US 12,434,436 B2
Accumalator assembly for additive manufacturing
Mary Kathryn Thompson, Fairfield Township, OH (US); Meredith Elissa Dubelman, Liberty Township, OH (US); Christopher David Barnhill, Cincinnati, OH (US); Xi Yang, Mason, OH (US); Trent William Muhlenkamp, Cincinnati, OH (US); and William Joseph Steele, Lawrenceburg, IN (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/524,972.
Application 18/524,972 is a continuation of application No. 17/186,685, filed on Feb. 26, 2021, granted, now 11,865,780.
Prior Publication US 2024/0100774 A1, Mar. 28, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 64/236 (2017.01); B29C 64/124 (2017.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/357 (2017.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/236 (2017.08) [B29C 64/124 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/357 (2017.08); B29C 64/386 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a feed module configured to operably couple with a first end portion of a foil;
a take-up module configured to operably couple with a second end portion of the foil;
at least one stage configured to hold one or more cured layers of a resin that form a component;
an accumulator positioned between the feed module and the take-up module, the accumulator configured to retain an intermediate portion of the foil to allow a first portion of the foil upstream of the accumulator to move at a first speed and a second portion of the foil downstream of the accumulator to move at a second speed during a defined time period; and
a detection system configured to provide data related to one or more conditions of the accumulator or the foil within the accumulator.