Forming apparatus for forming three-dimensional structure

• US 10,427,333 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hakkaku, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Darnell, Baileigh Kate
• Application Number:
  US15/312,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0025 Applying surface layers, e.g. coatings, decorative layers, printed layers, to articles during shaping, e.g. in-mould printing moulding on preformed layers as inserts B29C70/68; applying fluent material to surfaces in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/188 involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A forming apparatus having a degree of freedom in shaping for forming a three-dimensional structure is provided. A forming apparatus (30) forms a three-dimensional structure (5), which includes a shaped article and a colored portion that colors a surface of the shaped article, by laminating layers, and it can switch between a first operation mode dedicated to shaping the shaped article and a second operation mode of full-color coloring the surface of the shaped article using full colors simultaneously as the shaping of the shaped article.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional structure forming apparatus for forming a three-dimensional structure by laminating layers, the three-dimensional structure including a shaped article and a colored portion that colors a surface of the shaped article, the three-dimensional structure forming apparatus comprising:

a memory section configured to store shape data of the three-dimensional structure, wherein the colored portion is a plurality of colored layers provided along an outer shape of the three-dimensional structure, and the shape data comprises input data for forming the colored portion; and

a switching section configured to switch between a first operation mode and a second operation mode when a shaping is performed to the three-dimensional structure according to the shape data;

wherein in the first operation mode, the shaping is performed to the three-dimensional structure that has the outer shape including the colored portion, based on the shape data but not based on the input data; and

in the second operation mode, both a full-color coloring and the shaping are performed to the three-dimensional structure based on both the shape data and the input data.

2. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inkjet head,

wherein the layers formed by discharging a shaping material for the shaping and a coloring material for the full-color coloring from the inkjet head are laminated.

3. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein scanning for forming the plurality of colored layers is performed within a scan cycle time period for forming one layer in the shaping.

4. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein scanning for forming a plurality of clear protection layers is performed within a scan cycle time period for forming one layer in the shaping.

5. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shaping material and the coloring material are ultraviolet curing ink.

6. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first inkjet head nozzle section configured to discharge the shaping material;

a second inkjet head nozzle section configured to discharge the coloring material; and

a plurality of irradiators including light sources for curing the ink,

wherein the plurality of irradiators are respectively arranged at positions with each of the first inkjet head nozzle section and the second inkjet head nozzle section interposed in between along a scanning direction.

7. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a controller configured to control a size of each ink droplet discharged from the inkjet head, wherein ink droplets discharged from the inkjet head in the first operation mode are larger than ink droplets discharged from the inkjet head in the second operation mode.

8. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein scanning for forming the plurality of colored layers is performed within a scan cycle time period for forming one layer in the shaping.

9. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein scanning for forming a plurality of clear protection layers is performed within a scan cycle time period for forming one layer in the shaping.

10. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of colored layers is formed by using a colored ink, and for portions where an ink density of each of the plurality of colored layers does not suffice a predetermined ink density by the sole use of the colored ink, each of the plurality of colored layers is supplemented with a clear ink.

11. The three-dimensional structure forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the input data set the plurality of colored layers to have a constant thickness in the entire three-dimensional structure.