JPH11268139A - Photo-fabrication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photo-fabrication apparatus which can remove a resin solution adherent to an applicator simply. SOLUTION: An applicator 20 for applying a resin solution on the surface of a cured object 18 to be mounted on a vertically moving table 16, a ratchet mechanism 36 which rotates the applicator 20 at a prescribed position, and a cleaning device 38 for removing the resin solution adherent to the surface of the applicator 20 are provided in the upper part of a resin tank 12 for storing a photocurable resin solution 14. The applicator 20 is rotated by the ratchet mechanism 38 every time when the applicator 20 has made a round trip over the surface of the cured object 18, and the resin solution adherent to the applicator 20 is scraped off by the leaf spring 40 of the cleaning device. In this way, since the applicator 20 is always kept clean, the adherent resin solution is prevented from falling to prevent the generation of a defective photo-molded product. Since the resin solution adhered to the applicator 20 during its rotation at a prescribed position is scraped off, efficient photo-fabrication can be carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical shaping apparatus, and more particularly to an optical shaping apparatus for molding a three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape using a photocurable resin liquid which is cured by irradiation with a light beam such as a laser beam. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the development process of various products such as electric equipment, a three-dimensional model of the product is prepared and a design and a mechanism are examined in advance. Models need to be created quickly and inexpensively. Therefore, a light beam is irradiated to the photo-curable resin liquid contained in the resin tank, and the resin liquid is sequentially cured in a laminated state based on slice analysis data of the three-dimensional model, thereby forming a three-dimensional molded object. An optical shaping apparatus has been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-35966 [G06]).
F15 / 60]).

[0003] In this conventional optical shaping apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, an elevation table 4 driven by an elevation control device 3 is horizontally arranged in a photocurable resin liquid 2 accommodated in a resin tank 1. A projector 5 for irradiating the liquid surface of the photocurable resin liquid 2 with a light beam is provided, and the position of the projector 5 is controlled in a XY direction in a horizontal plane by a movement control device 6.

[0004] An ultraviolet laser beam from an ultraviolet laser device 8 is supplied to the projector 5 via an optical filter 7. The optical filter 7 adjusts the output of the ultraviolet laser device 8. The elevation control device 3, the movement control device 6, and the optical filter 7 are all controlled by the control computer 9 in relation to each other.

In this stereolithography apparatus, contour data is created by slicing shape data of a three-dimensional object, for example, a model designed by a CAD system, and the contour data is supplied to the control computer 9. Therefore,
The computer 9 moves the elevating table at a constant pitch (0.1 to
(About 0.3 mm)
The ultraviolet laser beam from the projector 5 is scanned in the X-Y direction based on the contour data.

[0006] By this scanning, the lifting table 4
The resin layers cured in a shape corresponding to the contour data are sequentially laminated, and finally a three-dimensional structure having a predetermined shape is formed as a model. Although not shown in FIG. 8,
In this type of stereolithography apparatus, a coating device that moves in a horizontal plane is disposed above the resin tank 1, and the resin liquid is uniformly deposited on the surface of the cured material that is sequentially laminated and cured on the elevating table 4 by the coating device. It is applied to a thickness (about 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm) and irradiated with a light beam.

[0007]

In the case of molding a three-dimensional object having a predetermined shape by such optical molding, the number of times of application of the resin liquid ranges from 500 to 1,000 times. If the liquid is not removed as appropriate, it will hinder the application of the resin liquid to the surface of the cured product with a uniform thickness. The optically formed object becomes a defective product by dropping on the hardened material in the process. In addition, if the application device is appropriately stopped to remove the adhered resin liquid, it takes time to remove the resin liquid, and when the number of times of application is taken into consideration, the molding efficiency is reduced.

[0008] Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an optical shaping apparatus capable of easily removing a resin liquid adhering to a coating means.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention drives a resin tank containing a photocurable resin liquid, a lifting table which rises and lowers in the resin tank in a horizontal state and places a cured product, and drives a lifting table. Lifting and lowering control means, coating means for applying a resin liquid to the surface of the cured product placed on the lifting table to a uniform thickness, and light beam scanning on the resin liquid surface applied to the surface of the cured material. And a light beam irradiating means for curing the liquid surface of the resin by applying a light beam, and further comprising a cleaning means for removing the resin liquid adhering to the coating means.

[0010]

Whenever the resin liquid is applied to the surface of the cured product placed on the elevating table, the resin liquid adheres to the application means and gradually increases. The adhered resin liquid is removed by the cleaning unit when the coating unit is rotated by the rotating unit at a predetermined position, for example. In particular, when the cleaning means includes a leaf spring, the pressing force of the leaf spring acts on the application means, so that the resin liquid adhering to the surface thereof is reliably scraped off.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the coating means is always kept in a clean state, and during the coating process, the resin liquid adhering to the coating means falls on the surface of the cured product, and the optically formed object is defective. Is prevented beforehand. In addition, the application means,
Since the resin liquid adhering to the surface is removed by the cleaning means at a predetermined position, efficient optical molding can be performed, and the molding cost can be reduced accordingly.

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An optical shaping apparatus 10 of this embodiment shown in FIG.
The resin tank 12 includes a rectangular resin tank 12, and a photo-curable resin liquid 14 is stored in the resin tank 12. Further, a lifting table 16 which is raised and lowered in a horizontal state is disposed in the resin tank 12, and the lifting table 16 is not shown in the drawing.
A cured product 18 that is controlled by the elevation control device similar to that described in the conventional example of FIG. 8 and that is formed in a stacked state by stereolithography is placed.

The upper part of the resin tank 12 is moved left and right in a horizontal plane to form a coating liquid surface of a resin liquid having a thickness of about 0.1 mm on the surface of the cured material 18 placed on the elevating table 16. An apparatus 20 is provided. Above the resin tank 12, a light beam irradiating apparatus 22 for scanning a coating liquid surface formed on the surface of the cured product 18 with a light beam is provided.

The light beam irradiation device 22 includes a light source unit 24 for generating an ultraviolet laser beam, and a moving mirror 26 for changing the direction of the light beam and irradiating the light beam perpendicular to the coating liquid surface. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the coating device 20 includes slide bars 28 and 2 provided on both upper sides of the resin tank 12.
8 are rotatably supported by supporting members 30 and 30 sliding on the upper and lower surfaces via lifting and lowering supporting arms 32 and 32, respectively. The coating device 20 includes three knife edge portions 3 along the rotation axis.
The cross section of the figure having the sides 4, 34 and 34 is formed by a triangular prism of an equilateral triangle, and is rotatably held at a constant angle (every 120 degrees). 32 supported.

As shown in a different embodiment in FIG. 5, the knife edge portion 34 has an acute angle, obtuse angle or R
It is formed with A cleaning device 3 supported by supports 30 and 30 is provided above the coating device 20.
The cleaning device 38 has a leaf spring 40 at the distal end which comes into contact with the coating device 20.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ratchet mechanisms 36 and 36 are provided on a rotating disk 42 for supporting both ends of the coating device 20 and are provided on the outer surface of the rotating disk 42 at intervals of 120 degrees. L-shaped locking members 44, 44 and 44
And locking grooves 46, 46 and 46 formed in front of the locking members 44 and on the peripheral side surface of the rotating disk 42, and are fixed to the support 30 so as to always press against the locking grooves 46. The mounting bracket 48 includes a holding lever 52 pivotally supported by a coil spring 50 so as to be rotatable.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, on both sides of the resin tank 12, operating bodies 54 and 54 for rotating the ratchet mechanisms 36 and 36 in a clockwise direction (arrows shown in FIG. 3) in front of the elevating table 16. Is provided. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operating body 54 includes a fixing member 56 and a rotating member 60 supported at one end by the fixing member and urged by a coil spring 58 so that the tip rotates upward. Contains.

In the optical shaping apparatus 10 of this embodiment, first, when the elevating table 16 is lowered in the resin tank 12 by one layer under the control of the elevating controller, the elevating table 1
A photo-curable resin liquid 12 is placed on 6. Next, the coating device 20 is lowered by the lifting / lowering support arm 32 until it comes into contact with the resin liquid surface, and is subsequently guided by the slide bars 28 and 28 in FIG. A coating liquid surface is formed on the surface of the object 18.

When the coating apparatus 20 passes through the cured product 18 which is being formed on the elevating table 16, the tips of the rotating members 60 and 60 of the operating bodies 54 and 54 are rotated by the respective rotating disks 42 of the ratchet mechanisms 36 and 36. L-shaped locking member 4
4 and the retaining lever 5
2 presses and rotates the rotating disk 42 clockwise by 120 degrees.

As a result, the coating device 20 rotates, and the resin liquid 14 adhering to the surface near the edge portion 34 is removed as shown in FIG.
The leaf spring 40 of the cleaning device 38 is operated by a series of operations shown in FIG.
, Which are sequentially scraped off. When the coating device 20 moves from the right to the left in FIG. 1 and passes through the elevating table 16 on which the cured material that is being molded is placed, the operating body 54 is moved.
The rotating members 60 and 60 contact the L-shaped upper locking members 44 provided on the rotating disks 42 of the ratchet mechanisms 36 and 36 to rotate the coating apparatus 20 at intervals of 120 degrees.

The position at which the operating body 54 contacts the L-shaped locking member 44 is defined as a predetermined position of the coating device 20. Therefore, every time the coating device 20 makes one reciprocation on the cured material 18, the cleaning device removes the resin liquid attached to the coating device at a predetermined position. When one coating process is completed by the coating device 20, the resin liquid surface of uniform thickness applied on the elevating table 16 by the scanning of the light beam irradiation device 22 is hardened as in the related art.
Thereafter, by repeating the same steps, an optically shaped object having a predetermined shape is formed.

In the above-described embodiment, the coating device 20 is rotated at a predetermined position to remove the resin liquid adhering to the coating device 20 by the leaf spring 40 of the cleaning device 38. Alternatively, the leaf spring of the cleaning device may be moved up and down without rotating the coating device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a coating device and a cleaning device in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a principle of rotation operation of a main part in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a ratchet mechanism for rotating and holding the coating device at every fixed angle.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of another embodiment of an edge portion provided in a coating apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the coating apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part showing a series of operations of a coating device and a cleaning device.

FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view of a conventional stereolithography apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Stereolithography apparatus 12 ... Resin tank 14 ... Photocurable resin liquid 16 ... Elevating table 18 ... Pre-cured material 20 ... Coating device 22 ... Light beam irradiation device 36 ... Ratchet mechanism 38 ... Cleaning device 54 ... Operating body

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A resin tank containing a photocurable resin liquid, an elevating table for elevating and lowering the inside of the resin tank in a horizontal state, and mounting a cured product, and elevating control means for driving the elevating table, Coating means for applying the resin liquid to a uniform thickness on the surface of the cured product placed on the elevating table, and performing a light beam scan on the resin liquid surface applied to the surface of the cured product. A laser beam irradiating unit for curing the liquid surface of the resin, and further comprising a cleaning unit for removing the resin liquid attached to the coating unit. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the coating unit includes a coating unit and a rotation unit configured to rotate the coating unit, and the cleaning unit scrapes off the resin liquid attached to the coating unit in contact with the rotating coating unit. The stereolithography device according to claim 1, further comprising a member. 3. An optical shaping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said rotating means includes a ratchet mechanism and an operating body for operating said ratchet mechanism. 4. The optical shaping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said scraping member includes a leaf spring. 5. The optical shaping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said coating portion includes an edge formed along a rotation axis.