US5,630,981(Method for production of three-dimensional objects by stereolithography)

US5630981(3D Systems, Inc.)

可能：
"1. A method of producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of solidification when subjected to prescribed synergistic stimulation"

により、を使用して：
"using data representing said object, generated using a CAD system, for forming successive cross-sectional layers of structure of said object at a surface of said medium"

先行：
1) "coating over each precedingly formed cross-sectional layer of structure of said object with a layer of said medium and adhering each successive cross-sectional layer of structure to a preceding cross-sectional layer of structure to produce said object."

2) "forming successive layers of medium adjacent to any previously formed cross-sectional layers of structure"

過去形：
1) "providing data representing the three-dimensional object to be formed which was generated on CAD system"（クレーム；whichはdataに係る）

2) "In this way, the solid material that was initially formed at the working surface is moved away from that surface and new liquid flows into the working surface position."

3) "If the design has to be modified, it can be easily done through the computer, and then another part can be made to verify that the change was correct." 

whereby:
1) "This invention relates generally to improvements in methods and apparatus for forming three-dimensional objects from a fluid medium and, more particularly, to stereolithography involving the application of lithographic techniques to production of three-dimensional objects, whereby such objects can be formed rapidly, reliably, accurately and economically."

2) "forming and adhering successive cross-sectional layers of structure to any previously formed cross-sectional layers of structure by exposing said medium to said synergistic stimulation in response to said data, whereby a plurality of adhered cross-sectional layers of structure form the three-dimensional object."

通常、通例：
"It is common practice in the production of plastic parts and the like to first design such a part and then painstakingly produce a prototype of the part, all involving considerable time, effort and expense. "

量産型の：
"Most production plastic parts are injection molded."

機械加工：
"While other processes are available for the production of plastic parts, including direct machine work"

短期の：
"vacuum-forming and direct forming, such methods are typically only cost effective for short run production, and the parts produced are usually inferior in quality to molded parts.

選択的に焦点を合わせる：
"a fluid medium which is selectively cured by beams of radiation brought to selective focus at prescribed intersection points within the three-dimensional volume of the fluid medium."

典型的：
"Typical of such three-dimensional systems are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,041,476, 4,078,229, 4,238,840 and 4,288,861."

wherein, where（そこで、この場合、その際）：
1) "In this regard, the various approaches described in the prior art include the use of a pair of electromagnetic radiation beams directed to intersect at specified coordinates, wherein the various beams may be of the same or differing wavelengths, or where beams are used sequentially to intersect the same points rather than simultaneously, but in all cases only the beam intersection points are stimulated to sufficient energy levels to accomplish the necessary curing process for forming a three-dimensional object within the volume of the fluid medium."（長い。悪文？）

2) "Computer generated graphics displayed on a plotter or a cathode ray tube are also forms of lithography, where the image is a picture of a computer coded object."

3) "A typical example of CAD is in the area of electronic printed circuit design, where a computer and plotter draw the design of a printed circuit board, given the design parameters as computer data input.

4) "A typical example of CAM is a numerically controlled milling machine, where a computer and a milling machine produce metal parts, given the proper programming instructions."

5) "Similarly, the stereolithography process may be utilized as an "add on" process where the elevator platform 29 will be used to pick up and locate another part for supplementary stereolithographic processing."

必要性、需要：
1) "Yet there continues to be a long existing need in the design and production arts for the capability of rapidly and reliably moving from the design stage to the prototype stage and to ultimate production, particularly moving directly from computer designs for such plastic parts to virtually immediate prototypes and the facility for large scale production on an economical and automatic basis."

2) "Accordingly, those concerned with the development and production of three-dimensional plastic objects and the like have long recognized the desirability for further improvement in"

満たす：
"The present invention clearly fulfills all of these needs."

分詞、being：
"Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved system for generating a three-dimensional object by forming successive, adjacent, cross-sectional laminae of that object at the surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation, the successive laminae being automatically integrated as they are formed to define the desired three-dimensional object."

例示：
"In a presently preferred embodiment, by way of example and not necessarily by way of limitation,"

照射、照らす：
1) "A programmed movable spot beam of UV light shining on a surface or layer of UV curable liquid is used to form a solid cross-section of the object at the surface of the liquid.

2) "impinging radiation other than ultraviolet light"（ぶつける、当てる）

～だけ、分：
"The object is then moved, in a programmed manner, away from the liquid surface by the thickness of one layer"

toの繰り返し：
"Complex forms are more easily created by using the functions of a computer to help generate the programmed commands and to then send the program signals to the stereolithographic object forming subsystem.

等：
1) "Of course, it will be appreciated that other forms of appropriate synergistic stimulation for a curable fluid medium, such as particle bombardment (electron beams and the like)"

2) "a suitable platform to which the first lamina is secured is moved away from the working surface in a programmed manner by any appropriate actuator, typically all under the control of a micro-computer or the like"

代名詞：
1) "Thereafter, an appropriate form of synergistic stimulation, such as a spot of UV light or the like, is applied as a graphic pattern at the specified working surface of the fluid medium to form thin, solid, individual layers at that surface"

2) "Ultimate production rates and parts costs should be similar to current injection molding costs for short run production, with even lower labor costs than those associated with injection molding."

3) "by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium, e.g., a UV curable liquid or the like, capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation"

ながら、同時に：
1) "Superposition of successive adjacent layers on each other is automatically accomplished, as they are formed, to integrate the layers and define the desired three-dimensional object."

2) "Step 14 in FIG. 2 calls for superimposing successive adjacent layers or laminae on each other as they are formed"

上述の：
"The aforedescribed technique is more specifically outlined in the flowchart of FIG. 2"

call for:
"Step 10 in FIG. 1 calls for the generation of individual solid laminae representing cross-sections of a three-dimensional object to be formed."

このように：
"The surface of the UV curable liquid 22 is maintained at a constant level in the container 21, and the spot of UV light 27, or other suitable form of reactive stimulation, of sufficient intensity to cure the liquid and convert it to a solid material is moved across the working surface 23 in a programmed manner. As the liquid 22 cures and solid material forms, the elevator platform 29 that was initially just below surface 23 is moved down from the surface in a programmed manner by any suitable actuator. In this way, the solid material that was initially formed is taken below surface 23 and new liquid 22 flows across the surface 23."

must, should:
"The curable liquid 22, e.g., UV curable liquid, must have several important properties. A) It must cure fast enough with the available UV light source to allow practical object formation times. B) It must be adhesive, so that successive layers will adhere to each other. C) Its viscosity must be low enough so that fresh liquid material will quickly flow across the surface when the elevator moves the object. D) It should absorb UV so that the film formed will be reasonably thin. E) It must be reasonably soluble in some solvent in the liquid state, and reasonably insoluble in that same solvent in the solid state, so that the object can be washed free of the UV cure liquid and partially cured liquid after the object has been formed. F) It should be as non-toxic and non-irritating as possible."

ように：
"The source 26 is arranged so it can be programmed to be turned off and on"

最後の定型：
"It will be apparent from the foregoing that, while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims."