Powder discharge unit, device, and method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object
AssigneeEOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
InventorsStefan Paternoster, Stefan Grünberger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A powder discharge unit for equipping and/or upgrading a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of building material in powder form includes a powder container for receiving building material in powder form and a filling chamber for filling in building material in powder form into the powder container. The powder discharge unit is configured to fluidise the building material in powder form in the powder container and the building material in powder form in the filling chamber independently of one another.
Claims12
A powder discharge unit for equipping and/or upgrading an apparatus for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of building material in powder form, wherein the apparatus includes a recoater movable across a build area for applying a layer of the building material to the build area and a solidification device for selectively solidifying the applied layer at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured and wherein the apparatus is configured and/or controlled to repeat the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object is completed, the powder discharge unit comprising:
- a powder container adapted to receive the building material in powder form;
- and
- a filling chamber adapted to fill the building material in powder form into the powder container, the powder container having an enclosed space within which powder is contained and further having an opening formed in a bottom portion of the powder container that communicates with the filling chamber and through which powder is conveyed into the powder container, the powder container and the filling chamber otherwise being isolated from each other except through the opening;
- a source of a fluidizing gas;
- a filling chamber gas inlet in a bottom of the filling chamber;
- a powder container gas inlet in a bottom of the powder container;
- and
- a supplier communicating the fluidizing gas to each of the gas inlets,
- wherein the building material in powder form contained in the powder container and the building material in powder form contained in the filling chamber are fluidised independently of one another.
A powder discharge unit in an apparatus for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of a powder building material, the apparatus including a recoater mounted for movement across a build area and applying consecutive layers of the building material to the build area, and a solidification device which selectively solidifys the applied layer at points corresponding to a respective cross-section of the object to be manufactured, with the steps of applying and selectively solidifying being repeated until the object is completed, the powder discharge unit comprising:
- a powder container which receives powder therein;
- and
- a filling chamber associated with the powder container into which powder is received through a filling chamber opening in an upper portion of the filling chamber, the powder container having an enclosed space within which powder is contained;
- the powder container further having a powder container opening formed in a bottom portion of the powder container communicating with the filling chamber and through which powder is conveyed into the powder container, the powder container and the filling chamber otherwise being isolated from each other except through the powder container opening;
- a source of a fluidizing gas;
- a filling chamber gas inlet in a bottom of the filling chamber;
- a powder container gas inlet in a bottom of the powder container;
- a supplier communicating fluidizing gas to each of the gas inlets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.