Shaping device and production method for shaped object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420380-B2
Application number	US-202117191774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 24, 2020
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

In a shaping device, a sheet that distends due to being irradiated with electromagnetic waves is placed a conveyor belt. An irradiator irradiates the sheet placed on and conveyed by the conveyor belt with electromagnetic waves. At least one heater heats the conveyor belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shaping device, comprising:
a conveyor belt wound on driving rollers within a housing and on which a sheet is placed for conveyance along a convexly curved route extending from a loading port to a discharge port of the housing, the sheet distending due to being irradiated with electromagnetic waves to form a three-dimensional image;
an irradiator that irradiates the electromagnetic waves on the sheet placed on the conveyor belt; and
at least one heater that heats the conveyor belt, the shaping device maintaining a constant temperature of the entire conveyor belt within the housing.

2. The shaping device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
on an inner side of the conveyor belt, a guide that supports the conveyor belt and that conducts heat with the conveyor belt.

3. The shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one heater is disposed at least upstream from the irradiator with respect to a conveyance direction of the conveyor belt.

4. The shaping device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one heater comprises a first heater disposed below a conveyance surface of the conveyor belt and a second heater disposed above the conveyance surface, the first heater and the second heater being disposed upstream from the irradiator with respect to the conveyance direction.

5. The shaping device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a third heater disposed below the conveyance surface and a fourth heater disposed above the conveyance surface, the third heater and the fourth heater being disposed downstream from the irradiator with respect to the conveyance direction.

6. The shaping device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one heater further comprises at least one heater disposed downstream from the irradiator with respect to the conveyance direction.

7. The shaping device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature adjuster that adjusts a temperature of the conveyor belt heated by the at least one heater.

8. The shaping device according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature adjuster is configured to cool the conveyor belt when the temperature of the conveyor belt heated by the at least one heater is higher than a reference temperature, and is configured to heat the conveyor belt when the temperature of the conveyor belt heated by the at least one heater is lower than the reference temperature.

9. The shaping device according to claim 8 , wherein the temperature adjuster comprises a piping passing through an inner side of the conveyor belt and circulating a thermal medium, and wherein the piping circulates the thermal medium in a condition having a temperature lower than the reference temperature when the temperature of the conveyor belt heated by the at least one heater is higher than the reference temperature, and circulates the thermal medium in a condition having a temperature higher than the reference temperature when the temperature of the conveyor belt heated by the at least one heater is lower than the reference temperature.

10. The shaping device according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature adjuster comprises a piping that passes through an inner side of the conveyor belt and that circulates a thermal medium.

11. The shaping device according to claim 10 , wherein, on the inner side of the conveyor belt, the piping passes through at least positions upstream and downstream from the irradiator with respect to the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt, and through a position facing the irradiator across a conveyance surface of the conveyor belt.

12. The shaping device according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature adjuster comprises at least one fan that blows toward the conveyor belt.

13. The shaping device according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one fan comprises a first fan disposed upstream from the irradiator with respect to the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt, a second fan disposed downstream from the irradiator with respect to the conveyance direction, and a third fan disposed at a position facing the irradiator across a conveyance surface of the conveyor belt.

14. The shaping device according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a fan heater that heats air blown by the at least one fan; wherein
the at least one fan blows the air heated by the fan heater toward the conveyor belt to heat the conveyor belt.

15. The shaping device according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one fan is configured to cool the conveyor belt whereby a rotational speed of the at least one fan is changed in accordance with the temperature of the conveyor belt heated by the at least one heater.

16. The shaping device according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet includes
a base,
a thermally expansive layer that is laminated on a first main surface of the base and that expands due to being heated, and
a heat conversion layer that is laminated on at least one of a second main surface of the base or the thermally expansive layer, and that heats the thermally expansive layer by absorbing the electromagnetic waves and converting the electromagnetic waves to heat.

17. The shaping device according to claim 16 , wherein
the thermally expansive layer expands as a result of being heated to a predetermined expansion temperature or higher, and
the at least one heater heats the conveyor belt to a temperature lower than the predetermined expansion temperature.

18. A production method for a shaped object using the shaping device according to claim 1 , the production method comprising:
heating the conveyor belt;
placing the sheet on the heated conveyor belt, and conveying the sheet; and
irradiating the conveyed sheet with the electromagnetic waves.

19. The production method according to claim 18 , wherein
the sheet includes
a base,
a thermally expansive layer that is laminated on a first main surface of the base and that expands due to being heated, and
a heat conversion layer that is laminated on at least one of a second main surface of the base or the thermally expansive layer, and that heats the thermally expansive layer by absorbing the electromagnetic waves and converting the electromagnetic waves to heat.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ushigome Youichi

Classifications

• B29C35/0266

  Local curing (for repairing B29C73/34) · CPC title

• B29C59/046

  for layered or coated substantially flat surfaces · CPC title

• B29C35/10

  for articles of indefinite length · CPC title

• B29C35/007

  Tempering units for temperature control of moulds or cores, e.g. comprising heat exchangers, controlled valves, temperature-controlled circuits for fluids (B29C35/0294 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C44/3415

  Heating or cooling · CPC title