# US 11,999,108 B2 · Three-dimensional shaping device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,108 B2 - Document ID: US11999108B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/443,039 - Filed: 2021-07-20 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-23 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Akihiko Tsunoya; Kaoru Momose; Toshimitsu Hirai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999108B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder - B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up - B22F 10/68: Cleaning or washing - B22F 12/224: {for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer} - B22F 12/53: Nozzles - B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/227: Driving means - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a shaping table; a layer forming unit configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table; a head configured to eject a liquid containing a binder from a nozzle to a shaping region; and a control unit configured to control movement of the head with respect to the shaping table and driving of the head by applying a voltage. The control unit executes a first flushing operation when a distance between the shaping region and the flushing position is less than a threshold value, and executes a second flushing operation when the distance between the shaping region and the flushing position is equal to or greater than the threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A three-dimensional shaping device, comprising: a shaping table; a layer forming unit configured to form a powder layer on the shaping table; a head configured to eject a liquid containing a binder from a nozzle to a shaping region of a three-dimensional shaped object on the powder layer; and a control unit configured to control movement of the head with respect to the shaping table and driving of the head by applying a voltage, and to control the head to execute a flushing operation at a flushing position which is a position different from the shaping region, wherein the control unit is configured to control the head to execute a first flushing operation under a first flushing condition that a distance between the shaping region and the flushing position is less than a threshold value, and control the head to execute a second flushing operation, which is different from the first flushing operation, under a second flushing condition that the distance between the shaping region and the flushing position is equal to or greater than the threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of a waveform input to the head in the second flushing operation is higher than a frequency of a waveform input to the head in the first flushing operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1, wherein a voltage to be applied to the head in the second flushing operation is higher than a voltage to be applied to the head in the first flushing operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1, wherein an ejection speed of the liquid from the head in the second flushing operation is faster than an ejection speed of the liquid from the head in the first flushing operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1, wherein a droplet size of the liquid ejected from the head in the second flushing operation is larger than a droplet size of the liquid ejected from the head in the first flushing operation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the head includes a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, a supply path configured to supply the liquid to the pressure chamber, and a circulation path into which the liquid from the pressure chamber flows for circulation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to control such that q2/q1 is equal to or greater than 0.05 and equal to or less than 20, where q1 is a flow rate of the liquid flowing into the circulation path per unit time, and q2 is a maximum flow rate of the liquid ejected from the nozzle per unit time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 7, wherein q2/q1 is 0.05. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional shaping device according to claim 1, wherein the shaping region includes a first region and a second region, a distance between the first region and the flushing position is less than the threshold value, and a distance between the second region and the flushing position is greater than or equal to the threshold value.