US 12,280,596 B2
Cleaning systems for additive manufacturing apparatuses and methods for using the same
Timothy Francis Andrews, Sharonville, OH (US); Carlos H. Bonilla, Lebanon, OH (US); Vadim Bromberg, Niskayuna, NY (US); Victor Fulton, Amelia, OH (US); Tyler Andrew Griffith, Norwood, OH (US); Younkoo Jeong, Clifton Park, NY (US); Jacob Mayer, Cincinnati, OH (US); John Sterle, Clifton Park, NY (US); Stephen M. Deak, Liberty Township, OH (US); Justin Gandee, Oregonia, OH (US); Tyler Hater, Milford, OH (US); Grant Alan Ingram, West Chester, OH (US); and Peter Douglas Lueschen, Covington, KY (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Appl. No. 17/612,449
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
PCT Filed May 22, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/034144
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/237122, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/852,034, filed on May 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0242044 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 2/165 (2006.01); B08B 1/16 (2024.01); B08B 1/20 (2024.01); B08B 3/04 (2006.01); B29C 64/35 (2017.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01)
CPC B41J 2/16517 (2013.01) [B08B 1/165 (2024.01); B08B 1/20 (2024.01); B08B 3/041 (2013.01); B08B 3/048 (2013.01); B29C 64/35 (2017.08); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cleaning station for an additive manufacturing system, wherein the cleaning station comprises:
a cleaning station vessel comprising a wet wipe cleaner section, a dry wipe cleaner section downstream of the wet wipe cleaner section, and a cleaning fluid, wherein:
the wet wipe cleaner section comprises a wet wipe member coupled to an actuator, the actuator being operable to vertically raise and lower the wet wipe member into and out of the cleaning fluid;
the wet wipe member defines a recessed path containing a pool of the cleaning fluid, the pool being sized to have substantially the same length as a print head; and
the dry wipe cleaner section comprises a dry wipe member coupled to an actuator, the actuator being operable to vertically raise and lower the dry wipe member into and out of the cleaning fluid,
wherein the wet wipe cleaner section and the dry wipe cleaner section are arranged sequentially such that the wet wipe member is configured to apply the cleaning fluid to the print head and the dry wipe member is configured to remove excess cleaning fluid from the print head after cleaning by the wet wipe cleaner section.