Method for producing a laminated object and apparatus for producing the same
First Claim
1. A method for producing a laminated object using a laser-discharging means for discharging a laser beam, a material capable of forming a solid layer by receiving said laser beam, and a mask for interrupting said laser beam, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) depositing a first unsolidified layer of said material on a surface;
(b) covering said layer with said mask;
(c) discharging said laser beam so as to irradiate said unsolidified layer with a diverging laser beam and form a solid layer of said material on said surface;
(d) successively forming additional solid layers of said material, each laminated on a preceding solid layer, by depositing a subsequent unsolidified layer of said material on a preceding one of said solid layers and repeating steps (b) and (c); and
(e) after at least one of said solid layers is formed, adjusting at least one of a distance from said laser-discharging means to said mask and a distance from said mask to an unsolidified layer of said material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a laminated object using a laser-discharging means a laser beam, a material capable of forming a solid layer by receiving the laser beam, and a mask for interrupting the laser beam. The method includes the steps of: forming a layer of the material on a surface, covering the material with the mask, and discharging the laser beam onto the material covered with the mask to solidify the material and form the solid layer on the surface. The above cycle is repeated to produce a laminated object. The method and the apparatus are characterized in the adjusting at least one of a distance from the laser-discharging means to the mask and a distance from the mask to the material, so that the extent of the laser beam is adjusted and the dimension of the laminated object is adjusted.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for producing a laminated object using a laser-discharging means for discharging a laser beam, a material capable of forming a solid layer by receiving said laser beam, and a mask for interrupting said laser beam, which method comprises the steps of:
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(a) depositing a first unsolidified layer of said material on a surface; (b) covering said layer with said mask; (c) discharging said laser beam so as to irradiate said unsolidified layer with a diverging laser beam and form a solid layer of said material on said surface; (d) successively forming additional solid layers of said material, each laminated on a preceding solid layer, by depositing a subsequent unsolidified layer of said material on a preceding one of said solid layers and repeating steps (b) and (c); and (e) after at least one of said solid layers is formed, adjusting at least one of a distance from said laser-discharging means to said mask and a distance from said mask to an unsolidified layer of said material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification