Patents by Inventor Shuichi Kawada

Shuichi Kawada has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11958114
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus including: an irradiator irradiating a material layer with a beam to form a solidified layer; and a temperature adjustment device which abuts against a part or all of the solidified body including an upper surface of the solidified body, and heats and cools the part or all of the solidified body to a set temperature. The temperature adjustment device has a temperature adjustment plate and a revolving portion. The revolving portion sets the temperature adjustment plate to an upright state when the part or all of the solidified body including the upper surface of the solidified body is not heated and cooled by the temperature adjustment device, and sets the temperature adjustment plate to a lying state when the part or all of the solidified body including the upper surface of the solidified body is heated and cooled by the temperature adjustment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Katsutaka Muranaka, Yoshitaka Kato
  • Patent number: 11806787
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus of the disclosure includes: a supply port that supplies an inert gas to a chamber; a supply nozzle which is attached to the supply port and releases two layers of airflow having different speeds toward the window; and a discharge port that discharges the inert gas from the chamber. The supply nozzle has: a first nozzle member having an inlet surface connected to the supply port; a net-like member which has a plurality of through holes and is attached in a manner of covering a portion of a lower part of an outlet surface of the first nozzle member; and a second nozzle member that is attached to the upper side of the outlet surface of the first nozzle member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuichi Kawada
  • Patent number: 11731200
    Abstract: The lamination molding apparatus includes an irradiator, a processing device, a cooling device, and an inert gas supply source. The irradiator irradiates a laser beam or an electron beam to a material layer to form a solidified layer. The processing device includes a processing head for holding a tool, and a processing head driver for moving the processing head in at least a horizontal direction. The cooling device is arranged in the processing head and cools a solidified body formed by laminating the solidified layers to a cooling temperature. The cooling device includes a cold gas discharger having a cold gas discharge port for discharging a cold gas being an inert gas having a temperature equal to or lower than the cooling temperature, and discharging the cold gas toward the solidified body. The inert gas supply source supplies the inert gas to the cold gas discharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Okazaki, Naoto Nakamura, Shuichi Kawada
  • Publication number: 20220355311
    Abstract: The invention provides an electrostatic precipitator, including: a gas inlet, supplied with gas containing dust that is a magnetic substance; a charging part, charging the dust; a collecting part, capturing the charged dust; a cleaning device, including at least one of a charging part cleaning device and a collecting part cleaning device; a magnet filter, provided downstream of the collecting part; an ozone removing filter, provided downstream of the magnet filter and removing ozone from the gas; and a gas outlet, discharging the gas in which the dust and the ozone are removed. In the magnet filter, multiple magnet plates are arranged at a predetermined interval. A downstream side of each magnet plate provided on an upper side with respect to a center is inclined downward. A downstream side of each magnet plate provided on a lower side with respect to the center is inclined upward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi KAWADA, Hiroki TATSUNO
  • Publication number: 20220193783
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus of the disclosure includes: a supply port that supplies an inert gas to a chamber; a supply nozzle which is attached to the supply port and releases two layers of airflow having different speeds toward the window; and a discharge port that discharges the inert gas from the chamber. The supply nozzle has: a first nozzle member having an inlet surface connected to the supply port; a net-like member which has a plurality of through holes and is attached in a manner of covering a portion of a lower part of an outlet surface of the first nozzle member; and a second nozzle member that is attached to the upper side of the outlet surface of the first nozzle member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuichi KAWADA
  • Publication number: 20220143707
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus of the disclosure includes: a data acquiring device which acquires at least one of first data showing an irradiation state of a laser beam, second data showing an inert gas state, and third data showing a formation state of a material layer and fourth data showing a manufacturing position state; and a determination device which determines whether or not there is an abnormality in a manufacturing state of a solidified layer based on the fourth data and identifies factors of abnormalities from the operating state of the additive manufacturing apparatus to the manufacturing state of the solidified layer based on at least one of the acquired first to third data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki MIYASHITA, Shuji OKAZAKI, Ichiro ARAIE, Shuichi KAWADA, Katsutaka MURANAKA
  • Patent number: 11230056
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus capable of stably supplying material powder on a molding table. Provided is a lamination molding apparatus including a chamber, a recoater head, and a recoater head driving mechanism. The chamber covers a molding region. The recoater head comprises a material case and is configured to be moved so as to form a material powder layer. The material case includes a case outlet for discharging the material powder and a pair of inclined side surfaces arranged with the case outlet interposed therebetween. The inclined side surfaces are inclined toward the case outlet so that inclination angles between a horizontal plane and the inclined side surfaces are different from each other. The recoater head driving mechanism includes a motor and a control unit, and the control unit is configured to vibrate the recoater head to facilitate discharge of the material powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SODICK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Tsuyoshi Saito
  • Publication number: 20210370405
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus including: an irradiator irradiating a material layer with a beam to form a solidified layer; and a temperature adjustment device which abuts against a part or all of the solidified body including an upper surface of the solidified body, and heats and cools the part or all of the solidified body to a set temperature. The temperature adjustment device has a temperature adjustment plate and a revolving portion. The revolving portion sets the temperature adjustment plate to an upright state when the part or all of the solidified body including the upper surface of the solidified body is not heated and cooled by the temperature adjustment device, and sets the temperature adjustment plate to a lying state when the part or all of the solidified body including the upper surface of the solidified body is heated and cooled by the temperature adjustment device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi KAWADA, Katsutaka MURANAKA, Yoshitaka KATO
  • Patent number: 11033967
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus is provided capable of preventing damage to a cutting device. Every time a sintered body including a sintered layer group consisting of a predetermined number of sintered layers is formed, gas is injected from a gas injector toward a vicinity of a side surface of the newly formed sintered body so as to blow off material powder, and then the side surface of the sintered body is shaved by a cutting tool of the cutting device, wherein the gas injector blows off the material powder by only intermittent injection which repeats short-time gas injection or by a combination of the intermittent injection and continuous injection which continuously injects the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Satoshi Nomiyama
  • Publication number: 20210121953
    Abstract: The lamination molding apparatus includes an irradiator, a processing device, a cooling device, and an inert gas supply source. The irradiator irradiates a laser beam or an electron beam to a material layer to form a solidified layer. The processing device includes a processing head for holding a tool, and a processing head driver for moving the processing head in at least a horizontal direction. The cooling device is arranged in the processing head and cools a solidified body formed by laminating the solidified layers to a cooling temperature. The cooling device includes a cold gas discharger having a cold gas discharge port for discharging a cold gas being an inert gas having a temperature equal to or lower than the cooling temperature, and discharging the cold gas toward the solidified body. The inert gas supply source supplies the inert gas to the cold gas discharger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: SODICK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuji OKAZAKI, Naoto NAKAMURA, Shuichi KAWADA
  • Patent number: 10987737
    Abstract: Provided is a laminate molding apparatus including a chamber, a laser irradiation device, an inert gas supply device, a fume collector, and an evacuate device. The evacuate device includes an intake port, an evacuate amount adjusting portion, a controller, and an evacuate port. The intake port is connected to any part of the laminate molding apparatus through which the inert gas flows, and takes in the inert gas. The evacuate amount adjusting portion adjusts an evacuate amount of the inert gas. The controller controls the evacuate amount adjusting portion to evacuate the inert gas such that an atmospheric pressure in the chamber and an external atmospheric pressure become uniform within a range in which leakage of the inert gas from the chamber is suppressed. The evacuate port evacuates the inert gas from which fumes have been removed to the outside of the laminate molding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Katsuhiro Nakano
  • Publication number: 20210016502
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus capable of stably supplying material powder on a molding table. Provided is a lamination molding apparatus including a chamber, a recoater head, and a recoater head driving mechanism. The chamber covers a molding region. The recoater head comprises a material case and is configured to be moved so as to form a material powder layer. The material case includes a case outlet for discharging the material powder and a pair of inclined side surfaces arranged with the case outlet interposed therebetween. The inclined side surfaces are inclined toward the case outlet so that inclination angles between a horizontal plane and the inclined side surfaces are different from each other. The recoater head driving mechanism includes a motor and a control unit, and the control unit is configured to vibrate the recoater head to facilitate discharge of the material powder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi KAWADA, Tsuyoshi SAITO
  • Patent number: 10569331
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printer (1) includes a material supply device (3) that supplies material powder to a table which is movable vertically, a powder retaining wall (26) that surrounds the table and retains the material powder, a material-recovery bucket (30) that accommodates excess material powder and impurities discharged from the powder retaining wall, an impurity removing device (43) that removes the impurities from the material powder, and a material drying device (47) that dries the material powder. The material powder from which the impurities have been removed and which has been dried is returned and recycled to the material supply device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Shuji Okazaki
  • Patent number: 10434574
    Abstract: A gas collecting mechanism installed in the laminating and shaping apparatus has a partition section extending from a ceiling section of the chamber along a second wall surface with a predetermined interval therebetween, a first gas collecting port formed in the partition section, a suction apparatus installed in the first gas collecting port, a first gas guide space section formed between the partition section and the second wall surface, a first duct communicating with the first gas guide space section and installed on the ceiling section, a second gas collecting port formed on the ceiling section adjacent to the second wall surface, and a second duct communicating with the second gas collecting port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Shuji Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20190143410
    Abstract: Provided is a laminate molding apparatus including a chamber, a laser irradiation device, an inert gas supply device, a fume collector, and an evacuate device. The evacuate device includes an intake port, an evacuate amount adjusting portion, a controller, and an evacuate port. The intake port is connected to any part of the laminate molding apparatus through which the inert gas flows, and takes in the inert gas. The evacuate amount adjusting portion adjusts an evacuate amount of the inert gas. The controller controls the evacuate amount adjusting portion to evacuate the inert gas such that an atmospheric pressure in the chamber and an external atmospheric pressure become uniform within a range in which leakage of the inert gas from the chamber is suppressed. The evacuate port evacuates the inert gas from which fumes have been removed to the outside of the laminate molding apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi KAWADA, Katsuhiro NAKANO
  • Patent number: 10166603
    Abstract: A metal 3D printer includes: a housing (1) forming a molding chamber (1B); a recoater head (3) reciprocating in the direction of a horizontal U axis in the molding chamber to form a powder layer of a metal; a laser irradiation device (9) irradiating an irradiation region in the powder layer with a laser beam to form a sintered layer; and an inert gas supply device (4). The inert gas supply device includes: a first suction port (V1) disposed on one (14) of the side walls facing each other in the direction of the U axis, which is far away from the irradiation region; a first blowout port (F1) disposed on a side of the recoater head to face the first suction port; and a second blowout port (F2) disposed to face the first suction port across the irradiation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Shuji Okazaki
  • Patent number: 10029308
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus which can remove the non-sintered material powder after completion of lamination molding easily and with less time after completion of laminating/molding, is provided. According to embodiments of the present invention, a lamination molding apparatus to conduct lamination molding using a material powder, including: a chamber filled with an inert gas having a predetermined concentration; a molding table provided in the chamber, the molding table being capable of moving vertically; a powder retaining wall surrounding the molding table so as to retain the material powder supplied on the molding table; and a powder discharging section provided on or below the powder retaining wall, the powder discharging section being capable of discharging the material powder, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kawada, Katsutaka Muranaka, Shuji Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20180133796
    Abstract: Provided is a laminating and shaping apparatus capable of more efficiently discharging a contaminated gas outside of a chamber. A gas collecting mechanism installed in the laminating and shaping apparatus has a partition section extending from a ceiling section of the chamber along a second wall surface with a predetermined interval therebetween, a first gas collecting port formed in the partition section, a suction apparatus installed in the first gas collecting port, a first gas guide space section formed between the partition section and the second wall surface, a first duct communicating with the first gas guide space section and installed on the ceiling section, a second gas collecting port formed on the ceiling section adjacent to the second wall surface, and a second duct communicating with the second gas collecting port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi KAWADA, Shuji OKAZAKI
  • Patent number: 9839960
    Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus which can improve the lamination molding accuracy, is provided. A lamination molding apparatus, including a chamber covering a desired molding region, the chamber being filled with an inert gas of a predetermined concentration; and a molding table provided in the molding region, the molding table being configured so as to be capable of being moved vertically by a driving mechanism; wherein the molding table is configured to be temperature-controllable; and a thermostatic section is provided in between the molding table and the driving mechanism or in the driving mechanism, temperature of the thermostatic section being maintained substantially constant, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Okazaki, Shuichi Kawada, Katsutaka Muranaka
  • Publication number: 20170348771
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printer (1) includes a material supply device (3) that supplies material powder to a table which is movable vertically, a powder retaining wall (26) that surrounds the table and retains the material powder, a material-recovery bucket (30) that accommodates excess material powder and impurities discharged from the powder retaining wall, an impurity removing device (43) that removes the impurities from the material powder, and a material drying device (47) that dries the material powder. The material powder from which the impurities have been removed and which has been dried is returned and recycled to the material supply device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi KAWADA, Shuji OKAZAKI