JP7557735B2 - Resin Structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to resin structures that can be used as sound absorbing materials, etc.

Sound-absorbing materials that have the function of absorbing sound are known. Many sound-absorbing materials with a porous structure have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sound-absorbing material that includes a resin film made of acrylic resin and a porous layer laminated on the back side of the resin film. Patent Document 2 discloses a sound-absorbing structure that includes multiple thread-like parts that vibrate when receiving sound waves and multiple elastic parts that bridge the multiple thread-like parts.

JP 2007-3827 A JP 2015-215428 A

The present invention aims to provide a resin structure etc. that has a sound absorbing function through a novel structure.

One aspect of the resin structure according to the present invention is a resin structure mainly composed of a photocurable resin, the resin structure having a plurality of surfaces, one or more elongated microspaces formed inside the resin structure, and one end of the elongated microspace being a first opening formed in a first surface of the plurality of surfaces.

The present invention makes it possible to realize resin structures and the like that have functions such as sound absorption through a novel structure.

1 is an external perspective view of a resin structure according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the entire microspace present inside a resin structure according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a microspace in a resin structure according to an embodiment. 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining the effects of the resin structure according to the embodiment; 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an experiment for verifying the sound absorbing performance of a resin structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a minute space according to Modification 1. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the action and effect of the minute space according to the first modified example. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing another configuration of the minute space according to the first modified example. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a microspace according to Modification 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a minute space according to Modification 3. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a minute space according to Modification 4. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the microspace according to the fourth modification.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention. Note that each of the embodiments described below shows a preferred specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that show the highest concept of the present invention are described as optional components.

The figures are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily rigorous illustrations. In each figure, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same components, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
First, the configuration of a resin structure 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a resin structure 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the entire microspaces 2 present inside the resin structure 1. Note that Fig. 2 is an image diagram, and the microspaces 2 are not accurately shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the microspaces 2 in the resin structure 1. Note that in Fig. 3, (a) is a plan view typically showing a part of the resin structure 1, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a path of one microspace 2 when cut along line IIIb-IIIb in (a).

The resin structure 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a resin base mainly composed of a photocurable resin. For example, an ultraviolet-curable resin can be used as the photocurable resin constituting the resin structure 1. The resin structure 1 may contain an additive such as a pigment or a dye. This makes it possible to obtain a colored resin structure 1. The resin structure 1 may or may not be translucent.

The resin structure 1 is a structure having multiple surfaces. The multiple surfaces of the resin structure 1 are the outer surface of the resin structure 1 defined by the outer shape of the resin structure 1. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the resin structure 1 is, for example, a plate-like (sheet-like) plate-like member, and has at least a first main surface 1a and a second main surface 1b facing the first main surface 1a. That is, the first main surface 1a is a first surface among the multiple surfaces of the resin structure 1, and the second main surface 1b is a second surface different from the first surface among the multiple surfaces of the resin structure 1. The first main surface 1a and the second main surface 1b are surfaces perpendicular to the thickness direction of the resin structure 1. In this embodiment, the thickness of the resin structure 1 is almost constant in the entire region, so the first main surface 1a and the second main surface 1b are parallel surfaces. The thickness of the resin structure 1 is, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 cm or less, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the thickness of the resin structure 1 is 5 mm.

The resin structure 1 is a thin resin plate having a rectangular shape in plan view. The shape of the resin structure 1 in plan view is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be a polygonal shape other than a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or any other predetermined shape. In this embodiment, the shape of the resin structure 1 in plan view is a rectangle with a vertical length of 150 mm and a horizontal length of 100 mm, but the vertical and horizontal sizes of the resin structure 1 are not limited to this. For example, the vertical and horizontal sizes of the resin structure 1 can be in the range of several centimeters to several meters, rather than several tens of centimeters. In this embodiment, the resin structure 1 is a flat plate that is not curved, but may be a curved plate that is curved.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, one or more long microspaces 2 are formed inside the resin structure 1. Each microspace 2 is a tubular spatial passage consisting of a continuous space inside the resin structure 1. Specifically, each microspace 2 is surrounded by the resin that constitutes the resin structure 1 and is formed in a tunnel shape. A gas such as air is present inside the microspace 2. In this embodiment, air is present inside the microspace 2.

The microspace 2 meanders three-dimensionally. That is, the microspace 2 meanders in any direction, including the up-down direction, the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the diagonal direction. For example, the microspace 2 has one or more curved portions formed to bend smoothly in a curved shape. The microspace 2 may also include straight portions formed in a straight line, in addition to the curved portions. In this case, the microspace 2 may be configured so that the straight portions bend with each other. For example, the microspace 2 may have a bent portion configured to bend at a right angle, or may include a bent portion configured to bend at an angle other than 90 degrees (either an acute angle or an obtuse angle). In this way, the microspace 2 that meanders three-dimensionally may include not only a curved portion, but also one or more straight portions. The microspace that meanders three-dimensionally may be composed of only one or more curved portions, or may be composed of only one or more straight portions. In this embodiment, the microspace 2 is formed in a meandering state, for example, like a long string. It is preferable for one microscopic space 2 to meander multiple times.

In this embodiment, the microspaces 2 are multiple. That is, multiple microspaces 2 are formed inside the resin structure 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the multiple microspaces 2 are formed three-dimensionally and disorderly without intersecting with each other. More specifically, an innumerable number of microspaces 2 are densely present inside the resin structure 1, but the innumerable microspaces 2 are not connected to each other through intersections, but each of them meanders three-dimensionally in a different manner and intersects with each other, and exist in a dense state inside the resin structure 1 in a complicated and entangled state like capillaries.

The multiple microspaces 2 may include microspaces 2 that are not long but short, or may include microspaces 2 of any other shape. At least, among the multiple microspaces 2 in the entire resin structure 1, there should be at least one long microspace 2 that meanders three-dimensionally.

The lengths of the multiple microspaces 2 may be different from each other. In this case, all of the microspaces 2 may have different lengths from each other, but the multiple microspaces 2 in the entire resin structure 1 may include microspaces 2 of the same length.

The length of the microspaces 2 is preferably at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the resin structure 1. When the resin structure 1 has a rectangular shape in plan view, the microspaces 2 may include microspaces 2 having a length equal to or greater than the vertical length of the resin structure 1 and/or microspaces 2 having a length equal to or greater than the horizontal length of the resin structure 1. In this case, the length of each microspace 2 may be equal to or greater than the vertical length of the resin structure 1, and may further be equal to or greater than the horizontal length of the resin structure 1, for 50% or more, more preferably 80% or more of the total number of microspaces 2. The microspaces 2 in the entire resin structure 1 may include microspaces 2 having a length less than the thickness of the resin structure 1.

The cross-sectional size of each microspace 2 is not particularly limited, but the maximum diameter of the microspace 2 in any cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the microspace 2 (tube axis direction) is, for example, 2 mm, and the minimum diameter of the microspace 2 in any cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the microspace 2 is, for example, 10 μm. In other words, the cross-sectional size of each microspace 2 is preferably 10 μm or more and 2000 μm (= 2 mm) or less. The cross-sectional size of each microspace 2 may exceed 2000 μm.

As an example, each microspace 2 is a tubular spatial passage with a circular cross-sectional shape, and the inner diameter of the microspace 2 is constant in the extension direction (tube axis direction). In this embodiment, all microspaces 2 in the resin structure 1 are formed in a tubular shape with a constant inner diameter of 1 mm. The cross-sectional size and cross-sectional shape of each microspace 2 do not have to be constant. Furthermore, the multiple microspaces 2 in the resin structure 1 may include multiple microspaces 2 with different cross-sectional sizes and cross-sectional shapes.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, one end of the elongated microspace 2 is a first opening 2a. The first opening 2a, which is one end of the microspace 2, is formed in the first main surface 1a (first surface) of the resin structure 1. In other words, one end of the microspace 2 is connected to the first main surface 1a as the first opening 2a.

The multiple microspaces 2 include microspaces 2 whose other ends are second openings 2b. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, the multiple microspaces 2 include microspaces 2 whose one and other ends are both open on the surface of the resin structure 1.

In this case, the multiple microspaces 2 include a microspace 2 in which a second opening 2b, which is the other end of the microspace 2, is formed in the second main surface 1b (second surface) of the resin structure 1. In other words, the other end of this microspace 2 is connected to the second main surface 1b as the second opening 2b.

In this way, the multiple microspaces 2 include microspaces 2 that are continuously formed from the first main surface 1a to the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1. In this embodiment, the microspace 2 is a single spatial path that does not branch off midway.

The multiple microspaces 2 may include microspaces 2 in which one or both of the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b are formed on a surface other than the first main surface 1a and the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1. Conversely, the first openings 2a and the second openings 2b of all the microspaces 2 may be formed on only two surfaces, the first main surface 1a and the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1.

The shape of each of the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b of the microspace 2 is, for example, a circular shape, but as shown in FIG. 1, the multiple microspaces 2 may include microspaces 2 in which the shape of each of the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b is not circular. This is because, even if the microspaces 2 are cylindrical, the angle between the tube axis direction of the microspace 2 and the first main surface 1a or the second main surface 1b is not 90°, and the microspaces 2 are connected obliquely to the first main surface 1a or the second main surface 1b, and the multiple microspaces 2 formed by the first main surface 1a or the second main surface 1b meandering three-dimensionally disorderly have a cut surface like that when a resin member contained therein is cut. Note that the line drawing shown on the first main surface 1a in FIG. 1 basically shows the opening shape of the first opening 2a.

The resin structure 1 having the structure shown in FIG. 1 can be formed, for example, by a 3D printer. The 3D printer can manufacture a target object (solid object) having a predetermined three-dimensional shape by layering photocurable resin using three-dimensional computer data representing the target object having a predetermined three-dimensional shape as a model. Therefore, by using a 3D printer, it is possible to easily manufacture a resin structure 1 having multiple long microscopic spaces 2 inside that meander in a three-dimensional disorderly manner and are in a complex and complicated state, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. Examples of manufacturing methods using a 3D printer include a liquid bath photopolymerization method and an inkjet method (material injection method).

For example, when producing the resin structure 1 by liquid tank photopolymerization using a 3D printer, a three-dimensional resin structure 1 can be produced by irradiating a liquid resin made of an ultraviolet-curable resin with ultraviolet light (e.g., UV laser light) to harden the liquid resin layer by layer, thereby stacking multiple resin layers.

Next, the effect of the resin structure 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the resin structure 1 according to the embodiment.

The resin structure 1 according to the present embodiment can exhibit various functions due to its novel structure. The resin structure 1 according to the present embodiment has, as a novel structure, an elongated microspace 2 formed inside the resin structure 1, which is mainly composed of a photocurable resin. A first opening 2a, which is one end of this elongated microspace 2, is formed in the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1.

The sound absorbing function will be described below as one of the functions of the resin structure 1 having such a structure. The resin structure 1 having the sound absorbing function is used as a sound absorbing member. As a sound absorbing member, the resin structure 1 can attenuate sound by converting the vibrations of sound transmitted through the air into thermal energy.

Specifically, sound generated in the space in which the resin structure 1 is placed propagates through this space and reaches the resin structure 1. At this time, when sound propagating through the air reaches the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1, the sound that has reached the first main surface 1a enters the microspace 2 through the first opening 2a.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the sound (sound energy) that has entered the microspace 2 will progress to the depths of the microspace 2 while repeatedly colliding with the inner wall of the microspace 2. At this time, a part of the sound that progresses through the microspace 2 is converted into heat by the resin structure 1 every time it collides with the inner wall of the microspace 2, and another part of the sound that progresses through the microspace 2 continues to be converted into heat by the air present in the microspace 2. In other words, the sound that progresses through the microspace 2 is converted into heat by the air and the material (resin structure 1). In this way, the sound (sound energy) that has entered the microspace 2 from the first opening 2a is converted into heat (thermal energy) as it progresses through the microspace 2 and is attenuated. This allows the sound that has reached the resin structure 1 to be absorbed by the resin structure 1. It should be noted that not only the sound that enters the microspace 2 from the first opening 2a, but also the sound that enters the microspace 2 from the second opening 2b can be attenuated by the same principle.

In addition, the heat conversion efficiency of the sound traveling through the microspace 2 is higher for the material (resin structure 1) than for the air. For this reason, by having the microspace 2 meander in three dimensions as in this embodiment, the number and probability of the sound traveling through the microspace 2 colliding with the inner wall of the microspace 2 increases, so that the sound traveling through the microspace 2 can be efficiently converted into heat. In other words, by having the microspace 2 meander in three dimensions, the sound absorption performance of the resin structure 1 can be improved.

In this case, in order to increase the number of times that the sound traveling through the microspace 2 collides with the inner wall of the microspace 2 or to increase the probability of collision with the inner wall of the microspace 2, it is preferable that the number of meanders in one microspace 2 is as large as possible. For this reason, it is preferable that one microspace 2 meanders at least multiple times. In other words, from the viewpoint of improving the sound absorption performance of the resin structure 1, it is preferable that the number of meanders in one microspace 2 (the number of curved or bent parts formed in the microspace 2) is not one, but multiple times. In this case, the number of meanders in one microspace 2 is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, even more preferably 10 or more, and even 20 or more, depending on the size of the resin structure 1.

Moreover, in the resin structure 1 according to this embodiment, not only do the multiple microscopic spaces 2 meander three-dimensionally, but the multiple microscopic spaces 2 are also formed three-dimensionally disorderly without intersecting with each other.

If multiple microspaces 2 intersect with each other, there is a risk that sound traveling through one microspace 2 may move to the other microspace 2 at the intersection. In this case, sound entering from the first opening 2a of one microspace 2 may not travel to the second opening 2b of the one microspace 2, but may travel to the first opening 2a or the second opening 2b of the other microspace 2, and the exit opening may come closer. As a result, sound entering the resin structure 1 from the first opening 2a of one microspace 2 may not travel through a spatial path of the desired length to the second opening 2b of one microspace 2, but may come out from the first opening 2a or the second opening 2b of the other microspace 2 (i.e., the exit that has come closer).

In contrast, by forming the multiple microspaces 2 in a three-dimensional disorderly manner without intersecting with each other, sound that enters the resin structure 1 from the first opening 2a of the microspace 2 travels through the continuous, long microspace 2 of the desired length. This further improves the sound absorption performance of the resin structure 1.

In addition, in the resin structure 1 according to this embodiment, the other end of the microspace 2 is a second opening 2b formed in the second main surface 1b.

With this configuration, even if sound that enters the microspace 2 from the first opening 2a formed in the first main surface 1a passes through the microspace 2 and leaks out of the resin structure 1 from the second opening 2b formed in the second main surface 1b, the second main surface 1b is different from the first main surface 1a, so a user positioned on the first main surface 1a side is unlikely to hear the sound leaking out of the resin structure 1. In other words, a sound absorbing effect can be achieved for the user.

Here, an experiment was conducted to verify the sound absorbing performance of the resin structure 1 according to the present embodiment, and the experiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows the state of the experiment to verify the sound absorbing performance of the resin structure 1 according to the embodiment.

The test pieces of resin structure 1 used in this experiment were resin structures 1 having the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2, which were produced by a liquid bath photopolymerization method using a 3D printer. The size of the resin structures 1 produced was a rectangle in plan view, with a vertical length of 100 mm and a horizontal length of 100 mm, and two were prepared, one with a thickness of 5 mm and one with a thickness of 10 mm.

The speaker 20 was placed on the bottom surface of a 5 mm thick stainless steel cube-shaped housing 10 with an opening only on the top surface, and a test piece of the resin structure 1 was placed to cover the opening of the housing 10, and a user's ear was used to check whether the sound of the speaker 20 could be heard directly above the resin structure 1. The distance from the speaker 20 to the resin structure 1 was 230 mm, and the volume of the speaker 20 was 40 db.

As a result, the sound of the speaker 20 was inaudible whether the resin structure 1 had a thickness of 5 mm or a thickness of 10 mm. In other words, the resin structure 1 was able to absorb and muffle the sound of the speaker 20. In this way, the resin structure 1 according to this embodiment has excellent sound absorbing properties.

(Modification)
Although the resin structure 1 according to the present invention has been described based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, the multiple microspaces 2 in the resin structure 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may include a microspace 2A in which multiple chambers 3 of a predetermined shape are intermittently formed along the path of the microspace 2A, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the microspace 2A according to Modification Example 1.

The space chamber 3 is a part of the microspace 2A and is continuous with the microspace 2A between two adjacent space chambers 3. The space chamber 3 has an outer diameter larger than the maximum diameter of the microspace 2A between two adjacent space chambers 3. The space chamber 3 has a shape in which a part of the microspace 2A is partially enlarged. The predetermined shape of the space chamber 3 may include at least one selected from the group of a sphere, a cube, and a triangular pyramid. Note that, although FIG. 6 shows a microspace 2A in which three types of space chambers 3, a sphere, a cube, and a triangular pyramid, are formed, one microspace 2A may have only one type of space chamber 3 or only two types of space chambers 3 formed. The shape of the space chamber 3 may be a shape other than a sphere, a cube, and a triangular pyramid, and in this case, the microspace 2A may have four or more types of space chambers 3 formed.

In this way, the presence of the microspace 2A in which multiple spatial chambers 3 are intermittently formed along the path increases the number and probability of sound entering the microspace 2A colliding with the inner wall of the microspace 2A compared to a case in which no spatial chambers 3 are formed, as shown in FIG. 7, and therefore the sound traveling within the microspace 2A can be efficiently converted into heat. This improves the sound absorption performance of the resin structure 1.

In particular, by making the predetermined shape of the space chamber 3 at least one selected from the group consisting of a sphere, a cube, and a triangular pyramid, sound that has entered the space chamber 3 can be prevented from progressing to the minute space 2A between the space chambers 3, and sound that has entered the resin structure 1 can be effectively converted into heat. This makes it possible to further improve the sound absorption performance of the resin structure 1.

As shown in FIG. 8, a resin body 4 is arranged in a swingable manner within the space chamber 3 formed in the microspace 2A. In other words, the resin body 4 is an independent structure contained within the space chamber 3 and can move within the space chamber 3. The resin body 4 is made of a photocurable resin such as an ultraviolet-curable resin. In this embodiment, the resin body 4 is formed when the resin structure 1 is produced by a 3D printer, and therefore the resin body 4 and the resin structure 1 are made of the same photocurable resin.

The resin body 4 is, for example, a spherical granule. The resin body 4 can move only within the space chamber 3 in which the resin body 4 is placed. In other words, the resin body 4 remains within the space chamber 3 in which the resin body 4 is placed, and cannot move into the tubular microspace 2A connected to this space chamber 3. Therefore, for example, when the resin body 4 is spherical, the outer diameter of the resin body 4 is larger than the inner diameter of the microspace 2A. Note that the shape of the resin body 4 is not limited to a spherical shape. Furthermore, multiple resin bodies 4 may be provided in one space chamber 3.

The oscillating resin body 4 arranged in the space chamber 3 can vibrate within the space chamber 3. Therefore, by arranging the oscillating resin body 4 in the space chamber 3, sound energy that enters the space chamber 3 is not only converted into thermal energy by the air and the material (resin structure 1), but is also converted into vibration energy by the resin body 4. As a result, by arranging the resin body 4 in the space chamber 3, the sound absorption performance of the resin structure 1 can be further improved compared to when the resin body 4 is not arranged in the space chamber 3.

In the above embodiment, both ends of the microspace 2 are open, but this is not limiting. For example, one of the ends of the microspace 2 may be closed instead of open. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the multiple microspaces 2 in the resin structure 1 may include a microspace 2B having a first opening 2a at one end and a closed portion 2c at the other end located inside the resin structure 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a microspace 2B according to Modification 2. In FIG. 9, (a) is a plan view of a resin structure in which the microspace 2B is formed, and (b) is a diagram showing a schematic cross section of the path of one microspace 2B when cut along line IXb-IXb in (a).

As shown in FIG. 9, by forming a microspace 2B with one end being a first opening 2a and the other end being a closed portion 2c, it is possible to prevent sound that has entered the microspace 2B from the first opening 2a from leaking out of the resin structure 1 from the other end of the microspace 2B. This improves the sound absorption effect for the user.

In this case, if there are multiple microspaces 2B with a blocking portion 2c formed at the other end, the first opening 2a, which is one end of each of the multiple microspaces 2B, may be formed only on the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1.

This makes it possible to reduce the number of openings of the microspaces 2 present on surfaces other than the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1. For example, it is possible to reduce the number of openings of the microspaces 2 present on the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sound that has entered from the microspaces 2 and 2B through the first openings 2a from leaking out from the second main surface 1b side to the outside, thereby improving the sound absorption effect for the user located on the second main surface 1b side.

Furthermore, it is preferable that all microspaces 2 present in the resin structure 1 are microspaces 2B in which closed portions 2c are formed, and that the first openings 2a of all microspaces 2B are formed only on the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1.

As a result, no openings of the microspaces 2B exist on any surfaces other than the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1. For example, no openings of the microspaces 2B exist on the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1. Therefore, sound that enters from the microspaces 2B through the first openings 2a will not leak out from the second main surface 1b to the outside, which further improves the sound absorption effect for a user located on the second main surface 1b side. Moreover, since no openings of the microspaces 2B exist on the second main surface 1b, the design of the second main surface 1b can also be improved.

In the above embodiment, the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b of the microspace 2 are formed on different surfaces of the resin structure 1, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the openings at both ends of the microspace 2 may be formed on the same surface of the resin structure 1. Specifically, the multiple microspaces 2 of the resin structure 1 may include a microspace 2C in which both the first opening 2a at one end and the second opening 2b at the other end are formed on the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1, as shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a microspace 2C according to Modification 3. In FIG. 10, (a) is a plan view of a resin structure in which the microspace 2C is formed, and (b) is a diagram showing a schematic cross section of the path of one microspace 2C when cut along the Xb-Xb line in (a).

This reduces the number of openings of the microspaces 2 present on the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1, thereby preventing the sound that has entered from the microspaces 2 and 2C through the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b formed on the first main surface 1a from leaking out to the outside from the second main surface 1b side. This improves the sound absorption effect for the user located on the second main surface 1b side.

Furthermore, all microspaces 2 present in the resin structure 1 may be microspaces 2C in which both the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b are formed on the first main surface 1a, and the first openings 2a and the second openings 2b of all microspaces 2C may be formed only on the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1.

As a result, the opening of the microspace 2C does not exist on the surface other than the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1. For example, the opening of the microspace 2C does not exist on the second main surface 1b of the resin structure 1. Therefore, even if the sound that enters from the microspace 2C from one of the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b leaks out of the microspace 2C from the other of the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b, it does not leak out from the second main surface 1b side to the outside, so that the sound absorbing effect for the user located on the second main surface 1b side can be further improved. Moreover, since the opening of the microspace 2C does not exist on the second main surface 1b, the design of the second main surface 1b can also be improved. Note that in FIG. 10, the case where both the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b of the microspace 2C are formed on the first main surface 1a is illustrated, but both the first opening 2a and the second opening 2b of the microspace 2C may be formed on the second main surface 1b.

In addition, the microspace 2 in the above embodiment is a single spatial path that does not branch, but this is not limited to this. For example, the multiple microspaces 2 in the resin structure 1 may include a microspace 2D having a branch path that branches off midway, as shown in FIG. 11. Specifically, one end of the microspace 2D may be a first opening 2a formed in the first main surface 1a, and the other end of the microspace 2D may be multiple second openings 2b formed in the second main surface 1b. In this case, instead of making the other end an opening, one or more or all of the multiple other ends may be closed portions 2c located inside the resin structure 1, as in the microspace 2E shown in FIG. 12.

In the above embodiment, the sound that reaches the resin structure 1 enters the microspace 2 from the first opening 2a, which is one end of the microspace 2, but this is not limited to the above. Specifically, the sound that reaches the resin structure 1 may enter the microspace 2 from the second opening 2b, which is the other end of the microspace 2. That is, in each microspace 2, the first opening 2a, which is one end, may be the sound inlet, or the second opening 2b, which is the other end, may be the sound inlet. That is, the opening that serves as the sound inlet may be the first opening 2a formed on the first main surface 1a of the resin structure 1, or the second opening 2b formed on the second main surface 1b.

In addition, in each microspace 2, one end is the first opening 2a and the other end is the second opening 2b, but this is not limited to the above. Specifically, in each microspace 2, one end may be the second opening 2b and the other end may be the first opening 2a.

In the above embodiment, a gas such as air is present in the microspace 2, but this is not limited to this. For example, a liquid such as water may be present in the microspace 2.

When the above resin structure 1 is used as a sound-absorbing member, the resin structure 1 can be used as an architectural structure such as a wall or a product that requires soundproofing. For example, the present invention may be an architectural structure or product that includes the resin structure 1 that is a sound-absorbing member.

The resin structure 1 may be used for purposes other than as a sound-absorbing member. For example, the resin structure 1 may be used as a filter. In other words, the resin structure 1 may have a filter function for filtering liquids or gases in addition to a sound-absorbing function.

The resin structure 1 may also have functions other than the sound absorbing function and the filter function. For example, the resin structure 1 may have a function in which the pattern changes when a colored liquid is poured into the minute spaces 2 of the transparent resin structure 1. In this case, the resin structure 1 can be used as a design component or a performance component in which the pattern changes.

In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiments that would come to mind by a person skilled in the art, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Resin structure 1a First main surface (first surface)
1b Second main surface (second surface) 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E Microspace 2a First opening 2b Second opening 2c Closure 3 Space 4 Resin body

Claims (12)

A resin structure containing a photocurable resin as a main component,
The resin structure has a plurality of surfaces,
a plurality of elongated microscopic spaces are formed inside the resin structure,
one end of at least one of the elongated microspaces is a first opening formed in a first surface of the plurality of surfaces,
The multiple microscopic spaces are three-dimensionally meandering and crossing each other without intersecting with each other.
Resin structure. The elongated microspace is a single spatial path that does not branch along the way.
The resin structure according to claim 1 . A plurality of space chambers having a predetermined shape are intermittently formed in the middle of the path of the microspace.
The resin structure according to claim 1 or 2 . The predetermined shape includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a sphere, a cube, and a triangular pyramid.
The resin structure according to claim 3 . A resin body is arranged in the space so as to be able to swing.
The resin structure according to claim 3 or 4 . The other end of the minute space is a second opening formed in a second surface of the plurality of surfaces, the second surface being different from the first surface.
The resin structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . the other end of the microspace is a closed portion located inside the resin structure;
The resin structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The microscopic space is a plurality of spaces,
The first opening of each of the plurality of microscopic spaces is formed only on the first surface.
The resin structure according to claim 7 . The maximum diameter of the microspace is 2 mm or less in any cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the microspace.
The resin structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The resin structure is in a plate shape,
The first surface is a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the resin structure.
The resin structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9 . The resin structure is a sound absorbing member.
The resin structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . The resin structure is formed by a 3D printer.
The resin structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11 .

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