Patent ID: 8550802

Claim:
A stacked-layers forming device for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object, comprising: a powder layer former that forms a powder layer of a powder material; and a solidified layer former that forms a solidified layer by irradiating a predetermined portion of the powder layer with a light beam, thereby allowing a sintering of the powder material in said predetermined portion or a melting and solidification thereof; wherein the three-dimensional shaped object with a plurality of the solidified layers stacked integrally is manufactured by repeating the forming the powder layer by the powder layer former and the forming the solidified layer by the solidified layer former; the device further comprising a powder replenisher that supplies the powder material to above a base on which the powder layer and the solidified layer are formed or onto an upper surface of a base frame which surrounds the base; wherein the powder replenisher comprises an approximately cylindrical member in which the powder material is charged and a screw member which is installed within the approximately cylindrical member, wherein a rotation of the screw member conveys the powder material in the approximately cylindrical member, wherein the powder layer former comprises a slide member which is provided slidably in a sliding direction along the upper surface of the base frame, wherein the slide member is capable of conveying the powder material, which has been supplied from the powder replenisher, toward an upper surface of the base or thereabove, while leveling the surface of the conveyed powder material, wherein the slide member comprises a frame member, the powder replenisher supplying the powder material inside the frame member, wherein the powder replenisher is provided movably in a direction approximately perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slide member.