US 12,459,206 B2
Three-dimensional shaping device
Akihiko Tsunoya, Okaya (JP); Toshimitsu Hirai, Hokuto (JP); and Kaoru Momose, Hara-mura (JP)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/381,742.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-125893 (JP), filed on Jul. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0024137 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 67/00 (2017.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B28B 1/00 (2006.01); B28B 17/00 (2006.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/393 (2017.08) [B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B28B 1/001 (2013.01); B28B 17/0081 (2013.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising:
a shaping table;
a layer forming unit configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table;
a liquid supply system comprising:
a pressure increase control liquid tank;
a pressure reduction control liquid tank; and
a head configured to eject a liquid containing a binder from a nozzle to a shaping on the powder layer, wherein
the head includes a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle,
a supply path couples the pressure increase control liquid tank and the head and is configured to supply the liquid from the pressure increase control liquid tank to the pressure chamber,
a circulation path couples the pressure chamber and the nozzle and is configured to flow the liquid from the pressure chamber to the nozzle for circulation, and
a differential pressure control is performed by the pressure increase control liquid tank and the pressure reduction control liquid tank so that a slight negative pressure from an atmospheric pressure is applied to the nozzle of the head; and
a control unit configured to control movement of the head with respect to the shaping table and driving of the head by applying a voltage, and to control the head to execute a flushing operation at a flushing position which is a position different from a shaping region, wherein
the control unit is configured to
calculate an area of the shaping region based on slice data for a single layer of shaping data acquired by the control unit to control movement of the head and drive the head;
control the head to execute a first flushing operation when the area of the shaping region of the single layer is equal to or greater than a threshold value;
control the head to execute a second flushing operation under a flushing condition different from that of the first flushing operation when the area of the shaping region of the single layer is less than the threshold value; and
control a flow of the liquid through the head such that q2/q1 is equal to or greater than 0.05 and equal to or less than 20, where q1 is a flow rate of the liquid flowing into the circulation path per unit time, and q2 is a maximum flow rate of the liquid ejected from the nozzle per unit time.