Three-dimensional modeling apparatus, method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object, and three-dimensional object

• US 20110190446A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kazusako, Junichi, Matsui, Takeshi, Yasukochi, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/56
• 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: B29C 64/321 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling

Abstract

Provided is a three-dimensional modeling apparatus including a supply mechanism, a deposition area, a variable mechanism, a discharge mechanism, and a control means. The supply mechanism supplies a powder material. In the deposition area,, the supplied powder material is deposited. The variable mechanism varies a volume of the deposition area per a predetermined layer thickness, and thus the powder material is deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area. The discharge mechanism discharges liquid for forming a three-dimensional object to the deposited powder material, the liquid being capable of hardening the powder material. The control means causes the discharge mechanism to discharge the liquid to the powder material, to thereby form a main body being an object being as a target to be modeled and a frame body being an object to be formed in a periphery of the main body, of the three-dimensional object.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus, comprising:

a supply mechanism configured to supply a powder material;

a deposition area in which the powder material supplied by the supply mechanism is deposited;

a variable mechanism configured to vary a volume of the deposition area per a predetermined layer thickness so that the powder material is deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area;

a discharge mechanism configured to discharge liquid for forming a three-dimensional object to the powder material deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area, the liquid being capable of hardening the powder material; and

a control means for causing the discharge mechanism to discharge the liquid to the powder material, to thereby form a main body being an object being as a target to be modeled and a frame body being an object to be formed in a periphery of the main body, of the three-dimensional object.

2. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the deposition area includes

a first side, and

a second side opposite to the first side, and the supply mechanism includes

a supply box, which is arranged to be adjacent to the first side of the deposition area and is capable of storing the powder material, and

a conveying mechanism configured to convey the powder material stored in the supply box in such a manner that the powder material is more deposited in an area closer to the first side rather than the second side in an entire area of the deposition area.

3. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge mechanism is capable of discharging ink of multiple colors as the liquid, and

the control means causes the discharge mechanism to discharge the ink of multiple colors to the powder material forming the frame body so that the frame body colored in the multiple colors is formed.

4. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control means causes the discharge mechanism to discharge the liquid in such a manner that an outline of the frame body has an isotropic shape as viewed at least from a plane perpendicular to a direction in which the powder material is laminated.

5. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control means causes the discharge mechanism to discharge the liquid, to thereby form a plurality of objects each including the frame body.

6. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a camera configured to pick up an image of the formed frame body.

7. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object, comprising:

supplying a powder material into a deposition area;

varying a volume of the deposition area per a predetermined layer thickness so that the powder material is deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area; and

jetting liquid for forming the three-dimensional object to the powder material deposited in the deposition area, to thereby form a main body being an object being as a target to be modeled and a frame body being an object to be formed in a periphery of the main body, of the three-dimensional object, the liquid being capable of hardening the powder material.

8. A three-dimensional object obtained by a manufacturing method comprising:

supplying a powder material into a deposition area;

varying a volume of the deposition area per a predetermined layer thickness so that the powder material is deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area; and

jetting the liquid for forming the three-dimensional object to the powder material deposited in the deposition area, to thereby form a main body being an object being as a target to be modeled and a frame body being an object to be formed in a periphery of the main body, of the three-dimensional object, the liquid being capable of hardening the powder material.

9. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus, comprising:

a supply mechanism configured to supply powder material;

a deposition area in which the powder material supplied by the supply mechanism is deposited;

a variable mechanism configured to vary a volume of the deposition area per a predetermined layer thickness so that the powder material is deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area;

a discharge mechanism configured to discharge liquid for forming a three-dimensional object to the powder material deposited per the predetermined layer thickness in the deposition area, the liquid being capable of hardening the powder material; and

a control means for causing the discharge mechanism to discharge the liquid to the powder material, to thereby form a main body being an object being as a target to be modeled and a partition body for partitioning the deposition area, of the three-dimensional object.