JP2019130786A - Sheet holding mechanism, expansion device and molding system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sheet holding mechanism which can stably hold a sheet even if a size of a sheet is changed, an expansion device and a molding system.SOLUTION: In a sheet holding mechanism, a support member has two vertical frame portions, which extend in a vertical direction, and two lateral frame portions, which extend in a lateral direction, as a frame part, and supports a peripheral edge part of a sheet having a prescribed size by the frame part in such a manner that the peripheral edge part of the sheet is loaded on the frame part. A first pressing member presses the peripheral edge part of the sheet supported by the support member from above the sheet, and holds the peripheral edge part of the sheet between itself and the support member. The support member is so configured as to be capable of changing an assembly position of one of two vertical frame portions or one of two lateral frame portions. To the frame portion of which an assembly position is changed, a second pressing member, which holds the peripheral edge part of the sheet between itself and the frame portion, is fitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet holding mechanism, an expansion device, and a modeling system.

  A technique for modeling a modeled object (also referred to as a three-dimensional object or the like) is known. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a method of forming a stereoscopic image that is an image having a three-dimensional spread as a modeled object. More specifically, in the methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a pattern is formed on the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet with a material having excellent light absorption characteristics, and the formed pattern is irradiated with light by irradiation means. To heat. Thereby, the part in which the pattern in the thermally expansible sheet was formed expand | swells, and it rises, and a three-dimensional image is formed.

  Further, Patent Document 3 suppresses the occurrence of distortion of a thermally expandable sheet in an apparatus that expands the thermally expandable sheet by placing a thermally expandable sheet on a stage and moving a light source lamp that is an irradiation means. In order to do this, a technique for holding the thermally expandable sheet by fixing the peripheral edge portion with a fixing member is disclosed.

JP-A 64-28660 JP 2001-150812 A JP 2013-129144 A

  By the way, it is difficult to stably hold a sheet when the size of the sheet is changed in a sheet holding mechanism that generally holds the sheet, not limited to the above-described thermally expandable sheet. There is.

  The present invention is for solving the above-described problems, and even when the size of the sheet is changed, the sheet holding mechanism, the expansion device, and the modeling capable of stably holding the sheet The purpose is to provide a system.

In order to achieve the above object, a sheet holding mechanism according to the first aspect of the present invention includes:
As a frame part, it has two vertical frame parts extending in the vertical direction and two horizontal frame parts extending in the horizontal direction, and the peripheral part of the sheet of a predetermined size is placed on the frame part, A support member that supports the peripheral edge of the sheet with the frame portion;
A first pressing member that presses the periphery of the sheet supported by the support member from above the sheet, and sandwiches the periphery of the sheet with the support member;
With
The support member is configured to be capable of switching an assembly position of one of the two vertical frame portions or one of the two horizontal frame portions,
The frame part to which the assembly position is switched is attached with a second pressing member that sandwiches the peripheral edge of the sheet with the frame part.
It is characterized by that.

In order to achieve the above object, an expansion device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes:
A placement section on which the thermally expandable sheet is placed;
An auxiliary member that presses the second peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion;
A pressing member that presses at least a first peripheral edge portion different from the second peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion;
An irradiating unit that irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placing unit;
A moving unit that expands the thermally expandable sheet by moving the irradiation unit along the thermally expandable sheet placed on the mounting unit;
The position of the auxiliary member on the placement unit is changed according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement unit.
It is characterized by that.

In order to achieve the above object, a modeling system according to the third aspect of the present invention includes:
An expansion device according to the second aspect;
A printing device that prints a conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the thermally expandable sheet, and
The expansion device is configured to irradiate the irradiation unit with electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet on which the conversion layer is printed by the printing device while moving the irradiation unit by the moving unit. Expand the adhesive sheet,
It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, the sheet can be stably held even when the size of the sheet is changed.

It is sectional drawing of the thermally expansible sheet which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the back surface of the thermal expansion sheet of the 1st size which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (B) is a figure which shows the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet of the 2nd size which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing a schematic structure of a modeling system concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the terminal device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the expansion apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the tray in the expansion device concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the state by which the press member was opened in the tray shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows roughly the mounting part with which the tray shown in FIG. 8 was equipped. It is a perspective view of the auxiliary member with which the tray shown in FIG. 8 was equipped. It is a figure which shows the state by which the opening-and-closing part was opened in the auxiliary member shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode that the attachment position of an auxiliary member is changed in the tray shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in which the auxiliary member was attached to the 1st attachment position in the mounting part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in which the 1st size thermally expansible sheet was mounted in the tray shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in which the auxiliary member was attached to the 2nd attachment position in the mounting part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in which the 2nd size thermally expansible sheet was mounted in the tray shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the tray was pulled out from the housing | casing in the expansion | swelling apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state by which the press member was closed in the tray shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the mode of the expansion | swelling process performed in the expansion | swelling apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the manufacturing process of the molded article performed by the modeling system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A)-(e) is a figure which shows a mode that a molded article is manufactured to the thermally expansible sheet | seat shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

<Thermal expansion sheet 10>
In FIG. 1, the cross-sectional structure of the thermally expansible sheet 10 for modeling the modeling thing which concerns on Embodiment 1 is shown. The thermally expandable sheet 10 is a medium on which a modeled object is modeled by expanding a preselected portion by heating. The modeled object is an object having a three-dimensional shape, and is modeled by expanding a part of the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the sheet in a two-dimensional sheet. The modeled object is also referred to as a three-dimensional object or a three-dimensional image. The shape of the modeled object includes simple shapes, geometric shapes, general shapes such as letters.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the thermally expandable sheet 10 includes a base material 11, a thermally expandable layer 12, and an ink receiving layer 13 in this order. In addition, FIG. 1 has shown the cross section of the thermally expansible sheet 10 in the state before a modeling thing is modeled, ie, the state which has not expanded any part.

  The substrate 11 is a sheet-like medium that is the basis of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The substrate 11 is a support that supports the thermal expansion layer 12 and the ink receiving layer 13, and plays a role of maintaining the strength of the thermal expansion sheet 10. As the substrate 11, for example, a general printing paper can be used. Alternatively, the material of the base material 11 may be a synthetic film, a cloth such as canvas, a plastic film such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and is not particularly limited.

  The thermal expansion layer 12 is laminated on the upper side of the base material 11 and is a layer that expands when heated to a predetermined temperature or higher. The thermal expansion layer 12 includes a binder and a thermal expansion agent dispersedly arranged in the binder. The binder is a thermoplastic resin such as a vinyl acetate polymer or an acrylic polymer. Specifically, the thermal expansion agent is a thermally expandable microcapsule having a particle size of about 5 to 50 μm (micropowder) in which a substance having a low boiling point such as propane or butane is encapsulated in an outer shell of a thermoplastic resin. ). When the thermal expansion agent is heated to a temperature of about 80 ° C. to 120 ° C., for example, the contained substance is vaporized, and foamed and expanded by the pressure. Thus, the thermal expansion layer 12 expands according to the amount of heat absorbed. The thermal expansion agent is also called a foaming agent.

  The ink receiving layer 13 is a layer that is laminated on the upper side of the thermal expansion layer 12 to absorb and receive ink. The ink receiving layer 13 receives printing ink used in an ink jet printer, printing toner used in a laser printer, ballpoint pen or fountain pen ink, pencil graphite, and the like. The ink receiving layer 13 is formed of a suitable material for fixing them to the surface. As a material of the ink receiving layer 13, for example, a general-purpose material used for ink jet paper can be used.

  2A and 2B show the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is a surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 on the base material 11 side and corresponds to the back surface of the base material 11. 2A shows the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 whose sheet size is the first size, and FIG. 2B is a thermally expandable sheet whose sheet size is the second size. 10 shows the back surface. As an example, the first size is A3 size, and the second size is A4 size, that is, half the size of the first size.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a plurality of barcodes B are attached to the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 along the peripheral edge thereof. More specifically, the barcode B is provided at the end portion on one side in the longitudinal direction in the first-size thermally expandable sheet 10 shown in FIG. 2A, and is shown in FIG. In the thermally expandable sheet 10 of the 2nd size, it is provided in the edge part of the one side in a transversal direction. The bar code B is an identifier for identifying the thermally expandable sheet 10, and is an identifier indicating that the thermally expandable sheet 10 is a dedicated sheet for modeling a modeled object. The barcode B is read by the expansion device 50 and used to determine whether or not the thermally expandable sheet 10 can be used in the expansion device 50. In addition, the barcode B includes size information indicating whether the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is the first size or the second size, information on the thickness of the thermally expandable sheet 10, the type of the base material 11, and the like. It may be included.

  The modeling system 1 can model a model on such a thermally expandable sheet 10. Carbon molecules are printed on the portion of the front or back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 that is to be expanded. The carbon molecule is a kind of electromagnetic wave heat conversion material (heating agent) that is contained in black (carbon black) or other color ink and absorbs electromagnetic waves and converts them into heat. Carbon molecules generate heat by absorbing electromagnetic waves and thermally vibrating. When the portion on which the carbon molecules are printed in the thermally expandable sheet 10 is heated, the portion of the thermally expandable layer 12 expands to form a bump (bump). By forming a convex or concavo-convex shape by such protrusions (bumps) of the thermal expansion layer 12, a model is formed on the thermal expansion sheet 10.

  By combining the location and height of the thermally expandable sheet 10 to be expanded, various shaped objects can be obtained. In addition, expressing aesthetics or texture through vision or tactile sensation (modeling) is called “decoration (decoration)”.

<Modeling system 1>
Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the modeling system 1 which models a modeling thing on the thermally expansible sheet 10 is demonstrated. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the modeling system 1 includes a terminal device 30, a printing device 40, and an expansion device 50.

  The terminal device 30 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet, and is a control unit that controls the printing device 40 and the expansion device 50. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the terminal device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation unit 33, a display unit 34, a recording medium drive unit 35, and a communication unit 36. These units are connected by a bus for transmitting signals.

  The control unit 31 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). In the control unit 31, the CPU reads a control program stored in the ROM and controls the operation of the entire terminal device 30 while using the RAM as a work memory.

  The storage unit 32 is a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory or a hard disk. The storage unit 32 stores a program or data executed by the control unit 31, and color image data, front surface foaming data, and back surface foaming data printed by the printing apparatus 40.

  The operation unit 33 includes input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a button, a touch pad, and a touch panel, and receives an operation from the user. The user can input an operation for editing color image data, front surface foam data and back surface foam data, an operation for the printing device 40 or the expansion device 50, and the like by operating the operation unit 33.

  The display unit 34 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and a display drive circuit that displays an image on the display device. For example, the display unit 34 displays color image data, front surface foam data, and back surface foam data. In addition, the display unit 34 displays information indicating the current state of the printing device 40 or the expansion device 50 as necessary.

  The recording medium driving unit 35 reads a program or data recorded on a portable recording medium. The portable recording medium is a CD (Compact Disc) -ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) -ROM, a flash memory equipped with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard connector, or the like. For example, the recording medium driving unit 35 reads out and acquires color image data, front surface foaming data, and back surface foaming data from a portable recording medium.

  The communication unit 36 includes an interface for communicating with external devices including the printing device 40 and the expansion device 50. The terminal device 30 is connected to the printing device 40 and the expansion device 50 via a flexible cable, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or the like, or a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like. The communication unit 36 communicates with the printing device 40 and the expansion device 50 according to at least one of these communication standards under the control of the control unit 31.

<Printer 40>
The printing device 40 is a printing unit that prints an image on the front or back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The printing apparatus 40 is an ink jet printer that prints an image using a method in which ink is atomized and sprayed directly onto a printing medium.

  FIG. 5 shows a detailed configuration of the printing apparatus 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the printing apparatus 40 includes a carriage 41 that can reciprocate in a main scanning direction D2 (X direction) orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction D1 (Y direction), which is a direction in which the thermally expandable sheet 10 is conveyed. Is provided.

  A print head 42 that executes printing and an ink cartridge 43 (43k, 43c, 43m, 43y) that stores ink are attached to the carriage 41. The ink cartridges 43k, 43c, 43m, and 43y contain black K, cyan C, magenta M, and yellow Y color inks, respectively. Each color ink is ejected from the corresponding nozzle of the print head 42.

  The carriage 41 is slidably supported by the guide rail 44 and is sandwiched by the drive belt 45. The carriage 41 moves in the main scanning direction D2 together with the print head 42 and the ink cartridge 43 when the driving belt 45 is driven by the rotation of the motor 45m.

  A platen 48 is provided below the frame 47 at a position facing the print head 42. The platen 48 extends in the main scanning direction D2 and constitutes a part of the conveyance path of the thermally expandable sheet 10. A feed roller pair 49a (lower roller is not shown) and a discharge roller pair 49b (lower roller is not shown) are provided in the conveyance path of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The paper feed roller pair 49a and the paper discharge roller pair 49b convey the thermally expandable sheet 10 supported by the platen 48 in the sub-scanning direction D1.

  The printing device 40 is connected to the terminal device 30 via a flexible communication cable 46. The terminal device 30 controls the print head 42, the motor 45m, the paper feed roller pair 49a, and the paper discharge roller pair 49b via the flexible communication cable 46. More specifically, the terminal device 30 controls the paper feed roller pair 49a and the paper discharge roller pair 49b to convey the thermally expandable sheet 10. Further, the terminal device 30 rotates the motor 45m to move the carriage 41, and conveys the print head 42 to an appropriate position in the main scanning direction D2.

  The printing device 40 acquires image data from the terminal device 30 and executes printing based on the acquired image data. More specifically, the printing apparatus 40 acquires color image data, front surface foam data, and back surface foam data as image data. The color image data is data indicating a color image to be printed on the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The printing apparatus 40 prints a color image by ejecting each ink of cyan C, magenta M, and yellow Y toward the thermally expandable sheet 10 on the print head 42.

  The surface foaming data is data indicating a portion to be foamed and expanded on the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Further, the back surface foaming data is data indicating a portion that is foamed and expanded on the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The printing apparatus 40 causes the black K ink containing carbon black to be ejected toward the thermally expandable sheet 10 on the print head 42 to print a grayscale image (dark pattern). Black ink containing carbon black is an example of a material that converts electromagnetic waves into heat.

<Inflator 50>
The expansion device 50 irradiates the front or back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves, generates heat on the grayscale image printed on the front or back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10, and the grayscale image of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Is an expansion unit that expands the printed portion.

  FIG. 6 schematically shows the configuration of the expansion device 50. In FIG. 6, the X direction corresponds to the width direction of the expansion device 50, the Y direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the expansion device 50, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are orthogonal to each other.

  The expansion device 50 expands the thermally expandable sheet 10 by irradiating the irradiation unit 60 with electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100 while moving the irradiation unit 60. The irradiation unit 60 reciprocates between the first position P1 and the second position P2. The first position P1 is an initial position (home position) of the irradiation unit 60. The irradiation unit 60 stands by at the first position P1 when the expansion device 50 is not operating.

  The expansion device 50 includes a box-shaped housing 51. The inside of the housing 51 is partitioned into two chambers, an upper housing 51a and a lower housing 51b. This suppresses the influence on the substrate or the like in the lower casing 51b when the temperature in the upper casing 51a rises due to the irradiation of electromagnetic waves from the irradiation section 60. The expansion device 50 includes a ventilation unit 54, a conveyance motor 55, a conveyance rail 56, an irradiation unit 60, and a tray (sheet holding mechanism) 100 inside the upper housing 51a. Further, the expansion device 50 includes a power supply unit 69 and a control unit 70 inside the lower housing 51b.

  The tray 100 is a mechanism for installing the thermally expandable sheet 10 at an appropriate position in the casing 51 and is a sheet holding mechanism for stably holding the thermally expandable sheet 10. FIG. 7 shows a detailed configuration of the tray 100. As shown in FIG. 7, the tray 100 includes a placement unit 110, a pressing member 120, and an auxiliary member 130.

  The placement part 110 is a planar member on which the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed. A pressing member 120 that can be opened and closed by a user is attached to the mounting unit 110, and the mounting unit 110 holds the thermally expandable sheet 10 with the pressing member 120.

  FIG. 8 shows the tray 100 in a state where the pressing member 120 is opened from the placement unit 110. FIG. 9 schematically shows a plan view of the mounting portion 110 in a state where the pressing member 120 is opened. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the placement unit 110 has a size larger than the maximum size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 that can be placed on the tray 100 so that the thermally expandable sheet 10 can be stably held. It has a rectangular shape. The maximum size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 that can be placed on the tray 100 is, for example, A3 size. The placement unit 110 includes a handle 111 for the user to pull out the tray 100 from the housing 51.

  A rectangular recess 112 is provided in a region where the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed in the central portion of the placement unit 110. In more detail, the recessed part 112 is provided in the area | region in which the expansion part of the thermally expansible sheet 10 in the mounting part 110 is mounted. Here, the expanding portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is a portion that can be expanded by printing a grayscale image, and corresponds to a portion other than the peripheral portion. The peripheral portion is a portion in contact with the outer periphery (boundary) of the four sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 and corresponds to a so-called blank area.

  The recess 112 is formed when the back surface is foamed, that is, when the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placement unit 110 with the back surface facing upward, the thermally expandable layer 12 of the thermally expandable sheet 10 faces downward. In order to be able to expand. By providing the recess 112, the central inflatable portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 does not contact the placement unit 110. In other words, the thermally expandable sheet 10 is held by the mounting portion 110 by supporting the peripheral edge portion thereof by the outer peripheral portion surrounding the recess 112.

  An opening 113 is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 112 so that a part of the lower surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100 is exposed. By providing the opening 113, the heat generated when the thermally expandable sheet 10 expands can be released to the outside, and the temperature of the thermally expandable sheet 10 can be prevented from rising excessively.

  The auxiliary member 130 is fitted and attached to the recess 112. The concave portion 112 is provided with two pairs of positioning members 114 and 115 for determining the attachment position of the auxiliary member 130. Moreover, the magnet 116 is provided in the outer peripheral part surrounding the recessed part 112, ie, the part (the part painted in black in FIG. 9) where the peripheral part of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed. The magnet 116 has an elongated plate shape, and is provided along each of three sides of the outer peripheral portion of the recess 112 except for one side to which the auxiliary member 130 is attached. The magnet 116 plays a role of fixing the thermally expandable sheet 10 by attracting (adsorbing) the metal plate 125 provided on the pressing member 120 when the pressing member 120 is closed. The three-sided region provided with the magnet 116 in the mounting portion 110 is composed of one vertical frame portion which is a one-side region extending in the vertical direction (X direction) and two sides extending in the horizontal direction (Y direction). It is divided into two horizontal frame portions which are areas of These one vertical frame portion and two horizontal frame portions support the peripheral portions of the three sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 when the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placement portion 110.

  The pressing member 120 and the auxiliary member 130 are members that fix the thermally expandable sheet 10 to the placement unit 110 by pressing the peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. The thermally expandable sheet 10 may be deformed from a flat shape, for example, the peripheral portion may be bent in a bow shape in the vertical direction (Z direction) due to internal stress during expansion. If the heat-expandable sheet 10 is deformed in this way, the expansion accuracy may be affected, for example, the expansion height may be changed, and the quality of a modeled object to be modeled may be deteriorated. In order to suppress such deformation of the heat-expandable sheet 10, the heat-expandable sheet 10 is fixed to the tray 100 by pressing the peripheral edge by the pressing member 120 and the auxiliary member 130. In this way, the expansion process is executed in a state where the thermally expandable sheet 10 is stably fixed to the tray 100.

  The pressing member 120 is a main pressing member that presses a range wider than the auxiliary member 130 in the peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10. On the other hand, the auxiliary member 130 is an auxiliary pressing member that auxiliary presses the peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Specifically, the auxiliary member 130 presses the second peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110, and the pressing member 120 heats the heat placed on the placement unit 110. The first peripheral edge different from at least the second peripheral edge of the inflatable sheet 10 is pressed. Specifically, the second peripheral edge is a peripheral edge on one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement part 110. On the other hand, a 1st peripheral part is a peripheral part of 3 sides other than the peripheral part of 1 side pressed by the auxiliary member 130 of the thermally expansible sheet 10 mounted in the mounting part 110. FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 8, the pressing member 120 is opened and closed by rotating about one side that contacts the placement unit 110. The pressing member 120 is formed in a frame shape (frame shape or frame shape). In other words, the pressing member 120 is exposed so that the portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 irradiated with electromagnetic waves is exposed, and so that the thermally expandable sheet 10 can expand upward when foaming the surface. The central part has a large opening. When the pressing member 120 is closed in a state where the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placement unit 110, at least three sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 by the frame portion of the frame. The peripheral edge portions of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are sandwiched between the mounting portion 110 by pressing the peripheral edge portion. The pressing member 120 functions as a first pressing member that presses the thermally expandable sheet 10 with the placement unit 110.

  More specifically, when the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 is the first size shown in FIG. 2A, the pressing member 120 is thermally expandable. The peripheral edges of the four sides of the sheet 10 are pressed. The first size is the maximum size (specifically, A3 size) of the thermally expandable sheet 10 that can be placed on the placement unit 110. The pressing member 120 is provided such that its size matches the maximum size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 that can be placed on the placement unit 110. Therefore, when the thermally expandable sheet 10 having the maximum size is placed on the placement unit 110, the four sides of the pressing member 120 are covered with the four peripheral edges of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Is pressed.

  On the other hand, when the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 is the second size shown in FIG. 2B, the pressing member 120 is a thermally expandable sheet. The peripheral edge of three sides of 10 is pressed. The second size is a size smaller than the maximum size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 that can be placed on the placement unit 110, and specifically, is an A4 size. When the thermally expandable sheet 10 having a size smaller than the maximum size is placed on the placement unit 110, the four side frames of the pressing member 120 do not match the four peripheral edges of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Therefore, when the second-size thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placement unit 110, a part of the four-side frame of the pressing member 120 is on the three-side peripheral part of the thermally-expandable sheet 10. By being covered, the peripheral portions of the three sides are pressed. The peripheral part of the remaining one side other than the peripheral parts of the three sides is pressed by the auxiliary member 130.

  The pressing member 120 includes a metal plate 125 on a lower surface thereof, that is, a surface on the side in contact with the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. The metal plate 125 is a metal plate having magnetism, such as iron, and is provided along the four-side frame of the pressing member 120. When the pressing member 120 is closed, the metal plate 125 is attracted to the magnet 116 provided on the placement unit 110. Due to the attractive force between the magnet 116 and the metal plate 125, the pressing member 120 presses and fixes the peripheral portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110.

  The auxiliary member 130 presses the peripheral edge of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. 10 and 11 show the detailed configuration of the auxiliary member 130. FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the auxiliary member 130 includes a base portion 131 and an opening / closing portion 132.

  The base 131 is a rod-shaped member that serves as a base for the auxiliary member 130, and supports a peripheral portion of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. The opening / closing part 132 is a member that opens and closes by rotating around one side in contact with the base part 131, and opens and closes when the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placing part 110. The auxiliary member 130 sandwiches the peripheral edge of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 between the base 131 and the opening / closing part 132 like a clip.

  FIG. 11 shows the auxiliary member 130 in a state where the opening / closing part 132 is opened. As shown in FIG. 11, the base 131 includes a plate-like magnet 136 on the surface on which the opening / closing part 132 is covered. Moreover, the opening / closing part 132 includes a metal plate 135 on the lower surface thereof. The metal plate 135 is a metal plate having magnetism such as iron, and is attracted to the magnet 136 provided on the base 131 when the opening / closing portion 132 is closed. Due to the attractive force between the magnet 136 and the metal plate 135, the auxiliary member 130 presses the peripheral portion of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 between the base portion 131 and the opening / closing portion 132. The opening / closing part 132 of the auxiliary member 130 functions as a second pressing member that presses the peripheral part of the thermally expandable sheet 10 with the base part 131. Further, the region where the magnet 136 is provided in the base portion 131 extends in the longitudinal direction (X direction) when the auxiliary member 130 is attached to the placement portion 110, and is a peripheral portion on one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10. It functions as a vertical frame part that supports.

  The auxiliary member 130 is detachable from the placement unit 110 and is fitted at different positions in the recess 112 according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. The auxiliary member 130 is configured such that its length in the longitudinal direction matches the width of the recess 112 in the X direction so that the auxiliary member 130 can be mounted in the recess 112. The base portion 131 is provided with a slide portion 133 and a protruding portion 134 for attaching the auxiliary member 130 to the placement portion 110.

  The slide part 133 slides in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary member 130 (the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 10) according to the user's operation. A part of the slide part 133 protrudes from the side surface of the base part 131 and is operated like a lever by the user. The user can slide the slide portion 133 by hooking and moving the protruding portion of the slide portion 133 with a finger.

  The protruding portion 134 protrudes from one end portion of the base portion 131. When the auxiliary member 130 is attached to the concave portion 112 of the mounting portion 110, the protruding portion 134 engages with a concave engaging portion provided on the side surface of the concave portion 112 of the mounting portion 110. Thereby, the auxiliary member 130 is fixed in the recess 112.

  The protrusion 134 is connected to the slide part 133 in the base 131, and the degree of protrusion of the protrusion 134 from the end of the base 131 changes in conjunction with the slide of the slide part 133. Specifically, when the user slides the slide portion 133 when the auxiliary member 130 is detached from the placement portion 110, the protruding portion 134 moves to the other end portion side of the base portion 131. The degree of protrusion of the protrusion 134 is reduced. Thus, when the auxiliary member 130 is removed from the mounting portion 110, the engagement between the protrusion 134 and the engaging portion provided in the concave portion 112 is released, and when the auxiliary member 130 is attached to the mounting portion 110. Makes it possible to engage the protrusion 134 with the engaging portion.

  When the user lifts his / her finger from the slide portion 133, the slide portion 133 returns to the original position by the elastic force of an elastic body such as a spring, and the protruding portion 134 protrudes again from the end portion of the base portion 131. With such a configuration, the user can attach / detach the auxiliary member 130 to / from the placement unit 110 with a simple one-touch operation of sliding the slide unit 133 with a finger.

  With reference to FIG. 12 to FIG. 16, a state where the auxiliary member 130 is attached to a different position on the placement unit 110 and the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, the auxiliary member 130 can be attached to two positions in the recess 112 according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. More specifically, when the user places the A3 size thermally expandable sheet 10 on the placement portion 110, the user attaches the auxiliary member 130 to the first attachment position (the position shown in FIG. Attach to A1). More specifically, the first attachment position A1 is the second position P2 side, that is, the position of the end of the irradiation unit 60 opposite to the home position (first position P1).

  As shown in FIG. 13, when placing the A3 size thermally expandable sheet 10 on the tray 100, the user opens the opening / closing part 132 of the auxiliary member 130 and exposes the magnet 136 to the upper side. Attach to the first attachment position A1. Then, the user attaches the thermally expandable sheet 10 to the three-side region of the outer peripheral portion of the recess 112 in the placement unit 110 where the magnet 116 is provided, and the base 131 where the magnet 136 in the auxiliary member 130 is provided. And a rectangular region surrounded by the region. Here, a region (one vertical frame portion and two horizontal frame portions) in which the magnet 116 is provided in the placement unit 110 and a region in which the magnet 136 is provided in the auxiliary member 130 (one vertical frame portion). Means a frame part on which the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed and functions as a support member that supports the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  When the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed, the user closes the opening / closing part 132 of the auxiliary member 130 and causes the auxiliary member 130 to hold one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 14, the peripheral portions of the remaining three sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are magnets 116 in the placement unit 110 in a state where one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is sandwiched by the auxiliary member 130. Is supported by the area provided. As described above, when the A3 size thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placing portion 110, most of the recess 112 is covered by the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  When the pressing member 120 is closed in this state, the frame-like frame of the pressing member 120 is put on the peripheral portions of the four sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10. As a result, the four peripheral edges of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are pressed from above by the pressing member 120. The peripheral edge of one side pressed by the auxiliary member 130 is pressed from above the opening / closing portion 132 of the auxiliary member 130 by the pressing member 120. In other words, the peripheral edge of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 sandwiched between the auxiliary members 130 is pressed by being sandwiched by the auxiliary members 130 and further pressed from above the auxiliary member 130 by the pressing member 120. At this time, the metal plate 125 provided on the pressing member 120 is attracted to the magnet 116 provided on the placement unit 110 and the magnet 136 provided on the auxiliary member 130, whereby the thermally expandable sheet 10 is loaded. It is fixed between the placing part 110 and the pressing member 120.

  On the other hand, when the user places the A4 size thermally expandable sheet 10 on the placement portion 110, the auxiliary member 130 is placed at the second attachment position that is substantially in the middle of the recess 112 in the Y direction (FIG. At position A2) indicated by a broken line in FIG. The second attachment position A2 is a position closer to the home position (first position P1) of the irradiation unit 60 than the first attachment position A1. In other words, when the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 is smaller than the maximum size, the position where the auxiliary member 130 is attached is changed to a position closer to the home position.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when placing the A4 size thermally expandable sheet 10 on the tray 100, the user opens the opening / closing part 132 of the auxiliary member 130 and exposes the magnet 136 to the upper side. Attach to the second attachment position A2. Then, the user has a rectangular shape in which the thermally expandable sheet 10 is surrounded by the three-sided region of the placement unit 110 where the magnet 116 is provided and the base 131 of the auxiliary member 130 where the magnet 136 is provided. Placed in the area. Similar to the case where the A3-sized thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed, the three-sided region (one vertical frame portion and two horizontal frame portions) where the magnet 116 is provided in the placement portion 110 and the auxiliary member 130. The region (one vertical frame portion) in which the magnet 136 is provided constitutes a frame portion on which the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed and functions as a support member that supports the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  Two pairs of positioning members 114 and 115 for fixing the auxiliary member 130 to the second attachment position A2 are provided in an intermediate portion of the recess 112. The pair of positioning members 114 are provided at positions facing the other pair of positioning members 115 across the opening 113. One end of the auxiliary member 130 is fixed by being sandwiched between the pair of positioning members 114, and the other end of the auxiliary member 130 is fixed by being sandwiched between the other pair of positioning members 115. The Accordingly, the auxiliary member 130 is attached to the second attachment position A2 of the placement unit 110.

  When the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed, the user closes the opening / closing part 132 of the auxiliary member 130 and causes the auxiliary member 130 to hold one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 16, the peripheral portions of the remaining three sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are magnets 116 on the placement unit 110 in a state where one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is sandwiched by the auxiliary member 130. Is supported by the area provided. Thus, when the A4 size thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placing portion 110, about half of the recess 112 is covered by the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  When the pressing member 120 is closed in this state, a part of the frame of the pressing member 120 is put on the peripheral portions of the three sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10. As a result, the three peripheral edges of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are pressed from above by the pressing member 120. The peripheral edge of the remaining one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is pressed by being sandwiched by the auxiliary member 130. At this time, the metal plate 125 provided on the pressing member 120 is attracted to the magnet 116 provided on the placement unit 110, whereby the thermally expandable sheet 10 is interposed between the placement unit 110 and the pressing member 120. It is fixed with.

  As described above, the position of the auxiliary member 130 on the placement unit 110 is set according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110, and the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement unit 110. 10 is changed to a direction orthogonal to the peripheral edge of one side, that is, the moving direction of the irradiation unit 60. Thereby, even if the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 is changed, the peripheral parts of the four sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are at least of the pressing member 120 and the auxiliary member 130. Pressed by one side. As a result, it is possible to suppress unnecessary deformation such as warpage and distortion when the thermally expandable sheet 10 expands.

  The tray 100 configured as described above is attached to a pair of slide rails provided in the housing 51, and slides in the X direction along the slide rails. 17 and 18 show a state where the tray 100 is taken out from the housing 51. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 17, when carrying the thermally expandable sheet 10 into the expansion device 50, the user places a hand on the handle 111 and slides the tray 100 in the −X direction and pulls it out from the housing 51. Then, the user opens the pressing member 120 and places the thermally expandable sheet 10 to be inflated on the placement unit 110 with the front surface or back surface thereof facing up. FIG. 17 shows an example in which the A3 size thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placement unit 110.

  At this time, the user opens and closes the opening / closing portion 132 of the auxiliary member 130 attached to the concave portion 112 of the placement portion 110, and causes the auxiliary member 130 to sandwich the peripheral portion of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Further, the user places the thermally expandable sheet 10 by adjusting the orientation so that one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10 opposite to the side where the barcode B is provided is sandwiched between the auxiliary members 130. Place on the unit 110. When the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the placement unit 110, the user closes the pressing member 120. When the pressing member 120 is closed, as shown in FIG. 18, the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 is fixed by pressing the peripheral edge thereof by the pressing member 120.

  When the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the tray 100 in this way, the user slides the tray 100 in the + X direction and feeds it into the housing 51. Thereby, the thermally expansible sheet 10 is arrange | positioned in the position which can irradiate electromagnetic waves by the irradiation part 60. FIG. Thereafter, when the expansion process of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is completed, the user again pulls out the tray 100 in the −X direction and takes out the thermally expandable sheet 10 from the tray 100.

  Returning to the description of the expansion device 50 shown in FIG. The irradiation unit 60 is a mechanism that irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet 10 disposed on the tray 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the irradiation unit 60 includes a lamp heater 61, a reflection plate 62, a temperature sensor 63, and a cooling unit 64 inside a box-shaped cover.

  The lamp heater 61 includes, for example, a halogen lamp as an irradiation source, and, as an electromagnetic wave, the near-infrared region (wavelength 750 to 1400 nm), visible light region (wavelength 380 to 750 nm), or Irradiates light in the mid-infrared region (wavelength 1400-4000 nm). The irradiation unit 60 and the lamp heater 61 function as irradiation means for irradiating energy to the thermally expandable sheet 10 by irradiating light in such a wavelength range.

  When light (energy) is irradiated to the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which a grayscale image is printed with black ink containing carbon black, the portion where the grayscale image is printed is more efficient than the portion where the grayscale image is not printed. Light is well converted into heat. Therefore, the portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the grayscale image is printed is mainly heated, and expands when the temperature of the thermal expansion agent reaches a temperature at which expansion begins. The irradiation unit 60 functions as a thermal expansion unit that thermally expands the thermally expandable sheet 10 by irradiating light (energy) while being transported by the transport motor 55. In addition, the light irradiated by the lamp heater 61 should just be an electromagnetic wave, and is not restricted to the light of the said wavelength range.

  The reflection plate 62 is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the lamp heater 61, and is a mechanism that reflects the light emitted from the lamp heater 61 toward the thermally expandable sheet 10. The temperature sensor 63 is a thermocouple, a thermistor, or the like, and functions as a measurement unit that measures the temperature of the reflection plate 62. The cooling unit 64 includes at least one fan for supplying air to the irradiation unit 60, sucks outside air, and sends the sucked outside air to the reflection plate 62 for cooling. The outside air sent to the reflecting plate 62 further flows downward, so that the inside of the irradiation unit 60 and the housing 51 is cooled.

  The ventilation unit 54 is provided at the end of the expansion device 50 on the back side, and ventilates the inside of the expansion device 50. The ventilation unit 54 includes at least one fan, and ventilates the inside of the casing 51 by discharging the air inside the casing 51 to the outside.

  The conveyance motor 55 is a stepping motor that operates in synchronization with, for example, pulse power, and moves the irradiation unit 60 along the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100. Inside the casing 51, a transport rail 56 is provided in the Y direction, that is, in a direction parallel to the front surface or the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100. The irradiation unit 60 is attached to the transport rail 56 so as to be able to move along the transport rail 56. The transport motor 55 rotates with the rotation speed controlled clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from the axial direction based on a command from the control unit 70. The irradiation unit 60 reciprocates along the transport rail 56 while keeping the distance from the thermally expandable sheet 10 constant with the driving force accompanying the rotation of the transport motor 55 as a power source. The conveyance motor 55 functions as a moving unit (moving unit) that moves the irradiation unit 60 along the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  The power supply unit 69 includes a power supply IC (Integrated Circuit) and the like, and generates and supplies necessary power to each unit in the expansion device 50. For example, the ventilation unit 54, the conveyance motor 55, the lamp heater 61, and the cooling unit 64 operate by obtaining power from the power supply unit 69.

  The control unit 70 is provided on a substrate disposed at the lower part of the housing 51. The control unit 70 includes a processor such as a CPU and a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, and is connected to each unit of the expansion device 50 via a system bus that is a transmission path for transferring commands and data. Yes. Although not shown, the control unit 70 includes a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory and a hard disk, a timing device such as an RTC (Real Time Clock), and a communication interface for communicating with the terminal device 30. .

  In the control unit 70, the CPU reads the control program stored in the ROM, and controls the operation of the entire expansion device 50 while using the RAM as a work memory. More specifically, the control unit 70 controls the transport motor 55 to move the irradiation unit 60 in the designated direction at the designated moving speed. In addition, the control unit 70 switches on and off the irradiation of the electromagnetic waves from the irradiation unit 60 and causes the barcode reader 65 to read the barcode B.

  The barcode reader 65 functions as a reading unit (reading unit) that reads the barcode B provided on the peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The barcode reader 65 includes a light source that emits light and an optical sensor that detects the light, and optically reads the barcode B by a known method such as a laser method. The barcode reader 65 is attached to the outside of the cover of the irradiation unit 60 and moves along with the irradiation unit 60 along the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100.

  As described above, the barcode B is provided on the peripheral edge of one side of the thermally expandable sheet 10. On the other hand, when the thermally expandable sheet 10 is placed on the tray 100 and the pressing member 120 is closed, the pressing member 120 is placed on at least three peripheral edges including one peripheral edge where the barcode B is provided. Cover and press at least three peripheral edges from above. In order to avoid the barcode B being hidden by the pressing member 120 and being unable to be read, the placement unit 110 and the pressing member 120 are provided with an opening for the barcode reader 65 to read the barcode B. Yes.

<Expansion treatment>
The control unit 70 expands the thermally expandable sheet 10 by irradiating the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the grayscale image is printed by the printing device 40 with electromagnetic waves.

  FIG. 19 shows how the expansion device 50 executes the expansion process. When the barcode B provided on the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100 is read by the barcode reader 65, the control unit 70 supplies a power supply voltage to the irradiation unit 60 and turns on the lamp heater 61. Let And the control part 70 drives the conveyance motor 55 in the state which is making the irradiation part 60 irradiate electromagnetic waves. Thereby, the control unit 70 moves the irradiation unit 60 by a predetermined distance in a direction (first direction) from the first position P1 toward the second position P2. As described above, the control unit 70 moves the irradiation unit 60 from end to end of the thermally expandable sheet 10 to widely irradiate the front surface or the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves.

  The specified distance varies depending on the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10. For example, if the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is A3 size, the specified distance is the distance from the first position P1 to the second position P2. On the other hand, if the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is A4 size, the specified distance is a half distance from the first position P1 to the second position P2. As an example, the size information of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is included in the barcode B, and the control unit 70 may set a prescribed distance according to the reading result of the barcode B by the barcode reader 65. . Alternatively, information such as the thickness of the thermally expandable sheet 10 and the type of the base material 11 is included in the bar code B, and the control unit 70 determines whether the bar code reader 65 reads the bar code B or not. You may change the speed which moves 60.

  When the electromagnetic wave is irradiated by the irradiation unit 60, the portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the gray image is printed with the black ink containing carbon black generates heat and expands when heated to a specified temperature.

  The specified temperature is a temperature at which the thermal expansion agent contained in the thermal expansion layer 12 starts to expand, and is a temperature of about 80 ° C. to 120 ° C., for example. The control unit 70 moves the irradiation unit 60 that is radiating electromagnetic waves with a predetermined intensity at a predetermined speed, thereby heating the portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the grayscale image is printed to a specified temperature or higher. To do. The predetermined strength and the predetermined speed are set in advance so that the thermally expandable sheet 10 can be heated to a predetermined temperature or higher.

  Thus, the control unit 70 expands the thermally expandable sheet 10 by irradiating the irradiation unit 60 with electromagnetic waves while moving the irradiation unit 60 in the first direction by the transport motor 55. The portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the grayscale image is printed expands to a height corresponding to the blackness of the grayscale image. Thereby, a desired model is modeled on the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  By such expansion processing, the irradiation unit 60 reaches the end of the thermally expandable sheet 10 on the second position P2 side. After executing the expansion process, the control unit 70 moves the irradiation unit 60 in the direction from the second position P2 to the first position P1 (second direction), that is, not shown, that is, the irradiation unit 60 is moved. While returning to the home position, a ventilation process by the ventilation unit 54 or a cooling process by the cooling unit 64 is executed as necessary. More specifically, the control unit 70 drives the ventilation unit 54 to discharge the air in the casing 51 heated by the expansion process to the outside. Moreover, the control part 70 drives the cooling part 64, and cools the irradiation part 60 and the thermally expansible sheet 10 heated by the expansion process.

<Manufacturing process of a model>
Next, referring to the flowchart shown in FIG. 20 and the cross-sectional views of the thermally expandable sheet 10 shown in FIGS. The flow will be described.

  First, the user prepares the thermally expandable sheet 10 before the shaped article is manufactured, and specifies color image data, front surface foam data, and back surface foam data via the terminal device 30. Then, the thermally expandable sheet 10 is inserted into the printing apparatus 40 with its surface facing upward. The printing apparatus 40 prints the heat conversion layer (front side conversion layer 81) on the surface of the inserted thermally expandable sheet 10 (step S1). The front side conversion layer 81 is a layer formed of an ink containing an electromagnetic wave heat conversion material, for example, a black ink containing carbon black. The printing apparatus 40 discharges black ink containing carbon black onto the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 in accordance with the designated surface foaming data. As a result, a front side conversion layer 81 is formed on the ink receiving layer 13 as shown in FIG. For ease of understanding, the front side conversion layer 81 is illustrated as being formed on the ink receiving layer 13, but more accurately, black ink is received in the ink receiving layer 13. The front side conversion layer 81 is formed in the ink receiving layer 13.

  Second, the user inserts the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the front conversion layer 81 is printed into the expansion device 50 with the surface thereof facing upward. The expansion device 50 irradiates the inserted thermally expandable sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves from the surface (step S2). Specifically, the expansion device 50 irradiates the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves by the irradiation unit 60. The heat conversion material included in the front side conversion layer 81 printed on the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 generates heat by absorbing the irradiated electromagnetic wave. As a result, the front side conversion layer 81 generates heat, and the region where the front side conversion layer 81 is printed in the thermal expansion layer 12 of the thermally expandable sheet 10 expands and rises as shown in FIG.

  Third, the thermally expandable sheet 10 in which a part of the thermally expandable layer 12 is expanded is inserted into the printing apparatus 40 with the surface thereof facing upward. The printing apparatus 40 prints a color image (color ink layer 82) on the surface of the inserted thermally expandable sheet 10 (step S3). Specifically, the printing apparatus 40 ejects cyan C, magenta M, and yellow Y ink onto the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 in accordance with designated color image data. As a result, a color ink layer 82 is formed on the ink receiving layer 13 as shown in FIG. Although the color ink layer 82 is illustrated as being formed on the ink receiving layer 13, more accurately the color ink is received in the ink receiving layer 13.

  Fourth, after the color ink layer 82 is formed, the color ink layer 82 is dried (step S4). For example, the user inserts the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the color ink layer 82 is printed into the expansion device 50 with the back surface thereof facing upward, and the expansion device 50 inserts the inserted thermally expandable sheet 10 from the back surface. By heating, the color ink layer 82 formed on the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is dried. More specifically, the expansion device 50 causes the irradiation unit 60 to irradiate the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves, heats the color ink layer 82, and volatilizes the solvent contained in the color ink layer 82. Note that step S4 can be omitted.

  Fifth, the user inserts the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the color ink layer 82 is printed into the printing apparatus 40 with the back surface thereof facing up. The printing apparatus 40 prints the heat conversion layer (back side conversion layer 83) on the back surface of the inserted thermally expandable sheet 10 (step S5). Similar to the front side conversion layer 81 printed on the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10, the back side conversion layer 83 is a layer formed of a material that converts electromagnetic waves into heat, specifically, black ink containing carbon black. . The printing apparatus 40 discharges black ink containing carbon black on the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 according to the specified back surface foaming data. As a result, a back side conversion layer 83 is formed on the back surface of the base material 11 as shown in FIG.

  Sixth, the user inserts the thermally expandable sheet 10 on which the back side conversion layer 83 is printed into the expansion device 50 with the back surface facing upward. The expansion device 50 heats the inserted thermally expandable sheet 10 by radiating electromagnetic waves from the back surface (step S6). Specifically, the expansion device 50 causes the irradiation unit 60 to irradiate the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 with electromagnetic waves. The back side conversion layer 83 printed on the back surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 generates heat by absorbing the irradiated electromagnetic wave. As a result, as shown in FIG. 21 (e), in the thermal expansion layer 12 of the thermal expansion sheet 10, the region where the back side conversion layer 83 is printed expands and rises.

  A model is formed on the surface of the thermally expandable sheet 10 by the procedure as described above.

  The heat conversion layer may be formed only on the front side or only on the back side. When the thermal expansion layer 12 is expanded using only the front side conversion layer 81, Steps S1 to S4 are performed among the above processes. On the other hand, when the thermal expansion layer 12 is expanded using only the back side conversion layer 83, Steps S3 to S6 are performed among the above processes.

  Further, the back surface foaming process in steps S5 and S6 may be performed before the front surface foaming process in steps S1 and S2, and the printing and drying processes of the color ink layer 82 in steps S3 and S4 are performed in steps. You may implement before the process of surface foaming in S1, S2. Alternatively, after the front side conversion layer 81 is printed in step S1 and the color ink layer 82 is printed in step S3, the surface foaming process in step S2 may be performed. As described above, the order of the processes in steps S1 to S6 may be variously changed.

  As described above, the expansion device 50 according to the present embodiment is an expansion device that expands the thermally expandable sheet 10 by moving the irradiation unit 60 that radiates electromagnetic waves along the thermally expandable sheet 10. In order to suppress unnecessary deformation such as warping or warping of the thermally expandable sheet 10 sometimes, the thermal expansion is performed with the pressing member 120 and the auxiliary member 130 pressing the peripheral portion of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The adhesive sheet 10 is expanded. At that time, the position of the auxiliary member 130 on the placement unit 110 is changed according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10. Thereby, even if it is a case where the size of the thermally expansible sheet 10 mounted in the tray 100 is changed, the peripheral part of the thermally expansible sheet 10 can be pressed exactly. As a result, the thermally expandable sheet 10 can be expanded with high accuracy, and a shaped article with stable quality can be obtained.

(Modification)
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is an example, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the embodiments of the present invention can be applied in various ways, and all the embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the pressing member 120 has a frame shape, and when the thermally expandable sheet 10 having the maximum size (specifically, A3 size) is placed on the placement unit 110, the thermal expansion is performed. The peripheral edges of the four sides of the adhesive sheet 10 were pressed. However, in the present invention, the shape of the pressing member 120 is not limited to the frame shape. For example, the pressing member 120 is U-shaped so that the thermal expansion sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110 can be pressed at least at the three peripheral edges other than the one pressed by the auxiliary member 130. You may be doing.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the auxiliary member 130 presses one side among the peripheral parts of the thermally expansible sheet 10 mounted in the mounting part 110, and the press member 120 is pressed by at least the auxiliary member 130. Three sides other than one side were pressed. However, in the present invention, the first peripheral edge pressed by the pressing member 120 and the second peripheral edge pressed by the auxiliary member 130 are not limited to this. Further, as long as the peripheral portion is pressed to such an extent that unnecessary deformation during expansion of the thermally expandable sheet 10 can be suppressed, the four sides of the thermally expandable sheet 10 are combined with the pressing member 120 and the auxiliary member 130. It is not necessary to press all of the peripheral edge. In other words, the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge may not cover all the four peripheral edges of the thermally expandable sheet 10.

  In the above embodiment, the auxiliary member 130 presses one side in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, if the assembly position of one of the two vertical frame parts or one of the two horizontal frame parts can be switched, the assembly position of which side of the frame part can be switched. There may be.

  In the above embodiment, the magnet 116 is provided on the mounting portion 110 and the metal plate 125 is provided on the pressing member 120. In the auxiliary member 130, the magnet 136 is provided on the base 131, and the metal plate 135 is provided on the opening / closing part 132. However, in the present invention, the magnet 116 and the metal plate 125 may be provided in reverse, or the magnet 136 and the metal plate 135 may be provided in reverse. In other words, it is only necessary that one of the magnet 116 and the metal plate 125 is provided on the mounting portion 110 and the other of the magnet 116 and the metal plate 125 is provided on the pressing member 120. Further, it is only necessary that one of the magnet 136 and the metal plate 135 is provided on the base portion 131 and the other of the magnet 136 and the metal plate 135 is provided on the opening / closing portion 132. Note that the shapes of the magnets 116 and 136 and the metal plates 125 and 135 are not limited to the example in the above embodiment.

  The size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100 is not limited to the A3 and A4 sizes, and the present invention is applied when the thermally expandable sheets 10 of various sizes are placed on the tray 100. be able to. For example, the maximum size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the tray 100 is not limited to A3. In addition, by configuring the auxiliary member 130 so as to be attached to more places on the placement unit 110, the peripheral part is pressed against the thermally expandable sheet 10 having a larger size during expansion. Unnecessary deformation can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the auxiliary member 130 is detachable from the placement unit 110 and is used by being fitted at different positions in the recess 112 according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10 placed on the placement unit 110. It was done. However, in the present invention, the auxiliary member 130 may not be removed from the placement unit 110 as long as the position on the placement unit 110 can be changed according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet 10. The position may be changed while attached to the placement unit 110. Further, the auxiliary member 130 may not be fitted into the recess 112 of the placement unit 110.

  In the above embodiment, the tray (sheet holding mechanism) 100 holds the thermally expandable sheet 10 for manufacturing a modeled article. However, the sheet held by the sheet holding mechanism according to the present invention is not limited to the thermally expandable sheet 10 and may be a general sheet. The sheet holding mechanism according to the present invention is a case where the size of the sheet is changed by a configuration in which the attachment position of the auxiliary member 130 is changed according to the size of the sheet when holding a sheet other than the thermally expandable sheet 10. Even if it exists, a sheet | seat can be hold | maintained stably.

  In the above embodiment, the thermally expandable sheet 10 includes the base material 11, the thermally expanded layer 12, and the ink receiving layer 13. However, in the present invention, the configuration of the thermally expandable sheet 10 is not limited to this. For example, the thermally expandable sheet 10 may not include the ink receiving layer 13, or may include a peelable layer that can be peeled on the front surface or the back surface. Alternatively, the thermally expandable sheet 10 may include a layer made of any other material.

  In the above embodiment, the terminal device 30, the printing device 40, and the expansion device 50 are independent devices. However, in the present invention, at least any two of the terminal device 30, the printing device 40, and the expansion device 50 may be integrated.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and the present invention includes the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof. included. Hereinafter, the invention described in the scope of claims of the present application will be appended.

(Appendix 1)
As a frame part, it has two vertical frame parts extending in the vertical direction and two horizontal frame parts extending in the horizontal direction, and the peripheral part of the sheet of a predetermined size is placed on the frame part, A support member that supports the peripheral edge of the sheet with the frame portion;
A first pressing member that presses the periphery of the sheet supported by the support member from above the sheet, and sandwiches the periphery of the sheet with the support member;
With
The support member is configured to be capable of switching an assembly position of one of the two vertical frame portions or one of the two horizontal frame portions,
The frame part to which the assembly position is switched is attached with a second pressing member that sandwiches the peripheral edge of the sheet with the frame part.
A sheet holding mechanism.
(Appendix 2)
The sheet holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing member is formed in a frame shape.
(Appendix 3)
The sheet holding mechanism according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the second pressing member sandwiches the sheet, and the first pressing member presses the second pressing member.
(Appendix 4)
A placement section on which the thermally expandable sheet is placed;
An auxiliary member that presses the second peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion;
A pressing member that presses at least a first peripheral edge portion different from the second peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion;
An irradiating unit that irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placing unit;
A moving unit that expands the thermally expandable sheet by moving the irradiation unit along the thermally expandable sheet placed on the mounting unit;
The position of the auxiliary member on the placement unit is changed according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement unit.
An inflating device.
(Appendix 5)
The auxiliary member presses a peripheral portion of one side of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion,
The position of the auxiliary member on the placement part is changed in a direction orthogonal to the peripheral part of the one side according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement part.
The expansion device according to supplementary note 4, characterized by:
(Appendix 6)
The pressing member is opened in a frame shape, and when the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the mounting portion is the first size, the one side of the thermally expandable sheet When the four peripheral edges including the peripheral edge are pressed and the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion is a second size smaller than the first size, the heat Pressing the peripheral edge of three sides other than the peripheral edge of the one side of the inflatable sheet;
The expansion device according to appendix 5, characterized in that.
(Appendix 7)
In the placement part, a rectangular recess is provided in a region where the expanding part of the thermally expandable sheet is placed,
The auxiliary member is detachable from the placement section, and is fitted into different positions in the recess according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement section.
The expansion device according to any one of supplementary notes 4 to 6, characterized in that:
(Appendix 8)
An opening is provided on the bottom surface of the recess.
Item 8. The expansion device according to appendix 7, wherein
(Appendix 9)
The auxiliary member includes a slide portion that slides in a longitudinal direction of the auxiliary member according to a user operation, and a protruding portion that protrudes from an end portion of the auxiliary member,
The auxiliary member is detachable from the mounting portion,
When the auxiliary member is detached from the mounting portion, the degree of protrusion of the protrusion from the end changes in conjunction with the slide of the slide portion.
The inflator according to any one of appendices 4 to 8, characterized in that.
(Appendix 10)
The mounting portion is provided with one of a magnet and a metal plate,
The pressing member is provided with the other of the magnet and the metal plate,
The pressing member presses at least the first peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion by an attractive force between the magnet and the metal plate.
The expansion device according to any one of appendices 4 to 9, characterized in that.
(Appendix 11)
The auxiliary member includes a base portion that supports the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion, and an opening / closing portion that opens and closes, and the auxiliary member includes a base portion and the opening / closing portion. Pressing across the second peripheral edge,
The inflator according to any one of appendices 4 to 10, characterized in that.
(Appendix 12)
The base is provided with one of a magnet and a metal plate,
The opening / closing part is provided with the other of the magnet and the metal plate,
The auxiliary member presses the second peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion by an attractive force between the magnet and the metal plate.
The inflating device according to appendix 11, which is characterized by the above.
(Appendix 13)
The expansion device according to any one of appendices 4 to 12, and
A printing device that prints a conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the thermally expandable sheet, and
The expansion device is configured to irradiate the irradiation unit with electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet on which the conversion layer is printed by the printing device while moving the irradiation unit by the moving unit. Expand the adhesive sheet,
A modeling system characterized by this.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Modeling system, 10 ... Thermal expansion sheet, 11 ... Base material, 12 ... Thermal expansion layer, 13 ... Ink receiving layer, 30 ... Terminal device, 31 ... Control part, 32 ... Memory | storage part, 33 ... Operation part, 34 Display unit 35 Recording medium drive unit 36 Communication unit 40 Printing device 41 Carriage 42 Print head 43, 43k, 43c, 43m, 43y Ink cartridge 44 44 Guide rail 45 Drive belt, 45 m ... motor, 46 ... flexible communication cable, 47 ... frame, 48 ... platen, 49a ... paper feed roller pair, 49b ... paper discharge roller pair, 50 ... expansion device, 51 ... housing, 51a ... upper housing , 51b ... lower housing, 54 ... ventilation section, 55 ... transport motor, 56 ... transport rail, 60 ... irradiation section, 61 ... lamp heater, 62 ... reflector, 63 ... temperature sensor, 64 ... cooling section, 65 Bar code reader, 69 ... power supply unit, 70 ... control unit, 81 ... front side conversion layer, 82 ... color ink layer, 83 ... back side conversion layer, 100 ... tray (sheet holding mechanism), 110 ... loading unit, 111 ... handle 112, recess, 113, opening, 114, 115 ... positioning member, 116, 136 ... magnet, 120 ... pressing member, 125, 135 ... metal plate, 130 ... auxiliary member, 131 ... base, 132 ... opening / closing part, 133 ... Slide part, 134 ... Projection part, B ... Bar code, D1 ... Sub-scanning direction, D2 ... Main scanning direction

Claims (13)

As a frame part, it has two vertical frame parts extending in the vertical direction and two horizontal frame parts extending in the horizontal direction, and the peripheral part of the sheet of a predetermined size is placed on the frame part, A support member that supports the peripheral edge of the sheet with the frame portion;
A first pressing member that presses the periphery of the sheet supported by the support member from above the sheet, and sandwiches the periphery of the sheet with the support member;
With
The support member is configured to be capable of switching an assembly position of one of the two vertical frame portions or one of the two horizontal frame portions,
The frame part to which the assembly position is switched is attached with a second pressing member that sandwiches the peripheral edge of the sheet with the frame part.
A sheet holding mechanism.   The sheet holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing member is formed in a frame shape.   The sheet holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second pressing member sandwiches the sheet, and the first pressing member presses the second pressing member. A placement section on which the thermally expandable sheet is placed;
An auxiliary member that presses the second peripheral edge of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion;
A pressing member that presses at least a first peripheral edge portion different from the second peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion;
An irradiating unit that irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placing unit;
A moving unit that expands the thermally expandable sheet by moving the irradiation unit along the thermally expandable sheet placed on the mounting unit;
The position of the auxiliary member on the placement unit is changed according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement unit.
An inflating device. The auxiliary member presses a peripheral portion of one side of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion,
The position of the auxiliary member on the placement part is changed in a direction orthogonal to the peripheral part of the one side according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement part.
The expansion device according to claim 4. The pressing member is opened in a frame shape, and when the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the mounting portion is the first size, the one side of the thermally expandable sheet When the four peripheral edges including the peripheral edge are pressed and the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion is a second size smaller than the first size, the heat Pressing the peripheral edge of three sides other than the peripheral edge of the one side of the inflatable sheet;
The inflator according to claim 5. In the placement part, a rectangular recess is provided in a region where the expanding part of the thermally expandable sheet is placed,
The auxiliary member is detachable from the placement section, and is fitted into different positions in the recess according to the size of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement section.
The expansion device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein An opening is provided on the bottom surface of the recess.
The inflator according to claim 7. The auxiliary member includes a slide portion that slides in a longitudinal direction of the auxiliary member according to a user operation, and a protruding portion that protrudes from an end portion of the auxiliary member,
The auxiliary member is detachable from the mounting portion,
When the auxiliary member is detached from the mounting portion, the degree of protrusion of the protrusion from the end changes in conjunction with the slide of the slide portion.
The expansion device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein The mounting portion is provided with one of a magnet and a metal plate,
The pressing member is provided with the other of the magnet and the metal plate,
The pressing member presses at least the first peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion by an attractive force between the magnet and the metal plate.
The expansion device according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein The auxiliary member includes a base portion that supports the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion, and an opening / closing portion that opens and closes, and the auxiliary member is provided between the base portion and the opening / closing portion. Pressing across the second peripheral edge,
The expansion device according to any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein The base is provided with one of a magnet and a metal plate,
The opening / closing part is provided with the other of the magnet and the metal plate,
The auxiliary member presses the second peripheral edge portion of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the placement portion by an attractive force between the magnet and the metal plate.
The inflator according to claim 11. An inflator according to any one of claims 4 to 12,
A printing device that prints a conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves into heat on the thermally expandable sheet, and
The expansion device is configured to irradiate the irradiation unit with electromagnetic waves toward the thermally expandable sheet on which the conversion layer is printed by the printing device while moving the irradiation unit by the moving unit. Expand the adhesive sheet,
A modeling system characterized by this.