Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Stereolithographic shaping from liquid precursor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-07-31
Tentoni, Leo B. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Stereolithographic shaping from liquid precursor
C425S174400, C700S120000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267919
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of producing a cubic or three-demensional model and, more particularly, to a method of producing a cubic three-demensional object model by the use of a photo-curing resin that can be cured by light irradiation.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-71761 discloses providing a vertically displaceable rise/fall table within a photo-curing resin solution accommodated in a vessel, scanning the photo-curing resin solution while irradiating a light from above a liquid surface of the solution toward the rise/fall table within the solution, repeating the formation of a cured layer having a predetermined thickness on the rise/fall table, and thereby obtaining the cured layers sequentially laminated so that a cubic or three-demensional model is produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the analyses made by the inventors of this application, as the patterns of scan of light that are used when forming the above-described cured layers there can be taken up by way of example a linear pattern extending along the X axis, a linear pattern extending along the Y axis, a concentric pattern, a concentric-polygonal pattern, etc. illustrated in FIG.
19
. Among these scanning patterns, the linear patterns extending the X and Y axes are simple and convenient to use and therefore are preferable.
However, in a case where as illustrated in
FIG. 20
on a cured layer Wa formed one layer before there is formed a cured layer Wb whose profile is at least partially larger than the profile of the layer Wa and where a portion that has been cured by initial scanning corresponds to a portion indicated by the arrow mark (a), even when adopting such a linear scanning pattern, because of the simplicity and convenience this cured portion floats on the photo-curing resin solution and becomes unstable. Portions indicated by the arrow marks (b) to (j) that are formed respectively adjacently by being sequentially scanned also floats by being influenced by the occurrence of the floating condition of the previously mentioned floating portion also becomes unstable.
Specifically, as the case where on the cured layer Wa formed one layer before there is formed the cured layer Wb whose profile is at least partially larger than the profile of the layer Wa, there can be taken up by way of example a case where manufacture is made of a cubic model W
1
shaped so as to have an overhang, illustrated in
FIG. 21A
or a case where manufacture is made of a cubic model W
2
shaped like a bridge, illustrated in FIG.
21
B. When the cured portion corresponding to such an overhang portion or bridge portion is floated, a phenomenon such as peeling or sagging inconveniently occurs in the cubic model that has been manufactured.
As a countermeasure against this, it is considered to provide supports Ws, Ws′ such as those illustrated in
FIG. 21A
or
21
B to thereby prevent the occurrence of peeling or sagging due to the floatation of an overhang portion or the like.
However, for example, where manufacturing a cubic model serving as a cylinder head of an engine, since the water jacket has complex cubic cavity portions, extreme difficulties arise in removing the supports after having manufactured this cubic model.
Accordingly, in a case where producing a cubic model constituting a three-dimensional article having a complex cubic configuration by the use of a photo-curing resin solution, it can be said that there is expected the appearance of a method of enabling the accurate production of such a cubic model constituting an article having a complex configuration by scanning a light with the use of a simple and convenient scanning mechanism without being exhibited by a phenomenon such as peeling or sagging.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of enabling, in a case where producing a cubic model constituting a three-dimensional article having a complex cubic or three-demensional configuration by the use of a photo-curing resin solution, the accurate production of such a cubic model constituting an article having a complex configuration by scanning a light with the use of a simple and convenient scanning mechanism without exhibiting a phenomenon such as peeling or sagging.
To attain the above object, a method of producing a cubic model according to the present invention is one which produces a cubic model by laminating a plurality of layers sequentially, and which comprises the step of preparing a light source, the step of preparing a photo-curing resin solution, the step of setting a plurality of coordinate points at a predetermined interval on a profile of a model section corresponding to a layer to be formed, the step of obtaining information regarding distances between a plurality of the coordinate points, and the step of scanning on the photo-curing resin solution while irradiating a light emitted from the light source, in correspondence with a direction of a straight line passing through mated coordinate points giving a distance shorter than a maximum value among the distances between a plurality of the coordinate points, so as to form the layer to be formed as a cured layer.
With the above-described construction, it is possible to produce accurately the cubic model constituting an article having a complex configuration by the use of a photo-curing resin solution by scanning the light over the solution with a simple and convenient scanning mechanism without exhibiting a phenomenon such as peeling or sagging.
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Fukumura Teruo
Shibazaki Teishirou
Tanaka Kazuhiko
Uchiyama Mitsuo
Foley & Lardner
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
Tentoni Leo B.
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