A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head and processing circuitry. The liquid discharge head is configured to discharge, to a foamable medium, liquid having a function of suppressing foaming of the medium to form irregularities. The processing circuitry is configured to hold condition information indicating a content defined by each of a plurality of conditions related to image formation at a time when the liquid forms a predetermined pattern image on the medium; and generate and output, for each condition of the plurality of conditions, an evaluation medium on which irregularities corresponding to the predetermined pattern image formed according to the condition are formed.

A method of producing a shaped object includes preparing a formation sheet that includes a base and a thermally expansive layer that is laminated on a first main surface of the base, the thermally expansive layer containing a binder and a thermal expansion material; laminating, onto a second main surface on a side opposite to the first main surface of the base or onto the thermally expansive layer, a thermal conversion layer in predetermined pattern, the thermal conversion layer converting first electromagnetic waves into heat; and causing the thermally expansive layer to expand in a pattern that corresponds to the predetermined pattern by irradiating the formation sheet on which the thermal conversion layer is laminated with the first electromagnetic waves and second electromagnetic waves that cause the binder to become cross-linked.

A heat-insulating housing (21) includes: a wall body; and an open-cell resin body (4) of thermosetting resin with which a heat-insulating space formed by the wall body is filled by integral foaming, the open-cell resin body including: a plurality of cells (47); a cell film portion (42); a cell skeleton portion (43); a first through-hole (44) formed so as to extend through the cell film portion; and a second through-hole (45) formed so as to extend through the cell skeleton portion, wherein the plurality of cells communicate with one another through the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

A structure forming method of present invention includes a first step including forming a first pattern serving as a fine pattern using an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material on a first surface, on the side on which an expansion layer which expands by heating is provided, of a medium including the expansion layer and then irradiating an electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material to expand a portion, corresponding to the first pattern, of the expansion layer, and a second step including forming a second pattern including a coarser pattern than the first pattern using an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material on a second surface, on the opposite side to the side on which the expansion layer is provided, of the medium and then irradiating an electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material to expand a portion, corresponding to the second pattern, of the expansion layer.

An expansion device, including: an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the thermally expandable sheet placed on a placing unit with light; a conveyance unit configured to reciprocably convey the irradiation unit between a first position and a second position; an exhaust fan fixed to a housing and configured to discharge air from the housing; and an air supply fan which is movable with the irradiation unit and configured to supply outside air into the housing, wherein the exhaust fan is provided at a position where air can be discharged from the second position side when the irradiation unit is returned from the first position to the second position after being moved from the second position toward the first position.

An thermally expandable sheet includes a base and a thermal expansion layer arranged on one surface of the base and configured to be used in manufacture of a shaped object by swelling of at least a portion of the thermal expansion layer. The thermal expansion layer includes a first thermally expandable material having a first expansion initiation temperature and a first maximum expansion temperature, and a second thermally expandable material having a second expansion initiation temperature and a second maximum expansion temperature. The first expansion initiation temperature and the second expansion initiation temperature are high in comparison to a temperature of an environment in which the shaped object is to be placed. The second maximum expansion temperature is high in comparison to the first maximum expansion temperature.

In a setting apparatus including a control unit, the control unit is configured to: set, by a user operation, an irradiation condition of a laser beam for a thermally expandable sheet, a surface of the thermally expandable sheet being heated and expanded by being irradiated with the laser beam; and control an output and a scanning speed of the laser beam in accordance with the set irradiation condition, and in the setting, (i) a surface state of the thermally expandable sheet after expansion is selectable from a plurality of mutually different surface states, and (ii) the irradiation condition is set by the user operation according to the surface state selected from among the plurality of surface states.

A three-dimensional image forming system of the present invention is characterized to include a density adjustment unit configured to adjust, for print data for printing a grayscale image used to cause a predetermined region of a thermally expandable sheet to thermally expand, density of the grayscale image according to types of pattern images included in the grayscale image, in print regions of the pattern images such that expansion heights of the print regions of the pattern images become desired heights.

A molding sheet includes a base and a thermal expansion layer laminated onto a first main surface of the base. The thermal expansion layer includes a first thermal expansion material and a second thermal expansion material. A maximum expansion temperature of the second thermal expansion material is higher than a maximum expansion temperature of the first thermal expansion material.

An expansion apparatus includes: a first expander for irradiating with electromagnetic waves emitted from a lamp a thermal conversion layer for conversion of the electromagnetic waves to heat, to cause at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer to expand, the thermal conversion layer being laminated to a molding sheet including a base and the thermal expansion layer laminated to a first main surface of the base; and a second expander for causing expansion of a region (C) of the thermal expansion layer that is smaller in size than a region (B) of the thermal expansion layer expanded by the first expander.