Removable cassette for 3D printers
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJames Elmer Abbott, Jr., David A. Champion, Chris Paul Schodin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In example implementations, an apparatus includes a housing, a movable base, a tab portion and a coupling mechanism. The housing is comprised of a microwave transparent material. The movable base is coupled to the housing to receive build material that is digitally printed. The tab portion is coupled to a bottom portion of at least one wall of the housing. The tab portion stops the movable base. The coupling mechanism is coupled to the housing to removably attach the apparatus to a three dimensional printer.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having an interior space where an object is formed from layers of build material, the housing being comprised of a microwave transparent material, the microwave transparent material arranged so as to admit microwave radiation from an exterior of the housing into the interior space where an object is formed;
- a movable base coupled to the housing to receive the layers of build material;
- a tab portion coupled to a bottom portion of at least one wall of the housing, wherein the tab portion stops the movable base;
- and
- a coupling mechanism coupled to the housing to removably attach the apparatus to a three dimensional printer.
A method, comprising:
- providing a layer of build material into a removable cassette;
- digitally printing a liquid functional material (LFM) on portions of the layer of build material in the removable cassette;
- repeating the providing and the digitally printing without applying energy to the LFM to define a structure in layers of build material in the removable cassette;
- removing the removable cassette from a three dimensional printer;
- placing the removable cassette into a furnace;
- and
- fusing the portions of the layers of build material that is digitally printed to form the structure in the removable cassette.
A three dimensional printer, comprising:
- a liquid functional material (LFM) dispenser;
- a build material dispenser and spreader;
- a removable cassette;
- an interface to receive the removable cassette, wherein an interior space of the removable cassette receives layers of build material and LFM in each layer of the layers of build material to digitally print a structure, the removable cassette formed of microwave transparent material that is arranged so as to admit microwave radiation from an exterior of the cassette into the interior space where an object is formed;
- and
- a controller in communication with the LFM dispenser, the build material dispenser and spreader and a movable base of the removable cassette to control dispensing of the layers of build material, dispensing of LFM and movement of the movable base without applying energy between each one of the layers of build material that is dispensed and digitally printed with a liquid functional material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.