Three-dimensional shaping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11931959-B2
Application number	US-202217899665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2022
Priority date	Sep 1, 2021
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a stage whose shaping surface has a first groove and a second groove extending in a first direction; a discharge unit configured to supply a shaping material to the shaping surface; a movement mechanism configured to relatively move the stage and the discharge unit; and a control unit configured to control the discharge unit and the movement mechanism. The control unit is configured to control the movement mechanism and the discharge unit to: form a first girder layer by supplying the shaping material to the first groove while relatively moving the discharge unit in the first direction with respect to the stage, form a second girder layer by supplying the shaping material to the second groove while relatively moving the discharge unit in the first direction with respect to the stage, and form a first floor layer coupling the first girder layer and the second girder layer by supplying the shaping material to the shaping surface while relatively moving the discharge unit with respect to the stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising:
a stage having a shaping surface in which first and second grooves are provided, the first and second grooves extending along a first direction, each of the first and second grooves having an open end at one end and a closed end at the other end, the open ends being exposed to an outside of the stage, other parts of the stage existing between the closed ends and the outside of the stage;
a discharge head configured to supply a shaping material to the shaping surface;
a motor configured to relatively move the stage and the discharge head;
a heater configured to heat the stage;
a memory configured to store a program; and
a processor configures to execute the program to control the discharge head and the motor so as to:
form a first girder layer by supplying the shaping material into the first groove while relatively moving the discharge head in the first direction with respect to the stage;
form a second girder layer by supplying the shaping material into the second groove while relatively moving the discharge head in the first direction with respect to the stage;
form a first floor layer spanning the first girder layer and the second girder layer by supplying the shaping material onto the shaping surface and first and second girder layers while relatively moving the discharge head with respect to the stage;
form a three-dimensional object on the first floor layer by supplying the shaping material onto the first floor layer; and
cause the heater to heat the stage to make an entirety of the three-dimensional object, the first floor layer, and the first and second girder layers to slide out from the stage to the outside of the stage.

2. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of a depth of the first groove and a depth of the second groove is 0.2 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

3. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
an angle formed by a first side wall, which is a side wall of the first groove on a side closer to the second groove, and the shaping surface is 70 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, and
an angle formed by a second side wall, which is a side wall of the second groove on a side closer to the first groove, and the shaping surface is 70 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees.

4. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
the stage has a first side surface that intersects with the shaping surface, and
the open ends of the first and second grooves expose to te outside of the stage at the first surface of the stage.

5. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first floor layer is formed by supplying the shaping material onto the stage while the processor causes the discharge head to reciprocate in a direction that intersects with the first direction.

6. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 5 , wherein
the processor is further configured to form a second floor layer by supplying the shaping material onto the first floor layer while the processor causes the discharge head to reciprocate in a direction that intersects the first direction, and
an area occupied by the shaping material per unit area of the second floor layer is larger than an area occupied by the shaping material per unit area of the first floor layer.

7. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first girder layer is formed on a side closer to the second groove in the first groove, and
the second girder layer is formed on a side closer to the first groove in the second groove.

8. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
a main component of a stage material, which is a material of the stage, is glass or aluminum.

9. The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
the discharge head includes a nozzle configured to discharge the shaping material, and
each of widths of the first groove and the second groove on the shaping surface is wider than an outer diameter of the nozzle.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tsunoya Akihiko
• Fujimori Koji

Classifications

• B29C64/245 Primary

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

• B29C64/20

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

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/118 Primary

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title