Language selection

Search

Patent 2974112 Summary

Third-party information liability

Some of the information on this Web page has been provided by external sources. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the information supplied by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages, privacy and accessibility requirements.

Claims and Abstract availability

Any discrepancies in the text and image of the Claims and Abstract are due to differing posting times. Text of the Claims and Abstract are posted:

  • At the time the application is open to public inspection;
  • At the time of issue of the patent (grant).
(12) Patent: (11) CA 2974112
(54) English Title: THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT SHAPING METHOD
(54) French Title: METHODE DE FACONNAGE D'UN OBJET TRIDIMENSIONNEL
Status: Granted and Issued
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • G03F 7/26 (2006.01)
  • B33Y 10/00 (2015.01)
  • B33Y 40/00 (2020.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • AMAYA, KOUICHI (Japan)
  • ISHIMOTO, KOUSUKE (Japan)
(73) Owners :
  • MATSUURA MACHINERY CORPORATION
(71) Applicants :
  • MATSUURA MACHINERY CORPORATION (Japan)
(74) Agent: SMART & BIGGAR LP
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued: 2019-05-21
(22) Filed Date: 2017-07-20
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 2019-01-20
Examination requested: 2017-08-21
Availability of licence: N/A
Dedicated to the Public: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data: None

Abstracts

English Abstract

[Purpose] To achieve efficiently forming powder layers by improving the squeegee sliding speed in a three-dimensional object shaping method. [Solution Means] A three-dimensional object shaping method comprising: a powder layer forming step, sliding step of a squeegee on the supplied powder, and a sintering step of irradiating the powder layer, are successively repeated, wherein after dividing shaping regions into a plurality of laminating units, each laminating unit of the plurality of laminating units are divided into inside region including the maximum prearranged sintering region, and outside region not including the maximum prearranged sintering region, and wherein the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region is set to be greater than the sliding speed in the inside region.


French Abstract

[Objectif] Parvenir à former de façon efficace des couches de poudre en améliorant la vitesse de glissement de la raclette dans un procédé de façonnage dobjets tridimensionnels. [Méthode de solution] Linvention porte sur un procédé de façonnage dobjets tridimensionnels comprenant : une étape de formation dune couche de poudre, une étape de glissement dune raclette sur la poudre ainsi obtenue et une étape de frittage consistant à irradier la couche de poudre, successivement répétées, pendant lesquelles, après division des zones de formage en une pluralité dunités de stratification, chacune des unités de stratification faisant partie de cette pluralité dunités de stratification est divisée en une zone interne comprenant la zone de frittage maximale préparée à lavance et une zone externe excluant la zone de frittage maximale préparée à lavance, où la vitesse de glissement de la raclette dans la zone externe est réglée pour être plus rapide que la vitesse de glissement de la raclette dans la zone interne.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CLAIMS
[Claim 1]
A three-dimensional object shaping method comprising:
a powder layer forming step based on supply of a powder to
a shaping chamber and smoothing that results from sliding of a
squeegee on the supplied powder, and a sintering step of irradiating
the powder layer with a light beam or electron beam and moving
the position of irradiation, are successively repeated in that
order to laminate sintered layers,
wherein after dividing shaping regions into a plurality of
laminating units along a height direction, a maximum prearranged
sintering region, formed by superimposing all of the prearranged
sintering regions in each laminating unit of the plurality of
laminating units, is used as the basis, and each laminating unit
of the plurality of laminating units is divided into an inside
region including the maximum prearranged sintering region, and
an outside region not including the maximum prearranged sintering
region, and
wherein the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region
is set to be greater than the sliding speed in the inside region.
[Claim 2]
The three-dimensional object shaping method according to
claim 1, wherein each location on the border between the inside
region and the outside region has a length of a prescribed distance
along a line connecting the center location of the maximum
prearranged sintering region and each location on the outer
periphery, with respect to the respective locations on the outer
periphery of the maximum prearranged sintering region.
9

[Claim 3]
The three-dimensional object shaping method according to
claim 1, wherein the maximum prearranged sintering region and
the inside region equivalent in each of the plurality of laminating
units.

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT SHAPING METHOD
[Technical Field]
[0001]
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional object
shaping method carried out by laminating sintered layers by
successive repeated formation of powder layers and formation of
sintered layers by irradiation of a light beam or an electron
beam.
[Background Art]
[0002]
In the step of forming the aforementioned powder layer,
smoothing by sliding of a squeegee against the powder supplied
into the shaping chamber, i.e. squeegeeing, is considered
indispensable.
[0003]
In the prior art, however, the squeegee sliding speed has
been kept uniformly constant over all of the laminating regions
along the height direction.
[0004]
In fact, Patent Document 1 discloses sliding with a squeegee
on a shaping table 10 for which powder is supplied by a powder
supplying device 40 (Fig. 1 and paragraph [0031] ) , but this is
without any particular variation of the sliding speed.
[0005]
Similarly, Patent Document 2 also describes squeegee sliding
as an indispensable step (Abstract) , but nowhere mentions changing
the squeegee sliding speed particularly.
1
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

[0006]
In the prior art of such as Patent Documents land 2, although
the inside region including prearranged sintering region and the
outside region not including them are set to a uniformly equal
sliding speed, the outside region where sintering is not to be
performed does not need to be set to the same level of sliding
speed as the regions including the prearranged sintering regions.
[0007]
Therefore, in the prior art, since the outside region that
does not include the prearranged sintering region is set to an
unnecessary low speed, the squeegeeing of the prior art has been
extremely inefficient.
[0008]
In order to overcome this inefficiency, an improved technique
may be considered in which the regions where squeegee sliding
is to be carried out are divided into a rectangular inside region
that includes the prearranged sintering regions in a uniform manner
along the entire height direction, and the region outside it,
and the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region is set to
be greater than the sliding speed in the inside region.
[0009]
However, since the sintering regions usually vary
sequentially in the height direction according to each laminating
unit, in the improved technique described above as well, where
the squeegee sliding speed is set to be lower in a wide rectangular
inside region that does not correspond to the prearranged sintering
regions, it is not possible to avoid the inefficiency of squeegee
sliding being carried out in an inefficient manner.
2
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

[Prior Art Documents]
[Patent Documents]
[0010]
Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent
Application No. 2015-199197
Patent Document 2: Re-publication of PCT International
Publication WO No. 2012-160811
[Summary of Invention]
[Technical Problem]
[0011]
The problem to be solvedby the present invention is to achieve
efficiently forming powder layers by improving the squeegee
sliding speed in a three-dimensional object shaping method.
[Solution to Problem]
[0012]
In order to solve the aforementioned problem, a basic
construction of the invention is:
a three-dimensional object shaping method comprising:
a powder layer forming step based on supply of a powder to
a shaping chamber and smoothing that results from sliding of a
squeegee on the suppliedpowder, and a sintering step of irradiating
the powder layer with a light beam or electron beam and moving
the position of irradiation, are successively repeated in that
order to laminate sintered layers,
wherein after dividing shaping regions into a plurality of
laminating units along a height direction, a maximum prearranged
sintering region, formed by superimposing all of the prearranged
sintering regions in each laminating unit of the plurality of
3
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

laminating units, is used as the basis, and each laminating unit
of the plurality of laminating units is divided into an inside
region including the maximum prearranged sintering region, and
an outside region not including the maximum prearranged sintering
region, and
wherein the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region
is set to be greater than the sliding speed in the inside region.
[Advantageous Effects of Invention]
[0013]
In the basic construction described above, as a result of
dividing the inside region including the maximum prearranged
sintering region formed by superimposing the sintering regions
in each laminating unit at each of the plurality of laminating
units divided along the height direction, and the outside region
not including the maximum prearranged sintering region, the inside
region and outside region are successively varied depending on
the height direction, and wide outside region is thereby
established, whereby squeegee sliding can be carried out at the
necessary low speed for achieving a precise flat shape in the
inside region, while squeegee sliding can be carried out at a
pretty high speed for rough flatness in the outside region.
[0014]
As a result, it is possible to accomplish efficient squeegee
sliding, in other words, squeegeeing.
[Brief Description of Drawings]
[0015]
Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the features of Example 1 founded
on the basic construction. Point 0 represents the center position
4
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

of the sintering region or maximum sintering region.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the features of Example 2 founded
on the basic construction. Point 0 represents the center position
of the sintering region or maximum sintering region.
Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the process for the basic
construction.
[Description of Embodiments]
[0016]
As shown in the flow chart of Fig. 3, according to the basic
construction, a plurality of laminating units are divided along
the height direction beforehand according to a program, and the
maximum prearranged sintering region, formed by superimposing
all of the prearranged sintering regions 3 for each laminating
unit of the plurality of laminating units based on the divisions,
are used as the basis , and each laminating unit is divided into
the inside region 1 including the maximum prearranged sintering
region and the outside region 2 not including the maximum
prearranged sintering region.
In each of the plurality of laminating units, after which
supplying of powder, sliding with a squeegee and each sintering
procedure are repeated in succession to accomplish the lamination
necessary for three-dimensional shaping, and during this time
the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region 2 is set to be
greater than the speed in the inside region 1.
[0017]
Thus, according to the basic construction, division into
the inside region 1 and the outside region 2, and setting of the
different speeds, allow the aforementioned effect of the invention
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

=
to be exhibited.
[0018]
The shape of the inside region 1 is not specified for the
basic construction.
[0019]
Consequently, rectangular shape may be adopted as in the
prior art, or circular shape may be adopted.
[0020]
Rectangular region is advantageous in that the range of
sliding by reciprocation of the squeegee is uniform, and the
division is made more simple.
[0021]
Circular shape, on the other hand, is advantageous in that
it can set inside region 1 more compact than it of rectangular
shape, therefore allows the outside region 2 to be wider and
moreover allows more efficient squeegeeing.
[0022]
A description will be given as below according to Examples.
[Example 1]
[0023]
In the case of Example 1, as shown in Fig. 1, each location
on the border between the inside region 1 and the outside region
2 has a length of a prescribed distance "a" along a line connecting
the center location of the maximum prearranged sintering region
and each location on the outer periphery, with respect to the
respective locations on the outer periphery of the maximum
prearranged sintering region.
[0024]
6
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

In the case of Example 1, the inside region 1 is set to have
a longer distance than the sintering region 3 by a prescribed
width "a" from the center location along the direction of each
line beyond each location on the outer periphery, thereby allowing
a more compact inside region 1 to be established compared to the
aforementioned circular inside region 1, and allowing even more
efficient squeegeeing to be accomplished.
[0025]
Note that the distance that is longer by "a," as shown in
Fig. 1, can be assessed by CAM, after previously setting the
locations on the outer periphery of the sintering region 3 by
CAD.
[Example 2]
[0026]
In the case of Example 2, as shown in Fig. 2, the maximum
prearranged sintering region 3 and the inside region I are
equivalent in each of the plurality of laminating units.
[0027]
Thus, in Example 2 where the sintering region or maximum
sintering region 3 is equivalent to the inside region 1, all of
the region outside the sintering region 3 corresponds to the outside
region 2, thereby allowing squeegeeing to be accomplished even
more efficiently than Example 1.
[0028]
However, since the shape of an actual three-dimensional
object must be cut from further outside than the sintering region
3, the maximum sintering region 3 of each of the plurality of
laminating units that have been divided must be set to regions
7
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

that are wider by a prescribed degree than the original shaping
regions.
[Industrial Applicability]
[0029]
Thus, since the present invention accomplishes efficient
squeegeeing and thus allows efficient shaping of
three-dimensional objects to be ensured, it can contribute to
a wide range of applications in the technical field of
three-dimensional shaping.
[Reference Signs List]
[0030]
I: Inside region
2: Outside region
3: Sintering region or maximum sintering region
8
CA 2974112 2017-07-20

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

2024-08-01:As part of the Next Generation Patents (NGP) transition, the Canadian Patents Database (CPD) now contains a more detailed Event History, which replicates the Event Log of our new back-office solution.

Please note that "Inactive:" events refers to events no longer in use in our new back-office solution.

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Event History , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Event History

Description Date
Inactive: IPC assigned 2020-09-03
Inactive: IPC expired 2020-01-01
Inactive: IPC removed 2019-12-31
Common Representative Appointed 2019-10-30
Common Representative Appointed 2019-10-30
Grant by Issuance 2019-05-21
Inactive: Cover page published 2019-05-20
Pre-grant 2019-03-29
Inactive: Final fee received 2019-03-29
Notice of Allowance is Issued 2019-02-06
Letter Sent 2019-02-06
Notice of Allowance is Issued 2019-02-06
Inactive: Q2 passed 2019-02-01
Inactive: Approved for allowance (AFA) 2019-02-01
Inactive: Cover page published 2019-01-20
Application Published (Open to Public Inspection) 2019-01-20
Inactive: IPC assigned 2018-03-12
Inactive: IPC assigned 2018-03-12
Change of Address or Method of Correspondence Request Received 2018-01-12
Letter Sent 2017-09-27
Inactive: First IPC assigned 2017-09-26
Inactive: IPC assigned 2017-09-26
Request for Examination Requirements Determined Compliant 2017-08-21
All Requirements for Examination Determined Compliant 2017-08-21
Request for Examination Received 2017-08-21
Inactive: Filing certificate - No RFE (bilingual) 2017-07-26
Filing Requirements Determined Compliant 2017-07-26
Application Received - Regular National 2017-07-25

Abandonment History

There is no abandonment history.

Maintenance Fee

The last payment was received on 2019-05-15

Note : If the full payment has not been received on or before the date indicated, a further fee may be required which may be one of the following

  • the reinstatement fee;
  • the late payment fee; or
  • additional fee to reverse deemed expiry.

Please refer to the CIPO Patent Fees web page to see all current fee amounts.

Fee History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Paid Date
Application fee - standard 2017-07-20
Request for examination - standard 2017-08-21
Final fee - standard 2019-03-29
MF (application, 2nd anniv.) - standard 02 2019-07-22 2019-05-15
MF (patent, 3rd anniv.) - standard 2020-07-20 2020-04-24
MF (patent, 4th anniv.) - standard 2021-07-20 2021-04-16
MF (patent, 5th anniv.) - standard 2022-07-20 2022-04-20
MF (patent, 6th anniv.) - standard 2023-07-20 2023-06-02
MF (patent, 7th anniv.) - standard 2024-07-22 2024-06-25
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
MATSUURA MACHINERY CORPORATION
Past Owners on Record
KOUICHI AMAYA
KOUSUKE ISHIMOTO
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

To view selected files, please enter reCAPTCHA code :



To view images, click a link in the Document Description column. To download the documents, select one or more checkboxes in the first column and then click the "Download Selected in PDF format (Zip Archive)" or the "Download Selected as Single PDF" button.

List of published and non-published patent-specific documents on the CPD .

If you have any difficulty accessing content, you can call the Client Service Centre at 1-866-997-1936 or send them an e-mail at CIPO Client Service Centre.


Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Abstract 2017-07-20 1 23
Claims 2017-07-20 2 47
Description 2017-07-20 8 264
Drawings 2017-07-20 2 50
Representative drawing 2018-12-10 1 10
Cover Page 2018-12-10 2 43
Cover Page 2019-04-24 2 45
Maintenance fee payment 2024-06-25 3 87
Filing Certificate 2017-07-26 1 203
Acknowledgement of Request for Examination 2017-09-27 1 174
Commissioner's Notice - Application Found Allowable 2019-02-06 1 161
Reminder of maintenance fee due 2019-03-21 1 110
Request for examination 2017-08-21 1 32
Final fee 2019-03-29 2 70