IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,911,962
Granted Patent B2
US 11,911,962 · App. 17/477,153 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus with a porous stage and support body

Inventors: Eiji Okamoto (Matsumoto, JP); Shinichi Nakamura (Okaya, JP); Koki Hirata (Shiojiri, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
B29C64/245B22F7/004B22F10/14B22F10/38B22F12/30B29C64/165B29C64/20B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y80/00B22F10/68Y02P10/25
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,911,962
App. No.
17/477,153
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A three-dimensionally shaped article production member is a member used in a three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped article by stacking a layer formed using a composition containing particles. The member is placed on a stage and comes in contact with the layer, and has a portion provided with pores in a contact surface with the layer.

Claims (35)

1. A three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus, which is an apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped article by stacking a layer formed using a composition containing particles, comprising:

a three-dimensionally shaped body that comprises a first portion which has a plurality of pores through a height of the three-dimensionally shaped body, and a second portion which does not have the pores or has a plurality of the pores sealed, wherein the second portion is surrounded by the first portion;

a stage, on which the three-dimensionally shaped body is placed; and

a suction unit for adsorbing the three-dimensionally shaped body onto the stage by suction,

wherein the stage is provided with pores penetrating through the stage in a thickness direction and the suction unit is configured to adsorb the three-dimensionally shaped body onto the stage by sucking through the pores provided in the stage, and

wherein the stage is provided with pores penetrating through the stage in the thickness direction to form pore openings on a top surface and a bottom surface of the stage, the suction unit being configured to absorb the three-dimensionally shaped body onto the stage by sucking through the pore openings of the pores in the bottom surface of the stage,

a pore width of the pores provided in the stage is larger than a pore width of the pores provided in the first portion.

2. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the three-dimensionally shaped body comprises a contact surface that is treated to prevent the three-dimensionally shaped article from adhering to the contact surface.

3. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a porosity of the first portion is about 10% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less.

4. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second portion is surrounded by a plurality of the pores of the first portion with the second portion being disposed within 0.2×L (mm) from an outer periphery of the three-dimensionally shaped body, where L is a length of a surface of the three-dimensional shaped body upon which the layer is formed.

5. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally shaped body includes a portion constituted by a sintered body of particles constituted by a metal material or a ceramic material.

6. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pores are sized such that a solvent included in the composition can be removed through the pores.

7. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pores are provided in the stage so as to overlap the second portion and the pores in the first portion are provided in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the stage on which the three-dimensionally shaped body is placed.

8. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the suction unit is configured to adsorb the layer onto the three-dimensionally shaped body by sucking through the pores provided in the first portion; and

the suction unit adsorbs the layer onto the three-dimensionally shaped body with a first adsorb power when n layers are stacked onto the three-dimensionally shaped body, and the suction unit adsorbs the layer onto the three-dimensionally shaped body with a second adsorb power larger than the first adsorb power when m layers, which are more than the n layers, are stacked onto the three-dimensionally shaped body.

9. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an average pore diameter of the pores in the three-dimensionally shaped body is 0.1 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

10. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a composition supply section configured to supply the composition containing particles;

a binding solution ejection section configured to eject a binding solution containing a binding agent toward the composition containing particles;

a curing unit configured to irradiate and cure the binding solution; and

wherein the three-dimensionally shaped body includes a portion constituted by a sintered body of particles constituted by a ceramic material.

11. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein in the thickness direction, the second portion is provided in a region which does not overlap with a portion of the layer where the binding solution is cured.

12. The three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the suction unit adsorbs the layer onto the three-dimensionally shaped body with a first adsorb power when the binding solution is applied to the composition containing particles, and the suction unit adsorbs the layer onto the three-dimensionally shaped body with a second adsorb power larger than the first adsorb power when the composition containing particles is supplied toward the three-dimensionally shaped body.

13. A three-dimensionally shaped article production apparatus, which is an apparatus for producing a three-dimensionally shaped article by stacking a layer formed using a composition containing particles, comprising:

a three-dimensionally shaped body that comprises a first portion which has a plurality of pores through a height of the three-dimensionally shaped body, and a second portion which does not have the pores or has a plurality of the pores sealed, wherein the second portion is surrounded by the first portion;

a stage, on which the three-dimensionally shaped body is placed; and

a suction unit for adsorbing the three-dimensionally shaped body onto the stage by suction,

wherein the stage is provided with pores penetrating through the stage in a thickness direction to form pore openings on a top surface and a bottom surface of the stage, the suction unit is configured to adsorb the three-dimensionally shaped body onto the stage by sucking through the pore openings of the pores in the bottom surface of the stage, and

wherein in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the stage on which the three-dimensionally shaped body is placed, at least one of the pores provided in the stage is provided so as to overlap the second portion and at least one of the pores provided in the stage is provided so as to overlap at least one of the pores provided in the first portion,

wherein a pore width of the pores provided in the stage is larger than a pore width of the pores provided in the first portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2021
From: OKAMOTO, EIJI; NAKAMURA, SHINICHI; HIRATA, KOKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057505/0453 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-020009 · Feb 4, 2015 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15014089 · Feb 3, 2016
Related Publication 20220001605A1 · Jan 6, 2022