US 11,865,780 B2
Accumalator assembly for additive manufacturing
Mary Kathryn Thompson, Fairfield Township, OH (US); Meredith Elissa Dubelman, Liberty Township, OH (US); Christopher David Barnhill, Cincinnati, OH (US); Xi Yang, Mason, OH (US); Trent William Muhlenkamp, Cincinnati, OH (US); and William Joseph Steele, Lawrenceburg, IN (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Feb. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/186,685.
Prior Publication US 2022/0274335 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/147 (2017.01); B29C 64/236 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); B29C 64/124 (2017.01); B29C 64/357 (2017.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01)
CPC B29C 64/236 (2017.08) [B29C 64/124 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/357 (2017.08); B29C 64/386 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
15. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a foil;
a feed module configured to operably couple with a first end portion of the foil;
a take-up module configured to operably couple with a second end portion of the foil;
at least one stage configured to hold one or more cured layers of a resin that form a component;
a radiant energy device positioned opposite to the at least one stage, the radiant energy device operable to generate and project radiant energy in a predetermined pattern; and
an accumulator positioned downstream of the at least one stage and the radiant energy device and upstream of the take-up module, the accumulator defining a cavity configured to retain at least a section of an intermediate portion of the foil to allow a first portion of the foil upstream of the accumulator to move at a first speed and a second portion of the foil downstream of the accumulator to move at a second speed during a defined time period, wherein a length of the intermediate portion of foil within the cavity is varied based on a difference between the first end portion of the foil and the second end portion of the foil.