3-dimensional object-forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021023788-A1
Application number	US-201816766930-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A 3dimensional object-forming apparatus is provided which may avoid lowering of irradiation efficiency of laser light due to fumes and so forth while avoiding lowering of quality of the formed object. A shroud 20 includes an inside partition wall portion 21 that demarcates an inside space S1 which extends from one end opening 202 to another end opening 206, and an outside partition wall portion 22 that opens in the other end opening 206 of a shroud 20 on an outside of the inside space S1 and demarcates, together with the inside partition wall portion 21, an outside space S2 which closes in a position closer to the one end opening 202 than the other end opening 206 of the shroud. A ventilation area of the inside space S1 in the other end opening 206 of the shroud 20 is larger than the ventilation area of the inside space S1 in an upstream portion closer to the one end opening 202 than the other end opening 206.

First claim

1 . A 3dimensional object-forming apparatus comprising:
a laser irradiation unit that has an optical system; a shroud that has an inside space which extends from one end opening to another end opening; and a protection member that is arranged in the one end opening of the shroud, configured to transmit laser light emitted from the laser irradiation unit through the inside space of the shroud and to pass the laser light through the other end opening to an external space of the shroud, and configured to isolate the laser irradiation unit from the inside space of the shroud, wherein a 3dimensional object is formed by repeating a process in which a powder layer formed in an object-forming area is irradiated with the laser light emitted from the laser irradiation unit through the inside space of the shroud while an irradiation position is changed by a driving mechanism, and powder which configures the powder layer is sintered or melt-solidified, the shroud includes: an inside partition wall portion which demarcates the inside space and in which an air supply port for supplying air to the inside space is provided at a position closer to the one end opening of the shroud than the other end opening of the shroud; and an outside partition wall portion which opens in the other end opening of the shroud on an outside of the inside space, and which demarcates, together with the inside partition wall portion, an outside space which closes in a position closer to the one end opening than the other end opening of the shroud, and is provided with an exhaust port for exhausting air from the outside space, a ventilation area of the inside space in the other end opening is larger than the ventilation area of the inside space in an upstream portion closer to the one end opening than the other end opening, and with respect to an extending direction of the inside space of the shroud, an end portion of the outside partition wall portion in the other end opening of the shroud is positioned farther than an end portion of the inside partition wall portion in the other end opening of the shroud.

2 . The 3dimensional object-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the ventilation area of the inside space intermittently or continuously increases from the upstream portion to the other end opening.

3 . The 3dimensional object-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the ventilation area of the inside space intermittently or continuously increases from a portion provided with the air supply port as the upstream portion to the other end opening.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The 3dimensional object-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the air supply port provided to the inside partition wall portion is configured to introduce inactive gas into the inside space and toward a route of the laser light.

6 . The 3dimensional object-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the exhaust port provided to the outside partition wall portion is provided in a position closer to the one end opening than the other end opening of the shroud.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimoda Akio
• Takahashi Keisuke
• Kawai Kazunori
• Echigo Takaharu

Classifications

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• B22F10/77

  of gas · CPC title

• B22F10/322

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

• B22F3/101

  Changing atmosphere · CPC title

• B29C64/30

  Auxiliary operations or equipment · CPC title