Apparatus for forming three-dimension article
First Claim
1. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional article on the basis of three-dimensional information about the article with a two-part curable material and a setting material therefor, the setting material being encapsulated in microcapsules which are rupturable upon light radiation or heat radiation, the apparatus comprising:
- a stage for mounting thereon the three-dimensional article to be formed;
a dispersing unit for dispersing the microcapsules uniformly in the two-part curable material;
an ink jet head unit positioned below the stage for jetting the two-part curable material and the microcapsules dispersed therein toward said stage to laminate the two-part curable material and the microcapsules on the stage;
a microcapsule rupturing unit for rupturing the microcapsules and to cure the two-part curable material laminated on said stage, the microcapsule rupturing unit comprising one of light applying means and heat applying means, the light applying means applying the light radiation toward the two-part curable material and the microcapsule dispersed in the two-part curable material jetted and laminated on the stage, and the heat applying means applying the heat radiation toward the two part-curable material and the microcapsules dispersed in the two-part curable material jetted and laminated on the stage;
a control means for controlling said ink jet head unit in order to change at least one of a jetting direction of the two-part curable material and a jetting amount of the material jetted from the ink jet head unit on the basis of the information in order to control a jetting and laminating operation of the two-part curable material on said stage, and for controlling said microcapsule rupturing unit in order to rupture the microcapsules disposed in the two-part curable material laminated on the stage after the two-part curable material is laminated on said stage, said controlling means also controlling the repetition of the jetting operation of said ink jet head and the microcapsule rupturing operation of said microcapsule rupturing unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional article with two-part curable material on the basis of a three-dimensional information on the article by means of an ink jet method. The material is jetted from at least one ink jet to a stage and laminated thereon. In two-part curable material, microcapsules which encapsulate setting material of the two-part curable material are scattered. These microcapsules are ruptured by radiation of light and so on. The laminated two-part material is supplied with radiation of light from a light source so that it is cured. In this process, a jetting direction of the material from the ink jet head to the stage and/or a jetting amount of the material jetted from the ink jet head is changed in accordance with the information by a control unit, thereby forming a solid article having a desired three-dimensional shape.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional article on the basis of three-dimensional information about the article with a two-part curable material and a setting material therefor, the setting material being encapsulated in microcapsules which are rupturable upon light radiation or heat radiation, the apparatus comprising:
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a stage for mounting thereon the three-dimensional article to be formed; a dispersing unit for dispersing the microcapsules uniformly in the two-part curable material; an ink jet head unit positioned below the stage for jetting the two-part curable material and the microcapsules dispersed therein toward said stage to laminate the two-part curable material and the microcapsules on the stage; a microcapsule rupturing unit for rupturing the microcapsules and to cure the two-part curable material laminated on said stage, the microcapsule rupturing unit comprising one of light applying means and heat applying means, the light applying means applying the light radiation toward the two-part curable material and the microcapsule dispersed in the two-part curable material jetted and laminated on the stage, and the heat applying means applying the heat radiation toward the two part-curable material and the microcapsules dispersed in the two-part curable material jetted and laminated on the stage; a control means for controlling said ink jet head unit in order to change at least one of a jetting direction of the two-part curable material and a jetting amount of the material jetted from the ink jet head unit on the basis of the information in order to control a jetting and laminating operation of the two-part curable material on said stage, and for controlling said microcapsule rupturing unit in order to rupture the microcapsules disposed in the two-part curable material laminated on the stage after the two-part curable material is laminated on said stage, said controlling means also controlling the repetition of the jetting operation of said ink jet head and the microcapsule rupturing operation of said microcapsule rupturing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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8. An apparatus for forming a multi-kind or multi-color three-dimensional article with plural two-part curable materials of different kinds or different colors and setting materials therefor on the basis of a three-dimensional information on the article, the setting materials for the two-part curable materials being encapsulated in the microcapsules rupturable upon light radiation, the apparatus comprising:
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a stage for mounting thereon the three-dimensional article to be formed; plural tanks for accommodating the different kind or color two-part curable materials; plural ink jet heads positioned below said stage for jetting along respective flight passages of the materials toward said stage to individually laminate the two-part curable materials on said stage, the flight passages being defined between said stage and the ink jet heads; a light supplying unit for irradiating light to the laminated two-part curable materials on said stage to rupture microcapsules in the two-part curable materials and to cure the two-part curable materials; and a control means for controlling said ink jet head unit in order to change at least one of a jetting direction of the two-part curable materials along the flight passages and a jetting amount of the materials jetted from said ink jet head unit on the basis of the information in order to control a jetting and laminating operation of the two-part curable materials on said stage, and for controlling said microcapsule rupturing unit in order to rupture the microcapsules dispersed in the two-part curable materials laminated on the stage after the two-part curable materials are laminated on said stage, said controlling means also controlling the repetition of the jetting operation of said ink jet head and the microcapsule rupturing operation of said microcapsule rapturing unit.
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Specification