Patent ID: 7568904
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: B29C,B33Y

Abstract:
1. A stereolithography apparatus, said stereolithography apparatus successively forming a plurality of planar resin layers by curing a predetermined resin, and stacking each of said plurality of planar resin layers in order whenever each of said plurality of planar resin layers is formed, thereby to create a predetermined three-dimensional object, said stereolithography apparatus comprising: a) a modeling part for creating a three-dimensional object thereon; b) a supply element for supplying resin to said modeling part; c) a smoothing element for smoothing the resin supplied to said modeling part by said supply element; d) an irradiation element including a predetermined modulator for modulating light emitted from a light source, said irradiation element directing the modulated light onto the resin smoothed on said modeling part to cure said resin; and e) an observation element for image-forming the modulated light reflected from said modeling part to make the image thereof viewable, said observation element including: e-1) an optical splitting element provided in some midportion of an optical path in said irradiation element and for splitting said reflected light from said optical path; e-2) an image capturing element for capturing the image of said reflected light split by said optical splitting element; and e-3) a display element for viewably displaying the image captured by said image capturing element, said supply element, said smoothing element and said irradiation element being fixed in predetermined positions, respectively, said modeling part being positioned so that, when one of said supply element, said smoothing element and said irradiation element is to execute a process, the two remaining elements are not present between said one element and said modeling part, said modeling part being vertically movable by a first driving mechanism, wherein adjustment of a focus position of said light is made by driving said first driving mechanism every time of forming each of said plurality of planar resin layers, in accordance with focusing of said light on said resin layers or the smoothed resin during of the exposure thereof to said light, said focusing being displayed by said display element, and the distance though which said modeling part moves for said adjustment of said focus position of said light is varied in accordance with the number of said resin layers having been stacked on said modeling part a storing part for previously storing a data set in which the number of stacked resin layers on said modeling part and the distance through which said modeling part moves for said adjustment of focus position of said light are associated with each other, wherein said adjustment of focus position of said light is made based on said data set.