Patents by Inventor Stephen Elliot Wei

Stephen Elliot Wei 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).

  • Publication number: 20240181704
    Abstract: A hopper for dispensing powder material for an additive manufacturing system includes a gate that is movable along a first direction to open and close a discharge slot and which is pivotable about a pivot axis transverse to the first direction. The first direction can be a horizontal direction and the pivot axis can be parallel to a vertical direction. The gate can have a portion that contacts the hopper, e.g., at a surface including the discharge slot, and is elastically deformed with movement from the open to the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: VulcanForms Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas Buermeyer, Andrew McDermot, Stephen Elliot Wei, William Curtis Stone
  • Publication number: 20240181532
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a build surface, one or more laser energy sources, and an optics assembly movable relative to the build surface. The optics assembly directs laser energy from the one or more laser energy sources toward the build surface to fuse a portion of a precursor material on the build surface. A gas head is operatively coupled to the optics assembly and movable relative to the build surface. The gas head entrains emitted materials released during fusion of the precursor material. The system also includes a gas head cleaning device having a scraper to remove debris from a surface of the gas head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: VulcanForms Inc.
    Inventors: Raghav Aggarwal, Jeffrey M. LeBlanc, Joseph D. Sandt, Yiannis Kaparos, Corey Murphy, Stephen Elliot Wei
  • Publication number: 20240181537
    Abstract: An electrostatic recoater having an electrode and dielectric shield mounted to a lower surface of the electrode. The dielectric shield and electrode can be movable relative to each other at an interface and/or the dielectric shield may be removably mounted to the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: VulcanForms Inc.
    Inventors: William Curtis Stone, Stephen Elliot Wei, Lucas Buermeyer
  • Publication number: 20240181702
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system has an optics assembly to direct laser energy toward a build surface to fuse a portion of a precursor material on the build surface. An optics shield of the additive manufacturing system has a debris shield including an optical window. The optical window permits laser energy to pass through the debris shield and prevents fusion products released during fusion of the precursor material from contacting a portion of the optics assembly. The optics shield has a gas flow passage between the optical window and the build surface. The gas flow passage directs a flow of gas away from the optical window to resist movement of the fusion products through the gas flow passage toward the debris shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: VulcanForms Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph D. Sandt, Richard A. Wessel, JR., Stephen Elliot Wei, Piotr Liebersbach, Jason Shay Chalfant, Jeffrey M. LeBlanc