Shaping device

Abstract

To provide molding equipment that can discharge different types of discharge materials at the same time.SOLUTION: A modeling apparatus 10 for creating a modeling object 70 by stacking a string of discharge material 11 in the form of a core material 15 surrounded by a shell material 16 includes core material supply section 40 that supplies the core material 15, shell material supply section 20 that supplies the shell material 16, and molding head 30 that discharges core material 15 supplied by the core material supply section 40 and the shell material 16 supplied by the shell material supply section 20 at once, and the molding head 30 has a cylindrical inner cylinder 31 that is arranged inside and a cylindrical outer cylinder 35 that surrounds the inner cylinder 31, and the core material supply section 40 is connected to the inner cylinder 31, and the shell material supply section 20 is connected to the outer cylinder 35. The core material 15 ejected from the inner cylinder 31 is surrounded by the shell material 16 ejected from the outer cylinder 35, while the ejected material 11 is ejected from the molding head 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a modeling apparatus and a modeled object. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, so-called 3D printers have been proposed, which are modeling devices that create objects with complex structures by stacking layers of resin material. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer that can use inexpensive pellet-like material. The 3D printer disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to pressure-feed pellet-like material stored in a storage section through a conveying path to an extruder having an injection mechanism, heat-melt the pellet-like material to form molten resin, and discharge it to the outside to create a model. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-051917 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional configuration described above, a molded object is created using a single type of resin material. In contrast, in recent years, there has been a demand for simultaneously discharging different types of materials to add functionality to the molded object. For example, there has been a demand for lighter molded objects than conventional methods.

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification was developed based on the above circumstances, and aims to provide a modeling device that can simultaneously discharge different types of dispensing materials, and also to provide a modeled object with added functionality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification is a modeling device that creates a modeled object by stacking string-shaped extruded material in which a core material is surrounded by a shell material, and includes a core material supply unit that supplies the core material, a shell material supply unit that supplies the shell material, and a modeling head that extrudes the core material supplied by the core material supply unit and the shell material supplied by the shell material supply unit all at once, wherein the modeling head includes a cylindrical inner tube portion arranged inside and a cylindrical outer tube portion that surrounds the inner tube portion, the core material supply unit is connected to the inner tube portion, and the shell material supply unit is connected to the outer tube portion, and the extruded material is extruded from the modeling head while the core material extruded from the inner tube portion is surrounded by the shell material extruded from the outer tube portion.

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to dispense a string-shaped material having a two-layer structure in which a core material is surrounded by a shell material. Therefore, by combining different materials for the core material and the shell material, it is possible to create a shaped object with added functionality.

[0008] The shell material supply section may include an extruder that extrudes the shell material into the outer tube, and the outer discharge port of the outer tube that discharges the shell material is positioned closer to the tip in the discharge direction than the inner discharge port of the inner tube that discharges the core material, and the portion that is positioned closer to the tip than the inner discharge port has a reduced diameter, so that the shell material extruded from the outer discharge port through the outer tube by the extruder draws inward the core material that is discharged from the inner discharge port, thereby discharging the discharged material in which the core material is surrounded by the shell material.

[0009] The above configuration makes it possible to realize an embodiment in which an object is actually ejected in a state in which the periphery of the core material is covered with the shell material.

[0010] The core material may be a pulverized material obtained by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin or a foamed resin, the shell material may be a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin, and the outer surface of the inner tube portion may be covered with a heat insulating material.

[0011] There has been a demand for lighter shaped objects. However, waste generated during the manufacturing and disposal of vehicle interior materials such as ceilings, carpets, door trims, and seat coverings is often bulky and multi-layered, often containing fibrous materials and thermosetting resins (urethane foam), making it difficult to recycle using existing recycling technologies.

[0012] According to the above, it is possible to create a lightweight object using waste materials. Furthermore, by disposing a heat insulating material between the inner and outer cylinders, unnecessary heat transfer to the crushed material or foamed resin inside the inner cylinder is suppressed.

[0013] The core material is a pulverized material made by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin, and the core material supply unit may be equipped with an air suction unit that uses negative pressure to suck out air from the bulky pulverized material, thereby reducing the gaps between the pulverized material.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the pulverized material can be supplied to the inner cylinder portion in a state where the density of the pulverized material is relatively high.

[0015] The technology disclosed in this specification is also a shaped object in which string-shaped string materials, each having a core material surrounded by a shell material, are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction of extension, and the shell materials of adjacent string materials are connected together as a single unit.

[0016] According to the above configuration, by combining different materials for the core material and the shell material, a shaped object with added functionality can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, it is possible to provide a modeling device that can simultaneously discharge different types of dispensing materials, and to provide a modeled object with added functionality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of a molding apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Cross section of the discharge material (string material) [Figure 3] Section II of Figure 1 [Figure 4] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the boundary between the supply hose and the inner cylinder [Figure 5] II-II cross section of Figure 4 [Figure 6] Schematic diagram showing an example of a door trim manufacturing method [Figure 7] III-III cross section of Figure 6 [Figure 8] IV-IV cross section of Figure 6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] One embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The modeling apparatus 10 of this embodiment is a so-called 3D printer, which is an apparatus that produces a three-dimensional model by stacking two-dimensional layers sliced ​​based on 3D CAD design data one by one. This modeling apparatus 10 is a material extrusion type apparatus that extrudes heat-molten resin into a string-like shape, models a first layer in a planar direction, and then similarly stacks a second layer on top of this first layer, repeatedly creating a model having a three-dimensional structure.

[0020] The molding device 10 of this embodiment is characterized in that the extruded material 11 extruded in a string shape from the molding device 10 has a two-layer structure in which an inner layer 12 is surrounded by an outer layer 13 (see FIG. 2). In the following description, the material constituting the inner layer 12 will be referred to as a core material 15, and the material constituting the outer layer 13 will be referred to as a shell material 16.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the model-forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes two material supply units 20 and 40, a model-forming head 30, and a model-forming table 60.

[0022] One of the two material supply sections is a shell material supply section 20, which includes a shell material hopper 21 and a shell material extruder 22. The shell material hopper 21 is conical, and resin pellets P of the shell material 16 can be supplied from its bottom end into the shell material extruder 22. The shell material 16 in this embodiment is made of a thermoplastic resin. For example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, acrylic resin, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester, etc. can be used.

[0023] The shell material extruder 22 quantitatively extrudes pellets P of shell material 16 supplied from the shell material hopper 21, and includes a cylinder 23, a screw 24 disposed within the cylinder 23, and a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the screw 24. The cylinder 23 is horizontally disposed. The shell material hopper 21 is connected to the rear end of the cylinder 23 (the end on the left side in FIG. 1).

[0024] The pellets P of the shell material 16 extruded from the cylinder 23 are sent to a molding head 30, which will be described later, connected to the tip of the cylinder 23.

[0025] The shaping head 30 of this embodiment has a double structure including a cylindrical inner tube portion 31 disposed inside and an outer tube portion 35 disposed to surround the inner tube portion 31. The inner tube portion 31 and the outer tube portion 35 are vertically oriented with their central axes aligned vertically. The inner tube portion 31 is positioned slightly above the outer tube portion 35 as a whole. That is, the upper end of the inner tube portion 31 is positioned slightly above the upper end of the outer tube portion 35, and the lower end of the inner tube portion 31 is positioned slightly above the lower end of the outer tube portion 35. The upper end of the inner tube portion 31 forms an expanded diameter portion 33 whose diameter expands outward (see FIG. 4). The expanded diameter portion 33 expands from the cylindrical main body of the inner tube portion 31 so that its cross section is rectangular (see FIG. 5).

[0026] The outer tube 35 has a tapered portion located closer to the distal end in the discharge direction than the inner discharge port 32, which is the lower end of the inner tube. The inner diameter of the outer discharge port 36, which is the lower end of the outer tube, is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the inner tube 31. The outer discharge port 36 essentially serves as the discharge port of the molding head 30. The distal end (the end on the right side in FIG. 1 ) of the cylinder 23 of the shell material extruder 22 described above is connected to the upper end of the outer tube 35. The shell material 16 extruded from the cylinder 23 into the outer tube 35 is melted within the outer tube 35 by a heater 37 provided on the outer periphery of the outer tube 35 and extruded from the outer discharge port 36 of the outer tube 35 (the molding head 30). The outer periphery of the inner tube 31 is covered with a heat insulating material 34, which prevents heat from the shell material 16 heated within the outer tube 35 from being transferred to the inner tube 31.

[0027] While the inner cylinder 31 is penetrated in the vertical direction, the upper part of the outer cylinder 35 is closed except for the connection part with the cylinder 23. This prevents the shell material 16 extruded from the cylinder 23 from escaping upward, and allows it to be extruded from the outer discharge port 36 of the model-making head 30.

[0028] On the other hand, a core material supply unit 40, which is the other of the two material supply units, is connected to the inner cylinder unit 31. The core material supply unit 40 includes a core material hopper 41, a core material extruder 42, and a supply hose 45.

[0029] The core material hopper 41 has a conical shape, and the core material 15 can be supplied from its lower end into the core material extruder 42. The core material 15 in this embodiment is a pulverized material C obtained by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin material, which is, for example, waste material from vehicle door trim.

[0030] The core material extruder 42 quantitatively extrudes the pulverized material C (core material 15) supplied from the core material hopper 41, and includes a cylinder 43, a screw 44 disposed within the cylinder 43, and a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the screw 44. The cylinder 43 is horizontally disposed. The core material hopper 41 is connected to the rear end of the cylinder 43 (the end on the right side in FIG. 1).

[0031] The pulverized material C (core material 15) extruded from the cylinder 43 is conveyed while rotating in a spiral by the screw 44. Here, the screw 44 functions as a control mechanism that prevents the pulverized material C from being conveyed suddenly, and controls the conveyance amount of the pulverized material C to be constant. The pulverized material C is sent to a supply hose 45 connected to the tip of the cylinder 43.

[0032] The supply hose 45 has a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross section and is made of a flexible material to accommodate three-dimensional movement of the shaping head 30. The supply hose 45 is also provided with an air blower 46, and the pulverized material C supplied from the cylinder 43 is sent toward (downward from) the shaping head 30 by the air blown from the air blower 46. The outer diameter of the supply hose 45 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the inner cylindrical portion 31 of the shaping head 30, and its lower end is disposed inside the expanded diameter portion 33 of the inner cylindrical portion 31 (see FIG. 4).

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a mesh roll 50 is provided at the lower end of supply hose 45, at the boundary with inner cylindrical portion 31, so as to close the opening of supply hose 45. Mesh roll 50 is a cylindrical member with both ends closed and with mesh-like sides, and is rotatable clockwise in Figure 4 around its horizontally extending central axis. Mesh roll 50 is provided at a position where its central axis is approximately at the same height as the lower end of supply hose 45. Furthermore, mesh roll 50 is sized to almost completely close the inside of supply hose 45 in a plan view (see Figure 5).

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, a blocking member 51 is provided along the inner surface of the mesh roll 50 in approximately the lower half of the interior of the mesh roll 50. While the mesh roll 50 rotates, the blocking member 51 is fixed and constantly blocks approximately the lower half of the mesh roll 50. In addition, a suction port of a suction blower 52 is provided inside the mesh roll 50 (see Figure 5). As a result, the pulverized material C sent from the supply hose 45 (above) is sucked onto the outer surface (upper surface) of the mesh roll 50 and moves downward as the mesh roll 50 rotates. Then, after moving to the position where the blocking member 51 is provided, the suction is released and the material falls into the inner cylinder portion 31.

[0035] At the lower end of the supply hose 45, at a position corresponding to the rotational direction of the mesh roll 50, an opening / closing door 47 is formed so as to be able to open and close downward, for holding down the pulverized material C stuck to the outer surface of the mesh roll 50 against the outer surface of the mesh roll 50 and releasing it downward. Specifically, the opening / closing door 47 is formed so as to be able to open and close between a closed state in which it fits along the wall surface of the supply hose 45 and an open state in which it opens outward from the wall surface of the supply hose 45. When opened a predetermined angle from the closed state, this opening / closing door 47 can abut against the expanded diameter portion 33 of the inner cylindrical portion 31 from the inside. In other words, the opening angle of the opening / closing door 47 is restricted by the expanded diameter portion 33.

[0036] A doctor plate 53 is provided on the outer surface of the mesh roll 50, slightly below the upper end of the blocking member 51 (see FIG. 4). The doctor plate 53 is a plate with a wedge-shaped cross section, and its tapered side edge is arranged in a direction along the central axis of the mesh roll 50 relative to the outer surface of the mesh roll 50, and is in contact with or close to the outer surface of the mesh roll 50 from below. This allows the doctor plate 53 to reliably scrape off the pulverized material C adhering to the mesh roll 50 from the mesh roll 50.

[0037] The modeling table 60 is attached to a three-dimensional drive mechanism (not shown) and is moved vertically during modeling based on 3D data created by a computer, etc. Meanwhile, the modeling head 30 is also attached to a three-dimensional drive mechanism (not shown) and is moved horizontally during modeling based on 3D data created by a computer, etc.

[0038] Next, a method for forming a three-dimensional object using the above-described modeling apparatus 10 will be described. First, the thermoplastic resin pellets P in the shell material hopper 21 are sent to the shell material extruder 22. The pellets P of the shell material 16 are extruded from the cylinder 23 of the shell material extruder 22 into the outer tubular portion 35, where they are heated and quickly melted. The molten shell material 16 is then pushed by the shell material 16 extruded from the cylinder 23 into the outer tubular portion 35, and is extruded to the outside from the outer discharge port 36 of the outer tubular portion 35 (the discharge port of the modeling head 30).

[0039] Furthermore, the pulverized material C in the core material hopper 41 is sent to the core material extruder 42. The pulverized material C (core material 15) is extruded from the cylinder 43 of the core material extruder 42 into the supply hose 45 and sent to the modeling head 30 by the airflow of the air blower 46. Then, the pulverized material C falls onto the upper surface of the mesh roll 50 provided at the lower end of the supply hose 45.

[0040] The bulky pulverized material C that reaches the mesh roll 50 is sucked onto the outer surface of the mesh roll 50 by the suction blower 52, compressed to a high density, and sent downward (toward the inner cylindrical portion 31) as the mesh roll 50 rotates. At this time, the opening / closing door 47 is in openable / closable contact with the outer surface of the mesh roll 50, so that the pulverized material C that is stuck to the mesh roll 50 is lightly pressed down by the opening / closing door 47 and sent downward. When the pulverized material C passes through the opening / closing door 47 and moves to the lower side of the mesh roll 50, the suction of the suction blower 52 is released by the blocking member 51 located below inside the mesh roll 50, and the pulverized material C separates from the mesh roll 50 and falls into the inner cylindrical portion 31. Even if some of the pulverized material remains stuck to the mesh roll 50, it is scraped off from the outer surface of the mesh roll 50 by the doctor plate 53.

[0041] The pulverized material C that has fallen to the lower end of the inner cylinder portion 31 in this manner is drawn into the inside of the shell material 16 as the molten shell material 16 is discharged together with the shell material 16. That is, the string-like discharge material 11, in which the core material 15 (pulverized material C) is surrounded by the shell material 16, is discharged from the discharge port (outer discharge port 36) of the modeling head 30 onto the modeling table 60.

[0042] By continuing this operation, the modeling head 30 and the modeling table 60 are moved based on the 3D data created by the computer, and the dispensing material 11 is layered, thereby forming a three-dimensional model (a three-dimensional object). For example, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, a door trim 70 that forms the inside of a vehicle door can be created. Figure 6 shows an example in which the door trim 70 is formed in a spiral shape from the outer periphery to the inner periphery.

[0043] 7 and 8 show an example of a cross section of the door trim 70 of this embodiment, and this door trim 70 is configured such that string-shaped string materials, each having a core material 15 surrounded by a shell material 16, are arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the core material 15, and the shell materials 16 of adjacent string materials are connected together. Note that, for convenience, Figs. 7 and 8 show an example in which one layer of the discharge material 11 is connected together, but the discharge material 11 may be configured such that multiple layers are stacked as shown in Fig. 1.

[0044] The modeling apparatus 10 of this embodiment is an apparatus for creating a model by stacking string-like discharge material 11, each of which has a core material 15 surrounded by a shell material 16, and includes a core material supply unit 40 that supplies the core material 15, a shell material supply unit 20 that supplies the shell material 16, and a modeling head 30 that simultaneously discharges the core material 15 supplied by the core material supply unit 40 and the shell material 16 supplied by the shell material supply unit 20. The modeling head 30 includes a cylindrical inner tube portion 31 disposed inside the modeling head 30 and a cylindrical outer tube portion 35 that surrounds the inner tube portion 31. The core material supply unit 40 is connected to the inner tube portion 31, and the shell material supply unit 20 is connected to the outer tube portion 35. The modeling apparatus 10 discharges the discharge material 11 from the modeling head 30 while the core material 15 discharged from the inner tube portion 31 is surrounded by the shell material 16 discharged from the outer tube portion 35.

[0045] According to the above configuration, it is possible to extrude a string-shaped extrusion material 11 having a two-layer structure in which the periphery of the core material 15 is covered with the shell material 16. Therefore, by combining different materials for the core material 15 and the shell material 16, it is possible to create a shaped object with added functionality.

[0046] The shell material supply section 20 is equipped with a shell material extruder 22 that extrudes the shell material 16 into the outer tube section 35, and the outer discharge port 36 of the outer tube section 35 that discharges the shell material 16 is positioned closer to the tip in the discharge direction than the inner discharge port 32 of the inner tube section 31 that discharges the core material 15, and the portion positioned closer to the tip than the inner discharge port 32 has a reduced diameter.The shell material 16 extruded from the outer discharge port 36 through the outer tube section 35 by the shell material extruder 22 draws the core material 15 that is discharged from the inner discharge port 32 inward, thereby discharging the discharged material 11 in which the core material 15 is surrounded by the shell material 16.

[0047] The core material 15 is a pulverized material C obtained by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin, the shell material 16 is a thermoplastic resin, and the outer surface of the inner cylindrical portion 31 is covered with a heat insulating material .

[0048] There has been a demand for lighter shaped objects. However, waste generated during the manufacturing and disposal of vehicle interior materials such as ceilings, carpets, door trims, and seat coverings is often bulky and multi-layered, often containing fibrous materials and thermosetting resins (urethane foam), making it difficult to recycle using existing recycling technologies.

[0049] As a result, it is possible to create a lightweight object using waste. Furthermore, by disposing the heat insulating material 34 between the inner cylinder 31 and the outer cylinder 35, unnecessary heat transfer to the pulverized material C inside the inner cylinder 31 is suppressed.

[0050] The core material 15 is a pulverized material C made by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin, and the core material supply section 40 is equipped with a mesh roll 50 and a suction blower 52 that sucks the air in the bulky pulverized material C by negative pressure, thereby reducing the gaps between the pulverized material C.

[0051] According to the above configuration, the pulverized material C can be supplied to the inner cylindrical portion 31 in a state where the density of the pulverized material C is relatively high.

[0052] The object of this embodiment is a door trim 70 in which string-like cord materials, each having a core material 15 surrounded by a shell material 16, are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction of extension of the cord materials, and the shell materials 16 of adjacent cord materials are connected together. This door trim 70 achieves weight reduction by combining different materials for the core material 15 and the shell material 16. Furthermore, waste fiber-containing resin members can be recycled.

[0053] <Other embodiments> The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope.

[0054] (1) In the above embodiment, the outer discharge port 36 that discharges the shell material 16 is positioned closer to the tip in the discharge direction than the inner discharge port 32 that discharges the core material 15. However, the outer discharge port and the inner discharge port may be positioned at the same height, or the outer discharge port may be positioned further rearward than the inner discharge port.

[0055] (2) In the above embodiment, the core material 15 is made of pulverized material C obtained by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin, and the shell material 16 is made of a thermoplastic resin. However, the combination of the core material and the shell material can be changed as appropriate.

[0056] (3) In the above embodiment, door trim 70 is used as an example of a shaped object, but the shaped object is not limited to door trim. The shaped object may be applied to a ceiling or instrument panel as a vehicle interior material, as well as various other shaped objects other than vehicle interior materials. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10: Modeling device, 11: Discharge material, 12: Inner layer, 13: Outer layer, 15: Core material, 16: Shell material, 20: Shell material supply unit, 22: Shell material extruder (extruder), 30: Modeling head, 31: Inner tube part, 32: Inner discharge port, 34: Heat insulating material, 35: Outer tube part, 36: Outer discharge port, 40: Core material supply unit, 50: Mesh roll (air suction unit), 51: Closing member (air suction unit), 52: Suction blower (air suction unit), 60: Modeling table, 70: Door trim (modeled object), C: Crushed material, P: Pellets

Claims

1. A modeling apparatus that creates a model by stacking string-shaped discharged material, the periphery of which is covered with a shell material, a core material supply unit that supplies the core material; a shell material supply unit that supplies the shell material; a modeling head configured to simultaneously discharge the core material supplied by the core material supply unit and the shell material supplied by the shell material supply unit, The shaping head includes an inner cylindrical portion disposed inside the shaping head, and an outer cylindrical portion surrounding the inner cylindrical portion. the core material supply section is connected to the inner cylinder section, and the shell material supply section is connected to the outer cylinder section, The core material discharged from the inner cylindrical portion is surrounded by the shell material discharged from the outer cylindrical portion, and the discharged material is discharged from the modeling head, the core material is a pulverized material obtained by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin or a foamed resin, and the shell material is a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin; The outer surface of the inner cylindrical portion is covered with a heat insulating material.

2. A molding device that creates a molded object by stacking a string-shaped extruded material in which a core material is surrounded by a shell material, a core material supply unit that supplies the core material; a shell material supply unit that supplies the shell material; a modeling head configured to simultaneously discharge the core material supplied by the core material supply unit and the shell material supplied by the shell material supply unit, The shaping head includes an inner cylindrical portion disposed inside the shaping head, and an outer cylindrical portion surrounding the inner cylindrical portion. the core material supply section is connected to the inner cylinder section, and the shell material supply section is connected to the outer cylinder section, The core material discharged from the inner cylindrical portion is surrounded by the shell material discharged from the outer cylindrical portion, and the discharged material is discharged from the modeling head, the core material is a pulverized material obtained by pulverizing a fiber-containing resin, The core material supply unit is a molding device that includes an air suction unit that uses negative pressure to suck air from the bulky pulverized material, thereby reducing gaps between the pulverized material.

3. the shell material supply unit includes an extruder that extrudes the shell material into the outer cylinder, an outer discharge port of the outer cylindrical portion, which discharges the shell material, is located closer to the tip end in a discharge direction than an inner discharge port of the inner cylindrical portion, which discharges the core material, and a portion of the outer cylindrical portion, which is located closer to the tip end than the inner discharge port, has a reduced diameter; The molding device described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the shell material extruded from the outer discharge port through the outer tube portion by the extruder draws the core material discharged from the inner discharge port inward, thereby discharging the discharged material in which the core material is surrounded by the shell material.

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