IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,625,497
Granted Patent B2
US 10,625,497 · App. 15/298,428 · Granted Apr 21, 2020

Three-dimensional printing apparatus and three-dimensional printing method

Inventors: Chao-Shun Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Keng-Han Chuang (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
B33Y10/00B29C64/124B29C64/129B29C64/135B29C64/20B33Y30/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,625,497
App. No.
15/298,428
Granted
Apr 21, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a container and a projecting structure. The container is configured to contain a liquid photosensitive material. The liquid photosensitive material includes a variety of photoinitiators and a monomer. The projecting structure is configured to provide a variety of molding beams to irradiate the liquid photosensitive material. The variety of molding beams have different wavelengths and are used to actuate a polymerization between one of the variety of photoinitiators and the monomer respectively thereby forming a solidified layer. A three-dimensional printing method is also provided.

Claims (34)

1. A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:

a container, configured to contain a liquid photosensitive material, wherein the liquid photosensitive material comprises a variety of photoinitiators and a monomer, wherein the variety of photoinitiators at least comprises a first photoinitiator and a second photoinitiator, and the first photoinitiator is different from the second photoinitiator; and

a projecting structure, configured to provide a variety of molding beams to irradiate the liquid photosensitive material, wherein the variety of molding beams at least comprises a first molding beam with a first wavelength and a second molding beam with a second wavelength, and the first wavelength is different from the second wavelength;

wherein the first photoinitiator is suitable for polymerizing with the monomer after receiving the first molding beam with the first wavelength to form a solidified layer with a first color, and the second photoinitiator is suitable for polymerizing with the monomer after receiving the second molding beam with the second wavelength to form a solidified layer with a second color, wherein the first color is different from the second color;

wherein the projecting structure comprises a light combiner module, provided on the transmission paths of a variety of light beams;

wherein the wavelengths of the first molding beam and the second molding beam are between 355-415 nm.

2. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first molding beam and the second molding beam are blue light or ultraviolet light.

3. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first molding beam is chosen from one of the groups of 395-415 nm, 375-395 nm and 355-375 nm.

4. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a molding platform, configured to move in a direction toward or away from the container, wherein the solidified layer is formed on the molding platform.

5. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting structure comprises:

a light source assembly, comprising a plurality of light emitting elements configured to emit the variety of respective light beams with different wavelengths;

a light valve, configured to convert the variety of light beams into the variety of molding beams; and

the light combiner module is disposed between the light source assembly and the light valve wherein the light combiner module is configured to transmit the variety of light beams toward the light valve in the same direction.

6. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the projecting structure further comprises a lens, provided on the transmission paths of the variety of molding beams and configured to make the variety of molding beams irradiate the liquid photosensitive material in the container.

7. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each one of the plurality of light emitting elements is configured to emit the respective light beam, and the plurality of light emitting elements further comprise one selected from two conditions of: (1) they are disposed separately; (2) at least two of they are connected.

8. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the light combiner module further comprises one selected from three conditions of: (1) a plurality of dichroic mirrors; (2) an X-shaped light combiner element; and (3) an internal total reflection prism.

9. A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:

a container, configured to contain a liquid photosensitive material, wherein the liquid photosensitive material comprises a variety of photoinitiators and a monomer, wherein the variety of photoinitiators at least comprises a first photoinitiator and a second photoinitiator, and the first photoinitiator is different from the second photoinitiator; and

a projecting structure, configured to provide a variety of molding beams with different wavelengths to irradiate the liquid photosensitive material, wherein the variety of molding beams at least comprises a first molding beam with a first wavelength and a second molding beam with a second wavelength, and the first wavelength is different from the second wavelength, wherein the first photoinitiator is suitable for polymerizing with the monomer after receiving the first molding beam with the first wavelength to form a solidified layer with a first color, and the second photoinitiator is suitable for polymerizing with the monomer after receiving the second molding beam with the second wavelength to form a solidified layer with a second color, wherein the first color is different from the second color;

wherein the projecting structure comprises a light combiner module and a light valve, provided on the transmission paths of a variety of light beams, wherein the light combiner module is configured to transmit the variety of light beams toward the light valve in the same direction;

wherein the wavelength of at least one of the variety of molding beams is less than 400 nm.

10. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a molding platform, configured to move in a direction toward or away from the container, wherein the polymerization between the variety of photoinitiators and the monomer are formed on the molding platform.

11. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the projecting structure comprises:

a light source assembly, comprising a plurality of light emitting elements configured to emit the variety of respective light beams with different wavelengths;

the light valve, configured to convert the variety of light beams into the variety of molding beams; and

the light combiner module is disposed between the light source assembly and the light valve.

12. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the projecting structure further comprises a lens, provided on the transmission paths of the variety of molding beams and configured to make the variety of molding beams irradiate the liquid photosensitive material in the container.

13. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the variety of molding beams are blue light or ultraviolet light which have different wavelengths, the wavelengths of the variety of molding beams are less than 480 nm.

14. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the wavelengths of the variety of molding beams are chosen from the group of 395-415 nm, 375-395 nm and 355-375 nm.

15. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein each one of the plurality of light emitting elements is configured to emit the respective light beam, and the plurality of light emitting elements are disposed separately.

16. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein each one of the plurality of light emitting elements is configured to emit the respective light beam, and at least two of the plurality of light emitting elements are connected.

17. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the light combiner module further comprises a plurality of dichroic mirrors.

18. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the light combiner module further comprises an X-shaped light combiner element.

19. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the light combiner module further comprises an internal total reflection prism.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2016
From: CHEN, CHAO-SHUN; CHUANG, KENG-HAN
To: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
Reel/Frame 040427/0101 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 104134726 A · Oct 22, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170113406A1 · Apr 27, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,691,637