Support cleaning system

• US 9,592,539 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Dunn, Benjamin N., McDonough, Thomas J., Smith, Bryan L., Swanson, William J., Orrock, James E., Mosher, Claudia, Shay, Randall R., Skubic, Robert L., Zalusky, Martin G., Kozlak, David M., Goetzke, Jerome W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lorenzi, Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/984,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20110186081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 134/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/045 using perforated containers, e.g. baskets, or racks immersed and agitated in a liquid bath using perforated drums B08B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/08 the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect substances used, see the relevant classes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/102 with means for agitating the liquid by agitating the container B08B3/042, B08B3/044, B08B3/045, B08B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing

Abstract

An automated support cleaning system comprising a tank disposed within a housing and configured to circulate an aqueous cleaning solution to remove a support structure from a three-dimensional model.

Claims

1. A support removal system for removing an attached support structure from a three dimensional model, the support removal system comprising:

a housing having a lid;

a controller disposed at least partially within the housing;

a user interface in signal communication with the controller;

a tank disposed within the housing and having an interior volume configured to receive an aqueous fluid, wherein the interior volume comprises;

a reaction chamber accessible by opening the lid and configured to receive the three dimensional model with the attached support structure;

an agitation chamber capped by a mounting plate; and

a removal agent chamber separated from the reaction chamber by a first static porous barrier and separated from the agitation chamber by a second static porous barrier, and configured to receive a support removal composition that comprises an oxidizing agent, wherein the support removal composition is configured to dissolve in the aqueous fluid to produce an aqueous cleaning solution;

the first static porous barrier comprising;

a static first portion separating the reaction chamber and the agitation chamber, the static first portion comprising a first plurality of perforations configured to prevent the received three-dimensional model and support structure from entering the agitation chamber, but allow passthrough of the aqueous cleaning solution, and an opening below the first plurality of perforations; and

a second portion separating the reaction chamber and the removal agent chamber and comprising a second plurality of perforations configured to prevent the received three-dimensional model and support structure from entering the removal agent chamber, but allows passthrough of the aqueous cleaning solution;

the second static porous barrier oriented perpendicular to the first porous barrier, wherein the second porous barrier comprises a third plurality of perforations wherein the second static porous barrier separates the agitation chamber and the removal agent chamber, but allows passthrough of the aqueous cleaning solution through the third plurality of perforations;

a pump retained in the agitation chamber, the pump having rotary blades located in the agitation chamber and a shaft coupled to the blades and extending from the blades through the mounting plate wherein the plurality of blades are aligned with the opening in the first static portion of the first static porous barrier, and being configured to generate a current by forcing the aqueous cleaning solution through the opening to circulate the aqueous cleaning solution through the interior volume of the tank such that the aqueous cleaning solution flows in a loop from the reaction chamber to the removal agent chamber to the agitation chamber;

a drive motor coupled to the pump and configured to rotate the pump and wherein the drive motor is disposed outside of the interior volume of the tank and in signal communication with the controller, the drive motor being configured to operate based on commands from the controller;

an engagement mechanism disposed on the mounting plate and engaged with the pump shaft and the drive motor at locations outside of the interior volume of the tank, the engagement mechanism being configured to relay rotational power of the drive motor to the pump;

a heating element operably secured to an exterior surface of an outer sidewall of the tank and in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the outer sidewall of the tank and in signal communication with the controller, the heating element being configured to operably heat the aqueous cleaning solution retained in the tank based on commands from the controller; and

at least one temperature sensor in signal communication with the controller and configured to monitor a temperature of the aqueous cleaning solution retained in the tank.

2. The support removal system of claim 1 wherein the pump is an impeller pump, and further comprising an impeller housing disposed around the blades, the impeller housing having an inlet opening in the agitation chamber and the opening configured to direct fluids into the reaction chamber.

3. The support removal system of claim 1, wherein the removal agent chamber is configured to receive the support removal composition in an un-dissolved state, and wherein the second porous barrier is configured to prevent the support removal composition in the un-dissolved state from entering the agitation chamber.

4. The support removal system of claim 1, wherein the removal agent chamber is accessible by opening the lid.

5. The support removal system of claim 1, and further comprising:

a fluid inlet line extending through at least one wall of the tank;

an first valve in signal communication with the controller and configured to regulate flow through the fluid inlet line based on commands from the controller;

a fluid outlet line extending through at least one wall of the tank;

a second valve in signal communication with the controller and configured to regulate flow through the fluid outlet line based on commands from the controller; and

a fluid level sensor disposed at least partially within the interior volume of the tank and in signal communication with the controller, the fluid level sensor being configured to detect a plurality of fluid levels in the tank, wherein the controller is configured to issue commands to the first and second valves based upon fluid levels detected by the fluid level sensor.

6. The support removal system of claim 1, and further comprising:

a lid sensor in signal communication with the controller and configured to detect the presence of the lid while the lid is in a closed orientation; and

a latch mechanism in signal communication with the controller and configured to engage with the lid based on commands from the controller.

7. The support removal system of claim 6 wherein the latch mechanism comprises a pivoting latch and wherein the lid sensor detects the presence of the lid and causes the pivoting latch to engage with an opening in the lid to lock the lid in a closed position.

8. The support removal system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to pause a support removal operation when the lid sensor does not detect the presence of the lid.

9. The support removal system of claim 5, wherein the fluid level sensor includes at least two fluid level detection points for accommodating two or more different load sizes.

10. The support removal system of claim 5, wherein the fluid level sensor is configured to function as a safety sensor by controlling the function of the pump in response to a sensed fluid level below a selected level.

11. The support removal system of claim 5, wherein the fluid level sensor is configured to function as a safety sensor by controlling operation of the heating element in response to a sensed fluid level below a selected level.

12. The support removal system of claim 9, wherein the fluid level sensor includes three fluid level detection points wherein the level detection points indicate a empty fluid level, an intermediate fluid level and a full fluid level.

13. The support removal system of claim 2, and further comprising a pulley assembly configured to rotate the impeller to agitate the cleaning solution.

14. The support removal system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is an interactive control panel comprising at least one indicator.

15. The support removal system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is configured to receive a porous container comprising the three dimensional model and the support structure attached thereto.