Molding apparatus and molding method

Abstract

To appropriately realize a configuration suitable for a molding apparatus that forms colored objects.SOLUTION: A molding apparatus 10 for forming at least partially colored formed objects 50, comprises a plurality of head units and a carriage 202, each head unit has a plurality of nozzle rows each ejecting ink supplied from an ink container via mutually different ink supply paths, the carriage 202 holds, as the multiple head units, a first head unit being a head unit 204a, having a plurality of nozzle rows each ejecting colored ink of a different color from one another, and a second head unit being a head unit 204b, having a plurality of nozzle rows each ejecting ink different from the colored ink ejected by the head unit 204a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a molding apparatus and a molding method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a modeling apparatus (3D printer) that uses an inkjet head to form a model (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a modeling apparatus, for example, an object is formed by layering ink layers formed by the inkjet head, using a layered modeling method. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-071282 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When forming an object using an inkjet head, it is possible to form objects colored in a variety of colors by using multiple colored inks (color inks). However, in this case, as the number of ink colors used increases, problems such as an increase in the size and weight of the carriage that holds the inkjet head tend to arise. For this reason, it has been desirable to appropriately realize a configuration suitable for a forming device that forms colored objects. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a forming device, a maintenance method for the forming device, and a forming method that can solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors of the present application conceived of a configuration for ejecting ink in a modeling apparatus that uses a head unit that ejects multiple types of ink, rather than inkjet heads that are individually configured for each type of ink (e.g., each color or each application). This configuration allows for a more compact and lightweight carriage compared to, for example, using multiple inkjet heads, each for a different ink type. However, in this case, during maintenance of the modeling apparatus, the head unit corresponding to the multiple ink types becomes the unit for part replacement. In this case, if, for example, a head unit becomes unable to properly eject one type of ink, the head unit must be replaced even if there are no problems ejecting the other inks. This can result in a significant increase in the cost of part replacement.

[0006] In this regard, the inventors of the present application have focused on the fact that, among multiple types of ink ejected from a single head unit, portions associated with inks consumed in greater quantities during modeling will require replacement at an earlier stage. They then considered selecting the multiple types of ink ejected from a single head unit so as to reduce the difference in the amount of ink consumed during modeling. To achieve this, they considered using multiple head units, ejecting inks with relatively lower consumption amounts from a first head unit and ejecting the other inks from a second head unit. This configuration, for example, can appropriately reduce the difference in consumption amounts among multiple types of ink ejected from a single head unit. Furthermore, in this case, it is conceivable that portions of the same head unit corresponding to each type of ink will require replacement at approximately the same time. Therefore, this configuration can, for example, reduce the likelihood of a head unit being replaced when only a portion of the head unit has deteriorated.

[0007] More specifically, when forming a colored object, the colored region to be colored typically only needs to be formed on the surface of the object. In this case, the consumption of colored ink (color ink) used to form the colored region is significantly less than, for example, the ink used to form the interior of the object. Therefore, in this case, it is conceivable to eject the colored ink used to form the colored region from a first head unit, and eject the other ink from a second head unit. This configuration, for example, allows for more appropriate head unit replacement when using a head unit. This also makes it possible to appropriately realize a configuration suitable for a modeling device that forms colored objects, for example.

[0008] Furthermore, the inventors of the present application have conducted further intensive research and discovered the features necessary to achieve such effects, and have arrived at the present invention. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a modeling apparatus that models a modeled object at least a portion of which is colored by overlapping ink layers, the modeling apparatus comprising: a plurality of head units, each of which ejects ink from a plurality of nozzle arrays; and a carriage that holds the plurality of head units, each of which has the plurality of nozzle arrays that eject ink supplied from an ink container via a mutually different ink supply path, and the carriage holds the plurality of head units, including a first head unit having the plurality of nozzle arrays that eject colored inks of mutually different colors, and a second head unit having the plurality of nozzle arrays that eject inks different from the colored inks ejected by the first head unit.

[0009] With this configuration, by using the head unit, it is possible to appropriately achieve, for example, a reduction in the size and weight of the carriage. Furthermore, by ejecting multiple colored inks from the nozzle row of the first head unit and ejecting other inks from the nozzle row of the second head unit, it is possible to appropriately reduce, for example, the difference in ink consumption between inks ejected from the same head unit. This also makes it possible to appropriately prevent, for example, the cost of replacing parts in a modeling device from increasing excessively due to replacement of the head unit. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to appropriately achieve a configuration suitable for a modeling device that models, for example, colored objects.

[0010] In this configuration, the modeling device supplies ink to the head unit from, for example, multiple ink containers, each of which stores ink. In this case, each nozzle row in the head unit receives ink from one of the ink containers. Furthermore, each head unit can be considered, for example, as a replacement unit that is replaced collectively during repair or maintenance. Furthermore, in this case, the multiple nozzle rows in one head unit can be considered to be integrally formed within a single component. Furthermore, in each head unit, the multiple nozzle rows can be considered to be aligned, for example, while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship. This configuration allows the head unit to be used appropriately in, for example, a modeling device.

[0011] In this configuration, the modeling device models, for example, a modeled object including a light-reflecting region and a colored region. In this case, the light-reflecting region is a region formed using ink of a light-reflective color. The colored region is formed outside the light-reflecting region using multiple colored inks and clear ink ejected by the first head unit. In this case, each of the multiple nozzle rows in the first head unit ejects, for example, each of the multiple colored inks used to form the colored region. In addition, the second head unit has, as at least some of the multiple nozzle rows, a nozzle row that ejects light-reflective ink, a nozzle row that ejects clear ink, and a nozzle row that ejects ink that will be the material of the support layer. The clear ink can be considered, for example, as a colorless, transparent ink. The support layer can be considered, for example, as a configuration that supports at least a portion of the modeled object during modeling.

[0012] With this configuration, for example, a colored object can be appropriately formed. Furthermore, by concentrating the nozzle rows ejecting the colored inks used to form the colored region in the first head unit, for example, it is possible to appropriately reduce the difference in consumption between multiple types of ink ejected from a single head unit. In this case, it is preferable that the colored region is formed, for example, only with multiple colors of colored ink ejected from the first head unit and clear ink ejected from the second head unit. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to concentrate all of the nozzle rows for colored inks, which consume less ink during modeling, in the first head unit. Furthermore, this makes it possible to more appropriately reduce the difference in consumption between multiple types of ink ejected from a single head unit.

[0013] In this configuration, the modeling apparatus may further include, for example, a main scanning driver and a flattening unit. The main scanning driver may be configured to cause multiple head units to perform a main scanning operation in which ink is ejected while moving in a predetermined main scanning direction. The flattening unit may be configured to include, for example, a flattening roller that flattens the ink layer. In this case, the main scanning driver may include, for example, a guide member that guides the movement of the carriage in the main scanning direction and a drive mechanism that moves the carriage along the guide member. The flattening unit may be held by the guide member outside the carriage so as to be movable in the main scanning direction. In this configuration, providing the flattening unit outside the carriage may, for example, more appropriately reduce the size and weight of the carriage. As the guide member, for example, a guide rail, which is a rail-shaped guide member, may be suitably used.

[0014] Furthermore, when using a modeling apparatus having the above configuration, the features of the present invention can also be considered as features of a maintenance method for the modeling apparatus. In this case, the maintenance method for the modeling apparatus is characterized by, for example, prompting a user to replace each head unit based on the amount of operation of the modeling apparatus, and by differentiating the correspondence between the amount of operation and the replacement timing between the first head unit and the second head unit, prompting the user to replace each head unit so that the second head unit is replaced more frequently than the first head unit. With this configuration, for example, the second head unit that ejects ink with a high consumption can be appropriately replaced at a shorter interval than the first head unit. This also allows for more appropriate maintenance of the modeling apparatus depending on, for example, the use of the ink ejected from each head unit. Furthermore, the features of the present invention can also be considered as features of a modeling method for modeling a model using the modeling apparatus having the above configuration. In this case, for example, the same effects as those described above can be obtained. In this case, the modeling method can also be considered, for example, as a method for manufacturing a model. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to appropriately realize a configuration suitable for a modeling apparatus that models a colored model. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a modeling apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1A shows an example of the configuration of a main part of the modeling apparatus 10. Fig. 1B shows an example of the configuration of a head unit 12 in the modeling apparatus 10. [Figure 2] 2(a) and 2(b) show an example of a more specific configuration of the head unit 12. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a model 50 to be modeled by the modeling apparatus 10. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram for explaining the main scanning drive unit 18 and the head unit 12 in more detail. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating a modeling apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) shows an example of the configuration of the main parts of the modeling apparatus 10. FIG. 1(b) shows an example of the configuration of a head unit 12 in the modeling apparatus 10. FIG. 2 shows an example of a more specific configuration of the head unit 12. FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are a partially exploded perspective view and a bottom view showing an example of the specific configuration of the head unit 12 together with a part of a main scanning drive unit 18 in the modeling apparatus 10.

[0018] In this example, the modeling apparatus 10 is a device (3D printer) that models a three-dimensional object by additive manufacturing, and uses ink as a modeling material to form a model 50 that is at least partially colored by stacking ink layers. In this case, the modeling apparatus 10 can be considered, for example, a three-dimensional structure. In this example, the modeling apparatus 10 is a full-color modeling apparatus that can model a full-colored object, and performs a modeling operation of the model 50 based on model data that represents the object to be modeled. In this case, the modeling apparatus 10 receives the model data from, for example, a computer (control PC) that controls the operation of the modeling apparatus 10.

[0019] As shown in the figure, in this example, the modeling apparatus 10 includes a head unit 12, a modeling table 14, multiple ink tanks 16, a main scanning drive unit 18, a modeling table drive unit 20, and a control unit 22. Except as described below, the modeling apparatus 10 may have the same or similar configuration as a known modeling apparatus. More specifically, except as described below, the modeling apparatus 10 may have the same or similar features as a known modeling apparatus that performs modeling by ejecting ink, which is a modeling material, using an inkjet method. In addition to the components shown in the figure, the modeling apparatus 10 may further include various components necessary for, for example, modeling the model 50.

[0020] The head unit 12 is configured to eject the material of the object 50. In this example, as described above, ink is used as the material of the object 50. The ink can be considered, for example, as a functional liquid. The ink can also be considered, for example, as a liquid ejected from the head unit 12 using an inkjet system. In this example, the head unit 12 has an inkjet head that ejects ink using an inkjet system, and ejects ultraviolet-curable ink (UV ink) that hardens from a liquid state when irradiated with ultraviolet light from the inkjet head. In this case, the UV-curable ink can be considered, for example, as an example of ink that hardens under predetermined conditions. In addition to the ink that is the material of the object 50, the head unit 12 also ejects support material ink, which is the ink that is the material of the support layer 52. As a result, the head unit 12 forms the support layer 52 around the object 50, as necessary. The support layer 52 can be considered, for example, as a layered structure that supports at least a portion of the object 50 during modeling. The support layer 52 is formed as needed during the modeling of the object 50, and is removed after modeling is completed. In this example, the head unit 12 has a head unit as an inkjet head that ejects multiple different types of ink. In this case, different types of ink can be considered to mean, for example, different colors or uses. For convenience of explanation, different types of ink may be simply referred to as different ink colors, including cases where the ink uses are different. The specific configuration of the head unit 12 and the types of ink used in the head unit 12 will be described in more detail later.

[0021] The modeling table 14 is a platform-like member that supports the object 50 being modeled. It is disposed opposite the head unit 12, and the object 50 being modeled and the support layer 52 are placed on its upper surface. In this example, the modeling table 14 is configured to be movable in the sub-scanning direction (X direction in the figure) and stacking direction (Z direction in the figure) preset in the modeling apparatus 10 by being driven by the modeling table drive unit 20. In this case, the movement in the sub-scanning direction and stacking direction can be considered, for example, as movement parallel to the sub-scanning direction and stacking direction. The stacking direction can be considered, for example, as the direction in which modeling materials are stacked in an additive manufacturing method. In this example, the stacking direction is a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure) and sub-scanning direction preset in the modeling apparatus 10. Each of the multiple ink tanks 16 is an ink container that stores ink. For example, a known ink bottle or the like can be suitably used as the ink tank 16. In addition, in this example, the multiple ink tanks 16 store ink of each color to be ejected from the head unit 12, and supply ink of each color from outside the head unit 12 to the head unit 12 according to the progress of the modeling operation.

[0022] The main scanning driver 18 is a driver that causes the head unit 12 to perform a main scanning operation (Y scan). The main scanning operation can be considered, for example, as an operation of ejecting ink while moving in the main scanning direction. In this case, causing the head unit 12 to perform a main scanning operation can be considered, for example, as causing the inkjet head (head unit) in the head unit 12 to perform a main scanning operation. In this example, the main scanning driver 18 causes the head unit 12 to perform a main scanning operation by fixing the position of the modeling table 14 and moving the head unit 12 in the main scanning direction. The specific configuration of the main scanning driver 18 will be described in more detail later.

[0023] The modeling table driver 20 is a driver that moves the modeling table 14 in both the sub-scanning direction and the stacking direction. More specifically, in this example, the modeling table driver 20 moves the modeling table 14 in the sub-scanning direction between main scanning operations during the formation of one ink layer. This causes the head unit 12 to perform a sub-scanning operation (X-scan) in which the head unit 12 moves in the sub-scanning direction relative to the object 50 being modeled. The sub-scanning operation can also be considered, for example, as an operation of moving the head unit 12 in the sub-scanning direction by a preset feed amount relative to the modeling table 14. After one ink layer is formed, before the formation of the next ink layer begins, the modeling table driver 20 moves the modeling table 14 away from the head unit 12 in the stacking direction. This also causes the modeling table driving unit 20 to cause the head unit 12 to perform a stacking direction scanning operation (Z scanning) in which the head unit 12 moves in the stacking direction relative to the object 50 being modeled. The stacking direction scanning operation can also be considered as, for example, an operation of adjusting the relative position between the object 50 being modeled and the head unit 12 in the stacking direction in accordance with the progress of the modeling operation.

[0024] The control unit 22 includes, for example, the CPU of the modeling apparatus 10, and controls the operation of modeling the object 50 by controlling each unit of the modeling apparatus 10. In this case, the control unit 22 generates slice data, which is data indicating a cross section of the object 50 to be modeled, based on the object data, for example. Then, in the operation of forming each ink layer that constitutes the object 50, the control unit 22 controls the operation of the head unit 12 based on the slice data, thereby causing the head unit 12 to eject each color of ink used to model the object 50. According to this example, for example, the modeling of the object 50 can be performed appropriately.

[0025] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the configuration of the head unit 12 in the modeling apparatus 10. In this example, the head unit 12 has an ink ejection unit 102, a flattening roller unit 104, and multiple light source units 106. The ink ejection unit 102 is the part of the head unit 12 that ejects ink, and has a carriage 202 and multiple head units 204a, 204b.

[0026] The carriage 202 is a holding member that holds multiple head units 204a, b, and holds each of the multiple head units 204a, b so that the ink ejection direction is toward the modeling table 14. As will be described in detail below, in the head unit 12 of this example, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 are disposed outside the carriage 202. Therefore, the carriage 202 can be considered to hold, for example, multiple head units 204a, b, but not the components of the flattening roller unit 104 (e.g., flattening rollers, etc.) or the components of the light source unit 106. In this case, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 can be considered to be configured as separate units from the components of the ink ejection unit 102, for example. In this example, the carriage 202 holds multiple head units 204a, b in an exchangeable (detachable) manner on a carriage base, which is a member that constitutes the base portion of the carriage 202 on the side facing the modeling table 14. The carriage 202 holds the multiple head units 204a, b aligned in the main scanning direction with their positions aligned in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, the head units 204a, b can be considered to be aligned in an in-line arrangement so that, for example, the area from which ink is ejected is the same in each main scanning operation.

[0027] The multiple head units 204a, b are an example of an ejection head that ejects modeling materials. In this example, each of the multiple head units 204a, b is an inkjet head that ejects ink of multiple different colors and has multiple nozzle rows 212 that each eject ink supplied from one of the ink tanks 16 via different ink supply paths. In this case, the different ink supply paths can be considered, for example, as the supply paths that supply ink from the ink tanks 16 to the head unit 12 being independent of each other. In this example, the different ink supply paths to each nozzle row 212 can be considered, for example, as the nozzle rows 212 receiving ink from different ink tanks 16. In addition, the nozzle rows 212 can be considered, for example, as rows of nozzles that are aligned at offset positions in a predetermined nozzle row direction. In this example, the multiple nozzle rows 212 in each of the head units 204a, b are aligned in the main scanning direction with their positions aligned in the sub-scanning direction, with the nozzle row direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction.

[0028] More specifically, in this example, each of the head units 204a and 204b is a four-color head unit having nozzle rows 212 for four colors. The head unit 204a is an example of a first head unit, and has multiple nozzle rows 212y-k, each of which ejects different color inks, as distinguished in the figure by nozzle rows 212y, m, c, and k. The color inks of each color ejected from the multiple nozzle rows 212y-k in the head unit 204a are coloring inks used to form colored regions in the model 50. In this example, these color inks are an example of colored inks. Furthermore, each of the multiple nozzle rows 212y-k in the head unit 204a can be considered to eject, for example, one of the multiple color inks used to form the colored regions. Furthermore, in this example, the nozzle row 212y is a nozzle row that ejects yellow (Y) ink. Nozzle row 212m is a nozzle row that ejects magenta (M) ink. Nozzle row 212c is a nozzle row that ejects cyan (C) ink. Nozzle row 212k is a nozzle row that ejects black (K) ink. These YMCK colors are examples of basic colors (process colors) used in subtractive color mixing.

[0029] The head unit 204b is an example of a second head unit, and includes multiple nozzle rows 212s-x, each of which ejects ink of a color different from the color ink ejected from the head unit 204a, as distinguished by nozzle rows 212s, w, t, and x in the figure. In this example, the nozzle row 212s is a nozzle row that ejects support material ink. The nozzle row 212w is a nozzle row that ejects white ink. In this example, the white ink is an example of a light-reflective ink and is used to form light-reflective regions in the model 50. The nozzle row 212t is a nozzle row that ejects clear ink. The clear ink can be considered, for example, to be colorless, transparent ink. The clear ink can also be considered, for example, to be uncolored, translucent ink, or ink to which no colorant has been intentionally added. In this example, the clear ink is used, together with the YMCK color inks, to form colored regions in the model 50.

[0030] Furthermore, in the head unit 204b, the nozzle row 212x is a nozzle row for ejecting inks of various colors or applications as needed. The nozzle row 212x can be used, for example, as a second nozzle row for inks that are consumed in particularly large amounts during modeling. In this case, the nozzle row 212x can be used to eject, for example, support material ink or white ink. The nozzle row 212x can also be used as a spare nozzle row. In this case, the nozzle row 212x can be used, for example, in place of one of the nozzle rows 212 in the head units 204a and 204b if it breaks down. The nozzle row 212x can also be used to eject special color inks other than the inks of the colors described above.

[0031] In the head unit 12, the flattening roller unit 104 is an example of a flattening means. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b), the flattening roller unit 104 includes a flattening roller 402 and multiple motors 404 and 406. The flattening roller unit 104 is disposed adjacent to the carriage 202 outside the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 of the head unit 12. The flattening roller 402 flattens the ink layer. During main scanning, the flattening roller 402 comes into contact with the surface of the ink layer and flattens the ink layer by removing a portion of the uncured ink. More specifically, in this example, the flattening roller 402 rotates in a predetermined direction during main scanning, contacting the uncured ink and scraping off any ink above a predetermined height, thereby flattening the ink layer. The motor 404 is an example of a rotation motor and generates a driving force to rotate the flattening roller 402. The motor 406 is an example of a roller movement motor, and generates a driving force to move the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction. In this example, the motor 406 moves the flattening roller 402 up and down in the vertical direction by supplying power to a mechanism that moves the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction.

[0032] Furthermore, in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 is connected to the carriage 202 of the ink discharge unit 102 by a connecting portion 112 on one side of the ink discharge unit 102 in the main scanning direction. In this case, the flattening roller unit 104 being connected to the carriage 202 can be considered to mean, for example, that the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 are joined together so that the flattening roller unit 104 moves along with the carriage 202 when the head unit 12 moves during the main scanning operation. With this configuration, for example, the flattening roller 402 can be disposed outside the carriage 202 and the flattening operation can be appropriately performed by the flattening roller 402. This also makes it possible, for example, to appropriately form the object 50 with high precision.

[0033] In this example, the connecting portion 112 connects the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 by magnetic attraction. This configuration allows, for example, easy changes to the relative positions of the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202, and appropriately realizes a state in which the flattening roller unit 104 moves together with the carriage 202 during main scanning. In this case, the manner in which the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 are connected can be considered to be, for example, such that their relative positions are easily adjusted, rather than a state in which their positional relationship is completely fixed. This type of connection can also be considered, for example, as a state in which the two are connected with a certain degree of looseness. The connection achieved by magnetic attraction, as in this example, can be considered, for example, as an example of a connection that can be easily attached and detached, and that allows for easy change and adjustment of the positional relationship. In this case, the attachment position (connection position) of the flattening roller unit 104 relative to the carriage 202 can also be easily and appropriately adjusted.

[0034] Note that the connection between the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 by the magnetic attraction does not necessarily have to be achieved by directly applying the magnetic attraction to the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202. For example, the magnetic attraction may be achieved by applying the magnetic attraction to members fixed to the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202. In this example, the connecting portion 112 is part of the flattening roller unit 104 and is fixed in position relative to the flattening roller 402. The connecting portion 112 has a magnet and connects the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 by attracting the magnet to any position on the ink discharge portion 102 with the magnetic attraction. It is also possible to arrange the magnet not on the connecting portion 112 of the flattening roller unit 104 but on the ink discharge portion 102 side. In this case, the connecting portion 112 has a metal member or the like that is attracted to a magnet, and is connected to the carriage 202 by the magnetic attraction of the magnet on the ink discharge portion 102 side. Furthermore, in a modified example of the head unit 12, the connecting unit 112 may have a configuration separate from the flattening roller unit 104. In this case, the connecting unit 112 is attached to any position on the flattening roller unit 104 by, for example, magnetic attraction. The connecting unit 112 may also be part of the ink ejection unit 102. Furthermore, in a further modified example of the head unit 12, the connecting unit 112 may connect the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 by a method other than magnetic attraction. The method of connecting the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 will be described in more detail later.

[0035] The plurality of light source units 106 are unit components having a light source (UV light source) for curing ink, and generate ultraviolet light for curing ultraviolet-curable ink. In this example, the plurality of light source units 106 are disposed at one end and the other end of the head unit 12 in the main scanning direction, sandwiching the ink ejection unit 102 and the flattening roller unit 104 therebetween. A suitable light source for the light source unit 106 is, for example, an ultraviolet LED (UV LED). Alternatively, a metal halide lamp or a mercury lamp may also be used as the light source for the light source unit 106. In this example, the plurality of light source units 106 are also disposed outside the carriage 202 of the ink ejection unit 102 and are connected to the carriage 202 so that the plurality of light source units 106 move along with the carriage 202 during main scanning. In this case, the connection of the light source units 106 to the carriage 202 may be configured differently from the connection of the flattening roller unit 104 to the carriage 202. More specifically, it is conceivable to connect each of the multiple light source units 106 so that their relative positions are fixed, for example, by using a member fixed to a predetermined position on the ink discharge unit 102 and each of the multiple light source units 106. With this configuration, for example, the light source units 106, which are heavier than the flattening roller unit 104, can be properly joined to the ink discharge unit 102. In this case, the connection between the light source units 106 and the carriage 202 can be considered to be stronger than, for example, the connection between the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202. In addition, in a modified example of the head unit 12, the connection between the light source units 106 and the carriage 202 may also be made by magnetic attraction, similar to the connection between the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202.

[0036] By using the head unit 12 configured as described above, it is possible to appropriately form, for example, ink layers constituting the modeled object 50. Furthermore, by forming multiple ink layers by stacking them, it is possible to appropriately form, for example, the modeled object 50. Furthermore, in the head unit 12 of this example, the above configuration also enables, for example, a reduction in the size and weight of the carriage 202. In this case, the reduction in the weight of the carriage 202 can be considered, for example, as a reduction in the total weight of the components held by the carriage 202. More specifically, as described above, in this example, each of the head units 204a and 204b ejects multiple colors of ink. In this case, the size and weight of the components for ejecting multiple colors of ink of the same number of colors are reduced compared to when multiple inkjet heads for single colors are used. Therefore, by ejecting multiple colors of ink using the head units 204a and 204b in the head unit 12, it is possible to appropriately achieve a reduction in the size and weight of the carriage 202. In addition, in this example, by disposing the flattening roller unit 104 outside the carriage 202, it is possible to further reduce the size and weight of the carriage 202.

[0037] In this example, the multiple head units 204a and 204b are detachably attached to the carriage base of the carriage 202 by a predetermined attachment mechanism (attachment means). Each of the head units 204a and 204b in this example can be considered, for example, as an inkjet head that combines the functions of multiple single-color inkjet heads, each ejecting ink of a different color or purpose. Head units such as the head units 204a and 204b can be considered, for example, as integrated units that are replaced collectively during repair or maintenance. A head unit can also be considered, for example, as a replacement unit that is replaced collectively when one of the nozzle rows in the head unit fails. A nozzle row failure can be considered, for example, as a failure that requires replacement. A replacement unit can also be considered, for example, as a part that is replaced in a regular maintenance operation for the modeling apparatus 10. Regular maintenance operation can be considered, for example, as maintenance performed in a manner explained in a maintenance manual. In this case, the head unit may be configured such that it does not need to be disassembled into nozzle rows for each color during maintenance work, for example.

[0038] Furthermore, the head units used as head units 204a and 204b can also be considered, for example, as components sold as a unit of sales, such as inkjet heads for multiple colors. The multiple nozzle arrays in one head unit can be considered, for example, to be integrally formed within a single component. In this case, the multiple nozzle arrays being integrally formed within a single component of the head unit can be considered, for example, to be formed at predetermined positions within a fixed-shaped housing that constitutes the outer surface of the head unit. Furthermore, in each head unit, the multiple nozzle arrays can be considered, for example, to be aligned while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship. Furthermore, in the head unit, the position of each nozzle array may be adjustable (fine-tuned) within a predetermined adjustable range. In this case, the alignment of the multiple nozzle arrays while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship can be considered, for example, to be achieved by maintaining a predetermined positional relationship within the adjustable ranges corresponding to each nozzle array. Furthermore, the alignment of the multiple nozzle arrays while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship can be considered, for example, to be achieved by determining the positional relationship of the reference positions for adjustment for each nozzle array. Each head unit also has, for example, a nozzle plate, which is a plate-like body in which through-holes that become nozzles in the nozzle array are formed in a row. In this case, for example, a nozzle plate in which nozzle arrays for multiple colors are formed can be suitably used. Each of the head units 204a and 204b may also have multiple nozzle plates. Furthermore, each of the multiple nozzle plates may, for example, be a nozzle plate having multiple nozzle arrays. In this case, for example, a configuration in which each of the head units 204a and 204b has two nozzle plates, and nozzle arrays for two colors are formed in each nozzle plate (one nozzle plate), can be considered.

[0039] Furthermore, when considering head units more generally, it is also possible to use a configuration in which, for example, a plurality of single-color inkjet heads are combined as a head unit. In this case, too, by using a configuration in which a plurality of single-color inkjet heads are compactly grouped together as a replacement unit, it becomes possible to make the carriage smaller and lighter than, for example, when each single-color inkjet head is individually attached to a carriage. In this case, it may also be possible to fine-tune the positional relationship within the head unit for each single-color inkjet head grouped together in the head unit.

[0040] As described above, the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 in this example is configured to hold multiple head units 204a and 204b. In contrast, for example, in the flattening roller unit 104, a separate holding member for holding the flattening roller 402 may be used. In this case, the holding member in the flattening roller unit 104 may also be considered to be, for example, the carriage in the flattening roller unit 104. In this case, the flattening roller unit 104 may also be configured to hold the flattening roller 402 by a carriage separate from the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102. The carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 may also be considered to hold the head units 204a and 204b without holding the flattening roller 402. In this case, the connecting unit 112 may be configured to connect, for example, a carriage for the flattening roller 402 in the flattening roller unit 104 to the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102.

[0041] Furthermore, in the head unit 12 of this embodiment, rather than simply using head units 204a and 204b, the type of ink ejected by each of the head units 204a and 204b is determined according to the intended use of the ink. More specifically, as described above, in this embodiment, the head unit 204a ejects inks of the YMCK colors used to form the colored regions of the object 50 using multiple nozzle rows of the head unit 204a. Then, the head unit 204b ejects other inks using multiple nozzle rows of the head unit 204b. Furthermore, as a result, inks of the YMCK colors that are consumed in small amounts during the modeling of the object 50 are ejected only from the head unit 204a. This configuration, for example, can appropriately reduce the difference in ink consumption between inks ejected from the same head unit. Furthermore, as a result, for example, it can appropriately prevent the cost of replacing parts in the modeling apparatus 10 from excessively increasing due to the replacement of the head unit. This point will be described in more detail below in relation to the configuration of the object 50 modeled by the modeling apparatus 10.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a modeled object 50 formed by the modeling apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1 ). This figure shows an example of the configuration of an XY cross section, which is a cross section of the modeled object 50 perpendicular to the stacking direction (Z direction). In this case, the ZX cross section and ZY cross section of the modeled object 50 perpendicular to the Y and Z directions also have similar configurations. As described above, in this example, the modeling apparatus 10 forms the modeled object 50 whose surface is colored using color inks (inks of the colors YMCK) ejected from the head unit 204a (see FIG. 1 ) of the ink ejection unit 102 of the head unit 12. In this case, the coloring of the surface of the modeled object 50 can be considered to mean, for example, that at least a portion of the region of the modeled object 50 whose color is visible from the outside is colored. In this example, the modeling apparatus 10 forms the modeled object 50 including the light reflecting region 152 and the colored region 154. Furthermore, if necessary, a support layer 52 is formed around the periphery of the shaped object 50, etc.

[0043] The light-reflecting region 152 is a light-reflective region that reflects light incident from outside the shaped object 50 via the colored region 154 or the like. The colored region 154 can also be considered, for example, as a region that reflects light incident from outside the shaped object 50 when coloring the surface of the shaped object 50 in full color. The full-color expression can be considered, for example, as color expression achieved by combining process color inks using a subtractive color mixing method. In this example, the shaping device 10 forms the light-reflecting region 152, which also serves as the interior region of the shaped object 50, using white ink ejected from the head unit 204b (see FIG. 1 ) in the ink ejection unit 102. In this case, the interior region can be considered, for example, as a region that constitutes the interior of the shaped object 50. In this case, the white ink used to form the light-reflecting region 152 can be considered as an example of a shaping ink used to form the interior region. In a modified example of the shaped object 50, the interior region may be formed as a region separate from the light-reflecting region 152. In this case, the modeling apparatus 10 forms the internal region using, for example, any ink other than the support material ink, and also forms a light reflecting region 152 around the internal region.

[0044] The colored region 154 is an area that is colored with ink of each color of YMCK ejected from the head unit 204a. In this example, the modeling apparatus 10 forms the colored region 154 around (outside) the light-reflecting region 152 using ink of each color of YMCK ejected from the head unit 204a and clear ink ejected from the head unit 204b. In this case, the modeling apparatus 10 expresses various colors by, for example, adjusting the amount of color ink ejected at each position. Furthermore, clear ink is used to compensate for changes in the total amount of color ink that occur due to differences in color. With this configuration, for example, each position in the colored region 154 can be appropriately colored with a desired color. This also makes it possible to appropriately form, for example, a colored object 50.

[0045] In this example, the colored region 154 is formed only with multiple colors of color ink (inks of each color of YMCK) ejected from the head unit 204a and clear ink ejected from the head unit 204b. Furthermore, when the colored region 154 is formed on the surface of the modeled object 50 as in this example, the consumption of the multiple colors of color ink used to form the colored region 154 is significantly smaller than the consumption of the white ink used to form the light reflecting region 152 that constitutes the interior of the modeled object 50 and the support material ink used to form the support layer 52. As a result, when focusing on the number of shots of ink ejected from each nozzle array of the head units 204a and 204b during modeling, the number of shots of white ink and support material ink is significantly greater than the number of shots of color ink.

[0046] Furthermore, in the head units 204a and 204b, a malfunction is likely to occur as the number of shots from any one of the nozzle rows increases. As described above, the head units 204a and 204b are typically replaced individually. Therefore, the timing of replacement for the head units 204a and 204b is typically determined based on the number of shots from the nozzle row with the highest number of shots. In this case, if a single head unit (either head unit 204a or 204b) contains nozzle rows with significantly different consumption rates, the replacement period may arrive earlier due to the influence of some of the nozzle rows, resulting in an increase in the frequency of head unit replacement and an increase in the operating costs of the modeling apparatus 10. More specifically, for example, if both head units 204a and 204b are provided with nozzle rows for one of the color inks, and if a single head unit also contains a nozzle row for the color ink and a nozzle row for white ink or support material ink, the frequency of replacement for both head units 204a and 204b may increase. As a result, it is conceivable that the frequency of replacing the head unit in the modeling apparatus 10 will increase.

[0047] In contrast, in this example, nozzle rows for color inks with low consumption are collected in head unit 204a, and nozzle rows for other inks are collected in head unit 204b. Head unit 204a ejects only color inks. With this configuration, for example, nozzle rows for white ink and support material ink, which are inks with particularly high consumption, and nozzle rows for color inks can be arranged in different head units. Therefore, according to this example, for example, it is possible to appropriately reduce the difference in consumption between the multiple colors of ink ejected from each of head units 204a and 204b. This also allows, for example, replacement of head units 204a and 204b to be performed more efficiently and appropriately.

[0048] As described above, in this example, of the inks used to form the colored region 154, the clear ink is ejected from the head unit 204b. However, even in this case, by concentrating the nozzle rows for the color inks, which consume less ink, in the head unit 204a, the difference in ink consumption in the head unit 204a can be appropriately reduced. Furthermore, the clear ink is usually consumed in greater amounts than the color inks. Therefore, it can be considered that the difference in ink consumption is also smaller for the head unit 204b, which ejects white ink and support material ink, compared to, for example, when nozzle rows for one of the color inks are provided.

[0049] Furthermore, in this example, it is considered that the head unit 204b, which ejects ink with a high consumption rate, will reach the end of its life sooner than the head unit 204a. Therefore, as a maintenance method for the modeling apparatus 10, for example, it is preferable to set the replacement cycle for the head unit 204b shorter than that for the head unit 204a. In this case, it is considered that, for example, before a failure actually occurs in the head units 204a and 204b, the user is prompted to replace the head units 204a and 204b based on the amount of operation of the modeling apparatus 10. More specifically, in this case, it is considered that, for example, the amount of operation of the modeling apparatus 10 and the timing of replacement of the head units 204a and 204b are associated in advance. In this case, it is considered that, for example, the association between the amount of operation and the timing of replacement is made different for the head unit 204a and the head unit 204b, thereby prompting the user to replace each of the head units 204a and 204b so that the head unit 204b is replaced more frequently than the head unit 204a. With this configuration, for example, the head unit 204b that ejects ink with a large consumption amount can be appropriately replaced at a shorter interval than the head unit 204a. This also allows for more appropriate maintenance of the modeling apparatus 10 depending on, for example, the use of the ink ejected from each of the head units 204a and 204b.

[0050] In this case, the modeling apparatus 10 further includes, for example, a storage unit that stores association information that associates the operation amount with the timing of replacement, and a display unit that prompts the user to replace the head units 204a and 204b. The control unit 22 (see FIG. 1 ) of the modeling apparatus 10 displays, on the display unit, a message or the like that prompts the user to replace the head units 204a and 204b, based on, for example, the association information and the operation amount of the modeling apparatus 10. The operation amount of the modeling apparatus 10 may be, for example, the operation time during which the modeling apparatus 10 performs modeling operations, or the like. The operation amount of the modeling apparatus 10 may be, for example, the time (e.g., the number of days) that has elapsed since the head units 204a and 204b were replaced, or the like. The operation amount of the modeling apparatus 10 may be, for example, the amount of ink ejected from the nozzle arrays of the head units 204a and 204b, or the like.

[0051] Next, the features of the main scanning drive unit 18 (see FIG. 1) and the flattening roller unit 104 (see FIG. 1) in the head unit 12 in this example will be described in more detail. FIG. 4 is a diagram that provides a more detailed explanation of the main scanning drive unit 18 and the head unit 12, and shows an example of a specific configuration of the main scanning drive unit 18 together with a part of the head unit 12. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 4 omits the light source unit 106 (see FIG. 1) from the head unit 12, and shows only the ink discharge unit 102 and the flattening roller unit 104.

[0052] As explained above, the head unit 12 of this example has the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 outside the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102. In this case, the main scanning drive unit 18 causes the head unit 12 to perform a main scanning operation while holding the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 outside the carriage 202 in the head unit 12. In this example, the main scanning drive unit 18 also has a guide rail 302, a drive mechanism 304, and a linear encoder 306. The guide rail 302 is an example of a guide member that guides movement of the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 in the main scanning direction. In this example, the guide rail 302 is a rail-shaped member that extends in the main scanning direction and holds the carriage 202 so that the carriage 202 can move along the rail. In this case, the guide rail 302 allows the carriage 202 to move along the guide rail 302, for example, by engaging the carriage 202 itself or a member whose position is fixed relative to the carriage 202 with the guide rail 302.

[0053] More specifically, the guide rail 302 may be configured to have, for example, a rail portion and a moving portion. In this case, the rail portion is a rail-shaped portion of the guide rail 302. The moving portion is configured to move along the rail portion. When using a guide rail 302 configured in this manner, the carriage 202 is movably held on the guide rail 302 by, for example, fixing the carriage 202 to the moving portion. Furthermore, the carriage 202 is moved in the main scanning direction by moving the moving portion along the rail portion. For example, a well-known LM Guide (registered trademark) or the like can be suitably used as such a guide rail 302. The LM guide can be considered, for example, as a component that guides a linear motion part of a machine by rolling motion.

[0054] Furthermore, in this example, the guide rail 302 holds the flattening roller unit 104 so that it can move in the main scanning direction independently of the ink discharge unit 102. Furthermore, when using a guide rail 302 having a rail portion and a moving portion, holding the flattening roller unit 104 independently of the ink discharge unit 102 by the guide rail 302 can be considered, for example, as fixing the flattening roller unit 104 to the moving portion of the guide rail 302 separately from the ink discharge unit 102. In this case, it can be considered, for example, that the flattening roller unit 104 is fixed to the moving portion at a position different from the fixed position of the ink discharge unit 102. Furthermore, as explained above, the holding member for holding the flattening roller 402 in the flattening roller unit 104 can be considered, for example, as a carriage in the flattening roller unit 104 that is separate from the carriage 202 in the ink discharge unit 102. In this case, holding the flattening roller unit 104 independently of the ink ejection section 102 by the guide rail 302 can also be thought of as, for example, holding the carriage in the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 in the ink ejection section 102 by the guide rail 302.

[0055] Although not shown, the guide rail 302 also holds the light source unit 106 movably in the main scanning direction, independently of the ink discharge unit 102 and the flattening roller unit 104. In this case, the fact that the guide rail 302 movably holds the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 can be considered to mean, for example, that a portion of each of the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 is engaged with the guide rail 302, thereby making it possible to move the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 along the guide rail 302. The guide rail 302 can also be considered to hold the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 movably in the main scanning direction, outside the carriage 202 in the ink discharge unit 102, for example.

[0056] With this configuration, for example, the weight of each component of the head unit 12 can be distributed and supported at multiple positions on the guide rail 302. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 also supports a flattening roller, this configuration appropriately prevents weight from concentrating at the position where the guide rail 302 supports the carriage 202. This also appropriately prevents, for example, the guide rail 302 from bending. As can be seen from the configuration shown in FIG. 2B , in this example, the guide rail 302 supports the carriage 202 from one side in the sub-scanning direction, thereby supporting the carriage 202 in a cantilevered manner. In this case, for example, if the weight of the carriage 202 becomes large, the side of the carriage 202 opposite the guide rail 302 is likely to bend downward, resulting in a so-called bowed state. In contrast, in this example, by disposing the flattening roller unit 104 outside the carriage 202, this problem can be appropriately prevented.

[0057] As described above, the guide rail 302 may have a configuration including, for example, a rail portion and a moving portion. In this case, the guide rail 302 may hold the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 by attaching the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 to the moving portion, for example. In this case, the ink discharge unit 102, the flattening roller unit 104, and multiple light source units 106 may be attached to one moving portion. With this configuration, for example, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source units 106 can be appropriately moved together with the carriage 202 in the ink discharge unit 102. Furthermore, in this case, connecting the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 with the connecting portion 112 can more appropriately move the flattening roller unit 104, for example. The guide rail 302 may also have multiple moving portions that move along a single rail member. In this case, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 may each be fixed to a moving portion separate from the moving portion to which the ink discharge unit 102 is fixed. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to more appropriately prevent weight from concentrating at the position where the guide rail 302 holds the carriage 202.

[0058] Also, as explained above, in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed on only one side in the main scanning direction of the ink discharge unit 102. In this regard, if it is considered that the carriage 202 in the ink discharge unit 102 also holds the flattening roller, for example, disposing the flattening roller on only one side in the main scanning direction of the carriage 202 is likely to result in a difference in weight between one side and the other side in the main scanning direction. In this case, if the carriage 202 is made smaller and lighter by using the head units 204a and 204b, for example, it is likely that the weight of the flattening roller will cause the carriage 202 to tilt so that the side of the carriage 202 on which the flattening roller is installed is lowered. In contrast, in this example, for example, by arranging the flattening roller unit 104 outside the carriage 202, even when the flattening roller is arranged on only one side of the carriage 202, it is possible to more appropriately prevent the carriage 202 from tilting due to the weight of the flattening roller.

[0059] Furthermore, during main scanning operation, for example, the head unit 12 may be moved back and forth in the main scanning direction, and ink may be ejected from the ink ejection unit 102 on both the forward and backward paths. When the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed on only one side of the ink ejection unit 102 in the main scanning direction, as in this example, the flattening roller 402 may be brought into contact with the ink layer only when the head unit 12 moves in a direction in which the flattening roller unit 104 is located behind the ink ejection unit 102. Therefore, in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 moves the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction using the driving force of the motor 406, thereby lowering the position of the flattening roller 402 and bringing the flattening roller 402 into contact with the ink layer during main scanning operation in which the head unit 12 moves in a direction in which the flattening roller unit 104 is located behind the ink ejection unit 102. Furthermore, during main scanning operation in which the head unit 12 moves in a direction in which the flattening roller unit 104 is in front of the ink ejection unit 102, the flattening roller 402 is retracted upward to prevent contact between the ink layer and the flattening roller 402. According to this example, for example, the position of the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction can be easily and appropriately changed. This also makes it possible to more appropriately flatten the ink layer, for example, when forming an ink layer by reciprocating main scanning operation.

[0060] It should be noted that, as in this example, when the flattening roller unit 104 has multiple motors 404, 406, it is conceivable that the weight of the flattening roller unit 104 will be heavy. In this case, if the configuration corresponding to the flattening roller unit 104 is held by the carriage 202 of the ink ejection unit 102, it is conceivable that the problem of the increased weight of the carriage 202 will be particularly pronounced. For this reason, it can also be considered that, in this example, the effect obtained by disposing the flattening roller unit 104 outside the carriage 202 is particularly great.

[0061] The drive mechanism 304 moves the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 along the guide rail 302. In this example, the drive mechanism 304 includes a belt 312, a drive pulley 314, a driven pulley 316, and a motor 318. The belt 312 is an annular belt member stretched along the range of movement of the carriage 202 in the main scanning direction, and rotates along a rotation path with the drive pulley 314 and the driven pulley 316 as its ends on one side and the other side in the main scanning direction. The belt 312 moves the carriage 202 in the main scanning direction by rotating the carriage 202 or a part of the ink ejection unit 102 that is fixed in position with respect to the carriage 202 attached in a predetermined position. In this case, the belt 312 reciprocates the direction of rotation as appropriate to reciprocate the carriage 202 within the range of movement of the carriage 202 in the main scanning direction.

[0062] The drive pulley 314 and the driven pulley 316 are pulleys for stretching and rotating the belt 312. The drive pulley 314 is a pulley that rotates in response to power received from a motor 318, and meshes with the belt 312 on one side in the main scanning direction, thereby providing the belt 312 with power for rotating the belt 312. The driven pulley 316 is a pulley that meshes with the belt 312 on the other side in the main scanning direction, and rotates in response to the rotational movement of the belt 312. The motor 318 is a motor that rotates the drive pulley 314, and rotates the drive pulley 314 in response to instructions from the control unit 22 (see FIG. 1 ) of the modeling apparatus 10. With this configuration, for example, the carriage 202 can be appropriately moved during the main scanning operation. Furthermore, this also allows, for example, the head units 204a, 204b, etc. held by the carriage 202 to be appropriately moved in the main scanning direction.

[0063] In this example, the belt 312 is not directly connected to the flattening roller unit 104. Furthermore, although not shown, the belt 312 is also not directly connected to the light source unit 106. Therefore, during main scanning, the drive mechanism 304 moves the ink discharge unit 102, thereby moving the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 in accordance with the movement of the ink discharge unit 102. More specifically, as described above, in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 are connected to the carriage 202 of the ink discharge unit 102 by the connecting portion 112 or the like. In this case, when the belt 312 moves the carriage 202 in the main scanning direction, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 also move in the main scanning direction in accordance with the movement of the carriage 202. Therefore, according to this example, for example, each component of the head unit 12 can be appropriately moved in the main scanning direction during main scanning.

[0064] As described above, in this example, the motor 318 rotates the drive pulley 314 in response to instructions from the control unit 22. In this case, the control unit 22 controls the operation of the motor 318 in response to the output of the linear encoder 306, thereby controlling the rotation of the drive pulley 314. In this example, the linear encoder 306 includes a linear scale 322 and a sensor 324. The linear scale 322 is a component that displays a scale serving as a position reference and is disposed so as to extend in the main scanning direction along the guide rail 302. More specifically, in this example, the linear scale 322 is attached to the guide rail 302 to indicate each position of the guide rail 302. The sensor 324 is an optical sensor that reads the scale of the linear scale 322 and is disposed at a predetermined position in the ink ejection unit 102 whose position relative to the carriage 202 is fixed. With this configuration, for example, the position of the carriage 202 can be appropriately detected with high accuracy by reading the scale of the linear scale 322 with the sensor 324. Furthermore, the control unit 22 controls the operation of the motor 318 based on the detection result of the sensor 324, so that the carriage 202 can be moved while detecting the position of the carriage 202. Therefore, according to this example, for example, during main scanning operation, the movement of the carriage 202 can be appropriately controlled with high precision.

[0065] As described above, in this example, the linear scale 322 and the sensor 324 in the linear encoder 306 can be considered to be components of the main scanning drive unit 18. However, depending on how the configuration of the modeling apparatus 10 is divided, the sensor 324 in the linear scale 322 can also be considered to be, for example, a component of the head unit 12 or the ink discharge unit 102. Furthermore, instead of making the linear encoder 306 a separate component from the guide rail 302, it is also possible to use the guide rail 302 that also functions as a linear encoder, for example.

[0066] As described above, according to this embodiment, for example, during main scanning operation, each component of the head unit 12 can be appropriately moved in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, by using the head units 204a and 204b in the ink ejection unit 102 of the head unit 12, for example, it is possible to appropriately achieve a reduction in the size and weight of the carriage 202. In this case, for example, the Y-bar structure, which is a part of the main scanning drive unit 18 that extends in the main scanning direction, can be appropriately simplified to match the reduced size and weight of the carriage 202. Furthermore, in this case, by holding the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 independently of the ink ejection unit 102 by the guide rail 302, for example, bending of the guide rail 302 can be appropriately prevented, and each component of the head unit 12 can be appropriately supported, even if the Y-bar structure is simplified.

[0067] Furthermore, during main scanning, it is necessary to control with high precision the timing at which ink is ejected from the ink ejection unit 102. Therefore, during main scanning, the position of the ink ejection unit 102 is particularly important among the positions of the components of the ink ejection unit 102. In contrast, the precision required for the positions of the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 in the main scanning direction is lower than that of the ink ejection unit 102. Therefore, in this example, as described above, the position of the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 is detected by the linear encoder 306, and the carriage 202 is moved by the belt 312. Furthermore, the flattening roller unit 104 and the light source unit 106 are moved in accordance with the movement of the carriage 202. Therefore, according to this example, for example, the position of the ink ejection unit 102 in the main scanning direction can be appropriately controlled with high precision.

[0068] Furthermore, in this example, by disposing the flattening roller unit 104 outside the carriage 202 in the ink ejection section 102 and connecting the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 in a predetermined configuration, it becomes possible to more easily and appropriately adjust, for example, the inclination of the carriage 202 and the height of the flattening roller 402 in the flattening roller unit 104. Therefore, hereinafter, a more detailed explanation will be given of how the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 are connected.

[0069] When the carriage 202 of the ink ejection unit 102 also holds the flattening roller, for example, adjusting the inclination of the carriage 202 directly changes the height of the flattening roller in the vertical direction. In this case, the inclination of the carriage 202 can be considered, for example, as the inclination of the surface of the carriage 202 that faces the modeling table 14 (see FIG. 1 ) relative to the horizontal direction. The inclination relative to the horizontal direction can also be considered, for example, as the inclination relative to a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the height of the flattening roller can be considered, for example, as the height (vertical position) at which flattening is performed by the flattening roller. In contrast, when the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed outside the carriage 202, as in this example, it is possible to reduce the direct effect of adjusting the inclination of the carriage 202 on, for example, the height of the flattening roller 402 in the flattening roller unit 104. Furthermore, even when adjusting the height of the flattening roller 402, the adjustment of the height of the flattening roller 402 can be made less likely to have a direct effect on the inclination of the carriage 202, for example.

[0070] As explained above, in this embodiment, the flattening roller unit 104 is connected to the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 by the attraction of a magnet. In this case, a change in the inclination of the carriage 202 or the height of the flattening roller 402 is less likely to affect the other, compared to when the positional relationship between the flattening roller unit 104 and the carriage 202 is firmly fixed, for example, by screws. Another possible way of connecting the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 is to connect them in such a way that, when the carriage 202 is moved along the guide rail 302, the flattening roller unit 104 moves together with the carriage 202, and the inclination or height of the carriage 202 or the flattening roller unit 104 can be finely adjusted without moving either one.

[0071] More specifically, as described above, in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 is supported by the guide rail 302 independently of the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102. The flattening roller unit 104 is connected to the carriage 202 by magnetic attraction. A connection based on magnetic attraction can be considered a looser connection than, for example, screw fastening. Therefore, as long as the tilt of the carriage 202 is to be adjusted, the adjustment to the carriage 202 can be appropriately performed while appropriately minimizing the impact on the height of the flattening roller 402 in the flattening roller unit 104. Conversely, for example, it is also possible to adjust the height of the flattening roller 402 by changing the position of the flattening roller unit 104 while minimizing the impact on the tilt of the carriage 202. Therefore, according to this example, for example, the adjustment of the tilt of the carriage 202 and the adjustment of the height of the flattening roller 402 can be performed independently and more appropriately. This also makes it possible to easily and appropriately perform these adjustments with high precision, for example.

[0072] More specifically, in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 is coupled to the carriage 202 by the magnetic attraction force, thereby enabling, for example, adjustment of the position of the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction without changing the inclination of the carriage 202 relative to the horizontal direction. In this case, being able to adjust the position of the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction without changing the inclination of the carriage 202 relative to the horizontal direction can be interpreted as, for example, not changing the inclination of the carriage 202 when the adjustment amount of the position of the flattening roller 402 is within a predetermined range. Furthermore, not changing the inclination of the carriage 202 can be interpreted as, for example, not substantially changing the inclination of the carriage 202 depending on the required modeling accuracy during modeling. Not substantially changing the inclination of the carriage 202 can be interpreted as, for example, being able to perform modeling without readjusting the inclination of the carriage 202. With this configuration, for example, the height of the flattening roller 402 can be appropriately adjusted without affecting the inclination of the carriage 202. This also allows, for example, the height of the flattening roller 402 to be adjusted more appropriately with a high degree of freedom.

[0073] In this case, the adjustment of the position of the flattening roller 402 can be performed, for example, by adjusting the overall position of the flattening roller unit 104. The adjustment of the overall position of the flattening roller unit 104 can be considered to be, for example, an adjustment that changes the relative position of the flattening roller unit 104 with respect to the carriage 202. The adjustment (e.g., fine adjustment) of the position of the flattening roller 402 can also be performed, for example, by changing the position of the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction using the driving force of the motor 406. In this case, for example, after adjusting the overall position of the flattening roller unit 104, the position of the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction can be further adjusted using the driving force of the motor 406. With this configuration, for example, the height of the flattening roller 402 can be more appropriately adjusted with high accuracy.

[0074] The flattening roller unit 104 can also be considered to be connected to the carriage 202 by, for example, the attraction force of a magnet, so that the inclination of the carriage 202 relative to the horizontal direction can be adjusted without changing the position of the flattening roller 402 in the vertical direction. In this case, being able to adjust the inclination of the carriage 202 relative to the horizontal direction without changing the position of the flattening roller 402 can be considered, for example, as not changing the position of the flattening roller 402 when the adjustment amount of the inclination of the carriage 202 is within a predetermined range. Not changing the position of the flattening roller 402 can be considered, for example, as not substantially changing the position of the flattening roller 402 depending on the required modeling accuracy during modeling. Not substantially changing the position of the flattening roller 402 can be considered, for example, as being able to model without readjusting the position of the flattening roller 402. With this configuration, for example, the inclination of the carriage 202 can be appropriately adjusted without affecting the height of the flattening roller 402. This also allows, for example, the tilt of the carriage 202 to be adjusted more appropriately with a high degree of freedom.

[0075] Next, supplementary explanations will be given regarding the various components described above. The above description has mainly focused on the arrangement of the multiple head units 204a, b held by the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102, with the head units 204a, b aligned in the main scanning direction with their positions aligned in the sub-scanning direction. In a modified example of the head unit 12, the arrangement of the multiple head units 204a, b may be different from the above. In this case, for example, the carriage 202 may hold the multiple head units 204a, b aligned with their positions offset in the sub-scanning direction. The above description has mainly focused on the case where the carriage 202 in the ink ejection unit 102 holds two head units. In a modified example of the head unit 12, the carriage 202 may hold three or more head units. In this case, for example, by ejecting ink of each color (YMCK) from one head unit and ink of other colors from other head units, the difference in consumption of ink of multiple colors ejected from a single head unit can be appropriately reduced.

[0076] As explained above, in the head section 12 of this example, the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed outside the carriage 202 of the ink ejection section 102. In this case, various effects can be obtained in addition to those described above. More specifically, as explained above, during main scanning, the flattening roller 402 in the flattening roller unit 104 rotates in response to the driving force of the motor 404 while in contact with the ink layer. In this case, the flattening roller 402 rotates while receiving the force from the contact, which can easily cause minute vibrations. Therefore, for example, if the flattening roller 402 is held by the carriage 202 together with the head units 204a and 204b, the effects of vibrations occurring at the position of the flattening roller 402 can easily extend to the head units 204a and 204b. This can also affect the accuracy of ink ejection in the head units 204a and 204b. In contrast to this, in this example, as described above, the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed outside the carriage 202, and the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 are connected by the attraction force of a magnet. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to appropriately prevent the influence of vibrations and the like occurring at the position of the flattening roller 402 from affecting the head units 204a and 204b. This also makes it possible, for example, for the head units 204a and 204b to eject ink more appropriately and with higher accuracy.

[0077] As explained above, in the drive mechanism 304 of the main scanning drive unit 18 of this example, the belt 312 is not directly connected to the flattening roller unit 104 or the light source unit 106. In this case, it can be considered that the flattening roller unit 104 is not directly connected to the belt 312, which makes it easier to adjust its position. Therefore, it can be considered particularly preferable that the flattening roller unit 104 is not directly connected to the belt 312. In contrast, the light source unit 106 is heavier than the flattening roller unit 104, so it can be considered to be fixed to the belt 312. With this configuration, for example, the light source unit 106 can be more reliably held in the main scanning drive unit 18.

[0078] The above description has mainly focused on a configuration in which the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed on one side of the ink discharge unit 102 in the main scanning direction. In a modified example of the head unit 12, for example, the flattening roller units 104 may be disposed on both sides of the ink discharge unit 102 in the main scanning direction. With this configuration, for example, when forming an ink layer by reciprocating main scanning, the ink layer can be flattened on both the forward and backward paths. Furthermore, when the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed outside the carriage 202 of the ink discharge unit 102, as in this example, the flattening roller unit 104 can be more easily attached and detached. Therefore, for example, the position at which the flattening roller unit 104 is disposed may be switched between only one side or both sides of the ink discharge unit 102 depending on the quality required for the modeling.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above, the connection between the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 in the ink ejection unit 102 has been described mainly as being connected to the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 by magnetic attraction. In a modified example of the head unit 12, the connection between the carriage 202 and the flattening roller unit 104 may be achieved by a method other than magnetic attraction. In this case, similar to the configuration described above, it is preferable to use a configuration in which the flattening roller unit 104 moves together with the carriage 202 during main scanning operation and in which the inclination of the carriage 202 and the height of the flattening roller 402 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0080] Furthermore, from the perspective of reducing the size and weight of the carriage 202, it is possible to hold the flattening roller 402 together with the head units 204a and 204b in the carriage 202, rather than providing the flattening roller 402 outside the carriage 202. Even in this configuration, the use of the head units 204a and 204b can achieve reductions in size and weight of the carriage 202. [Industrial Applicability]

[0081] The present invention can be suitably used in, for example, a molding apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10. Modeling device, 102. Ink ejection unit, 104. Flattening roller unit, 106. Light source unit, 112. Connection unit, 12. Head unit, 14. Modeling table, 152. Light reflection area, 154. Coloring area, 16. Ink tank, 18. Main scanning drive unit, 20. Modeling table drive unit, 202. Carriage, 204. Head unit, 212. Nozzle array, 22...controller, 302...guide rail, 304...drive mechanism, 306...linear encoder, 312...belt, 314...drive pulley, 316...driven pulley, 318...motor, 322...linear scale, 324...sensor, 402...flattening roller, 404...motor, 406...motor, 50...model, 52...support layer

Claims

1. A modeling apparatus that forms a modeled object at least a portion of which is colored by overlapping ink layers, and that uses a support layer that supports at least a portion of the modeled object during modeling, a plurality of head units each of which ejects ink from a plurality of nozzle rows; a carriage that holds the plurality of head units; Equipped with each of the head units has the plurality of nozzle rows that eject ink supplied from an ink container via a different ink supply path; The carriage includes the plurality of head units, a first head unit having the plurality of nozzle rows each ejecting ink of a different color; a second head unit having the plurality of nozzle rows, each of which ejects an ink different from the colored ink ejected by the first head unit; Hold each of the head units is a part that is a unit of replacement and is to be replaced collectively when any of the nozzle rows fails, The shaped object is a colored area formed using a plurality of colors of the colored inks; an internal region formed inside the colored region; Equipped with each of the plurality of nozzle rows in the first head unit ejects each of the plurality of colored inks used to form the colored region; A molding apparatus characterized in that the second head unit has a nozzle row that ejects ink that is a material for the support layer, and a nozzle row that ejects ink used to form the internal region.

2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in each of the head units, the plurality of nozzle rows are aligned while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship.

3. forming the object having a light-reflecting region formed inside the colored region using ink of a light-reflecting color; The molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second head unit has a nozzle row that ejects the light-reflective ink.

4. the second head unit further includes a nozzle row that ejects clear ink, 2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the colored area is an area formed only by the colored inks of the plurality of colors ejected from the first head unit and the clear ink ejected from the second head unit.

5. a main scanning drive unit that causes the plurality of head units to perform a main scanning operation in which the head units move in a predetermined main scanning direction and eject ink; a leveling means having a leveling roller for leveling the layer of ink; Further provided with The main scanning drive unit a guide member that guides movement of the carriage in the main scanning direction; a drive mechanism that moves the carriage along the guide member; and 5. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flattening means is held by the guide member outside the carriage so as to be movable in the main scanning direction.

6. 2. The object-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the colored inks of the plurality of colors ejected from the plurality of nozzle rows in the first head unit are inks used as basic colors for color expression in a subtractive color mixture method.

7. A modeling method for forming a modeled object at least a portion of which is colored by overlapping ink layers, and using a support layer that supports at least a portion of the modeled object during modeling, comprising: a plurality of head units each of which ejects ink from a plurality of nozzle rows; a carriage that holds the plurality of head units; Using each of the head units has the plurality of nozzle rows that eject ink supplied from an ink container via a different ink supply path; The carriage includes the plurality of head units, a first head unit having the plurality of nozzle rows each ejecting ink of a different color; a second head unit having the plurality of nozzle rows, each of which ejects an ink different from the colored ink ejected by the first head unit; Hold each of the head units is a part that is a unit of replacement and is to be replaced collectively when any of the nozzle rows fails, By ejecting ink from the first head unit and the second head unit, a colored area formed using a plurality of colors of the colored inks; an internal region formed inside the colored region; and forming the shaped object comprising the above-mentioned components, ejecting each of the plurality of colored inks used to form the colored region from each of the plurality of nozzle rows in the first head unit; A modeling method characterized in that the second head unit has a nozzle row that ejects ink that is the material for the support layer, and a nozzle row that ejects ink used to form the internal region.

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