Three-dimensional molding apparatus

• US 20020029094A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Koreishi, Jun
• Application Number:
  US09/941,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029094A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/197
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/12 by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/34 of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/38 to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/80 Data acquisition or data processing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2037/903 by means of a computer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0053 Moulding articles characterised by the shape of the surface, e.g. ribs, high polish mould construction therefor B29C33/42; surface shaping of articles B29C59/00; by incorporating filler in or near the surface B29C70/64
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0072 Roughness, e.g. anti-slip
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A data generating apparatus (1) adds feel information to shape data for an object to be molded in an STL data generating section (1a). Then, a data processing apparatus (10) generates molding data for reproducing shape and feel of the object to be molded, and the molding data is supplied to a three-dimensional molding apparatus (20). The three-dimensional molding apparatus (20) performs molding on the basis of the molding data obtained from the data processing apparatus (10). The resulting three-dimensional molded matter faithfully reproduce not only the shape but also the feel of the object to be molded. In this way, the present invention was made to generate a three-dimensional molded matter which faithfully reproduces feel of the object.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional molding apparatus comprising:

an acquiring section for acquiring data for molding a three-dimensional object, said data including information regarding shape of said three-dimensional object and information regarding feel of each part of said three-dimensional object;

a molding section for molding a three-dimensional molded matter using a predetermined material; and

a controller for controlling said molding section so as to mold said three-dimensional object which reproduces said shape and said feel on the basis of said data acquired by said acquiring section.

2. A data processing apparatus for generating molding data to be used in three-dimensional molding, comprising:

a shape data inputting section for inputting shape data regarding shape of an object;

a feel information acquiring section for acquiring feel information regarding texture of said object; and

a data generating section for generating molding data for reproducing shape and feel of said object on the basis of said shape data and said feel information.

3. The data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said data generating section generates said molding data by transforming the shape represented by said shape data on the basis of said feel information.

4. The data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said feel information is information obtained by measuring feel of said object.

5. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a shape data inputting section for inputting shape data regarding shape of an object;

a feel information acquiring section for acquiring feel information regarding feel of said object; and

a memory for storing said shape data and said feel information in correlation with each other.

6. The data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said feel information is information obtained by measuring feel of said object.

7. The data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said feel information has information regarding feel for each of plural parts of said object.

8. The data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said feel information has at least one of information regarding softness of said object and information regarding texture of said object as said information regarding feel.

9. A three-dimensional molding apparatus for generating a three-dimensional molded matter of an object, comprising:

a molding section for molding said three-dimensional molded matter; and

a controller for controlling said molding section on the basis of shape data regarding shape of said object and feel information regarding feel of said object.

10. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said feel information is information regarding softness of said object, and

said controller forms a hollow portion of the size corresponding to said softness on the inner side of said three-dimensional molded matter.

11. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said feel information is information regarding softness of said object, and

said three-dimensional molded matter is formed of a material having a property corresponding to said softness.

12. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said feel information is information regarding texture of said object, and

said controller forms a micro projection having a size corresponding to said texture on the surface of said three-dimensional molded matter.

13. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said feel information is information regarding texture of said object, and

said three-dimensional molded matter is formed of a material having a property corresponding to said texture.

14. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said molding section generates said three-dimensional molded matter by a laser molding method, and generates said three-dimensional molded matter by controlling drive of predetermined laser light.

15. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said molding section generates said three-dimensional molded matter by an inkjet molding method, and generates said three-dimensional molded matter by controlling an injection material from a predetermined inkjet nozzle.

16. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said molding section generates said three-dimensional mold by an inkjet molding method, and generates said three-dimensional molded matter by controlling to select an inkjet nozzle to be used for discharging ink from a plurality of inkjet nozzles.

17. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said molding section generates said three-dimensional molded matter by a powder molding method, and generates said three-dimensional molded matter by selecting or mixing powder material to be used in molding from a plurality of powder materials.

18. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said molding section generates said three-dimensional molded matter by a powder molding method, and generates said three-dimensional molded matter by controlling application of an adhesive for bonding a predetermined powder material.

19. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said feel information has information regarding feel for each of plural parts of said object.

20. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

said feel information has at least one of information regarding softness of said object and information regarding texture of said object as the information regarding texture.

21. A data processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting shape data regarding shape of an object;

inputting feel information regarding feel of said object; and

storing said shape data and said feel information in correlation with each other.

22. A data processing method for generating molding data to be used in three-dimensional molding, comprising the steps of:

inputting shape data regarding shape of an object;

inputting feel information regarding feel of said object; and

generating said molding data for reproducing shape and feel of said object on the basis of said shape data and said feel information.

25. The molding data according to claim 24, wherein

said feel information has information regarding feel for each of plural parts of said object.

26. The molding data according to claim 25, wherein

said feel information has at least one of information regarding softness of said object and information regarding texture of said object as the information regarding feel.

23. A three-dimensional molding method for generating a three-dimensional molded matter of an object, comprising the steps of:

inputting shape data regarding shape of said object and feel information regarding feel of said object; and

generating said three-dimensional molded matter by controlling predetermined molding means on the basis of said shape data and said feel information.

24. Molding data to be used in three-dimensional molding, having data structure in which shape data relating shape of an object and feel information regarding feel of said object are correlated with each other.