Seiko Epson Corporation

Masayuki Gozu

Koichi Saito

Kohei Yuwaki

Taki Hashimoto

Kazuhide Nakamura

Kenichi Ono

Takafumi Sameshima

Tatsuya Teramoto

The material supply device includes a material reservoir that has a supply port and that stores a plasticization material and a supply mechanism that adjusts the amount of plasticization material supplied from an input port to the outside, wherein the supply mechanism includes a sliding member that is provided between the supply port and the input port and in which is provided a through hole, and a slide drive section that slides the sliding member along an intersecting direction that intersects the supply direction, the supply mechanism switches to a first state and to a second state, the through hole of the sliding member communicates with the input port in both the first state and the second state, and a distance between the through hole and the supply port in the intersecting direction decreases in the order of the first state and the second state.

Material supply device

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a discharge part that includes a nozzle configured to discharge a shaping material from a nozzle opening thereof; a stage that includes a shaping surface on which the shaping material is to be deposited; a heating part configured to heat the shaping material deposited on the stage; and a control part configured to control the heating part. The heating part includes a first region and a second region closer to an outer periphery of the heating part than is the first region, as viewed from a direction of a perpendicular line of the shaping surface. The control part controls the heating part to make a temperature of the second region higher than a temperature of the first region.

Three-dimensional shaping device

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a dispensing unit having a nozzle and configured to dispense a material toward a stage; a cleaning mechanism configured to clean the nozzle; a moving unit configured to move the dispensing unit and the cleaning mechanism relative to the stage; and a control unit configured to control an operation of the moving unit. The cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning unit including a purge unit in which the material is purged from the nozzle and a brush unit to come into contact with the nozzle, and a recovery unit configured to recover the material accumulated in the purge unit. The control unit is configured to move the cleaning unit relative to the stage in conjunction with movement of the dispensing unit relative to the stage.

A three-dimensional molding device includes: a molding unit including a nozzle configured to eject a molding material from a nozzle opening formed in a distal end portion; a stage having a deposition surface on which the molding material is deposited; a movement mechanism configured to change relative positions of the nozzle and the stage; a measurement unit configured to measure a distance between the deposition surface and the distal end portion; and a control unit configured to control the movement mechanism. The measurement unit includes a contact-type first detection unit configured to move in conjunction with the nozzle, and a contact-type second detection unit configured to move in conjunction with the stage. The first detection unit and the second detection unit are configured such that, when the first detection unit and the second detection unit come into contact with each other, one of the first detection unit and the second detection unit detects the contact.

Three-dimensional molding device

A plasticizing device includes: a material storage unit having a charging port and configured to store pellet-shaped resin pellets; a plasticizing unit having a supply port in communication with the charging port and configured to plasticize at least a part of the resin pellets to generate a shaping material; a coupling pipe having a coupling path coupling the charging port and the supply port; a first material sensor configured to detect a remaining quantity of the resin pellets in the coupling path; and a control unit. The material storage unit includes a material supply mechanism configured to supply the resin pellets to the coupling path, and when the remaining quantity of the resin pellets detected by the first material sensor is less than a first reference value, the control unit controls the material supply mechanism to supply a predetermined quantity of the resin pellets to the coupling path.

Plasticizing device, three-dimensional shaping apparatus, and injection molding apparatus

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a discharge unit having a nozzle and configured to discharge a material toward a stage; a cleaning mechanism configured to clean the nozzle; and a moving unit configured to move the discharge unit and the cleaning mechanism relative to the stage. The moving unit is configured to move the cleaning mechanism relative to the stage in conjunction with the movement of the discharge unit relative to the stage.

A material dispensing device includes a material storage unit that stores a material therein and has an outlet portion at a lower portion thereof, and a dispensing unit that dispenses the material dispensed from the outlet portion to an outside with at least a part of the material being plasticized. The material dispensing device includes a remaining amount detection unit that detects a remaining amount of the material stored in the material storage unit from above the material storage unit. A three-dimensional shaping device includes the material dispensing device that dispenses a material for shaping, and a stage on which the material dispensed from the material dispensing device is stacked.

Material dispensing device, three-dimensional shaping device, and injection molding device

A plasticizing device includes: a drive motor; a screw shaft rotated by the drive motor; a flat screw having a coupling surface coupled to the screw shaft and a groove forming surface in which a groove is formed, and configured to rotate around the screw shaft; a barrel having a facing surface facing the groove forming surface, and formed with a communication hole; a heating unit configured to heat a material supplied to between the flat screw and the barrel; and a bearing part configured to rotatably support the screw shaft and receive a thrust load applied to the screw shaft from the flat screw. The groove forming surface and the facing surface are separated from each other at a predetermined interval.

Plasticizing device, three-dimensional shaping device, and injection molding device

A shaping stage for three-dimensional shaping includes: a table having a shaping surface on which a shaping material is discharged; a posture adjusting unit configured to adjust a posture of the shaping surface; and a cooling unit configured to cool the posture adjusting unit.

Shaping stage and three-dimensional shaping device

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a nozzle that discharges a shaping material, a stage that includes a stacking surface on which the shaping material is stacked, a moving mechanism that changes a relative position between the nozzle and the stage, a distance measurement mechanism that is disposed at a position facing the nozzle, a cleaning mechanism that cleans a tip end surface of the nozzle, and a control unit that controls the moving mechanism while discharging the shaping material from the nozzle towards the stacking surface so as to shape a three-dimensional shaped object. The control unit measures a first value relating to a distance between the tip end surface of the nozzle and the stacking surface after the tip end surface of the nozzle is cleaned, and controls the moving mechanism based on the first value to adjust the distance between the stacking surface and the tip end surface of the nozzle to a predetermined distance to shape the three-dimensional shaped object.

Three-dimensional shaping device and three-dimensional shaped object manufacturing method

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a nozzle that discharges a shaping material from a discharge port formed on a tip end surface, a stage that includes a stacking surface on which the shaping material is stacked, a distance measurement mechanism that is disposed at a position facing the nozzle, a cleaning mechanism that cleans the tip end surface of the nozzle, and a control unit that controls the distance measurement mechanism to measure a value relating to a facing distance between the nozzle and the stacking surface after the cleaning mechanism cleans the tip end surface of the nozzle.

Growing community of inventors

Ina, Japan

Masayuki Gozu