KR101548220B1 - 3D Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printer, comprising: a resin storage unit for storing a photo-curable resin; a build plate coated with a photo-curable resin supplied from the resin storage unit and provided to be able to move upward and downward such that the cured resin can be stacked; a light providing means arranged in the upper portion of the build plate and for irradiating light in accordance with a sculpture pattern on the build plate; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the resin storage unit, the build plate and the light providing means wherein the light providing means is prepared as a projector having a laser light source. Accordingly, a sculpture can be printed efficiently and quickly by curing the photo-curable resin, which forms a sculpture, with a laser light source. In addition, an efficient photo-curing can be achieved by uniformly maintaining the thickness of the photo-curable resin, printing quality can be improved by maintaining the temperature of the photo-curable resin, and a sculpture having a uniform color can be printed by preventing sedimentation of pigment by stirring the photo-curable resin. In addition, cost saving in the print production can be expected by implementing the recovery and circulation of the photo-curing resin.

Description

Three-dimensional printer {3D Printer}

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printer.

Generally, a printer means a device for printing characters, drawings, etc. on a print object. And a printer device which is connected to a computer and printed on the ground are widely used for business use and home use.

In the conventional printer, two-dimensional printing is performed by moving paper or sheet material to be printed in a predetermined direction and spraying fine ink, but a three-dimensional printer capable of forming a three-dimensional shape recently has appeared .

A three-dimensional printer is an additive manufacturing machine that produces a three-dimensional object by stacking a material on a plate while continuously sputtering the plate. It is a device for producing a signal of a computer or a sensor as a three-dimensional object. , Expanding from manufacturing to medical equipment companies.

In particular, 3D technology can be used to increase cost efficiency, so it can be used as a device to inform the emergence of the third industrial revolution. In the US and Japan, 3D printing technology is commercialized in earnest. Such a three-dimensional printer is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0038101 (published on April 17, 2013).

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printer having a UV light source, a projector, a material lamination composition unit, and a control unit, and has a plurality of projectors for selectively transmitting a UV light source to selectively transmit a single screen pattern, And so on.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of curing a photocurable resin forming a molding through a laser light source.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique for printing a sculpture through efficient photocuring by keeping the thickness of the photocurable resin constant.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique of printing a uniformly colored sculpture by preventing the precipitation of pigment through agitation of the photocurable resin while maintaining the temperature of the photocurable resin at a constant level to improve the print quality I have to.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique for realizing recovery and circulation of a photocurable resin.

According to the present invention, the above object can be accomplished by providing a resin storage part in which a photocurable resin is stored; A build plate to which the photo-curing resin supplied from the resin reservoir is applied, and which is movably provided up and down to support the cured resin so as to be laminated; Light providing means disposed on the build plate for irradiating light on the build plate in accordance with a molding pattern; And a control unit for controlling operations of the resin reservoir, the build plate, and the light providing means; And the light providing means can be achieved by a three-dimensional printer provided with a projector having a laser light source.

Here, the light providing means may include a laser diode for generating a laser light source; A lens for enlarging or reducing the light generated by the laser diode; A homogenizer for homogenizing the light enlarged or reduced through the lens; A pattern forming unit for imaging and transmitting the homogenized light through the homogenizer in the form of a patterned pattern and provided by a DMD (Digital Micromirror device) device or an LCD; And a projection lens that irradiates the light source imaged by the pattern formation unit to the build plate.

In addition, at least one auxiliary lens may be provided between the lens and the homogenizer or between the homogenizer and the pattern forming unit to realize reduction or enlargement of the light source.

On the other hand, the three-dimensional printer includes a coating unit which is provided so as to move left and right on the build plate, and which applies a photocurable resin supplied from the resin reservoir to the build plate at a predetermined thickness predetermined on the whole surface of the build plate .

Here, the coating unit may include a ball bush coupled to upper and lower ends of a plane, and the ball bush may move left and right on a build plate along a guide formed on upper and lower portions of the build plate .

In addition, the coating unit may be provided in the form of a bar or a wiper.

A magnetic stirrer for temperature control and agitation of the photocurable resin accommodated in the resin reservoir may be installed in the lower portion of the resin reservoir.

On the other hand, a recovery unit for recovering uncured resin on the build plate is further provided below the build plate.

Here, the recovery unit may include a body portion having a bellows shape accommodating the recovered photocurable resin and being displaced corresponding to upward and downward movement of the build plate; And a recovery tube portion provided at a lower portion of the body portion and through which the resin recovered in the body portion moves. The recovery tube portion may be connected to the resin storage portion, and the recovered photocurable resin may be supplied to the resin storage portion .

In addition, at least one filter may be provided between the return pipe portion and the resin storage portion to filter a partially cured photocurable resin.

At least one resin recovery hole through which the photocurable resin is discharged is formed in the build plate.

Further, the control unit is formed separately from the molding to be printed through the curing of the photocurable resin, and controls the light providing means so that the molding auxiliary is laminated in correspondence with the lamination height of the molding at the outer rim portion of the molding .

Preferably, the resin recovery hole may be formed on the build plate at a portion between the molding auxiliary and the molding.

According to the present invention, efficient and rapid molding printing can be realized by curing a photocurable resin forming a molding through a laser light source.

In addition, the thickness of the photo-curable resin can be kept constant to realize efficient photo-curing, and the temperature of the photo-curing resin can be kept constant to improve the print quality, and the pigment can be prevented from being precipitated through agitation of the photo- You can print a color sculpture.

In addition, recovery and circulation of the photo-curing resin can be realized, and the cost reduction of production of printed matter can be expected.

1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention,
2 is a schematic view showing a detailed configuration of a light providing means of a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention,
3 is a plan view showing the movement of the application unit of the three-dimensional printer according to the present invention,
4 (a), 4 (b) and 4 (c) are schematic views sequentially illustrating printing processes of a molding and a shaping aid of a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Prior to this, the terms used in the specification and claims should not be construed in a dictionary sense, and the inventor may, on the principle that the concept of a term can be properly defined in order to explain its invention in the best way And should be construed in light of the meanings and concepts consistent with the technical idea of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments shown in the present specification and the drawings are only exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the technical ideas of the present invention are presented. Therefore, various equivalents It should be understood that water and variations may exist.

Hereinafter, the technical ideas of the inventions of the inventor of the present invention among the configurations of the three-dimensional printer according to the present invention will be described below. The details of the three-dimensional printer under the known technology, And a detailed explanation of the method and the like is omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a detailed configuration of a light providing means of a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention, 4 (a), 4 (b), and 4 (c) are schematic views sequentially illustrating printing processes of a molding and a shaping aid of a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention is a three-dimensional printer in which a photo-curing resin (R, preferably a liquid resin or a powder resin, A resin storage part (10); A build plate 20 to which resin R supplied from the resin storage section 10 is applied and which is movable up and down by driving of the motor M to support the cured resin so as to be laminated; Light providing means (30) disposed on the top of the build plate (20) for irradiating light on the build plate (20) in accordance with the patterning pattern; And a control unit (not shown) for controlling the overall operation of the resin storage portion 10, the build plate 20, the light providing means 30 and the three-dimensional printer; And the light providing means 30 is provided as a projector having a laser light source.

2, the light providing unit 10 includes a laser diode 31, a lens 32, a homogenizer 33, and a light source 33, which are configured to irradiate the resin R with a laser light source, A pattern forming portion 34, a projection lens 35, and an auxiliary lens 37. [

The laser diode 31 may be adapted to generate a laser light source and may be an LED that emits a laser light source.

The lens 32 serves to enlarge or reduce the light generated by the laser diode 31 and the homogenizer 33 serves to homogenize the light enlarged or reduced through the lens 32.

The pattern forming unit 34 is a component for imaging and transmitting the homogenized light through the homogenizer 33 in the form of a patterned pattern (I, imaging pattern). The pattern forming unit 34 may be a DMD (Digital Micromirror device) .

The projection lens 35 serves to irradiate the light source imaged by the pattern forming unit 34 to the build plate 20. [

At least one auxiliary lens 37 may be provided between the lens 32 and the homogenizer 33 or between the homogenizer 33 and the pattern forming portion 34 to realize reduction or enlargement of the light source. 2, the auxiliary lens 37 is provided between the homogenizer 33 and the pattern forming portion 34, but is not limited thereto.

The three-dimensional printer according to the present invention is a three-dimensional printer according to the present invention which is provided so as to be movable left and right on a build plate 20 and is provided with a resin (R) supplied from a resin reservoir 10 to a build plate 20, And a coating unit 40 for applying a predetermined thickness to the entire surface.

3, the coating unit 40 includes a ball bush 42 coupled to upper and lower ends with respect to a plane, and the ball bush 42 is formed on upper and lower portions of the build plate 20 And may be provided to move left and right on the build plate 20 along the guide 21 and may be provided in the form of a cylindrical bar or a wiper.

That is, when the resin is supplied from the resin storage unit 10, the coating unit 40 can be adjusted in thickness at a predetermined interval (1 micron to 100 microns, depending on the resin material and the shape of the molding) And the resin R is applied on the build plate 20 with a predetermined thickness.

In addition, the printing operation according to the above-described configuration is performed in the order of resin supply-> resin thickness adjustment (coating) -> curing, and such operations are repeated (see FIG. 4) .

A magnetic stirrer 50 for controlling the temperature and stirring the resin R accommodated in the resin reservoir 10 may be installed in the lower portion of the resin reservoir 10.

The magnetic force type heating stirrer 50 implements temperature control, maintaining and mixing of the resin by performing heating and stirring using magnet that emits magnetic force, and is controlled by a control unit to be described later, It is possible to prevent the precipitation of the pigment to realize uniform color and to maintain the resin temperature to be optimized for hardening, thereby improving the quality of the molding product.

Meanwhile, a recovery unit 60 for recovering the uncured resin on the build plate 20 may be installed below the build plate 20.

1, the collecting unit 60 includes a body portion 62 having a bellows shape accommodating the recovered resin R and being displaced corresponding to upward and downward movement of the build plate 20, And a collection tube portion 64 installed at a lower portion of the body portion 62 and through which the resin R collected within the body portion 62 moves. Here, the bellows shape means a shape in which folding and unfolding are possible. The bellows shape is adapted to be displaced to the displacement of the build plate 20 and applied to a part of the body part 62 and the recovery tube part 64 .

The return pipe portion 64 may be realized by a circulation structure that is connected to the resin storage portion 10 and is supplied to the resin storage portion 10 so that the recovered resin R is supplied again. At least one filter 66 may be provided between the resin reservoirs 10 to filter the partially cured resin R. [

Here, the resin R can be moved by the motor (not shown) and the pump (not shown) through the return pipe portion 64 to the resin storage portion 10, It is possible to expect stable recycling of the resin (R) by filtering the solidified resin.

3, at least one resin recovery hole 22 through which the resin R is discharged may be formed in the build plate 20, preferably at both sides of the build plate 20, The angle of forming the build plate 20 may be set to have a certain angle (approximately 0.5 to 3 degrees) toward the both sides from the center in order to smoothly discharge the resin into the resin recovery hole 22.

The resin remaining in the state in which the curing operation is completed by the resin recovery hole 22 and the recovery unit 60 is moved to the recovery unit 60 through the resin recovery hole 22 and the resin Is fed to the resin storage unit (10), thereby realizing a circulation structure.

On the other hand, the control unit is formed separately from the molding m to be printed through the curing of the resin R, and is connected to the molding auxiliary m, which is laminated on the outer edge of the molding m, ma may be printed. (See Fig. 4)

The molding aid a serves both to prevent the outflow of the supplied resin R and to provide a reference height at which the application unit 40 operates. In this case, The resin remaining between the molding auxiliary m and the molding m can be recovered on the plate 20 at a portion between the molding auxiliary m and the molding m.

As described above, the three-dimensional printer according to the present invention can efficiently and quickly print sculptures by curing the photocurable resin forming the sculpture through the laser light source.

In addition, the thickness of the photo-curable resin can be kept constant to realize efficient photo-curing, and the temperature of the photo-curing resin can be kept constant to improve the print quality, and the pigment can be prevented from being precipitated through agitation of the photo- You can print a color sculpture.

In addition, recovery and circulation of the photo-curing resin can be realized, and the cost reduction of production of printed matter can be expected.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the drawings, it is to be understood that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Description of the Related Art [0002]
10: Resin storage part
20: Build plate
21: guide 22: resin recovery hole
30: light providing means
31: Laser diode
32: lens
33: homogenizer
34:
35: projection lens
37: auxiliary lens
40: dispensing unit
42: Ball bush
50: Self-heating type heating stirrer
60: collection unit
62: body portion 64: return pipe portion 66: filter
R: Photocurable resin
M: Motor
I: Imaging pattern
m: Sculpture
ma: molding aid

Claims (13)

A resin storage portion for storing the photo-cured resin;
A build plate to which the photo-curing resin supplied from the resin reservoir is applied, and which is movably provided up and down to support the cured resin so as to be laminated;
Light providing means disposed on the build plate for irradiating light on the build plate in accordance with a molding pattern;
A control unit for controlling operations of the resin reservoir, the build plate, and the light providing unit; And
A coating unit which is provided so as to be movable left and right on the build plate and which applies a photocurable resin supplied from the resin reservoir to the build plate at a predetermined thickness,
/ RTI >
Wherein the light providing means is provided with a projector having a laser light source,
The control unit is provided to control the light providing means so that the molding auxiliary, which is formed separately from the molding to be printed through the hardening of the photo-curable resin, is laminated on the outer edge of the molding to correspond to the height of the molding Characterized by
Three-dimensional printer. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the light providing means comprises:
A laser diode for generating a laser light source;
A lens for enlarging or reducing the light generated by the laser diode;
A homogenizer for homogenizing the light enlarged or reduced through the lens;
A pattern forming unit for imaging and transmitting the homogenized light through the homogenizer in the form of a patterned pattern and provided by a DMD (Digital Micromirror device) device or an LCD; And
And a projection lens that irradiates the light source imaged by the pattern formation unit to the build plate
Three-dimensional printer. 3. The method of claim 2,
And at least one auxiliary lens is provided between the lens and the homogenizer or between the homogenizer and the pattern forming part to realize reduction or enlargement of the light source.
Three-dimensional printer. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the coating unit includes a ball bush coupled to upper and lower ends with respect to a plane, and the ball bush moves left and right on a build plate along guides formed on upper and lower portions of the build plate
Three-dimensional printer. The method according to claim 1,
Characterized in that the coating unit is provided in the form of a bar or a wiper
Three-dimensional printer. The method according to claim 1,
And a magnetic force type heating stirrer for controlling temperature and stirring of the photocurable resin accommodated in the resin reservoir is installed in the lower portion of the resin reservoir
Three-dimensional printer. The method according to claim 1,
And a recovery unit for recovering the uncured resin on the build plate is further provided below the build plate.
Three-dimensional printer. 9. The method of claim 8,
The recovery unit includes:
A body portion having a bellows shape accommodating the recovered photocurable resin and being displaced corresponding to upward and downward movement of the build plate; And
And a return pipe portion provided at a lower portion of the body portion and through which the resin recovered in the body portion moves,
Wherein the return pipe portion is connected to the resin storage portion and the recovered photocurable resin is supplied again to the resin storage portion
Three-dimensional printer. 10. The method of claim 9,
And at least one filter for filtering out part of the cured photocurable resin is provided between the return pipe portion and the resin storage portion.
Three-dimensional printer. The method according to claim 1,
And one or more resin recovery holes through which the photo-curing resin is discharged are formed in the build plate
Three-dimensional printer. delete 12. The method of claim 11,
Characterized in that the resin recovery hole is formed on the build plate at a portion between the molding auxiliary and the molding body
Three-dimensional printer.

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