Docking arrangement for an additive manufacturing process
The invention relates to an operating handle for controlling the operational state of a valve arrangement associated with a container to control dispensing of material from the container to a component of an additive manufacturing process, the operating handle comprising a rotatable shaft coupled to the valve arrangement, the shaft being rotatable between a plurality of angular positions corresponding to one or more operational states of the valve arrangement; a lever operatively coupled to the shaft and configured to cause rotation of the shaft between the plurality of angular positions upon rotation of the lever; a rotation retention mechanism configured to retain the lever in one of a plurality of rotational positions; and an actuator engagement member extending axially outwards from the handle, wherein an actuator provided as part of a docking arrangement associated with the component is operable to act on the actuator engagement member for engaging and disengaging the rotation retention mechanism.
1 . An operating handle for controlling the operational state of a valve arrangement associated with a container to control dispensing of material from the container to a component of an additive manufacturing process, the operating handle comprising:
a rotatable shaft coupled to the valve arrangement, the shaft being rotatable between a plurality of angular positions corresponding to one or more operational states of the valve arrangement;
a lever operatively coupled to the shaft and configured to cause rotation of the shaft between the plurality of angular positions upon rotation of the lever; wherein the lever is operatively coupled to the rotatable shaft via a coupling portion provided half way along the length of the lever, thereby defining first and second lever arms of the lever provided either side of the coupling portion;
a rotation retention mechanism configured to retain the lever in one of a plurality of rotational positions; and
an actuator engagement member extending axially outwards from the coupling portion, wherein an actuator provided as part of a docking arrangement associated with the component is operable to act on the actuator engagement member for engaging and disengaging the rotation retention mechanism.
2 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator engagement member is frustoconical in shape.
3 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the free end of the frustoconical actuator engagement member is open to define a female part which is adapted for receiving a corresponding male part provided by the actuator.
4 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator engagement member is wedge-shaped.
5 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator engagement member is removably attachable to the coupling portion.
6 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the actuator engagement member is in the form of a cap.
7 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotation retention mechanism is configured to:
retain the lever and rotatable shaft in a given rotational position when a first shaft portion is in a first axial position; and
allow rotation of the lever and rotatable shaft between a plurality of rotational positions when the first shaft portion is in a second axial position.
8 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 7 , comprising a slot provided within an outer sheath provided about the rotatable shaft, wherein the slot is configured to receive a projecting portion associated with the rotatable shaft.
9 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the slot in the outer sheath comprises a plurality of notches for receiving the projecting portion, the plurality of notches being configured to act to prevent rotation of the shaft by retaining the projecting portion therein.
10 . An operating handle as claimed in claim 1 , configured such that the actuator engagement member, the first lever arm and the second lever arm may be acted on directly by one or more components of an associated actuator.
11 . A docking arrangement for an additive manufacturing process, the docking arrangement comprising the operating handle as claimed in claim 1 .
12 . A method of controlling the operational state of a valve arrangement associated with a container to control dispensing of material from the container to a component of an additive manufacturing process using a docking arrangement, wherein the docking arrangement comprises:
an operating handle for controlling the operational state of the valve arrangement associated with the container to control dispensing of material from the container to the component of the additive manufacturing process, the operating handle comprising:
a rotatable shaft coupled to the valve arrangement, the shaft being rotatable between a plurality of angular positions corresponding to one or more operational states of the valve arrangement;
a lever operatively coupled to the shaft and configured to cause rotation of the shaft between the plurality of angular positions upon rotation of the lever;
a rotation retention mechanism configured to retain the lever in one of a plurality of rotational positions; and
an actuator engagement member extending axially outwards from the handle, wherein an actuator provided as part of the docking arrangement associated with the component is operable to act on the actuator engagement member for engaging and disengaging the rotation retention mechanism, and wherein the method comprises:
coupling an outlet of the container to an inlet of a dock associated with the component of the additive manufacturing process;
disengaging the rotation retention mechanism under the operation of the actuator which in use acts on the actuator engagement member, and
rotating the lever under the operation of the actuator to open the valve arrangement to dispense material from the container to the component.