JP3712202B2 - Light-solidified coloring modeling method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coloring modeling method and apparatus using a light solidification modeling method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The photo-solidification modeling method is also called rapid prototyping or stereolithography, and a photo-curable resin is cured with light to create a three-dimensional object.
[0003]
FIG. 3 is a principle diagram of the light solidification modeling method. (A) First, the data of the three-dimensional model 1 produced by three-dimensional CAD or X-ray CT is sliced horizontally on a computer to create cross-sectional shape data. (B) Next, the liquid surface of the liquid photocurable resin 2 is irradiated while scanning with the laser beam 3 along the slice data. The photo-curing resin is cured with a thickness having only a portion irradiated with the laser beam, and the cured layer 4 according to the cross-sectional shape data is formed. (C) Next, the table 5 on which the cured layer 4 (modeled object) is placed is moved by a pitch obtained by slicing the model 1, and an uncured thin resin layer is formed on the upper surface of the cured layer. At that time, a flattening operation called “recoat” is performed with a member usually called a blade, and the surface of the uncured resin liquid is made uniform. Similarly, the laser beam 3 is irradiated while scanning in accordance with the cross-sectional shape, and the cured layer is integrated with the immediately preceding cured layer 4. (D) By repeating the steps B and C, a target three-dimensional model is formed.
[0004]
The above-mentioned optical solidification modeling method has the feature that 3D objects can be created directly from CAD data without using a mold, and is used in many fields such as production of master models such as precision casting, production of maps and stereoscopic images. It has been. In addition, in order to increase the accuracy and efficiency of this light solidification modeling method, “optical modeling method” (Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-33900), “laminated plate molding method in photocuring modeling method” (Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-94149) , "Uniform surface exposure type photo-curing modeling apparatus" (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-141747) has been filed.
[0005]
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-36374 is disclosed as a means for producing a colored shaped article by a light solidification shaping method. This method includes a plurality of layers formed by layering and forming a curable resin, and at least one of the plurality of layers is a manufacturing method of a colored modeled object having a colored region formed by adding a colorant. The step (A) of forming the outer peripheral wall 6 by curing a region having a predetermined width along the contour line of the colored region, and the colorant 8 is added to the liquid phase region 7 in the outer peripheral wall. A process (B) and the process (C) which hardens the said colored area | region are included.
That is, as schematically shown in FIG. 4, in the outer peripheral wall forming step (A), an uncured groove portion 7 is formed at a certain distance from the side surface of the model during the modeling step, and in the colorant addition step (B), the groove portion The colored resin 8 is dropped onto the substrate, and in the colored region curing step (C), the dropping portion is irradiated with laser light 9 to be solidified and colored.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional colored modeling method shown in FIG. 4 has the following problems.
(1) Since it is necessary to perform three steps of outer peripheral wall formation, colorant addition, and colored region curing for each colored portion, the number of steps increases and modeling takes time.
(2) When performing multicolor modeling of two or more colors, it is necessary to form the outer peripheral wall 6 for each color, or to make the outer peripheral wall 6 also serve as the preceding colored portion, which makes the process very complicated. Therefore, multicolor modeling and full-color modeling are very difficult.
(3) Since the outer peripheral wall 6 is required, it is difficult to miniaturize the colored region. For this reason, it has been difficult to increase the color resolution.
[0007]
The present invention has been developed to solve the above-described problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a light-solidified coloring modeling method and apparatus capable of forming a colored portion in a short time without an outer peripheral wall, facilitating miniaturization of a colored region, and easily performing multicolor modeling and full color modeling. There is to do.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, the uncured layer forming step (A) for forming the uncured layer (2a) of the photocurable resin (2), and the first coloring dye (8) is dropped into the uncured layer . At the same time, the curing light (9) is irradiated to the dropping position of the dye to form the first cured coloring part, and the second coloring dye (8) is dropped to the position adjacent to the first cured coloring part. A coloring and curing step (B) for simultaneously irradiating the dripping position of the pigment with curing light (9) to form a second cured colored portion so as to be directly adjacent to the first cured colored portion; A feature of the light solidified coloring modeling method is provided.
[0009]
Moreover, according to this invention, the light irradiation apparatus (12) which irradiates the liquid level (2b) of photocurable resin (2) with hardening light (9), and the hardening layer (4) by light irradiation are subsurface. A settling device (14) for settling in water, a recoating device (16) for coating the settable cured layer with an uncured layer (2a), and a coloring dye (8) dropped onto the liquid surface of the photocurable resin. A dye dropping device (18), and the light irradiating device (12) and the dye dropping device (18) drop the first coloring dye on the liquid surface of the photocurable resin and simultaneously drop the dye at the dropping position. Irradiating curing light to form a first cured colored portion, a second coloring dye (8) is dropped at a position adjacent to the first cured colored portion, and at the same time, a curing light ( 9) has a second cured colored portion is irradiated so as to form directly adjacent said first cured colored portion, this Light solidifying coloring shaping apparatus according to claim is provided.
[0010]
According to the method and apparatus of the present invention, the uncured layer (2a) of the photocurable resin (2) is colored in the colored curing step (B) by the light irradiation device (12) and the dye dropping device (18). The pigment | dye (8) for dripping can be dripped and hardening light (9) can be irradiated to the dripping position of this pigment | dye simultaneously.
[0011]
Accordingly, the uncured layer (2a) of the photo-curable resin (2) is cured by being irradiated with the curing light (9) at the same time as the dye (8) is dripped, so that there is no conventional outer peripheral wall. The colored portion can be formed in a short time. Further, the dropping of the dye (8) can be miniaturized by using, for example, a head for an ink jet printer, and the irradiation of the curing light (9) can also be miniaturized by using, for example, a laser beam. Is easy. Furthermore, multi-color modeling and full-color modeling can be facilitated by providing each head separately for, for example, three primary colors.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coloring dye (8) is dropped vertically on the uncured layer, and the curing light (9) is obliquely irradiated to the same position.
With this configuration, the stacking step can be reduced.
[0013]
Further, the light irradiation head (13) of the light irradiation device (12) and the dye dropping head (19) of the dye dropping device (18) drop the dye at the same position and irradiate the curing light. They are connected together.
With this configuration, the light irradiation head (13) and the dye dropping head (19) can be held so that the dye is always dropped at the same position and the curing light is irradiated.
[0014]
Moreover, the liquid level position control apparatus (20) which controls a light irradiation head (13) and a pigment | dye dripping head (19) two-dimensionally along the liquid level of a photocurable resin is provided.
With this configuration, the light irradiation head (13) and the dye dropping head (19) are moved two-dimensionally along the liquid surface of the photocurable resin, and the colored cured layer can be freely formed.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the common part in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a light-solidified coloring modeling apparatus according to the present invention. In this figure, the light solidification coloring modeling apparatus of the present invention includes a light irradiation device 12, a sedimentation device 14, a recoat device 16, a dye dropping device 18, and a liquid surface position control device 20.
[0017]
The light irradiation device 12 includes a laser oscillator 12a, an optical shutter power controller 12b, a driver 12c, an optical fiber 12d, and a light irradiation head 13.
[0018]
The laser oscillator 12a needs to emit a laser beam (for example, UV) suitable for curing the photocurable resin 2, and for example, an Ar laser, a He—Cd laser, or the like is preferable. The optical shutter power controller 12b incorporates a modulator (shutter) and an iris (aperture), and adjusts the intensity of the laser light by a driver 12c. The optical fiber 12d is made of a flexible optical fiber, and guides laser light from the optical shutter power controller 12b to the light irradiation head 13.
[0019]
The light irradiation head 13 includes a beam expander, a lens, and a reflection mirror. The laser light 9 is converted into beam light having an appropriate diameter (for example, about 0.05 mm), and the laser light is reflected on the liquid surface of the photocurable resin 2 by the reflection mirror. Light is condensed obliquely at a predetermined position (photocuring position).
[0020]
The curing light 9 (laser light) introduced from the light irradiation device 12 with the above-described configuration is condensed obliquely at a predetermined position (photocuring position) on the liquid surface of the photocuring resin 2, and the resin in this portion is photocured. Can do. In particular, by condensing light obliquely, curing of the contour portion of the cured portion is weakened, and the stacking step can be reduced. In addition, the laser oscillator 12a and the light irradiation head 13 are not limited to the above-described configuration, and may have other well-known configurations.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1, the settling device 14 is a Z-axis position control device having an elevating table 14a that can be lowered in the z-axis direction. By lowering the table 14a, the hardened layer 4 by light irradiation is lowered below the liquid level. To settle. Further, the liquid surface 2b of the photo-curing resin 2 is supplied with a necessary amount of resin by a liquid surface holding device (not shown) so that the liquid surface is always kept constant.
[0022]
The recoat apparatus 16 has a recoater 16a that moves horizontally on the upper surface of the hardened layer 4. The horizontal movement of the recoater 16a smoothes the upper surface of the uncured layer 2a, and the hardened layer 4 that has settled is uncured. The layer 2a is covered.
[0023]
The dye dropping device 18 has a dye dropping head 19 from which the coloring dye 8 is dropped perpendicularly to a predetermined position (photocuring position) on the liquid surface of the photocurable resin. The dye dropping device 18 is, for example, an ink jet device, and preferably includes three primary color (R, G, B) heads 19 separately.
The lower surface of the head 19 is separated from the upper surface of the uncured layer 2a by a gap (for example, around 2 mm), and the laser light 9 is incident obliquely from the gap.
[0024]
The light irradiation head 13 of the light irradiation device 12 and the dye dropping head 19 of the dye dropping device 18 are integrally connected so as to always drop the dye at the same position and irradiate the curing light. Further, the liquid surface position control device 20 has a horizontal movement rod 20a to which the light irradiation head 13, the dye dropping head 19 and the recoater 16a are fixed, and these are two-dimensionally arranged along the liquid surface of the photocurable resin. The position can be freely controlled and a colored hardened layer can be freely formed.
[0025]
Further, in FIG. 1, 22 is a control PC, and 23 is a storage device. The light irradiation device 12, the sedimentation device 14, and the recoat device 16 are controlled by the control PC 22 based on CAD data and lamination data stored in the storage device 23. The dye dropping device 18 and the liquid surface position control device 20 are controlled.
[0026]
FIG. 2 is a process diagram of the photosolidification coloring modeling method according to the present invention. The light-solidified colored modeling method of the present invention comprises an uncured layer forming step (A) and a colored curing step (B). In this figure, the uncured layer forming step (A) corresponds to steps (1) and (4), and the colored curing step (B) corresponds to steps (2) and (3).
[0027]
In step (1), the uncured layer 2a of the photocurable resin 2 is formed on the upper surface of the cured layer 4 by the recoater 16a.
[0028]
In step (2), the coloring dye 8 is dropped onto the uncured layer 2b by the ink jet apparatus 18, and at the same time, the coloring spot is cured by irradiating curing light 9 (UV light) from the laser apparatus. In the present invention, the coloring pigment 8 is dropped vertically on the uncured layer 2b, and the curing light 9 is obliquely irradiated to the same position.
The coloring pigment 8 may be a single color, or may be multicolor or full color using a plurality of heads. Step (3) shows a state where step (2) is repeated and one layer is completed. In this figure, R, G, and B indicate three primary colors of red, green, and blue.
[0029]
In step (4), the table 14a is lowered, and a new uncured layer 2a is formed on the upper surface of the cured layer 4 by the recoater 16a. This step is substantially the same as step (1).
[0030]
By repeating the above-described uncured layer forming step (A) and colored curing step (B), a colored shaped article schematically shown in (C) can be produced. This colored shaped article has a plurality of (three primary colors in this example) colored portions and a transparent portion without coloring.
In this figure, the colored portion is provided inside and the transparent portion is provided outside, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the colored portion may be provided outside. Moreover, the whole can also be comprised only by a coloring part, eliminating a transparent part.
[0031]
According to the above-described method and apparatus of the present invention, the coloring dye 8 is dropped onto the uncured layer 2a of the photocurable resin 2 in the coloring and curing step (B) by the light irradiation device 12 and the dye dropping device 18 at the same time. Curing light 9 can be irradiated to the dropping position of the pigment.
[0032]
Therefore, the uncured layer 2a of the photocurable resin 2 is cured by being irradiated with the curing light 9 at the same time as the dye 8 is dripped, so that a colored portion can be formed in a short time without a conventional outer peripheral wall. it can. Moreover, the dripping of the dye 8 can be miniaturized by using, for example, a head for an ink jet printer, and the irradiation of the curing light 9 can also be miniaturized by using, for example, a laser beam. is there. Furthermore, by providing each head separately for, for example, three primary colors, multicolor modeling and full color modeling can be facilitated.
[0033]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the light-solidified colored modeling method and apparatus of the present invention can form a colored portion in a short time without an outer peripheral wall, can easily make a colored region fine, and can easily perform multicolor modeling and full-color modeling. , Etc. have excellent effects.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a light-solidified coloring modeling apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a process diagram of a light-solidified coloring modeling method according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a principle diagram of a light-solidification modeling method.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional colored modeling means by a light solidification modeling method.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 3D model, 2 photocurable resin,
2a liquid level, 2b uncured liquid,
3 laser light, 4 hardened layer, 5 table, 6 outer peripheral wall,
7 liquid phase region (uncured groove), 8 colorant (coloring pigment),
9 Laser light (curing light),
10 Light-solidified coloring modeling device,
12 light irradiation device, 12a laser oscillator, 13 light irradiation head,
14 settling device, 14a lifting table,
16 Recoater, 16a recoater,
18 Dye dropping device, 19 Dye dropping head,
20 liquid level position control device,
22 control PC, 23 storage device

Claims (5)

An uncured layer forming step (A) for forming an uncured layer (2a) of the photocurable resin (2);
A first coloring pigment (8) is dropped on the uncured layer and simultaneously a curing light (9) is irradiated to the dropping position of the pigment to form a first cured coloring portion, and the first cured coloring portion The second coloring dye (8) is dropped at a position adjacent to the first and simultaneously the curing light (9) is irradiated to the dropping position of the dye so that the second cured coloring part is directly adjacent to the first cured coloring part. And a color curing step (B) to be formed .   2. The photosolidification coloring modeling method according to claim 1, wherein the coloring dye (8) is dropped vertically on the uncured layer, and the curing light (9) is obliquely irradiated to the same position. A light irradiation device (12) for irradiating the liquid surface (2b) of the photocurable resin (2) with curing light (9), and a settling device (14) for causing the cured layer (4) by light irradiation to settle below the liquid surface. And a recoating device (16) for coating the settled cured layer with an uncured layer (2a), and a dye dropping device (18) for dropping the coloring dye (8) on the liquid surface of the photocurable resin. Prepared,
The light irradiation device (12) and the dye dropping device (18) drop the first coloring dye onto the liquid surface of the photocurable resin and simultaneously irradiate the dropping position of the dye with curing light to perform the first curing. A colored portion is formed, and a second coloring pigment (8) is dropped at a position adjacent to the first cured colored portion, and at the same time, a curing light (9) is irradiated to the dropping position of the pigment to perform second curing. A light solidified coloring modeling apparatus , wherein a colored portion is formed so as to be directly adjacent to the first cured colored portion .   The light irradiation head (13) of the light irradiation device (12) and the dye dropping head (19) of the dye dropping device (18) are integrated so as to drop the dye at the same position and irradiate the curing light. The photosolidification coloring modeling apparatus according to claim 3, which is connected. The liquid surface position control device (20) for controlling the light irradiation head (13) and the dye dropping head (19) two-dimensionally along the liquid surface of the photocurable resin is provided. The light-solidification coloring modeling apparatus described in 1.

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