US 12,434,437 B2
Stereolithography apparatus and method for manufacturing three-dimensional object
Tetsuo Hoki, Kyoto (JP); Akira Kuwabara, Kyoto (JP); and Eiichi Tsukahara, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to SHASHIN KAGAKU CO., LTD., Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 18/559,557
Filed by SHASHIN KAGAKU CO., LTD., Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 5, 2022, PCT No. PCT/JP2022/030167
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 7, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/058318, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 13, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-164071 (JP), filed on Oct. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0227292 A1, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 64/282 (2017.01); B29C 64/129 (2017.01); B29C 64/214 (2017.01); B29C 64/236 (2017.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/282 (2017.08) [B29C 64/129 (2017.08); B29C 64/214 (2017.08); B29C 64/236 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/386 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A stereolithography apparatus for obtaining a three-dimensional object, comprising:
an exposer configured to expose a photo-curable material according to an exposure pattern generated in advance based on three-dimensional shape data; and
a controller configured to control operation of the stereolithography apparatus, wherein
the exposer includes
a projector that includes a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional arrangement and is configured to individually switch ON-OFF states of exposure light at the respective pixels,
the projector
is movable in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in a posture inclined with respect to the second direction so that center positions of two adjacent pixels of the plurality of pixels are offset by a predetermined drawing pitch in the first direction, and
is configured to switch the ON-OFF states of the exposure light each time the projector moves a distance corresponding to the drawing pitch in the second direction, and
the controller
causes the projector to expose the photo-curable material in a predetermined drawing area sequentially for a plurality of strip regions each extending in the second direction and having a predetermined drawing width in the first direction by individually switching the ON-OFF states of the exposure light at the respective pixels based on the exposure pattern while alternating forward movement and backward movement in the second direction with intervening step movement in the first direction, and
forms, in a case where a plurality of layers of the photo-curable material are each exposed by the exposer while being laminated to obtain the three-dimensional object, a joint portion of two adjacent strip regions of the plurality of strip regions and causes an in-plane position of the joint portion to differ between at least two layers of the plurality of layers.