Expansion apparatus, shaping system, and manufacturing method of shaped object
AssigneeCasio Computer Co., Ltd.
InventorsYuji Horiuchi, Kenji Iwamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expansion apparatus includes: a first expander for irradiating with electromagnetic waves emitted from a lamp a thermal conversion layer for conversion of the electromagnetic waves to heat, to cause at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer to expand, the thermal conversion layer being laminated to a molding sheet including a base and the thermal expansion layer laminated to a first main surface of the base; and a second expander for causing expansion of a region (C) of the thermal expansion layer that is smaller in size than a region (B) of the thermal expansion layer expanded by the first expander.
Claims12
An expansion apparatus for processing a molding sheet comprising a base and a thermal expansion layer laminated onto a first main surface of the base, the molding sheet having a thermal conversion layer laminated on a second main surface of the base, the thermal conversion layer being configured to convert electromagnetic waves to heat, wherein the expansion apparatus comprises:
- a first light source comprising a lamp;
- a second light source comprising a laser;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- control the lamp of the first light source to irradiate the thermal conversion layer such that the thermal conversion layer converts electromagnetic waves from the first light source to heat to cause expansion of a first portion of the thermal expansion layer;
- and
- control the laser of the second light source to irradiate a second portion of the thermal expansion layer overlapping a part of the thermal conversion layer such that the second light source directly heats the second portion of the thermal expansion layer to cause expansion of the second portion of the thermal expansion layer,
- wherein the controller is configured to perform the control of the laser before the control of the lamp.
A shaping system for manufacturing a shaped object having unevenness from a molding sheet comprising a base and a thermal expansion layer laminated onto a first main surface of the base, the shaping system comprising:
- a first light source comprising a lamp;
- a second light source comprising a laser;
- a printing device;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive unevenness data representing unevenness;
- determine, based on the unevenness data representing unevenness, that a convexity having a width and a length that are each greater than or equal to a respective threshold is a first convexity, and that a convexity having at least one of a width or a length that is smaller than the respective threshold is a second convexity;
- generate, based on (i) positions of the first convexity and the second convexity determined and (ii) the unevenness data, first convexity data representing the first convexity and second convexity data representing the second convexity;
- control the printing device to print, based on the first convexity data generated, a thermal conversion layer onto the molding sheet to be laminated on a second main surface of the base, the thermal conversion layer being configured to convert electromagnetic waves to heat;
- control the lamp of the first light source to irradiate the thermal conversion layer such that the thermal conversion layer converts electromagnetic waves from the first light source to heat to cause expansion of a first portion of the thermal expansion layer;
- and
- control the laser of the second light source to irradiate a second portion of the thermal expansion layer overlapping a part of the thermal conversion layer such that the second light source directly heats the second portion of the thermal expansion layer to cause expansion of the second portion of the thermal expansion layer,
- wherein the controller is configured to perform the control of the laser before the control of the lamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.