US 12,280,446 B2
Irradiation devices with optical modulators for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects
Joshua Tyler Mook, Loveland, OH (US); William Joseph Steele, Lawrenceburg, IN (US); Mary Kathryn Thompson, Fairfield Township, OH (US); David Scott Simmermon, Felicity, OH (US); and Michael Thomas Gansler, Mason, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/892,412.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/235,303, filed on Aug. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0072960 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B22F 10/20 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/36 (2021.01); B22F 10/366 (2021.01); B22F 12/44 (2021.01); B23K 26/02 (2014.01); B23K 26/06 (2014.01); B23K 26/064 (2014.01); B23K 26/067 (2006.01); B23K 26/073 (2006.01); B23K 26/342 (2014.01); B29C 64/153 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); G02B 3/00 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 26/064 (2015.10) [B22F 10/20 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/36 (2021.01); B22F 10/366 (2021.01); B22F 12/44 (2021.01); B23K 26/0643 (2013.01); B23K 26/0676 (2013.01); B23K 26/0738 (2013.01); B23K 26/342 (2015.10); B29C 64/153 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); G02B 3/0056 (2013.01); G02B 26/0833 (2013.01); B23K 26/0648 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An irradiation device for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the irradiation device comprising:
a housing assembly;
a beam generation device configured to generate an energy beam, the beam generation device contained within the housing assembly;
a positioning system configured to move the housing assembly;
an optical modulator comprising a micromirror array disposed downstream from the beam generation device;
a focusing lens assembly disposed downstream from the optical modulator; wherein the micromirror array comprises a plurality of micromirror elements configured to reflect a corresponding one of a plurality of beam segments of the energy beam along a beam path incident upon the focusing lens assembly; and wherein the focusing lens assembly comprises one or more lenses configured to converge the plurality of beam segments into a plurality of beam spots having a linear arrangement; and
a controller configured to modulate respective ones of the plurality of micromirror elements according to beam modulation instructions defining a modulation state,
wherein the plurality of beam spots are adjacent to each other in the linear arrangement to form a line, wherein the plurality of beam spots have a space between adjacent beam spots on a surface of a powder bed, wherein a width of the space between the adjacent beam spots corresponds to a width between adjacent micromirror elements of the optical modulator, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a number of the plurality of micromirror elements included in a modulation group to provide irradiation to the powder bed with an intensity that varies with respect to a respective combination zone corresponding to the modulation group.