US 11,745,260 B2
Pin array sintering supports
James P. Shields, Corvallis, OR (US); and David A. Champion, Corvallis, OR (US)
Assigned to HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 15/734,400
Filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 30, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/058147
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 2, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/091741, PCT Pub. Date May 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0362227 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. B22F 3/00 (2021.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B22F 3/10 (2006.01); B22F 10/10 (2021.01); B22F 10/14 (2021.01)
CPC B22F 3/003 (2013.01) [B22F 3/10 (2013.01); B22F 10/10 (2021.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B22F 10/14 (2021.01); B22F 2003/1042 (2013.01); B22F 2998/10 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for supporting a 3D printed object during sintering, comprising:
a pin array support frame comprising a plurality of apertures;
an array of pins disposed in the plurality of apertures; and
a pin adjustment device coupled to at least some of the pins in the array of pins, wherein the pin adjustment device comprises a plate disposed at a bottom of the pin array support frame to enclose a thermally responsive support material between the plate and a bottom surface of the array of pins, wherein the thermally responsive support material shrinks during sintering to cause the array of pins to retract array in response to the sintering.