Plasticization device, three-dimensional modeling device, and injection molding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440253-B2
Application number	US-202016857597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 25, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A plasticization device includes a screw configured to rotate around a rotation axis and including a groove forming surface on which a groove channel in which a groove extends spirally is formed; a heating unit configured to heat the material supplied to the groove channel; and a barrel including a facing surface that faces the groove forming surface and that is provided with a discharge port through which the molten material is to be discharged due to rotation of the screw and due to heating of the heating unit. The groove is defined by a first side wall portion, a second side wall portion provided at a position farther from the rotation axis than the first side wall portion, and a bottom surface portion coupled between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion. The groove of the groove channel has an interval between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion that becomes narrower as a distance from the bottom surface portion along the rotation axis increases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasticization device configured to plasticize a material into a molten material, the plasticization device comprising:
a screw configured to rotate around a rotation axis and including a groove forming surface in which a groove is formed, the groove extending spirally, the rotation axis extending along a first direction, the groove being recessed from the groove forming surface toward an opposite surface of the screw with respect to the groove forming surface;
a heater configured to heat the material supplied to the groove; and
a barrel including a facing surface that faces the groove forming surface and that is provided with a discharge port through which the molten material is discharged due to rotation of the screw and due to heating of the heater, wherein
the groove is configured with a first inner side surface, a second inner side surface inwardly directly facing the first inner side surface, and a bottom surface coupled between the first inner side surface and the second inner side surface in a first part of a cross section of the screw along a plane extending along the first direction and having the rotation axis,
the first inner side surface and the second inner side surface are inclined with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw,
a length of the bottom surface in the first part of the cross section of the screw is larger than a distance between a first point and a second point in the first part of the cross section of the screw, and
a lower end of the first inner side surface and the groove forming surface are connected at the first point in the first part of the cross section of the screw, and a lower end of the second inner side surface and the groove forming surface are connected at the second point in the first part of the cross section of the screw.

2. The plasticization device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first inner side surface is located closer to the rotation axis than the second inner side surface in the first part of the cross section of the screw, and
a degree of inclination of the first inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw is greater than a degree of inclination of the second inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw.

3. The plasticization device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the screw includes a cylindrical inner peripheral portion centered on the rotation axis and a cylindrical outer peripheral portion surrounding the cylindrical inner peripheral portion,
a diameter of the cylindrical inner peripheral portion is half a diameter of the screw, and
the cylindrical inner peripheral portion of the screw includes the first inner side surface, the second inner side surface, and the bottom surface of the first part of the cross section of the screw.

4. The plasticization device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the groove is configured with a third inner side surface, a fourth inner side surface inwardly directly facing the third inner side surface, and another bottom surface coupled between the third inner side surface and the fourth inner side surface in a second part of the cross section of the screw along the plane extending along the first direction and having the rotation axis,
the third inner side surface is located closer to the rotation axis than the fourth inner side surface in the second part of the cross section of the screw,
the first part is located closer to the rotation axis than the second part in the cross section of the screw, and
a degree of inclination of the first inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw is greater than a degree of inclination of the third inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the second part of the cross section of the screw, or a degree of inclination of the second inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw is greater then a degree of inclination of the fourth inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the second part of the cross section of the screw.

5. The plasticization device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the groove is configured with a third inner side surface, a fourth inner side surface inwardly directly facing the third inner side surface, and another bottom surface coupled between the third inner side surface and the fourth inner side surface in a second part of the cross section of the screw along the plane extending along the first direction and having the rotation axis,
the first part is located closer to the rotation axis than the second part in the cross section of the screw, and
a depth of the groove in the first part of the cross section of the screw shallower than a depth of the groove in the second part of the cross section of the screw.

6. A three-dimensional modeling device, comprising:
a plasticization device configured to plasticize a material into a molten material; and
a nozzle configured to discharge the molten material supplied from the plasticization device toward a stage, wherein
the plasticization device includes:
a screw configured to rotate around a rotation axis and including a groove forming surface in which a groove is formed, the groove extending spirally, the rotation axis extending along a first direction, the groove being recessed from the groove forming surface toward an opposite surface of the screw with respect to the groove forming surface;
a heater configured to heat the material supplied to the groove; and
a barrel including a facing surface that faces the groove forming surface and that is provided with a discharge port through which the molten material is supplied to the nozzle due to rotation of the screw and due to heating of the heater,

the groove is configured with a inner side surface, a second inner side surface inwardly directly facing the first side surface, and a bottom surface coupled between the first inner side surface and the second inner side surface in a first part of a cross section of the screw along a plane extending along the first direction and having the rotation axis,
the first inner side surface and the second inner side surface are inclined with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw,
a length of the bottom surface in the first part of the cross section of the screw is larger than a distance between a first point and a second point in the first part of the cross section of the screw, and
a lower end of the first inner side surface and the groove forming surface are connected at the first point in the first part of the cross section of the screw, and a lower end of the second inner side surface and the groove forming surface are connected at the second point in the first part of the cross section of the screw.

7. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first inner side surface is located closer to the rotation axis than the second inner side surface in the first part of the cross section of the screw, and
a degree of inclination of the first inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw is greater than a degree of inclination of the second inner side surface with respect to the rotation axis in the first part of the cross section of the screw.

8. The three-dimensional modeling device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the screw includes a cylindrical inner peripheral portion centered on the rotation axis and a cylindrical outer peripheral portion surrounding the cylindrical inner peripheral portion,
a diameter o

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Enari Megumi

Classifications

• B29C45/53 Primary

  using injection ram or piston · CPC title

• B22F12/50

  Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads · CPC title

• B22F12/30

  Platforms or substrates · CPC title

• B22F10/22

  Direct deposition of molten metal · CPC title

• B22F10/16

  by embedding the binder within the powder bed · CPC title