Cleaning apparatus for 3D printing structure and cleaning method for 3D printing structure using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12036739-B2
Application number	US-201916627525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

The present invention is intended to provide a cleaning apparatus for a 3-dimensional (3D) printing structure and a cleaning method for a 3D printing structure. To this end, the present invention provides a cleaning apparatus for a 3D printing structure, the cleaning apparatus including a hygroscopic paper supply part supplying a hygroscopic paper while the wound film-type hygroscopic paper is unwound, a hygroscopic paper collecting part winding and collecting the film-type hygroscopic paper, a film-type hygroscopic paper moving in a direction from the supply part to the collecting part between the supply part and the collecting part according to a mutual operation of the supply part and the collecting part, and a support part disposed on an opposite surface of a hygroscopic paper surface, on which the 3D printing structure is disposed, with respect to the film-type hygroscopic paper, and a cleaning method for a 3D printing structure, and a cleaning method for a 3D printing structure. According to the present invention, the 3D printing apparatus may be cleaned by using a minimum amount of solvent, and the mixture between materials may be prevented to remarkably improve the quality and integrity of the 3D printing structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 3-dimensional (3D) printing apparatus for manufacturing a 3-dimensional (3D) printing structure, the 3D printing apparatus comprising:
a material supply part configured to supply a material of the 3D printing structure;
a thickness control part configured to control a thickness of the material supplied through the material supply part;
a 3D printing module configured to cure the material having the thickness controlled by the thickness control part into a shape; and
a cleaning apparatus configured to clean the 3D printing structure, the cleaning apparatus including,
a hygroscopic paper supply part configured to supply a film-type hygroscopic paper,
a hygroscopic paper collecting part configured to wind and collect the film-type hygroscopic paper,
the hygroscopic paper supply part and the hygroscopic paper collecting part configured to rotate at a same rotation speed and in a same rotation direction to move the film-type hygroscopic paper in a direction from the hygroscopic paper supply part to the hygroscopic paper collecting part between the hygroscopic paper supply part and the hygroscopic paper collecting part,
a support part having a predetermined area configured to support a first surface of the hygroscopic paper on the predetermined area, the support part being made of a material having cushioning characteristics and being capable of adsorbing pressure applied to the 3D printing structure to remove a residual material on the 3D printing structure without affecting integrity of the 3D printing structure, the first surface of the film-type hygroscopic paper being opposite to a second surface of the film-type hygroscopic paper, the second surface being in contact with the 3D printing structure,
a stage configured to affix the 3D printing structure beneath the stage, the stage configured to descend the 3D printing structure affixed thereto to mutually contact the film-type hygroscopic paper on the support part and ascend to separate the 3D printing structure affixed thereto from the film-type hygroscopic paper, and
a solvent supply part configured to control at least one of a spray direction, a spray method or spray amount of a solvent,

wherein the cleaning apparatus is configured to clean the 3D printing structure by contacting the film-type hygroscopic paper with the 3D printing structure and separating the 3D printing structure from the film-type hygroscopic paper to remove uncured portion from the 3D printing structure,
wherein the hygroscopic paper supply part and the hygroscopic paper collecting part are configured to stop a movement in the direction from the hygroscopic paper supply part to the hygroscopic paper collecting part while the film-type hygroscopic paper is in contact with the 3D printing structure, and
wherein the solvent supply part is disposed after the hygroscopic paper supply part and before the support part.

2. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solvent supply part is configured to supply a solvent to the film-type hygroscopic paper supplied from the hygroscopic paper supply part.

3. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the solvent supply part is spaced apart from the film-type hygroscopic paper and is configured to spray the solvent onto the film-type hygroscopic paper.

4. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the solvent supply part is configured to spray the solvent onto a portion of the film-type hygroscopic paper before the portion of the film-type hygroscopic paper contacts the 3D printing structure affixed to the stage.

5. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support part has an area equal to or greater than that of the 3D printing structure that contacts the support part with the film-type hygroscopic paper therebetween.

6. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printing apparatus includes a plurality of material supply parts that are configured to provide different materials, and the cleaning apparatus is between the material supply parts.

7. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solvent supply part is under the film-type hygroscopic paper supplied from the hygroscopic paper supply part such that the solvent supply part and the stage are opposite to each other with respect to the film-type hygroscopic paper supplied from the hygroscopic paper supply part.

8. The 3D printing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first line including the material supply part and the thickness control part, and
a second line including another material supply part and another thickness control part, wherein the 3D printing module is configured to rotate between the first line and the second line.

9. A cleaning method for manufacturing a 3D printing structure using the 3D printing cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
supplying at least one material;
outputting the supplied material into a 3D printing structure;
supplying the film-type hygroscopic paper;
disposing the supplied film-type hygroscopic paper on the support part;
allowing the 3D printing structure to contact the film-type hygroscopic paper on the support part;
separating the 3D printing structure from the film-type hygroscopic paper; and
collecting the film-type hygroscopic paper.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein processes from the supplying of the film-type hygroscopic paper to the collecting of the film-type hygroscopic paper are repeatedly performed.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
applying the solvent to the film-type hygroscopic paper supplied from the hygroscopic paper supply part at least one time.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein an uncured portion of the material of the 3D printing structure is removed through the allowing the 3D printing structure to contact the film-type hygroscopic paper.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein processes from the supplying of the film-type hygroscopic paper to the collecting of the film-type hygroscopic paper are repeated at least five times.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Mach & Materials
• Korea Institute Materials Science

Inventors

• Yun Hui Suk
• Park Honghyun

Classifications

• B08B1/30

  by movement of cleaning members over a surface · CPC title

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

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

• B08B1/143

  Wipes · CPC title

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title