US 12,240,041 B2
Build region limitation unit and additive manufacturing apparatus having the same
Shuji Okazaki, Kanagawa (JP); and Katsuhiro Nakano, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Sodick Co., Ltd., Kanagawa (JP)
Filed by Sodick Co., Ltd., Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/299,071.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-073304 (JP), filed on Apr. 27, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0347417 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 12/30 (2021.01) [B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A build region limitation unit for an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a base frame which has a first build region that is a region capable of forming a three-dimensional object, and a build table which is provided in the first build region and configured to be movable in a vertical direction and on which a base plate is arranged, and the additive manufacturing apparatus alternately repeating formation of a material layer composed of material powder and formation of a solidified layer, the build region limitation unit comprising:
a movable unit fixed to the build table;
a non-movable unit placed on the base frame,
wherein the movable unit comprises:
a first anti-scattering frame that is a hollow frame provided to protrude upward, the non-movable unit comprises:
a flat plate which is a plate having an opening and placed on the base frame, covers the first build region with a portion other than the opening, and forms a second build region smaller than the first build region; and
a second anti-scattering frame which is a hollow frame provided to protrude downward at an outer periphery of the opening,
wherein the first anti-scattering frame surrounds the second anti-scattering frame with a gap therebetween; and
a second build region recoater head that forms the material layer in the second build region,
wherein the second build region recoater head comprises:
a movable body configured to be reciprocatively movable along a first horizontal direction on the base frame;
a material case attached to the movable body and containing the material powder;
a material outlet discharging the material powder contained in the material case; and
a blade attached to the movable body and leveling the material powder discharged from the material outlet to form the material layer,
wherein the non-movable unit further comprises a pair of partition plates erected on an upper surface of the flat plate and arranged along the first horizontal direction across the opening, and the material outlet and the blade are arranged inside the pair of partition plates.