Expansion apparatus, shaping system, and manufacturing method of shaped object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11633906-B2
Application number	US-201916689138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

An expansion apparatus includes: a first expander for irradiating with electromagnetic waves emitted from a lamp a thermal conversion layer for conversion of the electromagnetic waves to heat, to cause at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer to expand, the thermal conversion layer being laminated to a molding sheet including a base and the thermal expansion layer laminated to a first main surface of the base; and a second expander for causing expansion of a region (C) of the thermal expansion layer that is smaller in size than a region (B) of the thermal expansion layer expanded by the first expander.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An expansion apparatus for processing a molding sheet comprising a base and a thermal expansion layer laminated onto a first main surface of the base, the molding sheet having a thermal conversion layer laminated on a second main surface of the base, the thermal conversion layer being configured to convert electromagnetic waves to heat, wherein the expansion apparatus comprises:
a first light source comprising a lamp;
a second light source comprising a laser; and
a controller configured to:
control the lamp of the first light source to irradiate the thermal conversion layer such that the thermal conversion layer converts electromagnetic waves from the first light source to heat to cause expansion of a first portion of the thermal expansion layer; and
control the laser of the second light source to irradiate a second portion of the thermal expansion layer overlapping a part of the thermal conversion layer such that the second light source directly heats the second portion of the thermal expansion layer to cause expansion of the second portion of the thermal expansion layer,
wherein the controller is configured to perform the control of the laser before the control of the lamp.

2. The expansion apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an irradiation width of the electromagnetic waves of the laser of the second light source with which the thermal conversion layer is irradiated with the thermal expansion layer is irradiated is less than an irradiation width of the electromagnetic waves of the lamp of the first light source with which the thermal conversion layer is irradiated.

3. The expansion apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a transporter configured to transport the molding sheet,
wherein the lamp of the first light source and the laser of the second light source are disposed, in order, as the laser and the lamp along a direction of transport of the molding sheet transported by the transporter.

4. The expansion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the laser of the second light source is arranged to irradiate the second portion and overlapping the part of the first portion of the thermal conversion layer from a side of the first main surface of the base opposite to a side of the second main surface on which the thermal conversion layer is laminated.

5. The expansion apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lamp of the first light source has an irradiation region with a first area,
wherein the laser of the second light source has an irradiation region with a second area smaller than the first area,
wherein the second portion of the thermal expansion layer is within the second area of the irradiation region of the laser and overlaps a part of a first portion of the thermal conversion layer, the first portion of the thermal conversion layer having a third area equal to or smaller than the first area of the irradiation region of the lamp, and
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the lamp of the first light source to irradiate the first portion of the thermal conversion layer with the electromagnetic waves from the first light source to cause expansion of the first portion of the thermal expansion layer by heat generated through conversion by the first portion of the thermal conversion layer; and
control the laser of the second light source to irradiate the second portion of the thermal expansion layer with electromagnetic waves from the second light source to cause expansion of the second portion of the thermal expansion layer by directly heating the second portion of the thermal expansion layer.

6. The expansion apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first portion of the thermal conversion layer is less than an entirety of the thermal expansion layer.

7. A shaping system comprising:
the expansion apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a printing device configured to print the thermal conversion layer onto the molding sheet.

8. A shaping system comprising:
the expansion apparatus according to claim 3 ; and
a printing device configured to print the thermal conversion layer onto the molding sheet.

9. A shaping system comprising
the expansion apparatus according to claim 4 ; and
a printing device configured to print the thermal conversion layer onto the molding sheet.

10. A shaping system for manufacturing a shaped object having unevenness from a molding sheet comprising a base and a thermal expansion layer laminated onto a first main surface of the base, the shaping system comprising:
a first light source comprising a lamp;
a second light source comprising a laser;
a printing device; and
a controller configured to:
receive unevenness data representing unevenness;
determine, based on the unevenness data representing unevenness, that a convexity having a width and a length that are each greater than or equal to a respective threshold is a first convexity, and that a convexity having at least one of a width or a length that is smaller than the respective threshold is a second convexity;
generate, based on (i) positions of the first convexity and the second convexity determined and (ii) the unevenness data, first convexity data representing the first convexity and second convexity data representing the second convexity;
control the printing device to print, based on the first convexity data generated, a thermal conversion layer onto the molding sheet to be laminated on a second main surface of the base, the thermal conversion layer being configured to convert electromagnetic waves to heat;
control the lamp of the first light source to irradiate the thermal conversion layer such that the thermal conversion layer converts electromagnetic waves from the first light source to heat to cause expansion of a first portion of the thermal expansion layer; and
control the laser of the second light source to irradiate a second portion of the thermal expansion layer overlapping a part of the thermal conversion layer such that the second light source directly heats the second portion of the thermal expansion layer to cause expansion of the second portion of the thermal expansion layer,
wherein the controller is configured to perform the control of the laser before the control of the lamp.

11. The shaping system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the lamp of the first light source has an irradiation region with a first area,
wherein the laser of the second light source has an irradiation region with a second area smaller than the first area,
wherein the second portion of the thermal expansion layer is within the second area of the irradiation region of the laser and overlaps a part of a first portion of the thermal conversion layer, the first portion of the thermal conversion layer having a third area equal to or smaller than the first area of the irradiation region of the lamp, and
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the lamp of the first light source to irradiate the first portion of the thermal conversion layer with the electromagnetic waves from the first light source to cause expansion of the first portion of the thermal expansion layer by heat generated through conversion by the first portion of the thermal conversion layer; and
control the laser of the second light source to irradiate the second portion of the thermal expansion layer with electromagnetic waves from the second light source to cause expansion of the second portion of the thermal expansion layer by directly heating the second portion of the thermal expansion layer.

12. The shaping system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first portion of the thermal conversion layer is less than an entirety of the thermal

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Horiuchi Yuji
• Iwamoto Kenji

Classifications

• B29C44/34

  Auxiliary operations · CPC title

• B29C44/022 Primary

  Foaming unrestricted by cavity walls, e.g. without using moulds or using only internal cores · CPC title

• B29C61/0616

  layered or partially layered preforms, e.g. preforms with layers of adhesive or sealing compositions (B29C61/0625 and B29C61/065 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2701/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B29C2795/002

  before shaping · CPC title