WO2022036584A1

WO2022036584A1 - Three-dimensional printer

Info

Publication number: WO2022036584A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/109977
Authority: WO
Inventors: 林炜淳; 李昌宪; 吴彝任
Original assignee: 普罗森科技股份有限公司
Priority date: 2020-08-19
Filing date: 2020-08-19
Publication date: 2022-02-24

Abstract

A three-dimensional printer (100), comprising light source modules (130, 430), a liquid crystal screen (170), a working recess (180), and a working platform (190). The liquid crystal screen (170) is a monochrome liquid crystal screen and has no sub-pixels, and light beams emitted by light-emitting elements (132, 432) faces the liquid crystal screen (170). At least a part of the light beams passes through a penetration area of the liquid crystal screen (170) according to a printing pattern and is incident into the working recess (180) to undergo cross-linking curing with a curing area of a photosensitive material (189), so that a three-dimensional printing product (16) is formed by gradual stacking of the curing area on the working platform (190).

Description

3D printer

technical field

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printer, and particularly relates to a light-curing three-dimensional printer using photosensitive materials.

Background technique

In recent years, 3D printing has almost become a familiar word to everyone. In addition to general entry-level consumer applications, more and more industries have begun to introduce 3D printing into mold sample development, production processes and customized production, and are more widely used in medical and transportation. , construction, jewelry, dental technology and other industries. However, the printing size of the light-curing 3D printer in the prior art is relatively small, so the applicable product types are limited, and there are problems of slow forming speed and insufficient stability.

According to the above, there is an urgent need for a light-curing 3D printer that can improve printing size, speed and quality in the existing market.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a three-dimensional printer, which helps to quickly manufacture ultra-smooth and fine three-dimensional printing products through the cooperation of a single-color liquid crystal screen with no sub-pixels and other components in the three-dimensional printer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional printer is provided for making a three-dimensional printing product. The three-dimensional printer includes a light source module, a liquid crystal screen, a working tank and a working platform. The light source module includes a plurality of light emitting elements. The liquid crystal screen is a monochrome liquid crystal screen without sub-pixels, and the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element is directed towards the liquid crystal screen. The liquid crystal screen is adjacent to the closed side of the working slot and is arranged in parallel with the working slot. The working slot is used for accommodating the photosensitive material, and the photosensitive material is liquid. The work platform is adjacent to the open side of the work tank. At least a part of the light beam passes through the penetration area of the liquid crystal screen according to the printing pattern and enters the working tank to generate cross-linking and curing with the curing area of the photosensitive material. Both the penetration area and the curing area are time series parameters, and the working platform time corresponds to and intermittently. Contact the curing area, so that the 3D printed product is gradually stacked from the curing area on the working platform. As a result, ultra-smooth and detailed 3D printed products can be produced quickly.

According to the 3D printer of the foregoing embodiments, each light emitting element of the light source module may be a light emitting diode, the light source module further includes a light source circuit board, and the light emitting elements are arranged in an array and disposed on the light source circuit board.

The three-dimensional printer according to the foregoing embodiments may further include a lens array disposed between the light source module and the liquid crystal screen, the lens array includes a plurality of lens elements, each lens element is a single piece, and the lens elements are assembled into an array and arranged with the light-emitting elements. corresponding settings.

The 3D printer according to the foregoing embodiments may further include a lens array, which is integrally formed and disposed between the light source module and the liquid crystal screen, the lens array includes a plurality of lens elements, and the lens element arrays are arranged and corresponding to the light-emitting elements.

The 3D printer according to the foregoing embodiment may further include a casing bottom plate, which is made of metal, and the casing bottom plate is thermally connected to the light source circuit board of the light source module, and the light source module is disposed between the casing bottom plate and the liquid crystal screen.

The 3D printer according to the foregoing embodiments may further include a lift motor, a lift mechanism, an input interface, a control module, and a casing side panel. The lifting mechanism is driven by the lifting motor and is connected to the working platform. The control module is electrically coupled to the light source module, the input interface, the liquid crystal screen and the lift motor. The input interface is arranged on the side panel of the casing. The 3D printer is divided into a first part group, a second part group and a third part group. The first part group includes the shell bottom plate, the light source module and the lens array, and the second part group includes the shell side plate, the input interface and the control The module, the third component group includes a liquid crystal screen, a working platform, a lifting mechanism and a lifting motor, and the first component group, the second component group and the third component group are only connected by electrical connectors and screws. and assembled in at least one of the engaging ways.

The 3D printer according to the foregoing embodiment may further include a lens holder disposed between the light source module and the lens array, the material of the lens holder is opaque to the light beam, and the lens holder includes a plurality of through compartments, and at least one of the through compartments has a The inner wall is in a stepped shape, and is arranged in an array through the compartments and is arranged corresponding to the light-emitting elements respectively.

According to the 3D printer of the aforementioned embodiments, the surface facing the light source of each lens element can include a flat surface, the lens array includes at least one convex particle, the lens array and the convex particle are integrally formed, and the convex particle and the surface facing the light source are arrayed in two columns and two rows The adjacent four of the arrangement are connected.

According to the three-dimensional printer of the foregoing embodiment, the screen facing surface of each lens element may include a convex surface, and the curvature of each screen facing surface is four times or more.

According to the three-dimensional printer of the foregoing embodiment, the light beam incident angle toward the screen surface of each lens element into the curing area of the photosensitive material may be less than 2 degrees.

According to the three-dimensional printer of the aforementioned embodiment, in the process of gradually stacking the three-dimensional printed product from the curing area on the working platform, the liquid crystal screen may not be in contact with the working tank.

According to the three-dimensional printer of the foregoing embodiment, the penetration rate of at least a part of the light beams passing through the penetration area of the liquid crystal screen may be greater than 7%.

According to the three-dimensional printer of the foregoing embodiments, the light source module may be disposed above the working platform.

According to the three-dimensional printer of the foregoing embodiments, the light source module may be disposed below the working platform.

The three-dimensional printer of the foregoing embodiments contributes to miniaturization and cost reduction of the three-dimensional printer.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a three-dimensional printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B shows a perspective view of some components, photosensitive materials, and three-dimensional printing products of the three-dimensional printer of the first embodiment;

1C shows an exploded view of the three-dimensional printer of the first embodiment;

1D shows a perspective view of a lens holder in the three-dimensional printer of the first embodiment;

1E shows a perspective view of the lens array in the three-dimensional printer of the first embodiment;

1F shows a bottom view of the lens array in the three-dimensional printer of the first embodiment;

2A shows a perspective view of a lens array in a three-dimensional printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

2B shows another perspective view of the lens array in the three-dimensional printer of the second embodiment;

3A shows a perspective view of a lens holder and a lens array in a three-dimensional printer according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

3B shows an exploded view of the lens holder and the lens array in the three-dimensional printer of the third embodiment; and

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of some components in the three-dimensional printer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numbers:

100: 3D Printer

100a: First Parts Group

100b: Second Parts Set

100c: Third Parts Set

110: Shell

112: Shell bottom plate

113: Shell side panel

114: Input interface

116: Cover part

118: Control Module

420: Cooling unit

130,430: Light source module

131,431: Light source circuit board

132,432: Light-emitting elements

140,340,440: Lens holder

143,343,443: Through compartment

144,344,444: Inner Wall

141,341: First inner wall part

142,342: Second inner wall part

150, 250, 350, 450: Lens Array

155,255: bumps

156,256,356,456: Lens elements

157,257,357: towards the light source side

158,258,358,458: towards the screen side

351: First side wall part

352: Second side wall part

170: LCD screen

173: Stage

180: Working slot

181: closed side

182: Open Side

189: Photosensitive Materials

190: Work Platform

194: Lifting mechanism

195: Lifting Motor

16: 3D Printing Products

detailed description

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of clarity, many practical details are set forth in the following description. It should be understood, however, that these practical details should not be used to limit the present invention. That is, in some embodiments of the present invention, these practical details are unnecessary. Furthermore, to simplify the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in the drawings in simplified schematic form; and repeated elements will likely be designated by the same reference numerals.

1A shows a perspective view of a three-dimensional printer 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B shows a perspective view of some components, a photosensitive material 189 , and a three-dimensional printing product 16 of the three-dimensional printer 100 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1C shows a first An exploded view of the three-dimensional printer 100 of the embodiment. 1A to 1C , the three-dimensional printer 100 is used to manufacture the three-dimensional printing product 16 , and the three-dimensional printer 100 includes a light source module 130 , a liquid crystal display (LCD) 170 , a working slot 180 and a working platform 190 .

The light source module 130 includes a plurality of light emitting elements 132 . The liquid crystal screen 170 is a monochromatic liquid crystal screen (Monochrome LCD, that is, a black and white liquid crystal screen) and has no sub-pixels (Sub-pixel). The liquid crystal screen 170 is adjacent to the closed side 181 of the working slot 180 and is arranged in parallel and aligned with the working slot 180. The working slot 180 accommodates the photosensitive material 189, and the photosensitive material 189 is liquid. The work platform 190 is adjacent the open side 182 of the work tank 180 . At least a part of the light beam of the fixed wavelength passes through the penetration area (not shown in the figure) of the liquid crystal screen 170 according to the printing pattern and enters the working tank 180 to generate cross-linking and curing with the curing area (not shown in the figure) of the photosensitive material 189 , both the penetration area and the curing area are time series parameters, and the working platform 190 contacts the curing area correspondingly and intermittently, so that the working platform 190 is gradually stacked from the curing area into a patterned 3D printing product 16 . Therefore, the power consumption of the three-dimensional printer 100 is reduced, and the light beam has a high transmittance when passing through the liquid crystal screen 170, which further improves the forming speed of the curing area of the photosensitive material 189 and corresponds to a higher resolution, so that the three-dimensional printer 100 has Features of high resolution and high printing speed to quickly manufacture ultra-smooth and detailed 3D printed products16 and enter the industrial mass production market. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the liquid crystal screen may be a thin film transistor liquid crystal screen (TFT-LCD).

Each light-emitting element 132 of the light source module 130 can be a light-emitting diode (Light-Emitting diode, abbreviated as LED). Therefore, the three-dimensional printer 100 that is favorable for photocuring has nearly parallel light sources, and can reduce power consumption. Specifically, each light-emitting element 132 is an ultraviolet LED.

The 3D printer 100 may further include a housing bottom plate 112 made of metal material. The housing bottom plate 112 is thermally connected to the light source circuit board 131 of the light source module 130 in a conductive manner. The light source module 130 is disposed between the housing bottom plate 112 and the liquid crystal screen 170 . Therefore, the single-color liquid crystal screen and the liquid crystal screen 170 without sub-pixels provide a higher transmittance of the light beam, which is beneficial for the light-emitting element 132 to maintain the same intensity of at least a part of the light beam entering the curing area of the photosensitive material 189 with a smaller power. Therefore, the use of complex structures such as fin-shaped cooling units, fans, and cooling water pipes in the prior art 3D printer is omitted, which contributes to miniaturization and cost reduction of the 3D printer 100 . In the first embodiment, the casing bottom plate 112 is the bottom plate of the casing 110 of the three-dimensional printer 100 (ie, a part of the casing 110 ), which can further simplify the mechanism design of the three-dimensional printer 100 .

The three-dimensional printer 100 may further include a lens array 150, which is integrally formed and disposed between the light source module 130 and the liquid crystal screen 170. The lens array 150 includes a plurality of lens elements 156. are light-emitting diodes) are respectively arranged at fixed positions. Therefore, the light emitting diode package in the light emitting element 132 provides the first optical design of the light beam, and the lens element 156 provides the second optical design of the light beam to facilitate the control of the beam path and further ensure the intensity and uniformity of the light beam projected to the liquid crystal screen 170 . Specifically, the lens array 150 is integrally injection molded, each lens element 156 is a regular quadrilateral, the lens elements 156 are arranged in a 3×6 array, and the light-emitting elements 132 are arranged in a 3×6 array. The numbers are all 18, and the lens elements 156 and the light-emitting elements 132 are respectively arranged correspondingly. In other embodiments according to the present invention (not shown), the lens array includes a plurality of lens elements, at least one of the lens elements is hexagonal or substantially regular hexagonal, and the lens elements are arranged in a honeycomb array and communicate with the light emitting element. Components are set accordingly.

1D shows a perspective view of the lens holder 140 in the 3D printer 100 of the first embodiment. From FIGS. 1B to 1D , the 3D printer 100 may further include a lens holder 140 , which is disposed between the light source module 130 and the lens array 150 , The lens holder 140 is specifically connected and assembled with the lens array 150 . The material of the lens holder 140 is opaque to the light beam, the lens holder 140 includes a plurality of through compartments 143 , the inner wall 144 of at least one of the through compartments 143 is stepped, and the through compartments 143 are arranged in an array and corresponding to the light emitting elements 132 respectively. . Therefore, in addition to supporting and positioning the lens array 150, the lens holder 140 can control the path and quality of the light beam through the inner wall 144 thereof. Specifically, the number of the through compartments 143 and the number of lens elements 156 are both 18, and the inner wall 144 of at least one of the through compartments 143 includes a first inner wall portion 141 and a second inner wall portion 142 , wherein the second inner wall portion 142 protrudes inwardly than the first inner wall portion 141 , so the first inner wall portion 141 and the second inner wall portion 142 form a stepped shape.

1E shows a perspective view of the lens array 150 in the three-dimensional printer 100 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 1F shows a bottom view of the lens array 150 in the three-dimensional printer 100 of the first embodiment. It can be seen from FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F that the light source facing surfaces 157 of each lens element 156 may include a flat surface. Specifically, the light source facing surfaces 157 of the lens elements 156 are connected to form a flat plane. The flat surface of the lens array 150 includes at least one convex particle 155. The lens array 150 and the convex particle 155 are integrally formed. The adjacent four (respectively located on the adjacent four lens elements 156 ) are directly connected, that is, the convex particles 155 are located at the center or boundary of the adjacent four arranged in an array of two columns and two rows in the light source surface 157 . Therefore, the light beam incident on the liquid crystal screen 170 is helpful to maintain high intensity and uniformity. According to other embodiments of the present invention (not shown), the surface of each lens element facing the light source may include a concave surface.

It can be seen from FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C that the screen-facing surface 158 of each lens element 156 may include a convex surface, and the curvature of each screen-facing surface 158 is more than four times, that is, the screen-facing surface 158 of each lens element 156 is aspherical, and faces The aspherical curve equation of the screen surface 158 is higher than the fourth order. Therefore, the control of the beam path is facilitated to improve the printing resolution, printing size and quality, so that the 3D printer 100 is particularly suitable for printing delicate items, such as jewelry rings, doll models, and dental models of biomedical materials. , orthopedic materials, visceral models, vascular models or prosthetics, etc.

The light beam from each lens element 156 toward the screen surface 158 incident on the curing area of the photosensitive material 189 can be less than 2 degrees. Specifically, the light beam can pass through the above-mentioned optimized quadratic curvature lens element 156 array and its novel convex particle 155 array. The light-receiving angle of the cured area of the incident photosensitive material 189 is corrected to less than 2 degrees. Therefore, it is helpful for the light beam used as the backlight source to achieve the effect of approaching the parallel light source (the receiving angle of the parallel light source is 0 degrees), so as to improve the light divergence problem in the prior art, so that the light intensity of the light beam passing through the liquid crystal screen 170 is increased, In addition, the liquid crystal screen 170 receives light evenly, thus greatly improving the resolution and quality of the three-dimensional printing product 16 . Furthermore, the light beam incident angle of each lens element 156 toward the screen surface 158 of the curing area of the photosensitive material 189 may be less than 1 degree.

During the process of gradually stacking the three-dimensional printed product 16 from the curing area on the working platform 190 , the liquid crystal screen 170 may not be in contact with the working tank 180 . Therefore, the 3D printer in the prior art is limited by the transmittance, so that the grating (such as a liquid crystal screen) needs to be in contact with the working groove or other fixtures (such as a film) to avoid a further reduction in the transmittance. The three-dimensional printer 100 provides a high transmittance of the light beam through the liquid crystal screen 170 , which can improve the flexibility of the three-dimensional printer 100 in engineering design and reduce the cost.

The transmittance of at least a part of the light beam passing through the transmittance region of the liquid crystal screen 170 may be greater than 7%. Therefore, the patterning speed of the curing area of the photosensitive material 189 is favorable, which further improves the printing speed of the three-dimensional printer 100 and reduces the power consumption. Furthermore, the transmittance of at least a part of the light beam passing through the transmittance region of the liquid crystal screen 170 may be greater than 9%.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1A to 1C , the three-dimensional printer 100 may further include a lift motor 195 , a lift mechanism 194 , an input interface 114 , a control module 118 and a housing side panel 113 . The elevating mechanism 194 is driven by the elevating motor 195 and is connected to the working platform 190. The control module 118 includes a control circuit board. The control circuit board is provided with a processor, a memory and other electronic components (all not marked with other numbers). The control module 118 is electrically coupled to The light source module 130 , the input interface 114 , the liquid crystal screen 170 and the lift motor 195 . The input interface 114 is disposed on the casing side plate 113 , and the casing side plate 113 is formed by connecting four side walls. The three-dimensional printer 100 is divided into a first part group 100a, a second part group 100b and a third part group 100c. The first part group 100a includes a housing bottom plate 112, a light source module 130, a lens holder 140 and a lens array 150. The second part group 100a The component group 100b includes a casing side plate 113, an input interface 114 and a control module 118, the third component group 100c includes a liquid crystal screen 170, a carrier 173, a working platform 190, a lifting mechanism 194 and a lifting motor 195, and the first component The group 100a, the second component group 100b and the third component group 100c are assembled only by at least one of the electrical connector method, the screw method and the snap-fit method. Therefore, the three-piece assembly design of the first component group 100a, the second component group 100b and the third component group 100c is convenient for users to disassemble and assemble the 3D printer 100, and to replace or upgrade the components therein. Furthermore, the casing 110 of the 3D printer 100 includes a casing bottom plate 112 , a casing side plate 113 and a cover portion 116 from bottom to top. The cover portion 116 can be made of transparent material. The 180 can be disassembled and assembled by the three-dimensional printer 100 when the photosensitive material 189 needs to be added, removed or replaced.

The light source module 130 may be disposed below the work platform 190 . Therefore, the three-dimensional printer 100 has a preferred engineering convenience.

According to other embodiments of the present invention (not shown in the figure), the light source module may be disposed above the working platform. Therefore, the three-dimensional printer according to the present invention has engineering design flexibility, and can also be applied to a sunken light-curing three-dimensional printer.

2A shows a perspective view of the lens array 250 in the three-dimensional printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of the lens array 250 in the three-dimensional printer according to the second embodiment from another perspective. In the second embodiment, a three-dimensional printer (not shown in full) is used to manufacture a three-dimensional printing product, and the three-dimensional printer includes a light source module, a liquid crystal screen, a working tank and a working platform.

The light source module of the second embodiment includes a plurality of light emitting elements. The liquid crystal screen is a monochrome liquid crystal screen without sub-pixels, and the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element is directed towards the liquid crystal screen. The liquid crystal screen is adjacent to the closed side of the working slot and is arranged in parallel and aligned with the working slot. The working slot is used for accommodating the photosensitive material, and the photosensitive material is liquid. The work platform is adjacent to the open side of the work tank. At least a part of the light beam passes through the penetration area of the liquid crystal screen according to the printing pattern and enters the working tank to generate cross-linking and curing with the curing area of the photosensitive material. Both the penetration area and the curing area are time series parameters, and the working platform time corresponds to and intermittently. Contact the curing area, so that the 3D printed product is gradually stacked from the curing area on the working platform.

It can be seen from FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B that the three-dimensional printer further includes a lens array 250, which is integrally formed and disposed between the light source module and the liquid crystal screen. The lens array 250 includes a plurality of lens elements 256, and the lens elements 256 are arranged in an array and are connected with the light-emitting elements. corresponding settings. Specifically, the lens array 250 is integrally injection molded, each lens element 256 is a regular quadrilateral, the lens elements 256 are arranged in a 5×8 array, the light-emitting elements are arranged in a 5×8 array (not shown in the figure), and the number of the lens elements 256 The number of the light-emitting elements is 40, and the lens element 256 and the light-emitting elements are respectively arranged correspondingly.

The light source facing surfaces 257 of each lens element 256 include a flat surface. Specifically, the light source facing surfaces 257 of the lens elements 256 are connected to form a flat plane. The flat plane of the lens array 250 includes at least one bump 255 , the lens array 250 and the bump 255 are integrally formed, and the bump 255 is directly connected to four adjacent ones of the surface 257 facing the light source arranged in an array of two columns and two rows.

As can be seen from FIG. 2A , the screen facing surface 258 of each lens element 256 includes a convex surface, and the curvature of each screen facing surface 258 is four times or more. The light beam from each lens element 256 toward the screen surface 258 incident on the curing area of the photosensitive material has a light receiving angle of less than 2 degrees.

For other details of the three-dimensional printer of the second embodiment, reference may be made to the content of the three-dimensional printer 100 of the first embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

3A shows a perspective view of the lens holder 340 and the lens array 350 in the three-dimensional printer according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the three-dimensional printer (not shown in full) is used to produce a three-dimensional printing product, and the three-dimensional printer includes a light source Module, LCD screen, working slot and working platform.

The light source module of the third embodiment includes a plurality of light emitting elements. The liquid crystal screen is a monochrome liquid crystal screen without sub-pixels, and the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element is directed towards the liquid crystal screen. The liquid crystal screen is adjacent to the closed side of the working slot and is arranged in parallel and aligned with the working slot. The working slot is used for accommodating the photosensitive material, and the photosensitive material is liquid. The work platform is adjacent to the open side of the work tank. At least a part of the light beam passes through the penetration area of the liquid crystal screen according to the printing pattern and enters the working tank to generate cross-linking and curing with the curing area of the photosensitive material. Both the penetration area and the curing area are time series parameters, and the working platform time corresponds to and intermittently. Contact the curing area, so that the 3D printed product is gradually stacked from the curing area on the working platform.

FIG. 3B shows an exploded view of the lens holder 340 and the lens array 350 in the three-dimensional printer of the third embodiment. As can be seen from FIGS. 3A and 3B , the three-dimensional printer of the third embodiment further includes a lens array 350 , which is arranged between the light source module and the lens array 350 . Between the liquid crystal screens, the lens array 350 includes a plurality of lens elements 356, each lens element 356 is a single piece (Single Piece), and the lens elements 356 are assembled into an array and arranged corresponding to the light emitting elements. Therefore, it is helpful to assemble lens arrays of different sizes according to requirements, so as to be suitable for various 3D printers. Specifically, each lens element 356 is a regular quadrilateral, the lens elements 356 are assembled and arranged in a 5×8 array, and the light-emitting elements are arranged in a 5×8 array (not shown in the figure). The number of lens elements 356 and the number of light-emitting elements are both Forty lens elements 356 and light emitting elements are respectively provided correspondingly.

The three-dimensional printer further includes a lens holder 340 , which is disposed between the light source module and the lens array 350 , and the lens holder 340 is specifically connected and assembled with the lens array 350 . The material of the lens holder 340 is opaque to the light beam. The lens holder 340 includes a plurality of through compartments 343 . The inner wall 344 of at least one of the through compartments 343 is stepped, and the through compartments 343 are arranged in an array and corresponding to the light emitting elements. Specifically, the number of the through compartments 343 and the number of lens elements 356 are both 40, and the inner wall 344 of each of the through compartments 343 includes a first inner wall portion 341 and a second inner wall portion 342 , wherein the second inner wall portion 342 Compared with the first inner wall portion 341, the first inner wall portion 341 and the second inner wall portion 342 are formed in a stepped shape. Each of the lens elements 356 includes a first sidewall portion 351 and a second sidewall portion 352, wherein the first sidewall portion 351 is more convex than the second sidewall portion 352, and thus the first sidewall portion 351 and the second sidewall portion 352 The portion 352 is formed in a stepped shape. The lens array 350 is positioned on the lens holder 340 through the corresponding assembly of the first inner wall portion 341 and the first side wall portion 351 , and the corresponding assembly of the second inner wall portion 342 and the second side wall portion 352 .

The screen facing surface 358 of each lens element 356 includes a convex surface, and the curvature of each screen facing surface 358 is four times or more. The light beam from each lens element 356 toward the screen surface 358 incident on the curing area of the photosensitive material has a light receiving angle of less than 2 degrees.

For other details of the three-dimensional printer of the third embodiment, reference may be made to the content of the three-dimensional printer 100 of the first embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of some components in the 3D printer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, the 3D printer (not shown in full) is used to make a 3D printing product, and the 3D printer includes a light source module 430 and a liquid crystal screen. , work tank and work platform.

The light source module 430 includes a plurality of light emitting elements 432 . The liquid crystal screen is a monochrome liquid crystal screen without sub-pixels, and the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element 432 is directed toward the liquid crystal screen. The liquid crystal screen is adjacent to the closed side of the working slot and is arranged in parallel and aligned with the working slot. The working slot is used for accommodating the photosensitive material, and the photosensitive material is liquid. The work platform is adjacent to the open side of the work tank. At least a part of the light beam passes through the penetration area of the liquid crystal screen according to the printing pattern and enters the working tank to generate cross-linking and curing with the curing area of the photosensitive material. Both the penetration area and the curing area are time series parameters, and the working platform time corresponds and intermittently. Contact the curing area, so that the 3D printed product is gradually stacked from the curing area on the working platform.

4 , each light emitting element 432 of the light source module 430 is an ultraviolet LED, the light source module 430 further includes a light source circuit board 431 , and the light emitting elements 432 are arranged in an array and disposed on the light source circuit board 431 .

The three-dimensional printer of the fourth embodiment further includes a lens array 450, which is integrally formed and disposed between the light source module 430 and the liquid crystal screen. The lens array 450 includes a plurality of lens elements 456, and the lens elements 456 are arranged in an array and are separated from the light-emitting elements 432. corresponding settings. Specifically, the lens array 450 is integrally injection molded, each lens element 456 is a regular quadrilateral, the lens elements 456 are arranged in a 3×6 array, and the light-emitting elements 432 are arranged in a 3×6 array. The numbers are all 18, and the lens elements 456 and the light-emitting elements 432 are respectively arranged correspondingly.

The 3D printer of the fourth embodiment further includes a lens holder 440 disposed between the light source module 430 and the lens array 450 , and the lens holder 440 is specifically connected and assembled with the lens array 450 . The material of the lens holder 440 is opaque to the light beam. The lens holder 440 includes a plurality of through compartments 443 , the inner wall 444 of at least one of the through compartments 443 is stepped (not shown in the figure), and the through compartments 443 are arranged in an array and are connected with each other. The light emitting elements 432 are respectively arranged correspondingly. Specifically, the number of through-spaces 443 and the number of lens elements 456 are both 18.

The screen facing surface 458 of each lens element 456 includes a convex surface, and the curvature of each screen facing surface 458 is four times or more. The light beam is incident on the curing area of the photosensitive material from the lens element 456 toward the screen surface 458, and the light-emitting angle is less than 2 degrees.

Furthermore, the 3D printer of the fourth embodiment further includes a heat dissipation unit 420, which is made of metal and includes a plurality of fins. The heat dissipation unit 420 is thermally connected to the light source circuit board 431 of the light source module 430 in a conductive manner. between the heat dissipation unit 420 and the liquid crystal screen. In addition, the bottom plate of the housing of the three-dimensional printer of the fourth embodiment is not physically connected to the light source module 430 .

For other details of the three-dimensional printer of the fourth embodiment, reference may be made to the content of the three-dimensional printer 100 of the first embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

A three-dimensional printer for making a three-dimensional printing product, the three-dimensional printer comprising:

a light source module, including a plurality of light emitting elements;

a liquid crystal screen, which is a single-color liquid crystal screen without sub-pixels, and a light beam emitted by the plurality of light-emitting elements is directed toward the liquid crystal screen;

a working slot, wherein the liquid crystal screen is adjacent to a closed side of the working slot and is arranged in parallel with the working slot, the working slot is for accommodating a photosensitive material, and the photosensitive material is liquid; and

a work platform adjacent to an open side of the work tank;

Wherein, at least a part of the light beam passes through a penetration area of the liquid crystal screen according to a printing pattern and enters the working tank to generate cross-linking and curing with a curing area of the photosensitive material. Both the penetration area and the curing area are The time series parameter, the working platform contacts the curing area correspondingly and intermittently, so that the three-dimensional printing product is gradually stacked from the curing area on the working platform.
The 3D printer of claim 1, wherein each of the light emitting elements of the light source module is a light emitting diode, the light source module further comprises a light source circuit board, and the plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in an array and disposed on the light source circuit board .
The three-dimensional printer of claim 2, further comprising:

A lens array is disposed between the light source module and the liquid crystal screen, the lens array includes a plurality of lens elements, each of the lens elements is a single piece, the plurality of lens elements are assembled into an array and arranged with the plurality of lens elements The light-emitting elements are respectively arranged correspondingly.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 2, further comprising:

A lens array is integrally formed and disposed between the light source module and the liquid crystal screen, the lens array includes a plurality of lens elements, and the plurality of lens elements are arranged in an array and corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting elements.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 4, further comprising:

A casing bottom plate is made of metal material, the casing bottom plate is thermally connected to the light source circuit board of the light source module, and the light source module is arranged between the casing bottom plate and the liquid crystal screen.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 5, further comprising:

a lift motor;

a lift mechanism, driven by the lift motor and connected to the working platform;

an input interface;

a control module electrically coupled to the light source module, the input interface, the liquid crystal screen and the lift motor; and

a shell side plate, wherein the input interface is arranged on the shell side plate;

The 3D printer is divided into a first part group, a second part group and a third part group, the first part group includes the housing bottom plate, the light source module and the lens array, the second part group Including the shell side plate, the input interface and the control module, the third component group includes the liquid crystal screen, the working platform, the lifting mechanism and the lifting motor, and the first component group, the second component The group and the third component group are assembled only by at least one of the electrical connector method, the screw method and the snap-fit method.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 4, further comprising:

a lens holder, disposed between the light source module and the lens array, the material of the lens holder is opaque to the light beam, the lens holder includes a plurality of through compartments, and the inner wall of at least one of the plurality of through compartments In a stepped shape, the plurality of through-spaces are arrayed and arranged corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting elements respectively.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 4 , wherein a surface facing the light source of each of the lens elements comprises a flat surface, the lens array comprises at least one convex particle, the lens array and the convex particle are integrally formed, and the convex particle and the convex particle are integrally formed. A plurality of adjacent four facing the light source surface arranged in an array of two columns and two rows are connected.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 4 , wherein a surface facing the screen of each of the lens elements includes a convex surface, and the curvature of each surface facing the screen is more than four times.
The 3D printer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light beam is incident on the solidified area of the photosensitive material from the screen-facing surface of each of the lens elements, and an end-of-light angle is less than 2 degrees.
The 3D printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the process of gradually stacking the 3D printed product from the curing area on the working platform, the liquid crystal screen is not in contact with the working tank.
The 3D printer of claim 1 , wherein the transmittance of the at least a part of the light beam passing through the transmissive region of the liquid crystal screen is greater than 7%.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 1, wherein the light source module is disposed above the working platform.
The three-dimensional printer of claim 1, wherein the light source module is disposed below the working platform.