Three-dimensional object molding apparatus and method

• US 20020167101A1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yagi, Fumiya, Norita, Toshio, Takata, Hisashi, Tochimoto, Shigeaki, Agawa, Norihiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,612,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/36 Feeding the material on to the mould, core or other substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0032 Pigments, colouring agents or opacifiyng agents
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0021 Multi-coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/001 using chemical colour-formers or chemical reactions, e.g. leuco dyes or acids
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/16 Braille printing typewriters or selective printing mechanisms for Braille printing B41J3/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37366 Colour, surface colour
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49015 Wire, strang laying, deposit fluid, welding, adhesive, hardening, solidification, fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening

Abstract

In a 3D object molding apparatus (10), a tank (18d) holds an uncolored or white resin as a first material for use in interior molding, and tanks (18a to 18c) hold colored resins as second materials for use in surface molding. These resin materials are jetted from injection nozzles (15a to 15d) in the direction of a stage (20). A drive control unit (12) serving as control means moves a nozzle head (15) in the XY plane and controls jets of resin materials from the injection nozzles (15a to 15d). In the interior molding of a 3D molded product (21), at least the first material is jetted, while in the surface molding, at least the second materials are jetted. The injection nozzles (15a to 15c) are coloring nozzles to jet colored resins in molding color portions of the 3D molded product, and the injection nozzle (15d) is a molding nozzle to jet an uncolored molding resin in molding the other portions. The apparatus 10 provided with the coloring nozzles to jet predetermined coloring agents such as colored resins can jet coloring agents from the coloring nozzles in molding the 3D molded product, thereby achieving coloring of the 3D molded product in the molding process. Further, the use of a white resin allows representation of blight colors that are not available only with three colors (Y, M, C), thereby permitting reproduction of the color intensity and gradations in the coloring of the 3D molded product (21) in the molding process.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional object molding apparatus for producing a three-dimensional molded product by jetting materials to form each layer and stacking said layers in succession,

said apparatus comprising:

a first nozzle jetting a first material;

a second nozzle jetting a second material; and

a controller which, in forming each layer of said three-dimensional molded product, causes said first nozzle to jet said first material in molding the interior of said layer and said second nozzle to jet said second material in molding a surface of said layer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second material includes a plurality of resins having a plurality of different color components;

and

said second nozzle includes a plurality of nozzles corresponding to said resins.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said first material is a white-colored resin.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second material includes a plurality of inks of different colors;

and

said second nozzle includes a plurality of nozzles corresponding to said inks.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said first material is a white-colored resin.

6. A three-dimensional object molding method of producing a three-dimensional molded product by jetting materials to form each layer and staking said layers in succession,

said method comprising the steps of:

(a) moving a first nozzle which jets a first material and a second nozzle which jets a second material, relative to a stage on which said three-dimensional molded product is to be formed; and

(b) in the formation of each layer of said three-dimensional molded product, causing at least said first nozzle to jet said first material in molding the interior of said layer and at least said second nozzle to jet said second material in molding the surface of said layer.

7. A three-dimensional object molding apparatus for producing a three-dimensional molded product by jetting materials to form each layer and stacking said layers in succession,

said apparatus comprising:

a molding nozzle jetting a molding resin to produce said three-dimensional molded product; and

a coloring nozzle jetting coloring agents of a plurality of colors to color said three-dimensional molded product.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said coloring agents are resins having different color components.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said coloring agents are inks having different color components.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the diameter of said coloring nozzle is smaller than that of said molding nozzle.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

a plurality of nozzle units, each comprised of said molding nozzle and said coloring nozzle which are arranged in a predetermined alignment direction, are aligned in a direction orthogonal to said alignment direction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said coloring nozzle includes a plurality of coloring nozzles to apply a plurality of colors;

and

a plurality of nozzle units, each comprised of said molding nozzle and said plurality of coloring nozzles which are arranged in a straight line in a predetermined alignment direction, are aligned in a direction orthogonal to said alignment direction.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a supporting part nozzle jetting a resin to mold a supporting part to support said three-dimensional molded product.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

said step (b) is performed concurrently with said step (a).

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

(c) generating color information for each layer of an object to be molded,

wherein in said step (b), a coloring agent is jetted according to said color information.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said three-dimensional molded product is molded out of said white material from said first nozzle and colored with said materials of a plurality of colors other than white from said second nozzle.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said three-dimensional molded product is molded out of a material of any given color from said first and second nozzles and colored with said white material and said materials of a plurality of colors other than white.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said materials of a plurality of colors include a plurality of resins having different color components and including a white-colored resin.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said plurality of resins include a black-colored resin.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said plurality of resins include yellow-, cyan-, and magenta-colored resins.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said materials of a plurality of colors include a molding resin and a plurality of color inks having different color components including white.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein

said plurality of color inks include a black ink.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein

said plurality of color inks include yellow, cyan, and magenta inks.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein

in said step (b), said three-dimensional molded product is molded out of said white material and colored with said materials of a plurality of colors other than white.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein

in said step (b), said three-dimensional molded product is molded out of a material of any given color and colored with said white material and said materials of a plurality of colors other than white.

14. A three-dimensional object molding method of producing a three-dimensional molded product by jetting materials to form each layer and stacking said layers in succession,

said method comprising the steps of:

(a) moving a molding nozzle which jets a molding resin to produce said three-dimensional molded product and a coloring nozzle which jets coloring agents of a plurality of colors to color said three-dimensional molded product, relative to a stage on which said three-dimensional molded product is to be formed; and

(b) jetting a predetermined coloring agent through said coloring nozzle depending on the part to be colored.

17. A three-dimensional object molding apparatus for producing a three-dimensional molded product by jetting materials to form each layer and stacking said layers in succession,

said apparatus comprising:

a first nozzle jetting a white material; and

a second nozzle jetting materials of a plurality of colors other than white.

26. A three-dimensional object molding method of producing a three-dimensional molded product by jetting materials to form each layer and stacking said layers in succession,

said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating color information for each layer of an object to be molded; and

(b) jetting a plurality of materials including a white material and materials of a plurality of colors other than white according to said color information, while moving nozzles which separately jet said plurality of materials, relative to a stage on which materials jetted are to be laminated.