# US 11,993,021 B2 · Liquid extraction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,021 B2 - Document ID: US11993021B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/267,387 - Filed: 2019-01-31 - Published: 2021-12-02 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-31 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Company - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Sergio Puigardeu Aramendia; Pol Morral Marti; Sergi Culubret Cortada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993021B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber - B22F 10/68: Cleaning or washing - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - F26B 21/37: Velocity of flow; Quantity of flow - B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder - B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) - B22F 12/17: to heat the build chamber or platform - B22F 12/70: Gas flow means - B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber - B29C 64/30: Auxiliary operations or equipment - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract According to one aspect, there is provided a method of removing liquid from a build chamber containing build material and liquid. The method comprises starting a liquid extraction process to extract liquid from the build chamber, and determining when a predetermined threshold of liquid has been removed from the build chamber, and thereby stopping the liquid extraction process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus to perform a liquid extraction process to extract liquid from a build chamber containing a build material and liquid, comprising: a liquid extraction system to evaporate liquid in the build chamber; a condenser to condense evaporated liquid into liquid; a condensed liquid measurement module; and a controller to determine when to stop the liquid extraction process based on the condensed liquid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an airflow generator to generate an airflow through a build chamber to evaporate liquid therein and to flow the airflow through the condenser. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condensed liquid measurement module comprises at least one of: a load cell, to allow a weight of the condensed liquid to be determined; a liquid level sensor to allow a volume of the condensed liquid to be determined; and a camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a vacuum pump to remove air or gas from the build chamber to reduce an air pressure within the build chamber to cause liquid evaporation and to draw the removed air or gas through the condenser. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to: start the liquid extraction process; and stop the liquid extraction process by when it determines that a rate at which liquid is condensed by the condenser falls below a predetermined rate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to: obtain an estimation of an amount of liquid present in the build chamber; start the liquid extraction process; and stop the liquid extraction process when it is determined that a predetermined percentage of the estimated amount of liquid has been condensed by the condenser.