Build material power drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025170775-A1
Application number	US-202318840089-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2023
Priority date	Feb 21, 2022
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A drum for storing and processing build material powder includes a cylindrical body having a plurality of circumferential rings and a plurality of internal baffles. The first end of the cylindrical body is sealed by a first cap that is tapered to an orifice. The second end of the cylindrical body is sealed by a second cap. A gas inlet configured to receive an inflow of an inert gas and a gas outlet configured to exhaust used gas from an interior of the drum.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A drum for storing and processing build material powder, comprising:
a cylindrical body having a plurality of external circumferential rings and a plurality of internal baffles; at a first end of the cylindrical body, a first cap tapered to an orifice; at a second end of the cylindrical body, a second cap; and a gas inlet configured to receive an inflow of an inert gas and a gas outlet configured to exhaust used gas from an interior of the drum.

2 . The drum of claim 1 wherein the first cap is shaped as a conical frustum.

3 . The drum of claim 1 , wherein the second cap includes a rotation bar disposed on an exterior surface that is configured to interface with a rotation element of a curing station to rotate the drum around a longitudinal axis.

4 . The drum of claim 1 wherein the gas inlet is connected to a tube configured to deliver the inert gas to an area proximate to the second end of the cylindrical body.

5 . The drum of claim 1 wherein at least one of the gas inlet and the gas outlet are disposed through a rim between the cylindrical body and the first cap.

6 . The drum of claim 1 wherein the opening of the first cap is defined by a rim configured to interface with an end cap and a powder interface.

7 . The drum of claim 1 wherein an exterior of each of the cylindrical body, the first cap and the second cap are coated with a high-temperature paint pigmented to increase infrared heat transfer.

8 . The drum of claim 1 wherein one or more of the plurality of internal baffles is an L-shaped plate.

9 . The drum of claim 8 wherein a longitudinal width of the L-shaped plate is less than 25% of the mean diameter of the drum.

10 . The drum of claim 1 wherein the circumferential rings are configured to interface with a plurality of caster units.

11 . A drum for storing and processing build material powder, comprising:
a body including a plurality of features protruding from an exterior surface thereof and a plurality of internal baffles; the body being sealed at each end by an end cap, at least one of the end caps having an orifice and a shape selected to facilitate gravity feed of the build material powder from the drum when the drum is in a dispensing orientation.

12 . The drum of claim 11 wherein the orifice is configured to receive build material powder in a receiving orientation.

13 . The drum of claim 11 , further comprising a first gas interface and second gas interface, each providing a sealable gaseous connection between an interior of the body and an ambient environment.

14 . The drum of claim 11 wherein the body has a constant cross-section profile along a longitudinal axis.

15 . The drum of claim 11 wherein an exterior of each of the end caps are painted with a high-temperature paint pigmented to increase infrared heat transfer.

16 . The drum of claim 11 wherein one or more of the plurality of internal baffles is an L-shaped plate.

17 . The drum of claim 11 wherein a longitudinal surface of the L-shaped plate is sized to promote powder mixing during rotation of the drum about a longitudinal axis.

18 . The drum of claim 11 wherein the plurality of features protruding from the exterior surface are circumferential rings.

19 . The drum of claim 11 wherein the body is manufactured from a material selected from 316 Stainless Steel, 409 Stainless Steel, 420 Stainless Steel and Aluminum.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Zummo Peter
• Walkama Eric
• Downing Robert
• Hudelson George

Classifications

• B22F12/38

  Housings, e.g. machine housings · CPC title

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · 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

• B33Y30/00

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