Optical shaping apparatus and optical shaping method

• US 8,454,879 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuzusako, Junichi, Kihara, Nobuhiro, Honda, Katsuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): KENNEDY, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US12/326,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20090142436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 264/401, 264/497, 264/482, 425/174, 425/174.4, 425/375
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing

Abstract

An optical shaping apparatus includes: an exposing unit for turning on/off irradiation of light to a hardening resin surface for each predetermined unit area to irradiate light collectively on multiple the unit areas with irradiation of light being on; and a scanning unit for irradiating an optical beam with a predetermined diameter to scan the optical beam on the hardening resin surface; with the exposing unit irradiating the light in an area offset by a predetermined number of unit areas toward the inner side than the unit areas overlapped with the profile line of the cross-sectional-shaped data on the hardening resin surface; and with the scanning unit scanning an optical beam having a first diameter along a center line offset from the profile line of the cross-sectional-shaped data, and scanning an optical beam having a second diameter shorter than the first diameter along the inner side of the profile line.

Claims

1. An optical shaping apparatus configured to irradiate light according to cross-sectional shape data of a three-dimensional model on a surface of a light hardening resin to form a hardening layer, and hardening layers to shape said three-dimensional model, comprising:

one-shot exposing means for turning on/off irradiation of light onto the surface of said light hardening resin for each predetermined unit area, and irradiating light collectively on a plurality of said unit areas for which irradiation of light is on;

scanning exposing means configured to irradiate an optical beam with a predetermined diameter, and scan said optical beam on the surface of said light hardening resin;

a polarizing beam splitter configured to synthesize light from the one-shot exposing means and the optical beam from the scanning exposing means; and

an objective lens to receive light from the one-shot exposing means and the optical beam from the polarizing beam splitter, the objective lens being configured to (a) image-form light from the one-shot exposing means on the surface of said light hardening resin and (b) condense the optical beam from the scanning exposing means, said objective lens receiving light from the one-shot exposing means before receiving the optical beam from the scanning exposing means,

wherein,

said one-shot exposing means includes a condenser lens, said condenser lens and said objective lens comprise a symmetric optical system,

said one-shot exposing means irradiates said light in an area which is offset by a predetermined number of unit areas on an inner side of a profile line of said cross-sectional shape data with respect to said unit areas overlapped with the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data on the surface of said light hardening resin;

said scanning exposing means scans a center of said optical beam having a first diameter along a scanning line that is within the inner side of the profile line and offset by a predetermined distance from the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data; and

said scanning exposing means scans an optical beam, having a second diameter which is shorter than said first diameter, within the inner side of the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data.

2. The optical shaping apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a shape of said unit area is a square;

and

wherein said first diameter is a value obtained by multiplying a length of one side of said unit area by the predetermined number of unit areas.

3. The optical shaping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined distance in which said scanning line is offset from said profile line is equal to a value obtained by adding said second diameter to a half of said first diameter.

4. An optical shaping method for an optical shaping apparatus configured to irradiate light according to cross-sectional shape data of a three-dimensional model on a surface of a light hardening resin to form a hardening layer, and layering hardening layers to shape said three-dimensional model,

wherein,

said optical shaping apparatus includes:

one-shot exposing unit configured to turn on/off irradiation of light onto the surface of said light hardening resin for each predetermined unit area, and irradiate light collectively on a plurality of said unit areas for which irradiation of light is on;

scanning exposing means configured to irradiate an optical beam with a predetermined diameter, and scan said optical beam on the surface of said light hardening resin;

a polarizing beam splitter configured to synthesize the light from the one-shot exposing means and the optical beam from the scanning exposing means; and

an objective lens to receive light from the one-shot exposing unit and the optical beam from the polarizing beam splitter, the objective lens being configured to (a) image-form light from the one-shot exposing unit on the surface of said light hardening resin and (b) condense the optical beam from the scanning exposing means, said objective lens receiving light from the one-shot exposing unit before receiving the optical beam from the scanning exposing means, said one-shot exposing means including a condenser lens, said condenser lens and said objective lens comprise a symmetric optical system,

said method comprises;

causing said one-shot exposing unit to irradiate said light in an area which is offset by a predetermined number of unit areas on an inner side of a profile line of said cross-sectional shape data with respect to said unit areas overlapped with the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data on the surface of said light hardening resin;

causing said scanning exposing unit to scan a center of said optical beam having a first diameter along a scanning line that is within an inner side of a profile line of said cross-sectional shape data and offset by a predetermined distance from the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data; and

causing said scanning exposing unit to scan an optical beam, having a second diameter which is shorter than said first diameter, within the inner side of the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data.

5. An optical shaping apparatus configured to irradiate light according to cross-sectional shape data of a three-dimensional model on a surface of a light hardening resin to form a hardening layer, and layering hardening layers to shape said three-dimensional model, comprising:

a one-shot exposing unit configured to turn on/off irradiation of light to the surface of said light hardening resin for each predetermined unit area, and irradiate light collectively on a plurality of said unit areas for which irradiation of light is on;

a scanning exposing unit configured to irradiate an optical beam with a predetermined diameter, and scan said optical beam on the surface of said light hardening resin; and

a polarizing beam splitter configured to synthesize the light from the one-shot exposing unit and the optical beam from the scanning exposing unit; and

an objective lens to receive light from the one-shot exposing unit and the optical beam from the polarizing beam splitter, the objective lens being configured to (a) image-form light from the one-shot exposing unit on the surface of said light hardening resin and (b) condense the optical beam from the scanning exposing unit, said objective lens receiving light from the one-shot exposing unit before receiving the optical beam from the scanning exposing unit,

wherein,

said one-shot exposing means includes a condenser lens, said condenser lens and said objective lens comprise a symmetric optical system,

said one-shot exposing unit is configured to irradiate said light in an area which is offset by a predetermined number of unit areas on an inner side of a profile line of said cross-sectional shape data with respect to said unit areas overlapped with the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data on the surface of said light hardening resin; and

said scanning exposing unit is configured to scan a center said optical beam having a first diameter along a scanning line that is within the inner side and offset by a predetermined distance from the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data; and

said scanning exposing unit is configured to scan an optical beam, having a second diameter which is shorter than said first diameter, within the inner side of the profile line of said cross-sectional shape data.