Light shaping device

Abstract

The light shaping device (10) comprises a resin tank (18), a resin supply unit (20) and a resin discharge unit (22), wherein the resin supply unit (20) is arranged at one end (40) of the resin tank (18) and is used to supply liquid light-curing resin (12) to the resin tank (18); the resin discharge unit (22) is arranged at the other end (42) of the resin tank (18) and is used to discharge the light-curing resin (12) supplied to the resin tank (18). The resin tank (18) causes the light-curing resin (12) to flow from one end (40) toward the other end (42) at least during the process of forming a shaping object (14) by irradiating the liquid light-curing resin (12) with a laser (38) or a light beam (72).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light shaping device for forming a shaped object by irradiating light onto a liquid photocurable resin to cure the photocurable resin. Background Art

[0002] Recently, technology for manufacturing desired products using light shaping technology has been developed.

[0003] The following technology is disclosed in Japanese Invention Patent Authorization Gazette No. 3537161: a liquid photocurable resin mixed with metal powder (powder material) is stored in a storage tank (resin tank), and light is irradiated from the outside to cure the photocurable resin to form a three-dimensional object. Thereafter, the resin is removed from the object through a degreasing process, and finally, the desired metal product is obtained by sintering the object after the resin is removed.

[0004] In addition, the following technology is disclosed in Japanese Invention Patent Grant No. 4246220: a molding container (resin tank) for storing photocurable resin is connected to a pump by using a pipe, and the pump is driven to stir the photocurable resin in the molding container, thereby preventing the particulate material (powder material) from separating from the liquid photocurable resin. Summary of the invention

[0005] However, when the content of powder material mixed in the photocurable resin is high, the viscosity of the liquid photocurable resin increases and the fluidity decreases. Therefore, when performing photomolding in a state where the photocurable resin is stored, a stirring device is required to uniformly mix the powder material with the photocurable resin. In addition, in order to stir the high-viscosity photocurable resin, the output of the stirring device must be high. As a result, the photomolding device including the stirring device is enlarged.

[0006] In addition, when a photocurable resin mixed with a powder material (hereinafter, the photocurable resin mixed with a powder material as a mixture is sometimes referred to as "photocurable resin") is supplied from the outside to the resin tank and the photocurable resin is flowed into the light irradiated part (molding part), it takes time to reach the molding part because the fluidity of the photocurable resin is low. As a result, the molding object formation time becomes longer.

[0007] Furthermore, even if the powder material in the liquid photocurable resin is fully mixed and stirred before molding, if it is stored for a predetermined time or longer before molding, the powder material in the photocurable resin molded object will become non-uniform. As a result, the shape accuracy of the final product obtained by sintering the molded object is reduced and the mechanical properties of the final product are reduced.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its object is to provide a light shaping device which can maintain the powder material in the photocurable resin in a uniformly mixed state even if a stirring mechanism for stirring the liquid photocurable resin is not provided in the light shaping device, and even if a large amount of powder material is mixed, the shaping speed can be improved by preventing the fluidity from being reduced, and a final product with high shape accuracy and high mechanical properties can be obtained.

[0009] The technical solution of the present invention relates to a light shaping device, comprising a resin tank, a light irradiation mechanism and a holding portion, wherein at least the bottom portion of the resin tank is light-transmissive and is used to supply liquid photocurable resin mixed with powder material; the light irradiation mechanism forms a shaped object by irradiating light to the photocurable resin through the bottom portion to cure the photocurable resin; and the holding portion is capable of moving relatively to and away from the photocurable resin while holding the shaped object.

[0010] The light shaping device further comprises a resin supply unit and a resin discharge unit, wherein the resin supply unit is provided at one end of the resin tank and is used to supply the light-curable resin to the resin tank; the resin discharge unit is provided at the other end of the resin tank and is used to discharge the light-curable resin supplied to the resin tank. The resin tank allows the light-curable resin to flow from the one end toward the other end at least during the formation of the shaped object.

[0011] According to the present invention, instead of storing the liquid photocurable resin in the resin tank, the photocurable resin is made to flow in one direction in the resin tank while forming a molded object. As a result, there is no need to stir the photocurable resin in the resin tank. Moreover, at least during the formation of the molded object, the photocurable resin mixed with the powder material is always made to flow. Therefore, when a high concentration of powder material is contained in the liquid photocurable resin, it is also possible to prevent the photocurable resin from separating from the powder material while avoiding a decrease in the fluidity of the liquid photocurable resin. In addition, the powder material can be supplied to the resin tank while being evenly dispersed in the liquid photocurable resin.

[0012] In this way, the liquid photocurable resin will not be retained or convected in the resin tank. Therefore, the liquid photocurable resin can be irradiated with light to form a molded object while the powder material is evenly distributed. As a result, the powder material can be evenly distributed in the molded object while achieving an increase in the molding speed. As a result, a final product with high shape accuracy and high mechanical properties can be obtained from the molded object. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1It is a schematic structural diagram of the light shaping device involved in this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a resin tank.

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top view of the resin tank.

[0016] Figure 4 The diagram shows Figure 1 A side view of an example of a specific structure of a resin tank.

[0017] Figure 5 The diagram shows Figure 1 A partial side view of a modified example of the light irradiation mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following is an example of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the attached Figure 1 The light shaping device according to the present invention will be described.

[0019] [1. Structure of this embodiment]

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the light shaping device 10 according to the present embodiment is a device that forms a three-dimensional shaping object 14 by irradiating light to a liquid photocurable resin 12 to cure the photocurable resin 12. That is, the light shaping device 10 is a so-called 3D printer.

[0021] like Figure 1 to Figure 3 As shown, the light shaping device 10 includes a resin tank 18 , a resin supply unit 20 , a resin discharge unit 22 , a light irradiation mechanism 24 , a holding unit 26 , a tank 28 , and a control unit 30 .

[0022] The resin tank 18 has a relatively shallow depth (e.g., a depth of about 5 mm) and is a generally rectangular container that is open at the top. A light-transmitting member 34 such as glass is provided at the central portion of the bottom portion 32 of the resin tank 18. The upper surface of the light-transmitting member 34 (the surface in contact with the photocurable resin 12) is coated with a non-illustrated detackifying film, such as a fluorine film, to facilitate peeling of the cured photocurable resin 12.

[0023] A liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with a powder material 36 is supplied to the resin tank 18. The powder material 36 is a powder of a metal material constituting a desired final product described later. The liquid photocurable resin 12 is mixed with the powder material 36 to form a paste, and is cured by light (laser 38) irradiated from the light irradiation mechanism 24 via the light-transmitting member 34. In the following description, for convenience, the liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with the powder material 36 is sometimes referred to as "photocurable resin 12" for description.

[0024] At one end 40 ( Figure 1 to Figure 3 A resin supply unit 20 for supplying the photocurable resin 12 to the resin tank 18 is provided at the left end portion 42 of the resin tank 18. Figure 1 to Figure 3 A resin discharge portion 22 for discharging (recovering) the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18 is provided at the right end portion of the resin tank 18. In addition, in the present embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 44 (see Figure 4 ), the resin tank 18 is tilted downward as a whole from one end 40 toward the other end 42 at an inclination angle θ (for example, any angle in the range of 0° to 15°), thereby generating a flow of the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18 from the resin supply portion 20 (one end 40) via the bottom portion 32 toward the resin discharge portion 22 (the other end 42).

[0025] The resin supply unit 20 includes a plate 20a and a nozzle 20b, wherein the plate 20a is disposed on the side of one end 40 of the upper surface of the resin tank 18; and the nozzle 20b extends in the vertical direction relative to the plate 20a, penetrates the plate 20a, and communicates with the resin tank 18. Figure 1 to Figure 3 As shown, the nozzle 20b is provided at one end side of the resin tank 18 in the plate 20a. An inclined portion 46 is formed at one end 40 side of the resin tank 18. Figure 1 Side view and Figure 2 In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 , the inclined portion 46 is inclined obliquely downward from the nozzle 20 b toward the bottom portion 32 and the light-transmitting member 34, and Figure 3 The inclined portion 46 extends from the nozzle 20 b toward the bottom portion 32 and the light-transmitting member 34 in a plan view.

[0026] A supply adjustment unit 48 is provided at the top end of the plate 20a in the resin supply unit 20. The supply adjustment unit 48 is used to adjust the supply amount of the photocurable resin 12 when the photocurable resin 12 is supplied from the one end 40 to the other end 42 of the resin tank 18. Figure 1 Side view and Figure 2The supply adjustment portion 48 is a substantially L-shaped member in cross-sectional view. In this case, a gap d of a predetermined width is formed between the top end portion of the supply adjustment portion 48 and the bottom portion 32 of the resin tank 18. The gap d is set to a position corresponding to the amount required to form at least one layer (for example, a thickness of 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm) of the molded object 14 when the liquid photocurable resin 12 flows from one end portion 40 to the other end portion 42 of the resin tank 18.

[0027] Therefore, the inclined portion 46, that is, the portion from the nozzle 20b to the supply adjustment portion 48, functions as a chamber for storing the photocurable resin 12 on the upstream side of the flow direction of the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18. Figure 3 As shown, the width of the inclined portion 46 on the supply adjusting portion 48 side is set wider than the holding portion 26. The supply adjusting portion 48 functions as a limiting plate having a gap d (opening) for limiting the flow of the photocurable resin 12 from the cavity.

[0028] On the other hand, the resin discharge unit 22 includes a plate 22a and a nozzle 22b, wherein the plate 22a is disposed on the other end 42 side of the upper surface of the resin tank 18; and the nozzle 22b extends in the vertical direction relative to the plate 22a, penetrates the plate 22a, and communicates with the resin tank 18. Figure 1 to Figure 3 As shown, the nozzle 22b is provided on the other end side of the resin tank 18 in the plate 22a. An inclined portion 50 is formed on the other end 42 side of the resin tank 18. Figure 1 Side view and Figure 2 In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 , the inclined portion 50 is inclined obliquely upward from the light-transmitting member 34 and the bottom portion 32 toward the nozzle 22b, and Figure 3 In a plan view, the inclined portion 50 is substantially rectangular.

[0029] A heater 52 is provided below the bottom portion 32 of the resin tank 18. The heater 52 is used to heat and keep (maintain) the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18 at a predetermined temperature (e.g., 60° C. to 80° C.) by heating the entire resin tank 18. In addition, a vibration imparting portion 54 such as an ultrasonic vibrator is provided below the bottom portion 32 of the resin tank 18. The vibration imparting portion 54 is used to impart vibration to the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18.

[0030] The light irradiation mechanism 24 is arranged below the resin tank 18, and includes a laser light source 24a and a scanner 24b. The laser light source 24a is used to output a laser 38 of a predetermined wavelength (for example, light of a wavelength of ultraviolet light) so as to cure the liquid photocurable resin 12. The scanner 24b scans (irradiates) the laser 38 from the laser light source 24a onto the liquid photocurable resin 12 via the light-transmitting member 34.

[0031] The holding portion 26 is provided above the light-transmitting member 34 in the resin tank 18. Figure 1 Side view and Figure 2 In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 , the holding portion 26 is formed into a substantially trapezoidal shape with the bottom surface portion tilted obliquely downward in a manner corresponding to the tilt angle θ. A moving mechanism 56 such as a piston is connected to the upper end of the holding portion 26 as a lifting mechanism. The holding portion 26 is moved up and down by the moving mechanism 56, whereby the holding portion 26 can be relatively moved in a manner that allows it to approach or move away from the liquid photocurable resin 12 flowing on the upper surface of the light-transmitting member 34.

[0032] The holding portion 26 is in contact with the photocurable resin 12 so that the bottom surface portion thereof sinks into the flow of the photocurable resin 12. The wall portion of the holding portion 26 is formed thick so that the wall portion does not sink into the photocurable resin 12 as a whole.

[0033] As described above, the liquid photocurable resin 12 is cured by scanning the laser beam 38 from the scanner 24b via the light-transmitting member 34. The holding portion 26 is used to hold the cured photocurable resin 12. The holding portion 26 is moved up and down relative to the photocurable resin 12 by the moving mechanism 56, thereby forming a molded object 14 of a predetermined shape.

[0034] The storage tank 28 stores a liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with a powder material 36. A resin supply path 58 is connected between the lower end of the storage tank 28 and the resin supply unit 20. A supply pump 60 is provided in the middle of the resin supply path 58. On the other hand, a resin recovery path 62 is connected between the upper end of the storage tank 28 and the resin discharge unit 22. A discharge pump 64 is provided in the middle of the resin recovery path 62. An air pump 66 and an observation hole 68 are provided at the upper end of the storage tank 28, wherein the air pump 66 is used to pump air; and the observation hole 68 is used to observe the input of the powder material 36 or the like or the condition in the storage tank 28.

[0035] In addition, the above structure is an example, and a vacuum pump may be provided at the position of the discharge pump 64 instead of the supply pump 60, the discharge pump 64, and the air pump 66. In this case, the negative pressure of the vacuum pump is used to suck the photocurable resin 12 of the resin discharge section 22 and return it to the storage tank 28, thereby reducing the pressure in the storage tank 28, thereby removing bubbles in the photocurable resin 12 and improving the accuracy of light shaping.

[0036] The control unit 30 is a computer that performs overall control of the light shaping device 10. It controls the drive of the light irradiation mechanism 24 (laser light source 24a, scanner 24b), heater 52, vibration imparting unit 54, moving mechanism 56, supply pump 60, discharge pump 64 and air pump 66 by reading and executing a program stored in a storage unit not shown in the figure.

[0037] exist Figure 1 to Figure 3 , the structure of the light shaping device 10 is conceptually illustrated. Figure 4 It is a side view showing an example of a specific structure of the resin tank 18 and its surroundings in the light shaping device 10 .

[0038] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment, a light irradiation mechanism 24 is arranged on a substantially rectangular mounting table 70. The light irradiation mechanism 24 comprises a laser light source 24a, a bending portion 24d, and a projector 24e. The bending portion 24d bends the laser light 38 outputted horizontally from the laser light source 24a upwards; and the projector 24e projects the bent laser light 38 upwards as a light beam 72. That is, in Figure 4 In the example, Figure 1 The scanner 24b is replaced by a bending portion 24d and a projector 24e.

[0039] An adjustment mechanism 44 capable of adjusting the tilt angle θ to any angle is provided on the upper surface of the mounting table 70. The adjustment mechanism 44 includes a base 44a and an inclined plate 44b, wherein the base 44a is supported by a support column 74 extending upward from the mounting table 70 and extends in the horizontal direction; and the inclined plate 44b can be tilted to any angle relative to the base 44a. A support plate 44c is supported by a plurality of support columns 76 extending upward from the inclined plate 44b, and a resin tank 18 is provided on the support plate 44c.

[0040] In this case, one end side and the other end side of the base 44a protrude upward, and a plurality of substantially arc-shaped angle adjustment grooves 78 are formed on one end side, the other end side and the central portion. A plurality of bolts 80 are provided on the inclined plate 44b, which are inserted through holes not shown in the figure. A plurality of bolts 80 are also inserted through the angle adjustment grooves 78. In this case, the inclined plate 44b is rotated relative to the base 44a along the plurality of angle adjustment grooves 78 while the plurality of bolts 80 are loosened, and then the plurality of bolts 80 are tightened, so that the inclined plate 44b can be fixed to a desired inclination angle θ relative to the base 44a. As described above, the resin tank 18 is supported by the inclined plate 44b via the support plate 44c and the plurality of pillars 76. Therefore, if the inclined plate 44b is adjusted to an inclination angle θ relative to the base 44a, the resin tank 18 can be tilted to an inclination angle θ relative to the horizontal direction.

[0041] also, Figure 4 This is an example of the structure of the adjustment mechanism 44. In the present embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 44 may have any structure as long as the resin tank 18 can be tilted at a desired tilt angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0042] In addition, the light irradiation mechanism 24 is not limited to the above-mentioned structures, and can be Figure 5 The structure shown. Figure 5 In the structure, the light irradiation mechanism 24 can be composed of a laser light source 24a, one or more galvanometer mirrors 24f and an Fθ lens 24g, like a general 3D printer, wherein the galvanometer mirror 24f polarizes the laser 38 output from the laser light source 24a toward the resin tank 18; and the Fθ lens 24g is used to adjust the shape of the laser 38.

[0043] [2. Operation of this embodiment]

[0044] One side reference Figure 1 to Figure 5 The operation of the light shaping device 10 configured as above will be described.

[0045] First, the resin tank 18 is tilted at a desired tilt angle θ by the adjustment mechanism 44 . As a result, the resin tank 18 is tilted obliquely downward from the one end 40 toward the other end 42 .

[0046] Next, when the liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with the powder material 36 is stored in the tank 28, the supply pump 60, the discharge pump 64, and the air pump 66 are driven by the control of the control unit 30. As a result, the photocurable resin 12 in the tank 28 is pushed downward by the air pumped from the air pump 66 and is extruded from the lower end to the resin supply path 58. In addition, the photocurable resin 12 extruded to the resin supply path 58 is supplied to the resin supply unit 20 by the supply pump 60.

[0047] The photocurable resin 12 supplied to the resin supply unit 20 is supplied to the one end 40 of the resin tank 18 via the nozzle 20b. As described above, the resin tank 18 is inclined at the inclination angle θ, so the supplied photocurable resin 12 flows to the other end 42 of the resin tank 18 via the inclined portion 46.

[0048] A supply adjustment portion 48 is provided in front of the flow direction of the photocurable resin 12. In this case, the gap d between the top end portion of the supply adjustment portion 48 and the bottom portion 32 is set to a depth required to form at least one layer of the molded object 14. Therefore, the liquid photocurable resin 12 flows from the supply adjustment portion 48 to the center portion of the resin tank 18 with a thickness corresponding to the gap d.

[0049] Then, the photocurable resin 12 passes through the upper surface of the light-transmitting member 34 and reaches the other end 42 of the resin tank 18. An inclined portion 50 is formed at the other end 42 of the resin tank 18. The width of the inclined portion 50 is wider than the inclined portion 46 formed at the one end 40 of the resin tank 18. Therefore, the photocurable resin 12 that has flowed to the other end 42 of the resin tank 18 is stored in the inclined portion 50.

[0050] In this case, the discharge pump 64 is driven, so that the photocurable resin 12 stored in the inclined portion 50 is discharged from the inclined portion 50 to the resin recovery path 62 through the nozzle 22b of the resin discharge portion 22. The discharged photocurable resin 12 flows through the resin recovery path 62 by the discharge pump 64 and is recovered in the tank 28.

[0051] Therefore, by tilting the resin tank 18 at an inclination angle θ and driving the supply pump 60, the discharge pump 64 and the air pump 66, the liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with the powder material 36 flows (circulates) in the order of storage tank 28 → resin supply path 58 → resin tank 18 → resin recovery path 62 → storage tank 28 without being stored, retained or convected in the central part of the resin tank 18.

[0052] In addition, in the present embodiment, by inclining the resin tank 18 at the inclination angle θ, it is possible to generate a flow of the liquid photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18 from one end 40 toward the other end 42. Therefore, in the light shaping device 10, at least one of the supply pump 60, the discharge pump 64, and the air pump 66 is sufficient.

[0053] In addition, the control unit 30 can heat and keep (maintain) the photocurable resin 12 flowing in the resin tank 18 at a predetermined temperature by driving the heater 52. In addition, the control unit 30 can give vibration to the photocurable resin 12 flowing in the resin tank 18 by driving the vibration imparting unit 54. By such heating or imparting vibration, the retention of the liquid photocurable resin 12 or the precipitation of the powder material 36 can be suppressed, so that the flow of the photocurable resin 12 can be accurately controlled.

[0054] In addition, since it is sufficient to control the flow of the liquid photocurable resin 12, a heater 52 and a vibration imparting unit 54 may be provided in the middle of the circulation path of the above-mentioned storage tank 28 → resin supply path 58 → resin tank 18 → resin recovery path 62 → storage tank 28. Alternatively, the heater 52 may be used to keep the entire circulation path warm, and the photocurable resin 12 may be maintained at an appropriate temperature during the photomolding process.

[0055] In this way, while ensuring the flow of the liquid photocurable resin 12, the control unit 30 drives the moving mechanism 56 to move the holding unit 26 up and down in a manner that allows it to approach and move away from the photocurable resin 12 flowing on the upper surface of the translucent member 34. In this case, the moving mechanism 56 moves the holding unit 26 in a manner that the gap between the bottom surface of the holding unit 26 and the upper surface of the translucent member 34 is one layer of the shaped object 14, for example, about 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm. In addition, the control unit 30 drives the light irradiation mechanism 24 to move the holding unit 26 up and down in a manner that allows it to approach and move away from the photocurable resin 12 flowing on the upper surface of the translucent member 34. Figure 1 The laser 38 scanned by the scanner 24b, Figure 4 The beam 72 of the laser 38 of the projector 24e or from Figure 5 The laser beam 38 from the Fθ lens 24g is irradiated onto the photocurable resin 12 via the light-transmitting member 34. Thus, the liquid photocurable resin 12 irradiated with the laser beam 38 is cured.

[0056] The cured photocurable resin 12 is held by the holding portion 26. As described above, the photocurable resin 12 required to form at least one layer of the shaped object 14 (the shaped object 14 having a thickness corresponding to the gap d) flows on the upper surface of the light-transmitting member 34 and moves the holding portion 26 up and down. Therefore, the photocurable resin 12 is cured while the holding portion 26 is in contact with the liquid photocurable resin 12, and at this time, a layer of the shaped object 14 is formed and held by the holding portion 26.

[0057] When one layer of the shaped object 14 is formed, the holder 26 is pulled upward by the moving mechanism 56. Thus, the shaped object 14 formed between the holder 26 and the light-transmitting member 34 is pulled upward while being held by the holder 26, and is separated from the light-transmitting member 34.

[0058] Next, the moving mechanism 56 moves the holding part 26 holding one layer of the modeling object 14 downward again toward the flowing liquid photocurable resin 12. Then, the holding part 26 is provided so that the distance between the light-transmitting member 34 and one layer of the modeling object 14 is one layer of the modeling object 14, for example, about 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm. At this time, the photocurable resin 12 flows continuously between the one layer of the modeling object 14 held by the holding part 26 and the light-transmitting member 34, so that the photocurable resin 12 required for light modeling can be quickly supplied.

[0059] In this state, the liquid photocurable resin 12 is irradiated with laser light 38 via the light-transmitting member 34. As a result, the liquid photocurable resin 12 is cured, and a molded object 14 having a second layer formed thereon in continuity with the first layer is obtained.

[0060] Therefore, by repeatedly performing the movement of the holding portion 26 for the photocurable resin 12 by the moving mechanism 56 and irradiating the photocurable resin 12 with the laser beam 38, a three-dimensional molded object 14 composed of multiple layers can be formed. Then, after the molded object 14 of the desired shape is formed, the control unit 30 stops driving the light irradiation mechanism 24, the supply pump 60, the discharge pump 64, and the air pump 66. Next, the control unit 30 pulls the holding portion 26 upward through the moving mechanism 56, thereby peeling the molded object 14 held by the holding portion 26 from the resin tank 18.

[0061] In this case, the holder 26 is pulled upward while the translucent member 34 is tilted obliquely downward. As a result, the shaped object 14 can be peeled off from the translucent member 34 with a smaller load than when the holder 26 is pulled upward while the translucent member 34 is arranged in a horizontal direction. In addition, since a non-sticky film such as a fluorine film is applied to the upper surface of the translucent member 34, the shaped object 14 can be easily peeled off from the translucent member 34. Then, the shaped object 14 is peeled off by the pulled holder 26.

[0062] Next, the resin is removed from the obtained molded object 14 in a degreasing process. Finally, the molded object 14 from which the resin has been removed is sintered, so that a metal product of a desired shape made of the metal material as the powder material 36 can be obtained.

[0063] [3. Effects of this embodiment]

[0064] As described above, the light shaping device 10 involved in this embodiment has a resin tank 18, a light irradiation mechanism 24 and a holding portion 26, wherein at least the bottom portion 32 of the resin tank 18 is light-transmissive and is used to supply liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with powder material 36; the light irradiation mechanism 24 irradiates light (laser 38, light beam 72) to the photocurable resin 12 through the bottom portion 32 (light-transmissive component 34) to cure the photocurable resin 12 to form a shaped object 14; the holding portion 26 can move relatively to and away from the photocurable resin 12 while holding the shaped object 14.

[0065] In this case, the light shaping device 10 further includes a resin supply unit 20 and a resin discharge unit 22, wherein the resin supply unit 20 is provided at one end 40 of the resin tank 18 and is used to supply the light-curing resin 12 to the resin tank 18; and the resin discharge unit 22 is provided at the other end 42 of the resin tank 18 and is used to discharge the light-curing resin 12 supplied to the resin tank 18. The resin tank 18 allows the light-curing resin 12 to flow from the one end 40 toward the other end 42 at least during the formation of the shaped object 14.

[0066] According to this structure, the photocurable resin 12 is not stored in the resin tank 18, but is made to flow in one direction in the resin tank 18 while forming the molded object 14. Therefore, it is not necessary to stir the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18. Moreover, at least during the formation of the molded object 14, the photocurable resin 12 mixed with the powder material 36 is always made to flow. Therefore, even when the liquid photocurable resin 12 contains a high concentration of the powder material 36, it is possible to prevent the photocurable resin 12 from separating from the powder material 36 while avoiding a decrease in the fluidity of the liquid photocurable resin 12. In addition, the powder material 36 can be supplied to the resin tank 18 in a state where it is uniformly dispersed in the liquid photocurable resin 12.

[0067] Thus, the photocurable resin 12 will not be retained or convected in the resin tank 18. Therefore, the laser 38 or the light beam 72 can be irradiated to the photocurable resin 12 in a state where the powder material 36 is evenly distributed to form the molded object 14. Thus, the powder material 36 can be evenly distributed in the molded object 14 while achieving an increase in the molding speed. As a result, a final product with high shape accuracy and high mechanical properties can be obtained from the molded object 14.

[0068] Here, the light shaping device 10 further includes a tank 28, a resin supply path 58, a resin recovery path 62, pumps 60, 64, and a heater 52, wherein the tank 28 is used to store the photocurable resin 12; the resin supply path 58 is used to supply the photocurable resin 12 from the tank 28 to the resin supply unit 20; the resin recovery path 62 is used to recover the photocurable resin 12 from the resin discharge unit 22 to the tank 28; the pumps 60, 64 are provided in at least one of the resin supply path 58 and the resin recovery path 62, and are used to pump the photocurable resin 12; and the heater 52 is used to maintain the photocurable resin 12 at a predetermined temperature. Thus, the circulation path of the photocurable resin 12 and the holding unit 26 are heated and kept warm to a temperature that increases the fluidity of the photocurable resin 12. As a result, the formation operation of the shaped object 14 can be smoothly performed while suppressing the accumulation of the photocurable resin 12 and the precipitation of the powder material 36 generated in the light shaping device 10.

[0069] Specifically, the resin tank 18 only needs to be inclined from one end 40 toward the other end 42. In this way, the multi-layer formation operation (molding operation) of the three-dimensional molded object 14 can be completed without causing the photocurable resin 12 in the resin tank 18 to remain. In addition, when a layer is formed, the liquid photocurable resin 12 can be quickly flowed between the molded object 14 and the resin tank 18 for replenishment. As a result, the cycle time until the molding operation of the next layer can be shortened.

[0070] In addition, by tilting the resin tank 18, when the holding portion 26 is raised after the shaped object 14 is formed, even if the shaped object 14 is firmly attached to the resin tank 18, the shaped object 14 can be easily peeled off from the resin tank 18 at one end of the shaped object 14. This can avoid the shaped object 14 being forcibly peeled off from the resin tank 18 and causing damage to the shaped object 14. That is, since the shaped object 14 can be peeled off from the resin tank 18 without applying a large load, damage to the resin tank 18 and the shaped object 14 can be avoided.

[0071] Here, the light shaping device 10 further includes a moving mechanism 56, which moves the holding portion 26 relative to the photocurable resin 12 in the vertical direction when the resin tank 18 is tilted at an arbitrary angle (tilt angle θ) relative to the horizontal direction from the one end 40 toward the other end 42. Thus, the above-mentioned effect can be easily obtained.

[0072] In addition, the light shaping device 10 further includes an adjustment mechanism 44, which can adjust the inclination angle θ of the resin tank 18 from one end 40 toward the other end 42 to an arbitrary angle. Thus, even if the viscosity of the photocurable resin 12 used for light shaping changes, the photocurable resin 12 can be stably supplied to the resin tank 18 by arbitrarily changing the inclination angle θ. As a result, the shaping accuracy can be improved and light shaping can be performed quickly.

[0073] In addition, the light shaping device 10 further includes a vibration imparting section 54 for imparting vibration to the light-curing resin 12 in the resin tank 18. This makes it possible to easily control the flow of the light-curing resin 12, thereby improving shaping accuracy.

[0074] In addition, the light shaping device 10 further includes a supply adjustment section 48, which is used to supply the photocurable resin 12 of a depth required for forming at least one layer of the shaped object 14 from the one end 40 to the other end 42 when the photocurable resin 12 supplied from the resin supply section 20 to the resin tank 18 flows from the one end 40 to the other end 42. As a result, the required minimum amount of photocurable resin 12 can be flowed and supplied in the resin tank 18. As a result, the powder material 36 can be prevented from separating from the photocurable resin 12. Therefore, the liquid photocurable resin 12 mixed with an appropriate amount of powder material 36 can be irradiated with the laser 38 or the light beam 72 at all times. As a result, the shaped object 14 with high shape accuracy, high density and high rigidity of the final product (metal product) can be easily obtained.

[0075] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and it is of course possible to adopt various structures according to the contents described in this specification.

Claims

1. A light shaping device, comprising a resin tank (18), a light irradiation mechanism (24) and a holding portion (26), wherein: At least the bottom portion (32) of the resin tank is light-transmissive and is used to supply liquid photocurable resin (12) mixed with powder material (36); the light irradiation mechanism irradiates light (38, 72) to the photocurable resin through the bottom portion to cure the photocurable resin to form a molded object (14); the holding portion can move relatively to and away from the photocurable resin while holding the molded object, and is characterized in that: It also has a resin supply unit (20) and a resin discharge unit (22), wherein: The resin supply unit has a nozzle (22b) disposed at one end (40) of the resin tank, and the resin supply unit supplies the photocurable resin to the one end of the resin tank via the nozzle; The resin discharge portion is provided at the other end portion (42) of the resin tank and is used to discharge the photocurable resin supplied to the resin tank. The resin tank allows the photocurable resin to flow from the one end toward the other end at least during the formation of the shaped object. A supply adjusting section (48) is provided at the top end of the resin supply section, and the supply adjusting section is used to supply the photocurable resin to a depth required for forming at least one layer of the shaped object from the one end toward the other end. The width of the supply adjustment portion is wider than the width of the holding portion in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the photocurable resin and along the bottom portion. The photocurable resin is stored in a portion from the nozzle to the supply adjustment section. The photocurable resin having a predetermined thickness flows through a gap formed between the tip portion of the supply adjusting portion and the bottom portion.

2. The light shaping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also has a storage tank (28), a resin supply path (58), a resin recovery path (62), pumps (60, 64) and a heater (52), wherein: The storage tank is used to store the photocurable resin; The resin supply path is used to supply the photocurable resin from the tank to the resin supply part; The resin recovery path is used to recover the photocurable resin from the resin discharge portion to the storage tank; The pump is provided in at least one of the resin supply path and the resin recovery path and is used to pump the photocurable resin; The heater is used to maintain the photocurable resin at a predetermined temperature.

3. The light shaping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The resin tank is inclined from the one end portion toward the other end portion.

4. The light shaping device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A moving mechanism (56) is further provided for moving the holding portion relative to the photocurable resin in the vertical direction when the resin tank is inclined at an arbitrary angle (θ) relative to the horizontal direction from the one end toward the other end.

5. The light shaping device according to claim 3, characterized in that: An adjustment mechanism (44) is also provided, which can adjust the inclination angle of the resin tank from the one end toward the other end to an arbitrary angle.

6. The light shaping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A vibration imparting section (54) is further provided for imparting vibration to the photocurable resin in the resin tank.

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