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

Claim 7:
8. A three-dimensional shaping apparatus, comprising:
a plasticizing unit configured to plasticize at least a part of a shaping material including a first fiber material and a thermoplastic resin to generate a plasticized material for shaping a three-dimensional shaped object, the plasticizing unit 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 a nozzle opening, 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 discharging unit having the nozzle opening for discharging the plasticized material;
a fiber introducing unit having a function of introducing a second fiber material longer than the first fiber material into the shaping material before being discharged from the nozzle opening, the fiber introducing unit being configured to introduce the second fiber material 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 discharge amount control mechanism that is provided upstream from the nozzle opening and that is configured to control a discharge amount of the plasticized material, the discharge amount control mechanism comprising a valve that rotates about an axis intersecting a direction in which an introduction flow path extends and a cutter blade provided in the introduction flow path that delivers the plasticized material to the nozzle opening 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
a control unit configured to control the plasticizing unit, the discharging unit, the discharge amount control mechanism, and the fiber introducing unit to shape the three-dimensional shaped object including the first fiber material and the second fiber material.