Three-dimensional modeling apparatus
First Claim
1. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object by binding a powder material with a binding material, comprising:
- a modeling section for forming a body of bound powder material in sequence by applying said binding material to said powder material to bind said powder material, thereby to generate said three-dimensional object;
a placement section for mounting of a powder material reservoir containing said powder material; and
a powder supply section for supplying said powder material in said powder material reservoir mounted in said placement section to said modeling section.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To replenish a powder supply section (40) with a powder material, a powder-material reservoir (30) is mounted in a reservoir placement section (43) located on the upper side of the powder supply section (40). After the completion of a modeling operation on a modeling stage (62) in a modeling mechanism (60), the modeling stage (62) is lowered and a carrier mechanism (65) operates to carry a mesh tray (9) and a three-dimensional (3D) object (91) on the modeling stage (62) to a treatment chamber (72). In the treatment chamber (72), removal of unbound powder adhering to the 3D object (91) and post-processing are performed automatically. Such a configuration allows automatic fabrication of a 3D object of high binding strength without scattering the powder material therearound.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object by binding a powder material with a binding material, comprising:
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a modeling section for forming a body of bound powder material in sequence by applying said binding material to said powder material to bind said powder material, thereby to generate said three-dimensional object;
a placement section for mounting of a powder material reservoir containing said powder material; and
a powder supply section for supplying said powder material in said powder material reservoir mounted in said placement section to said modeling section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object by binding a powder material with a binding material, comprising:
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a supply section for supplying said powder material;
a modeling section for forming a body of bound powder material in sequence by selectively applying said binding material to said powder material supplied from said supply section to bind said powder material, thereby to generate said three-dimensional object; and
a removal section for removing an unbound powder material from said three-dimensional object generated in said modeling section, said unbound powder material being said powder material supplied from said supply section but not receiving said binding material. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object by binding a powder material with a binding material, comprising:
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a supply section for supplying said powder material;
a modeling section for repeating a process of applying said binding material to said powder material supplied from said supply section to bind said powder material in order to represent each section of said three-dimensional object, thereby to generate said three-dimensional object; and
a feed section for recovering and returning an unbound powder material to said supply section, said unbound powder material being said powder material supplied from said supply section but not receiving said binding material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A three-dimensional modeling method for fabricating a three-dimensional object by binding a powder material with a binding material,
said method using a predetermined apparatus to avoid a user'"'"'s contact with said powder material, said method comprising the steps of: -
(a) placing a mesh tray for use in passing said powder material into a bottom of a box-like modeling space, in such a manner as to support a whole bottom surface of said mesh tray;
(b) repeating a process of supplying said powder material flatly in a predetermined thickness in said modeling space and a process of selectively applying said binding material onto said powder material supplied to bind said powder material in order to represent a predetermined shape, thereby to generate on said mesh tray said three-dimensional object bound with said binding material with an unbound powder material remaining therewith;
(c) supporting part of said mesh tray above a predetermined space for collecting said unbound powder material; and
(d) dropping said unbound powder material into said predetermined space to obtain said three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification