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US 11,668,528 B2Granted
Transmitting and detecting light with optical fiber during sintering
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJohn Liebeskind, Andrew L. Van Brocklin, David Champion
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an example implementation, a sintering system includes optical fiber installed into a sintering furnace. A support structure inside the furnace is to support a token green object in a predetermined position and to hold a distal end of the fiber adjacent to the predetermined position. A light source is operably engaged at a proximal end of the fiber to transmit light through the fiber into the furnace. A light detector is operably engaged at the proximal end of the fiber to receive reflected light through the fiber that scatters off a surface of the token green object.
Claims14
A sintering system comprising:
- an optical fiber installed into a sintering furnace, the sintering furnace configured to hold a token green object and a green object as a same furnace load during a same sintering process, wherein the token green object represents the green object but is distinct from the green object;
- a support structure in the furnace sized and configured to support the token green object in a predetermined position that is separate from a position of the green object, the support structure configured to hold a distal end of the fiber adjacent to the predetermined position;
- a light source operably engaged at a proximal end of the fiber to transmit light through the fiber into the furnace
- a light detector operably engaged at the proximal end of the fiber to receive, via the fiber, reflected light scattered off a surface of the token green object;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the light source and the light detector, the controller configured to:
- determine a densification or shrinkage level of the green object based on the reflected light scattered off the surface of the token green object;
- and
- initiate a furnace cool down phase of the sintering furnace based on the densification or shrinkage level reaching a target level.
6 more elements
A method of sintering comprising:
- heating a sintering furnace while a token green object and a green object are in the sintering furnace, the sintering furnace being heated to a sintering temperature;
- transmitting light through an optical fiber and onto the token green object;
- detecting at least some of the transmitted light that returns from within the furnace through the optical fiber or another optical fiber;
- based on the detected light that returns from within the furnace, determining a densification or shrinkage level of the green object being sintered in the furnace;
- based on determining that the densification or shrinkage level of the green object reaches a predetermined densification or shrinkage level, determining that the green object being sintered in the furnace has come to a sintering endpoint;
- and,
- initiating a furnace cool down phase in response to the determining that the green object has come to the sintering endpoint.
4 more elements
A sintering system comprising:
- first optical fiber and a second optical fiber each extending from a proximal end outside a sintering furnace to a distal end inside the sintering furnace;
- a support structure to hold the distal ends of the optical fibers in fixed positions such that the distal end of the first optical fiber faces the distal end of the second optical fiber across a space to be occupied by a token green object;
- a light source to provide light into the furnace through the proximal end of the first optical fiber;
- a detector outside of the furnace, the detector configured to detect light exiting the proximal end of the second optical fiber when the token green object densifies during a sintering process to clear the space between the distal end of the first optical fiber and the distal end of the second optical fiber to permit transmission of the light from the first optical fiber, over the densified token green object, and through the second optical fiber, wherein the token green object is to block the light from entering the second optical fiber when the token green object is in a non-densified state;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- compare one or more values associated with the detected light to one or more predetermined target values, wherein the one or more values indicate one or more densification or shrinkage levels of the token green object, and wherein the one or more predetermined target values correspond to one or more predetermined densification or shrinkage levels;
- and
- initiate a furnace cool down phase in response to the one or more values reaching the one or more predetermined target values.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.