JP7459592B2 - Modeling apparatus, manufacturing method of modeled object, and conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a modeling device, a method for manufacturing a modeled object, and a conveying device.

A three-dimensional image (modeled object) is created by irradiating light onto a medium (thermal expandable sheet) that is equipped with a thermal expansion layer containing a thermal expansion material that expands due to heat, and on which an image is formed using a light-absorbing material. A technique for forming this is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-178353

Patent Document 1 discloses, as an apparatus for forming a three-dimensional image, a developing means for forming a developer image using a developer containing a light-absorbing material on a medium having a thermally expandable layer containing a thermally expandable material; An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an irradiation unit that irradiates a medium on which a developer image is formed with light having a wavelength that is absorbed by the developer.

In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a medium on which a developer image is formed is irradiated with light while being placed on a conveyor belt. Here, the medium on which the developer image is formed is merely placed on a conveyor belt. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to stably form a three-dimensional image because a gap is created between the conveyor belt and the medium due to warping, bending, etc. of the medium.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a modeling apparatus, a method for manufacturing a shaped object, and a conveying device that can stably manufacture a shaped object.

In order to achieve the above object, a molding apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises:
A conveying section that has a conveying belt on which a molded sheet that expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave is placed and conveys the molded sheet;
A pair of pressing belts pressing both ends of the molded sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt;
an irradiation unit that irradiates the molded sheet in a state in which the molded sheet is pressed against the conveyor belt by the pair of pressure belts with the predetermined electromagnetic wave ,
The conveyor belt is curved in a convex shape.

A method for producing a shaped object according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
A conveying step of conveying a molded sheet, which expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave, on a conveyor belt;
a pressing step of pressing both ends of the molded sheet being conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt by a pair of pressing belts;
and an irradiation step of irradiating the molded sheet in a state pressed against the conveyor belt with the predetermined electromagnetic wave ,
The conveyor belt is curved in a convex shape.

A conveying device according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises:
An irradiation unit that irradiates a predetermined electromagnetic wave;
a conveying section that has a conveying belt and conveys a molded sheet that is placed on the conveying belt and expands when irradiated with the predetermined electromagnetic waves to a region where the predetermined electromagnetic waves are irradiated;
a pair of pressing belts that press both ends of the molded sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt in the region where the predetermined electromagnetic wave is irradiated ;
The conveyor belt is curved in a convex shape.

According to the present invention, since the molded sheet is pressed against the conveyor belt, it is possible to stably manufacture a shaped object.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a molded sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a shaped object according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shaped object shown in FIG. 2 taken along line AA. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modeling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a conveyor belt, a pressing portion, and a molded sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view showing a conveyor belt, a pressing portion, and a formed sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining pressing of a molded sheet by a presser belt according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an irradiation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a molded object according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate and a thermal expansion layer of a molded sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing the cross section of the molded sheet concerning the modification of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a shaped object according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a molded sheet according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a shaped object according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a conveyance path, a conveyance belt, and a pressing part according to a modification of the present invention.

The molding device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The modeling device 100 of this embodiment produces a model 50 from a molded sheet 10. The model 50 is used as a decorative sheet, wallpaper, or the like. In this specification, a "model" is a sheet on which unevenness is molded (formed) on a predetermined surface, and the unevenness constitutes a geometric shape, a character, a pattern, a decoration, or the like. Here, "decoration" refers to something that evokes a sense of beauty through the sense of sight and/or touch. "Modeling (or molding)" means creating something with a shape, and includes concepts such as decoration that adds decoration and ornamentation that forms decoration. In addition, the model 50 of this embodiment is a three-dimensional object with unevenness on a predetermined surface, but in order to distinguish it from a three-dimensional object produced by a so-called 3D printer, the model 50 of this embodiment is also called a 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) object or a pseudo three-dimensional (Pseudo-3D) object. The technology for producing the model 50 of this embodiment can also be called a 2.5D printing technology or a Pseudo-3D printing technology.

(Molded sheet)
First, the molded sheet 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The molded sheet 10 expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave (e.g., infrared light). The molded sheet 10 expands to form a shaped object 50. The molded sheet 10 includes a base material 20, a thermal expansion layer 30 laminated on a first main surface 22 of the base material 20, and a thermal conversion layer 40 laminated on a second main surface 24 of the base material 20 in a pattern corresponding to the irregularities 52 of the shaped object 50 described later. In this embodiment, the thermal expansion layer 30 is laminated on the entire surface of the first main surface 22.

The base material 20 of the molded sheet 10 has a first main surface 22 and a second main surface 24 opposite to the first main surface 22. Base material 20 supports thermally expandable layer 30 . The base material 20 is formed into a sheet shape, for example. The material constituting the base material 20 is, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polyolefin resin (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), polyester resin (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), etc.). It is. The type of material constituting the base material 20 and the thickness of the base material 20 are selected depending on the use of the shaped object 50.

Thermal expansion layer 30 of molded sheet 10 is laminated on first main surface 22 of base material 20 . The thermal expansion layer 30 includes a binder 31 and a thermal expansion material (thermal expansion material before expansion) 32a dispersed in the binder 31. The binder 31 is any thermoplastic resin such as vinyl acetate polymer or acrylic polymer. Thermal expansion material 32a is heated to a predetermined temperature or higher, thereby expanding to a size corresponding to the amount of heat to be heated (specifically, heating temperature, heating time, etc.). Thermal expansion material 32a expands when heated to, for example, 80° C. to 120° C. or higher. The thermally expandable material 32a is, for example, a thermally expandable microcapsule.

Thermal expandable microcapsules are microcapsules in which a foaming agent made of propane, butane, or other low boiling point substance is encapsulated in a shell made of thermoplastic resin. The shell of the thermal expandable microcapsule is formed from a thermoplastic resin such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylic ester, polyacrylonitrile, polybutadiene, or copolymers thereof. When the thermal expandable microcapsule is heated to a predetermined temperature (expansion start temperature) or higher, the shell softens and the foaming agent vaporizes, and the shell expands into a balloon shape due to the pressure of the vaporized foaming agent. The thermal expandable microcapsule expands to about five times its particle size before expansion. The average particle size of the thermal expandable microcapsule before expansion is, for example, 5 μm to 50 μm.

The thermal expansion layer 30 of the molded sheet 10 expands due to the expansion of the thermal expansion material 32a, forming irregularities 52 on the surface 35 opposite the substrate 20.

The heat conversion layer 40 of the molded sheet 10 is provided to form the unevenness 52 of the shaped object 50. The heat conversion layer 40 is laminated on the second main surface 24 of the base material 20 in a pattern corresponding to the unevenness 52.

The thermal conversion layer 40 converts the irradiated predetermined electromagnetic waves into heat and releases the converted heat. As a result, the thermal expansion layer 30 (i.e., the thermal expansion material 32a before expansion) of the molded sheet 10 is heated to a predetermined temperature. The temperature to which the thermal expansion material 32a before expansion is heated can be controlled by the shade of the thermal conversion layer 40 containing the thermal conversion material described below, and the unit area and amount of energy per unit time of the predetermined electromagnetic waves irradiated to the thermal conversion layer 40. The thermal conversion layer 40 converts the predetermined electromagnetic waves into heat more quickly than other parts of the molded sheet 10, so the area near the thermal conversion layer 40 (thermal expansion layer 30) is selectively heated. Hereinafter, the predetermined electromagnetic waves will also be simply referred to as electromagnetic waves.

The heat conversion layer 40 is made of a heat conversion material that converts absorbed electromagnetic waves into heat. The heat conversion material is carbon black, a metal hexaboride compound, a tungsten oxide compound, or the like. For example, carbon black absorbs visible light, infrared light, etc. and converts it into heat. Further, the metal hexaboride compound and the tungsten oxide compound absorb near-infrared light and convert it into heat. Among metal hexaboride compounds and tungsten oxide compounds, lanthanum hexaboride (LaB ₆ ) and cesium tungsten oxide are the most preferred because they have high absorption in the near-infrared region and high transmittance in the visible light region. preferable. Note that the heat conversion layer 40 may not have a layer structure with clear boundaries because the heat conversion material constituting the heat conversion layer 40 is absorbed by the base material 20, the thermal expansion layer 30, etc. The heat conversion layer 40 is illustrated herein as a layer with distinct boundaries for ease of understanding.

(Sculpture)
Next, a description will be given of a shaped object 50 with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The shaped object 50 is formed from a molded sheet 10. As shown in Figure 2, the shaped object 50 is a sheet-like shaped object, and has projections and recesses 52 on its surface.

3, the molded object 50 comprises a substrate 20, a thermal expansion layer 30 laminated on the first main surface 22 of the substrate 20 and having irregularities 52 on the side opposite the substrate 20, and a thermal conversion layer 40 laminated on the second main surface 24 of the substrate 20 in a pattern corresponding to the irregularities 52. The configurations of the substrate 20 and thermal conversion layer 40 of the molded object 50 are similar to those of the substrate 20 and thermal conversion layer 40 of the molded sheet 10, so only the thermal expansion layer 30 of the molded object 50 will be described here.

As shown in FIG. 3, the thermal expansion layer 30 of the modeled object 50 includes a binder 31, a thermal expansion material (thermal expansion material before expansion) 32a, and an expanded thermal expansion material 32b. The binder 31 of the thermal expansion layer 30 of the shaped article 50 is the same as the binder 31 of the thermal expansion layer 30 of the molded sheet 10. Further, the thermal expansion material 32a of the thermal expansion layer 30 of the shaped object 50 is the same as the thermal expansion material 32a of the thermal expansion layer 30 of the molded sheet 10. The expanded thermal expansion material 32b is a thermal expansion material that is expanded by heating the thermal expansion material 32a to a predetermined temperature or higher. The unevenness 52 of the thermal expansion layer 30 includes a convex portion 54 containing the expanded thermal expansion material 32b and a concave portion 56 containing the unexpanded thermal expansion material 32a.

(modeling equipment)
The modeling apparatus 100 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9. The modeling apparatus 100 manufactures a shaped object 50 from the molded sheet 10 by irradiating the molded sheet 10 with a predetermined electromagnetic wave that causes the molded sheet 10 to expand. As shown in FIG. 4, the modeling apparatus 100 includes a conveying section 120 that conveys the formed sheet 10, a presser section 130 that presses the formed sheet 10 against a conveying belt 126 of the conveying section 120, which will be described later, and a pressing section 130 that presses the formed sheet 10 against a conveying belt 126 of the conveying section 120, which will be described later. The device includes an irradiation unit 140 that irradiates a predetermined electromagnetic wave that expands 10, and a control unit 150 that controls each part. As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying section 120, the holding section 130, the irradiation section 140, and the control section 150 are provided inside the housing 105. The housing 105 has an inlet 105a through which the molded sheet 10 is carried in, and an outlet 105b through which the manufactured object 50 is carried out.
For ease of understanding, in this specification, the right longitudinal direction (right direction in the paper) of the modeling apparatus 100 in FIG. The direction perpendicular to this direction (the direction toward the front of the page) will be described as the +Y direction. In this specification, the -Z direction is the vertical direction. Further, the -Z side may be described as lower and the +Z side may be described as upper.

(Transportation section)
The conveyance unit 120 of the modeling apparatus 100 conveys the molded sheet 10 carried in from the carry-in port 105a of the housing 105 along a convexly curved conveyance path R. In this embodiment, the convexly curved conveyance path R protrudes and curves in the +Z direction. Further, the conveyance unit 120 conveys the formed sheet 10 along the conveyance path R from the +X side to the −X direction. Furthermore, the transport unit 120 transports the manufactured object 50 and carries out the object 50 from the outlet 105b of the casing 105. The conveyance section 120 includes a guide section 122, a driven roller 124a, a drive roller 124b, a tension roller 124c, and a conveyance belt 126. The conveyance section 120 further includes a carry-in roller 128a and a carry-out roller 128b.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the guide section 122 of the conveying section 120 supports the outward portion of the conveying belt 126 from the -Z side in a curved state along the convexly curved conveying path R.

A conveyor belt 126 is wound around the driven roller 124a of the conveyor section 120, as shown in FIG. The driven roller 124a is arranged on the entrance 105a side (+X side) of the housing 105. The rotation axis of the driven roller 124a is arranged in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the conveyance direction (−X direction) of the formed sheet 10 and the protrusion direction (+Z direction) of the conveyance path R, and the driven roller 124a It is pivoted on the side plate of.

The conveyor belt 126 is wound around the drive roller 124b of the conveyor unit 120. The drive roller 124b is arranged on the discharge port 105b side (-X side) of the housing 105. The rotation axis of the drive roller 124b is arranged in the Y direction like the rotation axis of the driven roller 124a, and the drive roller 124b is supported by the side plate of the housing 105. The drive roller 124b rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the +Y direction by the rotation of a motor (not shown), causing the conveyor belt 126 to move.

The tension roller 124c of the conveying unit 120 presses the return portion of the conveying belt 126 from the -Z side to apply tension to the conveying belt 126. The rotation shaft of the tension roller 124c is arranged in the Y direction like the rotation shaft of the driven roller 124a, and the tension roller 124c is supported by the side plate of the housing 105.

The conveyor belt 126 of the conveyor unit 120 is an endless belt that conveys the molded sheet 10 and the manufactured shaped object 50. The conveyor belt 126 is wound around the driven roller 124a and the drive roller 124b. The outward portion of the conveyor belt 126 is supported by the guide unit 122 and is curved convexly along the convexly curved conveyor path R. The conveyor belt 126 runs by the rotation of the drive roller 124b. The outward portion of the conveyor belt 126 runs in the -X direction along the conveyor path R, and the return portion of the conveyor belt 126 runs in the +X direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the molded sheet 10 is placed on the conveyor belt 126 from the entrance 105a of the housing 105 and conveyed in the -X direction. The molded sheet 10 is placed on the conveyor belt 126 with the thermal expansion layer 30 facing the conveyor surface 126a of the conveyor belt 126.

The carry-in roller 128a of the conveyance unit 120 is pivotally supported by the side plate of the housing 105, similarly to the driven roller 124a. As shown in FIG. 5, the carry-in roller 128a and the conveyor belt 126 sandwich the formed sheet 10 inserted from the carry-in port 105a of the casing 105, and carry the formed sheet 10 into the casing 105.

The discharge roller 128b of the transport unit 120 is supported on a side plate of the housing 105, similar to the drive roller 124b. The discharge roller 128b and the transport belt 126 sandwich the manufactured object 50 and transport the object 50 out of the discharge opening 105b of the housing 105.

(Holding part)
The pressing unit 130 of the molding apparatus 100 presses the molded sheet 10 against the conveyor belt 126 of the conveyor unit 120. The pressing unit 130 includes a pair of pressing belts 131, 132 as shown in Fig. 7. The pair of pressing belts 131, 132 press both end portions of the molded sheet 10 in a direction (+Y direction and -Y direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction (-X direction) against the conveyor belt 126. Specifically, each of the pressing belts 131, 132 presses each of the width direction end portions (end portions in the +Y direction and -Y direction) of the conveyor belt 126 of the molded sheet 10 against the conveyor belt 126. The pressing unit 130 further includes a first pulley 133a and a second pulley 133b around which the pressing belt 131 is wound, a third pulley 134a and a fourth pulley 134b around which the pressing belt 132 is wound, and four bend pulleys 136 to 139.

First, the presser belt 131, the first pulley 133a, and the second pulley 133b will be explained. The presser belt 131 presses the +Y direction end of the formed sheet 10 against the conveyor belt 126. The first pulley 133a and the second pulley 133b are a pair of pulleys. A presser belt 131 is wound around each of the first pulley 133a and the second pulley 133b.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the first pulley 133a is disposed upstream (+X side) of the conveying path R from the apex T of the forward portion of the convexly curved conveying belt 126, and above (+Z side) the end of the +Y side of the conveying surface 126a of the conveying belt 126. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the lower end B1 of the outer periphery 133c around which the pressing belt 131 of the first pulley 133a is wound is located at a position (-Z side) lower than the apex T of the forward portion of the conveying belt 126. The first pulley 133a rotates around the shaft 106 fixed to the side plate of the housing 105 as the rotation axis. In the following, the apex T of the forward portion of the conveying belt 126 is also referred to as the apex T of the conveying belt 126.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second pulley 133b is located on the downstream side (−X side) of the conveyance path R from the top T of the forward path portion of the conveyance belt 126, and on the +Y side of the conveyance surface 126a of the conveyance belt 126. is placed above the end (+Z side). As shown in FIG. 6, the lower end B2 of the outer periphery 133d of the second pulley 133b, around which the presser belt 131 is wound, is located at a lower position (-Z side) than the top T of the conveyor belt 126. The second pulley 133b rotates about a shaft 107 fixed to the side plate of the housing 105 as a rotation axis.

The holding belt 131 is an endless belt, and is wound around the first pulley 133a and the second pulley 133b. In this embodiment, the first pulley 133a and the second pulley 133b are respectively arranged on the +X side and the -X side with the top T of the conveyor belt 126 interposed therebetween. Further, the lower end B1 of the outer periphery 133c of the first pulley 133a and the lower end B2 of the outer periphery 133d of the second pulley 133b are located on the -Z side with respect to the top T of the conveyor belt 126. Therefore, the forward path portion of the presser belt 131 can press the +Y side end of the formed sheet 10 being conveyed by the conveyance section 120 (conveyor belt 126) against the conveyor belt 126, as shown in FIG.

Since the forward path portion of the presser belt 131 presses the formed sheet 10 being conveyed by the conveyor belt 126, it travels in the −X direction as the conveyor belt 126 travels. Further, the return portion of the presser belt 131 runs in the +X direction.

Next, the presser belt 132, the third pulley 134a, and the fourth pulley 134b will be explained. The presser belt 132 presses the end of the molded sheet 10 in the -Y direction against the conveyor belt 126. The third pulley 134a and the fourth pulley 134b are a pair of pulleys. A presser belt 132 is wrapped around each of the third pulley 134a and the fourth pulley 134b.

As shown in FIG. 7, the third pulley 134a is disposed in the same manner as the first pulley 133a, except that it is disposed above (on the +Z side) the end of the -Y side of the conveying surface 126a of the conveying belt 126. The fourth pulley 134b is disposed in the same manner as the second pulley 133b, except that it is disposed above (on the +Z side) the end of the -Y side of the conveying surface 126a of the conveying belt 126.

The configuration of the presser belt 132 is that it is wrapped around the third pulley 134a and the fourth pulley 134b and presses the -Y side end of the molded sheet 10 being conveyed against the conveyor belt 126. It is similar to the configuration. The presser belt 132 presses the -Y side end of the molded sheet 10 being transported against the transport belt 126.

In this embodiment, the pair of pressing belts 131, 132 each press the +Y side end and the -Y side end of the molded sheet 10 against the conveyor belt 126, so the molding device 100 can bring the molded sheet 10 into close contact with the conveyor belt 126 (conveyor surface 126a). Therefore, the molding device 100 can stably manufacture the molded object 50.

The two bend pulleys 136 and 137 press the backward portion of the presser belt 131 to change the running direction of the backward portion of the presser belt 131. As a result, the return portion of the presser belt 131 passes under the irradiation section 140 (-Z side), as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the bend pulley 136 is located between the irradiation unit 140 and the first pulley 133a on the upstream side (+X side) of the conveyance path R relative to the top T of the conveyance belt 126, on the conveyance surface 126a. It is arranged above the end on the +Y side (+Z side). The lower end of the outer periphery of the bend pulley 136 that presses the conveyor belt 126 is located at a lower position (-Z side) than the lower end of the irradiation section 140. The bend pulley 136 rotates about a shaft 108 fixed to the side plate of the housing 105 as a rotation axis.

The bend pulley 137 is disposed above (on the +Z side) the end of the +Y side of the conveying surface 126a, between the irradiation unit 140 and the second pulley 133b, downstream (on the -X side) of the conveying path R from the top T of the conveying belt 126. The lower end of the outer periphery of the bend pulley 137 that presses the conveying belt 126 is also located at a lower position (on the -Z side) than the lower end of the irradiation unit 140. The bend pulley 137 rotates around a shaft 109 fixed to the side panel of the housing 105 as its axis of rotation.

The two bend pulleys 138 and 139 press the return portion of the pressure belt 132 to change the running direction of the return portion of the pressure belt 132. As a result, the return portion of the pressure belt 132 passes under the irradiation unit 140 (on the -Z side).

The bend pulley 138 is located between the irradiation unit 140 and the third pulley 134a on the upstream side (+X side) of the conveyance path R with respect to the top T of the conveyance belt 126, and is located above the -Y side end of the conveyance surface 126a (+Z side). The other configuration of bend pulley 138 is similar to that of bend pulley 136. The bend pulley 139 is located between the irradiation section 140 and the fourth pulley 134b on the downstream side (-X side) of the conveyance path R with respect to the top T of the conveyance belt 126, above the -Y side end of the conveyance surface 126a ( +Z side). The other configuration of bend pulley 139 is similar to that of bend pulley 137.

(Irradiation unit)
The irradiation unit 140 of the molding device 100 irradiates the molding sheet 10 (thermal conversion layer 40) with a predetermined electromagnetic wave to cause the thermal conversion layer 40 to release heat, and heats the thermal expansion layer 30 (thermal expansion material 32a before expansion) to a predetermined temperature or higher. In this embodiment, the thermal conversion layer 40 is laminated on the second main surface 24 of the substrate 20 in a pattern corresponding to the unevenness 52 of the molded object 50, so that the parts of the molding sheet 10 corresponding to the convex parts 54 of the thermal expansion layer 30 are heated to a predetermined temperature or higher, and the expanded thermal expansion material 32b is formed. By forming the expanded thermal expansion material 32b, the thermal expansion layer 30 expands, and the convex parts 54 (i.e., the unevenness 52) are formed in the thermal expansion layer 30.

In this embodiment, the irradiation unit 140 is disposed on the convex side of the convexly curved conveying path R. The irradiation unit 140 irradiates the formed sheet 10, which is pressed against the conveying belt 126 by the pressing unit 130 (pressing belts 131, 132), with electromagnetic waves that expand the formed sheet 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the irradiation unit 140 is disposed above the top T (+Z side) of the conveying belt 126. The irradiation unit 140 also irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the conveying surface 126a of the conveying belt 126. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the formed sheet 10 is conveyed along the conveying path R by the conveying unit 120 while being pressed against the conveying belt 126 by the pressing unit 130, and passes through the area S where the electromagnetic waves are irradiated. As a result, the electromagnetic waves from the irradiation unit 140 are irradiated to the formed sheet 10, which is pressed against the conveying belt 126 by the pressing unit 130.

In this embodiment, the formed sheet 10 is pressed by the presser belts 131 and 132 and is in close contact with the conveyor belt 126 (conveyor surface 126a). Then, electromagnetic waves that expand the formed sheet 10 are applied to the formed sheet 10 that is in close contact with the conveyor belt 126 . Therefore, the modeling apparatus 100 can stably manufacture the modeled object 50.

The irradiation unit 140 includes a cover 142, a lamp 144, a reflector 146, and a fan 148, as shown in FIG. The cover 142 accommodates a lamp 144, a reflector 146, and a fan 148. The lamp 144 is composed of, for example, a straight halogen lamp. The lamp 144 applies predetermined electromagnetic waves to the molded sheet 10 (thermal conversion layer 40) in the near-infrared region (wavelength 750 nm to 1400 nm), visible light region (wavelength 380 nm to 750 nm), and mid-infrared region (wavelength 1400 nm to 4000 nm). ) and other electromagnetic waves. The reflecting plate 146 is a reflecting plate that reflects the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the lamp 144 toward the molded sheet 10. Fan 148 blows air into cover 142 to cool lamp 144 and reflector 146.

(Control Unit)
The control unit 150 of the molding apparatus 100 controls the transport unit 120 and the irradiation unit 140. As shown in FIG. 4 , the control unit 150 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 152 that executes various processes, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 154 that stores programs and data, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 156 that stores data, and an input/output interface 158 that inputs and outputs signals between each unit. The functions of the control unit 150 are realized by the CPU 152 executing the programs stored in the ROM 154. The input/output interface 158 inputs and outputs signals between the CPU 152, the transport unit 120, and the irradiation unit 140.

(Method for manufacturing a modeled object)
A method for manufacturing the shaped object 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In this embodiment, a molded object 50 is manufactured from a sheet-shaped (for example, A4 paper size) molded sheet 10 using a molding apparatus 100 .

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a molded object 50. The method for manufacturing a molded object 50 includes a preparation step (step S10) for preparing a molded sheet 10 that expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave, a transport step (step S20) for transporting the molded sheet 10 on a transport belt 126, a pressing step (step S30) for pressing both ends (the end in the +Y direction and the end in the -Y direction) of the molded sheet 10 being transported in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (-X direction) against the transport belt 126 with a pair of pressure belts 131, 132, and an irradiation step (step S40) for irradiating the molded sheet 10 pressed against the transport belt 126 with a predetermined electromagnetic wave.

In the preparation process (step S10), the molded sheet 10 is prepared. First, a coating liquid containing a binder 31 and a thermally expandable material 32a is screen printed on the first main surface 22 of the base material 20, and the printed coating liquid is dried to form a base material as shown in FIG. Thermal expansion layer 30 is laminated on the first main surface 22 of 20. Next, a printing device prints ink containing a heat conversion material on the second main surface 24 of the base material 20 in a pattern of shading corresponding to the unevenness 52 . The printing device is, for example, an inkjet printer. Through the above steps, the molded sheet 10 can be manufactured.

Returning to FIG. 10, in the transport process (step S20), the molded sheet 10 is inserted through the entrance 105a of the modeling device 100, placed on the transport belt 126 of the transport unit 120, and transported by the transport unit 120 along the convexly curved transport path R. From the viewpoint of heating the thermal expansion layer 30 with high efficiency, it is preferable that the distance between the thermal conversion layer 40 and the irradiation unit 140 is shorter, and it is preferable that the molded sheet 10 is placed on the transport belt 126 with the thermal conversion layer 40 facing the irradiation unit 140. In other words, it is preferable that the molded sheet 10 is placed on the transport belt 126 with the thermal expansion layer 30 facing the transport surface 126a of the transport belt 126.

In the pressing process (step S30), both ends (the end in the +Y direction and the end in the -Y direction) of the molded sheet 10 being conveyed by the conveying unit 120 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (-X direction) are pressed against the conveying belt 126 by a pair of pressure belts 131, 132. In this embodiment, the pressure belts 131, 132 press the molded sheet 10 against the conveying belt 126, so that the molded sheet 10 can be tightly attached to the conveying belt 126.

In the irradiation step (step S40), the irradiation unit 140 irradiates the molded sheet 10, which is being transported by the transport unit 120 and pressed against the transport belt 126 by the presser belts 131 and 132, with electromagnetic waves that expand the molded sheet 10. As a result, the thermal expansion layer 30 of the molded sheet 10 expands to form the unevenness 52, and the shaped article 50 is manufactured. Since the molded sheet 10 is in close contact with the conveyor belt 126, the shaped article 50 can be stably manufactured.
Through the above steps, the shaped object 50 can be manufactured. The manufactured object 50 is carried out from the outlet 105b of the modeling apparatus 100 by the transport section 120.

As described above, in the molding device 100, the pressing belts 131, 132 of the pressing unit 130 press both ends (the end in the +Y direction and the end in the -Y direction) of the molded sheet 10 perpendicular to the conveying direction (-X direction) against the conveying belt 126, thereby making the molded sheet 10 adhere closely to the conveying belt 126. Because the molded sheet 10 adheres closely to the conveying belt 126, the molding device 100 can stably manufacture the molded object 50.

In the method for manufacturing the shaped article 50 of the present embodiment, electromagnetic waves that expand the molded sheet 10 are irradiated to the molded sheet 10, whose both ends in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction are pressed against the transport belt 126. Since the molded sheet 10 pressed by the conveyor belt 126 is in close contact with the conveyor belt 126, the method for manufacturing the shaped article 50 of this embodiment can stably manufacture the shaped article 50.

(Modified example)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the object 50 may be manufactured in roll form from a roll-shaped molded sheet 10.

The material constituting the substrate 20 is not limited to thermoplastic resin, but may be paper, cloth, etc. The thermoplastic resin constituting the substrate 20 is not limited to polyolefin-based resin and polyester-based resin, but may be polyamide-based resin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based resin, polyimide-based resin, etc.

Although the heat conversion layer 40 of the embodiment is laminated on the second main surface 24 of the base material 20, the heat conversion layer 40 may be laminated on the thermal expansion layer 30 as shown in FIG. good. Using the modeling apparatus 100, a molded article 50A in which the heat conversion layer 40 is laminated on the thermal expansion layer 30 as shown in FIG. Manufactured from. In this case, the formed sheet 10A is preferably placed on the conveyor belt 126 with the heat conversion layer 40 facing the irradiation section 140 side. That is, the formed sheet 10A is preferably placed on the conveyor belt 126 with the second main surface 24 of the base material 20 facing the conveyance surface 126a of the conveyor belt 126.

The thermal conversion layer 40 may also be laminated on a peeling layer 60 provided on the second main surface 24 of the substrate 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the molded sheet 10B includes a peeling layer 60 provided on the second main surface 24 of the substrate 20 and a thermal conversion layer 40 laminated on the peeling layer 60. The molded object 50B shown in FIG. 15 is manufactured from the molded sheet 10B using the irradiation device 100. The molded object 50B includes a peeling layer 60 provided on the second main surface 24 of the substrate 20 and a thermal conversion layer 40 laminated on the peeling layer 60. In this case, it is preferable that the molded sheet 10B is conveyed by the conveying unit 120 with the thermal conversion layer 40 facing the irradiation unit 110 side. That is, it is preferable that the molded sheet 10B is conveyed by the conveying unit 120 with the thermal expansion layer 30 facing the conveying surface 126a of the conveying belt 126. Furthermore, by peeling off the release layer 60 from the model 50B, the thermal conversion layer 40 can be easily removed from the model 50B.

The molded sheets 10, 10A, 10B and the shaped objects 50, 50A, 50B manufactured from the molded sheets 10, 10A, 10B may have layers of any other material formed between the layers. For example, an adhesion layer may be formed between the substrate 20 and the thermal expansion layer 30 to further adhere the substrate 20 and the thermal expansion layer 30. The adhesion layer is made of, for example, a surface modifier.

The molded objects 50, 50A, and 50B may also be printed with color images. For example, the molded object 50 may have a color ink layer formed of four colors of ink, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, laminated on the thermal expansion layer 30 to represent a color image.

The modeling apparatus 100 of the embodiment conveys the forming sheet 10 to a region S where a predetermined electromagnetic wave is irradiated. Therefore, the modeling apparatus 100 of the embodiment includes an irradiation unit 140 that irradiates predetermined electromagnetic waves and a conveyor belt 126, and the molded sheet 10 that is placed on the conveyor belt 126 and expands by being irradiated with the predetermined electromagnetic waves. A conveyor unit 120 conveys the formed sheet 10 to a region S where a predetermined electromagnetic wave is irradiated, and a pair of conveyor belts 126 press both ends of the formed sheet 10 in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction in the region S where a predetermined electromagnetic wave is irradiated. It is also expressed as a conveying device including presser belts 131 and 132.

In the embodiment, the lower end B1 of the outer circumference 133c of the first pulley 133a and the lower end B2 of the outer circumference 133d of the second pulley 133b are located at a lower position (-Z side) than the top T of the conveyor belt 126. The lower end B1 of the outer circumference 133c of the pulley 133a and the lower end B2 of the outer circumference 133d of the second pulley 133b may be located at the same height as the top T of the conveyor belt 126 (same position in the +Z direction). Thereby, the presser belt 131 can press the +Y side end of the molded sheet 10 against the conveyor belt 126 by the sum of the thickness of the molded sheet 10 and the thickness of the presser belt 131. Furthermore, the lower end of the outer periphery of the third pulley 134a around which the pressing belt 132 is wound and the lower end of the outer periphery around which the pressing belt 132 of the fourth pulley 134b is wound may also be located at the same height as the top T of the conveyor belt 126. good. Thereby, the presser belt 132 can press the -Y side end of the formed sheet 10 against the conveyor belt 126 by the sum of the thickness of the formed sheet 10 and the thickness of the presser belt 132.

Although the transport path R in the embodiment is curved in a convex shape, the transport path R of the modeling device 100 is not limited to being curved in a convex shape. For example, the transport path R may be flat as shown in FIG. 16. In this case, the forward portion of the transport belt 126 extends parallel to the transport direction (-X direction). In addition, the lower end B1 of the outer periphery 133c around which the pressure belt 131 of the first pulley 133a is wound may be located at the same height as the transport surface 126a of the forward portion of the transport belt 126 or at a position lower than the transport surface 126a of the forward portion of the transport belt 126. The lower end B2 of the outer periphery 133d around which the pressure belt 131 of the second pulley 133b is wound may also be located at the same height as the transport surface 126a of the forward portion of the transport belt 126 or at a position lower than the top of the transport belt, similar to the lower end B1 of the outer periphery 133c of the first pulley 133a.

In the embodiment, the irradiation unit 140 is disposed above the top T of the conveyor belt 126 (on the +Z side), but the irradiation unit 140 may be disposed in any position where it can irradiate electromagnetic waves to the molded sheet 10 under tension along the conveyor path R.

The control unit 150 of the modeling device 100 is equipped with a CPU 152, and executes each process using the functions of the CPU 152. In the modeling device according to the present invention, the control unit may be equipped with dedicated hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a control circuit, instead of a CPU. In this case, each process may be executed by separate hardware. Also, each process may be executed together by a single piece of hardware. Some of the processes may be executed by dedicated hardware, and other parts of the processes may be executed by software or firmware.

It should be noted that not only can it be provided as a modeling device that is pre-equipped with a configuration for realizing the functions according to the present invention, but also that each functional configuration of the modeling device 100 of the embodiment can be realized in a computer that controls the modeling device by applying a program. You can also do it. That is, a program for realizing each functional configuration by the modeling apparatus 100 of the embodiment can be applied so that it can be executed by a CPU or the like that controls an existing information processing apparatus or the like.

The method of applying such a program is arbitrary. The program can be applied by storing it on a computer-readable storage medium such as a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or a memory card. Furthermore, the program can be superimposed on a carrier wave and applied via a communication medium such as the Internet. For example, the program can be posted and distributed on a bulletin board (BBS: Bulletin Board System) on a communication network. The program can then be started and executed under the control of an OS (Operating System) in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above processing to be performed.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and the present invention includes the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents. The inventions described in the original claims of this application are listed below.

(Additional note 1)
a conveyance unit that conveys the formed sheet, the conveyor belt having a conveyor belt on which a formed sheet that expands upon being irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave is placed;
a pair of presser belts that press both ends of the formed sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction against the conveyance belt;
an irradiation unit that irradiates the predetermined electromagnetic wave to the formed sheet that is pressed against the conveyor belt by the pair of presser belts;
Modeling equipment.

(Additional note 2)
the conveyor belt is curved in a convex shape;
The modeling device described in Supplementary Note 1.

(Additional note 3)
The presser belt is wound around a pair of pulleys,
The lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the pulley around which the presser belt is wound is located at the same height as the top of the conveyor belt or at a position lower than the top of the conveyor belt.
The modeling device according to appendix 2.

(Appendix 4)
The irradiation unit is disposed above the top of the conveyor belt.
4. The molding apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

(Appendix 5)
The molded sheet is
A substrate;
a thermal expansion layer that is laminated on one main surface of the base material and expands when heated;
and a heat conversion layer that is laminated on the other main surface of the base material or on the thermal expansion layer and absorbs the predetermined electromagnetic waves and converts the predetermined electromagnetic waves into heat to heat the thermal expansion layer.
5. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 .

(Appendix 6)
The molded sheet is placed on the conveyor belt with the thermal conversion layer facing the irradiation unit.
6. The molding apparatus of claim 5.

(Appendix 7)
A conveying step of conveying a molded sheet, which expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave, on a conveyor belt;
a pressing step of pressing both ends of the molded sheet being conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt by a pair of pressing belts;
and an irradiation step of irradiating the molded sheet in a state pressed against the conveyor belt with the predetermined electromagnetic wave.
A method for manufacturing a sculpture.

(Appendix 8)
An irradiation unit that irradiates a predetermined electromagnetic wave;
a conveying section that has a conveying belt and conveys a molded sheet that is placed on the conveying belt and expands when irradiated with the predetermined electromagnetic waves to a region where the predetermined electromagnetic waves are irradiated;
A pair of pressing belts pressing both ends of the molded sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt in the region where the predetermined electromagnetic wave is irradiated.
Conveying device.

10, 10A, 10B... Molded sheet, 20... Substrate, 22... First main surface, 24... Second main surface, 30... Thermal expansion layer, 31... Binder, 32a... Thermal expansion material (thermal expansion material before expansion), 32b... Expanded thermal expansion material, 35... Surface of thermal expansion layer opposite to substrate, 40... Thermal conversion layer, 50, 50A, 50B... Model, 52... Irregularities, 54... Convex portion, 56... Concave portion, 60... Peel layer, 100... Modeling device, 105... Housing, 105a... Carry-in entrance, 105b... Carry-out exit, 106, 107, 108, 109... Shaft, 120... Transport portion, 122... Guide portion, 124a... Driven roller, 124b... Drive roller, 124c... Tension roller, 126... Transport belt, 126a... Transport surface, 128a... Carry-in roller, 128b...carry-out roller, 130...pressing section, 131, 132...pressing belt, 133a...first pulley, 133b...second pulley, 133c...outer circumference around which the conveying belt of the first pulley is wound, 133d...outer circumference around which the conveying belt of the second pulley is wound, 134a...third pulley, 134b...fourth pulley, 136, 137, 138, 139...bend pulley, 140...irradiation section, 142...cover, 144...lamp, 146...reflector, 148...fan, 150...control section, 152...CPU, 154...ROM, 156...RAM, 158...input/output interface, 162...roller, R...conveyor path, B1, B2...bottom end, S...area irradiated with electromagnetic waves, T...top

Claims (7)

A conveying section that has a conveying belt on which a molded sheet that expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave is placed and conveys the molded sheet;
A pair of pressing belts pressing both ends of the molded sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt;
an irradiation unit that irradiates the molded sheet in a state in which the molded sheet is pressed against the conveyor belt by the pair of pressure belts with the predetermined electromagnetic wave,
The conveyor belt is convexly curved.
Molding equipment. The pressing belt is wound around a pair of pulleys,
The lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the pulley around which the pressure belt is wound is located at the same height as the top of the conveyor belt or at a position lower than the top of the conveyor belt.
The molding apparatus according to claim 1 . The irradiation unit is disposed above the top of the conveyor belt.
The molding apparatus according to claim 1 . The molded sheet is
A substrate;
a thermal expansion layer that is laminated on one main surface of the base material and expands when heated;
and a heat conversion layer that is laminated on the other main surface of the base material or on the thermal expansion layer and absorbs the predetermined electromagnetic waves and converts the predetermined electromagnetic waves into heat to heat the thermal expansion layer.
The molding apparatus according to claim 1 . The formed sheet is placed on the conveyor belt with the heat conversion layer facing the irradiation section,
The modeling device according to claim 4 . A conveying step of conveying a molded sheet, which expands when irradiated with a predetermined electromagnetic wave, on a conveyor belt;
a pressing step of pressing both ends of the molded sheet being conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt by a pair of pressing belts;
and an irradiation step of irradiating the molded sheet in a state pressed against the conveyor belt with the predetermined electromagnetic wave,
The conveyor belt is convexly curved.
A method for manufacturing a sculpture. An irradiation unit that irradiates a predetermined electromagnetic wave;
a conveying section that conveys a molded sheet that is placed on the conveying belt and expands when irradiated with the predetermined electromagnetic waves to a region where the predetermined electromagnetic waves are irradiated;
a pair of pressing belts that press both ends of the molded sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction against the conveying belt in the region where the predetermined electromagnetic wave is irradiated ;
The conveyor belt is convexly curved.
Conveying device.

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