US 12,030,240 B2
Fixture system for use in additive manufacturing
John Chippendale, Blackburn (GB); and Jack Richard Sharples, Blackburn (GB)
Assigned to BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/293,990
Filed by BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
PCT Filed Dec. 10, 2019, PCT No. PCT/GB2019/053485
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 14, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/120946, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18212031 (EP), filed on Dec. 12, 2018; and application No. 1820234 (GB), filed on Dec. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0008998 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B22F 10/25 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/47 (2021.01); B22F 12/20 (2021.01); B22F 12/44 (2021.01)
CPC B29C 64/118 (2017.08) [B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B22F 10/25 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/47 (2021.01); B22F 12/20 (2021.01); B22F 12/44 (2021.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a substrate;
a fixture comprising an outer wall and a flange extending inwardly and perpendicularly from the outer wall, the fixture being configured to receive the substrate; and
four fasteners;
wherein the substrate has a first axis and a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis,
wherein the substrate comprises a build surface configured to have formed thereon an article by an additive manufacturing process,
wherein the build surface is substantially parallel to a plane defined by the first and second axes,
wherein the substrate comprises a first slot, a second slot, a third slot, and a fourth slot,
wherein each slot has a respective length and width, the width of a slot being perpendicular to the length of that slot, the width of a slot being less than the length of that slot,
wherein each slot is a slot through the substrate from the build surface to a surface of the substrate opposite to the build surface,
wherein the length of the first slot is aligned along the first axis,
wherein the length of the second slot is aligned along the first axis,
wherein the first and second slots are positioned at or proximate to opposite edges of the build surface to each other,
wherein the length of the third slot is aligned along the second axis,
wherein the length of the fourth slot is aligned along the second axis,
wherein the third and fourth slots are positioned at or proximate to opposite edges of the build surface to each other,
wherein for each slot, the length of that slot is greater than a diameter of a portion of the fastener that is positioned through that slot when the substrate is attached to the fixture,
wherein the fixture is configured to receive the substrate by positioning the substrate against the flange,
wherein the flange further comprises a plurality of through holes arranged such that, when the fixture receives the substrate by positioning the substrate against the flange, each of the through holes of the flange is aligned with a respective slot, and
wherein the fasteners are configured such that, when the substrate is received by the fixture, the substrate can be attached to the fixture by locating each fastener through a respective slot and into a through hole of the flange aligned therewith.