JP7786713B2 - Resin-containing member, method for manufacturing resin-containing member, and method for manufacturing fired body - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a resin-containing member made using a photocurable resin, a method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, and a method for manufacturing a fired body.

Ceramic green sheets are used to manufacture a variety of products, such as substrates and artificial bones (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Ceramic green sheets are produced by forming a slurry containing ceramic powder and a binder into a sheet and drying it. The binder is made of, for example, a resin.

JP 2012-029760 A

Ceramic green sheets desirably have a three-dimensional structure that allows them to achieve the functions required for their intended use. Examples of such three-dimensional structures include lattice structures, moth-eye structures, gyroid structures, mesh structures, embossed structures, and uneven structures. Meanwhile, ceramic green sheets are generally processed using a processing machine (laser processing machine or mechanical processing machine). While processing methods using a processing machine make it possible to form simple three-dimensional structures, it is difficult to form complex three-dimensional structures such as the lattice, moth-eye, gyroid, mesh, embossed, and uneven structures mentioned above.

It is also desirable that ceramic green sheets be able to be bent or folded, in order to increase the degree of freedom in the three-dimensional shape of the fired body that can be produced. In this regard, some ceramic green sheets have a certain degree of flexibility in their unsintered state. However, even if such ceramic green sheets are deformed into a predetermined three-dimensional shape by being bent or folded, they do not have the strength to maintain that three-dimensional shape. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a fired body having a predetermined three-dimensional shape from such ceramic green sheets.

On the other hand, some ceramic green sheets have relatively high rigidity in an unsintered state. However, such ceramic green sheets are difficult to deform. Therefore, the applications for which ceramic green sheets can be used have been limited by the targeted three-dimensional shape. As such, ceramic green sheets are difficult to handle due to the deformation involved.

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a resin-containing member, a method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, and a method for manufacturing a fired body that expand the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed and improves handleability.

(1) The resin-containing member according to the first disclosure has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in an up-down direction, and includes a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state, and a bakeable powder material is added to the photo-curable resin.

Because the resin-containing member contains a photocurable resin, it can be formed using a stereolithography method. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, because the resin-containing member contains a soft portion, it can be easily deformed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed resin-containing member with light or applying heat, the resin-containing member can be completely cured. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed using the resin-containing member, and improves the handleability of the resin-containing member.

The photocurable resin is added with a powder material that can be baked. In this case, a variety of shapes of baked bodies can be produced, expanding the range of three-dimensional shapes that can be formed into baked bodies.

( 2 ) The resin-containing member according to the second disclosure has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a stereolithography method in which photocurable layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state, and has a plurality of through holes dispersed therein . In this case, the weight of the resin-containing member can be reduced and the flexibility of the resin-containing member can be improved.

( 3 ) The resin-containing member according to the third disclosure has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state , and the soft portion includes a first soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in the first semi-cured state and a second soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in a second semi-cured state or an uncured state that is closer to an uncured state than the first semi-cured state .

In this case, the second soft portion has greater flexibility than the first soft portion. Therefore, by selectively providing the first soft portion and the second soft portion in multiple portions of the resin-containing member, the flexibility distribution in the resin-containing member can be easily adjusted.

( 4 ) The second soft portion may be formed so as to be present inside the first soft portion. In this case, since the second soft portion is present inside the first soft portion, it is possible to prevent the resin-containing member from losing its outer shape due to exposure of the uncured photocurable resin.

( 5 ) The resin-containing member according to the fourth disclosure has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a stereolithography method in which photocurable layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of the photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state, and the three-dimensional structure includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a lattice structure, a moth-eye structure, a gyroid structure, a mesh structure, an embossed structure, and a concave-convex structure . In this case, functions specific to various structures, such as a weight reduction function, an anti-reflection function, and a strength ensuring function, can be added to the photocurable resin.

( 6 ) The method for manufacturing a resin-containing member according to the fifth disclosure includes a step of manufacturing a resin-containing member by a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and the step of manufacturing the resin-containing member includes forming a soft portion made of photo -curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state by adjusting at least one of the energy of light irradiated to the photo-curable resin and the irradiation position of the light in the photo-lithography method, and forming the soft portion includes forming a soft portion made of photo-curable resin in a first semi-cured state as the first soft portion, and forming a soft portion made of photo-curable resin in a second semi-cured state or an uncured state that is closer to the uncured state than the first semi-cured state as the second soft portion so as to be present inside the first soft portion in the photo-lithography method .

In this method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, the resin-containing member is produced using stereolithography. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, because the produced resin-containing member contains soft portions, it can be easily deformed into the desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed resin-containing member with light or applying heat, the resin-containing member can be completely cured. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as a resin-containing member and improves the handleability of the resin-containing member.

Furthermore , the second soft portion has higher flexibility than the first soft portion. Therefore, by selectively providing the first soft portion and the second soft portion in multiple portions of the resin-containing member, the flexibility distribution in the resin-containing portion can be easily adjusted.

( 7 ) The method for manufacturing a resin-containing member according to the sixth disclosure includes a step of manufacturing a resin-containing member by a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in an up-down direction, and the step of manufacturing the resin-containing member includes forming a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state by adjusting at least one of the energy of light irradiated to the photo-curable resin and the irradiation position of the light in the photo-lithography method, and the method for manufacturing a resin-containing member further includes a step of curing the resin-containing member manufactured in the step of manufacturing the resin-containing member, and the step of curing the resin-containing member includes deforming the resin-containing member and curing the deformed resin-containing member by applying light energy or thermal energy to the deformed resin-containing member.

In this case, the desired processing can be performed on the resin-containing component that has been hardened into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to the reference shape.

( 8 ) The step of curing the resin-containing member may further include bonding the resin-containing member to the surface of another member that will serve as a molding surface while deforming the soft portion. In this case, an integrally molded product of the member that includes the molding surface and the resin-containing member can be easily produced.

( 9 ) The method for producing a sintered body according to the seventh disclosure includes the method for producing a resin-containing member described above, wherein a sinterable powder material is added to the photocurable resin, and the method for producing a sintered body further includes a step of sintering the resin-containing member cured by the method for producing a resin-containing member . The method for producing a sintered body allows for the production of sintered bodies of various three-dimensional shapes.

This disclosure expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as resin-containing components and improves their ease of handling. It also expands the range of three-dimensional shapes that can be formed as fired bodies.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a sintered body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a process for producing a sheet-like member by a stereolithography method. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of cleaning of a sheet-like member. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a sheet-like member produced by steps S101 to S103 of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of post-cure in step S105 of FIG. 1; FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sheet-like member according to a first modified example. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sheet-like member according to a second modified example. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sheet-like member according to a third modified example. FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 11. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sheet-like member according to a fourth modified example. FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 13. 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing a fired body according to another embodiment.

[1] Method for manufacturing a resin-containing member and a sintered body Hereinafter, a resin-containing member, a method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, and a method for manufacturing a sintered body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a sintered body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the method for manufacturing a sintered body according to this embodiment, first, a mixture is prepared by mixing a sinterable powder material with a liquid binder containing a photocurable resin (step S101). The sinterable powder material includes, for example, at least one of a ceramic powder and a metal powder. The mixture prepared in step S101 has fluidity. Therefore, in the following description, the mixture prepared in step S101 is referred to as a fluid mixture. The fluid mixture is, for example, a slurry.

Next, a sheet-like member is fabricated by stereolithography using the prepared fluid mixture (step S102). Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for fabricating a sheet-like member by stereolithography. As shown in the upper part of Figure 2, in the process for fabricating a sheet-like member by stereolithography, the fluid mixture 10 prepared in step S101 is applied to a predetermined thickness on the upper surface of a table (not shown). Exposure light (hereinafter referred to as exposure light) from an exposure device 1 is irradiated onto the applied fluid mixture 10. The exposure light is, for example, laser light having a wavelength in the photosensitive wavelength range of the photocurable resin used in the fluid mixture 10. The laser light is generated from a laser diode. Note that light generated from another light source, such as an LED (light-emitting diode), may be used as the exposure light instead of laser light.

At this time, the exposure light is scanned over the surface of the fluid mixture along a predetermined pattern. As a result, part X of the fluid mixture 10 irradiated with the exposure light hardens, becoming fully hardened or semi-hardened, as described below. In the upper part of Figure 2, the rest of the fluid mixture 10 other than part X remains in an unhardened state, as described below.

Then, a new layer of fluid mixture 10 is formed by applying a predetermined thickness of fluid mixture 10 onto the partially cured layer of fluid mixture 10. The new layer of fluid mixture 10 is irradiated with exposure light in a predetermined pattern. As a result, the portion X of the fluid mixture 10 irradiated with the exposure light is cured.

By repeating the above series of operations, a laminate consisting of multiple layers of hardened fluid mixture 10 is produced, as shown in the lower part of Figure 2. This laminate includes a sheet-like member 10X formed by stacking hardened portions X in a predetermined pattern.

The degree to which photocurable resin hardens when irradiated with exposure light varies depending on the amount of energy of the irradiated exposure light. Here, the minimum amount of energy required for photocurable resin to completely harden is called the required energy amount. If photocurable resin is irradiated with exposure light with an amount of energy less than the required amount, the photocurable resin will not completely harden and will remain flexible. In this case, the greater the amount of energy imparted to the photocurable resin by exposure, the greater the degree of hardening of the photocurable resin and the less flexible it will be. Conversely, the smaller the amount of energy imparted to the photocurable resin by exposure, the less hardening of the photocurable resin will be and the more flexible it will be.

In the following description, the state of photocurable resin that has not been exposed to light is referred to as the uncured state, and the state of photocurable resin that has been exposed with the required amount of energy is referred to as the fully cured state. Furthermore, the state of photocurable resin that has been exposed with an amount of energy lower than the required amount, i.e., the state of photocurable resin that is somewhere between the uncured state and the fully cured state, is referred to as the semi-cured state. Note that the photocurable resin according to this embodiment may have a certain degree of elasticity and flexibility even when in the fully cured state.

In this embodiment, the output power and scanning speed of the exposure light irradiated onto the fluid mixture 10 are adjusted so that the sheet-like member 10X to be produced contains photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state. The irradiation position of the exposure light irradiated onto the fluid mixture 10 is also adjusted. As a result, at least a portion of the sheet-like member 10X produced in step S102 is flexible.

When uncured photocurable resin is included in part of the sheet-like member 10X, the output and scanning speed of the exposure light irradiated onto the fluid mixture 10 are adjusted so that the uncured part is contained within the sealed space formed by the semi-cured photocurable resin. The irradiation position of the exposure light irradiated onto the fluid mixture 10 is also adjusted.

As described above, after a laminate including sheet-like member 10X is produced in step S102, sheet-like member 10X is washed (step S103). FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of washing sheet-like member 10X. As shown in FIG. 3, a spray nozzle 2 that sprays, for example, ethanol is directed toward a laminate including sheet-like member 10X. Then, by spraying atomized ethanol from spray nozzle 2 onto sheet-like member 10X, uncured portions adhering to sheet-like member 10X are removed from sheet-like member 10X. The sheet-like member 10X obtained in this manner is an example of a resin-containing member of the present disclosure. Therefore, steps S101 to S103 of FIG. 1 are an example of a method for manufacturing a resin-containing member of the present disclosure.

When a sheet-like member 10X containing uncured photocurable resin is produced in step S102, the uncured portions of the produced sheet-like member 10X are contained within an enclosed space formed by the semi-cured photocurable resin. This prevents the uncured portions of the sheet-like member 10X from being removed along with unnecessary photocurable resin during cleaning in step S103.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a sheet-like member 10X produced through steps S101 to S103 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the sheet-like member 10X of this example has a circular plate shape. This example is not limited to this, and the sheet-like member 10X may have other shapes, such as a rectangular plate shape. Furthermore, the sheet-like member 10X of this example has a large number of through holes 10h formed therein. The large number of through holes 10h are dispersed throughout the entire sheet-like member 10X. While each through hole 10h in Figure 4 has a circular shape in plan view, each through hole 10h may have an elliptical or rectangular shape in plan view. Alternatively, the through holes 10h may have other shapes, such as a triangular shape in plan view. Furthermore, the distance between each two adjacent through holes 10h may be smaller or larger than in the example of Figure 4.

In the cross-sectional view of Figure 5, each of the multiple layers of the fluid mixture 10 formed by layering using stereolithography is indicated by a dotted line. In the sheet-like member 10X of Figure 5, the entire hatched portion of the sheet-like member 10X is in a semi-cured state. Therefore, the sheet-like member 10X has a predetermined flexibility corresponding to the amount of energy of the exposure light applied to the fluid mixture 10 in step S102. Furthermore, in the sheet-like member 10X of this example, multiple through-holes 10h are formed throughout the entire sheet-like member 10X, which reduces the weight of the sheet-like member 10X and improves the flexibility of the sheet-like member 10X. The sheet-like member 10X has a thickness of, for example, approximately 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

Next, the sheet-like member 10X cleaned in step S103 of FIG. 1 is pressed against a molding surface having a predetermined reference shape (step S104). This reference shape corresponds to the three-dimensional shape of the sintered body to be ultimately produced (hereinafter referred to as the target shape). The molding surface is formed of a material that is at least harder than the photocurable resin in a fully cured state and has excellent heat resistance. In this case, as described above, the sheet-like member 10X is flexible, and so when pressed against the molding surface, it deforms into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to the reference shape, i.e., the target shape.

Next, with the sheet-shaped member 10X pressed against the molding surface, the entire sheet-shaped member 10X is irradiated with exposure light to promote complete curing of the photocurable resin, a process known as post-curing (step S105). During post-curing, the output of the exposure light is adjusted so that the entire photocurable resin forming the sheet-shaped member 10X is fully cured.

Note that some photocurable resins can be cured by applying heat instead of by irradiating them with exposure light. Therefore, depending on the type of photocurable resin used, the entire sheet-shaped member 10X may be cured by applying heat (thermal energy) to the sheet-shaped member 10X in step S105.

Figure 6 shows an example of the post-cure process in step S105 of Figure 1. In the example of Figure 6, as shown in the upper part, a cylindrical mold 9 is prepared, and a sheet-like member 10X is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 9S of the mold 9, which serves as the molding surface. At this time, the sheet-like member 10X is flexible and therefore deforms into a target shape corresponding to the shape of the outer peripheral surface 9S (reference shape). In this state, exposure light is irradiated from the exposure device 3 toward the entire sheet-like member 10X so that each part of the sheet-like member 10X is given energy greater than or equal to the required amount. This completely cures all of the photocurable resin contained in the sheet-like member 10X. The cured sheet-like member 10X is then peeled off from the mold 9. As a result, a sheet-like member 10X cured to the target shape is obtained, as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 6.

Finally, the sheet-shaped member 10X that has been hardened to the target shape by post-curing is fired (step S106). This produces a fired body made primarily of the powder material contained in the fluid mixture.

[2] First modified example of sheet-like member 10X In the above example, the sheet-like member 10X is formed in a semi-hardened state and has multiple dispersed through holes 10h, but the configuration of the sheet-like member 10X produced using the photopolymerization method is not limited to the above example.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a sheet-like member 10X according to a first modified example. Figure 8 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 7. In the cross-sectional view of Figure 8, each of the multiple layers of the fluid mixture 10 formed by stacking using the stereolithography method is indicated by a dotted line. Differences between the sheet-like member 10X in Figure 7 and the sheet-like member 10X in Figure 4 will be explained below.

As shown in the plan view of Figure 7 and the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 8, in this example, the sheet-like member 10X includes a semi-cured portion 11a and multiple uncured portions 11b. The semi-cured portion 11a is a portion made of photocurable resin in a semi-cured state, and the uncured portion 11b is a portion made of photocurable resin in an uncured state. In the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 8, the semi-cured portion 11a is hatched, and the multiple uncured portions 11b are marked with a dot pattern.

A plurality of uncured portions 11b are formed within the semi-cured portion 11a. The plurality of uncured portions 11b are dispersed throughout the entire sheet-like member 10X in a plan view. Furthermore, the plurality of uncured portions 11b are also dispersed in the thickness direction of the sheet-like member 10X (the stacking direction of the plurality of layers of the fluid mixture 10 formed in the stereolithography process). In this way, in the sheet-like member 10X according to the first modified example, a plurality of uncured portions 11b are further present within the flexible semi-cured portion 11a. This ensures the strength of the fired body obtained by firing the sheet-like member 10X while also improving the flexibility of the sheet-like member 10X.

In the example of Figure 7, each uncured portion 11b has a circular shape in a planar view, but each uncured portion 11b may have an elliptical shape in a planar view, or a rectangular shape in a planar view. Alternatively, the uncured portion 11b may have another shape, such as a triangular shape in a planar view. Furthermore, in the sheet-like member 10X of this example, one or more through holes may be formed in the area excluding the uncured portions 11b in a planar view.

Furthermore, in the examples of Figures 7 and 8, instead of the uncured portion 11b, a portion in a semi-cured state (an example of a second semi-cured state of the present disclosure) that is closer to an uncured state than the semi-cured state of the semi-cured portion 11a (an example of a first semi-cured state of the present disclosure) may be provided inside the semi-cured portion 11a.

[3] Second Modification of Sheet-Shaped Member 10X Figure 9 is a plan view of a sheet-shaped member 10X according to a second modification. Figure 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 9. In the cross-sectional view of Figure 10, each of the multiple layers of the fluid mixture 10 formed by stacking using the stereolithography method is indicated by a dotted line. Differences between the sheet-shaped member 10X in Figure 9 and the sheet-shaped member 10X in Figure 4 will be described.

As shown in the plan view of Figure 9 and the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 10, in this example, the sheet-like member 10X includes a fully cured portion 12a and multiple uncured portions 12b. The fully cured portion 12a is a portion made of photocurable resin in a fully cured state, and the uncured portion 12b is a portion made of photocurable resin in an uncured state. In the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 10, the fully cured portion 12a is marked with dense hatching, and the multiple uncured portions 12b are marked with a dot pattern.

The multiple uncured portions 12b are formed inside the fully cured portions 12a. Furthermore, the multiple uncured portions 12b are dispersed throughout the entire sheet-like member 10X in a planar view. Furthermore, the multiple uncured portions 12b are also dispersed in the thickness direction of the sheet-like member 10X (the stacking direction of the multiple layers of the fluid mixture 10 formed in the stereolithography method). In other words, the fully cured portions 12a form a three-dimensional structure that surrounds the multiple uncured portions 12b.

When producing the sheet-like member 10X according to the second modified example to form the above three-dimensional structure, each time a layer of the fluid mixture 10 is formed by stereolithography, exposure light is irradiated onto the portion of the formed layer that corresponds to the fully cured portion 12a. As a result, the fully cured portion 12a is formed in the portion irradiated with the exposure light. Furthermore, exposure light is not irradiated onto the portion of the layer of the fluid mixture 10 that corresponds to the uncured portion 12b. As a result, the uncured portion 12b is formed in the portion not irradiated with the exposure light.

In this way, in the sheet-like member 10X according to the second modified example, multiple uncured portions 12b exist within the fully cured portion 12a, which does not have flexibility. In this configuration, each of the multiple uncured portions 12b is formed at a fine level with high density, so that distortion in each part of the fully cured portion 12a is absorbed by the multiple uncured portions 12b. As a result, a certain level of flexibility is ensured despite the presence of the fully cured portions 12a.

In the example of Figure 9, similar to the example of Figure 7, each uncured portion 12b has a circular shape in a planar view, but each uncured portion 12b may have an elliptical shape in a planar view or a rectangular shape in a planar view. Alternatively, the uncured portion 12b may have another shape, such as a triangular shape in a planar view. Furthermore, in the sheet-like member 10X of this example, one or more through holes may be formed in the area excluding the uncured portions 12b in a planar view.

Furthermore, in the examples of Figures 9 and 10, semi-cured portions may be provided inside the fully cured portion 12a instead of the uncured portions 12b. Even in this case, each of the multiple semi-cured portions is formed at a fine level with high density, so that distortion in each part of the fully cured portion 12a is absorbed by the multiple semi-cured portions. As a result, a certain level of flexibility is ensured despite the presence of the fully cured portions 12a.

[4] Third Modification of Sheet-Shaped Member 10X Fig. 11 is a plan view of a sheet-shaped member 10X according to a third modification. Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 11. Differences between the sheet-shaped member 10X in Fig. 11 and the sheet-shaped member 10X in Fig. 4 will be described.

As shown in the plan view and partially enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 11, in this example, the sheet-like member 10X is composed of only a single layer of fluid mixture 10 formed by layering using a stereolithography method. Furthermore, the entire sheet-like member 10X is made of a photocurable resin in a semi-cured state. In this configuration, the three-dimensional structure of the sheet-like member 10X is simple, making it easy to manufacture the sheet-like member 10X. Furthermore, the thickness of the sheet-like member 10X can be made sufficiently small, which reduces the weight of the sheet-like member 10X and improves the flexibility of the sheet-like member 10X.

In the examples of Figures 11 and 12, the thickness of the sheet-like member 10X may be adjusted to the extent that the flexibility required of the sheet-like member 10X is not impaired. In this case, the sheet-like member 10X may be formed from multiple layers of the fluid mixture 10 using a stereolithography method.

[5] Fourth Modification of Sheet-Shaped Member 10X Fig. 13 is a plan view of a sheet-shaped member 10X according to a fourth modification. Fig. 14 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in Fig. 13. In the cross-sectional view of Fig. 14, each of the multiple layers of the fluid mixture 10 formed by stacking using the stereolithography method is indicated by a dotted line. Differences between the sheet-shaped member 10X in Fig. 13 and the sheet-shaped member 10X in Fig. 4 will be described.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 13 and the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 14, in this example, the sheet-like member 10X includes a base portion 13a and multiple ridge portions 13b. The base portion 13a has a disk shape with a constant thickness. Alternatively, the base portion 13a may have another shape, such as a rectangle. The multiple ridge portions 13b are formed on one surface of the base portion 13a so as to protrude upward and to be aligned at regular intervals in one direction. Furthermore, each ridge portion 13b is formed so as to extend in another direction that intersects with the one direction in which the multiple ridge portions 13b are aligned. As a result, the sheet-like member 10X has a wave-shaped structure on one surface. Furthermore, the sheet-like member 10X in this example is entirely made of a photocurable resin that is in a semi-cured state.

The sheet-like member 10X is manufactured using a stereolithography method. Therefore, despite its complex shape, the above-described wave-shaped structure can be easily formed as part of the structure of the sheet-like member 10X.

In addition, instead of the above-mentioned corrugated structure, sheet-like member 10X may have on one surface a three-dimensional structure such as a moth-eye structure, lattice structure, gyroid structure, mesh structure, embossed structure, or uneven structure. Alternatively, the entire sheet-like member 10X may be formed with a three-dimensional structure such as a moth-eye structure, lattice structure, gyroid structure, mesh structure, embossed structure, or uneven structure. These three-dimensional structures can also be easily formed as the structure of sheet-like member 10X using stereolithography. In this case, functions specific to various structures, such as weight reduction, anti-reflection, and strength enhancement, can be added to sheet-like member 10X.

[6] Effects (1) Because the sheet-like member 10X contains a photocurable resin, it can be formed using a stereolithography method. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, because the sheet-like member 10X contains a soft portion, it can be easily deformed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed sheet-like member 10X with exposure light or by applying heat, the sheet-like member 10X can be completely cured. Therefore, the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as the sheet-like member 10X is expanded, and the handleability of the sheet-like member 10X is improved. Furthermore, by adding a sinterable powder material to the sheet-like member 10X, sintered bodies of various three-dimensional shapes can be produced, thereby expanding the range of three-dimensional shapes that can be formed as sintered bodies.

(2) In the sheet-like member 10X according to the first modified example shown in Figure 7, the uncured portions 11b are more flexible than the semi-cured portions 11a. Therefore, by selectively providing the semi-cured portions 11a and the uncured portions 11b in multiple portions of the sheet-like member 10X, the distribution of flexibility in the sheet-like member 10X can be easily adjusted.

(3) Furthermore, in the sheet-like member 10X according to the first modified example in FIG. 7, the uncured portion 11b is present inside the semi-cured portion 11a, preventing the outer shape of the sheet-like member 10X from being lost due to exposure of the uncured photocurable resin. In the sheet-like member 10X according to the second modified example in FIG. 9, similarly to the sheet-like member 10X according to the first modified example in FIG. 7, the uncured portion 12b is present inside the fully cured portion 12a, preventing the outer shape of the sheet-like member 10X from being lost due to exposure of the uncured photocurable resin.

[7] Other Embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, in step S104, the sheet-shaped member 10X is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 9S of the mold 9 as a molding surface. In addition, in step S105, the sheet-shaped member 10X hardened by post-cure is peeled off from the mold 9. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these.

The mold 9 may be formed from a material that can withstand the baking environment of the sheet-shaped member 10X, and the sheet-shaped member 10X may be attached to the mold 9 in step S104. Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a baked body according to another embodiment. Figure 15 shows, one above the other, a cross-sectional view of the sheet-shaped member 10X being pressed against the mold 9 while being attached to the mold 9, and a cross-sectional view of the sheet-shaped member 10X being post-cured.

As shown in the upper part of Figure 15, the sheet-like member 10X of this example includes a semi-cured portion 14a and an uncured portion 14b. Furthermore, a moth-eye structure including multiple tiny protrusions is formed on one surface of the sheet-like member 10X of this example.

First, a mold 9 is prepared, having a receiving surface SS to which the sheet-like member 10X is to be attached. A liquid photocurable resin 8 is applied to the receiving surface SS as an adhesive. The photocurable resin 8 is preferably the same as the photocurable resin that constitutes the fluid mixture 10. Then, the sheet-like member 10X is attached to the receiving surface SS of the mold 9 via the photocurable resin 8.

In this state, post-curing is performed. As a result, as shown in the lower part of Figure 15, the entire sheet-shaped member 10X and the entire photocurable resin 8 are completely cured, bonding the mold 9 and the sheet-shaped member 10X. The sheet-shaped member 10X is then baked. In this way, according to the example of Figure 15, the range of baked bodies that can be produced is expanded by bonding the sheet-shaped member 10X before baking to another member.

(2) In the above embodiment, the sheet-shaped member 10X is used to produce a sintered body, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The sheet-shaped member 10X can also be used for purposes other than producing a sintered body. In this case, the sheet-shaped member 10X does not need to contain a sinterable powder material.

For example, the sheet-like member 10X may be formed as a diffraction grating. In this case, in the example of Figure 15, a lens is prepared as the mold 9, and the sheet-like member 10X is attached to one surface of the prepared lens, followed by post-curing, thereby easily producing an optical member with the desired optical properties.

(3) In the above embodiment, the sheet-shaped member 10X that is hardened by post-curing does not necessarily have to have a sheet shape. As long as the entire member can be completely hardened by post-curing, the flexible resin-containing member may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a cylindrical shape, or a spherical shape. In this case, too, the above-described structure can suppress surface cracks.

[8] Correspondence between each component of the claims and each element of the embodiment Examples of correspondence between each component of the claims and each element of the embodiment will be described below, but the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claims can also be used as each component of the claims.

In the above embodiment, sheet-like member 10X is an example of a resin-containing member, the entire sheet-like member 10X shown in Figures 4, 7, 11, 13, and the upper part of Figure 15, and uncured portion 12b in Figure 9 are examples of soft portions, semi-cured portion 11a in Figure 7 and semi-cured portion 14a in the upper part of Figure 15 are examples of a first soft portion, and uncured portion 11b in Figure 7 and uncured portion 14b in the upper part of Figure 15 are examples of a second soft portion.

Further, the fully hardened portion 12a in FIG. 9 is an example of a hard portion, the unhardened portion 12b in FIG. 9 is an example of a soft portion, and the outer peripheral surface 9S of the mold 9 in FIG. 6 and the surface SS to be attached in FIG. 15 are examples of molding surfaces.
[9] Reference form
(1) The resin-containing member according to the first embodiment has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state.
Because the resin-containing member contains a photocurable resin, it can be formed using a stereolithography method. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, because the resin-containing member contains a soft portion, it can be easily deformed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed resin-containing member with light or applying heat, the resin-containing member can be completely cured. Therefore, the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as a resin-containing member is expanded and the handleability of the resin-containing member is improved.
(2) A bakeable powder material may be added to the photocurable resin, which allows for the production of baked bodies in a variety of shapes, thereby expanding the range of three-dimensional shapes that can be formed into baked bodies.
(3) The resin-containing member may have a plurality of through holes dispersed therein, which reduces the weight of the resin-containing member and improves the flexibility of the resin-containing member.
(4) The soft portion may include a first soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a first semi-cured state, and a second soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a second semi-cured state or an uncured state that is closer to an uncured state than the first semi-cured state.
In this case, the second soft portion has higher flexibility than the first soft portion. Therefore, by selectively providing the first soft portion and the second soft portion in multiple portions of the resin-containing member, the flexibility distribution in the resin-containing member can be easily adjusted.
(5) The second soft portion may be formed so as to be present inside the first soft portion. In this case, since the second soft portion is present inside the first soft portion, it is possible to prevent the resin-containing member from losing its outer shape due to exposure of the uncured photocurable resin.
(6) The three-dimensional structure may include at least one selected from the group consisting of a lattice structure, a moth-eye structure, a gyroid structure, a mesh structure, an embossed structure, and a concave-convex structure. In this case, functions specific to each structure, such as a weight reduction function, an anti-reflection function, and a strength ensuring function, can be imparted to the photocurable resin.
(7) The resin-containing member according to the second reference form has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing photo-curable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a hard portion made of photo-curable resin in a fully cured state and a soft portion made of photo-curable resin in a semi-cured or uncured state, and the soft portion is formed so as to exist inside the hard portion.
Because the resin-containing member contains a photocurable resin, it can be formed using a stereolithography method. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, because the resin-containing member contains a soft portion, even if distortion occurs in the hard portion, the distortion is absorbed by the soft portion. This allows the resin-containing member to be easily deformed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed resin-containing member with light or applying heat, the resin-containing member can be completely cured. Therefore, the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as a resin-containing member is expanded and the handleability of the resin-containing member is improved.
(8) A method for manufacturing a resin-containing member according to a third reference embodiment includes a step of producing a resin-containing member by a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in an up-down direction, and the step of producing the resin-containing member includes forming a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state by adjusting at least one of the energy of light irradiated onto the photo-curable resin and the irradiation position of the light in the photo-lithography method.
In the method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, the resin-containing member is produced using stereolithography. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, since the produced resin-containing member contains a soft portion, it can be easily deformed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed resin-containing member with light or applying heat, the resin-containing member can be completely cured. Therefore, the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as a resin-containing member is expanded and the handleability of the resin-containing member is improved.
(9) The process of forming the resin-containing member may include, in a photopolymerization method, forming a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a first semi-cured state as the first soft portion, and forming a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a second semi-cured state or an uncured state that is closer to an uncured state than the first semi-cured state as the second soft portion so as to be present inside the first soft portion.
In this case, the second soft portion has higher flexibility than the first soft portion. Therefore, by selectively providing the first soft portion and the second soft portion in multiple portions of the resin-containing member, the flexibility distribution in the resin-containing portion can be easily adjusted.
(10) The method for manufacturing a resin-containing member may further include a step of curing the resin-containing member formed in the step of forming the resin-containing member, and the step of curing the resin-containing member may further include deforming the resin-containing member and curing the deformed resin-containing member by applying light energy or thermal energy to the deformed resin-containing member.
In this case, the resin-containing member that has been cured into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to the reference shape can be subjected to a desired process.
(11) The step of curing the resin-containing member may further include bonding the resin-containing member to a surface of another member that will serve as a molding surface while deforming the soft portion. In this case, an integrally molded product of the member that includes the molding surface and the resin-containing member can be easily produced.
(12) A method for manufacturing a resin-containing member according to a fourth embodiment includes a step of forming a resin-containing member by a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in an up-down direction, and the step of forming the resin-containing member includes forming, in the photo-lithography method, a hard portion made of a photo-curable resin in a fully cured state, and forming, inside the hard portion, a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in a semi-cured or uncured state.
In the method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, the resin-containing member is produced using a photolithography system. This expands the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed. Furthermore, since the produced resin-containing member includes a soft portion, even if distortion occurs in the hard portion, the distortion is absorbed by the soft portion. This allows the resin-containing member to be easily deformed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, by irradiating the deformed resin-containing member with light or applying heat, the resin-containing member can be completely cured. Therefore, the range of three-dimensional structures that can be formed as a resin-containing member is expanded and the handleability of the resin-containing member is improved.
(13) A fifth embodiment of the present invention provides a method for producing a sintered body, comprising the steps of: adding a sinterable powder material to the photocurable resin; and sintering the resin-containing member cured by the method. The method allows for the production of sintered bodies having a variety of three-dimensional shapes.

1... exposure device, 2... spray nozzle, 3... exposure device, 8... photocurable resin, 9... mold, 9S... outer surface, 10... fluid mixture, 10X... sheet-like member, 10h... through-hole, 11a, 14a... semi-cured portion, 11b, 12b, 14b... uncured portion, 12a... fully cured portion, 13a... base portion, 13b... ridge portion, SS... surface to be attached

Claims (9)

The object has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a stereolithography method in which photocurable layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of the photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state;
A resin-containing member in which a bakeable powder material is added to the photocurable resin . A resin-containing member has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a photo-lithography method in which photo-cured layers containing a photo-curable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of a photo-curable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state, and has a plurality of through holes dispersed therein. The object has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a stereolithography method in which photocurable layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of the photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state;
The soft portion is
a first soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a first semi-cured state;
a second soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a second semi-cured state that is closer to an uncured state than the first semi-cured state, or in an uncured state. The resin-containing member according to claim 3 , wherein the second soft portion is formed so as to exist inside the first soft portion. The object has a three-dimensional structure that can be formed using a stereolithography method in which photocurable layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in the vertical direction, and includes a soft portion made of the photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state;
The resin-containing member, wherein the three-dimensional structure includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a lattice structure, a moth-eye structure, a gyroid structure, a mesh structure, an embossed structure, and a concave-convex structure. The method includes a step of producing a resin-containing member by a stereolithography method in which photocured layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in a vertical direction,
The step of producing a resin-containing member includes:
In the stereolithography method, the method includes forming a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state by adjusting at least one of the energy of light irradiated onto the photocurable resin and the irradiation position of the light ,
Forming the soft portion comprises:
A method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, comprising: forming, in the optical molding method, a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a first semi-cured state as a first soft portion; and forming, as a second soft portion, a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in a second semi-cured state or an uncured state that is closer to an uncured state than the first semi-cured state, so as to be present inside the first soft portion . A method for manufacturing a resin-containing member, comprising:
The method includes a step of producing a resin-containing member by a stereolithography method in which photocured layers containing a photocurable resin are stacked in a vertical direction,
The step of producing a resin-containing member includes:
In the stereolithography method, the method includes forming a soft portion made of a photocurable resin in at least one of a semi-cured state and an uncured state by adjusting at least one of the energy of light irradiated onto the photocurable resin and the irradiation position of the light,
The method for producing the resin-containing member includes:
The method further includes a step of curing the resin-containing member produced in the step of producing the resin-containing member,
The step of curing the resin-containing member includes:
deforming the resin-containing member;
and curing the deformed resin-containing member by applying light energy or thermal energy to the deformed resin- containing member. The step of curing the resin-containing member includes:
The method for producing a resin-containing member according to claim 7 , further comprising: bonding the resin-containing member to a surface of another member that serves as a molding surface while deforming the soft portion. A method for producing a fired body,
The method for producing a resin-containing member according to claim 7 or 8 ,
a bakeable powder material is added to the photocurable resin;
The method for producing the sintered body includes:
A method for producing a sintered body, further comprising the step of sintering the resin-containing member cured by the method for producing a resin-containing member.