Patents by Inventor Christian Wakelam

Christian Wakelam has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11577461
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Christian Aalburg, Florian Hoefler, Jonathan Ong
  • Publication number: 20210276262
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Christian Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Christian Aalburg, Florian Hoefler, Jonathan Ong
  • Patent number: 11014304
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Christian Aalburg, Florian Hoefler, Jonathan Ong
  • Patent number: 10814430
    Abstract: A flow control device for an additive manufacturing system is provided. The flow control device includes a gas supply configured to discharge a gas, a first flow modifier configured to modify at least one flow characteristic of a first portion of the gas, and a second flow modifier configured to cooperate with the first flow modifier to modify the at least on flow characteristic of the first portion of the gas. The second flow modifier is further configured to modify at least one flow characteristic of a second portion of the gas, and the first flow modifier and the second flow modifier are configured to cooperate to direct at least a portion of the first portion and the second portion of the gas towards a melt pool in a plurality of particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Daniel Fischer, Hannes Haderlein, Viktor Engel, Florian Hoefler, Rachel Wyn Levine
  • Publication number: 20190322051
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Christian Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Christian Aalburg, Florian Hoefler, Jonathan Ong
  • Publication number: 20190308273
    Abstract: A flow control device for an additive manufacturing system is provided. The flow control device includes a gas supply configured to discharge a gas, a first flow modifier configured to modify at least one flow characteristic of a first portion of the gas, and a second flow modifier configured to cooperate with the first flow modifier to modify the at least on flow characteristic of the first portion of the gas. The second flow modifier is further configured to modify at least one flow characteristic of a second portion of the gas, and the first flow modifier and the second flow modifier are configured to cooperate to direct at least a portion of the first portion and the second portion of the gas towards a melt pool in a plurality of particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Christian Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Daniel Fischer, Hannes Haderlein, Viktor Engel, Florian Hoefler, Rachel Wyn Levine