified build material from a porous build platform of the build area by the pneumatic build material transport system.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein recovering the non-solidified build material from the build area includes vacuuming incidental non-solidified build material from the build area by the pneumatic build material transport system.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the method includes at least one of recovering the non-solidified build material:
during a 3D build process of the 3D printer; and
after a 3D build process of the 3D printer.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Winburne Robert Lawrence
• West Randall
• Wang Nicholas
• Sosnowski Luke P

Classifications

• B29C64/357 Primary

  Recycling · CPC title

• B29C64/307

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

• B29C64/25

  Housings, e.g. machine housings · CPC title

• B29C31/02

  Dispensing from vessels, e.g. hoppers {(into a mould cavity B29C31/04; large containers characterised by discharge means B65D88/28, B65D88/54)} · CPC title

• B22F10/73

  of powder · CPC title