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US 7,296,599 B2Granted
Pneumatic powder transport system
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorBrian D. Cox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for pneumatic powder transfer from a powder supply container to applications such as laser sintering systems. The method and apparatus use both constant and cyclic flows of a pressurized gas to fluidize and convey powders without the need for any tilting unloading stands, vibration or other mechanical working of the powder.
Claims17
An apparatus for producing three-dimensional articles from a powder comprising:
- (a) a process chamber within the apparatus in which a layerwise build process is performed to produce three-dimensional objects;
- (b) a feed line into the apparatus for feeding powder into the process chamber;
- (c) a powder-processing unit connected to the feed line;
- and
- (d) a pneumatic powder transfer system connected to the powder-processing unit for transporting virgin powder to the powder-processing system;
- wherein the pneumatic powder transfer system comprises:
- i. a container for the virgin powder, said container having an inlet port located in the bottom region of the container for introducing compressed gas into the container and an outlet port located in the bottom center for removing fluidized virgin powder from the container;
- ii. a first compressed gas supply line to supply gas for fluidizing and transporting the virgin powder from the container through the outlet port;
- and
- iii. a line for connecting the outlet port to the powder-process unit.
7 more elements
An apparatus for producing three-dimensional articles from a powder comprising:
- (a) a process chamber within the apparatus in which a layerwise build process is performed to produce three-dimensional objects;
- (b) a feed line into the apparatus for feeding powder into the process chamber;
- and
- (c) a pneumatic powder transfer system connected to the feed line for transporting virgin powder into the process chamber;
- wherein the pneumatic powder transfer system comprises:
- i. a container for the virgin powder, said container having an inlet port located in the bottom region of the container for introducing compressed gas into the container and an outlet port located in the bottom center for removing fluidized virgin powder from the container;
- ii. a first compressed gas supply line to supply gas for fluidizing and transporting the virgin powder from the container through the outlet port;
- and
- iii. a line for connecting the outlet port to the process chamber.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.