Heating Apparatus for Uniform Thermal Expansion in 3D Printing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Three-dimensional printing apparatuses using thermal expansion sheets face issues with non-uniform heating, leading to varying foam expansion heights due to heat accumulation, resulting in inconsistent three-dimensional shape formation despite constant heat generation per unit time.

Innovation Solution

A heating apparatus with a controller that adjusts the speed of a relative mover and heat generation to ensure uniform heating across the thermal expansion sheet, using a heater and mover to emit thermal energy in a way that maintains consistent heating per unit area, regardless of position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the heater emits thermal energy at a constant heat generation amount per unit time, then the heating process is simple to control, but heat accumulation occurs causing non-uniform heating across the thermal expansion sheet

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol simplicityVSAvoidheating uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the heater's emission characteristics variable rather than constant. The controller dynamically adjusts the heater's operation based on its position relative to the thermal expansion sheet, transitioning from constant emission to position-dependent emission to compensate for heat accumulation effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of heat generation amount based on the heater's position. The controller modifies the heat generation amount as a variable parameter according to the relative position between the heater and the thermal expansion sheet, ensuring uniform heating across the sheet despite heat accumulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Area of stationary object

If the heater moves relative to the thermal expansion sheet, then heating coverage is improved, but heat accumulation increases causing greater non-uniformity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating coverageVSAvoidheating uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback control where the controller monitors the relative position of the heater and adjusts the heat generation amount accordingly. This feedback mechanism compensates for the increasing heat accumulation effect as the heater moves across the thermal expansion sheet, maintaining heating uniformity throughout the scanning process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the heat generation amount is increased to compensate for heat loss, then heating efficiency improves, but heat accumulation accelerates causing non-uniform foam expansion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidfoam expansion uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the heat generation amount variable rather than constant. The controller dynamically adjusts the heat generation amount based on the heater's position and the accumulated heat state, transitioning from simple efficiency maximization to position-dependent emission that compensates for heat accumulation effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

This solution achieves uniform foam expansion and accurate three-dimensional shape formation by controlling the heating process, ensuring that the foaming height remains consistent across the sheet, even with heat accumulation, thereby improving the precision and reliability of the three-dimensional printing process.

Implementation Method 1

a heater which emits the thermal energy directed at a thermal expansion sheet that expands according to a heating amount absorbed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal energy emission and absorption: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

a thermal expansion sheet that expands according to a heating amount absorbed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS11123904B2Heating apparatus, heating method, three-dimensional object forming system, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Publication Date: 2021.09.21 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD

AI summary

A heating apparatus includes an emitter that emits light to a thermal expansion sheet that expands according to a heating amount absorbed, the light being converted into heat by the thermal expansion sheet; a relative mover that causes the thermal expansion sheet to move relative to the emitter in a predetermined direction or that causes the emitter to move relative to the thermal expansion sheet in the predetermined direction; and a controller that gradually changes an amount of the light emitted by the emitter according to a rise in temperature in the emitter, the rise in temperature being caused by the emission of light by the emitter, when the relative mover causes the thermal expansion sheet to move relative to the emitter in the predetermined direction or causes the emitter to move relative to the thermal expansion sheet in the predetermined direction while the light is being emitted by the emitter.