3D Printed Color Cells with Reflective Cores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D printing techniques for colored shaped objects result in uneven color appearance due to variations in light passage distance across stereoscopic surfaces, leading to unwanted contours and depth impressions.
Innovation Solution
A shaping apparatus and method utilizing color cells with a reflective core and outer peripheral portions, where the reflective core is formed using light reflective ink, such as white ink, and surrounded by coloring materials of various colors, ensuring uniform light reflection and minimizing light passage distance, thereby maintaining consistent color appearance across the object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a light reflecting region is formed on the inner side of the region to be colored using light reflective ink, then various colors can be represented similarly to printing on white paper, but large differences form in the distance light passes through the region to be colored, causing color appearance to vary by position
Solution Approach 1:
The region to be colored is divided into multiple color cells, each comprising a reflective core and outer peripheral portions. This segmentation ensures that light reflection occurs at consistent depths across the entire colored region, eliminating position-dependent color variations while maintaining full color representation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different parts of the colored region: the reflective core provides uniform light reflection at a controlled depth, while the outer peripheral portions provide coloration. This local differentiation ensures both color accuracy and position-independent color appearance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the region to be colored is formed at the periphery of the light reflecting region, then colored shapes can be created, but unnecessary contours and depth impressions appear due to visual recognition differences at edges
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the colored region into color cells with reflective cores, the patent eliminates the formation of unnecessary contours and depth impressions. Each color cell independently controls light reflection, ensuring uniform visual appearance across the entire colored surface without position-dependent variations.
3Productivity
If conventional layered shaping method is used with inkjet head, then colored shaped objects can be produced, but the color appearance varies according to position due to stereoscopic shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the colored region into discrete color cells with reflective cores, ensuring that light reflection occurs at uniform depths regardless of the stereoscopic shape. This segmentation maintains color consistency across the entire object while preserving the ability to produce complex colored shapes efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension control by positioning reflective cores at specific depths within color cells. This depth control in the vertical dimension ensures uniform light reflection characteristics across the three-dimensional object, eliminating position-dependent color variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents large differences in light passage and color appearance, allowing for more accurate and uniform shaping of colored stereoscopic objects, enhancing the visual quality by minimizing unwanted contours and depth impressions.
Implementation Method 1
a color cell includes a reflective core which is a part formed of the light reflective material inside the color cell
Data Source
AI summary
A shaping apparatus, a shaping method and a shaped object are provided. The shaping apparatus for shaping a shaped object that is stereoscopic and in which at least one part is colored is provided and includes: inkjet heads which are coloring heads that eject a coloring ink; an inkjet head which is a light reflective material head that ejects a white ink to become a light reflective material; and a controller. The shaped object including a region to be colored is shaped as the shaped object. At least a part of the region to be colored is formed by arranging a plurality of color cells set in advance as a unit of coloring. Each of the color cells includes a reflective core formed of the white ink, and an outer peripheral portion formed of the coloring ink.