Method and device for applying fluids

• US 8,096,262 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Original Assignee: Ingo Ederer, Kaveh Kashani-Shirazi
• Inventors: Ederer, Ingo, Kashani-Shirazi, Kaveh
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan, Dah-Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Capozzi, Charles
• Application Number:
  US10/597,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20080260945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 118/415, 118/413, 118/305, 118/57, 118/126, 118/308, 118/56, 427/212
• US Class Current: 118/308
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 19/04 the particulate material being projected, poured or allowed to flow onto the surface of the work B05C19/02 takes precedence; involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B B05C19/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 19/06 Storage, supply or control of the application of particulate material; Recovery of excess particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/26 performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/22 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/57 Metering means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/60 Planarisation devices; Compression devices
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/004 Filling molds with powder feeding material to presses in general B30B15/302
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/12 Spreading-out the material on a substrate , e.g. on the surface of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/52 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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 64/343 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

This document describes a process and a device for applying fluids, specifically particle material, on an area to be coated, which is viewed in forward moving direction of the coater, that fluid is applied on the area to be coated and then a leveling element is run over the applied fluid, whereby the fluid is led from a metering system provided with an opening, which oscillates when applying the fluid. The opening shall be designed in such a way that when the metering system is at a standstill this is closed by forming an angle of repose of the fluid.

Claims

1. A device for applying a particle material, comprising:

a) an oscillatable rocker having an external wall;

b) an inclined sheet opposite the rocker external wall,

c) a leveling element; and

d) a container for receiving the particle material defined by the external wall of the rocker and the inclined sheet, the container including a side opening located above the leveling element on a vertical wall of the container;

wherein in operation, upon coming to a standstill, the opening is closed by an angle of repose of the particle material.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an eccentric in driving relationship with the oscillatable rocker.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the inclined sheet is attached directly to the leveling element.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the leveling element includes a blade.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the blade includes rounded edges having a radius of 0.2 to 1 mm.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the size of the side opening.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the inclined sheet is attached directly to the leveling element.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the leveling element includes a blade.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising means for adjusting the size of the side opening.

10. The device of claim 3, further comprising an eccentric in driving relationship with the oscillatable rocker.

11. The device of claim 4, further comprising an eccentric in driving relationship with the oscillatable rocker.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the side opening is located in a side of the container that is perpendicular to a build platform.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the particle material has a particle size of less than 150 mm.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the particle material is a plastic particle material, metal powder, silica sand, zircon sand, magnetite, or chromerz sand.

12. A device comprising:

a) a bracket;

b) a rocker connected to the bracket;

c) an eccentric connected to the bracket and the rocker that oscillates the rocker;

d) a sheet opposing the rocker so that a container for containing particle material is formed between the rocker and the sheet;

e) a side opening in the container for application of the particle material; and

f) a leveling element attached directly to the sheet for leveling the particle material;

wherein the side opening is closed by an angle of repose of the particle material when oscillation is deactivated, and the side opening is located above the leveling element on a wall of the container that is perpendicular to a build platform located below the device.

13. The device of claim 12, further including a locking bolt so that a height of the side opening can be adjusted.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a surplus of particle materials are collected in front of the leveling element when oscillation is deactivated so that if the surplus of particle materials reaches the side opening further particle materials are prevented from leaving the side opening by the angle of repose.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the leveling element includes a blade and the blade includes rounded edges having a radius of 0.2 mm to 1 mm, and an amplitude of movement of the blade is between 0.05 mm and 1 mm.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the leveling element includes a changeable blade.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the leveling element includes a roller with an axle parallel to the surface area to be coated and vertical to a coating direction, and

wherein the roller rotates around its own axle and the roller rotates in an opposite direction as a forward motion of the device.