JP2016078367A - Sheet manufacturing apparatus and sheet manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet manufacturing apparatus which hardly causes detachment of fibers forming a web when water is added to the web formed by depositing the fibers.SOLUTION: The sheet manufacturing apparatus comprises: a deposition unit capable of depositing a material containing resin and fibers; a first heating and pressurizing unit configured to heat and pressurize the deposits deposited by the deposition unit; a humidity control unit disposed downstream in the deposit transfer direction from the first heating and pressurizing unit and configured to control humidity; and a second heating and pressurizing unit disposed downstream in the deposit transfer direction from the humidity control unit and configured to heat and pressurize the deposits. The heating temperature or pressurizing pressure in the first heating and pressurizing unit is lower or smaller than the heating temperature or pressurizing pressure in the second heating and pressurizing unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet manufacturing apparatus and a sheet manufacturing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a sheet manufacturing apparatus, a so-called wet method is adopted in which a raw material containing fibers is put into water, disaggregated mainly by a mechanical action, and re-made. Such a wet type sheet manufacturing apparatus requires a large amount of water, and the apparatus becomes large. Furthermore, the maintenance of the water treatment facility is troublesome and the energy required for the drying process increases. Therefore, for the purpose of miniaturization and energy saving, a dry sheet manufacturing apparatus that uses water as little as possible has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a paper recycling apparatus that forms paper by defibrating a piece of paper into a fiber shape in a dry defibrating machine.

JP 2012-144819 A

  In the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a small amount of water is added to the deposited web and heated and pressurized by a heater roller. However, in such an apparatus, moisture is not added to the web raw material in the stage before deposition. For this reason, the fibers are easily charged, and there is a concern about the pulsation of the flow of the fibers because the sheet material adheres to the inner wall of the apparatus during conveyance in the apparatus. Further, for example, if only humidified air or the like is applied in a state where materials are accumulated (flatly stacked), it is difficult for the humidified air to touch portions other than the upper portion of the deposit, and sufficient humidification cannot be expected. In addition, since the time for transport after deposition is short, the contact time between the humidified air and the fibers cannot be made long, and it is considered that the material cannot always be sufficiently humidified.

  One of the objects according to some aspects of the present invention is to produce a sheet that can sufficiently provide moisture to a raw material containing fibers, has a small variation in the thickness of the produced sheet, and can operate stably. An apparatus and a sheet manufacturing method are provided.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following aspects or application examples.

One aspect of the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is:
A defibrating unit capable of defibrating material containing fiber dry,
A retention part that retains the defibrated material defibrated in the defibrating part in the air;
A first transport unit that transports the defibrated material from the defibrating unit toward the staying unit;
A moisture supply unit that supplies conditioned air to the staying part or upstream of the staying part in the conveying direction of the defibrated material;
A second transport unit that transports the defibrated material from the staying portion toward the downstream in the transport direction of the defibrated material;
A forming part for forming a sheet using at least a part of the defibrated material;
Have

  According to such a sheet manufacturing apparatus, the defibrated material stays in the staying part, and the air conditioned at the upstream side of the staying part or the staying part is supplied. A sufficient amount of time can be taken for humidity adjustment by touching the conditioned air. As a result, the defibrated material is conditioned, the charge of the defibrated material can be suppressed, the thickness variation of the manufactured sheet is small, and stable operation is possible.

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention,
The staying part may stir the defibrated material.

  According to such a sheet manufacturing apparatus, the defibrated material is further easily touched to the air conditioned by stirring the defibrated material, and the defibrated material is more easily conditioned.

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention,
The staying part may have a rotating body.

  Such a sheet manufacturing apparatus has a rotating body so that the defibrated material moves in the conditioned air to adjust the humidity, so that it becomes easier to touch the air and the defibrated material can be more efficiently conditioned. .

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention,
The rotating body may be a cylindrical sieve.

  In such a sheet manufacturing apparatus, the defibrated material moves in the conditioned air by the rotation of the cylindrical sieve, so that it is easy to adjust the humidity and can be sieved to a predetermined length by the sieve. .

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention,
You may have the fixing member which was able to contact the said defibrated material and was fixed inside the said cylindrical sieve.

  In such a sheet manufacturing apparatus, among the defibrated material staying in the lower part of the cylindrical sieve, the lower defibrated material moves by rotation and falls on the defibrated material staying in contact with the fixed member. The defibrated material is agitated and is easily conditioned.

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention,
The rotating body may be a rotor that rotates inside the staying portion.

  According to such a sheet manufacturing apparatus, since the defibrated material stayed by the rotation of the rotor is stirred, the defibrated material can be conditioned more efficiently.

One aspect of the sheet manufacturing method according to the present invention is:
A defibrating process in which a fiber-containing material is defibrated by a dry method;
A retention step of retaining the defibrated material in the air;
Forming a sheet using at least a part of the defibrated material; and
Have
In the staying step, conditioned air is supplied to the defibrated material.

  According to such a sheet manufacturing method, since the defibrated material is kept in contact with the conditioned air, a sufficient time for humidity adjustment can be taken. As a result, the defibrated material is conditioned, the charging of the defibrated material can be suppressed, the variation in the thickness of the produced sheet is small, and a stable sheet can be produced.

The figure which shows typically the sheet manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the retention part which concerns on embodiment. The schematic diagram of the sieve which concerns on deformation | transformation embodiment.

  Several embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The embodiments described below illustrate examples of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes various modified embodiments that are implemented within a range that does not change the gist of the present invention. Note that not all of the configurations described below are essential configurations of the present invention.

1. Sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.1. Outline of Configuration First, a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a supply unit 10, a manufacturing unit 102, and a control unit 140. The manufacturing unit 102 manufactures a sheet. The manufacturing unit 102 includes a crushing unit 12, a defibrating unit 20, a classifying unit 30, a sorting unit 40, a mixing unit 50, a depositing unit 60, a moisture supply unit 120, a web forming unit 70, and a sheet. A forming unit 80 and a cutting unit 90 are provided. In this specification, the web forming unit 70 and the sheet forming unit may be collectively referred to as a forming unit.

  The supply unit 10 supplies raw materials to the crushing unit 12. The supply unit 10 is, for example, an automatic input unit for continuously supplying raw materials to the crushing unit 12. The raw material supplied by the supply unit 10 is, for example, waste paper or a pulp sheet.

  The crushing unit 12 cuts the raw material supplied by the supply unit 10 into air into pieces. The shape and size of the strip is, for example, a strip of several cm square. In the illustrated example, the crushing unit 12 has a crushing blade 14, and the charged raw material can be cut by the crushing blade 14. As the crushing part 12, a shredder is used, for example. The raw material cut by the crushing unit 12 is received by the hopper 1 and then transferred (conveyed) to the defibrating unit 20 through the pipe 2.

  The defibrating unit 20 defibrates the raw material cut by the crushing unit 12. Here, “defibration” means unraveling a raw material (a material to be defibrated) formed by binding a plurality of fibers into individual fibers. The defibrating unit 20 also has a function of separating substances such as resin particles, ink, toner, and a bleeding inhibitor adhering to the raw material from the fibers.

  What has passed through the defibrating unit 20 is referred to as “defibrated material”. In addition to the defibrated fibers that have been unraveled, the “defibrated material” includes resin particles (resins that bind multiple fibers together), ink, toner, etc. In some cases, additives such as coloring materials, anti-bleeding materials, and paper strength enhancers are included. The shape of the defibrated material that has been unraveled is a string shape or a ribbon shape. The unraveled defibrated material may exist in an unentangled state (independent state) with other undisentangled fibers, or entangled with other undisentangled defibrated material to form a lump. It may exist in a state (a state forming a so-called “dama”).

  The defibrating unit 20 defibrates in a dry manner in the atmosphere (in the air). Specifically, an impeller mill is used as the defibrating unit 20. The defibrating unit 20 has a function of generating an air flow that sucks the raw material and discharges the defibrated material. Thereby, the defibrating unit 20 can suck the raw material together with the airflow from the introduction port 22 by the airflow generated by itself, defibrate it, and transport it to the discharge port 24. The defibrated material that has passed through the defibrating unit 20 is transferred to the classifying unit 30 via the tube 3.

  The classifying unit 30 classifies the defibrated material that has passed through the defibrating unit 20. Specifically, the classifying unit 30 separates and removes relatively small ones or low density ones (resin particles, coloring materials, additives, etc.) among the defibrated materials. Thereby, the ratio for which the fiber which is a comparatively large or high density thing among defibrated materials can be raised.

  As the classification unit 30, an airflow classifier is used. The airflow classifier generates a swirling airflow and separates it by the difference in centrifugal force depending on the size and density of what is classified, and the classification point can be adjusted by adjusting the speed and centrifugal force of the airflow. it can. Specifically, a cyclone, an elbow jet, an eddy classifier, or the like is used as the classification unit 30. In particular, since the structure of the cyclone is simple, it can be suitably used as the classification unit 30.

  The classification unit 30 includes, for example, an inlet 31, a cylindrical part 32 to which the inlet 31 is connected, an inverted conical part 33 that is located below the cylindrical part 32 and continues to the cylindrical part 32, and an inverted conical part 33. The lower discharge port 34 provided in the lower center of the upper portion and the upper discharge port 35 provided in the upper center of the cylindrical portion 32 are provided.

  In the classification unit 30, the airflow on which the defibrated material introduced from the introduction port 31 is changed into a circumferential motion in the cylindrical unit 32. Thereby, centrifugal force is applied to the introduced defibrated material, and the classifying unit 30 is a fiber (first classified product) that is larger than the resin particles, coloring materials, and additives in the defibrated material, and has a high density, The defibrated material can be separated into resin particles, coloring materials, additives, etc. (second classified product) that are smaller than the fibers and have a lower density. The first classified product is discharged from the lower discharge port 34 and is introduced into the sorting unit 40 through the pipe 4. On the other hand, the second classified product is discharged from the upper discharge port 35 to the receiving portion 36 through the pipe 5.

  The sorting unit 40 introduces the first classified product that has passed through the classifying unit 30 from the introduction port 42 and sorts the first classified product according to the length of the fiber. As the selection unit 40, for example, a cylindrical sieve 46 (sieving) (rotating body) is used. The sorting unit 40 includes a net (filter, screen), and includes fibers or particles (those that pass through the net, the first sort) that are smaller than the mesh size included in the first classification product, Fibers that are larger than the size of the mesh, undefibrated pieces, and lumps (those that do not pass through the net, second selection) can be separated. For example, the first selection is received by the hopper 6 and then transferred to the mixing unit 50 via the pipe 7. The second selected item is returned to the defibrating unit 20 from the discharge port 44 through the pipe 8. Specifically, the sorting unit 40 is a cylindrical sieve 46 that can be rotated by a motor. For the net of the selection unit 40, for example, a metal net, an expanded metal obtained by extending a cut metal plate, or a punching metal in which a hole is formed in the metal plate by a press machine or the like is used.

  The mixing part 50 mixes the 1st selection thing which passed the selection part 40, and the additive containing resin. The mixing unit 50 constitutes a part of the forming unit. The mixing unit 50 includes an additive supply unit 52 that supplies the additive, a pipe 54 that conveys the selected product and the additive, and a blower 56. In the illustrated example, the additive is supplied from the additive supply unit 52 to the pipe 54 via the hopper 9. The tube 54 is continuous with the tube 7.

  In the mixing unit 50, an air flow is generated by the blower 56, and the first selection product and the additive can be mixed and conveyed in the pipe 54. The mechanism for mixing the first selected product and the additive is not particularly limited, and may be agitated by a rotating blade, or may utilize the rotation of a container like a V-type mixer. May be. Moreover, the mixing unit 50 may include a plurality of rotating units having rotating blades, and mix the first selection product (fiber) and the additive (composite (resin)) through the rotating unit. .

  As the additive supply unit 52, a screw feeder as shown in FIG. 1 or a disk feeder (not shown) is used. The additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 includes a resin for binding a plurality of fibers. At the time when the resin is supplied, the plurality of fibers are not bound. The resin melts when passing through the sheet forming portion 80 and binds a plurality of fibers.

  The additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 may be a composite in which resin and wax are integrated. The complex may be used alone or in appropriate mixture with other substances. Further, the additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 may be in the form of a fiber or powder.

  In addition, the additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 is used to color the fiber according to the type of sheet to be manufactured, in addition to the resin that binds the fiber (may be supplied as a composite). A colorant, a coagulation inhibitor for preventing aggregation of the composite or fiber, and a flame retardant for making the fiber difficult to burn may be included. The mixture (mixture of the first selection product and the additive) that has passed through the mixing unit 50 is transferred to the deposition unit 60 via the pipe 54.

  The deposition unit 60 introduces the mixture that has passed through the mixing unit 50 from the introduction port 62, loosens the entangled defibrated material (fibers), and lowers it while dispersing it in the air. Here, “air” means a mixture of air and conditioned air supplied from a moisture supply unit 120 described later. The deposition part 60 constitutes a part of the formation part. In addition, the deposition unit 60 can be referred to as a discharge unit that discharges the mixture to the web forming unit 70. Furthermore, when the additive resin supplied from the additive supply unit 52 is fibrous, the deposition unit 60 loosens the entangled resin. Thereby, the deposition unit 60 can deposit the mixture on the web forming unit 70 with good uniformity.

  As the deposition unit 60, a rotating cylindrical sieve 66 is used. The deposition unit 60 has a net, and drops fibers or particles (those that pass through the net) included in the mixture that has passed through the mixing unit 50 that are smaller than the mesh opening size. The configuration of the deposition unit 60 is the same as the configuration of the sorting unit 40, for example. It should be noted that the “sieving” of the depositing unit 60 may not have a function of selecting a specific object. In other words, the “sieving” used as the depositing unit 60 means that having a net, and the depositing unit 60 may drop all of the mixture introduced into the depositing unit 60.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is provided with a moisture supply unit 120 that introduces conditioned air into a cylindrical sieve 66 (rotary body) of the accumulation unit 60. Details of the moisture supply unit 120 will be described later.

  The web forming unit 70 deposits the passing material that has passed through the deposition unit 60 to form the web W. The web formation part 70 comprises a part of formation part, and forms the web W by air laid. The web forming unit 70 includes, for example, a mesh belt 72, a tension roller 74, and a suction mechanism 76.

  While moving, the mesh belt 72 accumulates the passing material that has passed through the opening of the accumulation unit 60 (the opening of the mesh). The mesh belt 72 is stretched by a stretching roller 74, and is configured to allow air to pass therethrough. The mesh belt 72 moves as the stretching roller 74 rotates. While the mesh belt 72 continuously moves, the passing material that has passed through the accumulation portion 60 is continuously piled up, whereby the web W is formed on the mesh belt 72. The mesh belt 72 is made of, for example, metal, resin, cloth, or non-woven fabric. The mesh belt 72 receives the airflow including the mixture that has fallen from the deposition unit 60, collects the mixture, and allows the gas to permeate.

  The suction mechanism 76 is provided below the mesh belt 72 (on the side opposite to the accumulation unit 60 side). The suction mechanism 76 can generate an air flow directed downward (air flow directed from the accumulation unit 60 toward the mesh belt 72). The suction mechanism 76 can suck the mixture discharged from the deposition unit 60 and dispersed in the air onto the mesh belt 72. Thereby, the discharge speed from the deposition part 60 can be increased. Furthermore, the suction mechanism 76 can form a downflow in the dropping path of the mixture, and can prevent the defibrated material and additives from being entangled during the dropping.

  As described above, the web W in a soft and swelled state containing a large amount of air is formed by passing through the depositing unit 60 and the web forming unit 70 (web forming step). The web W deposited on the mesh belt 72 is conveyed to the sheet forming unit 80.

  The sheet forming unit 80 forms the sheet S by heating and pressing the web W deposited on the mesh belt 72. The sheet forming unit 80 constitutes a part of the forming unit. In the sheet forming unit 80, by heating the mixture of the defibrated material and the additive mixed in the web W, the plurality of fibers in the mixture are bound to each other via the additive (resin). Can do. Further, in the sheet forming unit 80, in addition to applying heat to the web W, pressure may be applied, or both may be performed simultaneously or separately. Therefore, the sheet forming unit 80 can be regarded as a heating and pressing unit.

  As the sheet forming unit 80, for example, a heating roller (heater roller), a pressure roller, a hot press molding machine, a hot plate, a hot air blower, an infrared heater, and a flash fixing device are used. In the illustrated example, the sheet forming unit 80 includes a first binding unit 82 and a second binding unit 84, and the binding units 82 and 84 each include a pair of heating rollers 86. The web W is heated and pressurized by a pair of heating rollers 86. Since the binding portions 82 and 84 are configured as the heating roller 86, the web W is continuously conveyed as compared with the case where the binding portions 82 and 84 are configured as a plate-like press device (flat plate press device). Sheet S can be formed. The number of heating rollers 86, the number of pressure rollers (not shown), and the order of their arrangement are not particularly limited.

  The cutting unit 90 cuts the sheet S formed by the sheet forming unit 80. In the illustrated example, the cutting unit 90 includes a first cutting unit 92 that cuts the sheet S in a direction that intersects the conveyance direction of the sheet S, and a second cutting unit 94 that cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction. ,have. The second cutting unit 94 cuts the sheet S that has passed through the first cutting unit 92, for example.

  Thus, a single-sheet sheet S having a predetermined size is formed. The cut sheet S is discharged to the discharge unit 96.

1.2. Fiber In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it does not specifically limit as a fiber used as the raw material of the sheet | seat S, A wide fiber material can be used. Examples of fibers include natural fibers (animal fibers, plant fibers), chemical fibers (organic fibers, inorganic fibers, organic-inorganic composite fibers), and more specifically, cellulose, silk, wool, cotton, cannabis, kenaf, flax. , Fiber made of ramie, burlap, manila hemp, sisal hemp, conifer, hardwood, etc., rayon, lyocell, cupra, vinylon, acrylic, nylon, aramid, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyimide, carbon, glass, metal These fibers may be used, and these may be used singly, mixed as appropriate, or used as regenerated fiber after purification. Examples of the raw material include waste paper and waste cloth, and it is sufficient that at least one of these fibers is included. Moreover, the fiber may be dried, and liquids, such as water and an organic solvent, may be contained or impregnated. Various surface treatments may be performed. The material of the fiber may be a pure substance or a material including a plurality of components such as impurities, additives, and other components.

  When the fiber used in this embodiment is an independent single fiber, its average diameter (if the cross section is not a circle, the largest one among the lengths in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, Alternatively, when a circle having an area equal to the cross-sectional area is assumed, the diameter of the circle (equivalent circle diameter) is 1 μm or more and 1000 μm or less on average, preferably 2 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 3 μm or more and 200 μm It is as follows.

  The length of the fiber used in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but the length along the longitudinal direction of the single fiber is 1 μm or more and 5 mm or less, preferably They are 2 micrometers or more and 3 mm or less, More preferably, they are 3 micrometers or more and 2 mm or less. When the length of the fiber is short, it is difficult to bind to the composite, and the strength of the sheet may be insufficient. However, a sheet having sufficient strength can be obtained within the above range.

  The average length of the fibers is 20 μm or more and 3600 μm or less, preferably 200 μm or more and 2700 μm or less, more preferably 300 μm or more and 2300 μm or less, as a length-length weighted average fiber length. Further, the fiber length may have a variation (distribution). When a normal distribution is assumed in a distribution obtained by an n number of 100 or more for the length of an independent fiber, σ May be 1 μm or more and 1100 μm or less, preferably 1 μm or more and 900 μm or less, more preferably 1 μm or more and 600 μm or less.

  The thickness and length of the fiber can be measured with various optical microscopes, scanning electron microscopes (SEM), transmission electron microscopes, fiber testers, and the like. In the case of microscopic observation, pretreatment of the observation sample is appropriately performed as necessary, so that cross-sectional observation and observation in a state where both ends of an independent single fiber are pulled so as not to break as necessary. Is possible.

1.3. Resin In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 contains a resin. The resin may be supplied as resin particles or may be supplied as a composite that is combined with another substance.

  As a kind of resin, any of a natural resin and a synthetic resin may be sufficient, and any of a thermoplastic resin and a thermosetting resin may be sufficient. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the resin constituting the composite is preferably solid at room temperature, and heat is considered in view of binding fibers by heat in the preheating unit 110 and the sheet forming unit 80. A plastic resin is more preferable.

  Examples of natural resins include rosin, dammar, mastic, copal, phlegm, shellac, phlebotomy, sandalac, colophonium, etc., and those that are used alone or as appropriate mixed, and these are appropriately modified. Also good.

  Among the synthetic resins, examples of the thermosetting resin include thermosetting resins such as phenol resin, epoxy resin, melamine resin, urea resin, unsaturated polyester resin, alkyd resin, polyurethane, and thermosetting polyimide resin.

  Among the synthetic resins, thermoplastic resins include AS resin, ABS resin, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, acrylic resin, polyester resin, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene ether, polybutylene terephthalate, nylon, polyamide, polycarbonate, Examples include polyacetal, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ether ketone, and the like. These resins may be used alone or in combination. In addition, copolymerization and modification may be performed, and such resin systems include styrene resins, acrylic resins, styrene-acrylic copolymer resins, olefin resins, vinyl chloride resins, and polyester resins. Examples thereof include resins, polyamide resins, polyurethane resins, polyvinyl alcohol resins, vinyl ether resins, N-vinyl resins, styrene-butadiene resins, and the like.

  In addition, when adding a resin as a composite, substances other than the resin that can be made into a composite include a colorant for coloring the fiber, a flame retardant for making the fiber difficult to burn, agglomeration of the composite and the fiber. Examples thereof include an aggregation inhibitor, an organic solvent, a surfactant, an antifungal agent / preservative, an antioxidant / ultraviolet absorber, and an oxygen absorber.

  Various aggregation inhibitors can be used, but in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, water is not used or hardly used from the supply unit 10 to the web forming unit 70. It is preferable to use a type of material (which may be a coating or the like). Examples of such an aggregation inhibitor include fine particles made of an inorganic substance. By disposing this on the surface of the composite, a very excellent aggregation inhibitory effect can be obtained. Specific examples of the material for the aggregation inhibitor include titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, cerium oxide, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, strontium titanate, barium titanate, and calcium carbonate.

  In the mixing unit 50, the fibers and the resin are mixed, and the mixing ratio thereof can be appropriately adjusted depending on the strength, use, and the like of the sheet S to be manufactured. If the manufactured sheet S is for office use such as copy paper, the ratio of the composite to the fiber is 5% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, and the mixing unit 50 obtains good mixing, and the mixture is a sheet. From the viewpoint of making the composite more difficult to desorb due to gravity when molded into a shape, it is preferably 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less.

1.4. Moisture Supply Unit In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the moisture supply unit 120 introduces the conditioned air inside the rotating sieve 66 (rotary body) of the deposition unit 60. The conditioned air supplied from the moisture supply unit 120 is brought into contact with the defibrated material staying inside the sieve 66 in the air.

  The conditioned air supplied by the moisture supply unit 120 is generated by, for example, air mixed with fine water droplets (water droplet mixed air). The moisture supply unit 120 controls the supply amount of fine water droplets and external air to supply air having a predetermined moisture content (humidity). Although not shown, the moisture supply unit 120 may include a humidity measuring unit that measures the amount of moisture (humidity) in the raw air or the air of the sieve 66, and according to the measurement result of the humidity measuring unit. The amount of water mixed in the air may be adjusted (air conditioning).

  The relative humidity of the conditioned air supplied by the moisture supply unit 120 is preferably 30% or more and 100% or less. When it is less than 30%, the defibrated material is easily charged when being conveyed. In addition, it is preferable that the humidity-conditioned air does not contain water droplets from the viewpoint of suppressing adhesion between fibers. In the present embodiment, fine water droplets are mixed with air, but since the volume of the water droplets is small, the water droplets quickly evaporate to become water vapor. In addition to supplying fine water droplets, water may be supplied by directly mixing water vapor (steam) with external air. It should be noted that, depending on the temperature environment of the staying portion (in this embodiment, the sieve 66 (rotating body) in which the depositing portion 60 rotates) and the downstream side configuration, dew condensation may occur, so the relative humidity of the conditioned air Is more preferably not 100% (saturated).

  As water used in the water supply unit 120, tap water, clean water, reclaimed water, ion exchange water, ultrafiltered water, reverse osmosis water, distilled water, and the like can be used. Of these, pure water or ultrapure water such as ion-exchanged water, ultrafiltrated water, reverse osmosis water, distilled water, etc., and particularly when these waters are sterilized by ultraviolet irradiation or addition of hydrogen peroxide, It is more preferable because generation of mold and bacteria can be suppressed.

  The conditioned air supplied from the moisture supply unit 120 can give moisture to the fiber by contacting the fiber. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the conditioned air is introduced into the inside (the staying portion) of the rotating sieve 66 (rotating body) of the deposition unit 60. Therefore, the contact time between the conditioned air and the fiber is sufficiently long.

  Although not shown, for example, conditioned air may be introduced into the pipe 7 or the like connected to the introduction port 62 on the upstream side of the deposition unit 60. Even if it does in this way, a residence part will exist in the downstream and it can take sufficiently long contact time of the air and fiber which were conditioned.

  In addition to the pipes 7 directly connected on the upstream side of the deposition unit 60, in the present embodiment, each configuration upstream of the deposition unit 60 (stagnation unit), for example, the pipes 2, 3, 4, 7 If the moisture supply unit 120 is connected to at least one of the configurations (corresponding to the first transport unit) that transports the defibrated material (material) toward the staying part, etc., contact between the conditioned air and the material The time can be taken long enough. Further, the first transport unit may include a configuration other than the configuration for transporting the material.

  And from the accumulation part 60 (stagnation part) toward the downstream in the conveyance direction of the defibrated material (material), the formation part (corresponding to the second conveyance part) such as the web formation part 70, the sheet formation part 80, and the cutting part 90 ), The sheet S is manufactured. In the present specification, the configuration for transporting the material toward the staying portion is referred to as a first transporting portion, and the configuration for transporting the material from the staying portion toward the downstream is referred to as a second transporting portion.

1.5. Residence part 1.5.1. Retention Unit In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the conditioned air introduced from the moisture supply unit 120 is introduced inside the rotating sieve 66 (rotary body) of the deposition unit 60 where the raw material of the sheet S stays. Is done. That is, the inner side of the rotating sieve 66 (rotating body) of the deposition unit 60 is a staying portion where the material of the sheet S stays. Moreover, since the sieve 66 rotates, the material and air are agitated. Therefore, moisture can be efficiently applied to the material. That is, by stirring, the fibers move in the air (the relative positions of the fibers and air as viewed microscopically change), so that the air around the fibers can be constantly replaced (stirred). . Thereby, the time until the equilibrium moisture content of the fiber is reached can be shortened.

  In this specification, “residence” means a state in which the mixture stays in the sieve 66 for a time longer than the shortest time until the mixture introduced into the sieve 66 passes through the eyes of the sieve 66. Here, it is desirable that 50% or more of the mixture introduced into the sieve 66 stays. Since it is desirable that a larger amount of the mixture stays, more preferably 70% or more of the mixture stays. In the case where the mixture is sent to the sieve 66 by airflow, the state where the speed of the mixture is slower than the speed of the airflow passing through the sieve 66 may be “residence”.

  Therefore, compared with the case where the conditioned air is supplied from the moisture supply unit 120 to a pipe or the like that conveys the material with almost no stagnation, the contact time between the conditioned air and the fibers in the stagnation unit Is long enough. Thereby, in a specific humidity atmosphere, it is possible to take a long time to bring the moisture contained in the fiber closer to the equilibrium moisture content of the fiber.

  By supplying air conditioned from the moisture supply unit 120 to the staying portion in this way, moisture can be imparted to the fibers without reducing the throughput of the apparatus. Thereby, charging of the material is suppressed, and adhesion of the material in the apparatus can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the pulsation of the material flow such that the adhered material is conveyed as a lump, and the sheet S with little variation in thickness and basis weight can be stably manufactured.

1.5.2. Deformation of staying portion In the example of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 described above, the rotating screen 66 (rotating body) of the deposition unit 60 is the staying portion. However, the staying part may be the sieve 46 (rotary body) of the sorting part 40. As already described, the sieve 46 has the same structure as that of the sieve 66, and can also function as a material retention part. Therefore, even when air conditioned in the inside of the sieve 66 is introduced from the moisture supply unit 120, the same function and function as in the above embodiment can be achieved. In addition, there may be a plurality of moisture supply units 120, and air that has been conditioned may be introduced into both the sieve 46 of the sorting unit 40 and the sieve 66 of the deposition unit 60. Furthermore, since both the sieve 46 and the sieve 66 are retention portions, the same effect can be obtained even if air conditioned is introduced into the upstream pipes 2, 3, 4, 7 and the like. It is done.

  Further, the staying portion can be provided in a path for conveying the material such as the above-described tubes 2, 3, 4, 7 and the like. FIG. 2 schematically shows a staying part 130 as an example of such a staying part. In the staying portion 130 illustrated in FIG. 2A, an inflow port 131, a staying tube 132, and an outflow port 133 are connected, and the material and air introduced from the inflow port 131 pass from the outflow port 133 through the staying tube 132. It is supposed to be discharged. The staying part 130 can be connected to at least one of the above-described tubes 2, 3, 4, and 7. Further, it may be provided at the end of the pipes 2, 3, 4 and 7, or may be provided in the middle (intermediate position).

  Further, the staying part 130 includes a rotor 134 having screw-shaped blades 135, and the rotor 134 is configured to rotate along the longitudinal axis of the staying pipe 132. The pitch of the blades 135 of the rotor 134, the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the rotor 134 are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set depending on the situation of the apparatus.

  Since the flow passage cross-sectional area of the stay pipe 132 is larger than that of the inlet 131 in the stay section 130, when material and air are introduced from the inlet 131, the flow velocity of the air decreases in the stay pipe 132. Thus, the amount of material that can be conveyed decreases, and the material flow rate becomes smaller than the air flow rate. Therefore, the retention pipe 132 can retain the material. In this example, conditioned air is introduced from the moisture supply unit 120 to the staying tube 132. Thereby, humidity control of material can be performed efficiently.

  Furthermore, as illustrated, by rotating the rotor 134, the material is agitated, and moisture can be more efficiently applied to the material. That is, by stirring (stirring), the fibers move in the air (the relative positions of the fibers and air as viewed microscopically change), so that the air around the fibers can be constantly replaced. .

  It should be noted that the same effect can be obtained by introducing conditioned air into the structure of the pipes 2, 3, 4, 7, etc. on the upstream side of the staying section 130. Further, from the viewpoint of hardly causing resistance of the material or air that passes through the staying portion 130, it is preferable that a gap is formed between the blade 135 of the rotor 134 and the staying tube 132. Further, here, the blade 135 of the spiral (screw-shaped) rotor 134 has a single or a plurality of flat plate shapes parallel to the rotation axis or a so-called paddle shape (single or a plurality extending radially from the rotation axis) from the same viewpoint. (Rod-shaped) blade shape.

  FIG. 2B schematically shows a modification of the rotor 134. As shown in FIG. 2B, the blade 135 of the rotor 134 may be provided with a protrusion 136 that protrudes from the surface of the blade 135. By forming the protrusion 136 on the rotor 134, the stirring efficiency of the material and air in the staying tube 132 can be increased. For example, when the protrusion 136 is formed as shown in the figure, the action of causing the staying material to rise in the direction opposite to the direction of the action of gravity by the rotation of the rotor 134 can be enhanced. As a result, it is possible to prevent the material from accumulating on the lower side and touch the conditioned air, further improve the efficiency of the humidity control, and shorten the time until the equilibrium moisture content of the fiber is reached. . Note that the shape of the protrusion 136 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the protrusion 136 is not easily captured by the protrusion 136. As such a shape, a shape in which an acute-angle contour does not appear in a cross section, such as a conical shape with gentle vertices and skirts or a curved plate shape, is preferable.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows a modified example of the sieves of the above-described depositing unit 60 and sorting unit 40. The sieve 800 according to the modification includes a fixing member 600 in addition to the drum unit 300 as a rotating body. The space inside the drum unit 300 is the same as the sieves 66 and 46 described above in that it functions as a staying unit.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the drum portion 300 includes an opening portion 310 having a plurality of openings 311 (mesh eyes) through which a material containing at least fibers passes in the air, and a cylindrical portion 315 having no opening 311. have. The opening 310 and the cylindrical portion 315 are fastened by welding or screws, and rotate integrally. The opening 310 is provided with a plurality of openings 311 (punching metal). The material containing the fiber dispersed from the opening 311 is configured to pass through, and the size, formation region, and the like of the opening 311 are appropriately set depending on the size and type of the material containing the fiber. The opening 310 is not limited to punching metal, and may be a wire mesh material. The plurality of openings 311 have the same size (area) and are arranged at equal intervals. In this variation, the predetermined material passes through the opening 311 as the drum unit 300 rotates. The rotation center axis R of the drum unit 300 is in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sieve 800 has two side portions 500 (500a, 500b) that do not rotate at both ends of the drum portion 300 in the extending direction of the rotation center axis R. And the introduction part 540 which is provided in one side part 500a and introduce | transduces material into the drum part 300 is provided. The drum unit 300 is rotatably supported by a support unit (not shown).

  The side portions 500a and 500b have fixed flange portions (not shown) outside the cylindrical portions 315a and 315b, respectively, and are in contact with the cylindrical portion 315 by pile seals. The side parts 500a and 500b are fixed to an external frame (not shown). The side portion 500 a is provided with a material supply port 560 that constitutes a part of the introduction portion 540 for supplying a material containing fibers into the drum portion 300. The material supply port 560 is disposed at the same central portion as the rotation center axis R or at a position separated from the rotation center axis R in the vertical direction.

  Since the material in the drum unit 300 accumulates downward, by disposing the material supply port 560 at the same position as the rotation center axis R, the material is supplied from substantially the middle of the side portion 500a of the drum unit 300. That is, since the material is supplied to the space where the material is not accumulated (low density), the collision between the materials is reduced and the material can be supplied smoothly.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a fixing member 600 is fixedly disposed in the drum unit 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the fixing member 600 is disposed in the drum portion 300 so as to be spaced apart and fixed above the rotation center axis R in the vertical direction. The fixing member 600 is a member that can come into contact with the material that moves together with the rotating drum unit 300. In the extending direction of the rotation center axis R, the fixing member 600 is larger than the opening portion 310 and smaller than the drum portion 300. Therefore, the fixing member 600 can contact at least the material that moves together with the opening 310.

  And as shown in FIG. 3, the fixing member 600 is being fixed to the two side parts 500a and 500b. The fixing member 600 and the side portions 500a and 500b are connected and fixed by the fixing device 610 in a state where a gap (space) 660 is provided between the fixing member 600 and the inner side surface of the cylindrical portion 315. That is, the fixing member 600 is disposed away from the drum unit 300. Thereby, although the drum part 300 rotates, the fixing member 600 and the side parts 500a and 500b are fixed so as not to rotate. The fixing tool 610 extends from the fixing member 600 in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member 600 and is connected to the side portions 500a and 500b. That is, the fixture 610 or the like is not disposed in the vicinity of the rotation center axis R of the lower drum portion 300 in the vertical direction of the fixing member 600, and the material in contact with the fixing member 600 does not contact an obstacle or the like. Fall down. Note that the fixture 610 is smaller than the fixing member 600 and is less likely to come into contact with the material that moves with the rotating drum unit 300.

  In addition, the fixing member 600 has a planar shape in contact with the material. In this embodiment, it is a plate-like member having a square cross section. Thereby, the fiber which rotates efficiently with respect to the fixing member 600 contacts. The portion that contacts the material of the fixing member may be planar, and may be flat or curved. Planar shape refers to a state in which there is no protrusion or depression on the surface. If there is a convex or concave, the material will get caught. If the convex or concave ends are tapered or curved so as not to get caught, it is regarded as a planar shape.

  When the drum unit 300 is rotated about the rotation center axis, the material including the fibers in the drum unit 300 is rotated in the rotation direction of the drum unit 300 as the drum unit 300 rotates. Further, the material is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the opening 310 by centrifugal force, and the fibers smaller than the opening size of the opening 311 pass through the opening 311. Here, a fixing member 600 is disposed at a position separated from the rotation center axis R of the drum unit 300 in the vertical direction in the drum unit 300, and the material is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the opening 310. The material that rotates and moves in the state contacts (impacts) the fixed member 600. The contacted material is peeled off from the inner peripheral surface of the opening 310, and the peeled material is rotated and moved again. At this time, the entangled fibers are entangled and unraveled in the event of a collision or drop. Thereby, it becomes easy to pass through the opening 311 and the efficiency of the sieving function can be improved. Further, by peeling the material attached to the inner peripheral surface of the opening 310, a plurality of openings can be exposed and the material can easily pass through the openings.

  In the modified example of the sieve 800, among the materials including the defibrated material staying in the lower part, the lower material moves by rotation and falls on the staying material in contact with the fixing member 600. Is stirred more efficiently. Therefore, it is easy to adjust the humidity when the conditioned air is introduced.

1.5.3. As described above, the staying part retains the defibrated material and the material containing it in the air. Then, the humidity of the material is efficiently adjusted by introducing the conditioned air into the staying part or upstream of the staying part. By adjusting the humidity of the material, generation of static electricity is suppressed, and for example, adhesion to the inner wall of the device is suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the pulsation of the material flow such that the material adheres to and accumulates in the apparatus, and the accumulated material flows all at once downstream. Furthermore, the staying part also has a function of suppressing the influence of fluctuations in the material conveyance amount. That is, even if the conveyance amount increases or decreases upstream from the staying portion, the increase or decrease in the transport amount can be absorbed and the transport amount downstream from the staying portion can be stabilized.

2. Sheet manufacturing method The sheet manufacturing method of the present embodiment includes a defibrating step, a staying step, and a forming step of forming a sheet. Supply.

  The defibrating process of the sheet manufacturing method of the present embodiment is a process of defibrating a material containing fibers, and can be performed using, for example, the defibrating unit 20 described in the section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus described above. Further, the retention step is a step of retaining the defibrated material in the air, and includes the sieve 46 of the selection unit 40, the sieve 66 of the accumulation unit 60, and the modified examples described in the section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus described above. It can carry out with the stay part 130 which concerns, and the sieve 800 which concerns on a modification. The forming step is a step of forming a sheet using at least a part of the defibrated material, and the above-described classification unit 30, sorting unit 40, mixing unit 50, deposition unit 60, web forming unit 70, and sheet forming unit. 80. And supplying the conditioned air to the defibrated material in the stagnation step is performed by introducing the conditioned air upstream of the stagnation part from the water supply part 120 described above. Can do. Details of each configuration are the same as those described in the section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus, and a description thereof will be omitted.

3. Sheet The sheet S manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 or the sheet manufacturing method of the present embodiment mainly refers to a sheet that is made from at least the above-described fibers. However, it is not limited to a sheet shape, and may be a board shape, a web shape, or a shape having irregularities. The sheet in this specification can be classified into paper and non-woven fabric. The paper includes, for example, a mode in which pulp or waste paper is used as a raw material and is formed into a sheet shape, and includes recording paper for writing and printing, wallpaper, wrapping paper, colored paper, drawing paper, Kent paper, and the like. The non-woven fabric is thicker than paper or has a low strength, and includes general non-woven fabric, fiber board, tissue paper, kitchen paper, cleaner, filter, liquid absorbent material, sound absorber, cushioning material, mat, and the like.

  In addition, in the case of a nonwoven fabric, the space | interval between a fiber is wide (the density of a sheet | seat is small). In contrast, paper has a narrow spacing between fibers (the sheet density is high). Therefore, when the sheet S manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 or the sheet manufacturing method of the present embodiment is paper, the density is high when the sheet S is used, and the functions and functions of the present invention can be expressed more significantly. it can.

4). Other Matters In this specification, the term “homogeneous” means that, in the case of uniform dispersion or mixing, in an object that can define two or more components or two or more components, one component is relative to another component. This means that the existing positions are uniform throughout the system, or the same or substantially equal to each other in each part of the system. Further, the uniformity of coloration and the uniformity of color tone indicate that there is no color shading when the sheet is viewed in plan, and the density is uniform.

  In the present specification, terms such as “uniform”, “same”, “equally spaced”, etc. mean that the density, distance, dimensions, etc. are equal. Although it is desirable that these are equal, it is difficult to make them completely equal. Therefore, it is assumed that the values do not become equal due to accumulation of errors and variations.

  In this specification, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus, with respect to the flow (including the conceptual flow) of the material of the sheet to be manufactured (raw material, defibrated material, defibrated material (fiber), web, etc.) Expressions such as “upstream” and “downstream” are used. In addition, the expression “upstream (downstream)” is used to relatively specify the position of the configuration or the like. For example, when “A is upstream (downstream) of B”, for example, The position of A indicates that it is upstream (downstream) with respect to the position of B in the flow direction of the sheet material.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, the present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (configurations that have the same functions, methods, and results, or configurations that have the same objects and effects). In addition, the invention includes a configuration in which a non-essential part of the configuration described in the embodiment is replaced. In addition, the present invention includes a configuration that exhibits the same operational effects as the configuration described in the embodiment or a configuration that can achieve the same object. In addition, the invention includes a configuration in which a known technique is added to the configuration described in the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hopper, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... Pipe, 6 ... Hopper, 7, 8 ... Pipe, 9 ... Hopper, 10 ... Supply part, 12 ... Crushing part, 14 ... Crushing blade, 20 ... Defibration part , 22 ... introduction port, 24 ... discharge port, 30 ... classification part, 31 ... introduction port, 32 ... cylindrical part, 33 ... inverted conical part, 34 ... lower discharge port, 35 ... upper discharge port, 36 ... receiving part, 40 ... Selection part, 42 ... Inlet, 44 ... Drain, 46 ... Sieving, 50 ... Mixing part, 52 ... Additive supply part, 54 ... Pipe, 56 ... Blower, 60 ... Deposition part, 62 ... Inlet, 66 ... Sieve, 70 ... web forming part, 72 ... mesh belt, 74 ... tension roller, 76 ... suction mechanism, 80 ... sheet forming part, 82 ... first binding part, 84 ... second binding part, 86 ... heating roller , 90 ... cutting part, 92 ... first cutting part, 94 ... second cutting part, 96 ... discharge part, 100 ... sheet manufacturing apparatus, 1 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Manufacturing part, 120 ... Moisture supply part, 130 ... Retention part, 131 ... Inlet, 132 ... Retention pipe, 133 ... Outlet, 134 ... Rotor, 135 ... Blade, 136 ... Protrusion, 300 ... Drum part, 306 ... Opening port, 310 ... Opening portion, 311 ... Opening, 315, 315a, 315b ... Cylindrical portion, 500,500a, 500b ... Side portion, 540 ... Introducing portion, 560 ... Material supply port, 600 ... Fixing member, 610 ... Fixing tool, W ... Web, S ... Sheet

Claims (7)

A defibrating unit capable of defibrating material containing fiber dry,
A retention part that retains the defibrated material defibrated in the defibrating part in the air;
A first transport unit that transports the defibrated material from the defibrating unit toward the staying unit;
A moisture supply unit that supplies conditioned air to the staying part or upstream of the staying part in the conveying direction of the defibrated material;
A second transport unit that transports the defibrated material from the staying portion toward the downstream in the transport direction of the defibrated material;
A forming part for forming a sheet using at least a part of the defibrated material;
A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:   The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the staying portion stirs the defibrated material.   The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the staying portion includes a rotating body.   The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotating body is a cylindrical sieve.   5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a fixing member that is fixed in contact with the defibrated material inside the cylindrical sieve.   The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotating body is a rotor that rotates inside the staying portion. A defibrating process in which a fiber-containing material is defibrated by a dry method;
A retention step of retaining the defibrated material in the air;
Forming a sheet using at least a part of the defibrated material; and
Have
In the staying step, a conditioned air is supplied to the defibrated material.

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