Abstract:
A containment hood may include a first shell portion, a second shell portion and a lid portion. The first shell portion may include a first interior-facing surface. The second shell portion may be spaced apart from the first shell portion and may include a second interior-facing surface. The first and second interior-facing surfaces may oppose each other. The lid portion may extend between and engage the first and second shell portions. The lid portion may cooperate with the first and second shell portions to form at least a partial enclosure defining an interior volume. The first and second shell portions and the lid portion may cooperate to define a first opening through which a user is able to access the interior volume.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for containing particulate matter, and more particularly to a containment hood. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Many conventional manufacturing processes, such as casting extruding and molding, for example, require expensive tools, dies and/or other equipment. Accordingly, such processes can be quite expensive for production of a single prototype component or low-volume production. Selective laser sintering (SLS) can be a cost-effective manufacturing process for low-volume production of components having complex three-dimensional shapes. 
         [0003]    SLS is a manufacturing technique that includes using a laser to fuse or sinter particles of plastic powder (or other material) together to form a desired shaped component. The laser scans a block of powder material (e.g., nylon or other polymeric material), sintering one thin cross-sectional layer of the powder material at a time until the entire shape of the component has been formed into the block of material. Once the sintering is complete, the formed block of material includes sintered powder in the shape of the component being produced surrounded by unsintered powder. Thereafter, the block of material may be cooled on a “breakout” table or “unpacking” module, and the unsintered powder may be removed from the sintered material. Removing the unsintered powder (or “breaking out” the sintered component) can result in unsintered powder being spilled on the floor and/or unsintered powder becoming airborne. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present disclosure provides a containment hood that may include a first shell portion, a second shell portion and a lid portion. The first shell portion may include a first interior-facing surface. The second shell portion may be spaced apart from the first shell portion and may include a second interior-facing surface. The first and second interior-facing surfaces may oppose each other. The lid portion may extend between and engage the first and second shell portions. The lid portion may cooperate with the first and second shell portions to form at least a partial enclosure defining an interior volume. The first and second shell portions and the lid portion may cooperate to define a first opening through which a user is able to access the interior volume. 
         [0005]    In another form, the present disclosure provides an apparatus that may include a breakout table and a containment hood. The breakout table may be associated with a selective sintering machine and may include a cooling surface. The cooling surface may be configured to support a block of material after the block is subjected to a sintering operation. The containment hood may be mounted to the breakout table and at least partially encloses the cooling surface. The containment hood may include an evacuation opening and an access opening. The evacuation opening may be configured to engage a vacuum device. The access opening may allow a user to access the cooling surface to allow the user to remove unsintered powder from a sintered portion of the block of material. 
         [0006]    Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, drawings and claims provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description, including disclosed embodiments and drawings, are merely exemplary in nature intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, its application or use. Thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a partial side view of a system including a containment hood according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the containment hood of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the containment hood and a breakout table according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view of the containment hood and breakout table; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the containment hood including a lid in an open position; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the containment hood including a shell portion in an open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , a system  10  is provided and may include a production station  12  having a containment hood  14  mounted thereto. The containment hood  14  may be connected to a vacuum device  16 . The containment hood  14  may be operable to at least partially contain matter such as powder, dust or other particulate matter, and/or any other liquid, solid and/or gas therein. The containment hood  14  may cooperate with the vacuum device  16  to inhibit or prevent such matter from spreading onto a floor or into the ambient air proximate the production station  12 , for example. 
         [0014]    The production station  12  can be any type of table, machine or station at which any sort of fabrication, machining, manufacturing operation or step, and/or other work or production may be conducted. For example, the production station  12  can include a “breakout table” or “unpacking module” associated with a selective laser sintering machine (not shown), for example. In some embodiments, the production station  12  may be or include a “P7 unpacking module” manufactured by EOS GmbH. In such an embodiment, the production station  12  may be a station at which a block of polymeric, metallic or other material  18  may be positioned for cooling after undergoing a selective laser sintering fabrication operation in the selective laser sintering machine. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, the production station  12  may include a base  20 , a rim  22  and a cooling surface  24 . The rim  22  may be disposed on a perimeter of the base  20  and may surround the cooling surface  24 . The rim  22  may include a first portion  26  and a second portion  28 . The first portion  26  may be pivotable relative to the second portion  28  and the cooling surface  24  between a closed position (shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 ) and an open position (shown in  FIG. 6 ). The block of material  18  may include unsintered powder disposed on, within and/or around sintered powder in the shape of a product or component formed as a result of a selective sintering process. The cooling surface  24  may be configured to support the block of material  18  while it cools and/or during a “breakout” process in which one or more users or workers may be positioned proximate to the production station  12  to remove the unsintered powder from the block of material  18 . 
         [0016]    The containment hood  14  may include a first shell portion  40 , a second shell portion  42  and a lid portion  44 . The first shell portion  40  may be formed from aluminum, steel or any other metal plate-stock or sheet-stock, for example, and may include first and second mounting legs  46 ,  48 , a first member  50 , a pair of opposing first side members  52 , and a first top member  54 . The first and second mounting legs  46 ,  48  may be welded, bolted or otherwise fastened to a corresponding one of the first side member  52  and the first member  50 . The first and second mounting legs  46 ,  48  may include a generally U-shaped cross section and may slidably engage the first portion  26  of the rim  22  of the production station  12 . 
         [0017]    The first member  50  may be substantially perpendicular to the first side members  52 . The first side members  52  may be substantially perpendicular to the first top member  54 . The first member  50  may include a lower end  56 , an upper end  58 , an exterior-facing surface  60 , an interior-facing surface  62  and an evacuation opening  64 . The lower end  56  of the first member  50  may be substantially perpendicular to the first top member  54  and may abut the first portion  26  of the rim  22 . The upper end  58  may be adjacent the first top member  54 . One or more handles  66  may be welded or bolted to the exterior-facing surface  60 . In some embodiments, the members  50 - 54  may be formed from discrete pieces of material and may be welded or bolted together to form the first shell portion  40 . In other embodiments, some or all of the members  50 - 54  may be formed from a single unitary piece of material that is formed into the shape of the first shell portion  40  illustrated in the figures. The evacuation opening  64  may extend through the exterior-facing surface  60  and the interior-facing surface  62 . A rim  68  may surround the evacuation opening  64  and may extend outward from the exterior-facing surface  62 . An elastomeric gasket  70  may engage the rim  68 . In an exemplary embodiment, the gasket  70  may surround the opening  64  such that the opening  64  remains open to receive a portion of the vacuum device  16 . In other embodiments a removable cover may be employed so that when the cover is removed the vacuum device  16  can be engaged with the opening  64 , rim  68  and gasket  70 . 
         [0018]    The second shell portion  42  may be formed from aluminum, steel or any other metal plate-stock or sheet-stock, for example, and may include a second member  74 , a pair of opposing second side members  76 , a second top member  78  and a pair of support members  80 . The second member  74  may be substantially perpendicular to the second side members  76  and may include an interior-facing surface  81  that generally faces the interior-facing surface  62  of the first member  50 . The second side members  76  may be substantially perpendicular to the second top member  78 . An evacuation port  82  may extend outward from one of the second side members  76 . An aperture  84  extends through the evacuation port  82  and the corresponding second side member  76 . Each of the support members  80  may extend downwardly (relative to the views shown in the figures) from the second top member  78  adjacent a corresponding one of the second side members  76 . Each of the support members  80  may include generally U-shaped feet  86  that may engage the second portion  28  of the rim  22  of the production station  12 . In some embodiments, the members  74 - 80  may be formed from discrete pieces of material and may be welded or bolted together to form the second shell portion  42 . In other embodiments, some or all of the members  74 - 80  may be formed from a single unitary piece of material that is formed into the shape of the second shell portion  42  illustrated in the figures. 
         [0019]    While the first and second shell portions  40 ,  42  are described above as being formed from a metallic material, in some embodiments, the first and/or second shell portions  40 ,  42  may be formed from a polymeric material or cardboard, for example, or any other suitable material or combinations thereof. 
         [0020]    The lid portion  44  may include a frame  88  and a window  90 . The frame  88  may be formed from aluminum, for example, or from any other metal, polymer or cardboard, and may include an opening  92 . The frame  88  may include a first end  94  that is connected to the second top member  78  via a hinge  96 . In this manner, the lid portion  44  may be pivotable relative to the first and second shell portions  40 ,  42  between a closed position ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4 ) and an open position ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ). A second end  98  of the frame  88  may abut the first top portion  54  of the first shell portion  40 . The window  90  may be formed from glass, Plexiglas® or any other translucent or transparent material. The window  90  may be received in a slot  100  in the frame  88  surrounding the opening  92 . 
         [0021]    The first and second shell portions  40 ,  42  and the lid portion  44  may cooperate to form an interior volume  101  having first and second access openings  102 ,  104  disposed on opposing sides of the containment hood  14 . One or more users may stand proximate the first and/or second access openings  102 ,  104  to access the block of material  18  positioned on the cooling surface  24  of the production station  12 . In this manner, the two or more users may simultaneously reach into the interior volume  101  through the access openings  102 ,  104  or a single user may reach into the interior volume  101  through one of the access openings  102 ,  104  to remove unsintered powder from the sintered portions of the block of material  18 . 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, one or more light fixtures  106  may be mounted to the second top member  78 , for example, and/or any other interior-facing surface of the containment hood  14 . The light fixture  106  may include, for example, an electric light bulb  108  that may illuminate the interior volume  101  of the containment hood  14  and the block of material  18   
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the vacuum device  16  may be a Model CPF-130, C58901-102 (special), manufactured by Micro Air Clean Air Systems and may include an inlet duct  110  and an inlet hose  112 . It will be appreciated, however, that the vacuum device  16  could be any other suitable vacuum system or device. The inlet duct  110  may be coupled with the evacuation opening  64  for fluid communication with the interior volume  101 . The inlet duct  110  may include a port  114  connected to a first end of the inlet hose  112 . A second end of the inlet hose  112  may be coupled to the evacuation port  82  of the second shell portion  42 . In this manner, when the vacuum device  16  is operating, gases and/or airborne particulate matter may be drawn out of the containment hood  14  and into the vacuum device  16  via the evacuation opening  64  and the evacuation port.