MODELING APPARATUS AND MODELING METHOD

• US 20110059247A1
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Tomita Pharmaceutical Company Limited
• Inventors: Tamura, Kazuma, Ookubo, Akira, Koizumi, Tomohide, Kamewa, Toshihiro, Matsui, Takeshi, Yamamoto, Masanobu, Kuzusako, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/372.2
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 7/02 Lost patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/00 Moulds or cores uniquely adapted to particular casting processes B22D; Moulding processes
• 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

Abstract

[Object] To form a modeled object with high accuracy.

[Solving Means] A powder transfer mechanism (16) laminates powder layers containing water-soluble powder as a main component one by one at a modeling portion (14). An inkjet line head (17) injects a water-based ink that dissolves the powder in an area of an uppermost layer of the powder layers laminated by the powder transfer mechanism (16), the area corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of a modeled object. Then, a heater (18) heats the powder for each layer of the powder layers. Further, the heater (18) heats the powder after the water-based ink is injected by the inkjet line head (17) or before the water-based ink is injected by the inkjet line head (17). The present invention can be applied to a modeling apparatus, for example.

Claims

1. A modeling apparatus, comprising:

a lamination means for laminating powder layers containing water-soluble powder as a main component one by one;

a liquid supply means for supplying liquid that dissolves the powder to an area of an uppermost layer of the powder layers laminated by the lamination means, the area corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of a modeled object; and

a heating means for heating the powder for each layer of the powder layers.

2. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the heating means heats the powder after the liquid supply means supplies the liquid to the powder layer.

3. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the heating means heats the powder after the lamination means laminates an uppermost powder layer and before the liquid supply means supplies the liquid to the powder layer.

4. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the powder is a combination of salt as a main component and at least one of magnesium sulfate and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

5. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the liquid supplied by the liquid supply means is at least one of a colorless ink as a mixed solution in which water and alcohol are mixed and a color ink in which pigments are dispersed in the mixed solution or a color ink in which dyes are dissolved in the mixed solution.

6. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the liquid supply means supplies the liquid to the powder layers while repeating injection of the liquid in minute droplets along a predetermined line of the powder layers and a movement in a direction perpendicular to the line for each line.

7. The modeling apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the liquid supply means includes a plurality of injection ports arranged in a direction of the line over a width of an area in which the modeled object is formed and the liquid is injected from the plurality of injection ports at substantially the same time in the direction of the line of the powder layers.

8. The modeling apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the liquid supply means includes a lid for isolating the plurality of injection ports from an external atmosphere.

9. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the heating means uses an amount of heat for heating the powder, 50% or more of which is caused by heat rays of a far infrared region.

10. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dry means for drying an atmosphere of a space including the powder layers laminated by the lamination means.

11. A modeling method, comprising:

laminating powder layers containing water-soluble powder as a main component one by one;

supplying liquid that dissolves the powder to an area of an uppermost layer of the laminated powder layers, the area corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of a modeled object; and

heating the powder for each layer of the powder layers.

12. The modeling method according to claim 11,

wherein the powder is heated after the liquid is supplied to the powder layer.

13. The modeling method according to claim 11,

wherein the powder is heated after an uppermost layer of the powder layers is laminated and before the liquid is supplied to the powder layer.