阅读说明：本技术 树脂成形片材及其制造方法、造型物及其制造方法 (Resin molded sheet and method for producing same, and molded object and method for producing same ) 是由 高桥秀树 于 2019-08-08 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种树脂成形片材、树脂成形片材的制造方法、造型物以及造型物的制造方法。该树脂成形片材具备：基材,由树脂构成；第一热膨胀层,包含热膨胀性材料,且设置在所述基材的第一面；以及第二热膨胀层,包含热膨胀性材料,且设置在所述基材的第二面,所述第一热膨胀层在所述基材的第一面上至少设置于通过所述第一热膨胀层使所述基材变形的第一区域,所述第二热膨胀层在所述基材的第二面上至少设置于通过所述第二热膨胀层使所述基材变形的第二区域。(A resin molded sheet, a method for producing the resin molded sheet, a shaped article, and a method for producing the shaped article. The resin molded sheet comprises: a base material made of a resin; a first thermal expansion layer which comprises a thermal expansion material and is arranged on the first surface of the substrate; and a second thermal expansion layer that contains a thermal expansion material and is provided on the second surface of the base material, the first thermal expansion layer being provided on the first surface of the base material at least in a first region in which the base material is deformed by the first thermal expansion layer, and the second thermal expansion layer being provided on the second surface of the base material at least in a second region in which the base material is deformed by the second thermal expansion layer.)

1. A resin-formed sheet is characterized by comprising:

a base material made of a resin;

a first thermal expansion layer which comprises a thermal expansion material and is arranged on the first surface of the substrate; and

a second thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and disposed on the second side of the substrate,

the first thermal expansion layer is provided on the first surface of the base material at least in a first region where the base material is deformed by the first thermal expansion layer,

the second thermal expansion layer is provided on the second surface of the base material at least in a second region where the base material is deformed by the second thermal expansion layer.

2. The resin-molded sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region are disposed so as not to face each other with the base material interposed therebetween.

3. The resin-formed sheet according to claim 1,

at least either one of the first thermally-expansible layer and the second thermally-expansible layer is provided so as to be at least partially peelable from the substrate.

4. The resin-formed sheet according to claim 1,

further comprising at least one of a first intermediate layer provided between the first thermal expansion layer and the base material and a second intermediate layer provided between the second thermal expansion layer and the base material,

a peel strength between the first intermediate layer and the substrate is lower than a peel strength between the first thermal expansion layer and the first intermediate layer, the first intermediate layer and the first thermal expansion layer being removable from the substrate,

the peel strength between the second intermediate layer and the substrate is lower than the peel strength between the second thermally-expansible layer and the second intermediate layer, and the second intermediate layer and the second thermally-expansible layer are removable from the substrate.

5. The resin-molded sheet according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first thermal expansion layer and the second thermal expansion layer further contains an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material that converts electromagnetic waves into heat.

6. The resin-molded sheet according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first thermal conversion layer including an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material that converts an electromagnetic wave into heat, and disposed on the first thermal expansion layer in the first region; and

a second heat conversion layer including an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material that converts an electromagnetic wave into heat, and disposed on the second thermal expansion layer in the second region.

7. A method for producing a resin-molded sheet, comprising:

a first thermal expansion layer forming step of forming a first thermal expansion layer containing a thermal expansion material on a first surface of a base material made of a resin; and

a second thermal expansion layer forming step of forming a second thermal expansion layer containing a thermal expansion material on the second surface of the base material,

in the first thermal expansion layer forming step, the first thermal expansion layer is formed on at least a first region of the first surface of the base material, in which the base material is deformed by the first thermal expansion layer, and in the second thermal expansion layer forming step, the second thermal expansion layer is formed on at least a second region of the second surface of the base material, in which the base material is deformed by the second thermal expansion layer.

8. The method of producing a resin-molded sheet according to claim 7, wherein the first region and the second region are disposed so as not to face each other with the base material interposed therebetween.

9. The method of producing a resin-molded sheet according to claim 7, wherein at least either one of the first thermally-expansible layer and the second thermally-expansible layer is provided so as to be at least partially peelable from the base material.

10. The method of manufacturing a resin-formed sheet according to claim 7,

before the first thermal expansion layer forming step and the second insulating expansion layer forming step, the method further includes:

a first intermediate layer forming step of forming a first intermediate layer provided between the first thermal expansion layer and the base material; and

and a second intermediate layer forming step of forming a second intermediate layer provided between the second thermal expansion layer and the base material.

11. The method of manufacturing a resin-formed sheet according to claim 10,

a peel strength between the first intermediate layer and the substrate is lower than a peel strength between the first thermal expansion layer and the first intermediate layer, the first intermediate layer and the first thermal expansion layer being removable from the substrate,

the peel strength between the second intermediate layer and the substrate is lower than the peel strength between the second thermally-expansible layer and the second intermediate layer, and the second intermediate layer and the second thermally-expansible layer are removable from the substrate.

12. A shaped object, comprising:

a base material made of a resin;

a first thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and disposed on the first surface of the substrate;

a second thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and disposed on the second surface of the substrate;

a first heat conversion layer that is provided on the first thermal expansion layer in a first region where the substrate is deformed using the first thermal expansion layer, and that includes an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material that converts an electromagnetic wave into heat; and

a second heat conversion layer disposed on the second thermal expansion layer in a second region where the substrate is deformed using the second thermal expansion layer, and including an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material that converts an electromagnetic wave into heat,

in the first region, the first thermal expansion layer swells due to expansion, and the base material deforms following the first thermal expansion layer,

in the second region, the second thermal expansion layer swells due to expansion, and the base material deforms following the second thermal expansion layer.

13. The shaped object according to claim 12, wherein the first region and the second region are disposed so as not to face each other with the base material interposed therebetween.

14. A method for manufacturing a shaped object, using a resin molded sheet, the resin molded sheet comprising: a base material made of a resin; a first thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material disposed on the first surface of the substrate; and a second thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and provided on the second surface of the base material, the second thermal expansion layer comprising:

a first heat conversion layer forming step of forming a first heat conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the first thermal expansion layer and on a first region where the base material is deformed by using the first thermal expansion layer;

a second heat conversion layer forming step of forming a second heat conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the second thermal expansion layer and on a second region where the base material is deformed by using the second thermal expansion layer;

a first forming step of irradiating the first heat conversion layer with an electromagnetic wave to expand the first thermal expansion layer and deform the base material in the first region; and

and a second forming step of irradiating the second heat conversion layer with an electromagnetic wave to expand the second thermal expansion layer and deform the base material in the second region.

15. The method of manufacturing a shaped object according to claim 14, characterized in that the first forming process and the second forming process are performed simultaneously.

16. The method of manufacturing a shaped object according to claim 15, characterized in that the base material is transparent.

17. The method of manufacturing a shaped article according to claim 14, wherein the shaping step is performed by a heating step,

at least one of the first thermally-expansible layer and the second thermally-expansible layer is bonded to the base material so as to be peelable therefrom,

the method further comprises a removing step of removing at least one of the first thermally-expansible layer and the second thermally-expansible layer after the molding of the base material.

18. The method of manufacturing a shaped object according to claim 14, wherein in the second heat conversion layer forming step, the second heat conversion layer is formed so as not to face the first heat conversion layer formed in the first heat conversion layer forming step with the substrate interposed therebetween.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a resin molded sheet using a thermally expandable layer containing a thermally expandable material that expands in response to absorbed heat, a method for producing the resin molded sheet, and a shaped article and a method for producing the shaped article using the resin molded sheet.

Background

Conventionally, switches such as membrane switches have been used as input units for numbers and the like of electronic devices. For example, a resin sheet subjected to embossing is used for the film switch. In addition, in the embossing, a concave die and a convex die are used to perform forming into a desired shape (for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 6-8254).

In such a method, before the resin sheet is molded, a mold corresponding to the shape to be processed needs to be prepared. Therefore, there is a problem in that the cost and time required for manufacturing the mold are required.

In particular, in the production stage of a test product, since processing a mold increases the time required for development, a method for easily molding a resin sheet without requiring a mold is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a resin molded sheet that can be easily molded, a method for producing the resin molded sheet, and a shaped object and a method for producing the shaped object using the resin molded sheet.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a resin molded sheet, comprising: a base material made of a resin; a first thermal expansion layer which comprises a thermal expansion material and is arranged on the first surface of the substrate; and a second thermal expansion layer that contains a thermal expansion material and is provided on the second surface of the base material, the first thermal expansion layer being provided on the first surface of the base material at least in a first region in which the base material is deformed by the first thermal expansion layer, and the second thermal expansion layer being provided on the second surface of the base material at least in a second region in which the base material is deformed by the second thermal expansion layer.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a resin-molded sheet, comprising: a first thermal expansion layer forming step of forming a first thermal expansion layer containing a thermal expansion material on a first surface of a base material made of a resin; and a second thermal expansion layer forming step of forming a second thermal expansion layer containing a thermal expansion material on the second surface of the base material, wherein in the first thermal expansion layer forming step, the first thermal expansion layer is formed on the first surface of the base material at least in a first region where the base material is deformed by the first thermal expansion layer, and in the second thermal expansion layer forming step, the second thermal expansion layer is formed on the second surface of the base material at least in a second region where the base material is deformed by the second thermal expansion layer.

The present invention also provides a shaped object, comprising: a base material made of a resin; a first thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and disposed on the first surface of the substrate; a second thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and disposed on the second surface of the substrate; a first heat conversion layer that is provided on the first thermal expansion layer in a first region where the substrate is deformed using the first thermal expansion layer, and that includes an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material that converts an electromagnetic wave into heat; and a second heat conversion layer that is provided on the second thermal expansion layer in a second region in which the base material is deformed by the second thermal expansion layer, and that includes an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material that converts an electromagnetic wave into heat, wherein in the first region, the first thermal expansion layer swells due to expansion, the base material deforms following the first thermal expansion layer, and in the second region, the second thermal expansion layer swells due to expansion, and the base material deforms following the second thermal expansion layer.

The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a shaped object using a resin molded sheet, the resin molded sheet including: a base material made of a resin; a first thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material disposed on the first surface of the substrate; and a second thermal expansion layer comprising a thermal expansion material and provided on the second surface of the base material, the second thermal expansion layer comprising: a first heat conversion layer forming step of forming a first heat conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the first thermal expansion layer and on a first region where the base material is deformed by using the first thermal expansion layer; a second heat conversion layer forming step of forming a second heat conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the second thermal expansion layer and on a second region where the base material is deformed by using the second thermal expansion layer; a first forming step of irradiating the first heat conversion layer with an electromagnetic wave to expand the first thermal expansion layer and deform the base material in the first region; and a second forming step of irradiating the second heat conversion layer with an electromagnetic wave to expand the second thermal expansion layer and deform the base material in the second region.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a resin molded sheet according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2A to 2C are cross-sectional views showing a method for producing a resin molded sheet according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 3A is a sectional view showing the shaped object according to embodiment 1, and fig. 3B is a sectional view showing a part of the shaped object.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the expansion device.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a shaped object according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 6A to 6C are cross-sectional views schematically showing a method of manufacturing a shaped object according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a resin molded sheet according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 8A to 8D are cross-sectional views showing a method for producing a resin molded sheet according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 9A is a diagram showing a state in which the thermal expansion layer of the resin molded sheet according to embodiment 2 is expanded, and fig. 9B is a diagram showing an outline of the shaped object according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a shaped object according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 11A to 11D are cross-sectional views schematically showing a method of manufacturing a shaped object according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 12A is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a resin molded sheet according to embodiment 3, and fig. 12B is a cross-sectional view showing a shaped object according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 13A is a view showing a resin molded sheet according to another embodiment, fig. 13B is a view showing a state where a thermally-expansible layer of the resin molded sheet shown in fig. 13A is expanded, and fig. 13C is a cross-sectional view showing a shaped object according to another embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a resin molded sheet, a method for producing a resin molded sheet, a shaped object, and a method for producing a shaped object according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the present specification, the term "shaped article" refers to a resin molded sheet having a simple shape such as a convex portion (projection) and a concave portion (depression), a geometric shape, a character, a pattern, a decoration, or the like, which is shaped (formed) on a predetermined surface. Here, "decoration" refers to a term that evokes an aesthetic sense by visual and/or tactile sense. "modeling (or modeling)" means to produce an object having a shape, and includes a concept of adding a decorative decoration or forming a decorative decoration. The shaped object of the present embodiment is a three-dimensional object having irregularities, a geometric shape, decoration, and the like on a predetermined surface, but the shaped object of the present embodiment is also referred to as a 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) object or a Pseudo three-dimensional (Pseudo-3D) object in order to be distinguished from a three-dimensional object manufactured by a so-called 3D printer. The technique for manufacturing the shaped object of the present embodiment is also referred to as a 2.5D printing technique or a Pseudo-3D printing technique.

In the present specification, for convenience of explanation, in the resin molded sheet, the surface provided with the thermal expansion layer is referred to as a front side (front surface) or an upper surface, and the base material side is referred to as a back side (back surface) or a lower surface. Here, the terms "front", "back", "upper" and "lower" do not limit the method of using the resin molded sheet, and the back surface of the resin molded sheet may be used as the front surface depending on the method of using the resin molded sheet after molding. The same applies to shaped objects.

< embodiment 1 >

(resin molded sheet 10)

As shown in fig. 1, the resin molded sheet 10 includes a base material 11, a first thermally-expansive layer 12 provided on a first surface (upper surface shown in fig. 1) of the base material 11, and a second thermally-expansive layer 13 provided on a second surface (lower surface shown in fig. 1) of the base material 11. As will be described in detail later, in the resin molded sheet 10, the base material 11 is deformed by the force of expansion of the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13, and the base material 11 maintains the deformed shape. Thus, the base material 11 of the resin molded sheet 10 is molded into a desired shape to produce the shaped object 41.

The substrate 11 supports the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13. The base material 11 is a sheet-like member made of resin. Examples of the resin include, but are not limited to, polyolefin resins such as Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyester resins, polyamide resins such as nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, Polystyrene (PS), and polyimide resins. In addition, as the substrate 11, a non-stretch PET film or the like is preferably used in order to be easily deformed. The thickness of the substrate 11 is, for example, 100 to 500 μm. When the step of expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 is performed simultaneously as described later, the substrate 11 is preferably transparent.

Further, since the base material 11 is required to be easily deformed by heat, the material used for the base material 11, the thickness of the base material 11, and the like are determined so as to be easily deformed by heat. Further, since the base material 11 needs to maintain the deformed shape, the material used as the base material 11, the thickness of the base material 11, and the like are determined so as to be able to maintain the deformed shape. The material, thickness, and the like of the base material 11 are appropriately designed according to the use of the shaped object 41 after processing. For example, depending on the application of the shaped object 41, it is required to have not only a shape after being deformed to be maintained but also an elastic force capable of returning to an original shape after being deformed by pressing. In this case, the material of the base material 11 is determined so that the deformed base material 11 has a desired elastic force.

The first thermal expansion layer 12 is provided on a first surface (upper surface in fig. 1) of the substrate 11. The first thermally-expansible layer 12 is a layer that expands to a size corresponding to the degree of heating (e.g., heating temperature, heating time), and a thermally-expansible material (thermally-expansible microcapsules, fine powder) is dispersed in a binder. The first thermal expansion layer 12 is not limited to one layer, and may have a plurality of layers. As the adhesive of the first thermal expansion layer 12, any thermoplastic resin such as an ethylene vinyl acetate polymer and an acrylic polymer is used. The thermally expandable microcapsule is a microcapsule containing propane, butane, or other low-boiling-point volatile substance in a shell of a thermoplastic resin. The shell is formed of, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polybutadiene, or a copolymer thereof. For example, the average particle size of the thermally expandable microcapsules is about 5 to 50 μm. When the microcapsule is heated to a temperature higher than or equal to the thermal expansion starting temperature, the shell made of the resin softens, the low boiling point volatile substance contained therein vaporizes, and the shell expands into a capsule shape by the pressure. The particle size of the microcapsules expands about 5 times the particle size before expansion, although it depends on the characteristics of the microcapsules used. In addition, the microcapsules have variations in particle size, and not all microcapsules have the same particle size.

In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the first thermal expansion layer 12 is used to form the first convex portion 11a on the first surface of the base material 11. Therefore, the first thermal expansion layer 12 is provided on the first surface of the base material 11 at least in a region where the first convex portion 11a is formed (the first region 10A shown in fig. 1). In addition, the first thermal expansion layer 12 may be further formed in a region where the first convex portion 11a is not formed (the third region 10C shown in fig. 1).

The first thermal expansion layer 12 may have a thickness at least enough to deform the base material 11 into a desired shape. Therefore, the first thermal expansion layer 12 can be formed as a layer having the same thickness as or thinner than the substrate 11. As a result, the material used to form the first thermal expansion layer 12 can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved. However, for example, in the case where the base material 11 is a material that is difficult to deform, and it is necessary to form the first thermal expansion layer 12 thick, such as to foam the first thermal expansion layer 12 highly according to the shape of the shaped object, the first thermal expansion layer 12 may be formed thicker than the base material 11.

The second thermal expansion layer 13 is provided on the second surface (lower surface in fig. 1) of the substrate 11. The second thermally-expansible layer 13 is also a layer that expands to a size corresponding to the degree of heating, as with the first thermally-expansible layer 12, and a thermally-expansible material is dispersed in an adhesive. The second thermal expansion layer 13 is not limited to one layer, and may have a plurality of layers. The adhesive and the thermally-expansible microcapsules of the second thermally-expansible layer 13 are the same as those described in the first thermally-expansible layer 12. The first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 may be partially or entirely formed of different materials, but if the same material is used, cost reduction is possible, which is preferable.

The second thermal expansion layer 13 is also used to form the second projections 11c on the second surface of the base material 11, similarly to the first thermal expansion layer 12. Therefore, the second thermal expansion layer 13 is provided on the second surface of the base material 11 at least in a region where the second convex portion 11c is formed (the second region 10B shown in fig. 1). The second thermal expansion layer 13 may be formed also in a region where the second projection 11C is not formed (the same region as the third region 10C in the first thermal expansion layer 12). The second thermal expansion layer 13 may have a thickness at least enough to deform the base material 11 into a desired shape. Therefore, the second thermal expansion layer 13 can be formed to be the same as or thinner than the thickness of the substrate 11. However, the second thermal expansion layer 13 may be formed thicker than the substrate 11, as in the first thermal expansion layer 12.

In order to deform the substrate 11 favorably, it is preferable that in a region where the substrate 11 is deformed using one of the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13, the deformation of the substrate 11 is not hindered by the other of the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13. Therefore, in the region (the first region 10A shown in fig. 1) of the substrate 11 that is deformed by the first thermal expansion layer 12, the second thermal expansion layer 13 is preferably not provided on the second surface of the substrate 11. Similarly, in the region (the second region 10B shown in fig. 1) of the substrate 11 that is deformed by the second thermally-expansible layer 13, the first thermally-expansible layer 12 is preferably not provided on the first surface of the substrate 11. Therefore, it is preferable that the first region 10A and the second region 10B are provided so as not to overlap. In other words, the first region 10A and the second region 10B are provided so as not to face each other with the substrate 11 interposed therebetween. In a region of the base material 11 that is not deformed by either the first thermal expansion layer 12 or the second thermal expansion layer 13 (for example, the third region 10C shown in fig. 1), at least either the first thermal expansion layer 12 or the second thermal expansion layer 13 may be provided.

(method of producing resin molded sheet 10)

The resin molded sheet 10 of the present embodiment is produced as follows.

First, as shown in fig. 2A, a sheet made of a sheet-like material, for example, inextensible PET, is prepared as the base material 11. The substrate 11 may be in the form of a roll or may be cut in advance.

Next, an ink for forming the first thermally-expansible layer 12 is prepared by mixing a binder made of a thermoplastic resin or the like with a thermally-expansible material (thermally-expansible microcapsules). Using this ink, the ink is placed on the first surface of the base material 11 in a pattern corresponding to the first thermal expansion layer 12 by an arbitrary printing apparatus, for example, a screen printing apparatus. Next, the solvent is evaporated, and as shown in fig. 2B, the first thermal expansion layer 12 is formed. Further, in order to form the first thermal expansion layer 12 having a desired thickness, printing may be performed a plurality of times.

Next, an adhesive made of a thermoplastic resin or the like is mixed with a thermally expandable material to prepare an ink for forming the second thermally expandable layer 13. Using this ink, the ink is placed on the second surface of the base material 11 in a pattern corresponding to the second thermal expansion layer 13 by an arbitrary printing apparatus, for example, a screen printing apparatus. Next, the solvent is evaporated, and as shown in fig. 2C, the second thermal expansion layer 13 is formed. In order to form the second thermal expansion layer 13 having a desired thickness, printing may be performed a plurality of times. In addition, the second thermal expansion layer 13 may be formed using the same ink as that used to form the first thermal expansion layer 12. When the roll-shaped base material 11 is used, cutting is performed if necessary.

Thereby, the resin molded sheet 10 is manufactured.

(Molding 41)

Next, the shaped object 41 will be described with reference to the drawings. The shaped article 41 is manufactured by expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 of the resin molded sheet 10.

In the shaped object 41, as shown in fig. 3A, the first thermal expansion layer 12 includes a convex portion 12a on the upper surface, and the second thermal expansion layer 13 includes a convex portion 13A protruding downward as shown in fig. 3A. Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the shaped object 41. The base material 11 has a convex portion 11a on the first surface that deforms so as to follow the expansion of the first thermal expansion layer 12. Similarly, the base material 11 has a convex portion 11c on the second surface that deforms so as to follow the expansion of the second thermal expansion layer 13. The base material 11 has a concave portion 11b having a shape corresponding to the first convex portion 11a and a concave portion 11d having a shape corresponding to the second convex portion 11 c.

The first convex portion 11a and the convex portion 12a of the first thermal expansion layer 12 protrude from the surrounding area on the first surface of the base material 11. Similarly, the second convex portion 11c and the convex portion 13a of the second thermal expansion layer 13 protrude from the surrounding area on the second surface of the base material 11. Further, a first electromagnetic wave thermal conversion layer (hereinafter, referred to as a thermal conversion layer) 81 for expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12 is provided on the convex portion 12 a. A second electromagnetic wave thermal conversion layer (hereinafter, referred to as a thermal conversion layer) 82 for expanding the second thermal expansion layer 13 is also provided on the projection 13 a.

In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 generate heat by irradiating the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 with electromagnetic waves. Examples of the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material include an infrared absorber such as cesium tungsten oxide or lanthanum hexaboride, and carbon black. The first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 are also referred to as heat-charged layers because they are charged with heat by irradiation of electromagnetic waves. Heat generated by the first heat conversion layer 81 provided in the resin molded sheet 10 is transferred to the base material 11, and the base material 11 is softened. Further, heat generated in the first heat conversion layer 81 is transferred to the first thermal expansion layer 12, whereby the thermal expansion material in the first thermal expansion layer 12 foams, and as a result, the first thermal expansion layer 12 expands. The first heat conversion layer 81 converts electromagnetic waves into heat more rapidly than other regions where the first heat conversion layer 81 is not provided. Therefore, only the region in the vicinity of the first heat conversion layer 81 can be selectively heated, and only a specific region of the first thermal expansion layer 12 can be selectively expanded. The base material 11 is deformed so as to follow the expansion direction of the first thermal expansion layer 12 when the first thermal expansion layer 12 is foamed and expanded, and maintains the shape after the deformation. Similarly, the second heat conversion layer 82 can selectively expand a specific region of the second thermal expansion layer 13 by heat generated in the second heat conversion layer 82. Thereby, the base material 11 is deformed so as to follow the expansion direction of the second thermal expansion layer 13.

The first thermal expansion layer 12 expands to form the convex portion 12a shown in fig. 3A in the first thermal expansion layer 12. When the convex portion 12a is formed, the force of expansion of the first thermal expansion layer 12 acts in the direction opposite to the substrate 11 (upward in fig. 3A). The base material 11 is pulled by the force of the expansion and deformed in the upward direction shown in fig. 3A. Then, a first convex portion 11a is formed on the upper surface of the base material 11 so as to protrude from the surrounding area. Further, on the back surface of the base material 11, a first concave portion 11b is formed corresponding to the shape of the first convex portion 11a formed on the front surface. The shape of the first concave portion 11b is substantially the same as the shape of the first convex portion 11a, and is a shape obtained by reducing the thickness of the base material 11 by the first convex portion 11 a. In the present specification, the shapes of the convex portions 12a of the first thermal expansion layer 12, the first convex portions 11a and the first concave portions 11b of the substrate 11 are expressed as embossed shapes.

Similarly, the second thermal expansion layer 13 expands, whereby the convex portion 13A shown in fig. 3A is formed on the second thermal expansion layer 13. When the convex portion 13A is formed, the force of expansion of the second thermally-expansible layer 13 acts in the direction opposite to the substrate 11 (downward direction in fig. 3A), and therefore the substrate 11 deforms downward in fig. 3A. A second convex portion 11c is formed on the lower surface of the base material 11 so as to protrude from the surrounding area. Further, a second concave portion 11d corresponding to the shape of the second convex portion 11c formed on the lower surface is formed on the surface of the base material 11. The shape of the second concave portion 11d is substantially the same as the shape of the second convex portion 11 c. The shapes of the convex portions 13a of the second thermal expansion layer 13, the second convex portions 11c and the second concave portions 11d of the substrate 11 also exhibit an embossed shape.

In the resin molded sheet 10 of the present embodiment, the base material 11 is deformed by the first thermally-expansible layer 12 in particular, and therefore, as shown in fig. 3B, the amount of deformation Δ h1 of the base material 11 may be made larger than the foaming height Δ h2 of the first thermally-expansible layer 12. The deformation amount Δ h1 is the height of the first convex portion 11a relative to the surface of the non-deformed region of the base material 11. The foaming height (difference) Δ h2 of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 is obtained by subtracting the height of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 before expansion from the height of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 after expansion. The difference Δ h2 can also be said to be an increase in height of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 due to expansion of the thermally-expansible material. The same applies to the amount of deformation of the substrate 11 formed using the second thermal expansion layer 13.

For example, the shaped object 41 is used as a lamp cover or the like. In this case, the shaped object 41 may be provided with a color ink layer (not shown) on at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the shaped object 41. The color ink layer is formed of an ink used in any printing apparatus such as offset printing and flexographic printing. The color ink layer may be formed of any one of aqueous ink, oil-based ink, ultraviolet-curable ink, and the like. The color ink layer is a layer for expressing an arbitrary image such as a character, a numeral, a photograph, and a pattern. In particular, when a color ink layer is formed by a water-based ink-jet printer, for example, it is preferable to form the color ink layer by providing an ink containing layer (not shown) containing ink on a resin molded sheet. The shaped object 41 is not limited to the lamp cover, and any object may be used.

(method of manufacturing the shaped object 41)

Next, a flow of a method for manufacturing the shaped object 41 using the resin molded sheet 10 will be described with reference to fig. 4, 5, and 6A to 6C. In the following method for manufacturing shaped object 41, a single sheet will be described as an example, but resin-molded sheet 10 wound into a roll shape may be used.

First, fig. 4 shows an expansion device 50 for expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13. The expansion device 50 includes an irradiation unit 51, a reflection plate 52, a temperature sensor 53, a cooling unit 54, and a housing 55, and the irradiation unit 51, the reflection plate 52, the temperature sensor 53, and the cooling unit 54 are housed in the housing 55. The resin molded sheet 10 is conveyed below the expansion device 50.

The irradiation unit 51 includes a lamp heater such as a halogen lamp, and irradiates the resin molded sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves (light) in a near-infrared region (wavelength of 750 to 1400nm), a visible light region (wavelength of 380 to 750nm), or a mid-infrared region (wavelength of 1400 to 4000 nm). When the resin molded sheet 10 on which the heat conversion layer formed of the foamed ink containing the heat conversion material is printed is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave is converted into heat more efficiently at the portion on which the heat conversion layer is printed than at the portion on which the heat conversion layer is not printed. Therefore, the portion of the resin molded sheet 10 on which the heat conversion layer is printed is mainly heated, and when the temperature reaches the expansion start temperature, the heat expandable material expands. The irradiation unit 51 is not limited to a halogen lamp, and may have another structure as long as it can irradiate electromagnetic waves. The wavelength of the electromagnetic wave is not limited to the above range.

The reflector 52 is an irradiated object that receives the electromagnetic wave irradiated from the irradiation unit 51, and is a mechanism that reflects the electromagnetic wave irradiated from the lamp heater toward the resin-molded sheet 10.

The temperature sensor 53 is a thermocouple, a thermistor, or the like, and functions as a measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the reflector 52. By measuring the temperature of the reflector 52, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave irradiated by the irradiation unit 51, that is, the magnitude of the energy of the electromagnetic wave can be used as an index.

The cooling portion 54 is provided on the upper side of the reflection plate 52. The cooling unit 54 includes at least one air supply fan, and functions as a cooling unit that cools the inside of the expansion device 50.

In the expansion device 50, the resin-molded sheet 10 is conveyed by a conveying roller or the like, not shown, and receives the electromagnetic wave irradiated by the irradiation section 51. As a result, the first heat conversion layer 81 and/or the second heat conversion layer 82 provided in the resin molded sheet 10 carry heat. By this heat, the first thermal expansion layer 12 and/or the second thermal expansion layer 13 expand, and the substrate 11 deforms.

In the method for producing a shaped object according to the present embodiment, the amount of expansion of the thermally expandable material is controlled by controlling the shading of the shading image (first foaming data and second foaming data), controlling the electromagnetic wave, and the like, and the height of the ridges of the first thermally expandable layer 12 and the second thermally expandable layer 13 is controlled, whereby a desired convex or concave-convex shape can be formed on the surface of the resin molded sheet 10. The electromagnetic wave control means controlling the amount of energy received per unit area of the resin molded sheet 10 so as to expand the resin molded sheet 10 to a desired height when the resin molded sheet 10 is expanded by irradiating the electromagnetic wave to the expansion device 50.

(method of manufacturing the shaped object 41)

Next, a flow of a process (shaped object manufacturing process) of manufacturing the shaped object 41 by molding the resin molded sheet 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in fig. 5 and the cross-sectional views of the resin molded sheet 10 shown in fig. 6A to 6C.

First, a resin-molded sheet 10 is prepared. First foaming data (data for forming the first heat conversion layer 81) indicating a portion foamed and expanded on the surface of the resin molded sheet 10 and second foaming data (data for forming the second heat conversion layer 82) indicating a portion foamed and expanded on the back surface of the resin molded sheet 10 are determined in advance. The resin molded sheet 10 is conveyed to a printing device (not shown), and the first heat conversion layer 81 is printed on the surface of the resin molded sheet 10 (step S1). The first heat conversion layer 81 is a layer formed of an ink containing an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material, for example, a foamed ink containing carbon black. The printing apparatus prints foaming ink containing a heat conversion material on the surface of the resin molded sheet 10 in accordance with the specified first foaming data. As a result, as shown in fig. 6A, the first heat conversion layer 81 is formed on the surface of the resin molded sheet 10.

Second, the resin molded sheet 10 is conveyed to a printing device (not shown), and the second heat conversion layer 82 is printed on the back surface of the resin molded sheet 10 (step S2). The second heat conversion layer 82 is a layer formed of an ink containing an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material, for example, a foamed ink containing carbon black. The printing apparatus prints the foaming ink containing the heat conversion material on the back surface of the resin molded sheet 10 in accordance with the specified second foaming data. As a result, as shown in fig. 6B, the second heat conversion layer 82 is formed on the back surface of the resin molded sheet 10. Step S1 and step S2 may be performed in the reverse order.

Third, the resin molded sheet 10 on which the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 are printed is conveyed to the expansion device 50. In the inflation device 50, the irradiation unit 51 irradiates the resin-molded sheet 10 to be conveyed with electromagnetic waves (step S3). Specifically, in the expansion device 50, the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the surface (first surface) of the resin molded sheet 10 by the irradiation unit 51. The heat conversion material contained in the first heat conversion layer 81 printed on the surface of the resin molded sheet 10 generates heat by absorbing the irradiated electromagnetic wave. As a result, the first heat conversion layer 81 generates heat, and the substrate 11 is softened. Further, the heat generated in the first heat conversion layer 81 is transferred to the first thermal expansion layer 12, and the thermal expansion material foams and expands. As a result, as shown in fig. 6C, the region of the first thermal expansion layer 12 of the resin molded sheet 10 on which the first heat conversion layer 81 is printed expands and bulges. The substrate 11 softened by the heat from the first heat conversion layer 81 is pulled by the expansion force of the first thermal expansion layer 12 to be deformed.

Similarly, the electromagnetic wave irradiated by the irradiation portion 51 is also absorbed by the heat conversion material included in the second heat conversion layer 82 via the base material 11. Thereby, the second heat conversion layer 82 generates heat, and the substrate 11 is softened. Further, the region of the second thermal expansion layer 13 on which the second heat conversion layer 82 is printed expands and bulges due to the heat generated in the second heat conversion layer 82. As a result, as shown in fig. 6C, the base material 11 softened by the heat from the second heat conversion layer 82 is pulled by the expansion force of the second thermal expansion layer 13 and deformed. As described above, the irradiation section 51 irradiates electromagnetic waves from one surface of the resin molded sheet 10, whereby the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 can be expanded simultaneously. In this case, the substrate 11 is preferably transparent in order to transmit the electromagnetic wave to the second surface of the substrate 11 well. The electromagnetic wave may be irradiated to the back surface of the resin-molded sheet 10. In this case, the electromagnetic wave is absorbed by the heat conversion material contained in the second heat conversion layer 82, and is absorbed by the heat conversion material contained in the first heat conversion layer 81 through the substrate 11.

Through the above steps, the base material 11 of the resin molded sheet 10 is deformed to produce the shaped object 41.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 are formed by printing, and the resin molded sheet 10 can be easily deformed into a desired shape by irradiating these heat conversion layers with electromagnetic waves. In particular, since the base material 11 can be deformed by expanding the first thermally-expansible layer 12 and the second thermally-expansible layer 13, a die or the like for molding is not required, and the time and cost required for molding the resin-molded sheet 10 can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, by using the shade control of the first heat conversion layer 81 (first foaming data) and the second heat conversion layer 82 (second foaming data), the control of the electromagnetic wave, and the like, the position, height, and the like of the first heat expansion layer 12 and the second heat expansion layer 13 to be raised can be arbitrarily controlled, and the resin molding sheet 10 can be easily molded to form a molded object.

Further, by foaming and expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 at the same time, the first surface and the second surface of the base material 11 can be molded at the same time, and molding can be performed more easily. In particular, if a transparent resin sheet is selected as the base material 11, the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 can be expanded by irradiation of electromagnetic waves from either surface of the resin molded sheet 10.

< embodiment 2 >

Hereinafter, a resin molded sheet, a method for producing a resin molded sheet, a shaped object, and a method for producing a shaped object according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to the drawings. The resin molded sheet 20 of the present embodiment is different from the resin molded sheet 10 of embodiment 1 in that a first intermediate layer 21 is provided between the base material 11 and the first thermal expansion layer 12, and a second intermediate layer 22 is provided between the base material 11 and the second thermal expansion layer 13. Features common to embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

(resin molded sheet 20)

As shown in fig. 7, the resin molded sheet 20 includes a base material 11, a first intermediate layer 21, a first thermally-expansible layer 12, a second intermediate layer 22, and a second thermally-expansible layer 13. The base material 11, the first thermally-expansible layer 12, and the second thermally-expansible layer 13 are the same as the base material 11, the first thermally-expansible layer 12, and the second thermally-expansible layer 13 of the resin-molded sheet 10 according to embodiment 1.

The first intermediate layer 21 is provided on the first face (upper face shown in fig. 7) of the substrate 11. The first intermediate layer 21 is bonded to the base material 11 so as to be peelable. In addition, the first thermal expansion layer 12 is provided on the first intermediate layer 21. In the present embodiment, the first intermediate layer 21 is provided between the substrate 11 and the first thermally-expansible layer 12, and the first intermediate layer 21 is peeled from the substrate 11 by making the peel strength between the first intermediate layer 21 and the substrate 11 weaker than the peel strength between the first intermediate layer 21 and the first thermally-expansible layer 12, whereby the first thermally-expansible layer 12 can be removed from the substrate 11.

The first intermediate layer 21 is provided under a part or all of the first thermal expansion layer 12. The first intermediate layer 21 may be provided so as to cover the entire first surface of the substrate 11 as shown in fig. 7, or may be provided in a portion of the first surface of the substrate 11 where the first thermally-expansible layer 12 is peeled off after expansion, so that only a part of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 is removed.

The peel strength of the first intermediate layer 21 is required to prevent the first thermally-expansible layer 12 from peeling off from the resin molded sheet 20 at least within a normal range of use before the first thermally-expansible layer 12 expands. The normal range of use includes, for example, a normal operation performed by a user such as conveying the resin molded sheet 20, a usage form normally assumed in the resin molded sheet 20 such as printing the resin molded sheet 20 and expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12.

The first intermediate layer 21 preferably has a fracture strength to such an extent that the first thermal expansion layer 12 is not fractured therein when peeled off. As such a first intermediate layer 21, a resin film having an adhesive layer provided on one surface can be given. As the adhesive layer, a thermosetting adhesive can be used. As the thermosetting adhesive, for example, an adhesive of vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer resin is preferably used. The solvent for the adhesive may be any of water and solvents. As the adhesive layer, a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a low adhesive strength such as an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive or a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive may be used. The resin film is made of a resin selected from, for example, polyester, polyethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene terephthalate, or a copolymer thereof. The surface of the resin film on which the adhesive layer is provided is opposed to the substrate 11, and the first intermediate layer 21 is bonded to the substrate 11 so as to be peelable via the adhesive layer. As the first intermediate layer 21, a film made of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer can be used. For example, the first intermediate layer 21 has a film thickness of 12 to 15 μm and the adhesive layer has a thickness of 2 μm. Further, as the peel strength of the adhesive layer, when measured by a 180 ° peel strength test, if it is 0.06N/20mm or more, it is possible to substantially prevent the first intermediate layer 21 from peeling off from the substrate 11 due to a general action of a user. In order to satisfactorily peel the first intermediate layer 21 from the substrate 11, the peel strength of the adhesive layer is preferably 0.5N/20mm or less, more preferably 0.4N/20mm or less, when measured by a 180 DEG peel strength test.

In addition, the first intermediate layer 21 is not limited to the structure having the adhesive layer and the film. The intermediate layer may be formed using a resin selected from, for example, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) resin, a polyester resin, a polyurethane resin, an acrylic resin, and the like, as long as the peel strength between the first intermediate layer 21 and the substrate 11 is weaker than the peel strength between the first intermediate layer 21 and the first thermally-expansible layer 12. An example of such a resin is NS625 manufactured by kokusu oil & fat company.

The first thermal expansion layer 12 is provided on the first surface of the substrate 11, and at least a part of the first thermal expansion layer 12 is provided on the first intermediate layer 21. The first thermally-expansible layer 12 is a layer that expands to a size corresponding to the degree of heating, and a thermally-expansible material is dispersed and arranged in an adhesive, similarly to the first thermally-expansible layer 12 described in embodiment 1. The materials of the thermally expandable material and the adhesive are the same as those of embodiment 1.

The second intermediate layer 22 is provided on the second face (lower face shown in fig. 7) of the substrate 11. The second intermediate layer 22 is releasably adhered to the substrate 11. Further, the second thermal expansion layer 13 is provided on the second intermediate layer 22. Similarly to the first intermediate layer 21, the second intermediate layer 22 can be peeled and removed from the substrate 11 by making the peel strength between the second intermediate layer 22 and the substrate 11 weaker than the peel strength between the second intermediate layer 22 and the second thermally-expansible layer 13. The second intermediate layer 22 may be provided so as to cover the entire second surface of the substrate 11, or may be provided so as to partially cover the second surface. In this case, in order to remove the second thermally-expansible layer 13, the second intermediate layer 22 may be provided at least in a region where the second thermally-expansible layer 13 is provided.

The peel strength of the second intermediate layer 22 is required to be not peeled at least within a normal use range, as in the case of the first intermediate layer 21. The second intermediate layer 22 preferably has a breaking strength to such an extent that the second thermal expansion layer 13 does not break therein when peeled off. As the second intermediate layer 22, a resin film having an adhesive layer provided on one surface, similar to the first intermediate layer 21, can be used. Similarly to the first intermediate layer 21, the second intermediate layer 22 may be formed using a resin selected from a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) resin, a polyester resin, a polyurethane resin, an acrylic resin, and the like.

The second thermal expansion layer 13 is provided on the second intermediate layer 22. The second thermally-expansible layer 13 is a layer that expands to a size corresponding to the degree of heating (for example, heating temperature and heating time) similarly to the second thermally-expansible layer 13 described in embodiment 1, and a thermally-expansible material is dispersed and arranged in an adhesive. The materials of the thermally expandable material and the adhesive are the same as those of embodiment 1.

In the present embodiment, the first region 10A and the second region 10B are preferably provided so as not to overlap each other. In addition, in the substrate 11, at least either one of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 and the second thermally-expansible layer 13 may be provided in a region (for example, the third region 10C shown in fig. 7) that is not deformed by either one of the first thermally-expansible layer 12 and the second thermally-expansible layer 13.

(method of producing resin molded sheet 20)

The resin molded sheet 20 of the present embodiment is produced as follows.

First, as shown in fig. 8A, a sheet-like material, for example, a sheet made of inextensible PET, is prepared as the base material 11. The substrate 11 may be in the form of a roll or may be cut in advance.

Next, the first intermediate layer 21 is attached to the first surface of the substrate 11 by a laminating apparatus including an input roller, a heating roller, a roller, and an output roller. As the first intermediate layer 21, a resin film having an adhesive layer provided on a surface facing the substrate 11 is used. As the adhesive layer, a thermosetting adhesive is preferably used, and for example, a vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer resin is preferably used. As the adhesive layer, a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a low adhesive strength such as an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive or a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive may be used. For example, the base material 11 is placed at a take-out position of the laminating apparatus in a wound state. The substrate 11 is further conveyed toward the heating roller and the rollers through between the pair of input rollers. The film serving as the first intermediate layer 21 is supplied to the heating roller. The film is heated by a heating roller, and when passing between the heating roller and the roller, is pressed and bonded to the base material 11 so as to be peelable. After the film is adhered, the base material 11 passes between a pair of delivery rollers, is carried out, and is wound up.

Next, a second intermediate layer 22 was provided on the second surface of the substrate 11 in the same manner as the first intermediate layer 21. Alternatively, the film may be supplied to the first surface and the second surface of the substrate 11, and the first intermediate layer 21 and the second intermediate layer 22 may be provided on the substrate 11 at the same time. Thereby, as shown in fig. 8B, the first intermediate layer 21 and the second intermediate layer 22 are stuck on the substrate 11.

Next, similarly to embodiment 1, ink for forming the first thermal expansion layer 12 is prepared, and the first thermal expansion layer 12 is formed as shown in fig. 8C by using an arbitrary printing apparatus such as a screen printing apparatus. Next, similarly to embodiment 1, an ink for forming the second thermal expansion layer 13 is prepared, and the second thermal expansion layer 13 is formed as shown in fig. 8D. When the roll-shaped base material 11 is used, cutting is performed if necessary. Thereby, the resin molded sheet 20 is manufactured.

(Molding 42)

Next, the shaped object 42 will be described with reference to the drawings. The shaped article 42 is obtained by expanding the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 of the resin molded sheet 20, deforming the base material 11, and then removing the first intermediate layer 21, the first thermal expansion layer 12, and the second intermediate layer 22, the second thermal expansion layer 13.

First, fig. 9A shows the resin-molded sheet 20 in a state where the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 are expanded, and fig. 9B shows the shaped object 43. In the resin molded sheet 20 obtained by expanding the first thermally-expansible layer 12 and the second thermally-expansible layer 13, as shown in fig. 9A, the first thermally-expansible layer 12 includes the convex portions 12 a. The second thermal expansion layer 13 also includes projections 13 a. The base material 11 deforms following the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13, and includes the same projections 11a and 11c as in embodiment 1. Further, the first heat conversion layer 81 is provided on the projection 12a, and the second heat conversion layer 82 is provided on the projection 13 a.

As shown in fig. 9B, the shaped object 42 from which the first thermal expansion layer 12, the second thermal expansion layer 13, and the like have been removed includes the convex portions 11a on the first surface, and the concave portions 11B having shapes corresponding to the convex portions 11a on the second surface. The shaped object 42 includes a convex portion 11c on the second surface, and a concave portion 11d having a shape corresponding to the convex portion 11c on the first surface. In the shaped object 42, as in embodiment 1, the shapes of the convex portions 11a and 11c and the concave portions 11b and 11d can be changed arbitrarily, and the method of use is also arbitrary. In addition, the shaped object 42 may be provided with a color ink layer (not shown) on at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the shaped object 42.

(method of manufacturing the shaped object 42)

Next, a flow of a process (shaped object manufacturing process) for obtaining a shaped object 42 using the resin molded sheet 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in fig. 10 and the cross-sectional views of the resin molded sheet 20 shown in fig. 11A to 11D.

First, as in embodiment 1, as shown in fig. 11A, the first heat conversion layer 81 is printed on the first thermal expansion layer 12 provided on the first surface of the resin molded sheet 20 (step S21). Second, as in embodiment 1, as shown in fig. 11B, the second heat conversion layer 82 is formed on the second thermal expansion layer 13 provided on the second surface of the resin molded sheet 20 (step S22).

Third, the resin-molded sheet 20 is conveyed to the expansion device 50 with the first surface facing upward, and the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the resin-molded sheet 20 by the irradiation unit 51 (step S23). As a result, the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 generate heat, and the substrate 11 is softened. Further, the heat generated in the first heat conversion layer 81 is transferred to the first thermal expansion layer 12, and the thermal expansion material foams and expands. As shown in fig. 11C, the substrate 11 softened by the heat from the first heat conversion layer 81 is pulled by the force of expansion of the first thermal expansion layer 12 and deformed. Similarly, the second thermal expansion layer 13 foams and expands due to the heat generated in the second thermal conversion layer 82, and the substrate 11 deforms.

Fourth, the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 are peeled and removed from the substrate 11 (step S24). Specifically, at the end of the resin molded sheet 20, a part of the first intermediate layer 21 is peeled from the substrate 11, and the first intermediate layer 21 and the first thermal expansion layer 12 provided thereon are peeled from the substrate 11 while being pulled. The peeling may be performed manually, or may be performed by using an instrument, a machine, or the like. As a result, as shown in fig. 11D, the first intermediate layer 21 and the first thermal expansion layer 12 are peeled off. Similarly, the second intermediate layer 22 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 are peeled off and removed from the second surface of the substrate 11.

Through the above procedure, the base material 11 of the resin molded sheet 20 is molded, and the shaped object 42 is manufactured.

In this way, according to the present embodiment, the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 are formed by printing, and the resin molding sheet 20 can be easily deformed into a desired shape by irradiating these heat conversion layers with electromagnetic waves.

The first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 have lower visible light transmittance than the transparent or translucent base material 11, and particularly, the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 have lower visible light transmittance at the portions that expand. Therefore, if the thermal expansion layer is present on the transparent or translucent substrate 11, the visible light transmittance is reduced by the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13. However, in the present embodiment, since the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 can be removed, the light transmittance of the substrate 11 is not impaired by the thermal expansion layers. Therefore, the method is particularly suitable for forming transparent or translucent substrates.

In embodiment 2 described above, an example of a structure in which an intermediate layer is provided on both the first surface and the second surface of the substrate 11 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a structure in which an intermediate layer is provided on either surface and a thermally-expansible layer provided on one surface is peeled off may be employed. In this case, the thermal expansion layer provided on the other surface is not removed, and therefore remains after the molding of the base material 11 as in embodiment 1.

In embodiment 2, the structure in which the thermal expansion layer is removed by providing an intermediate layer between the thermal expansion layer and the base material has been described by way of example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the thermal expansion layer itself may be pulled and peeled from the base material 11 by using a thermoplastic elastomer as the adhesive contained in the thermal expansion layer (the first thermal expansion layer 12, the second thermal expansion layer 13). Such thermoplastic elastomers are not limited to these, and examples thereof include polyvinyl chloride, Ethylene Propylene Rubber (EPR), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), styrene-based thermoplastic elastomers, olefin-based thermoplastic elastomers, polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomers, polyester-based thermoplastic elastomers, and the like. The use of styrenic elastomers is suitable.

In addition, when the thermal expansion layer is peeled off after the deformation of the substrate 11, it is required that the thermal expansion layer is not broken at the time of peeling. Further, if the thermal expansion layer is peeled off from the substrate 11 when the thermal expansion layer is expanded, the substrate 11 may not be deformed satisfactorily. Therefore, the adhesion between the thermal expansion layer and the base material needs to be higher than the extent to which the base material 11 can deform following the thermal expansion layer. The thermal expansion layer has a breaking strength greater than the peel strength between the thermal expansion layer and the substrate, preferably 2 times or more.

< embodiment 3 >

Next, a resin molded sheet 30 according to embodiment 3 will be described with reference to fig. 12A and 12B. In the present embodiment, the thermal expansion layer is mixed with a thermal conversion material. The portions overlapping with the above embodiments are not described in detail.

(resin molded sheet 30)

As shown in fig. 12A, the resin molded sheet 30 includes a base material 11, a first thermally-expansible layer 31, and a second thermally-expansible layer 32. The substrate 11 is the same as embodiment 1.

The first thermally-expansible layer 31 is a layer that expands to a size corresponding to the degree of heating, and a thermally-expansible material is dispersed and arranged in an adhesive, as in embodiment 1. The materials of the thermally expandable material and the adhesive are the same as those of embodiment 1. The present embodiment has a feature of including a heat conversion material in addition to the adhesive and the thermal expansion material.

The heat conversion material may be any material as long as it can convert electromagnetic waves into heat. Examples of the heat conversion material include carbon and an inorganic infrared absorber. In the expansion device 50 of the present embodiment, since a halogen lamp is used, a material having a high absorption rate (low transmittance) in the near infrared region is particularly preferable. Further, since a material which does not exhibit a strong color (japanese character: color and smell) when mixed in the thermal expansion layer is preferable, a material having a high transmittance in the visible light region is preferable. As such a thermal conversion material, lanthanum hexaboride (LaB) is preferable₆) Or cesium tungsten oxide. In addition, the heat conversion material may be used alone, or two or more different materials may be used in combination.

The first thermal expansion layer 31 is provided on the first surface of the base material 11 in the same manner as the first thermal expansion layer 12 of embodiment 1. The first thermal expansion layer 31 is used to form the first convex portion 11a on the first surface of the base material 11. Therefore, the first thermal expansion layer 31 is provided in the region (first region 10A) where the first convex portion 11a is formed in the base material 11.

The second thermal expansion layer 32 is a layer that expands to a size corresponding to the degree of heating, and is formed by dispersing a thermal expansion material in an adhesive, as in the first thermal expansion layer 31. In the present embodiment, the second thermal expansion layer 32 further contains the thermal conversion material described above.

The second thermal expansion layer 32 is disposed on the second surface of the substrate 11. The second thermal expansion layer 32 is used to form the second convex portion 11c on the second surface of the base material 11. Therefore, the second thermal expansion layer 32 is provided in the region (second region 10B) where the second projection 11c is formed in the base material 11.

In the present embodiment, the first region 10A and the second region 10B are preferably arranged so as not to overlap, in other words, the first region 10A and the second region 10B are preferably arranged so as not to face each other with the substrate 11 interposed therebetween.

(method of producing resin molded sheet 30)

The resin molded sheet 30 of the present embodiment is produced as follows.

First, as in embodiment 1, a sheet material, for example, a sheet of inextensible PET, is prepared as the base material 11. The substrate 11 may be in the form of a roll or may be cut in advance.

Next, an ink for forming the first thermally-expansible layer 31 is prepared by mixing a binder made of a thermoplastic resin or the like with a thermally-expansible material. At this time, the thermal conversion material is also mixed in the ink. Using this ink, the ink is placed on the first surface of the base material 11 in a pattern corresponding to the first thermal expansion layer 31 by an arbitrary printing apparatus, for example, a screen printing apparatus. Subsequently, the solvent is evaporated to form the first thermal expansion layer 31. In addition, in order to form the first thermal expansion layer 31 having a desired thickness, printing may be performed a plurality of times.

Next, an adhesive made of a thermoplastic resin or the like, a thermally expandable material, and a thermal conversion material are mixed to prepare an ink for forming the second thermally expandable layer 32. The second thermal expansion layer 32 is formed by any printing apparatus, for example, a screen printing apparatus, using the ink. In addition, the second thermal expansion layer 32 may also be formed using the same ink as that used to form the first thermal expansion layer 31. In addition, cutting is performed if necessary.

Thereby, the resin molded sheet 30 is manufactured.

(Molding 43)

Next, the shaped object 43 will be described with reference to the drawings. The shaped object 43 is produced by expanding the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer 32, as in embodiment 1. In the shaped object 43, as shown in fig. 12B, the first thermal expansion layer 31 has the convex portion 31a on the upper surface, and the second thermal expansion layer 32 has the convex portion 32a protruding downward as shown in fig. 12B. The base material 11 has a convex portion 11a on the first surface that deforms so as to follow the expansion of the first thermal expansion layer 31. Similarly, the base material 11 has a convex portion 11c on the second surface that deforms so as to follow the expansion of the second thermal expansion layer 32. The base material 11 has a concave portion 11b having a shape corresponding to the first convex portion 11a and a concave portion 11d having a shape corresponding to the second convex portion 11 c. In the present embodiment, since the heat conversion material is contained in the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer 32, the shaped object 43 does not include a heat conversion layer.

In the shaped object 43 of the present embodiment, the amount of deformation of the base material 11 may be larger than the foaming height of the first thermal expansion layer 31, as in embodiment 1. The same applies to the second thermal expansion layer 32. The application of the shaped object 43 is also optional as in embodiment 1, and the shaped object 43 may be provided with a color ink layer not shown.

(method of manufacturing the shaped object 43)

In the present embodiment, since the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer also function as heat transfer layers, step S1 and step S2 in the flowchart (fig. 5) of embodiment 1 can be omitted, and the shaped object 43 can be produced by only performing step S3.

Specifically, the resin molded sheet 30 is conveyed toward the expansion device 50 with its surface facing upward. In the expansion device 50, the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the resin-molded sheet 30 to be conveyed by the irradiation unit 51. As a result, the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer 32 generate heat, and the base material 11 is softened. Further, the heat generated in the first thermally-expansible layer 31 causes the thermally-expansible material to foam and expand. As a result, the region of the resin molded sheet 30 where the first thermal expansion layer 31 is provided expands and swells. As shown in fig. 12B, the base material 11 softened by the heat from the first thermal expansion layer 31 is pulled by the force of expansion of the first thermal expansion layer 31 and deformed. Similarly, in the second thermally-expansible layer 32, the base material 11 is softened by heat generated in the second thermally-expansible layer 32, and the thermally-expansible material is foamed and expanded. This allows the base material to be deformed so as to be pulled by the force of expansion of the second thermal expansion layer 32.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the resin molded sheet 30 can be easily molded into a desired shape as in embodiment 1. In particular, in the present embodiment, the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer 32 contain the thermal conversion material, so that the step of forming the thermal conversion layer can be omitted, and the resin molding sheet 30 can be more easily molded into a desired shape.

In this embodiment, the features of embodiment 2 may be combined so that at least one of the first thermally-expansible layer 31 and the second thermally-expansible layer 32 can be peeled off from the substrate 11. For example, as shown in fig. 13A, the resin molded sheet 34 includes the first intermediate layer 21 between the substrate 11 and the first thermally-expansible layer 31, and includes the second intermediate layer 22 between the substrate 11 and the second thermally-expansible layer 32. Next, in this resin molding sheet 34, the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer 32 are expanded in the same manner as in embodiment 3, and the base material 11 is molded. After the molding, the first intermediate layer 21 and the second intermediate layer 22 are peeled off from the substrate 11, and the first thermal expansion layer 31 and the second thermal expansion layer 32 are removed from the substrate 11, whereby the shaped object 44 can be obtained.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications can be made.

For example, in embodiment 1 described above, an example of a structure in which the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 are simultaneously expanded is given, but the present invention is not limited to this. One of the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 may be expanded first and the other may be expanded later. For example, the first thermal expansion layer 12 may be expanded using the expansion device 50 shown in fig. 4 to form the convex portions 11a on the first surface of the base material 11, and then the second thermal expansion layer 13 may be expanded to form the convex portions 11c on the second surface of the base material 11. The same applies to embodiment 2 and embodiment 3. In this case, in embodiment 2, the step of peeling off the intermediate layer (step S24) may be performed after the first thermally-expansible layer 12 and the second thermally-expansible layer 13 are expanded, or may be performed after one thermally-expansible layer is expanded, step S24 may be performed, and after the other thermally-expansible layer is expanded, step S24 may be performed again.

In embodiment 1, the expansion device 50 is configured to irradiate electromagnetic waves from one surface of the resin molded sheet 10, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the expansion device 50 may further include another irradiation unit 51 to irradiate electromagnetic waves from the other surface (from the lower side shown in fig. 4) of the resin molded sheet 10. In this configuration, the electromagnetic waves are irradiated from the irradiation portions to the first surface and the second surface of the resin-molded sheet 10, and the electromagnetic waves can be simultaneously irradiated. This allows the first thermal expansion layer 12 and the second thermal expansion layer 13 to expand together. The same applies to embodiment 2 and embodiment 3.

In embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 described above, an example of a structure in which the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 are formed in the method of manufacturing a shaped object is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the step of forming the first heat conversion layer 81 and the second heat conversion layer 82 may be performed in a method of manufacturing a resin molded sheet. In this case, for example, the resin molded sheet 10 of embodiment 1 further includes a first heat conversion layer 81 and a second heat conversion layer 82.

In the above-described embodiment, an example of a structure in which the heat conversion layer is printed by a printing apparatus and the thermal expansion layer is expanded by the expansion apparatus 50 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a shaped object manufacturing apparatus in which a printing apparatus, an expansion apparatus, and the like are housed in a frame may be used.

The drawings used in the embodiments are for explanation of the embodiments. Therefore, it is not intended to be construed restrictively that the thicknesses of the respective layers of the resin-molded sheet are formed in the illustrated proportions. In the drawings used in the respective embodiments, heat transfer layers and the like provided on the front surface and/or the back surface of the resin molded sheet are also shown with emphasis for explanation. Therefore, the thickness of the heat conversion layer and the like is not to be construed as being limited to the illustrated scale.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.