Stereo lithography three-dimensional printing apparatus and method of forming colored three-dimensional object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10788752-B2
Application number	US-201715600233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

The three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a tank, a platform, a lighting module, a control unit, a photosensitizer coating unit, and an exposure and development unit. The tank is filled with a liquid forming material, and the platform is movably disposed above the tank. The lighting module is used for providing light projecting toward the liquid forming material. The control unit coupled to the platform and the lighting module is configured to control the platform to move along a first direction, such that at least one layer object of a three-dimensional object is cured on the platform by layer. The photosensitizer coating unit is coupled to the control unit and configured to form at least one photosensitizer film on the layer object. The exposure and development unit is coupled to the control unit and configured to expose the photosensitizer film by exposing and developing to color the three-dimensional object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:
a tank filled with a liquid material;
a platform movably disposed above the tank;
a lighting module used for projecting light towards the liquid material;
a control unit coupled to the platform and the lighting module and configured to control the platform to move along a direction, such that at least one layer object of a three-dimensional object is cured on the platform by the lighting module;
wherein the at least one layer object is a structural layer used to define the shape of the three-dimensional object

a photosensitizer coating unit coupled to the control unit and configured to form at least one_photosensitizer films on the layer object, wherein the photosensitizer film comprises a resin material and a photosensitizer;
an exposure unit coupled to the control unit and configured to expose the photosensitizer for a color change so as to enhance the color diversity of the three-dimensional object; and
a drying unit electrically connected to the control unit and configured to dry the photosensitizer film top down for keeping the photosensitizer film formed on the layer object from leaving the layer object as the photosensitizer film is immersed in the liquid material;
wherein the photosensitizer coating unit is configured to form a second photosensitizer film after the photosensitizer of a first photosensitizer film has been exposed and executed a drying program by the drying unit, so as to stack multiple layers of the photosensitizer film on the at least one layer objects to enhance color diversity;
wherein after the first photosensitizer film and second photosensitizer film are formed on the at least one layer object, the second photosensitizer film is exposed and dried, then the three dimensional object is lowered into the tank with the platform, a second layer object is formed on top of at least a portion of multiple layers of the photosensitizer film, and then a second forming of the first and second photosensitizer film is formed on the second layer object.

2. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exposure unit performs exposure on the photosensitizer while the layer object is formed.

3. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exposure unit performs exposure on the photosensitizer after the three-dimensional object is formed.

4. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the platform is directed to remove the layer object from the liquid material along the direction by the control unit after the layer object is cured.

5. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitizer is uniformly disposed within the resin material.

6. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitizer is coated on the resin material.

7. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitizer coating unit utilizes a nozzle or a roller.

8. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitizer is silver halides.

9. A method of forming a three-dimensional object by a three-dimensional printing apparatus, wherein the three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a tank filled with a liquid material and a platform, the method comprising:
arranging a lighting module for irradiating the liquid material;
moving the platform for forming at least one layer object of the three-dimensional object with certain depth;
wherein the at least one layer object is a structural layer used to define the shape of the three-dimensional object;

forming at least one photosensitizer film over the layer object, wherein the photosensitizer film is an emulsion including a resin material and a photosensitizer;
exposing the photosensitizer for a color change to enhance the color diversity of the layer object;
forming the three-dimensional object by sequentially stacking layer objects with photosensitizer films;
drying the photosensitizer films before performing exposure for keeping the photosensitizer films formed on the layer object from leaving the layer object as the photosensitizer films are immersed in the liquid material;
forming a second photosensitizer film after the photosensitizer of a first photosensitizer film has been exposed and executed a drying program by the drying unit, so as to stack multiple layers of the photosensitizer film on the at least one layer objects to enhance color diversity;
wherein after the first photosensitizer film and second photosensitizer film are formed on the at least one layer object, the second photosensitizer film is exposed and dried, then the three dimensional object is lowered into the tank with the platform, a second layer object is formed on top of at least a portion of multiple layers of the photosensitizer film, and then a second forming of the first and second photosensitizer film is formed on the second layer object.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
directing the platform to remove the layer object from the liquid material before forming the photosensitizer films.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the photosensitizer film is exposed after the three-dimensional object is formed by sequentially stacking layer objects with the photosensitizer films.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the photosensitizer is silver halides.

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc

Inventors

• Lee Wei-Hua
• Kang Hung-Peng

Classifications

• B29C64/264

  Arrangements for irradiation · CPC title

• B29C64/245

  Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) · CPC title

• B29C64/255

  Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title

• B29C64/30

  Auxiliary operations or equipment · CPC title