Shaping material supply device and three-dimensional shaping apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034087-B2
Application number	US-201816109976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a shaping material supply device for use in a three-dimensional shaping apparatus, which includes a first flow path through which a shaping material flows, a nozzle that communicates with the first flow path and discharges the shaping material, and a flow rate regulation mechanism that includes a butterfly valve provided in the first flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional shaping apparatus comprising:
a first flow path through which a shaping material flows;
a nozzle that is configured to communicate with the first flow path and discharge the shaping material; and
a flow rate regulation mechanism that includes a butterfly valve, a drive shaft, and a valve driver, the butterfly valve being provided in the first flow path, the valve driver being configured to rotate the drive shaft,
wherein the butterfly valve is a part of the drive shaft,
when the butterfly valve is at a first position, the butterfly valve prevents the shaping material from flowing through the first flow path, and
when the butterfly valve is at a second positon different from the first position, the shaping material flows through the first flow path via the butterfly valve.

2. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the butterfly valve is a plate member rotatably disposed in the first flow path,
a first cross section area of a first part of the first flow path and a second cross section area of a second part of the first flow path along a plane perpendicular to a flow direction of the shaping material in the first flow path are different from each other, and the first cross section area is larger than the second cross section area, and
the plate member is disposed in the first part of the first flow path.

3. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a suction member that is configured to suck the shaping material into a branched flow path connected to the first flow path so that a negative pressure is generated in the first flow path.

4. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a purge member that is connected to the first flow path, the purge member being configured to deliver gas into the first flow path.

5. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the purge member is located closer to the nozzle than the butterfly valve along a flow direction of the shaping material in the first flow path.

6. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store a program; and
a processor configured to execute the program so as to:
control the valve driver to locate the butterfly valve at the first position; and
control the purge member to deliver the gas into the first flow path after the butterfly valve is located at the first position.

7. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaping material production member that is configured to melt at least a part of a material to produce the shaping material,
wherein the shaping material production member includes:
a facing member that has a heater and a communication hole communicating with the first flow path; and
a flat screw that faces the facing member, is rotated to send the material to the communication hole while melting at least a part of the material to produce the shaping material, and includes a groove supplying the shaping material to the communication hole, and

at least a part of the material supplied between the flat screw and the facing member is melted due to rotation of the flat screw and heating by the heater, and the shaping material is produced.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Saito Koichi
• YUWAKI Kohei
• Mizukami Shunsuke
• Nakamura Kazuhide

Classifications

• B22F12/57

  Metering means · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F10/18

  by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] · CPC title

• B29B7/402

  using a rotor-stator system with intermeshing elements, e.g. teeth (B29B7/408, B29B7/404 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29B7/407

  with a casing closely surrounding the rotor, e.g. with conical rotor · CPC title