Stereoscopic modeling apparatus and stereoscopic modeling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016243765-A1
Application number	US-201614995258-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A stereoscopic modeling apparatus is provided. The stereoscopic modeling apparatus includes a modeling tank, a liquid discharger, and a powder supplier. In the modeling tank, a powder layer including a powder is formed and a modeling layer in which the powder in the powder layer is bonded into a required shape is laminated. The liquid discharger discharges a modeling liquid to the powder in the modeling tank. The powder supplier supplies the powder to the modeling tank. The powder supplier supplies the powder to the powder layer while at least a part of the modeling liquid discharged from the liquid discharger and adhered to a surface of the powder layer remains existing on an outermost surface of the powder layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A stereoscopic modeling apparatus, comprising:
a modeling tank in which a powder layer including a powder is formed and a modeling layer in which the powder in the powder layer is bonded into a required shape is laminated; a liquid discharger to discharge a modeling liquid to the powder in the modeling tank; and a powder supplier to supply the powder to the modeling tank, wherein the powder supplier supplies the powder to the powder layer while at least a part of the modeling liquid discharged from the liquid discharger and adhered to a surface of the powder layer remains existing on an outermost surface of the powder layer.

2 . The stereoscopic modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid discharger is movable relative to the modeling tank, and the powder supplier is movable along with the liquid discharger.

3 . The stereoscopic modeling apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a flattening member to flatten the powder supplied from the powder supplier to the modeling tank to form the powder layer.

4 . The stereoscopic modeling apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the flattening member is movable in conjunction with the liquid discharger.

5 . The stereoscopic modeling apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a remover to remove a part of the powder supplied from the powder supplier to the modeling tank which has gone beyond a maximum dischargeable region, to which the liquid discharger is capable of discharging the modeling liquid by one time of scanning, and into a next scanning region to which the modeling liquid is to be adhered in a next scanning.

6 . The stereoscopic modeling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the powder includes:
a base material; and an organic material covering the base material.

7 . The stereoscopic modeling apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the modeling liquid includes a cross-linker to cross-link the organic material.

8 . A stereoscopic modeling method, comprising:
forming a powder layer including a powder; discharging a modeling liquid to the powder layer to form a modeling layer in which the powder in the powder layer is bonded into a required shape; laminating the modeling layer; and supplying the powder to the powder layer while at least a part of the modeling liquid discharged and adhered to a surface of the powder layer remains existing on an outermost surface of the powder layer.

Assignees

• Sasaki Takafumi
• Yamaguchi Takeo
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Takafumi
• Yamaguchi Takeo

Classifications

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/63

  Rollers · CPC title

• B22F12/50

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

• B22F12/224

  for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer · CPC title

• B22F12/222

  for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer · CPC title