Method and apparatus for producing three-dimensional shape

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 having a predetermined width to the outer periphery of said object; picking up a reflected optical image of the irradiated object by a two-dimensional image pick-up device 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 direction perpendicular to the optical plane 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 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 having a predetermined width to the outer periphery of said object; picking up a reflected optical image of the irradiated object by a two-dimensional image pick-up device 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 direction perpendicular to the optical plane 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 analoguous to said object.

Claim 3

A method of producing a three-dimensional shape according to claim wherein said parallel light is laser slit light.

Claim 5

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means for irradiating parallel light to said object in a fixed plane; optical image pick-up means for picking up the reflected light of the light irradiated to said object; means for measuring a sectional shape from the optical image picked up by the image pick-up means; 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 perpendicular to the plane; whereby, by forming templates relative to the entire object, a three-dimensional shape equivalent or analogous to the object is produced.

Claim 6

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means for irradiating parallel light to said object in a fixed plane; optical image pick-up means for picking up the reflected light of the light irradiated to said object; means for measuring a sectional shape from the optical image picked up by the image pick-up means; 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 perpendicular to the plane; whereby, by forming templates relative to the entire object, a three-dimensional shape equivalent or analogous to the object is produced.

Claim 18

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means for rotating said object by a minute angle; a beam light irradiation device capable of scanning laser beam light on said object to form a beam light plane; a two-dimensional image pick-up device fixed at a predetermined distance from and at a predetermined angle with said beam light irradiation device, and for picking up reflected light spots of the laser beam irradiated to the object; means for calculating the positions of the light spots picking up the pick-up device for each minute angle of the object and calculating 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 19

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional shape from an object having a three-dimensional shape, comprising: means for rotating said object by a minute angle; a beam light irradiation device capable of scanning laser beam light on said object to form a beam light plane; a two-dimensional image pick-up device fixed at a predetermined distance from and at a predetermined angle with said beam light irradiation device, and for picking up reflected light spots of the laser beam irradiated to the object; means for calculating the positions of the light spots picking up the pick-up device for each minute angle of the object and calculating 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.