MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SHAPED OBJECT

• US 20150183160A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: OHNISHI, MASARU
• Granted Patent: US 9,457,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a shaped object is provided, in which a surface of the shaped object can be decorated, while the shaped object being in a forming process. In the manufacturing method of a shaped object, according to the present invention; by way of laminating ink discharged from different ink-jet nozzles, forming operation and decorating operation on a surface of a formed structure can also be put into practice at the same time.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a shaped object, comprising:

a lower area forming process in which a first ink and a second ink are discharged for forming a lower area where a layer of the second ink is laminated on a layer of the first ink;

a middle area forming process in which, after the lower area forming process, the first ink, the second ink, and a third ink are discharged, regardless of order of discharging operations, for forming a middle area, where a layer of the second ink is positioned around a layer of the third ink and a layer of the first ink is positioned around the layer of the second ink in relation to a horizontal direction; and

an upper area forming process in which, after the middle area forming process, the second ink and the first ink are discharged for forming an upper area where a layer of the first ink is laminated on a layer of the second ink;

wherein, for forming the shaped object,

a main body having a cubic structure is constructed with the third ink,

a light-blocking layer covering a surface of the main body is constructed with the second ink, and

a decorating layer covering a surface of the light-blocking layer is constructed with the first ink.

2. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein the first ink and the second ink are discharged by means of an ink-jet method; and

in the lower area forming process, a first ink-jet nozzle for discharging the first ink and a second ink-jet nozzle for discharging the second ink are collectively moved in such a way that the second ink-jet nozzle passes through above a certain area, subsequent to the first ink-jet nozzle, and each of the first and second ink-jet nozzles discharges ink onto the certain area; and

meanwhile in the upper area forming process, the first ink-jet nozzle passes through above another certain area, subsequent to the second ink-jet nozzle, and each of the first and second ink-jet nozzles discharges ink onto the another certain area.

3. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein the third ink is discharged in the lower area forming process in such a way that a layer of the third ink is laminated on the layer of the second ink.

4. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 2:

wherein the third ink is discharged in the lower area forming process in such a way that a layer of the third ink is laminated on the layer of the second ink.

5. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein the third ink is discharged in the upper area forming process so that the layer of the second ink is laminated on a layer of the third ink.

6. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 2:

wherein the third ink is discharged in the upper area forming process so that the layer of the second ink is laminated on a layer of the third ink.

7. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein the middle area forming process forms an area of the shaped object, in which a normal line angle at an outer surface of the layer of the first ink in the shaped object is included in an angular range of ±

45 degrees, in relation to a horizontal line or a reference line along which the first ink-jet nozzle discharging the first ink moves.

8. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 2:

wherein the middle area forming process forms an area of the shaped object, in which a normal line angle at an outer surface of the layer of the first ink in the shaped object is included in an angular range of ±

45 degrees, in relation to a horizontal line or a reference line along which the first ink-jet nozzle discharging the first ink moves.

9. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein the shaped object is a spherical object, and the middle area forming process forms an area of the shaped object, which is, being centered around a center point of the spherical object, included in an angular range within 45 degrees upward and downward, with respect to the horizontal plane passing through the center point.

10. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 2:

wherein the shaped object is a spherical object, and the middle area forming process forms an area of the shaped object, which is, being centered around a center point of the spherical object, included in an angular range within 45 degrees upward and downward, with respect to the horizontal plane passing through the center point.

11. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein a colored ink or a decoration ink is used as the first ink.

12. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein a white ink, a silver ink, or a metallic ink is used as the second ink.

13. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 1:

wherein a supporting-component ink for forming a supporting component as a support for the shaped object is discharged in at least one process out of the lower area forming process, the middle area forming process, and the upper area forming process.

14. The manufacturing method of a shaped object according to claim 2:

wherein a supporting-component ink for forming a supporting component as a support for the shaped object is discharged in at least one process out of the lower area forming process, the middle area forming process, and the upper area forming process.