Modeling apparatus and modeling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703085-B2
Application number	US-201415102607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A modeling apparatus includes a stage, an irradiation unit, a moving mechanism, and a stage-rotating mechanism. The irradiation unit selectively irradiates a region of a material supplied onto the stage, with an energy ray. The moving mechanism relatively moves, at least in a stacking direction of the material, the stage and the irradiation unit. The stage-rotating mechanism rotates the stage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modeling apparatus, comprising:
a stage;
a regulation member that includes a surface, wherein
the surface includes at least one partitioning member that partitions the surface into a plurality of regions,
the at least one partitioning member includes a rib portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the regulation member, and
the rib portion includes a flange portion protruding along a circumferential direction of the regulation member;

a first irradiation unit configured to cure, by irradiation with an energy ray of the first irradiation unit, a material supplied onto the stage to obtain an irradiated material;
a moving mechanism configured to one of:
move the stage along a specific axis orthogonal to a stage surface of the stage, and the first irradiation unit along two axes, wherein the two axes are along the stage surface, or
move the stage along the two axes, and the first irradiation unit along the specific axis;

a stage-rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage; and
a tilting mechanism between the stage-rotating mechanism and the stage, wherein the tilting mechanism is configured to tilt the stage-rotating mechanism with respect to the stage for tilt of an axis of rotation of the stage.

2. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface of the regulation member is opposed to the stage,
a shape of the surface of the regulation member towards the stage is convex,
a retention region is between the stage and the surface of the regulation member, and
the first irradiation unit is further configured to irradiate the material via the regulation member.

3. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second irradiation unit configured to irradiate the irradiated material with an energy ray of the second irradiation unit.

4. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first axis of the two axes is orthogonal to a second axis of the two axes.

5. The modeling apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a regulation member-rotating mechanism configured to rotate the regulation member around an axis of the two axes along the stage surface.

6. The modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a removing mechanism configured to remove uncured material that remains on the irradiated material by a centrifugal force that is produced by the rotation of the stage.

7. A modeling apparatus, comprising:
a stage;
a regulation member that includes a surface, wherein
the surface includes at least one partitioning member that partitions the surface into a plurality of regions,
the at least one partitioning member includes a rib portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the regulation member, and
the rib portion includes a flange portion protruding along a circumferential direction of the regulation member;

a first irradiation unit configured to cure, by irradiation with an energy ray of the first irradiation unit, a material supplied onto the stage to obtain an irradiated material;
a moving mechanism configured to one of:
move the stage along a specific axis orthogonal to a stage surface of the stage, and the first irradiation unit along two axes, wherein the two axes are along the stage surface, or
move the stage along the two axes, and the first irradiation unit along the specific axis;

a second irradiation unit configured to irradiate the irradiated material with a second energy ray of the second irradiation unit;
a stage-rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage; and
a tilting mechanism between the stage-rotating mechanism and the stage, wherein the tilting mechanism is configured to tilt the stage-rotating mechanism with respect to the stage for tilt of an axis of rotation of the stage.

8. The modeling apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein an energy per unit time and per unit solid angle of the energy ray of the second irradiation unit is larger than an energy per unit time and per unit solid angle of the energy ray of the first irradiation unit.

9. A modeling apparatus, comprising:
a stage;
a regulation member that includes a surface, wherein
the surface includes at least one partitioning member that partitions the surface into a plurality of regions,
the at least one partitioning member includes a rib portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the regulation member, and
the rib portion includes a flange portion protruding along a circumferential direction of the regulation member;

an exposure unit that includes a light-emitting array, wherein
the light-emitting array comprises a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements, and
the light-emitting array is configured to cure a material supplied onto the stage;

a moving mechanism configured to one of:
move the stage along a specific axis orthogonal to a stage surface of the stage, and the light-emitting array along two axes, wherein the two axes are along the stage surface, or
move the stage along the two axes, and the light-emitting array along the specific axis;

a stage-rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage; and
a tilting mechanism between the stage-rotating mechanism and the stage, wherein the tilting mechanism is configured to tilt the stage-rotating mechanism with respect to the stage for tilt of an axis of rotation of the stage.

10. The modeling apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements is in a one-dimensional arrangement, and
the moving mechanism is further configured to move one of the stage or the light-emitting array along a direction that is orthogonal to a direction of the one-dimensional arrangement of the plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements.

11. The modeling apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements is in a two-dimensional arrangement.

12. A modeling apparatus, comprising:
a stage;
a regulation member that includes a surface, wherein
the surface includes at least one partitioning member that partitions the surface into a plurality of regions,
the at least one partitioning member includes a rib portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the regulation member,
the rib portion includes a flange portion protruding along a circumferential direction of the regulation member,
the surface of the regulation member is opposed to the stage,
a shape of the surface of the regulation member towards the stage is convex,
a retention region is between the stage and the surface of the regulation member, and
the retention region includes a gap in a direction orthogonal to the stage;

an irradiation unit configured to cure, by irradiation with an energy ray, a material retained in the retention region,
wherein a position of the material is deviated from a position of the gap;

a moving mechanism configured to one of:
move the stage along a specific axis orthogonal to a stage surface of the stage, and the irradiation unit along two axes, wherein the two axes are along the stage surface, or
move the stage along the two axes, and the irradiation unit along the specific axis;

a stage-rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage; and
a tilting mechanism between the stage-rotating mechanism and the stage, wherein the tilting mechanism is configured to tilt the stage-rotating mechanism with respect to the stage for tilt of an axis of rotation of the stage.

13. A modeling apparatus, comprising:
a stage;
a regulation member that includes a surface, wherein
the surface includes at least one partitioning member that partitions the surface into a pl

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Yasukochi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B29C64/40

  Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof · CPC title

• B29C64/129 Primary

  characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask · CPC title

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title