Patent ID: 8062020

Claim:
An apparatus for making a three-dimensional object, comprising: a table; a powdery layer-forming unit for forming a powdery layer on the table; and an optical beam-irradiating unit for irradiating an optical beam on a predetermined region of the powdery layer to sinter the predetermined region of the powdery layer, and a fume blocker permeable to light for blocking fumes generated during sintering from passing therethrough, wherein: the optical beam-irradiating unit is disposed at a position deviated from immediately above an optical beam-irradiating range to obliquely irradiate the optical beam on the powdery layer, the optical beam-irradiating unit comprises a beam shape-correcting unit configured to correct a shape of the optical beam to form a generally round spot beam on a surface to be irradiated, the fume blocker is horizontally interposed between the optical beam-irradiating range and a portion of the optical beam-irradiating unit from which the optical beam is emitted, and the fume blocker forms is a gas layer between the optical beam-irradiating range and the optical beam-irradiating unit by causing a gas to flow from a top downward, wherein the fume blocker comprises a vertically extending transparent plate.