Thermally Expandable Sheet 3D Image Formation Deformation Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Thermally expandable sheets used for forming three-dimensional images tend to deform when expanded, leading to distortion of the formed images, making it difficult to achieve the desired image.
Innovation Solution
An expansion device that includes an installation unit for the thermally expandable sheet, an irradiation unit to emit light, and a control unit to manage the expansion process by heating and cooling the sheet, ensuring minimal deformation by maintaining the sheet's state during cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the thermally expandable sheet is heated to expand it, then the three-dimensional image is formed, but the sheet deforms and the image becomes distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the temperature distribution and cooling rate during the expansion process. The irradiation unit heats the sheet to a specific temperature range to trigger expansion, while the cooling unit subsequently controls the cooling rate to minimize deformation. By optimizing these thermal parameters, the sheet expands uniformly without excessive distortion, resolving the contradiction between achieving expansion and maintaining shape accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through the sequential operation of the irradiation unit and cooling unit. The irradiation unit activates to heat and expand the sheet, then deactivates while the cooling unit activates to cool the sheet. This periodic heating and cooling cycle allows controlled expansion followed by stabilization, preventing continuous thermal stress that would cause deformation and maintain image accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If the thermally expandable sheet is heated for expansion, then the three-dimensional image is formed, but the sheet temperature becomes too high causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control through the cooling unit that activates after the irradiation unit. The system monitors the thermal state of the sheet and applies cooling when the temperature reaches levels that could cause deformation. This feedback mechanism ensures the temperature is maintained within an optimal range for expansion while preventing excessive heating that would distort the image.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by preparing the cooling unit to operate immediately after the irradiation unit. The cooling unit is positioned and configured in advance to quickly reduce the sheet temperature after expansion. This preliminary preparation of the cooling system ensures that temperature control is maintained throughout the process, preventing overheating and deformation while preserving image quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The expansion device effectively expands the thermally expandable sheet while minimizing deformation, allowing for the precise formation of three-dimensional images by controlling the heating and cooling processes.
Implementation Method 1
a pattern is formed on a back surface of a thermally expandable sheet with a material having excellent light absorption characteristics, and the formed pattern is heated by being irradiated with light
Implementation Method 2
the portion of the thermally expandable sheet on which the pattern is formed expands and swells to form a three-dimensional image
Implementation Method 3
a cooling process to cool the thermally expandable sheet by a predetermined cooling unit while maintaining the state in which the thermally expandable sheet is placed on the installation unit
Data Source
AI summary
A production method of a modeled object includes a fixing step of fixing a thermally expandable sheet onto a tray by entirely or partially fixing a periphery of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the tray by a fixing member; a thermally expanding step of thermally expanding partially the thermally expandable sheet, which is in a state of being fixed onto the tray by the fixing step, by being heated by irradiating the thermally expandable sheet with light by an irradiation unit, while moving the irradiation unit from a first position toward a second position unit; and cooling the thermally expandable sheet, which has been thermally expanded partially by the thermally expanding step, while maintaining the state in which the thermally expandable sheet is fixed onto the tray, while returning the irradiation unit from the second position to the first position.