US 11,787,111 B2
Shaping material supply device and three-dimensional shaping apparatus
Koichi Saito, Matsumoto (JP); Kohei Yuwaki, Shiojiri (JP); Shunsuke Mizukami, Hokuto (JP); and Kazuhide Nakamura, Asahi (JP)
Assigned to SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Filed by Seiko Epson Corporation, Toyko (JP)
Filed on Mar. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/207,816.
Application 17/207,816 is a division of application No. 16/109,976, filed on Aug. 23, 2018, granted, now 11,034,087.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-160830 (JP), filed on Aug. 24, 2017; application No. 2017-208808 (JP), filed on Oct. 30, 2017; application No. 2017-208812 (JP), filed on Oct. 30, 2017; and application No. 2017-208816 (JP), filed on Oct. 30, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0206065 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B29C 64/35 (2017.01); B29C 64/106 (2017.01); B22F 10/18 (2021.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B22F 12/57 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B28B 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 64/209 (2017.08) [B22F 10/18 (2021.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B22F 12/57 (2021.01); B28B 1/001 (2013.01); B29C 64/106 (2017.08); B29C 64/35 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A three-dimensional shaping apparatus comprising:
a nozzle having a discharge port, that is configured to discharge a shaping material from the discharge port; and
a flow rate regulation mechanism that includes a valve, a drive shaft, and a valve driver, the valve being provided in a flow path upstream of the discharge port, the valve driver being configured to rotate the drive shaft,
wherein the valve is rotated by the rotation of the drive shaft,
when the valve is at a first position, the valve prevents the shaping material from being discharged from the discharge port, and
when the valve is at a second position different from the first position, the shaping material is discharged from the discharge port via the valve, and further comprising
a shaping material production member that is configured to plasticize at least a part of a material to produce the shaping material,
wherein the shaping material production member includes:
a facing member that has a heater and a communication hole communicating with the nozzle; and
a flat screw that faces the facing member, is rotated to send the material to the communication hole while plasticizing at least a part of the material to produce the shaping material, and includes a groove supplying the shaping material to the communication hole, and
at least a part of the material supplied between the flat screw and the facing member is plasticized due to rotation of the flat screw and heating by the heater, and the shaping material is produced.