Construction box for a rapid prototyping system

• US 8,951,033 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exone GMBH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exone GMBH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ludl, Herbert, Krabler, Bernd, Leinauer, Thomas, Hchsmann, Rainer, Mller, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US13/255,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20130004607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 425/182, 425/186, 425/174.4, 425/375, 425/472, 206/761, 312/319.8
• US Class Current: 425/186
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/02 Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/68 Cleaning or washing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/38 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/58 for changing the material composition, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/86 Serial processing with multiple devices grouped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 31/04 Feeding of the material to be moulded, e.g. into a mould cavity B29C39/08 takes precedence; using a material distribution system to two or more fixed injection moulds B29C45/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/232 for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/25 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

The invention relates to a construction box (200) comprising a front wall (220), a rear wall and two side walls (224, 226), which delimit a construction box interior that houses a height-adjustable construction platform (210). The construction box (200) has dedicated travelling gear (250) integrated in to the construction box for propelling said box (2000 between a construction position, in which the construction box (2000 is positioned within the frame (150) of the system (100) to allow the shaped body to be built up and an additional construction box position, such as a construction box unpacking position, in which the construction box (200) is propelled out of the frame (150) of the system (100) to permit the unpacking of the built-up shaped body.

Claims

1. A construction box for an installation for the layered construction of a shaped body by forming layers of construction material lying one upon another, on a construction platform, and by selectively solidifying a partial area of the respective construction material layer prior to forming the next layer, comprising:

a front wall, a rear wall and two lateral walls which together define a construction box interior space in which a construction platform is received, wherein a construction box travel drive is integrated in the construction box and configured to move the construction box between a construction box construction position in which the construction box is arranged in a frame of the installation for constructing the shaped body, and an additional construction box position.

2. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein the construction box travel drive integrated in the construction box is configured as an electric travel drive.

3. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein the additional construction box position of the construction box is a construction box unpacking position in which the construction box is moved out of the frame of the installation.

4. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein the construction box travel drive is configured to drive a gearwheel fixed to the construction box, which is coupled to the travel drive.

5. The construction box according to claim 4, wherein the gearwheel is arranged on a lower side of the construction box, and/or wherein the gearwheel is arranged with a vertical or horizontal wheel plane.

6. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein the construction box travel drive is arranged on the outer side of one of the construction box walls with a vertical drive axle.

7. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein at least one lateral guide roll is provided on each lateral side of the construction box.

8. The construction box according to claim 7, wherein the lateral guide rolls are fixed to a lower side of the construction box.

9. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein one of the two lateral walls comprises a tapering alignment recess.

10. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein the construction box has a pair of skids on a lower side.

11. The construction box according to claim 1, wherein the construction platform is height-adjustable and the construction box comprises a construction platform lift drive integrated in the construction box for lifting and lowering the construction platform.

12. The construction box according to claim 11, wherein the construction platform lift drive integrated in the construction box is formed as an electric travel drive, and/or wherein the construction platform lift drive is arranged on the outer side of one of the construction box walls.

13. An installation for the layered construction of a shaped body by forming layers of construction material lying one upon another and by selectively solidifying a partial area of the respective construction material layer prior to forming the next layer, comprising:

the construction box according to claim 1 and

a rail system, along which the construction box is movable between the construction box construction position and the additional construction box position by means of the construction box travel drive.

14. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the rail system comprises a rack oriented laterally, with which a gearwheel that is fixed to the construction box is engaged.

15. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the rail system comprises two guide rails on which lateral guide rolls are capable of rolling off laterally.

16. The installation according to claim 13, wherein an alignment member that is adjustable horizontally perpendicular to the moving direction of the construction box is attached to the frame of the installation, which comprises a tapering end portion that is laterally engaged with a recess of the lateral wall in the construction box construction position.

17. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the construction box is electrically connected to the installation by a drag chain with a central controller and/or a central electric power supply of the installation.

18. The installation according to claim 13, further comprising a housing surrounding the frame of the installation, wherein the housing comprises a construction box move-in/move-out opening through which the construction box is movable between the construction box construction position in which the construction box is arranged in the housing, and the additional construction box position in which the construction box is arranged outside the housing, and wherein the construction box move-in/move-out opening is closed by the rear side or the front side of the construction box in the construction box construction position.

19. An installation for the layered construction of a shaped body by forming layers of construction material lying one upon another and by selectively solidifying a partial area of the respective construction material layer prior to forming the next layer, comprising:

a rail system;

a first construction box according to claim 1, and

a second construction box according to claim 1,

wherein the first construction box is movable along the rail system between a first construction box unpacking position and a common construction box construction position,

wherein the second construction box is movable along the rail system between a second construction box unpacking position and the common construction box construction position, and

wherein the first construction box unpacking position and the second construction box unpacking position are arranged on opposite sides of the frame which on the opposite sides respectively comprises a construction box opening through which the respective construction box is movable.