Three-dimensional modeling device

Abstract

To reduce the risk that a waste material adhering to a cleaning member may adhere again to a nozzle and affects modeling accuracy.SOLUTION: A three-dimensional modeling device comprises: a discharge unit having a nozzle so as to discharge a modeling material from the nozzle; a stage on which the modeling material is layered; a cleaning unit having a cleaning member; a position changing unit for changing a relative position between the discharge unit, the stage, and the cleaning unit; and a control unit. The control unit changes the relative position between the nozzle and the cleaning unit to execute a cleaning operation for bringing the cleaning unit and the nozzle into contact with each other. After the cleaning operation, the control unit executes at least one vibration operation selected from an operation to apply vibration to the cleaning member by moving the cleaning unit and an operation to apply vibration to the cleaning member by controlling the vibration unit for applying vibration to the cleaning unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a three-dimensional shaping apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a three-dimensional shaping apparatus including an end cleaning assembly having a flicker plate and a brush. In this three-dimensional shaping apparatus, the extrusion head is cleaned by bringing it into contact with the flicker plate and the brush.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When cleaning the tip of a nozzle provided in a three-dimensional shaping apparatus using a cleaning member such as a flicker plate or a brush, waste material adhering to the cleaning member may adhere to the nozzle again and affect the shaping accuracy.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional shaping apparatus is provided. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a discharge unit having a nozzle for discharging a shaping material from the nozzle, a stage on which the shaping material is laminated, a cleaning unit having a cleaning member, a position changing unit for changing the relative positions of the discharge unit, the stage, and the cleaning unit, and a control unit. The control unit performs a cleaning operation of bringing the cleaning member into contact with the nozzle by changing the relative position between the nozzle and the cleaning unit. After performing the cleaning operation, the control unit performs at least one of an operation of vibrating the cleaning member by moving the cleaning unit and an operation of controlling a vibration unit that vibrates the cleaning member to vibrate the cleaning member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] A. First Embodiment: FIGS. 1 and 2 are explanatory views showing the schematic configuration of a three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 in the first embodiment. In FIGS. 1 and 2, arrows indicating the X, Y, and Z directions orthogonal to each other are shown. The X direction and the Y direction are directions parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a direction along the vertically upward direction. The arrows indicating the X, Y, and Z directions are also appropriately shown in other figures so that the illustrated directions correspond to those in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the following description, when specifying the direction, the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure is defined as “+” and the opposite direction is defined as “−”, and positive and negative signs are used together in the direction notation. Hereinafter, the +Z direction is also referred to as “up” and the −Z direction is also referred to as “down”.

[0008] The three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is an apparatus for shaping a shaped object by a material extrusion method. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 includes a head 10 having a nozzle 151, a stage 20, a position changing unit 25, a heating unit 40, a head lifting mechanism 50, a cleaning mechanism 60 having a cleaning unit 220, and a control unit 70. In FIG. 2, the head lifting mechanism 50 and the cleaning mechanism 60 are omitted.

[0009] The control unit 70 is a control device that controls the operation of the entire three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 70 is configured by a computer including a CPU 71, a storage device 72, and an input / output interface for inputting and outputting signals to and from the outside. The control unit 70 exhibits a function of executing a shaping process for shaping a three-dimensional object and a function of executing a cleaning process described later by the CPU 71 executing a program or instruction read onto the main storage device. In other embodiments, the control unit 70 may be realized by a configuration combining a plurality of circuits for realizing at least a part of each function instead of being configured by a computer.

[0010] In the shaping process, the control unit 70 shapes a three-dimensional object according to shaping data for shaping the three-dimensional object. The shaping data includes path information representing the movement path of the nozzle 151 and discharge amount information representing the discharge amount of the plasticized material in each movement path for each layer obtained by slicing the shape of the shaped object into a plurality of layers.

[0011] The head 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 discharges a shaping material for shaping a three-dimensional object onto the stage 20 serving as the base of the three-dimensional object under the control of the control unit 70. In the present embodiment, the shaping material is a plasticized material obtained by plasticizing a solid-state material into a paste state as described later. The head 10 includes a material supply unit 11, a plasticizing unit 12, and a discharge unit 13.

[0012] The three-dimensional shaping device 100 includes, as a head 10, a first head 10a and a second head 10b. The first head 10a includes a first material supply unit 11a as a material supply unit 11, a first plasticizing unit 12a as a plasticizing unit 12, and a first discharge unit 13a as a discharge unit 13. The second head 10b includes a second material supply unit 11b as a material supply unit 11, a second plasticizing unit 12b as a plasticizing unit 12, and a second discharge unit 13b as a discharge unit 13. The first head 10a and the second head 10b are arranged side by side in the X direction so that their positions in the Y direction coincide. The second head 10b is arranged on the +X direction side of the first head 10a. Since the configuration of the first head 10a and the configuration of the second head 10b are the same, hereinafter, when not particularly distinguishing between the two, they may be simply referred to as the head 10. Also, when distinguishing the constituent members of the two, the constituent members of the first head 10a are denoted with the symbol "a", and the constituent members of the second head 10b are denoted with the symbol "b".

[0013] The material supply unit 11 supplies a material for generating a shaping material to the plasticizing unit 12. The material supply unit 11 is constituted by, for example, a hopper. The material supply unit 11 contains a pellet-shaped or powder-shaped material. As the material, for example, thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene resin (PP), polyethylene resin (PE), and polyacetal resin (POM) are used. The material accommodated in the first material supply unit 11a and the material accommodated in the second material supply unit 11b may be the same type of material or different types of materials, respectively.

[0014] Below the material supply unit 11, a communication path 15 connecting the material supply unit 11 and the plasticizing unit 12 is provided. The material supply unit 11 supplies the material to the plasticizing unit 12 via the communication path 15.

[0015] The plasticizing unit 12 plasticizes at least a part of the material supplied from the material supply unit 11 to generate a paste-like modeling material having fluidity and guides it to the discharge unit 13. "Plasticization" is a concept including melting and means changing from a solid state to a state having fluidity. Specifically, in the case of a material in which glass transition occurs, plasticization means raising the temperature of the material above the glass transition point. In the case of a material in which glass transition does not occur, plasticization means raising the temperature of the material above the melting point.

[0016] The plasticizing unit 12 includes a screw 110, a screw case 120, a drive motor 130, and a barrel 140.

[0017] The screw 110 is housed in the screw case 120. The upper surface side of the screw 110 is connected to the drive motor 130. The screw 110 rotates in the screw case 120 by the rotational driving force generated by the drive motor 130. The axial direction of the screw rotation axis RX, which is the rotation axis of the screw 110, is the Z direction. The rotation speed of the screw 110 is controlled by the control unit 70 controlling the rotation speed of the drive motor 130. Note that the screw 110 may be driven by the drive motor 130 via a speed reducer. The screw 110 is also called a rotor or a flat screw.

[0018] The barrel 140 is installed on the -Z direction side of the screw 110. The opposing surface 141, which is the upper surface of the barrel 140, faces the groove forming surface 111, which is the lower surface of the screw 110. A communication hole 142 that communicates with the flow path 153 of the discharge unit 13 is formed at the center of the barrel 140. A plasticizing heater 144 is provided inside the barrel 140. The temperature of the plasticizing heater 144 is controlled by the control unit 70.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the screw 110. The screw 110 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a length in the direction along the screw rotation axis RX being smaller than the length in the direction perpendicular to the screw rotation axis RX. On the groove forming surface 111, spiral grooves 113 are formed around the central portion 112. The groove 113 communicates with a material inlet 114 formed on the side surface of the screw 110. The material supplied from the material supply unit 11 is supplied to the groove 113 through the material inlet 114. The groove 113 is formed by being separated by a rib portion 115. FIG. 3 shows an example in which three grooves 113 are formed, but the number of grooves 113 may be one or two or more. Note that the groove 113 is not limited to a spiral shape, and may be a helical shape or an involute curve shape, or may be a shape extending in an arc from the central portion 112 toward the outer periphery.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the barrel 140. A plurality of guide grooves 143 are formed around the communication hole 142 on the opposing surface 141. Each guide groove 143 has one end connected to the communication hole 142 and extends spirally from the communication hole 142 toward the outer periphery of the opposing surface 141. Note that one end of the guide groove 143 may not be connected to the communication hole 142. Further, the barrel 140 may not have the guide groove 143 formed therein.

[0021] The material supplied to the groove 113 of the screw 110 is plasticized in the groove 113 while flowing along the groove 113 by the rotation of the screw 110 and the heat of the plasticizing heater 144, and is guided to the central portion 112 of the screw 110 as a shaping material. The paste-like shaping material that has flowed into the central portion 112 and exhibits fluidity is supplied to the discharge unit 13 through the communication hole 142. Note that in the plasticizing unit 12, not all types of substances constituting the shaping material need to be plasticized. The shaping material only needs to be converted into a state having fluidity as a whole by plasticizing at least some types of substances among the substances constituting the shaping material.

[0022] The ejection unit 13 ejects the modeling material. The ejection unit 13 includes a nozzle 151, a flow path 153, an ejection adjustment unit 154, and a suction unit 156.

[0023] The nozzle 151 is connected to the communication hole 142 of the barrel 140 through the flow path 153. The nozzle 151 ejects the modeling material generated in the plasticizing unit 12 from the nozzle opening 152, which is an opening formed at the tip tp of the nozzle 151, toward the stage 20. More specifically, the first nozzle 151a ejects the modeling material from the first nozzle opening 152a formed at the first tip tp1. The second nozzle 151b ejects the modeling material from the second nozzle opening 152b formed at the second tip tp2.

[0024] The ejection adjustment unit 154 is provided in the flow path 153 and adjusts the opening degree of the flow path 153. In the present embodiment, the ejection adjustment unit 154 is constituted by a valve and changes the opening area of the flow path 153 by rotating within the flow path 153. The ejection adjustment unit 154 is driven by a drive unit (not shown) under the control of the control unit 70. The drive unit for driving the ejection adjustment unit 154 is constituted by, for example, a stepping motor. The control unit 70 can adjust the flow rate of the modeling material flowing from the plasticizing unit 12 to the nozzle 151, that is, the ejection amount of the modeling material ejected from the nozzle 151, by controlling the rotation angle of the valve. The ejection adjustment unit 154 can adjust the ejection amount of the modeling material and can control the on / off of the outflow of the modeling material. Note that the shape of the valve may be any shape as long as it can adjust the opening degree of the flow path 153 by rotating within the flow path 153, and may be, for example, a plate shape or a hemispherical shape. Further, in other embodiments, the ejection adjustment unit 154 may be configured as, for example, a piston mechanism that adjusts the opening degree of the flow path 153 by the operation of a piston or a shutter mechanism that adjusts the opening degree of the flow path 153 by opening and closing a shutter.

[0025] The suction part 156 is connected between the discharge adjustment part 154 and the nozzle opening 152 in the flow path 153. When the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle 151 stops, the suction part 156 temporarily sucks the shaping material in the flow path 153, thereby suppressing the trailing phenomenon in which the shaping material hangs down from the nozzle opening 152 like a thread being pulled. The suction part 156 is constituted by a plunger. The suction part 156 is controlled by the control part 70. The suction part 156 is driven by a drive part (not shown) under the control of the control part 70. The drive part for driving the suction part 156 is constituted by, for example, a stepping motor or a rack and pinion mechanism that converts the rotational force of the stepping motor into the translational movement of the plunger, etc.

[0026] The stage 20 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle opening 152 of the nozzle 151. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 shapes a three-dimensional shaped object by discharging a shaping material from the nozzle 151 onto the shaping surface 21, which is the upper surface of the stage 20, and laminating shaping layers. The region on the shaping surface 21 where the three-dimensional shaped object is shaped is also referred to as the shaping region. Also, the direction in which the shaping material is laminated on the shaping surface 21 is also referred to as the lamination direction.

[0027] The position changing part 25 changes the relative positions of the discharge part 13, the stage 20, and the cleaning part 220. As shown in FIG. 1, the position changing part 25 in the present embodiment has a stage moving part 30 and a head elevating mechanism 50.

[0028] The stage moving unit 30 changes the relative position between the ejection unit 13 and the stage 20. The stage moving unit 30 includes a first electric actuator 31 that moves the stage 20 along the X direction, a second electric actuator 32 that moves the stage 20 and the first electric actuator 31 along the Y direction, and a third electric actuator 33 that moves the head 10 along the Z direction. The third electric actuator 33 moves the first head 10a, the second head 10b, and the cleaning unit 220 along the Z direction by moving a plate-shaped movable part 41 to which the first head 10a, the second head 10b, and the cleaning unit 220 are fixed along the Z direction. The first electric actuator 31, the second electric actuator 32, and the third electric actuator 33 are driven under the control of the control unit 70. In FIG. 2, the third electric actuator 33 and the movable part 41 are omitted.

[0029] In other embodiments, the stage moving unit 30 may, for example, move the stage 20 in the Z direction and move the first head 10a and the second head 10b along the X and Y directions. The stage moving unit 30 may move the stage 20 in the X, Y, and Z directions without moving the first head 10a and the second head 10b. The stage moving unit 30 may move the first head 10a and the second head 10b in the X, Y, and Z directions without moving the stage 20.

[0030] The head lifting mechanism 50 moves the head 10 in the Z direction with respect to the cleaning unit 220. By moving the head 10 by the head lifting mechanism 50, in addition to the relative position in the Z direction between the discharge unit 13 and the cleaning unit 220, the relative position in the Z direction between the discharge unit 13 and the stage 20 is also changed. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 is provided with two head lifting mechanisms 50 corresponding to the first head 10a and the second head 10b. In the present embodiment, one head lifting mechanism 50 moves the first head 10a in the Z direction, and the other head lifting mechanism 50 moves the second head 10b in the Z direction. Each head lifting mechanism 50 is fixed to the movable part 41 and is moved in the Z direction by the third electric actuator 33 together with the head 10 and the cleaning mechanism 60. Each head lifting mechanism 50 is configured as, for example, an electric actuator and is individually driven under the control of the control unit 70. In FIG. 2, the head lifting mechanism 50 is omitted.

[0031] The heating unit 40 heats the shaping material laminated on the stage 20. The heating unit 40 is plate-shaped and has a heater. Two arm portions 80 extending along the Y direction are fixed to the movable part 41, and the heating unit 40 is supported so as to face the shaping surface 21 by being suspended from the two arm portions 80. That is, the heating unit 40 is fixed to the movable part 41 via the two arm portions 80. The heating unit 40 is moved in the Z direction by the third electric actuator 33 together with the head 10 fixed to the movable part 41. Therefore, the relative position of the heating unit 40 with respect to the stage 20 changes together with the first head 10a and the second head 10b.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the heating unit 40 is provided with an opening 42 penetrating in the Z direction. More specifically, the heating unit 40 is provided with two openings 42 corresponding to the first nozzle 151a and the second nozzle 151b.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first nozzle 151a and the second nozzle 151b are each configured to be able to switch between a shaping state and a retracted state by a head lifting mechanism 50. The shaping state refers to a state in which the nozzle opening 152 is disposed between the heating unit 40 and the stage 20 in the Z direction. In the shaping state, at least a part of the nozzle 151 is disposed within the opening 42. The nozzle 151 takes the shaping state at least during shaping. Shaping time refers to the timing of discharging the shaping material to the shaping region to shape the shaping layer. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the first nozzle 151a and the second nozzle 151b are in the shaping state. The retracted state refers to a state in which the nozzle opening 152 is disposed above the heating unit 40. In the retracted state, the nozzle 151 is disposed outside the opening 42. When the head lifting mechanism 50 switches the nozzle 151 from the shaping state to the retracted state, the head 10 is moved in the +Z direction, and when the nozzle 151 is switched from the retracted state to the shaping state, the head 10 is moved in the -Z direction.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cleaning mechanism 60. FIG. 6 is a side view of the cleaning mechanism 60. In this embodiment, the cleaning mechanism 60 is attached to the arm portion 80. The heating unit 40 is suspended from the arm portion 80 by a suspension member 81. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning mechanism 60 is moved in the Z direction together with the heating unit 40 by driving the movable portion 41 to which the arm portion 80 is fixed by a third electric actuator 33.

[0035] The cleaning mechanism 60 is a mechanism for cleaning the nozzle 151. As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning mechanism 60 includes a cleaning moving part 210 and a cleaning part 220. In the present embodiment, the cleaning mechanism 60 includes a first cleaning mechanism 60a and a second cleaning mechanism 60b. The first cleaning mechanism 60a includes a first cleaning moving part 210a as the cleaning moving part 210 and a first cleaning part 220a as the cleaning part 220. The second cleaning mechanism 60b includes a second cleaning moving part 210b as the cleaning moving part 210 and a second cleaning part 220b as the cleaning part 220. The first cleaning mechanism 60a cleans the first nozzle 151a, and the second cleaning mechanism 60b cleans the second nozzle 151b. Below the cleaning part 220, a recovery part 230 for recovering the waste material removed from the nozzle 151 by the cleaning mechanism 60 is arranged. The recovery part 230 includes a first recovery part 230a and a second recovery part 230b. The first recovery part 230a is arranged below the first cleaning part 220a, and the second recovery part 230b is arranged below the second cleaning part 220b. The configurations of the first cleaning mechanism 60a and the second cleaning mechanism 60b are the same. When distinguishing the constituent members of both, the constituent members of the first cleaning mechanism 60a are denoted by adding the symbol "a", and the constituent members of the second cleaning mechanism 60b are denoted by adding the symbol "b".

[0036] The cleaning moving unit 210 moves the cleaning unit 220 relative to the nozzle 151. The cleaning moving unit 210 is also a part of the position changing unit 25. The cleaning moving unit 210 is fixed to the arm unit 80. The cleaning moving unit 210 includes a drive belt 212, a first pulley 213, a second pulley 214, and a belt driving unit 215. The first pulley 213 is provided at the -Y direction side end of the arm unit 80. The second pulley 214 is provided at the +Y direction side end of the arm unit 80. The drive belt 212 is wound between the first pulley 213 and the second pulley 214. The belt driving unit 215 drives the drive belt 212 by rotationally driving the second pulley 214. The belt driving unit 215 is constituted by, for example, a motor and is controlled by the control unit 70.

[0037] The cleaning unit 220 is connected to the drive belt 212 via a connecting portion 225. The connecting portion 225 is configured to be movable in the Y direction along a guide rail 211 attached to the arm unit 80. Therefore, the cleaning unit 220 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 211 when the drive belt 212 is driven by the belt driving unit 215. With this configuration, the cleaning unit 220 moves relative to the nozzle 151 by the cleaning moving unit 210.

[0038] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are perspective views of the cleaning unit 220. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the second cleaning unit 220b of the cleaning unit 220. The second cleaning unit 220b and the first cleaning unit 220a have a symmetrical structure about the Y axis. The cleaning unit 220 includes a cleaning member 240 and a housing portion 222.

[0039] The cleaning member 240 is a member for cleaning the nozzle 151. The cleaning member 240 removes the waste material attached to the nozzle 151 by contact between the cleaning member 240 and the nozzle 151. In the present embodiment, the cleaning member 240 is composed of a stainless-steel wire. The cleaning member 240 is stretched in the X direction by a pair of support portions 293. Note that the wire constituting the cleaning member 240 does not have to be formed of stainless steel, and may be formed of, for example, steel, titanium, brass, or the like. The position of the cleaning member 240 in the Z direction is a position where it can contact the tip surface of the nozzle 151. For example, the cleaning member 240 is positioned 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm on the +Z direction side from the tip surface of the nozzle 151.

[0040] The housing portion 222 has a cylindrical main body 226 and a bottom surface 227 disposed at the bottom of the main body 226. The main body 226 is attached to the connecting portion 225. The cleaning member 240 is disposed above the housing portion 222. The support portion 293 that supports the cleaning member 240 is fixed to the inner surface of the main body 226 in the +Y direction. The waste material removed from the nozzle 151 by the cleaning member 240 is housed in the housing portion 222.

[0041] The bottom surface 227 of the accommodating portion 222 is configured to be openable and closable. The main body 226 and the bottom surface 227 that constitute the accommodating portion 222 are relatively slidable in the Y direction. The bottom surface 227 opens and closes when a slide member 228 connected to the main body 226 moves in the Y direction along a slide rail 224 connected to the bottom surface 227. A spring 229 is disposed between the -Y direction end of the main body 226 and the +Y direction end of the bottom surface 227. The main body 226 and the bottom surface 227 are normally pulled toward each other by the spring 229, and as shown in FIG. 7, the bottom surface 227 is positioned at the bottom of the main body 226. Thereby, the bottom surface 227 is in a closed state. On the other hand, when the main body 226 and the bottom surface 227 move so as to be separated from each other, the spring 229 is pulled, the bottom surface 227 moves in the +Y direction relative to the main body 226, and as shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface 227 does not exist at the bottom of the main body 226. Thereby, the bottom surface 227 is in an open state.

[0042] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the bottom surface 227 of the accommodating portion 222 is in an open state. The control unit 70 executes a movement operation of moving the cleaning unit 220 horizontally from the position corresponding to the nozzle 151 toward the discharge position corresponding to the recovery unit 230 by controlling the cleaning movement unit 210. By this movement operation, the cleaning member 240 contacts the tip of the nozzle 151, and waste material is removed from the nozzle 151. The upper part of FIG. 9 shows a state in which the cleaning unit 220 is at the position corresponding to the nozzle 151, and the lower part of FIG. 9 shows a state in which the cleaning unit 220 is at the discharge position corresponding to the recovery unit 230.

[0043] When the accommodating part 222 moves toward the discharge position, the collision member 241 connected to the bottom surface 227 collides with the fixing member 242 connected to the arm part 80. Due to this collision, vibration is applied to the cleaning member 240. If waste material is attached to the cleaning member 240, the waste material falls from the cleaning member 240 into the accommodating part 222. Even after the collision member 241 connected to the bottom surface 227 collides with the fixing member 242 connected to the arm part 80, when the cleaning moving part 210 moves the cleaning part 220 in the -Y direction, the collision member 241 interferes with the fixing member 242. Therefore, the bottom surface 227 provided with the collision member 241 stops on the spot, and only the main body 226 of the accommodating part 222 slides toward the discharge position while pulling the spring 229. In this way, when the main body 226 slides relative to the bottom surface 227, the bottom surface 227 becomes open, and at the discharge position, the waste material falls from the accommodating part 222 toward the recovery part 230.

[0044] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the waste material falls into the recovery part 230. As shown in FIGS. 5, 9, and 10, below the accommodating part 222 at the discharge position, a guide part 243 for directing the falling direction of the waste material toward the recovery part 230 is provided. The guide part 243 is fixed to the arm part 80 via a guide support part 244. The waste material falls into the recovery part 230 by sliding down the guide part 243. In the present embodiment, two guide parts 243 are fixed to the arm part 80 so as to correspond to the first cleaning part 220a and the second cleaning part 220b. Therefore, the waste material recovered by the first cleaning part 220a can be appropriately discharged to the first recovery part 230a, and the waste material recovered by the second cleaning part 220b can be appropriately discharged to the second recovery part 230b. Therefore, when different modeling materials are discharged from the first head 10a and the second head 10b respectively, the waste material can be appropriately recovered for each modeling material, making it easier to reuse the modeling material. Note that there may be only one recovery part 230.

[0045] The fixing member 242 shown in FIG. 9 is attached to a guide portion 243 supported by the arm portion 80. That is, the guide portion 243 and the fixing member 242 are fixed to the movable portion 41 via the arm portion 80, rather than the heating portion 40. Therefore, vibrations generated when the collision member 241 provided on the bottom surface 227 of the housing portion 222 collides with the fixing member 242 attached to the guide portion 243 do not directly reach the heating portion 40. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the parallelism of the shaping surface 21 of the heating portion 40 due to vibrations.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the fixing member 242 is constituted by bolts. Therefore, by adjusting the attachment position of the fixing member 242 with respect to the guide portion 243 according to the tightening degree of the bolts, the collision position between the fixing member 242 and the collision member 241 can be adjusted. Thereby, the position where the cleaning portion 220 drops the waste material can be finely adjusted.

[0047] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the cleaning process executed by the control unit 70. This cleaning process is executed at a predetermined timing during the shaping of the three-dimensional shaped object. The timing at which the cleaning process is executed may be determined based on, for example, the elapsed time during shaping, the number of shaped layers, or the amount of shaping material discharged from the nozzle 151. Further, the timing at which the cleaning process is executed may be determined for each nozzle 151.

[0048] In step S10, the control unit 70 executes a position adjustment process for adjusting the height of the nozzle 151 to be cleaned and the initial position of the cleaning unit 220. In the following description of the cleaning process, unless otherwise specified, the nozzle 151 refers to the "nozzle 151 to be cleaned". In the position adjustment process, the control unit 70 controls the head lifting mechanism 50 to retract the nozzle 151. In the retracted state of the nozzle 151, the control unit 70 adjusts the height of the nozzle 151 to a position where the cleaning member 240 can contact the tip of the nozzle 151. The control unit 70 retracts the nozzle 151 and controls the cleaning moving unit 210 so that the cleaning member 240 provided in the cleaning unit 220 is positioned in the +Y direction relative to the tip of the nozzle 151.

[0049] In step S20, the control unit 70 executes a cleaning operation. The cleaning operation is an operation of removing waste material adhering to the nozzle 151 by bringing the cleaning member 240 into contact with the nozzle 151 by changing the relative position between the nozzle 151 and the cleaning unit 220. In the present embodiment, in this cleaning operation, the control unit 70 controls the cleaning moving unit 210 to move the cleaning unit 220 in the -Y direction so that the cleaning member 240 moves while contacting the tip of the nozzle 151. By doing so, the waste material adhering to the tip of the nozzle 151 is removed by the cleaning member 240. In the present embodiment, the control unit 70 brings the cleaning member 240 into contact with the nozzle 151 once. In contrast, the control unit 70 may reciprocate the cleaning unit 220 along the Y direction so that the cleaning member 240 contacts the tip of the nozzle 151 a plurality of times.

[0050] In step S30, the control unit 70 executes a vibration operation. In the present embodiment, the vibration operation is an operation of applying vibration to the cleaning member 240. Specifically, the control unit 70 controls the cleaning moving unit 210 to move the cleaning unit 220 in the -Y direction, and causes the collision member 241 provided in the cleaning unit 220 to collide with the fixing member 242 fixed to the arm unit 80, thereby applying vibration to the cleaning member 240. In this way, by applying vibration to the cleaning member 240, when waste material adheres to the cleaning member 240, the waste material can be dropped into the storage unit 222 provided in the cleaning unit 220. In the present embodiment, the control unit 70 reciprocates the cleaning unit 220 in the Y direction to cause it to collide with the fixing member three times. Note that the number of collisions is not limited to three, and may be 1 to 2 times or 4 times or more. Also, the number of collisions may be changed according to the type of modeling material.

[0051] In step S40, the control unit 70 executes a discharging operation. The discharging operation is an operation of, after the vibration operation, moving the storage unit 222 from the position where the fixing member 242 is disposed to a discharging position for discharging the waste material to the recovery unit 230, and discharging the waste material to the recovery unit 230. In the vibration operation of step S30 described above, when the collision member 241 connected to the bottom surface 227 of the cleaning unit 220 collides with the fixing member 242, the movement of the bottom surface 227 of the cleaning unit 220 stops. After the movement of the bottom surface 227 stops, the control unit 70 slides the main body 226 in the -Y direction in step S40 to open the bottom of the main body 226. When the bottom of the main body 226 is thus opened, the waste material drops from the storage unit 222 and is discharged to the recovery unit 230 while being guided by the guide unit 243.

[0052] In step S50, the control unit 70 controls the cleaning moving unit 210 to return the cleaning unit 220 from the discharging position to the initial position, and ends the above-described series of cleaning processes.

[0053] The three-dimensional shaping device 100 of the present embodiment described above changes the relative position between the nozzle 151 and the cleaning unit 220 to execute a cleaning operation of bringing the cleaning member 240 into contact with the nozzle 151. After the execution of the cleaning operation, the cleaning unit 220 is moved to execute a vibration operation of applying vibration to the cleaning member 240. Due to this vibration, the waste material adhering to the cleaning member 240 falls off from the cleaning member 240. As a result, it is possible to suppress the waste material adhering to the cleaning member 240 from adhering to the nozzle 151 again, so that it is possible to suppress the reduction of the shaping accuracy of the three-dimensional shaped object due to the cleaning of the nozzle 151.

[0054] Further, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 220 is moved to collide with the fixing member 242 to apply vibration to the cleaning member 240. Therefore, the cleaning member 240 can be easily vibrated. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the cleaning unit 220 collides with the fixing member 242 a plurality of times, the possibility of the waste material falling off from the cleaning member 240 can be increased.

[0055] Further, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 220 has a storage unit 222 for storing the waste material removed from the nozzle 151. The storage unit 222 has a cylindrical main body 226 and a bottom surface 227 disposed at the bottom of the main body 226, and the main body 226 and the bottom surface 227 are configured to be relatively slidable. And, in the present embodiment, in the vibration operation, the movement of the bottom surface 227 is stopped by colliding the collision member 241 connected to the bottom surface 227 with the fixing member 242. After the movement of the bottom surface 227 stops, the main body 226 is slid relative to the bottom surface 227 to open the bottom of the main body 226. Therefore, the application of vibration to the cleaning member 240 and the discharge of the waste material from the cleaning unit 220 can be continuously performed only by moving the cleaning unit 220, and the cleaning process can be efficiently executed.

[0056] B. Second Embodiment: FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the cleaning process in the second embodiment. The configuration of the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0057] In the cleaning process in the second embodiment, the process of step S15 is added to the cleaning process of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 11. Specifically, after the position adjustment process is performed in step S10, in step S15, the discharge process is executed.

[0058] In this discharge process, the control unit 70 discharges the shaping material from the nozzle 151 so that a predetermined amount of the shaping material hangs down from the nozzle 151. Then, in step S20, the control unit 70 executes a cleaning operation to bring the cleaning member 240 into contact with the nozzle 151, and removes the shaping material in a state of hanging down from the nozzle 151 as waste material. Since the processes after step S30 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[0059] In step S15 described above, the control unit 70 discharges a predetermined amount of the shaping material according to the type of the shaping material. For example, when the diameter of the nozzle opening 152 is 0.4 mm and the shaping material is ABS resin, the shaping material having a length of 60 mm is discharged from the nozzle 151. The length of the shaping material to be discharged is made longer as the diameter of the nozzle opening 152 is smaller.

[0060] The amount of the shaping material discharged in step S15 preferably satisfies the condition that the adhesion force of the shaping material to the cleaning member 240 is greater than the self-weight of the shaping material, and the adhesion force of the shaping material to the cleaning member 240 is smaller than the value obtained by adding the inertial force due to vibration to the self-weight of the shaping material. According to this condition, the minimum amount of the shaping material that can be dropped from the cleaning member 240 by the vibration operation in step S30 can be determined. Therefore, the amount of the shaping material used in the cleaning process can be saved. Note that the inertial force due to vibration can be adjusted by changing the speed at which the cleaning unit 220 collides with the fixing member.

[0061] The amount of the modeling material according to the type of the modeling material is determined, for example, by specifying the amount that satisfies the above conditions for each modeling material through experiments or simulations, and stored in the storage device 72. The control unit 70 refers to the relationship between the type of the modeling material and the amount of the modeling material stored in the storage device 72, and specifies the amount of the modeling material to be discharged from the nozzle 151 in step S15.

[0062] According to the second embodiment described above, since the cleaning operation and the vibration operation are performed in a state where the amount of the modeling material determined according to the type of the modeling material is discharged from the nozzle 151, the modeling material as waste can be easily removed from the nozzle 151.

[0063] C. Third Embodiment: FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the cleaning process in the third embodiment. The configuration of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0064] In the cleaning process in the third embodiment, a process of step S25 is added to the cleaning process of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 12. Specifically, in step S15, the discharge process described in the second embodiment is executed, and after the cleaning operation is executed in step S20, before the vibration operation is executed in step S30, a standby process is executed in step S25. The processing content after step S30 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0065] In the standby process of step S25, the control unit 70 causes the cleaning unit 220 to standby between the nozzle 151 and the fixing member 242 for a time determined according to the type of the modeling material, and then shifts the process to the vibration operation in step S30. The time for standby in step S25 is the time required for the modeling material attached to the cleaning member 240 to be sufficiently cooled. The standby time is set to be longer for modeling materials with a larger heat capacity. For example, it is set to 20 seconds for PP and 15 seconds for POM. Note that since ABS with a small heat capacity has the property of being easily cooled, for example, the standby time can be set to 0 seconds. When the modeling material is an amorphous resin, it is desirable to set the standby time so that it is cooled to a temperature below the glass transition point, and when it is a crystalline resin, it is cooled to a temperature below the melting point.

[0066] According to the third embodiment described above, after the modeling material is removed by the cleaning member 240, a standby process of performing standby for a time according to the modeling material is executed, so that the modeling material attached to the cleaning member 240 can be cooled and cured. Thereby, in the vibration operation, the modeling material as waste material can be surely dropped from the cleaning member 240, and reattachment of the waste material to the nozzle 151 can be suppressed.

[0067] Note that the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 may include a cooling device for cooling the modeling material attached to the cleaning member 240 during the standby period. By doing so, the standby time can be shortened, and the cleaning process can be performed efficiently.

[0068] D. Fourth Embodiment: FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the cleaning member 250 in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a front view of the cleaning member 250. In the fourth embodiment, only the shape of the cleaning member 250 is different from that in the first embodiment, and the other configurations of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0069] In the fourth embodiment, the cleaning member 250 is a plate-like body. The cleaning member 250 is formed of, for example, a metal plate such as SUS. The hardness of the cleaning member 250 is smaller than the hardness of the nozzle 151. The cleaning member 250 has a tongue piece portion 251 that extends upward in the direction toward the nozzle 151, and a fixing portion 252 for fixing the tongue piece portion 251 to the cleaning portion 220. In the fourth embodiment, two fixing portions 252 are provided on the cleaning member 250. Note that one fixing portion 252 may be provided. The height of the tongue piece portion 251 is higher than the height of the fixing portion 252. Also, the length of the tongue piece portion 251 along the Z direction is longer than the length of the fixing member 242. In the above-described cleaning operation, the upper end of the tongue piece portion 251 contacts the tip of the nozzle 151, and the nozzle 151 is cleaned. The tongue piece portion 251 can also be referred to as the first member, and the fixing portion 252 can be referred to as the second member.

[0070] The upper end portion 253 of the fixing portion 252 is arranged at an interval in the X direction intersecting the Z direction with respect to the upper end portion 254 of the tongue piece portion 251. The base end portion 255 in the direction opposite to the upper end portion 254 of the tongue piece portion 251 and the base end portion 256 in the direction opposite to the upper end portion 253 of the fixing portion 252 are integrally connected. The upper end portion 253 of the fixing portion 252 is fixed to the spacer member 258 by a screw 257. The spacer member 258 extends from the inner surface in the +Y direction of the main body 226 of the housing portion 222 in the -Y direction.

[0071] According to the fourth embodiment described above, since the nozzle 151 can be cleaned by the plate-like cleaning member 250, the shear stress applied to the waste material increases. Therefore, a high-hardness shaping material can also be removed.

[0072] Also, since the cleaning member 250 of the fourth embodiment is plate-like, when vibration is applied during the cleaning process, the shaping material is likely to be peeled off.

[0073] In addition, the cleaning member 250 is plate-shaped and includes a tongue piece portion 251 and a fixing portion 252, so that the surface area is increased. Therefore, the waste material attached to the cleaning member 250 is easily cooled, and when vibration is applied in the cleaning process, the shaping material easily falls off.

[0074] In addition, the cleaning member 250 has a shape in which the tongue piece portion 251 and the fixing portion 252 are arranged in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the length in the Z direction can be shortened, and the installation space of the cleaning member 250 can be reduced.

[0075] E. Other embodiments: (E1) In the above embodiment, the control unit 70 vibrates the cleaning members 240 and 250 by controlling the cleaning moving unit 210 to cause the cleaning unit 220 to collide with the fixing member 242. On the other hand, for example, the control unit 70 may vibrate the cleaning members 240 and 250 by controlling the cleaning moving unit 210 to reciprocate the cleaning unit 220 within a minute range. Further, for example, the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 may include a vibration unit, and the control unit 70 may control the vibration unit to vibrate the cleaning member 240. The vibration unit can be provided, for example, on the cleaning unit 220. The vibration unit is constituted by, for example, an electric motor having an unbalance weight attached to a rotating shaft.

[0076] (E2) In the above embodiment, the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 may include a cooling device for cooling the cleaning members 240 and 250. The control unit 70 cools the cleaning members 240 and 250 before the cleaning operation using the cooling device, so that in the cleaning operation, the shaping material softened by heat transfer from the nozzle 151 is easily removed from the nozzle 151.

[0077] (E3) In addition to being executed during the shaping of the three-dimensional object, or instead of being executed during the shaping of the three-dimensional object, the cleaning process in the above-described embodiment may be executed before the discharge of the first shaping material for shaping the three-dimensional object is started, or may be executed after the shaping of the three-dimensional object is completed. Further, the cleaning process may be executed when a predetermined start operation is performed by the user on the control unit 70. Further, for example, different cleaning contents may be executed for the cleaning process executed during the shaping of the three-dimensional object and the cleaning process executed outside the shaping process, respectively.

[0078] (E4) In each of the above embodiments, the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 includes two heads 10. In contrast, the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 100 may include only one head 10, or may include three or more heads.

[0079] F. Other Forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the forms described below can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0080] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional shaping apparatus is provided. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a discharge unit having a nozzle for discharging a shaping material from the nozzle, a stage on which the shaping material is laminated, a cleaning unit having a cleaning member, a position changing unit for changing relative positions of the discharge unit, the stage, and the cleaning unit, and a control unit. The control unit performs a cleaning operation of bringing the cleaning member into contact with the nozzle by changing a relative position between the nozzle and the cleaning unit. After performing the cleaning operation, the control unit performs at least one of a vibration operation of vibrating the cleaning member by moving the cleaning unit and a vibration operation of controlling a vibration unit that vibrates the cleaning member to vibrate the cleaning member. According to such an aspect, it is possible to suppress waste material adhering to the cleaning member from adhering to the nozzle again, and thus it is possible to suppress a decrease in the shaping accuracy of the three-dimensional shaped object due to cleaning of the nozzle.

[0081] (2) In the three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to the above aspect, the control unit may vibrate the cleaning member by moving the cleaning unit to collide with a fixing member. According to such an aspect, the cleaning member can be easily vibrated.

[0082] (3) In the three-dimensional shaping apparatus of the above-described embodiment, the cleaning unit has a housing unit that houses the waste material removed from the nozzle. The housing unit has a main body and a bottom surface disposed at the bottom of the main body. The main body and the bottom surface are relatively slidable. After the vibration operation, the control unit moves the housing unit from the position where the fixing member is disposed toward the position where the waste material is discharged to the recovery unit, and executes a discharge operation to discharge the waste material to the recovery unit. The control unit executes the vibration operation by causing a collision member connected to the bottom surface to collide with the fixing member. In the discharge operation, the control unit may stop the movement of the bottom surface by causing the collision member to collide with the fixing member, and then slide the main body relative to the bottom surface to open the bottom of the main body. According to such a configuration, it is possible to continuously perform the application of vibration to the cleaning member and the discharge of the waste material from the cleaning unit only by moving the cleaning unit.

[0083] (4) In the three-dimensional shaping apparatus of the above-described embodiment, the control unit may cause the cleaning unit to collide with the fixing member a plurality of times. According to such a configuration, it is possible to increase the possibility that the waste material falls from the cleaning member.

[0084] (5) In the three-dimensional shaping apparatus of the above-described embodiment, in the cleaning operation, the control unit may discharge a predetermined amount of the shaping material determined according to the type of the shaping material from the nozzle, and bring the cleaning member into contact with the nozzle in a state where the shaping material hangs down from the nozzle. According to such a configuration, it is possible to easily remove the shaping material as waste material from the nozzle.

[0085] (6) In the three-dimensional shaping apparatus of the above-described embodiment, after executing the cleaning operation, the control unit may wait for a predetermined time determined according to the type of the shaping material, and then execute the vibration operation. According to such a configuration, it is possible to cool and cure the shaping material as waste material adhering to the cleaning member. Therefore, in the vibration operation, the certainty of dropping the shaping material from the cleaning member can be increased.

[0086] (7) In the three-dimensional shaping apparatus of the above-described form, the cleaning member is a plate-like body, and the cleaning member has a tongue piece portion extending in a direction toward the nozzle and a fixing portion for fixing the tongue piece portion to the cleaning portion. An end portion of the tongue piece portion in the above direction and an end portion of the fixing portion in the above direction are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the above direction, and an end portion of the tongue piece portion in a direction opposite to the above direction and an end portion of the fixing portion in a direction opposite to the above direction may be integrally connected. According to such a form, since the cleaning member is a plate-like body, the shaping material is likely to be peeled off when vibration is applied.

[0087] The present disclosure is not limited to the aspects of the three-dimensional shaping apparatus described above, and can be realized by various aspects such as a method for cleaning a nozzle and a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0088] 10…Head, 11…Material supply section, 12…Plasticizing section, 13…Extrusion section, 15…Communication path, 20…Stage, 21…Modeling surface, 25…Position changing section, 30…Stage moving section, 31…First electric actuator, 32…Second electric actuator, 33…Third electric actuator, 40…Heating section, 41…Movable section, 42…Opening, 50…Head lifting mechanism, 60…Cleaning mechanism, 70…Control section, 71…CPU, 72…Memory device, 80…Arm section, 81…Suspension member, 100…Three-dimensional modeling device, 110…Screw, 111…Groove forming surface, 112…Central portion, 113…Groove, 114…Material inlet, 115…Rib portion, 120…Screw case, 130…Drive motor, 140…Barrel, 141…Opposing surface, 142…Communication hole, 143…Guide groove, 144…Plasticizing heater, 151…Nozzle, 152…Nozzle opening, 153…Flow path, 154…Extrusion adjustment section, 156…Suction section, 210…Cleaning moving section, 211…Guide rail, 212…Drive belt, 213…First pulley, 214…Second pulley, 215…Belt drive section, 220…Cleaning section, 222…Accommodation section, 224…Slide rail, 225…Connecting section, 226…Main body, 227…Bottom surface, 228…Slide member, 229…Spring, 230…Recovery section, 240…Cleaning member, 241…Collision member, 242…Fixed member, 243…Guide section, 244…Guide support section, 250…Cleaning member, 251…Lobe section, 252…Fixed section, 253…Upper end portion, 254…Upper end portion, 255…Base end portion, 256…Base end portion, 257…Screw, 258…Spacer member, 293…Support section

Claims

1. A three-dimensional shaping apparatus comprising: a discharge unit having a nozzle for discharging a shaping material from the nozzle; a stage on which the shaping material is laminated; a cleaning unit having a cleaning member; a position changing unit for changing the relative positions of the discharge unit, the stage, and the cleaning unit; and a control unit, wherein the control unit performs a cleaning operation of bringing the cleaning member into contact with the nozzle by changing the relative position between the nozzle and the cleaning unit; after the cleaning operation is performed, the control unit performs an operation of applying vibration to the cleaning member by moving the cleaning unit, and controls a vibration unit for applying vibration to the cleaning member to perform an operation of applying vibration to the cleaning member, and performs at least one of the vibration operations. Three-dimensional shaping apparatus.

2. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit applies the vibration to the cleaning member by moving the cleaning unit to collide with a fixing member.

3. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning unit has a storage unit for storing waste material removed from the nozzle, the storage unit has a main body and a bottom surface disposed at the bottom of the main body, and the main body and the bottom surface are relatively slidable, after the vibration operation, the control unit performs a discharge operation of moving the storage unit from the position where the fixing member is disposed to a position for discharging the waste material to a recovery unit to discharge the waste material to the recovery unit, the control unit performs the vibration operation by colliding a collision member connected to the bottom surface with the fixing member, in the discharge operation, the control unit stops the movement of the bottom surface by colliding the collision member with the fixing member, and then slides the main body relative to the bottom surface to open the bottom of the main body.

4. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit causes the cleaning unit to collide with the fixing member a plurality of times.

5. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1, The three-dimensional shaping apparatus, wherein in the cleaning operation, the control unit discharges an amount of the shaping material determined according to the type of the shaping material from the nozzle, and brings the cleaning member into contact with the nozzle in a state where the shaping material hangs down from the nozzle.

6. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after executing the cleaning operation, the control unit waits for a time determined according to the type of the shaping material and then executes the vibration operation.

7. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a plate-like body, the cleaning member has a tongue piece portion extending in a direction toward the nozzle and a fixing portion for fixing the tongue piece portion to the cleaning portion, wherein an end portion of the tongue piece portion in the direction and an end portion of the fixing portion in the direction are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction, and an end portion of the tongue piece portion in a direction opposite to the direction and an end portion of the fixing portion in a direction opposite to the direction are integrally connected.

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