# US 7,611,656 B2 · Method and device for fabricating plastic molded article > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,611,656 B2 - Document ID: US7611656B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/130,166 - Filed: 2005-05-17 - Published: 2005-11-24 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2004-05-18 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Daiki Minegishi; Hisaaki Koseko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7611656B2 ## CPC - B29C 35/12: Dielectric heating - B29C 59/025: {Fibrous surfaces with piles or similar fibres substantially perpendicular to the surface} - H05B 6/46: Dielectric heating (H05B6/64 takes precedence) - B29K 2995/0006: Dielectric - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - 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) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - 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 ## Abstract A method of fabricating a plastic molded article is disclosed. In the method, a compound liquid, including two component liquids insoluble in each other and having different dielectric constants, is supplied between two electrodes, and an electric field is applied between the electrodes. At least one of the component liquids is an un-cured curable resin liquid. Upon application of the electric field, the higher dielectric constant component liquid is extended along the direction of the electric field, thus forming a bridge structure linking the electrodes. When the curable resin is cured after the bridge structure is formed, a plastic molded article is obtained. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of fabricating a plastic molded article, comprising: filling an electric field application cell with a compound liquid, said electric field application cell having electrodes facing each other, said compound liquid including at least two component liquids being insoluble in each other and having dielectric constants different from each other, at least one of the component liquids being an un-cured curable resin liquid; applying an electric field between the electrodes to concentrate and extend one of the component liquids in the compound liquid along a direction of the electric field so as to form a bridge structure linking the electrodes, said extended component liquid being a high dielectric constant component liquid that has a dielectric constant higher than a dielectric constant of each of the other component liquids; and curing the at least one component liquid that is an un-cured curable resin liquid after the bridge structure is formed to create a plastic molded article, wherein the component liquids are supplied in the electric field application cell without being dispersed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component liquids are stacked to be a layered structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high dielectric constant component liquid is formed on at least one surface of the electrodes in the form of droplets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of filling the electric field application cell with the compound liquid having the layered structure includes the steps of: forming a layer of one of the component liquids on a first electrode of the electric field application cell; forming a layer of another one of the component liquids on a second electrode of the electric field application cell; and bonding the first electrode with the one component liquid layer formed thereon and the second electrode with the other one component liquid layer formed thereon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of filling the electric field application cell with the compound liquid having the layered structure includes the steps of: forming a layer of one of the component liquids on a first electrode of the electric field application cell; forming a layer of another one of the component liquids on the layer of the one component liquid; and bonding a second electrode of the electric field application cell on the layer of the other one component liquid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the high dielectric constant component liquid is injected onto the surface of one of the electrodes to form the droplets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the droplets of the high dielectric constant component liquid on the surface of one of the electrodes are obtained by a step of forming a first film having a predetermined pattern on the surface of one of the electrodes from a material repelling the high dielectric constant component liquid, and a step of forming a film from the high dielectric constant component liquid on the first film. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of filling the electric field application cell with the compound liquid includes the steps of: forming the droplets of the high dielectric constant component liquid on a surface of a first electrode of the electric field application cell; forming a layer of another one of the component liquids other than the high dielectric constant component liquid on a second electrode of the electric field application cell; and bonding the first electrode with the high dielectric constant component liquid formed thereon and the second electrode with the other one component liquid layer formed thereon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of filling the electric field application cell with the compound liquid includes the steps of: forming the droplets of the high dielectric constant component liquid on a surface of a first electrode of the electric field application cell; forming a layer of another one of the component liquids other than the high dielectric constant component liquid on the droplets of the high dielectric constant component liquid; and bonding a second electrode of the electric field application cell on the layer of the other one component liquid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component liquid that is an un-cured curable resin liquid is cured when being irradiated by rays of activation energy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the component liquid that is an un-cured curable resin liquid is an ultraviolet curable resin which is cured when being irradiated by ultraviolet rays. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component liquid that is an un-cured curable resin liquid is a thermal curable resin which is cured when heated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound liquid includes only two component liquids which are insoluble in each other and have dielectric constants different from each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high dielectric constant component liquid is an un-cured curable resin liquid; and a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is removed after the curing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is an un-cured curable resin liquid; and the high dielectric constant component liquid is removed after the curing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high dielectric constant component liquid is a first un-cured curable resin liquid; a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is a second un-cured curable resin liquid; and the second curable resin liquid and the first curable resin liquid are cured in the curing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high dielectric constant component liquid is an un-cured curable resin; a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is a melt of a thermo-melting material that melts when heated; and the curing includes curing the melt after the high dielectric constant component liquid is cured. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high dielectric constant component liquid is an un-cured curable resin; a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is a melt of a thermo-melting material that melts when heated; and the curing includes curing the melt before curing the high dielectric constant component liquid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is an un-cured curable resin liquid; the high dielectric constant component liquid is a melt of a thermo-melting material that melts when heated; and the curing includes curing the melt after the curable resin is cured. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a component liquid other than the high dielectric constant component liquid is an un-cured curable resin liquid; the high dielectric constant component liquid is a melt of a thermo-melting material that melts when heated; and the curing includes curing the melt before curing the high dielectric constant component liquid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric field between the electrodes is induced by an alternating current. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric field between the electrodes is induced by a direct current.