Interchangeable Container

• US 20080053998A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exone GMBH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prometal RCT GmbH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stachulla, Martin, Schrupp, Uli, Marschner, Udo, Muller, Alexander, Hochsmann, Rainer, Huhn, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/287
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting

Abstract

An interchangeable container (10) for a system for building a mold body by forming superimposed layers of granular material, the granular material locally and selectively hardened layer by layer, the container including a bottom structure (14) that is displaceable in the interior of the container in a direction in parallel with the container side walls, the container further including at least one spindle drive comprising a vertical screw spindle (20) which is rotatably mounted in a container side of the container (10), and a spindle screw nut (22) on which the bottom structure (14) is supported, such that the bottom structure can be lowered step by step in the interior of the container by means of the spindle drive.

Claims

1. An interchangeable container for a system for building a mold body by forming superimposed layers of granular material, the granular material locally and selectively hardened layer by layer, the container comprising:

at least one pair of side walls;

a bottom structure that is displaceable in the interior of the container in a direction in parallel with said side walls; and

at least one spindle drive comprising

a vertical screw spindle which is rotatably mounted in a container side of the container, and

a spindle screw nut on which the bottom structure is supported, such that the bottom structure can be lowered step by step in the interior of the container by means of the spindle drive.

2. The Interchangeable container according to claim 1, wherein the screw spindle further comprises a drive clutch for detachably coupling with a stationary stepping motor.

3. The interchangeable container according to claim 2, wherein a curtain is attached to the bottom structure along the container side on which the screw spindle is arranged, the curtain deviated by means of rolls on a upper side of the container and adjustably drawn down in correspondence with the lowering motion of the bottom structure.

4. The interchangeable container according to claim 1, wherein in a lower container portion, preferably in the container side comprising the screw spindle, a stepping motor is integrated into the container, the stepping motor being coupled by means of a transmission member with the screw spindle.

5. The interchangeable container according to claim 4, wherein a curtain is attached to the bottom structure along the container side on which the screw spindle is arranged, the curtain deviated by means of rolls on a upper side of the container and adjustably drawn down in correspondence with the lowering motion of the bottom structure.

6. The interchangeable container according to claim 1, wherein a curtain is attached to the bottom structure along the container side on which the screw spindle is arranged, the curtain deviated by means of rolls on a upper side of the container and adjustably drawn down in correspondence with the lowering motion of the bottom structure.