Patent ID: 11951686
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 11:
12. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object, comprising:
a plasticizing step of plasticizing at least a part of a shaping material containing a thermoplastic resin to generate a plasticized material;
a fiber introducing step including at least one of a step of introducing a covered fiber material, which is a first fiber material covered with a covering material, into the plasticized material after being discharged from a nozzle opening, and a step of introducing the covered fiber material into the shaping material or the plasticized material before being discharged from the nozzle opening;
a cutting step of cutting the covered fiber material after the fiber introducing step, the cutting step including a step of cutting the covered fiber material by operating a discharge amount control mechanism, which is configured to control a discharge amount of the plasticized material from the nozzle opening, that is provided upstream of the nozzle opening to cut the covered fiber material disposed between the discharge amount control mechanism and a cutter blade provided in an introduction flow path that delivers the plasticized material to the nozzle opening; and
a shaping step of shaping a three-dimensional shaped object including the covered fiber material,
wherein the discharge amount control mechanism has a valve that rotates about an axis intersecting a direction in which the introduction flow path extends, and has a rod located downstream of the valve and arranged in a branch flow path connected to the introduction flow path, the branch flow path extending along a direction intersecting the direction in which the introduction flow path extends, and in the cutting step, the covered fiber material is sandwiched and cut between the rod and the cutter blade by moving the rod to protrude from the branch flow path into the introduction flow path.