Ink, thermally-expandable sheet, and manufacturing method for shaped object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019291313-A1
Application number	US-201916297894-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 26, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ink is used for forming a photothermal conversion layer used for causing expansion of at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer of a thermally-expandable sheet. The ink includes an inorganic infrared absorbing agent having a higher absorptivity in at least one region of an infrared light spectrum than in a visible light spectrum. A base of the ink is white.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ink for forming a photothermal conversion layer used for causing expansion of at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer of a thermally-expandable sheet, the ink comprising:
an inorganic infrared absorbing agent having a higher absorptivity in at least one region of an infrared light spectrum than in a visible light spectrum, wherein a base of the ink is white.

2 . The ink according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet on which the photothermal conversion layer is formed using the ink is white, a color difference ΔE*ab is less than or equal to 3.2, is calculated using L*a*b* color coordinates, and occurs between (i) the photothermal conversion layer, and (ii) the at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet on which the photothermal conversion layer is formed.

3 . The ink according to claim 2 , wherein the inorganic infrared absorbing agent is cesium tungsten oxide or lanthanum hexaboride.

4 . The ink according to claim 3 , wherein a content of the inorganic infrared absorbing agent is 0.10 to 20 wt. %.

5 . The ink according to claim 4 , wherein
the ink is a UV-curable ink, and further comprises a UV-curable resin and a polymerization initiator.

6 . The ink according to claim 5 , wherein the UV-curable resin is a UV-curable monomer or a UV-curable oligomer, and has rubber elasticity.

7 . The ink according to claim 6 , further comprising a white pigment.

8 . The ink according to claim 4 , wherein
the ink is an oil-based ink or a solvent-based ink, and further comprises an organic solvent and a resin.

9 . The ink according to claim 4 , wherein
the ink is a water-based ink, and further comprises water, an aqueous organic solvent, and a resin.

10 . A manufacturing method for manufacturing a shaped object by using a photothermal conversion layer for causing expansion of at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer of a thermally-expandable sheet, the manufacturing method comprising:
forming the photothermal conversion layer using an ink on at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet, the ink comprising an inorganic infrared absorbing agent having a higher absorptivity in at least one region of an infrared light spectrum than in a visible light spectrum, a base of the ink being white; and irradiating the photothermal conversion layer with light to cause expansion of the thermally-expandable sheet.

11 . The manufacturing method according to claim 10 , wherein
the at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet on which the photothermal conversion layer is formed using the ink is white, and a color difference ΔE*ab is less than or equal to 3.2, is calculated using L*a*b* color coordinates, and occurs between (i) the photothermal conversion layer and (ii) the at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet on which the photothermal conversion layer is formed.

12 . The manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein the inorganic infrared absorbing agent is cesium tungsten oxide or lanthanum hexaboride.

13 . The manufacturing method according to claim 10 , wherein a content of the inorganic infrared absorbing agent is 0.10 to 20 wt. %.

14 . A thermally-expandable sheet comprising:
a thermal expansion layer that distends due to heat; and a photothermal conversion layer disposed on at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet, the photothermal conversion layer for causing the thermal expansion layer to distend, wherein the photothermal conversion layer comprises an ink comprising an inorganic infrared absorbing agent having a higher absorptivity in at least one region of an infrared light spectrum than in a visible light spectrum, a base of the ink being white.

15 . The thermally-expandable sheet according to claim 14 , wherein
the at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet on which the photothermal conversion layer is disposed using the ink is white, a color difference ΔE*ab is less than or equal to 3.2, is calculated using L*a*b* color coordinates, and occurs between (i) the photothermal conversion layer, and (ii) the at least one surface of the thermally-expandable sheet on which the photothermal conversion layer is disposed.

16 . The thermally-expandable sheet according to claim 15 , wherein the inorganic infrared absorbing agent is cesium tungsten oxide or lanthanum hexaboride.

17 . The thermally-expandable sheet according to claim 16 , wherein a content of the inorganic infrared absorbing agent is 0.10 to 20 wt. %.

18 . The thermally-expandable sheet according to claim 17 , wherein
the ink is a UV-curable ink, and further comprises a UV-curable resin and a polymerization initiator.

19 . The thermally-expandable sheet according to claim 18 , wherein the UV-curable resin is a UV-curable monomer or a UV-curable oligomer, and has rubber elasticity.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C09D11/101

  Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing · CPC title

• C09D11/03

  characterised by features other than the chemical nature of the binder · CPC title

• B41J11/002

  Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating · CPC title

• B41J2/21

  for multi-colour printing · CPC title

• B29C44/3492

  Expanding without a foaming agent · CPC title