DESCRIPTION
A POWDER SPREADING CARRIAGE FOR SWEEPING AND SPREADING POWDER
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a powder spreading carriage which enables to spread metal powder onto a table located in a processing chamber in 3D (three- dimensional) metal printers and comprises a blade having a horizontally symmetrical profile and a sliding comparator intended for adjusting flatness.
Background of the Invention
Metal powder is used as material in 3D printers in order to obtain product and 3D production is made gradually after the metal powder is sintered. This product can be produced without being subject to any mechanical process such as turning, milling. Impulses are applied to metal powder by means of a laser by using the design information of the product aimed to be produced in 3D metal printers and the powder takes the form of the product aimed to be melted. It is aimed to spread metal powder onto the processing table in 3D metal printers. And powder spreading carriage is used for this process.
A spreading blade located on a powder spreading carriage has to move parallel to the plane whereon the powder is spread. It is required to control whether the powder carrying table is in a horizontal position for parallel motion. Therefore, there is need for measurements which enable to adjust the flatness of the table by moving the powder spreading carriage and the carriage for measuring laser distance. The United States patent document no. US9399256, an application in the state of the art, relates to the production of a three-dimensional (3D) object and discloses three-dimensional printing processes, methods, apparatuses and systems. With the said patent document, the production of three-dimensional objects is carried out by eliminating or reducing the need for auxiliary supports. The United States patent document no. US9399256 also discloses a layer dispensing device and powder is spread, levelled or powder is removed from a powder bed by the said device. The height of the powder spread on the bed can be regulated by means of a leveling mechanism. It is also disclosed that the powder can be conveyed, trimmed or its upper part can be scraped by means of a leveling mechanism. The leveling mechanism may operate together with a powder dispensing mechanism or operate independently of the said device as well. For example, a following step is included in relation to lowering the powder height in a powder bed as stated below.
Summary of the Invention
The objective of the present invention is to realize a powder spreading carriage which enables to spread and sweep metal powder onto a table located in a processing chamber in 3D metal printers, comprises a blade having a horizontally positioned symmetrical profile, comprises a sliding comparator intended for adjusting flatness, and enables to measure the distance between the blade and the table by the comparator.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The “Powder Spreading Carriage for Sweeping and Spreading Powder” realized to fulfil the objective of the present invention is shown in the figures attached, in which:
Figure l is a schematic view of the inventive powder spreading carriage. Figure 2 is a sectional view of the inventive powder spreading carnage.
Figure 3 is a view of detail A included in the Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view of detail B included in the Figure 2.
The components illustrated in the figures are individually numbered, where the numbers refer to the following:
1. Powder spreading carriage
2. Carriage body
3. Protrusion
4. Comparator carriage
5. Comparator
6. Hole
7. Blade
8. Compression plate
9. Plate connector
10. Compression mechanism
11. Bearing
12. Compression spring
13. Compression member
14. Comparator fastener
The inventive powder spreading carriage (1) which enables to spread and sweep metal, polymer, ceramic, composite or biological powder onto a table, surface, or aperture located in a processing chamber in 3D or 4D metal, polymer, ceramic, composite or bio printers, and to measure the distance between the table and these comprises: at least one carriage body (2) which has at least one lower surface facing the table, surface, or aperture; at least one protrusion (3) which is located at least on one lateral surface of the carriage body (2) and extends in a position almost parallel to the table; at least one comparator carriage (4) which moves slidably on the protrusion (3) and has at least hole extending in a vertical position; at least one comparator (5) which is inserted into at least one hole (6) located on the comparator carriage (4), and used for measuring the distance between the table and the carriage body (2); at least one blade (7) which is positioned so as to contact the table angularly on the lower surface of the carriage body (2) facing the table and sweep or spread the metal; at least one compression plate (8) which enables to fix the blade (7) to the carriage body (2); and at least one plate connector (9) which fixes the compression plate (8) by compressing it towards the carriage body (2).
The carriage body (2) included in the inventive powder spreading carriage (1) is connected to a wall that can move in a horizontal position by using a plurality of bolts. The protrusion (3) located on the lateral surface of the carriage body (2) extends along the carriage body (2) and preferably has a prismatic shape. The protrusion (3) extends forwards from at least one lateral surface of the carriage body (2) and enables the comparator carriage (4) to contact the lower surface of the protrusion (3) continuously by means of the compression mechanism (10).
In the invention, a comparator fastener (14) is used for fixing the comparator (5) to the comparator carriage (4) and thereby the comparator (5) can move together with the carriage body (2) during the sliding motion of the comparator carriage (4) on the protrusion (3). The hole (6), which is located on the comparator carriage (4) and through which the comparator (5) passes, extends in a vertical direction in the comparator carriage (4). The comparator (5) is fixed to the comparator carriage (4) by means of the comparator fastener (14), upon it is fit into the hole (6) extending in a vertical direction. The comparator carriage (4) enables to take measurement in a vertical direction from at least two points by means of the comparator (5) by moving it on the protrusion (3) slidably. The compression member (13) and the compression spring (12) enable the bearing (11) to compress the protrusion (3), in order that the comparator carriage (4) contacts the lower surface of the protrusion (3) continuously.
In the inventive powder spreading carriage (1), the comparator (5) performs a sliding movement on the carriage body (2) by means of the comparator carriage
(4) and after the comparator carriage (4) is taken into a desired position, it is used for measuring the distance of the carriage body (2) to the table.
In the inventive powder spreading carriage (1), the hole (6) extends in a vertical direction in the comparator carriage (4) and the end section of the comparator (5) -that will perform the distance measurement- passes through it. The comparator
(5) is fixed by means of the comparator fastener (14) within the hole (6).
In the inventive powder spreading carriage (1), the blade (7) is used for spreading and sweeping a metal, polymer, glass, ceramic, composite or biological powder onto the table and has an angled shape so that it is not connected to the carriage body (2) obliquely in a vertical direction. Similarly, connection of the blade (7) to the carriage body (2) is angular so that the blade (7) is not connected obliquely in a vertical direction. In a preferred embodiment, the edge of the blade (7) that will contact the table makes an angle of 0° - 45° when the blade (7) is compressed to the lateral surface of the carriage body (2) by means of the compression plate (8). For the said angle, both the blade (7) surface that contacts the carriage body (2) and the blade (7) are angled. When the blade (7) is compressed by the compression plate (8) in a horizontal direction, the blade (7) abuts the (Y) surface by sliding on the (X) surface. Thereby, the lower sweeping edge of the blade (7) reaches its horizontal position (Figure 4).
In the inventive powder spreading carriage (1), the section profile of the blade (7) is symmetrical related the horizontal axis. Due to the fact that the blade (7) is symmetrical related to the table in a horizontal direction, in the event that it is connected in reverse upon one edge thereof is worn, the other end thereof will continue the powder spreading process. Thus, both edges of the blade (7) can be used continuously whenever possible.
In the inventive powder spreading carriage (1), it is ensured that the distance of the blade (7) to the table is equal along the carriage body (2) by the compression plate (8) pressing the blade (7) towards the carriage body (2) by means of the plate connector (9).
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compression mechanism (10) is used for laying the comparator carriage (4) onto the protrusion (3). The said compression mechanism (10) comprises at least one bearing (11), at least one compression spring (12) and at least one compression member (13) located on the compression spring (12). In the compression mechanism (10), the compression member (13) is located in an aperture extending in a vertical direction on the comparator carriage (4) together with a compression spring (12) and a bearing (11). Upon the compression member (13) is compressed in the aperture and then the compression spring (12) applies pressure, the contact force to the comparator carriage (4) increases and the comparator carriage (4) contacts the lower surface of the protrusion (3) of the carriage body (2) continuously. Thereby, the comparator (5) can perform the distance measurement of the table in a desired position.
The distance between the carriage body (2) and the table is measured by means of the comparator (5) located on the inventive powder spreading carriage (1). Accordingly, the comparator carriage (4) is fit into the prismatic projection (3) by hand and slid by hand. Thereby, the comparator (5) can perform distance measurement in order to observe whether the distance between the table and it is minimum or not. In the invention, due to the fact that the section profile of the blade (7) is symmetrical related the horizontal axis, both edges thereof are suitable for spreading and sweeping processes. On the other hand, the blade (7) is connected to the carriage body (2) angularly.
Within these basic concepts; it is possible to develop a wide variety of embodiments of the inventive “Powder Spreading Carriage for Sweeping and Spreading Powder (1)”; the invention cannot be limited to examples disclosed herein and it is essentially according to claims.