Expansion device, three-dimensional image forming system, method of expanding thermally expandable sheet, and computer readable storage medium

An expansion device, comprising:

• a housing;
• an exhaust fan fixed in the housing;
• an installation unit in which a thermally expandable sheet is disposed;
• an irradiation unit provided inside the housing and configured to irradiate the thermally expandable sheet with light in a state in which the thermally expandable sheet is placed on the installation unit inside the housing;
• an air supply fan attached to the irradiation unit;
• a movement unit capable of reciprocating the irradiation unit, to which the air supply fan is attached, between a first position and a second position;
• and
• a control unit configured to perform control of processes comprising:
• an expansion process to expand the thermally expandable sheet by irradiating the thermally expandable sheet placed on the installation unit with light by the irradiation unit;
• and
• a cooling process, performed after the expansion process, to cool the thermally expandable sheet by the air supply fan attached to the irradiation unit, while maintaining the state in which the thermally expandable sheet is placed on the installation unit inside the housing, the cooling process including drawing in outside air from outside of the housing and supplying the outside air toward the irradiation unit and into the housing by the air supply fan, and discharging air inside the housing toward the exhaust fan,
• wherein the control unit is configured to perform control such that (i) the expansion process is performed when the irradiation unit moves from the first position toward the second position by the movement unit, and (ii) the cooling process is performed when the irradiation unit is returned from the second position to the first position by the movement unit or when the irradiation unit is not moving.