US 2024/0181704 A1 · POWDER HOPPER FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

Abstract

A hopper for dispensing powder material for an additive manufacturing system includes a gate that is movable along a first direction to open and close a discharge slot and which is pivotable about a pivot axis transverse to the first direction. The first direction can be a horizontal direction and the pivot axis can be parallel to a vertical direction. The gate can have a portion that contacts the hopper, e.g., at a surface including the discharge slot, and is elastically deformed with movement from the open to the closed position.

Claims40

Dependent claims

A powder hopper for dispensing a powder material for an additive manufacturing system, the hopper comprising:

a hopper body defining a space to hold the powder material and including a discharge slot from which the powder material is dispensable;
and
a gate movable relative to the hopper body to open and close the discharge slot, the gate being movable relative to the hopper body along a first direction and pivotable about a pivot axis that is transverse to the first direction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/524,150Filed 30 Nov 2023

Priority

1 Dec 2022

Published

6 Jun 2024

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B29C 64/329
Feeding: using hoppers
B22F 12/52
Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads: hoppers
B29C 64/153
Using only solid materials: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
B29C 64/255
Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor: enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers

Powder hopper for additive manufacturing system

Life of this patent

Powder hopper for additive manufacturing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims40