Thermally expandable sheet, production method for thermally expandable sheet, and 2.5D image forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994454-B2
Application number	US-201816018342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A thermally expandable sheet includes:
a thermally expansive layer formed on a one surface of a base; a first ink receiving layer that is provided on the thermally expansive layer for receiving ink; a film provided on the first ink receiving layer; and a second ink receiving layer that is provided on the film for receiving ink; wherein the first ink receiving layer is formed of a material that provides a texture a different from a texture of the second ink receiving layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 2.5D image forming method, comprising:
using a thermally expandable sheet comprising a thermally expansive layer formed on one surface of a base, a first ink receiving layer that is formed on the thermally expansive layer for receiving ink, a film provided on the first ink receiving layer, and a second ink receiving layer that is formed on the film for receiving ink, the first ink receiving layer being formed of a material that provides a texture different from a texture of the second ink receiving layer;
forming of a second image on the second ink receiving layer;
removing at least a portion of the film and exposing the first ink receiving layer;
forming of a first image on the first ink receiving layer that is exposed;
forming of a first electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer for converting electromagnetic waves to heat on another surface of the base; and
irradiating of the first electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer with electromagnetic waves thereby causing at least a portion of the thermally expansive layer to distend, wherein
the film is removed such that a region where the second image is printed or to be printed remains.

2. The 2.5D image forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming of a second electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer on the second ink receiving layer, prior to the forming of the second image; and
irradiating of the second electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer with electromagnetic waves thereby causing at least a portion of the thermally expansive layer to distend.

3. The 2.5D image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer is formed at a position on the another surface of the base corresponding to the first image.

4. The 2.5D image forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming of a second electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer for converting electromagnetic waves to heat on the second ink receiving layer;
irradiating of the second electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer with electromagnetic waves thereby causing at least a portion of the thermally expansive layer to distend;
removing the second ink receiving layer and the film and exposing the first ink receiving layer after a region where the second electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer has distended; and
forming of the first image on the first ink receiving layer that is exposed.

5. The 2.5D image forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming of a third electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer for converting electromagnetic waves to heat on the another surface of the base; and
irradiating of the third electromagnetic wave heat conversion layer with electromagnetic waves thereby causing at least a portion of the thermally expansive layer to distend.

6. The 2.5 image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the first image and the forming of the second image are performed at the same time after the removing of the film.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Motoyanagi Yoshimune
• Horiuchi Yuji
• Mitsui Satoshi
• Takahashi Hideki

Classifications

• B29C44/24

  Making multilayered articles · CPC title

• B29C59/18

  by liberation of internal stresses, e.g. plastic memory · CPC title

• B29K2105/048

  Expandable particles, beads or granules · CPC title

• B29C35/0272

  using lost heating elements, i.e. heating means incorporated and remaining in the formed article (for preforms with internal stresses B29C61/0625; joining using lost heating elements B29C65/34; making electrically conductive articles B29C70/882) · CPC title

• B29C2035/0822

  using IR radiation · CPC title