Sheet laminate molding method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method of forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet members, comprising the steps of: (A) preparing a first sheet member, which is cut into a required area which forms part of said three-dimensional object and an excess area which does not form part of said three-dimensional object; (B) feeding a second sheet member above said first sheet member while interposing a non-solid adhesive layer between said first and second sheet members, said adhesive layer being formed in at least part of an area which is included in both said required area of said first sheet member and a required area of said second sheet member; (C) attaching said first and second sheet members to each other by means of said adhesive layer; (D) cutting said second sheet member into said required area and an excess area; and (E) successively laminating sheet members through repetition of said steps (B) through (D) to form said three-dimensional object.

Claim 2

A method in accordance with claim l, wherein said adhesive is a powdery adhesive, and said step (B) comprises a step of depositing said powdery adhesive onto at least one of opposed surfaces of said first and second sheet members.

Claim 4

An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet members, comprising: a vertically movable table for holding a laminated object formed by laminating sheet members, each sheet member being cut into a required area which forms part of said three-dimensional object and an excess area which does not form part of said three-dimensional object; deposition means for depositing a powdery adhesive onto at least one of an upper surface of a first sheet member positioned uppermost on said laminated object and a lower surface of a second sheet member to be laminated on said first sheet member, said powdery adhesive being deposited in at least part of an area included in both of a required area of said first sheet member and a required area of said second sheet member; sheet feeding means for feeding and placing said second sheet member of a predetermined length onto said first sheet member; attaching means for attaching said first and second sheet members to each other by means of said powdery adhesive at least by applying a pressure onto said second sheet member; and cutting means for cutting said second sheet member into said required area and an excess area.

Claim 7

A method of forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet members, comprising the steps of: (A) preparing a first sheet member, which is cut into a required area which forms part of said three-dimensional object and an excess area which does not form part of said three-dimensional object; (B) feeding a second sheet member above said first sheet member while interposing a non-solid photo-setting adhesive layer between said first and second sheet members, said adhesive layer being formed in at least part of an area which is included in both of said required area of said first sheet member and a required area of said second sheet member; (C) irradiating said photo-setting adhesive layer with a predetermined light beam to solidify said photo-setting adhesive layer, to thereby attach said first and second sheet members to each other by means of said photo-setting adhesive layer; (D) cutting said second sheet member into said required area and an excess area; and (E) successively laminating sheet members through repetition of said steps (B) through (D) to form said three-dimensional object.

Claim 8

An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet members, comprising: a vertically movable table for holding a laminated object formed by laminating sheet members, each sheet member being cut into a required area which forms part of said three-dimensional object and an excess area which does not form part of said three-dimensional object; sheet feeding means for feeding said sheet members of a predetermined length towards said table; application means for applying a photo-setting adhesive over an area of said predetermined length on a lower surface of a first sheet member supplied from said sheet feeding means; irradiation means for selectively irradiating said photo-setting adhesive applied on said first sheet member with a predetermined light beam to solidify a part of said photo-setting adhesive formed in an excess area of a second sheet member positioned uppermost on said laminated object or an excess area of said first sheet member, or both; attaching means for pressing said first sheet member towards said second sheet member and irradiating a non-solid portion of said photo-setting adhesive with a predetermined light beam, to thereby solidify said non-solid portion and attach said first and second sheet members to each other by means of said photo-setting adhesive; and cutting means for cutting said first sheet member and said solid photo-setting adhesive into a required area and a an excess area.

Claim 9

An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet members, comprising: a vertically movable table for holding a laminated object formed by laminating sheet members, each sheet member being cut into a required area which forms part of said three-dimensional object and an excess area which does not form part of said three-dimensional object; application means for applying a photo-setting adhesive onto at least one of an upper surface of a first sheet member positioned uppermost on said laminate and a lower surface of a second sheet member laminated on said first sheet member, said photo-setting adhesive being applied in at least part of an area which is included in both a required area of said first sheet member and a required area of said second sheet member; sheet feeding means for feeding and placing said second sheet member of a predetermined length onto said first sheet member; attaching means for irradiating said photo-setting adhesive with a predetermined light beam, to thereby solidify said photo-setting adhesive to attach said first and second sheet members to each other by means of said photo-setting adhesive; and cutting means for cutting said second sheet member into said required area and an excess area.

Claim 10

An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet members, said apparatus comprising: a vertically movable table for holding a laminated object formed by laminating sheet members, each sheet member being cut into a required area which forms part of said three-dimensional object and an excess area which does not form part of said three-dimensional object; sheet feeding means for feeding a three-layered sheet member of a predetermined length towards said table, said three-layered sheet member comprising a first sheet member, a cover sheet, and an adhesive layer interposed between said first sheet member and said cover sheet; solidifying means for selectively solidifying said adhesive layer of said three-layered sheet member supplied from said sheet supply means, said solidifying means solidifying a part of said adhesive layer formed in an excess area of a second sheet member positioned uppermost on said laminate or an excess area of said first sheet member, or both; removal means for removing said cover sheet from said three-layered sheet member; attaching means for pressing said first sheet member of said layered sheet member without said cover sheet towards said second sheet member and solidifying a non-solid portion of said adhesive layer, to thereby attach said first and second sheet members with each other by means of said adhesive layer; and cutting means for cutting said first sheet member and said solid adhesive layer into a required area and an excess area.