Foamed product, method for manufacturing foamed product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12090690-B2
Application number	US-202017429347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

Provided are a foamed product with a high level of design, and the like. The problem is solved by a foamed product including: a foam medium with a first part protruded by foaming and a second part that is lower than the first part; and a decorative part with a plurality of decorative particles, formed only in the second part of the first part and the second part, and a manufacturing method for a foamed product, including: a first step of foaming a foam medium to form, in the foam medium, a first part protruded by the foaming and a second part that is lower than the first part; and a second step of fixing a plurality of decorative particles only to the second part of the first part and the second part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A foamed product, comprising:
a foam medium, having a foam layer, and the foam medium including: a first part that is a protrusion protruded by foaming, and a second part that is a recess being lower than the first part; and
a decorative part, having a plurality of decorative particles provided on a surface of the foam layer, and the decorative part being formed only in the second part,
wherein
a foaming control ink layer and a color ink layer are provided on the first part,
the foam layer has a thermoplastic resin, and the plurality of decorative particles is fused in the second part,
a glass transition point of the thermoplastic resin is lower than a foaming start temperature of the foam layer.

2. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of decorative particles is 0.01 mm or more in height or width.

3. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of decorative particles each have a size that is visually recognizable with naked eyes.

4. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the foam medium has an image printed thereon.

5. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the foam medium includes:
a foamed part, including the first part; and
a less foamed part, including the second part, and the less foamed part being less foamed than the foamed part,
wherein the decorative part is formed only in at least a part of the less foamed part.

6. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the second part is a recess, and
the recess is filled with the plurality of decorative particles.

7. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the foam medium has the thermoplastic resin constituting the foam layer or an ink receiving layer, and
the plurality of decorative particles is fused to the thermoplastic resin.

8. The foamed product as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a transparent layer, formed over the first part and the second part, and fixed to the first part and the second part,
wherein the plurality of decorative particles is disposed in a part of the transparent layer corresponding to the second part.

9. A manufacturing method for the foamed product according to claim 1 including a foam medium having a foam layer, comprising:
a first step of heating the foam layer at a first temperature and foaming the foam layer to form, in the foam layer, the first part that is a protrusion protruded by the foaming and the second part that is a recess being lower than the first part; and
a second step of fixing the plurality of decorative particles only to the second part,
wherein the second step comprises:
a step 2-1 of supplying the plurality of decorative particles to at least the second part of the foam layer;
a step 2-2 of scraping off, among the plurality of decorative particles supplied in the step 2-1, the decorative particles remaining on the first part of the foam layer to the second part; and
a step of 2-3 of heating the foam layer obtained by the step 2-2 at a second temperature that is lower than the foaming start temperature of the foam layer to fuse the plurality of decorative particles to a surface of the foam layer.

Assignees

• Mimaki Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamada Yoshimi
• Kurashima Isao

Classifications

• B32B3/30

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• B32B33/00

  Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class · CPC title

• B32B5/18

  characterised by features of a layer {of} foamed material · CPC title

• B41M5/0064

  on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers · CPC title

• B41M5/0047

  by ink-jet printing · CPC title