US 11,969,790 B2
Light valve cooling system
Drew W. Kissinger, Carlisle, MA (US); Susanne Kras, Chelmsford, MA (US); James A. DeMuth, Woburn, MA (US); Andrew J. Bayramian, Marblehead, MA (US); Francis L. Leard, Sudbury, MA (US); and Cote LeBlanc, Malden, MA (US)
Assigned to Seurat Technologies, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed by Seurat Technologies, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/512,966.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/107,308, filed on Oct. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0134439 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. B22F 12/20 (2021.01); B22F 12/40 (2021.01); B29C 64/268 (2017.01); B29K 105/00 (2006.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); G02B 7/02 (2021.01)
CPC B22F 12/20 (2021.01) [B22F 12/40 (2021.01); B29C 64/268 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); G02B 7/028 (2013.01); B29K 2105/251 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a laser configured to form a laser beam directed against a light valve;
an active light valve cooling system arranged to remove heat from the light valve,
wherein the active light valve cooling system comprises:
a cooling housing comprising a first window and a second window, the cooling housing arranged to hold one or more light valves;
a light valve carrier comprising a step-shaped edge recess that aligns a first component of the light valve with a second component of the light valve such that a back face of the first component is fixed in a particular position adjacent to a front face of the second component; and
a compression gasket, wherein the light valve carrier and the compression gasket hold the light valve between the first window and the second window of the cooling housing such that a first portion of a channel is formed across a front face of the first component of the light valve and a second portion of the channel is formed across a back face of the second component of the light valve;
a heat exchanger connected to the active light valve cooling system; and
a heat exchange fluid circulated through the channel across the front face of the first component of the light valve and the back face of the second component of the light valve and the heat exchanger.