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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12036711-B2
Application number	US-202117181134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2021
Priority date	Feb 25, 2020
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A plasticization device that plasticizes a material, includes: a drive motor; a rotor that is to be rotated by the drive motor and has a groove-forming surface in which a curved projection strip portion is formed from a peripheral edge of a circular central portion toward an outer periphery of the rotor; a barrel that faces the groove-forming surface and includes a communication hole at a position facing the central portion of the groove-forming surface; and a heating unit that heats the material supplied between the rotor and the barrel, the rotor includes a protrusion protruding from the central portion toward the communication hole, and

0.28≤ S 2/ S 1≤1.03  (1),
wherein S 1 is an area of the central portion and S 2 is a maximum area of a cross section of the protrusion along the groove-forming surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasticization device that plasticizes a material, comprising:
a drive motor;
a rotor that is to be rotated by the drive motor and has a groove-forming surface in which a groove and a curved projection strip portion is formed, the curved projection strip portion extends, as a continuous structure, from a peripheral edge of a circular central portion to an outer periphery of the rotor, the curved projection strip portion extends one or more turns around the circular central portion;
a barrel that faces the groove-forming surface and includes a communication hole at a position facing the circular central portion of the groove-forming surface, a guide groove is formed on a facing surface of the barrel that faces the groove-forming surface and extends to the communication hole, the guide groove extends outwardly on an inclined planar facing surface that extends from the communication hole toward a perimeter of the barrel; and
a heating unit configured to heat the material supplied between the rotor and the barrel, wherein
the rotor includes a protrusion protruding from the circular central portion and toward the communication hole, the protrusion comprises a sinusoidal profile with a hemispherical tip, the circular central portion of the groove-forming surface providing a groove portion encircling the protrusion to space a terminal end of the curved projection strip portion from the protrusion, and
0.28<= S 2/ S 1<=1.03  (1)

wherein S 1 is an area of the circular central portion and S 2 is a maximum area of a cross-section of the protrusion along the groove-forming surface.

2. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
0.43≤ S 2/ S 1≤0.92  (2).

3. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
a tip of the protrusion is located inside the communication hole.

4. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the groove-forming surface is arranged with a gap interposed between the groove-forming surface and the barrel.

5. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the protrusion includes a first position in a protrusion direction in which the protrusion protrudes, and a second position closer to the communication hole than the first position in the protrusion direction, and
an area of a cross section of the protrusion along the groove-forming surface at the second position is equal to or less than an area of a cross section of the protrusion along the groove-forming surface at the first position.

6. The plasticization device according to claim 5 , wherein
the protrusion has a tapered shape in which the area of the cross section along the groove-forming surface decreases toward the protrusion direction.

7. An injection molding apparatus, comprising:
the plasticization device according to claim 1 ; and
a nozzle that communicates with the communication hole and injects the plasticized material into a molding mold.

8. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus, comprising:
the plasticization device according to claim 1 ; and
a nozzle that communicates with the communication hole and discharges the plasticized material toward a stage.

9. The plasticization device according to claim 3 , wherein
the communication hole includes an inlet provided on the facing surface of the barrel and an outlet which is farther from the facing surface of the barrel than the inlet, and the communication hole which is a flow path connected from the inlet to the outlet has a first portion and a second portion, the second portion is closer to the outlet than the first portion, and has an opening smaller than an opening of the first portion, wherein
the tip of the protrusion is located inside the first portion, and is not located inside the second portion.

10. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
the guide groove is directly connected to the communication hole.

11. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the rotor, the inclined planar facing surface is inclined toward the communicating hole so as to approach the circular central portion.

12. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
0.29≤ S 2/ S 1≤1.03  (3),

and when expression (3) is satisfied, a velocity ratio V is greater than 1, where V is a ratio of an average velocity of the material in a radial direction of the rotor within a region including the circular central portion and an average velocity of the material in a radial direction of a protrusion-less rotor.

13. The plasticization device according to claim 4 , wherein the groove-forming surface is arranged with the gap is set between 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

14. The plasticization device according to claim 1 , wherein
a central axis of the protrusion coincides with a rotation axis of the rotor.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Hayashi Riona
• Yamashita Seiichiro
• Anegawa Kenta
• Enari Megumi
• Fuchii Masashi

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/314

  Preparation · CPC title

• B29C45/60

  Screws · CPC title

• B29C45/54

  and plasticising screw {(B29C45/532 takes precedence)} · CPC title