JP2008242609A - Three-dimensional design support method, three-dimensional design support apparatus and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional design method, a three-dimensional design support apparatus and a computer program to design, in a short period of time, an internal structure having a function of discharging uncured photo-curing resin liquid remaining inside. <P>SOLUTION: A CPU 1 aligns a plurality of unit structures vertically and horizontally and laminates them such that adjacent peripheral faces are in contact to generate a laminated structure, and then a Boolean operation part 41 computes the logical sum of a shell 90 and the laminated structure. The CPU 1 operates an excess processing part 42 to remove portions of the laminated structure protruding from the shell as excess portions and generate an internal structure, then a combination processing part 43 combines the internal structure and the shell, and stores the result in a CAD data storage part 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for supporting 3D design, a 3D design support apparatus applied to the implementation thereof, and a computer program.

  While a processing tank having a gantry disposed inside and below and rotating freely is filled with the photocurable resin liquid, the gantry is raised to the vicinity of the interface of the photocuring resin liquid, and the photocuring on the gantry is performed. By irradiating a predetermined position of the resin liquid with laser light of a predetermined wavelength to cure the photo-curing resin liquid, and by rotating and lowering the gantry according to pre-created three-dimensional CAD (Computer Aided Desingn) data, An optical modeling apparatus for obtaining an optical modeling object having an originally designed outer skin has been put into practical use.

  In such an optically shaped object, an internal structure having a honeycomb-like skeleton is formed in the outer skin in order to maintain the three-dimensional shape of the outer skin. Since the uncured photocuring resin liquid remains in the internal structure, it is important to discharge the remaining photocuring resin liquid out of the outer skin.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1 to be described later, a part of the plurality of ribs constituting the honeycomb-like internal structure is omitted, or the discharge holes are respectively opened at appropriate positions of the ribs to remain inside. An optical modeling method is disclosed in which the photocurable resin liquid is discharged out of the outer skin.
JP-A-6-114948

  However, when a part of a plurality of ribs is omitted or an internal structure having a discharge hole at an appropriate position of each rib is designed using a conventional three-dimensional CAD device, the omitted part or discharge There was a problem that the part where the holes were opened had to be designed manually by the operator, which was not practical.

  Therefore, after designing a conventional internal structure that does not have a function of discharging the photocurable resin liquid, a through hole is virtually opened in the internal structure using a rod body designed to have a required diameter. Although it is conceivable to use an internal structure as a target, such a calculation has a heavy load on the computer, and a result cannot be obtained within a practical time.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is a three-dimensional design capable of executing in a short time the design of an internal structure having a function of discharging the uncured photocured resin liquid remaining inside. Provided are a design method, a three-dimensional design support apparatus used for the implementation, and a computer program.

  (1) In the present invention, when supporting the three-dimensional design of the internal structure in order to form the internal structure of the honeycomb in the outer skin by optical modeling in a photocurable resin liquid, the internal structure is configured. A plurality of unit structures each having a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the photocurable resin liquid are stacked on the basic structure to generate a honeycomb stacked structure, and the generated stacked structure and the outer skin are formed. The internal structure is generated by calculating a logical sum of the above and removing an excess portion protruding from the outer skin of the laminated structure.

  As described above, in the present invention, since a plurality of unit structures having discharge holes formed at appropriate positions are stacked in the vertical and horizontal directions to form a honeycomb stacked structure, an uncured photocured resin liquid remaining inside Even when designing an internal structure having a function of discharging gas, the load applied to the computer can be reduced as much as possible, and processing can be performed at high speed in a short time.

  (2) Further, in the present invention, the basic structure and a plurality of discharge hole bodies for opening a photocurable resin liquid discharge hole in the basic structure correspond to the basic structure in the memory. The disposed discharge hole structure is set in advance, the basic structure and the discharge hole structure corresponding to the basic structure are read from the memory, and the read basic structure and discharge hole structure are read out. The unit structure is generated by using the unit structure.

  A discharge hole structure in which a plurality of discharge hole bodies for opening a photocurable resin liquid discharge hole are arranged corresponding to the basic structure is superimposed on the basic structure described above, and discharged from the basic structure. By calculating a so-called logical difference that removes the area of the hole structure, a unit structure having a plurality of discharge holes can be generated in a short time.

  When such unit structures are laminated, each discharge hole body is opened at the same position of each unit structure, so that the opposing discharge holes in both adjacent unit structures communicate with each other, thereby A discharge path for discharging the photocurable resin liquid remaining in the internal structure is generated.

  On the other hand, by setting the basic structure and the discharge hole structure, both dimensions can be adjusted without changing the size of the discharge holes, even when both dimensions are adjusted as described later. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a decrease in strength of the unit structure after the dimension adjustment.

  (3) Moreover, in this invention, when the dimension of the said basic structure was set, the dimension of the read basic structure and the structure for discharge holes was adjusted according to the set dimension, and was adjusted. The unit structure is generated using the basic structure and the discharge hole structure.

  Thereby, it is possible to adjust to a basic structure having a size corresponding to the size of the outer skin, and it is possible to generate an internal structure having a required strength but a smaller configuration. Thereby, the time required for optical modeling can be shortened as much as possible.

  (4) Further, in the present invention, the memory includes a plurality of different basic structures, and a plurality of discharge hole structures in which a plurality of discharge hole bodies are arranged corresponding to the respective basic structures. When an arbitrary basic structure is selected from each basic structure, the selected basic structure and the discharge hole structure corresponding to the selected basic structure are read from the memory. It is also characterized by use.

  Thereby, it is possible to select a basic structure of a kind according to the conditions such as the shape of the outer skin and the required strength, and to generate an internal structure that can be photo-molded in a shorter time according to the conditions Can do.

(Embodiment of the present invention)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a 3D design support apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a skin design support unit that performs 3D design support of the skin. The skin design support unit 2 executes support for 3D design of the skin in the work storage unit 34 provided in the memory 3 based on information input from the input unit 5 such as a keyboard and a trackball. The result is displayed on the display unit 6.

  When the outer skin design support unit 2 finishes the outer skin three-dimensional design support, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1 gives the three-dimensionally designed outer skin three-dimensional data to the CAD data storage unit 31 of the memory 3. To memorize.

  The three-dimensional design support apparatus includes an internal structure design support unit 4 that supports the design of the internal structure corresponding to the outer skin as will be described later. The internal structure design support unit 4 includes a plurality of internal structure design support units 4. A Boolean operation unit 41 that calculates a logical difference and a logical sum of the structures of the two, a surplus processing unit 42 that deletes a surplus part from the structure obtained by the Boolean operation unit 41 calculating a logical sum, and a surplus processing unit 42 There is provided a coupling processing unit 43 that couples the inner structure obtained by processing with the outer skin.

  Further, in the memory 3 described above, a basic structure storage unit 32 in which a plurality of types of basic structures that are one unit form of the honeycomb are registered, and a plurality of discharge holes are appropriately positioned according to each basic structure. A discharge hole structure storage unit 33 in which a plurality of discharge hole structures to be opened is registered.

4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams for explaining an example of a basic structure registered in the basic structure storage unit 32 shown in FIG.
For example, a regular square tube structure 51 as shown in FIG. 4 and a regular hexagonal cylinder structure 52 as shown in FIG. 5 are registered as basic structures that are one unit form constituting the honeycomb. The vertical dimension, the horizontal dimension, and the length dimension can be arbitrarily changed.

In addition to these, for example, a structure in a unit form constituting the honeycomb, such as a regular triangular tube structure or a parallelogram tube structure, may be registered.
In addition, a plurality of types of these basic structures may be registered, but one appropriate type (for example, a regular hexagonal cylinder structure 52) may be registered. When a plurality of types are registered, it is preferable because a basic structure according to the outer skin shape can be selected.
6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams for explaining an example of the discharge hole structure registered in the discharge hole structure storage unit 33 shown in FIG.

  The example shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the regular rectangular tube structure 51 shown in FIG. 2 described above, and as shown in the drawing, the regular square tube discharge hole structure 61 has a plurality of spherical shapes. A plurality (three in the case shown in FIG. 6) of the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Are arranged at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction of the four ridges in the longitudinal direction of the regular square tube. The dimensions between the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Are adjusted to dimensions corresponding to the length dimensions of the corresponding regular rectangular tube structures 51.

  The example shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the regular hexagonal cylinder structure 52 shown in FIG. 5 described above. As shown in the figure, the regular hexagonal cylinder discharge hole structure 62 includes a plurality of structures as in the previous case. Are arranged on the six ridges in the longitudinal direction of the regular hexagonal cylinder so as to be located at a plurality of intervals in the longitudinal direction. .

  In the present embodiment, the spherical discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Are used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various other three-dimensional discharge hole bodies can be used. Needless to say. On the other hand, when the spherical discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Are used as in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to consider the inclination of the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional design support apparatus is provided with a disk drive 7 for operating a recording medium M such as a flexible disk or a magneto-optical disk, and from the recording medium M via the disk drive 7. The read computer program is given to an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 8 and stored therein.

Next, a method for supporting the design of the internal structure in such a three-dimensional design support apparatus will be described.
2 and 3 are flowcharts showing a procedure for the design support performed by the three-dimensional design support apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 1 of the three-dimensional design support apparatus displays a skin selection screen for allowing the user to select required data from the three-dimensional data of the skin stored in the CAD data storage unit 31. 6 (step S1), and waits until an appropriate outer skin is selected by the user (step S2). When the CPU 1 of the 3D design support apparatus determines that an appropriate skin is selected on the skin selection screen, the CPU 3 reads out the 3D data relating to the corresponding skin from the CAD data storage unit 31 (step S3), FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the skin 90 is developed in the work storage unit 34 (step S4).

In addition, the CPU 1 of the three-dimensional design support apparatus displays a basic structure selection screen for allowing the user to select an appropriate basic structure on the display unit 6 (step S5), and the appropriate basic structure is selected by the user. It waits until it is done (step S6). When the CPU 1 determines that the basic structure is selected on the basic structure selection screen, the CPU 1 reads out the three-dimensional data related to the corresponding basic structure from the basic structure storage unit 32 (step S7). The basic structure is expanded in the work storage unit 34 (step S8), and a dimension input screen for allowing the user to input the dimensions (vertical dimension, horizontal dimension, length dimension) of the basic structure is displayed on the display unit 6. It is displayed (step S10).
Here, the length dimension of the basic structure may be set by a three-dimensional design support apparatus that calculates a value longer than the maximum width dimension of the outer skin by a predetermined dimension.

  The CPU 1 waits until each dimension of the basic structure is input on the dimension input screen (step S11), and when determining that it has been input, the dimension (vertical dimension, horizontal dimension, The length dimension) is adjusted according to each input dimension (step S12). Further, the CPU 1 reads out the three-dimensional data related to the discharge hole structure corresponding to the selected basic structure from the discharge hole structure storage unit 33 (step S20), and configures the discharge hole structure. .. Are adjusted to dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the basic structure input in step 11.

  In this way, the strength of the unit structure described later is reduced by adjusting the dimension between the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Without adjusting the dimensions of the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,. Can be avoided.

  The dimensions of each of the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... May be adjusted within an appropriate range that does not cause a lower strength than the required strength. In this case, since the discharge hole of the size according to the size of the basic structure whose dimensions have been adjusted is opened, the photocurable resin can be discharged quickly.

  In each of the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Arranged in the longitudinal direction, the dimension between the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Is kept constant and corresponds to the length of the basic structure. Then, the number of discharge hole bodies 60, 60, ... may be adjusted.

  When the CPU 1 completes the dimensional adjustment of the basic structure and the discharge hole structure in this manner, the CPU 1 operates the Boolean operation unit 41 to calculate the logical difference between the basic structure and the discharge hole structure ( Step S30), by removing the discharge hole body from the basic structure, a unit structure having a discharge hole is generated.

  8 and 9 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the generation of the unit structure by the Boolean operation unit 41 shown in FIG. In both figures, the case where the regular hexagonal cylinder structure 52 is the basic structure 52 and the regular hexagonal cylinder discharge hole structure 62 is the discharge hole structure 62 is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the Boolean calculation unit 41 superimposes the basic structure 52 and the discharge hole structure 62 that have been dimensionally adjusted as described above. At this time, the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Of the discharge hole structure 62 are located at the respective ridges 52 a, 52 a,.

  When the process of removing the portion surrounded by the discharge hole bodies 60, 60,... Of the discharge hole structure 62 is performed, the discharge hole structure is formed on the peripheral surface of the basic structure 52 as shown in FIG. A unit structure 72 in which discharge holes 70, 70,... Corresponding to the bodies 60, 60,.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 1 displays a stacking dimension input screen that allows the user to input stacking dimensions including vertical and horizontal dimensions in order to stack a plurality of unit structures 72, 72,. It is displayed on the unit 6 (step S32), and it waits until the layer size is inputted (step S33). Here, the stacking dimension is set to be appropriately longer than the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the outer skin.

  In the present embodiment, the layer size input screen is displayed to allow the user to input the layer size including the vertical size and the horizontal size. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above-described outer skin is used. The maximum vertical dimension and the maximum horizontal dimension of the outer skin are obtained from the CAD data according to the above, the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension that are larger than the maximum vertical dimension and the maximum horizontal dimension obtained by a predetermined dimension are calculated, and the calculated vertical dimension and horizontal dimension are stacked. It can also be a dimension.

In this case, it is preferable because the user can save the trouble of inputting the stacking dimensions.
When the CPU 1 determines that the stacking dimensions have been input on the stacking dimension input screen, the CPU 1 aligns the plurality of unit structures 72, 72,... In the vertical and horizontal directions in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the input stacking dimensions. The stacked structures 80 as shown in FIG. 10 are generated by stacking them so that adjacent circumferential surfaces are in contact with each other (step S34).

  In this stacking process, only the process of stacking the plurality of unit structures 72, 72,... In which the discharge holes 70, 70,. It is possible to reduce as much as possible, and the stacking process can be performed at high speed.

  Moreover, since each discharge hole 70,70, ... is opened in the same position in each unit structure 72,72, ..., the discharge hole 70,70, ... which opposes in both adjacent unit structures 72,72. , 70, 70,... Communicate with each other.

  When such a laminated structure 80 is generated, the CPU 1 operates the Boolean operation unit 41 again to calculate the logical sum of the outer skin 90 read out in step S3 and the laminated structure 80 (step S40). Then, the CPU 1 operates the above-described surplus processing unit 42 to remove the portion protruding from the outer skin 90 of the laminated structure 80 as a surplus portion (step S50), and the internal structure 85 is removed as shown in FIG. After the generation, the combination processing unit 43 is operated to combine the internal structure 85 and the outer skin 90 as shown in FIG. 13 (step S60), and the result is given to the CAD data storage unit 31 and stored therein. Store (step S70).

  In the present embodiment, the 3D design support apparatus including the skin design support unit 2 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and data relating to the skin created by other 3D support apparatuses is CAD data. You may make it read and memorize | store in the memory | storage part 31. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the outer skin design support unit 2 in the three-dimensional design support device.

  In the present embodiment, the basic structure and the discharge hole structure are set in advance, and the Boolean operation unit 41 calculates the logical difference between the basic structure and the discharge hole structure, thereby discharging the structure. The unit structure having the holes is generated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an appropriate unit structure having the discharge holes may be set in advance.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the three-dimensional design assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure in which the three-dimensional design support apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs design support. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure in which the three-dimensional design support apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs design support. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of the basic structure registered into the basic structure memory | storage part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of the basic structure registered into the basic structure memory | storage part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of the structure for discharge holes registered into the structure storage part for discharge holes shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of the structure for discharge holes registered into the structure storage part for discharge holes shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the production | generation of the unit structure by the Boolean calculating part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the production | generation of the unit structure by the Boolean calculating part shown in FIG. It is drawing which shows an example of a laminated structure. It is drawing which shows an example of the outer skin designed three-dimensionally. It is drawing which shows an example of the produced | generated internal structure. It is drawing which shows the example of a coupling | bonding of an internal structure and an outer_layer | skin.

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Outer skin design support part 3 Memory 4 Internal structure design support part 32 Basic structure memory | storage part 33 Exhaust hole structure memory | storage part 41 Boolean arithmetic part 42 Surplus processing part 43 Joint processing part 52 Basic structure 52a Ridge part 60 Exhaust hole Body 62 Discharge hole structure 70 Discharge hole 72 Unit structure 80 Laminated structure 85 Internal structure 90 Skin

Claims (6)

In a method for supporting the three-dimensional design of the internal structure in order to form the internal structure of the honeycomb in the outer shell by stereolithography in a photocurable resin liquid,
A plurality of unit structures formed by opening a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the photo-curing resin liquid are stacked on the basic structure constituting the internal structure to generate a honeycomb stacked structure A three-dimensional design support method, wherein the inner structure is generated by calculating a logical sum of the laminated structure and the outer skin, and removing an excess portion protruding from the outer skin of the laminated structure. In an apparatus for supporting the three-dimensional design of the internal structure, comprising a memory for storing data related to the outer skin in order to form an internal structure of the honeycomb in the outer skin by light modeling in a photocurable resin liquid,
Means for stacking a plurality of unit structures formed by opening a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the photo-curing resin liquid on the basic structure constituting the internal structure to generate a laminated structure of honeycomb; ,
Means for calculating a logical sum of the generated laminated structure and the outer skin;
A three-dimensional design support apparatus comprising: means for generating the internal structure by removing an excess portion protruding from the outer skin of the laminated structure. In the memory, a discharge hole structure in which the basic structure and a plurality of discharge hole bodies for opening the photocurable resin liquid discharge holes in the basic structure are arranged corresponding to the basic structure. The body is preset,
Reading means for reading out the basic structure and the discharge hole structure corresponding to the basic structure from the memory;
3. The three-dimensional design support apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising unit structure generation means for generating the unit structure using the read basic structure and discharge hole structure. When the dimensions of the basic structure are set, adjustment means for adjusting the dimensions of the read basic structure and the discharge hole structure according to the set dimensions,
4. The three-dimensional design support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the unit structure generation means generates the unit structure using the adjusted basic structure and the discharge hole structure. In the memory, a plurality of different basic structures, and a plurality of discharge hole structures each having a plurality of discharge hole bodies corresponding to each basic structure are set,
When an arbitrary basic structure is selected from each basic structure, the reading means reads the selected basic structure and the discharge hole structure corresponding to the selected basic structure from the memory. The three-dimensional design support apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein In order to form the honeycomb internal structure in the outer skin by stereolithography in a photo-curing resin liquid, it is possible to execute a computer equipped with a memory for storing data related to the outer skin and supporting the three-dimensional design of the inner structure. Computer program,
The computer,
Means for generating a honeycomb laminated structure by laminating a plurality of unit structures each having a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the photocurable resin liquid in the basic structure constituting the internal structure ,
Means for calculating a logical sum of the generated laminated structure and the outer skin,
Means for generating the internal structure by removing excess portions protruding from the outer skin of the laminated structure;
A computer program that functions as a computer program.

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