Containment hood
View Patent ↗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.
1. A containment hood comprising:
a first shell portion including a first member and first and second legs, said first member having a first interior-facing surface;
a second shell portion spaced apart from said first shell portion and including a second interior-facing surface, said first and second interior-facing surfaces opposing each other, said first and second legs extending from said first shell portion toward said second shell portion, said first member and said first and second legs being rotatable relative to said second shell portion between an open position allowing access to a workpiece disposed between the first and second shell portions and a closed position partially enclosing said workpiece and allowing access to said workpiece only through opposing side-access openings that separate said first and second shell portions, said side-access openings separate said first member and said first and second legs from said second shell portion in both of said open and closed positions; and
a lid portion extending between and engaging said first and second shell portions, said lid portion cooperating with said first and second shell portions to form at least a partial enclosure defining an interior volume, said lid portion rotatably engaging one of said first and second shell portions and movable relative to said first and second shell portions between a lid open position allowing a user to access said interior volume through a top access opening and a lid closed position preventing access to said interior volume through said top access opening.
2. The containment hood of claim 1 , wherein said first shell portion includes an evacuation opening extending therethrough and configured to engage a vacuum device.
3. The containment hood of claim 2 , wherein said second shell portion includes an evacuation port extending outwardly therefrom and is in communication with said interior volume, said evacuation port being configured to engage a hose in communication with said vacuum device.
4. The containment hood of claim 1 , wherein said first shell portion includes at least one handle.
5. The containment hood of claim 1 , wherein said lid portion includes a window.
6. The containment hood of claim 1 , further comprising an electric light mounted within said interior volume.
7. The containment hood of claim 1 , wherein said first and second shell portions include first and second bases, respectively, that engage a breakout table associated with a laser sintering machine.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a vacuum device;
a breakout table associated with a selective sintering machine, said breakout table including a cooling surface configured to support a block of material after said block of material is subjected to a sintering operation; and
a containment hood mounted to said breakout table and at least partially enclosing said cooling surface, said containment hood including first and second evacuation openings and an opposing side-access openings, said first and second evacuation openings engaging said vacuum device, said first evacuation opening disposed in a first shell portion of said containment hood, said second evacuation opening disposed in a second shell portion of said containment hood, said first shell portion being spaced apart from and rotatable relative to said second shell portion, said first and second shell portions defining said side-access openings allowing a user to access said cooling surface to allow said user to remove unsintered powder from a sintered portion of said block of material.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said containment hood includes a lid portion rotatably engaging said second shell portion and rotatable relative to said first shell portion and said second shell portion.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said lid portion includes a window.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said first and second shell portions and said lid portion cooperate to define said side-access openings.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said first shell portion includes at least one handle.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said containment hood includes an electric light positioned to illuminate said block of material.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said first shell portion includes first and second legs extending from said first shell portion toward said second shell portion, said first shell portion being rotatable relative to said second shell portion about an axis defined by said first and second legs between an open position allowing access to a workpiece disposed between the first and second shell portions and a closed position partially enclosing said workpiece and allowing access to said workpiece only through opposing side-access openings that separate said first and second shell portions in both of said open and closed positions, said first and second legs being spaced apart from said second shell portion in said open and closed positions.