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US 12,569,913 B2Granted
Energy beam directing device
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRobert John Filkins, Thomas Charles Adcock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An additive manufacturing machine and an energy beam system including an energy beam generator configured to output an energy beam through a first optical element along a first direction is provided. The energy beam system includes an optical translation system positioned to receive the energy beam through a steering optic. The steering optic is positioned within a translator apparatus. The translator apparatus is configured to translate the steering optic along a plane perpendicular to the first direction.
Claims19
An energy beam system comprising:
- an energy beam generator configured to output an energy beam through a first optical element along a first direction;
- an optical translation system comprising a steering optic and a translator apparatus, wherein the beam generator, the first optical element, and the steering optic are co-linear, wherein the optical translation system is positioned to receive the energy beam through the steering optic, and wherein the translator apparatus is configured to translate the steering optic along a plane that is non-parallel to the first direction to induce a first angular shift in the energy beam, the optical translation system configured to translate the steering optic along a first steering direction within the plane and a second steering direction within the plane, wherein the second steering direction is substantially perpendicular to the first steering direction;
- and
- first and second members connecting the energy beam generator to the optical translation system, wherein the first member connects a first point of the first optical element and a first point of the steering optic, and wherein the second member connects a second point of the first optical element and a second point of the steering optic, and wherein the first member and the second member each expand and contract to relatively position the steering optic with respect to the first optical element to induce a second angular shift in the energy beam, wherein the second angular shift is greater than the first angular shift.
1 more element
An energy beam system comprising:
- one or more energy beam generators configured to output a plurality of energy beams;
- a plurality of optical translation systems, wherein each of the plurality of optical translation systems comprises:
- a steering optic positioned to receive one of the plurality of energy beams from the one or more energy beam generators;
- and
- a translator apparatus configured to translate the steering optic along a plane to induce a first angular shift in the one of the plurality of energy beams received by the steering optic, the translator apparatus configured to translate the steering optic along a first steering direction within the plane and a second steering direction within the plane, wherein the second steering direction is substantially perpendicular to the first steering direction;
- and
- first and second members connecting the energy beam generator to the optical translation system, wherein the first member connects a first point of the first optical element and a first point of the steering optic, and wherein the second member connects a second point of the first optical element and a second point of the steering optic, and wherein the first member and the second member each expand and contract to relatively position the steering optic with respect to the first optical element to induce a second angular shift in the energy beam, wherein the second angular shift is greater than the first angular shift.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.