Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100006228 | LAMINATION SHAPING APPARATUS - A lamination shaping apparatus has a powder layer preparing means and an optical unit which irradiates a light beam to an intended portion of a powder layer so as to sinter or melt for solidifying the portion into a cured layer. Preparation of the powder layer and curing of the cured layer are repeated to fabricate a three-dimensional object in which a plurality of the cured layers are laminated and integrated. The apparatus includes a fixed base carrying thereon the powder layer and the cured layer, an elevator frame surrounding a periphery of the fixed base, and driving means for driving the elevator frame to move vertically. The powder layer is formed within a space above the base and surrounded by an interior surface of the elevator fame such that the powder layer (cured layer) can be stacked on the base with the base being kept at a fixed position, thereby facilitating to fabricate a precisely shaped object. | 01-14-2010 |
20100031882 | Apparatus for producing a laminated object - An apparatus for producing a laminated object, includes a powder layer forming unit for forming a powder layer of a powdery material, a material supply unit for feeding the powdery material to the powder layer forming unit; and a solidified layer forming unit for forming a solidified layer by irradiating a light beam on a specified portion of the powder layer and sintering or melting the specified portion of the powder layer. The apparatus is configured to produce an integrally laminated three-dimensional object by repeating formation of the powder layer and formation of the solidified layer. The material supply unit includes a cartridge unit charged with the powdery material, the cartridge unit being configured to allow the powdery material to drop downwards. | 02-11-2010 |
20100034983 | Method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object - In a method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object, a powder layer is formed by feeding a powdery material to a substrate and a solidified layer is formed by irradiating a light beam on a specified portion of the powder layer to sinter or melt the specified portion of the powder layer. A three-dimensionally shaped object having a plurality of solidified layers laminated one above another is obtained by repeating the powder layer formation and the solidified -layer formation. In the method, a stress is preliminarily applied to the substrate to reduce the amount of deformation of the substrate after production of the shaped object prior to the powder layer forming step. | 02-11-2010 |
20100044547 | Method and apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object, and three dimesionally shaped object - A method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object, includes the steps of: (i) forming a solidified layer by irradiating a light beam on a specified portion of a powder layer placed on a shaping table to sinter or melt the specified portion; (ii) forming another solidified layer by placing a new powder layer on the solidified layer thus obtained, and irradiating the light beam on a specified portion of the new powder layer to sinter or melt the specified portion of the new powder layer; and (iii) repeating the step (ii) to produce a three-dimensionally shaped object. When performing the steps (i) to (iii) within a chamber, at least a part of an ambient gas in the chamber is exhausted from the chamber through a gas passage of a shaping tank. | 02-25-2010 |
20100044922 | Method and apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object - In a method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object, (i) a solidified layer is formed by irradiating a light beam on a specified portion of a powder layer to sinter or melt the specified portion. Further, (ii) another solidified layer is formed by placing a new powder layer on the solidified layer obtained in step (i), and irradiating the light beam on a specified portion of the new powder layer to sinter or melt the specified portion of the new powder layer. The steps (i) and (ii) are repeated to produce a three-dimensionally shaped object. In the method, a gas is supplied to a mirror used in scanning the light beam. | 02-25-2010 |
20100047470 | Method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object - A method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped object, includes a powder layer forming step of supplying a powdery material to form a powder layer; a solidified layer forming step of irradiating a light beam on a specified portion of the powder layer to sinter or melt the powder layer into a solidified layer; and a step of repeating the powder layer forming step and the solidified layer forming step to integrally laminate the solidified layer to produce the three-dimensionally shaped object. The solidified layer is integrally formed on an upper surface of a substrate and the thickness of the substrate is decided by a maximum horizontal cross-sectional area of the shaped object. The substrate is made of a material having the Young's modulus greater than that of the shaped object. | 02-25-2010 |
20120139166 | Method of and Apparatus for Making a Three-Dimensional Object - An apparatus for making a three-dimensional object includes a table, a powdery layer-former that forms a powdery layer on the table, and an optical beam-irradiator that irradiates an optical beam on a predetermined region of the powdery layer to sinter the predetermined region of the powdery layer. A chamber for accommodating the table and the powdery layer-former and a lid for opening and closing an opening defined in the chamber at a location immediately above an optical beam-irradiating range are provided. The three-dimensional object is taken out from the chamber through the opening upon completion of the sintering, and the optical beam-irradiator is disposed at a position deviated from immediately above the optical beam-irradiating range to obliquely irradiate the optical beam on the powdery layer. | 06-07-2012 |
20150321256 | APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN INTEGRALLY LAMINATED THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT BY REPEATING FORMATION OF POWDER LAYER AND SOLIDIFIED LAYER - An apparatus for producing a laminated object, includes a powder layer forming unit for forming a powder layer of a powdery material, a material supply unit for feeding the powdery material to the powder layer forming unit; and a solidified layer forming unit for forming a solidified layer by irradiating a light beam on a specified portion of the powder layer and sintering or melting the specified portion of the powder layer. The apparatus is configured to produce an integrally laminated three-dimensional object by repeating formation of the powder layer and formation of the solidified layer. The material supply unit includes a cartridge unit charged with the powdery material, the cartridge unit being configured to allow the powdery material to drop downwards. | 11-12-2015 |