DIRECT METAL LASER SINTERED FLOW CONTROL ELEMENT
First Claim
1. A flow control element comprising:
- an element body having a bore formed therethrough and defining inner and outer peripheral surfaces with a plurality of tortuous flow passages extending radially therebetween;
wherein;
the flow control element is configured as a unitary structure formed from sintered layers of powdered material; and
each of the flow passages extends through the flow control element along at least two axes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flow control element comprises a cylindrical element body having a bore formed therethrough. The cylindrical element body may include inner and outer peripheral surfaces and define a plurality of tortuous flow passages which extend between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces. The flow control element is formed as a unitary structure wherein the flow passages are oriented along at least two axes. The flow control may be formed by direct to metal laser sintering wherein successive layers of powdered metallic material are solidified by applying laser energy to the selected portions until the flow element is formed as a unitary structure with a plurality of flow passages extending therethrough. The laser energy is selectively applied to the powdered metallic material according to a computer model of the flow control element.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A flow control element comprising:
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an element body having a bore formed therethrough and defining inner and outer peripheral surfaces with a plurality of tortuous flow passages extending radially therebetween; wherein; the flow control element is configured as a unitary structure formed from sintered layers of powdered material; and each of the flow passages extends through the flow control element along at least two axes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of fabricating a flow control element comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a layer of powered metallic material; (b) applying laser energy to portions of the layer of powdered metallic material until the portions solidify; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) with successive layers of powered metallic material until the flow control element is formed as a unitary structure with a plurality of flow passages formed therein. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A flow control element comprising:
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an element body having at least one tortuous flow passage extending axially therethrough along at least two axes; wherein; the element body is formed of successively applied layers of powdered material, the layers being successively sintered to unitize the element body. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification