Liquid Crystal Display Panel with Microlens Arrays for 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D printing technologies using liquid crystal display panels suffer from poor light collimation, leading to low printing accuracy, especially when the distance from the panel to the resin tank increases, making precise 1:1 scale printing challenging.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal display panel design featuring a first and second substrate with a liquid crystal layer in between, equipped with first and second lenses on opposite surfaces, which converge and collimate light emitted from a near-ultraviolet LED light source, enhancing light concentration and accuracy during 3D printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional liquid crystal display panel is used without additional lenses, then the device complexity is low, but the light collimation is poor and printing accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light collimation function into the display panel itself by integrating microlens arrays directly onto the panel structure. This combines the display function with the optical collimation function, eliminating the need for separate collimation components while improving printing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The microlens arrays act as an intermediary element between the light source and the resin tank. These lenses mediate the light propagation by collimating the light rays, thereby improving the collimation quality without requiring complex mechanical adjustments or additional optical components.
2Ease of operation
If the distance from the panel to the resin tank increases, then the ease of operation is improved, but the light collimation deteriorates and printing accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The microlens arrays enable the system to dynamically maintain good light collimation across varying distances from the panel to the resin tank. The optical design allows the collimation quality to remain stable even when the panel-resin tank distance is adjusted, providing both ease of operation and consistent printing accuracy.
3Manufacturing precision
If no light concentrating components are added, then the device complexity is low, but the light concentration is insufficient and printing accuracy is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light concentrating function from separate optical components and integrates it directly into the display panel through microlens arrays. This extraction and integration approach maintains structural simplicity while achieving effective light concentration and collimation for improved printing accuracy.
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 improved light collimation and concentration significantly increase the accuracy of 3D printing, addressing the issue of scale distortion and ensuring precise printing, particularly in applications requiring high precision like medical treatments.
Implementation Method 1
A surface on one side of the first substrate is provided with at least one first lens, and a surface on one side of the second substrate is provided with at least one second lens. The liquid crystal display panel may enable the light emitted by the light source to be converged and collimated when the light is emitted to and emitted from the liquid crystal display panel by disposing the first lens and the second lens which have a light concentrating function
Implementation Method 2
The liquid crystal display panel is applied to the 3D printing, is used as a light shade during printing and controls ultraviolet light to be accurately exposed at a specific pattern position
Implementation Method 3
the exposed resin material may be cured, and the cured resin moves in the Z direction
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a liquid crystal display panel and a 3D printer. The liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer which is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, where a surface on one side of the first substrate is provided with at least one first lens, and a surface on one side of the second substrate is provided with at least one second lens. The liquid crystal display panel provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is used in a 3D printer with a photo-curing material.