Surface treatment agent for model

Details Surface treatment agent for model Surface treatment agent for model

2000-02-23

2003-06-17

Lovering, Richard D. (Department: 1712)

Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser

Synthetic resins

Compositions to be polymerized by wave energy wherein said...

C264S401000, C427S512000, C427S554000, C522S095000, C523S400000, C525S123000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06579917

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a surface treatment agent for treating stair-steppings on a model surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A stereolithography model formed by a stereolithography apparatus given as one general example of a model is explained.
A general stereolithography apparatus as shown in
FIG. 1
is provided with an elevating table
4
which is driven by an elevation control device
3
and which is arranged horizontally in photo curable resin
2
in a resin tank
1
, and a projector
5
for irradiating light beam to a liquid level of the photo curable resin
2
. A motion control device
6
controls a X-Y direction motion of the projector
5
in plane.
A dipper
11
and a knife
13
are arranged in the resin tank
1
. The dipper
11
is controlled by a dipper driving control device
10
so as to drive and dip up the photo curable resin
2
from the resin tank
1
and supply the resin to the elevating table
4
. The knife
13
is controlled separately from the dipper
11
by a knife driving device
12
so as to move horizontally in order to smooth a surface of the photo curable resin
2
supplied on the elevating table
4
.
Ultra violet laser beam is supplied to the projector
5
from a UV laser device
8
through an optical filter
7
. The optical filter
7
adjusts output from the UV laser device
8
. A control computer
9
controls the elevation control device
3
, the motion control device
6
, the optical filter
7
, the dipper control device
10
, and the knife control device
12
.
Data on a shape of a solid molded article designed by CAD system is sliced for separately making contour line data. When the contour line data is supplied to the control computer
9
, the elevating table descends in the resin tank
1
by an constant pitch (approximately 0.05-0.3 mm), the dipper
11
supplies the photo curable resin
2
onto the elevating table
4
, and the knife
13
smoothes a surface of the photo curable resin
2
on the elevating table
4
. Then, ultra violet laser beam from the projector
5
scans the photo curable resin
2
on the elevating table
4
to the X-Y direction by corresponding to the contour line data.
As a result, the cured resin is deposited in sequence so as to form a shape corresponding to the contour line data, and a predetermined shaped solid article is formed on the elevating table
4
.
Motions of the dipper
11
and the knife
13
are explained by referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, a horizontal drive motor
10
a
moves the dipper
11
horizontally. A guide
10
c
is linked with a dipper horizontal rail
10
b
so as: to horizontally move. The guide
10
c
is mounted on the dipper
11
through a dipper perpendicular rail
10
e
which is described later. The horizontal drive motor
10
a
is linked with the guide
10
c
by a drive belt (not shown) and the guide
10
c
moves by driving of the horizontal drive motor
10
a,
and thus the dipper
11
moves horizontally. A perpendicular drive motor
10
d
moves the dipper
11
perpendicularly. The dipper perpendicular rail
10
e
is mounted on the dipper
11
by piercing the guide
10
c
at both ends. The perpendicular rail
10
e
is linked with the perpendicular drive motor
10
d
by a link mechanism (not shown). By means of drive of the perpendicular driving motor
10
d,
the dipper
11
moves up and down along the dipper perpendicular rail
10
e,
making the guide
10
c
as a center. The above compositions
10
a
-
10
e
compose the dipper control device
10
.
A horizontal drive motor
12
a
moves the knife
13
horizontally. A guide
12
c
is linked with a knife horizontal rail
12
b
so as to move horizontally. The knife
13
is mounted to the guide
12
c.
The guide
12
c
is linked with the horizontal drive motor
12
a
by means of a driving belt (not shown), and the guide
12
c
moves by means of drive of the horizontal drive motor
12
a
and the knife
13
moves horizontally. The above compositions
12
a
-
12
c
compose the knife control device
12
.
Motions of these compositions are explained by referring to FIG.
3
.
In the step {circle around (1)}, the dipper
11
is lifted up from the resin tank
1
. In the step {circle around (2)}, the dipper
11
moves horizontally for supplying the photo curable resin
2
onto the elevating table
4
, and the knife
13
moves horizontally while keeping the predetermined level for smoothing a surface of the photo curable resin
2
. In the final step {circle around (3)}, when the dipper
11
reaches over the elevating table 4, the dipper
11
descends in the resin tank
1
and the preparation for stereolithography is finished.
Then, the projector
5
moves for irradiating UV laser beam to the photo curable resin
2
and curing the resin
2
so that a stereolithography model can be formed.
The above stereolithography apparatus deposits and cures photo curable resin in sequence for forming the stereolithography model
14
When the model is used as a simple resin mold for making a resin prototype, it is necessary to improve its strength.
In that case, as disclosed in JP 07-205157A, it is possible to improve strength by diffusing and mixing whisker of needle shape of which diameter is 0.3-1 &mgr;m, length is 10-70 &mgr;m, and aspect ratio is 10-100 in the photo curable resin.
However, stair-steppings are generated on a surface of the stereolithography model formed by the above stereolithography apparatus due to its forming method. Particularly, when using for making a simple resin mold, the stair-steppings apparently appear on a surface of the molded article, and it degrades the quality of the mold.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The stair-steppings have been filed and cut manually to finish in the conventional method. As a result, finish of the stereolithography model requires time and increases cost for it.
Regarding other models made by other methods, not limited to a stereolithography model, stair-steppings on a surface are filed and cut manually to finish, and it requires time and cost.
The present invention was made to solve these problems, and has an objective to improve finish of a model surface and reduce time necessary for that operation.
A surface treatment agent according to this invention is used for filling stair-steppings on a model surface, mainly containing base resin which is cured by physical action and microparticles which have good wettability to the base resin and have a particle diameter equal to or smaller than the stair-stepping.
The model is a stereolithography model formed by depositing and curing photo curable resin by light irradiation.
The particle diameter of the microparticle is not less than 1 &mgr;m and not more than a size of the stair-stepping.
The microparticles are mixed in the base resin at a volume ratio 1:2.13 at maximum.
The base resin is epoxy photo curable resin.
The base resin is urethane photo curable resin.
The above composition can improve finish of a model surface and shorten time for finish.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when collected conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4209582 (1980-06-01), Merrill et al.
patent: 4243768 (1981-01-01), Simpson
patent: 4563372 (1986-01-01), Kurauchi et al.
patent: 4746469 (1988-05-01), Yamashita
patent: 4937173 (1990-06-01), Kanda et al.
patent: 5110857 (1992-05-01), Inagaki et al.
patent: 5234636 (1993-08-01), Hull et al.
patent: 5254604 (1993-10-01), Mori et al.
patent: 5609814 (1997-03-01), Takano
patent: 5679722 (1997-10-01), Tamura
patent: 6287745 (2001-09-01), Yamamura et al.

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