Patent ID: 11964423
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object, the method comprising:
a plasticizing step of plasticizing at least a part of a shaping material including a first fiber material and a thermoplastic resin to generate a plasticized material to be discharged from a nozzle opening for shaping a three-dimensional shaped object, the plasticizing step includes, in a plasticizing apparatus that includes a flat screw having a groove forming surface in which a groove portion is formed, a facing portion that has a facing surface facing the groove forming surface and that is formed with a communication hole communicating with the nozzle opening, plasticizing the shaping material by rotation of the flat screw, at least one of the groove forming surface and the facing surface comprises an introduction groove, the introduction groove of the groove forming surface being a groove separate from the groove portion;
a fiber introducing step including a step of introducing a second fiber material longer than the first fiber material into the shaping material before being discharged from the nozzle opening, the second fiber material being introduced into the shaping material through the introduction groove that guides the second fiber material from a side of the flat screw or the facing portion to the communication hole;
a cutting step of cutting the second material by operating a discharge amount control mechanism that is provided upstream from the nozzle opening and that controls a discharge amount of the plasticized material, the discharge amount control mechanism has a valve that rotates about an axis intersecting a direction in which an introduction flow path extends and a rod located downstream of the valve and disposed 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
wherein in the cutting step, the second fiber is sandwiched and cut between
the valve and the cutter blade, which is disposed in the introduction flow path, by rotating the valve, or
the rod and a cutter which is disposed within a recess of the introduction flow path, by moving a top of the rod towards the recess; and

a shaping step of shaping the three-dimensional shaped object including the first fiber material and the second fiber material.