Shaping plate, three-dimensional modeling apparatus having the same, and three-dimensional modeling method using the same

Abstract

To provide a shaping plate having a simple configuration, being less susceptible to an effect of thermal expansion due to the shaping plate during modeling, and capable of easily obtaining high horizontality, and to provide a three-dimensional modeling apparatus having the same, and a three-dimensional modeling method using the same.SOLUTION: The present invention is related to a shaping plate (10) for a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, the shaping plate (10) having an upper plate (11) and a lower plate (12), in which the upper plate (11) is fixed to the lower plate (12) in a slidable state, and the lower plate (12) is capable of being lifted / lowered by at least three lifting / lowering mechanisms (30). In addition, the present invention is related to a three-dimensional modeling apparatus having the shaping plate, and a three-dimensional modeling method using the three-dimensional modeling apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shaping plate, a three-dimensional shaping device including the same, and a three-dimensional shaping method using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, three-dimensional molding devices, so-called 3D printers, which can easily mold three-dimensional objects, have become increasingly popular. There are various types of three-dimensional molding devices, such as the fused deposition modeling method, which molds three-dimensional objects by melting and layering filaments of thermoplastic resin such as ABS resin at high temperature.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a three-dimensional molding device that forms a three-dimensional object by fused deposition modeling. This three-dimensional molding device moves a molding head, which heats and dispenses thermoplastic resin, in two dimensions along the surface of the molding plate, and also moves the molding plate up and down to sequentially stack layered structures on the molding plate, ultimately forming a three-dimensional object. The molding plate disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an upper plate, onto which the thermoplastic resin is dispensed, made of resin, and a lower plate, to which the upper plate is fixed, made of metal, thereby preventing deformation of the upper plate due to heat.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a three-dimensional molding device having a stage heating unit that heats a molding plate from below. Patent Document 2 states that the stage heating unit controls the thermal shrinkage of the molded object.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a three-dimensional molding device in which the molding head moves not only horizontally but also vertically. In this three-dimensional molding device, the molding plate has a tilt sensor and a tilt adjustment mechanism, so that the horizontality of the molding plate can be calibrated.

[0006] Patent Document 4 discloses a three-dimensional molding device in which a shaping plate is attached so that it can be displaced in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the three-dimensional molding device of Patent Document 4, the shaping plate is attached so that it can be displaced, so that it is not affected by thermal expansion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-000574 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-069570 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-108727 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-537602 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When the shaping plate of a three-dimensional molding device is affected by thermal expansion, it can cause distortion in the fixing parts, causing the device to malfunction, or making it impossible to maintain the horizontality of the shaping plate. Furthermore, since a high degree of dimensional accuracy is required in a three-dimensional molding device, the horizontality of the shaping plate is important, but in order to maintain the horizontality of the shaping plate to a high degree, it is necessary for a skilled assembly worker or user to make manual adjustments, use expensive or complex parts, or adopt a configuration such as that described in the above-mentioned patent documents.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a shaping plate with a simple configuration that is less susceptible to the effects of thermal expansion of the shaping plate during molding and / or that can easily achieve high horizontality, a three-dimensional molding device equipped with the same, and a three-dimensional molding method using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by the present invention described below.

[0011] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a build plate having an upper plate and a lower plate, wherein the upper plate is fixed in a slidable manner relative to the lower plate, and the lower plate can be raised and lowered by at least three lifting mechanisms.

[0012] In the present invention, the upper plate is fixed to the lower plate in a slidable state, so thermal expansion of the upper plate does not adversely affect other components. Furthermore, if the build plate is fixed at one point like a cantilever, bending may occur in the build plate when a heavy object is formed on the build plate. Even if the build plate is fixed at two points, bending may occur at the end of the build plate when a heavy object is formed on the build plate. This may cause the build plate to become unable to maintain its horizontality. However, according to the present invention, the lower plate is supported by at least three lifting mechanisms, so bending of the build plate (upper plate) in the Z direction in the X-Y plane is unlikely to occur.

[0013] In this embodiment, while raising and lowering the shaping plate located on the XY plane in the Z direction with one lifting mechanism, two lifting mechanisms can be used to adjust the horizontality of the shaping plate in the XY plane. For example, in order to adjust the horizontality of the shaping plate using two lifting mechanisms, a configuration is required in which displacement does not occur in either the XZ direction or the YZ direction. Even if expensive components such as linear guides are used, this may not be sufficient. Therefore, the configuration of the present invention, which allows fine adjustment of displacement in both directions with three lifting mechanisms, is advantageous.

[0014] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the shaping plate (upper plate) deflects in the Z direction in the X-Y plane, it can be raised and lowered by at least three lifting mechanisms, making it easy to achieve high levelness. Furthermore, when such a shaping plate is incorporated into a three-dimensional molding device, fully automatic level calibration becomes possible. Conventionally, when manufacturing a three-dimensional molding device, skilled engineers were required to ensure that the shaping plate was perfectly level when installed inside the device. Furthermore, care had to be taken to ensure that the shaping plate's levelness was perfectly maintained during transportation, installation, use, etc. of the three-dimensional molding device. In contrast, the shaping plate of the present invention can be calibrated for levelness by automatic operation of the lifting mechanisms, so that levelness only needs to be calibrated each time it is used, which is advantageous in the manufacture, transportation, installation, etc. of the three-dimensional molding device.

[0015] The three-dimensional molding device incorporating the molding plate of the present invention is less susceptible to the effects of thermal expansion and can easily achieve high horizontality, so it was found to be able to manufacture very precise and beautiful objects when compared with conventional three-dimensional molding devices at the same molding speed. Although it was expected that thermal expansion and / or horizontality would affect the molded object, the precision of the manufactured objects was different to a level that was easily distinguishable by appearance, which was beyond expectations.

[0016] In a second embodiment of the shaping plate of the present invention, the lower plate is a strip-shaped plate member.

[0017] If the lower plate is a large plate, such as a rectangle, and its position in the Z direction is adjusted using multiple lifting mechanisms, the multiple lifting mechanisms must precisely align their positions in the Z direction to raise and lower the build plate. This is because any discrepancy in the Z direction position can place a large stress on the connection between the lower plate and the lifting mechanisms, or a large load on the motors of the lifting mechanisms.

[0018] In contrast, in this embodiment, the lower plate is a strip-shaped plate member, so the lower plate can easily flex. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the Z-direction positions of the plate connectors differ slightly among the three lifting mechanisms, the lower plate flexes to absorb the stress, preventing excessive load from being placed on the plate connectors or the motors of the lifting mechanisms. This is advantageous because it eliminates the need for precise control of the lifting mechanisms for the build plate and reduces malfunctions. Furthermore, when the lower plate is a strip-shaped plate member, compared to when it is a rectangular plate member, thermal expansion of the lower plate does not significantly affect other components, even if heat is transferred to the lower plate.

[0019] In a third aspect, the strip-shaped plate member of the lower plate has a U-shape, and the lifting mechanism is connected to each of three sides of the U-shape.

[0020] In this configuration, the lower plate can bend particularly easily to absorb stress. That is, when the plate connection portion of the lifting mechanism connected to the vertical line portion of the three sides (upper side, lower side, and vertical line) that make up the U-shape is considered as a fixed point, a distance can be secured between the fixed point and the plate connection portions of the lifting mechanism connected to the upper and lower side portions. As a result, even if there is a difference in the Z-direction position between the plate connection portion of the vertical line portion and the plate connection portions of the upper and lower side portions, there is ample room for the lower plate to bend. Therefore, there is ample room for the lower plate to bend and absorb stress.

[0021] In addition, in this embodiment, the four corners of the upper plate can be supported by the U-shaped lower plate, so even when a heavy object is molded, the molding plate (upper plate) is less likely to bend in the Z direction in the X-Y plane.

[0022] In a fourth embodiment, the shaping plate of the present invention further comprises a heater for heating the upper plate.

[0023] In such an embodiment, the upper plate is particularly susceptible to the effects of thermal expansion, but the structure of the build plate of the present invention is less susceptible to such effects, making the structure of the build plate of the present invention particularly advantageous.

[0024] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the upper plate is in contact with the lower plate via a spherical member. Note that the spherical member does not need to be a perfect sphere, and may have a curved cross section within a range that achieves the desired effect.

[0025] In this configuration, the upper plate and the spherical member are in point contact, and the spherical member and the lower plate are also in point contact. This allows the upper plate to slide easily from the lower plate, and heat transfer from the upper plate to the lower plate can be minimized. Furthermore, even if an external force is applied to the upper plate, the upper plate can tilt slightly on the spherical member. This is preferable because it makes the upper plate less susceptible to damage, etc. Even if the upper plate tilts, the shaping plate of the present invention can be fully automatically calibrated to be horizontal when incorporated into a three-dimensional molding device, and three-dimensional molding can be performed without any problems by performing this calibration.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional molding device comprising a molding plate as described above, a molding head that can move horizontally above the molding plate, at least three lifting mechanisms for raising and lowering the molding plate, a molding material supply mechanism for supplying molding material to the molding head, a levelness measurement mechanism for measuring the levelness of the molding plate, and a control device that controls the operation of these mechanisms.

[0027] The three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention uses a levelness measurement mechanism to measure the level of the build plate, and the lifting mechanism can adjust the levelness based on this information. As described above, the three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention is highly advantageous in that it can fully automatically calibrate the levelness either before each use or during use. Furthermore, as described above, the three-dimensional molding apparatus of the present invention is highly advantageous in that it can produce unexpectedly precise and beautifully molded objects.

[0028] In a seventh aspect, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional molding method using the three-dimensional molding device described above, comprising a step of measuring the horizontality of the molding plate using the horizontality measurement mechanism, a step of the control device adjusting the horizontality of the molding plate using the lifting mechanism based on the information on the horizontality, and a step of providing the molding material to the molding head using the molding material provision mechanism, and the molding head forming a molded object.

[0029] According to this method, the build plate can be automatically leveled at the start of each molding operation, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and eliminating the need to pay special attention to the levelness of the build plate of the three-dimensional molding device from the time of manufacture to daily use. Furthermore, since the build plate can always be kept level during molding, it is extremely advantageous in that it allows for precise and beautiful production of the molded object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] The present invention can provide a shaping plate with a simple configuration that is less susceptible to the effects of thermal expansion of the shaping plate during molding and / or that can easily achieve high horizontality, a three-dimensional molding device equipped with the same, and a three-dimensional molding method using the same. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a three-dimensional forming apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing the three-dimensional forming device having the shaping plate of the first embodiment, excluding the housing and the like. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B shows a schematic plan view of the build plate of the first embodiment. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C shows a schematic side view of the build plate of the first embodiment. [Figure 3A]FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram showing a three-dimensional forming apparatus having a shaping plate according to the second embodiment, with the housing and the like removed. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B shows a schematic plan view of the build plate of the second embodiment. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C shows the shape of the lower plate with the upper plate removed from FIG. 3B. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional forming apparatus having a shaping plate according to the third embodiment, with the housing and the like removed. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A shows a schematic perspective view of a fixed portion between an upper plate and a lower plate in one embodiment of the shaping plate of the present invention. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the fixed portion between the upper plate and the lower plate in one embodiment of the shaping plate of the present invention. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the fixed portion of one embodiment of the shaping plate of the present invention when the upper plate is tilted relative to the lower plate. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A shows a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the fixing portion between the upper plate and the lower plate. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the fixing portion between the upper plate and the lower plate. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a photograph of a sheet formed by a three-dimensional forming device using the shaping plates of the first and second embodiments. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a photograph of a sheet formed by a three-dimensional forming device using a conventional forming plate, which is obtained by changing the forming plate of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The present invention will be specifically described using the following embodiments as examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Unless a specific description is given of each device, mechanism, means, etc. in this specification, those skilled in the art can use mechanical devices, mechanisms, means, etc. that are well known to those skilled in the art. Each embodiment can be combined based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art, and configurations not specifically described in each embodiment can have the same configuration as other embodiments or a configuration appropriate for that embodiment.

[0033] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a three-dimensional molding apparatus according to the present invention. Fig. 2A is a diagram of Fig. 1 excluding the housing 40, filament roll 50, filament 51, control device 60, etc., and mainly shows the build plate 10, build head 20, and lift mechanism 30. Figs. 2B and 2C are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of Fig. 2A, which is a perspective view.

[0034] In an actual three-dimensional molding device 100, there are various other components such as cables for sending signals to the modeling head 20, a blower fan, a motor for operating the modeling head 20, belts, pulleys, limit sensors, etc., but these are also omitted from this drawing.

[0035] In this specification, "horizontal direction" refers to the XY direction in the drawings, and "horizontal" refers to one or both of the XZ and YZ directions on the XY plane, with displacement in the Z direction being negligible in terms of three-dimensional modeling. Furthermore, "vertical direction" refers to the Z direction in the drawings. The X and Y directions are arbitrary directions on the plane on which the object is molded, and the X and Y directions shown in the drawings are merely examples.

[0036] 1 shows an example of a three-dimensional molding apparatus 100. This three-dimensional molding apparatus includes a molding plate 10, a molding head 20 that is horizontally movable above the molding plate 10, a lifting mechanism 30 for raising and lowering the molding plate 10, a housing 40, a molding material supply mechanism 50, and a control device 60 for these components.

[0037] Before starting modeling, the three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 measures the level of the modeling plate 10 using a levelness measurement mechanism, and the control device 60 can adjust the level of the modeling plate 10 using the lifting mechanism 30 based on the levelness information. This levelness adjustment process can be repeated two or more times until the levelness falls within an acceptable range. Once the modeling plate 10 is level, the modeling material supply mechanism 50 supplies the modeling material 51 to the modeling head 20, which then forms the model.

[0038] The three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment is an apparatus using the FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) method, which is a type of fused deposition modeling. In this method, a thermoplastic resin filament 51, which serves as the molding material, is melted by the molding head 20 and molded onto the molding plate 10. The molding head 20 moves horizontally to dispense molten resin onto the molding plate 10, while the molding plate 10 moves vertically using the lifting mechanism 30, thereby molding a three-dimensional object. The thermoplastic resin filament 51 is supplied from a filament roll 50 located outside the housing 40 to the extruder of the molding head 20 through a filament supply unit 52 of the housing 40. The filament 51 is supplied to the molding head 20 by such a molding material supply mechanism, but the molding material supply mechanism can be modified as appropriate depending on the type of the three-dimensional molding apparatus.

[0039] The three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 of the present invention is not limited to such an FFF-type three-dimensional molding apparatus, but encompasses all types of three-dimensional molding apparatuses 100 in which the levelness and / or thermal expansion of the shaping plate 10 is an issue. For example, the three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 may be of various types, such as a fused deposition modeling method, an inkjet method, or a bound metal deposition (BMD) method. The three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 of the present invention may also be a three-dimensional molding apparatus of a stereolithography method (particularly an LCD method or a DLP method). With these methods, the levelness of the shaping plate may become an issue in areas where the sectional area or shape of the shaping plate changes suddenly, and the three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 of the present invention can solve this issue.

[0040] Various settings of the three-dimensional molding apparatus 100 are configured using the control panel of the control device 60 or through a terminal connected to the control device 60 via a wired or wireless connection. The control device 60 controls the operation of the modeling plate 10 and the lifting mechanism 30 by controlling motors and the like, and can also control the temperature of the modeling plate 10 and the modeling head 20 by controlling heaters and the like.

[0041] The build plate 10 of the first embodiment is shown in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C. As shown in these figures, the build plate 10 of the first embodiment has an upper plate 11 and a first portion 12a and a second portion 12b of a lower plate. No lifting mechanism 30 is connected to the upper plate 11, but three lifting mechanisms 30 are connected to the lower plate 12. A bottom portion 41 of a housing 40 is also shown below the lower plate 12.

[0042] The upper plate 11 is a plate on which a molded object is formed. The upper plate 11 may have a heater on the same surface or on the back side of the surface on which the molded object is formed. However, the heater does not have to be located on the upper plate 11, and may be a heater that heats the entire interior of the chamber.

[0043] The upper plate 11 can be a single plate-like member that is not divided in the XY plane, but may be divided into two or more parts in the XY plane as long as the advantageous effects of the present invention are obtained.

[0044] The upper plate 11 is fixed to the lower plate 12 in a slidable state, and therefore, even if it expands when heated, it can freely expand and contract due to thermal expansion by sliding. Furthermore, by molding the object from the center of the upper plate 11, it is possible to prevent the thermal expansion of the upper plate 11 from substantially affecting the dimensional accuracy of the object.

[0045] In this embodiment, first portion 12a of lower plate 12 can be raised and lowered by two lifting mechanisms, and second portion 12b of lower plate 12 can be raised and lowered by one lifting mechanism. Specifically, first portion 12a of lower plate 12 extends in the X direction and is connected at both ends to first lifting mechanism 30a and second lifting mechanism 30b, while second portion 12b of lower plate 12 extends to an end in the Y direction where first portion 12a is not present and is connected at its end in the Y direction to third lifting mechanism 30c.

[0046] In this embodiment, the lower plate 12 is divided into at least a first portion 12a and a second portion 12b, but may be divided into three or more portions. When the lower plate 12 is divided into three or more portions, each of the portions may be connected to a lifting mechanism.

[0047] Depending on the aspect ratio of the shaping plate 10, the lower plate 12 is preferably divided into two parts in the depth direction of the three-dimensional forming apparatus 100, i.e., in the Y direction. This allows the levelness of the upper plate 11 to be adjusted in the YZ directions. For example, in a conventional three-dimensional forming apparatus 100 in which one lifting mechanism 30 is located at the depth, the levelness in the XZ directions has been addressed by various means, but the levelness in the YZ directions has not been substantially considered. Using a lower plate 12 divided into two parts in the Y direction allows the levelness in the YZ directions to be adjusted, which can address, for example, cases in which the plate bends due to a heavy object being formed, or in which the levelness in the YZ directions is no longer maintained due to some kind of impact. However, the lower plate 12 may also be divided into two parts in the width direction of the three-dimensional forming apparatus 100, i.e., in the X direction, thereby allowing the levelness in the XZ directions to be adjusted.

[0048] 2A, the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12 spans substantially the entire width of the build plate 10 in the X direction. The second portion 12b is separated from the first portion 12a in the Y direction and has only a width sufficient to connect to a lifting mechanism in the X direction and to support the upper plate 11. The first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the lower plate 12 each extend outside the upper plate 11 in the XY plane and can be connected to the lifting mechanisms 30a, 30b, and 30c at portions outside the upper plate 11.

[0049] The first portion 12a of the lower plate 12 can be raised and lowered by two lifting mechanisms 30a, 30b at both ends in the X direction. In this embodiment, the two lifting mechanisms of the first portion 12a can adjust the position of the entire shaping plate 10 in the Z direction and the levelness in the XZ directions. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 30c connected to the second portion 12b of the lower plate 12 can adjust the position of the entire shaping plate 10 in the Z direction and the levelness in the YZ directions. This allows complete control of the levelness of the upper plate 11 regardless of the position of the shaping plate 10 on the Z axis. However, the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12 may be connected to a single lifting mechanism as long as it can maintain levelness in the XZ directions.

[0050] The size of the upper plate 11 is 100 cm 2 More than 300cm 2 More than 500cm 2 More than 800cm 2 or more, or 1000cm 2 It may be more than 10,000 cm 2 Below, 5000cm 2 or less than 3000cm 2 The aspect ratio of the upper plate (dimension in the X direction:dimension in the Y direction) can be in the range of 1:0.1 to 1:10, 1:0.3 to 1:3, or 1:0.5 to 1:2.

[0051] The fixed portion 1 of the upper plate 11 relative to the lower plate 12 is not limited as long as it is slidable. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the upper plate 11 can be fixed with a bolt and nut in an elongated hole extending in the direction of thermal expansion, or can be fixed using a linear guide, slide rail, or the like. In this case, the elongated hole may be in either the upper plate 11 or the lower plate 12. Also, the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 can be fixed in a slidable state by interposing an elastic body such as a spring between them. In this case, even if some external force is applied to the upper plate, the upper plate 11 will only tilt, and the upper plate 11 will be less likely to be damaged.

[0052] In the first embodiment shown in Figures 2A and 2B, a first portion 12a of the lower plate 12 is fixed to the upper plate by two fixing portions 1a and 1b, and a second portion 12b of the lower plate 12 is fixed to the upper plate by one fixing portion 1c.

[0053] The shaping plate 10 of the second embodiment is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. The shape of the lower plate 12 of the shaping plate 10 is shown in Figure 3C. The upper plate 11 of the shaping plate 10 of the second embodiment can have the same configuration as the upper plate 11 of the first embodiment.

[0054] In the shaping plate 10 of the second embodiment, the lower plate 12 is a strip-shaped plate member and has a U-shape. When the lower plate 12 is not a single rectangular, circular, or other plate but a strip-shaped plate member formed by removing a portion of such a plate, the lower plate 12 has flexibility in the Z-axis direction and can bend easily. For example, the strip-shaped plate member can be a plate-shaped member having a portion with an aspect ratio of 2 or more, 3 or more, 5 or more, or 10 or more along at least one direction of the XY plane. When the lower plate 12 is a strip-shaped plate member, the shape of the lower plate 12 is not limited to a U-shape as long as it can be easily bent, and may be various shapes such as a square, S-shape, N-shape, or M-shape. The thickness of the lower plate 12 is preferably configured to have such flexibility and a certain strength, and may be, for example, 12 mm or less, 10 mm or less, 8 mm or less, or 5 mm or less, or 1 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 3 mm or more, or 5 mm or more.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 3C, the U-shaped lower plate 12 has three sides (upper side 12a, lower side 12b, and perpendicular line 12c) that make up the U shape, and in FIG. 3C, these are shown as left side 12a and right side 12b extending in the Y-axis direction, and horizontal side 12c extending in the X-direction.

[0056] Lower plate 12 is connected to first lifting mechanism 30a on the side of left side 12a of the U-shape that is away from horizontal side 12c (i.e., the end in the positive direction of the Y-axis). Lower plate 12 is also connected to second lifting mechanism 30b on the side of right side 12b that is away from horizontal side 12c (i.e., the end in the positive direction of the Y-axis). Lower plate 12 is also connected to third lifting mechanism 30c at approximately the center of horizontal side 12c.

[0057] In this embodiment, there is a distance between the connection of the plates by the third lifting mechanism 30c and the connection of the plates by the first lifting mechanism 30a and the second lifting mechanism 30b. Therefore, even if there is a difference in the Z-direction position between these, there is a large margin for the lower plate 12 to bend. Therefore, the lower plate 12 can bend and absorb stress, and can absorb loads generated at the connection parts between the lifting mechanisms and the plates.

[0058] However, the arrangement of the three lifting mechanisms is not limited to the arrangement shown here; for example, in the case of a U-shaped lower plate 12, it is preferable to connect a lifting mechanism to each of the three sides of the U, as this will achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0059] Furthermore, even if the lower plate 12 is a strip-shaped plate member that is not U-shaped, a person skilled in the art can select an arrangement that will achieve the above-mentioned effects and connect the three lifting mechanisms to the lower plate 12.

[0060] In this embodiment, the lower plate 12 is U-shaped with the central portion of the rectangular plate removed, but the area of ​​the rectangle itself before the central portion is removed is larger than the area of ​​the rectangular upper plate 11. Because the centers of the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 in the X-Y directions are aligned on the Z axis, a portion of the U-shape of the lower plate 12 is located outside the upper plate 11 in the plan view of FIG. 3B. Three of the four rectangular sides of the upper plate 11 are supported from below by the three U-shaped sides of the lower plate 12. The sides of the upper plate 11 that are not supported by the three U-shaped sides of the lower plate 12 are not supported entirely by the lower plate 12, but are supported at both ends by both ends of the U-shaped part of the lower plate 12.

[0061] In the second embodiment, all four corners of the rectangular upper plate 11 are supported by the lower plate 12. This makes it less likely for bending in the Z direction in the X-Y plane to occur, even when a heavy object is molded, compared to the molding plate (upper plate) of the first embodiment, which is preferable. In the first embodiment, the upper plate is not fixed at positions corresponding to two of the four corners of the upper plate in the second embodiment, namely, fixed portions 1d and 1e. Therefore, it was found that when attempting to mold a heavy object, bending in the Z direction occurs to a non-negligible extent at the positions corresponding to the two fixed portions 1d and 1e. In contrast, the second embodiment is advantageous because such bending in the Z direction does not occur.

[0062] In the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3A, the lower plate 12 is slidably fixed to the upper plate 11 at five fixing portions 1a to 1e. The details of these fixing portions can be the same as those of the fixing portions employed in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the upper plate 11 thermally expands from the center portion, and the elongated holes of the lower plate 12 are oriented in the direction of thermal expansion of the upper plate 11.

[0063] 4 shows a shaping plate 10 according to a third embodiment. This shaping plate 10 has a first lifting mechanism 30a and a second lifting mechanism 30b at the end of the lower plate 12 in the negative X direction, and a third lifting mechanism 30c at the end in the positive X direction.

[0064] The lower plate 12 of the shaping plate 10 in the third embodiment is a single rectangular plate, so compared to the shaping plate in the second embodiment, it is necessary to precisely adjust the position in the Z direction when raising and lowering the shaping plate. However, since this embodiment also has three lifting mechanisms, it is possible to perform fully automatic horizontal calibration with a simple configuration. Note that the details of the upper plate 11 and the fixing portion between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 in the third embodiment can be the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0065] Fig. 5A shows a perspective view of a fixed portion 1a between the upper plate 11 and the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12. Fig. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of the fixed portion 1a in Fig. 5A. In this embodiment, the fixed portion 1a is fixed by the upper plate 11 contacting the first portion 12a of the lower plate via the spherical member 2.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 5B , bolt 3 of fixed portion 1a passes through spherical member 2, two washers 4, 4′, and elastic member 5 and is secured with nut 6. Here, elastic member 5 is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber, and the presence of elastic member 5 allows upper plate 11 and first portion 12a of the lower plate to be tightly constrained while being pressed together. Elastic member 5 is not limited to a flexible material as long as it can constrain the two plates while being pressed together, and may be, for example, a compression spring. By securing the plates via the spherical member in this way, upper plate 11, spherical member 2, and lower plate 12 are in point contact with each other, thereby minimizing heat transfer from upper plate 11 to lower plate 12.

[0067] 5C, the upper plate 11, the spherical member 2, and the lower plate 12 are in point contact with each other, allowing the upper plate 11 to tilt slightly. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the upper plate 11, the upper plate 11 only tilts, and the upper plate 11 is less likely to be damaged. Even if the upper plate 11 tilts, the shaping plate 10 can be fully automatically calibrated to be horizontal when incorporated into the three-dimensional molding device 100, and by performing this calibration, three-dimensional molding can be performed without any problems.

[0068] In this way, the spherical member 2 is very useful for fixing two plates together, and this fixing method is useful not only for fixing the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 of the present invention, but also for various other applications for fixing two plates together.

[0069] Fig. 6A shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the fixed portion 1a between the upper plate 11 and the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12. Fig. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of the fixed portion 1a of Fig. 6A. In this embodiment, the upper plate 11 is slidable relative to the first portion 12a of the lower plate due to the presence of a round-head bolt 3, which is a spherical member 2.

[0070] In this embodiment, there is a spacer 7 on the outside of the round head bolts 2 and 3 that defines the distance between the upper plate 11 and the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12. The presence of the round head bolts 2 and 3 alone does not secure the upper plate 11 and the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12, so the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 are secured by connecting them via a spring 8, which is an elastic body.

[0071] In this embodiment, the fixation by the spring 8 can restrain the upper plate 11 and the first portion 12a of the lower plate while pressing them together, and the round head bolts 2 and 3 allow them to slide. The spring 8 is attached between a bolt 11x attached to the side of the upper plate 11 and an attachment hole 12x in the first portion 12a of the lower plate 12, but there is no particular limitation on how the spring 8 is attached.

[0072] The modeling head 20 can move horizontally, and an open-source operation method known as the CoreXY method can be used for this movement. In this method, two belts are connected to the modeling head 20 to drive the modeling head 20 in the XY plane. By driving the two belts with two motors via pulleys, the modeling head 20 can be freely moved via a linear guide 21 in the X-axis direction and a linear guide 22 in the Y-axis direction. However, the modeling head 20 is not limited to this method as long as it can move horizontally, and other methods, such as a Cartesian method, a cross-gantry method, or an H-bot method, can also be used.

[0073] The modeling head 20 may have a touch-type leveling sensor known in the art as a leveling mechanism. The level of the upper plate 11 can be measured by scanning the modeling head 20 over the upper plate 11 and measuring the distance from the modeling head in the Z direction at, for example, three positions. Various types of leveling mechanisms can be used, such as an electromagnetic induction sensor, a Time of Flight (TOF) optical sensor, a LiDAR sensor, an electrical sensor, or an inclination sensor as described in Patent Document 3.

[0074] 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, and 4, the lifting mechanism 30 can be composed of a sliding screw 31, a linear bushing 32, and a motor 33 for the sliding screw 31. When the sliding screw 31 rotates, the lower plate 12 connected thereto can be raised and lowered.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the lifting mechanism 30 for the second portion 12b of the lower plate 12 has one sliding screw 31 and two linear bushings 32, 32'. Similarly, in the second embodiment, the third lifting mechanism 30c on the horizontal side 12c of the U-shape has one sliding screw 31c and two linear bushings 32c, 32c'. By configuring the lifting mechanism 30 in this manner, the lower plate 12 can be raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction without being subjected to rotational force. The sliding screw 31 is connected at its lower end to a motor 33 located below the bottom 41 of the housing, but the upper end of the sliding screw 31 is not connected to any other component. In contrast, the linear bushing 32 is connected at its lower end to the bottom 41 of the housing and can be connected at its upper end to the drive mechanism of the model-forming head 20, etc.

[0076] In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a first sliding screw 31a and a second sliding screw 31b are provided at one end of the lower plate 12 in the X direction. Although not shown, motors are provided on the back side of the bottom 41 of the housing, corresponding to the sliding screws 31a and 31b. A first linear bushing 32a is also provided between the two sliding screws 31a and 31b. At the other end, a third sliding screw 31c and its associated motor, as well as a second linear bushing 32b and a third linear bushing 32c, are provided. The motor for the third sliding screw 31c and the second linear bushing 32b are not shown in FIG. 4. While this embodiment is simply configured, the lower plate 12 can move up and down in the Z direction without receiving any rotational force.

[0077] FIG. 7A shows a sheet formed by a three-dimensional forming apparatus using the shaping plates of the first and second embodiments. FIG. 7B shows a sheet formed by a three-dimensional forming apparatus using a conventional shaping plate, which is a modification of the shaping plate of the third embodiment. Specifically, the conventional three-dimensional forming apparatus differs from the three-dimensional forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4 in that the lifting mechanism at the end of the lower plate 12 in the negative X-axis direction is changed from two to one. That is, the two sliding screws and one linear bushing shown in FIG. 4 at the end of the lower plate 12 in the negative X-axis direction are changed to one sliding screw and two linear bushings. In the conventional three-dimensional forming apparatus, the lifting mechanism at the end of the lower plate 12 in the positive X-axis direction is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 4.

[0078] The sheets formed using the three-dimensional forming apparatus using the forming plates of the first and second embodiments were printed cleanly with no faint areas, indicating that the horizontality of the forming plate was high during printing. Furthermore, the sheets were strong and could not be easily torn. In contrast, the three-dimensional forming apparatus of the prior art had faint areas, which could be easily torn from those areas, suggesting that the horizontality of the forming plate was not high during printing. After encountering faint areas when printing the sheet on the prior art plate, the inventors investigated ways to improve the horizontality of the plate. However, they unexpectedly achieved the beautiful printing shown in FIG. 7A, and unexpectedly beautiful shapes could be produced for the three-dimensionally formed articles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1…Fixed part 2...Spherical member 3...Bolt 4...Washer 5...Elastic member 6...Nut 7...Spacer 8...Fixing spring 10...Modeling plate 11...Upper plate 12...Lower plate 12a...First portion of the lower plate 12b...Second part of the lower plate 20...Modeled head 21...X-axis linear guide 22...Y-axis linear guide 30...Lifting mechanism 31...Slide screw 32...Linear bushing 33...Motor 40…Case 41...Bottom of the housing 50...filament roll 51...filament 52...Filament supply unit 60...Control device 100…Three-dimensional molding equipment

Claims

1. A shaped plate having an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper plate is slidably fixed relative to the lower plate; and A modeling plate for a three-dimensional molding device, wherein the lower plate can be raised and lowered by at least three lifting mechanisms.

2. The shaping plate according to claim 1 , wherein the lower plate is a strip-shaped plate member.

3. The shaping plate according to claim 2 , wherein the strip-shaped plate member has a U-shape, and the lifting mechanism is connected to each of three sides of the U-shape.

4. The build plate of claim 1 further comprising a heater for heating said top plate.

5. The build plate of claim 1 , wherein the upper plate contacts the lower plate via a spherical member.

6. The shaped plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a build head movable horizontally above the build plate; at least three lifting mechanisms for raising and lowering the build plate; a build material supply mechanism for supplying a build material to the build head; a level measurement mechanism for measuring the level of the build plate; and A control device that controls these operations A three-dimensional forming apparatus comprising:

7. A three-dimensional forming method using the three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 6, measuring the horizontality of the build plate by the horizontality measuring mechanism; a step of adjusting the horizontality of the building plate by the lifting mechanism based on the information on the horizontality; and a step of providing the modeling material to the modeling head by the modeling material providing mechanism, and the modeling head forming a model; A three-dimensional molding method comprising:

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