# US 12,005,648 B2 · Apparatus and method to remove powder with flexible scraper blade and adjustable side nozzles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,648 B2 - Document ID: US12005648B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/074,173 - Filed: 2022-12-02 - Published: 2023-07-20 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-14 - Assignees: Sakuu Corporation - Applicants: Sakuu Corporation - Inventors: Morteza Vatani; Timothy Byman; Justin Carroll - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005648B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B08B 1/165: {Scrapers} - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/214: Doctor blades - B29C 64/227: Driving means - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B08B 5/04: Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action - B22F 12/67: Blades - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - 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 - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - 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) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - 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 - 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 ## Abstract An improved apparatus and method are provided to remove powder from a web, for example, in a 3D printing apparatus. A flexible blade is provided to contact and move across a first portion of the web located between adjacent portions of the web to scrape powder from the first portion without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions. A pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle are also provided to move with the flexible blade to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and a central region of the first portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for removing powder from a substrate that has the powder deposited thereon, comprising: a blade configured to contact and move across a first portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate to scrape the powder from the first portion without scraping the powder deposited on the adjacent portions; and a pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle, located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, wherein each edge vacuum nozzles and the central vacuum nozzle is configured to move with the blade to remove the powder from both edges of the first portion and a central region of the first portion, without removing the powder deposited on the adjacent portions, after the powder has been scraped by the blade. ### Claim 2 An apparatus for removing powder from a web that has the powder deposited thereon, comprising: a flexible blade configured to contact and move across a first portion of the web located between a second portion of the web, on one side of the first portion, and a third portion of the web, on a second side of the first portion, opposite the second portion, to remove the powder deposited on the first portion without removing the powder deposited on the second and third portions; and a pair of edge vacuum nozzles, configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion, comprised of a first edge vacuum nozzle located adjacent to a first edge of the flexible blade and adjacent to a boundary of the first and second portions of the web while the flexible blade moves across the first portion, and a second edge vacuum nozzle, located adjacent to a second edge of the flexible blade, opposite to the first edge of the flexible blade, and adjacent to a boundary of the first and third portions of the web while the flexible blade moves across the first portion, wherein the first and second edge vacuum nozzles are configured to respectively vacuum up the powder, scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a central vacuum nozzle located adjacent to the flexible blade and configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion, wherein the central vacuum nozzle is located between the first and second edge vacuum nozzles and is configured to vacuum up the powder scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion between the boundaries of the first portion with the second and third portions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a pair of plates located on opposite sides of the flexible blade and configured to sandwich the flexible blade between the pair of plates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pair of plates are each comprised of a material which is less flexible than the flexible blade. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flexible blade is located between the pair of plates in a manner to include a tip portion of the flexible blade which extends beyond lower edges of the pair of plates so that only the extending tip portion of the flexible blade contacts the first portion of the web. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flexible blade is comprised of a squeegee. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flexible blade, the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, the central vacuum nozzle and the pair of plates comprise a powder removal head, and wherein the powder removal head is coupled to an actuator arm configured to move the powder removal head across the first portion of the web. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the powder removal head is coupled to the actuator arm in a manner that allows the powder removal head to move in X and Y directions, and to rotate in angular directions relative to the web. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the powder removal head is coupled to the actuator arm in a manner that allows the powder removal head to move in a Z direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate is comprised of a flexible web. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade is flexible. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade is inflexible. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the blade is hinged at an end, opposite an end contacting the substrate, to allow for movement on the blade vertically above the surface of the substrate as the blade moves across a surface of the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each edge vacuum nozzle is configured to operate independently. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the edge vacuum nozzles comprises an aperture of variable diameter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an angle of orientation of each of the edge vacuum nozzles is configured to be independently adjustable with respect to the substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control system and one or more sensors associated with the edge vacuum nozzles; wherein data from the one or more sensors provides information to the control system, thereby facilitating dynamic adjustment of one or more of (1) the size of the diameter of the edge vacuum nozzles, (2) a vertical distance of the edge vacuum nozzles from the substrate, and (3) an angle of orientation of the edge vacuum nozzles with respect to the substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the data from the one or more sensors comprises one or more of: a width of the powder accumulated at least at one of edge of the first portion; or a height of the powder accumulated at least at one of the edges of the first portion. ### Claim 20 A method for removing powder from a substrate that has the powder deposited thereon, comprising: contacting and moving a blade across a first portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate to scrape the powder from the first portion without scraping the powder deposited on the adjacent portions; and removing the powder from both edges of the first portion and a central region of the first portion, without removing the powder deposited on the adjacent portions, after the powder has been scraped by the blade using a pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle, located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the blade, the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, and the central vacuum nozzle comprise a powder removal head, the method further comprising moving the powder removal head via an actuator arm across the first portion of the substrate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the blade is hinged at an end, opposite an end contacting the substrate, the method further comprising moving the blade vertically above a surface of the substrate as the blade moves across the surface of the substrate. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the central vacuum nozzle and each edge vacuum nozzle independently of one another. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising sensing data from the central vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzles via sensors associated with the central vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzles; wherein the data from the sensors provides information to a control system, to provide dynamic adjustment of one or more of: (1) a size of a diameter of one or more of the central vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzles; (2) a vertical distance of the one or more of the central vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzles from the substrate; and (3) an angle of orientation of at least one of the central vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzles with respect to the substrate. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the data from the one or more sensors comprises one or more of: a width of the powder accumulated at least at one of the edges of the first portion powder; or a height of the powder accumulated at least at one of the edges of the first portion; and a parameter of the powder.