Patent ID: 11890818
Assignee: nan
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  Y | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for dispensing build powder and support powder, in a sequence of layers, comprising:
(a) a frame;
(b) a container;
(c) a build powder pourer, at least partially filled with build powder and a support powder pourer at least partially filled with support powder, each of said pourers having a dispensing opening and a dispensing plug, controllably covering said dispensing opening; and
(d) a pourer-movement and dispensing plug-actuating assembly supported by said frame over said container, and including a movement element that is selectively attachable to said build powder pourer and alternately to said support powder pourer and also capable to controllably move an attached pourer in three orthogonal dimensions and to control said dispensing plug;
(e) and at least one docking station for holding a first one of said pourers, while a second one of said pourers is attached to said movement element; and
(f) a computing assembly, including an input for receiving a target three-dimensional shape, and controlling said pourer-movement and dispensing plug-actuating assembly to move said pourers and selectively open said plugs, thereby causing powder to be poured into said container, and to thereby create in said container a sequence of layers of build powder patterned with support powder that collectively form said target shape in build powder.