US 12,240,175 B2
Docking arrangement for an additive manufacturing process
Callum Healey, Widnes (GB)
Assigned to LPW Technology Ltd, Widnes (GB)
Appl. No. 17/765,810
Filed by LPW Technology Ltd, Widnes (GB)
PCT Filed Sep. 29, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/052356
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 31, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/064363, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1914251 (GB), filed on Oct. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0371279 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/329 (2017.01); B22F 12/52 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01)
CPC B29C 64/329 (2017.08) [B22F 12/52 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An operating handle for controlling the operational state of a valve arrangement associated with a container to control dispensing of material from the container to a component of an additive manufacturing process, the operating handle comprising:
a rotatable shaft coupled to the valve arrangement, the shaft being rotatable between a plurality of angular positions corresponding one or more operational states of the valve arrangement; and
a lever operatively coupled to the shaft and configured to cause rotation of the shaft between the plurality of angular positions upon rotation of the lever;
wherein the handle is rotatable under the operation of an actuator provided as part of a docking arrangement associated with the component, and wherein the handle is configured such that the lever is acted on directly by one or more components of the actuator.