Apparatus for producing a three-dimensional copy of an object

Claim 1

A method of producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising the steps of: irradiating parallel light (2') having a predetermined width to the outer periphery of said object (1); picking up an optical image of the irradiated object by a two-dimensional image pick-up device (3) with its optical axis intersecting an optical plane formed by said parallel light at a predetermined angle; measuring a sectional shape of said object relative to said optical image on the basis of the shape of the picked-up optical image; shifting the parallel light and the two-dimensional image pick-up device by the width of the parallel light in a vertical direction to sequentially measure adjacent sectional shapes of the object; after measuring the sectional shapes of the entire object, forming templates corresponding to the respective measured sectional shapes from sheets; and stacking said templates to produce a three-dimensional shape equivalent or analoguous to said object.

Claim 2

A method of producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising the steps of: irradiating parallel light (2') having a predetermined width to the outer periphery of said object (1); picking up an optical image of the irradiated object by a two-dimensional image pick-up device (3) with its optical axis intersecting an optical plane formed by said parallel light at a predetermined angle; measuring a sectional shape of said object relative to said optical image on the basis of the shape of the picked-up optical image; shifting the parallel light and the two-dimensional image pick-up device by the width of the parallel light in a vertical direction to sequentially measure adjacent sectional shapes of the object; after measuring the sectional shapes of the entire object, forming templates corresponding to the respective measured sectional shapes from sheets; and stacking said templates to produce a three-dimensional shape equivalent or analoguous to said object.

Claim 4

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means (2) for irradiating parallel light to said object in a fixed horizontal direction; means (3) for picking up the light irradiated to said object; means for measuring the sectional shape from the optical image picked up by the image pick-up device (Fig. 5); means for forming from a sheet a template in such a way that said sectional shape corresponds to a thickness of the sheet, on the basis of said sectional shape; and means for shifting said light irradiation means and said image pick-up device in a vertical direction; whereby, by forming templates relative to the entire object, a three-dimensional shape equivalent or analogous to the object is produced.

Claim 5

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means (2) for irradiating parallel light to said object in a fixed horizontal direction; means (3) for picking up the light irradiated to said object; means for measuring the sectional shape from the optical image picked up by the image pick-up device (Fig. 5); means for forming from a sheet a template in such a way that said sectional shape corresponds to a thickness of the sheet, on the basis of said sectional shape; and means for shifting said light irradiation means and said image pick-up device in a vertical direction; whereby, by forming templates relative to the entire object, a three-dimensional shape equivalent or analogous to the object is produced.

Claim 11

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape according to any of Claims 3 to 8 wherein a plurality of said light irradiation means are provided which irradiate a plurality of lights (90a. - 90a 10 ) to the object.

Claim 12

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape according to any of Claims 3 to 9 wherein said image pick-up means is capable of changing an image pick-up position for said object.

Claim 13

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape according to any of Claims 3 to 9 wherein said image pick-up means is fixed.

Claim 14

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape according to any of Claims 3 to 9 wherein said image-pick-up means is located immediately above said object, and in the direction perpendicular to that of light irradiation by said light irradiation means.

Claim 15

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means (60, 62, 65) for rotating said object by a minute angle; a beam light irradiation device (2) capable of scanning laser beam light on said object to form a beam light plane; a two-dimensional image pick-up device (61) fixed at a predetermined distance from and at a predetermined angle with said beam light irradiation device, and for picking up light spots of the laser beam irradiated to the object; means for calculating the positions of the light spots picked up by the pick-up device for each minute angle of the object and calculating the sectional shapes of the object, parallel to said beam light plane; means for forming templates each with a predetermined scale for each of said sectional shapes from sheets of a certain thickness, on the basis of said sectional shapes; and means for stacking the templates to produce a three-dimensional shape with a predetermined scale for said object.

Claim 16

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means (60, 62, 65) for rotating said object by a minute angle; a beam light irradiation device (2) capable of scanning laser beam light on said object to form a beam light plane; a two-dimensional image pick-up device (61) fixed at a predetermined distance from and at a predetermined angle with said beam light irradiation device, and for picking up light spots of the laser beam irradiated to the object; means for calculating the positions of the light spots picked up by the pick-up device for each minute angle of the object and calculating the sectional shapes of the object, parallel to said beam light plane; means for forming templates each with a predetermined scale for each of said sectional shapes from sheets of a certain thickness, on the basis of said sectional shapes; and means for stacking the templates to produce a three-dimensional shape with a predetermined scale for said object.