Three-dimensional molding apparatus and three-dimensional molding method

• US 20020105114A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubo, Naoki, Miyazaki, Makoto, Norita, Toshio, Wada, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,896,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/497
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• 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 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0021 Multi-coloured
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening

Abstract

To provide a three-dimensional molding technique capable of generating a three-dimensional molded article in short time.

In a three-dimensional molding apparatus, a powder material is allowed to drop via an opening while moving a thin layer formation section in the +X direction, thereby forming a powder layer on a molding stage. With respect to a selected region in the powder layer, a binder of ultraviolet-ray hardening resin is discharged from a head section. Then, the powder layer is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet irradiation section, making the ultraviolet-ray hardening resin applied on the powder layer harden to thereby bind the powder material. By repeating this operation with respect to the powder layer which is sequentially formed, a three-dimensional molded article is formed. In this way, since an ultraviolet-ray hardening resin is used as a binder and a powder material can be bound rapidly by ultraviolet irradiation, it is possible to generate a three-dimensional molded article in short time.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional molding apparatus for forming a three-dimensional molded article by binding a powder material, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a layer formation device for sequentially forming a layer of a powder material;

(b) a binder applying device for applying a binder which will harden in response to a certain energy to a selected region in said layer of the powder material; and

(c) an energy supply device for supplying said certain energy to said binder applied to said powder material,

wherein a bound body of said powder material is formed by said binder to harden in response to said certain energy supplied from said energy supply device.

2. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said energy supply device supplies said certain energy to each layer of said powder material which is formed sequentially.

3. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a coloring device for supplying a coloring carrier to a region to be colored in said bound body after said bound body of the powder material is formed.

4. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said coloring device has a plurality of nozzles for discharging coloring carries of different colors, respectively.

5. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said region to be colored is in the vicinity of a surface of said three-dimensional molded article.

6. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binder will harden in response to light energy of a predetermined wavelength.

7. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binder will harden in response to heat energy.

8. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said layer formation device includes a feeder for feeding plural kinds of powder materials.

9. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said energy supply device can selectively feed said plural kinds of powder materials to a plurality of regions for each layer of said powder material.

10. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said binder applying device discharges said binder by means of a piezo-electric device and supplies said binder to said selected region.

11. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bound body related to said layer of the powder material is formed by activating said binder applying device and said energy supply device in synchronous with activation of said layer formation device.

12. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said binder applying device is disposed between said layer formation device and said energy supply device.

13. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the bound body related to said layer of the powder material is formed by activating said binder applying device and said energy supply device after said layer of powder material has been formed by activating said layer formation device.

14. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a holding device for holding said layer formation device and said binder applying device and said energy supply device in integrated manner, wherein

in said holding device, said energy supply device is disposed between said layer formation device and said binder applying device.

15. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a holding device for holding said layer formation device and said binder applying device and said energy supply device in integrated manner, wherein

in said holding device, said binder applying device is disposed between said energy supply device and said layer formation device.

16. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said energy supply device supplies said certain energy in association with primary scanning and/or secondary scanning.

18. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said energy supply device supplies said certain energy to each layer of said powder material which is formed sequentially.

19. The three-dimensional molding apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a coloring device for supplying a coloring carrier to a region to be colored in said bound body after said bound body of the powder material is formed.

17. A three-dimensional molding apparatus for forming a three-dimensional molded article by binding a powder material, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a layer formation device for sequentially forming a layer of a powder material in a first region;

(b) a binder applying device for applying a binder which will harden in response to a certain energy to a selected region in said layer of the powder material; and

(c) an energy supply device for supplying said certain energy to a second region involving said first region,

wherein a bound body of said powder material is formed by said binder to harden in response to said certain energy supplied from said energy supply device.

20. A three-dimensional molding method for forming a three-dimensional molded article by binding a powder material, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) sequentially forming a layer of a powder material;

(b) applying a binder which will harden in response to a certain energy to a selected region in said layer of the powder material; and

(c) supplying said certain energy to said binder applied to said powder material,

wherein a bound body of said powder material is formed by said binder to harden in response to said certain energy supplied from said energy supply device.

21. The three-dimensional molding method according to claim 20, wherein in said step (c), said certain energy is supplied to each layer of said powder material which is formed sequentially.

22. The three-dimensional molding method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

(d) supplying a coloring carrier to a region to be colored in said bound body after said bound body of the powder material is formed.

23. A three-dimensional molding method for forming a three-dimensional molded article by binding a powder material, comprising the steps of:

(a) sequentially forming a layer of a powder material in a first region;

(b) applying a binder which will harden in response to a certain energy to a selected region in said layer of the powder material; and

(c) supplying said certain energy to a second region involving said first region,

wherein a bound body of said powder material is formed by said binder to harden in response to said certain energy supplied from said energy supply device.