JP2019108643A - Sheet processing apparatus and sheet processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide reliable separation of the colored components contained in the sheet by processing the sheet containing fibers.SOLUTION: A sheet processing apparatus for processing a raw material MA on which an image is formed, comprises a reading unit 530 detecting an image formed in the raw material MA, a cooling unit 550 which performs a cooling process to selectively contact a cooling medium for an image forming area including an image detected by the reading unit 530, and a refining unit which refines the raw material MA subjected to the cooling process by the cooling unit 550.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

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

  BACKGROUND Conventionally, an apparatus for disentangling and processing sheets such as waste paper is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, in order to prevent adhesion of a defibrated material to be disintegrated and additives in a fibrillation portion and to enhance the efficiency of fibrillation treatment, the temperature is lower than the glass transition temperature of the additive. Techniques for performing fiber processing are disclosed.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2015-137442

In an apparatus for processing a sheet as in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is desirable to remove toner, ink and other colored components contained in the sheet to be processed. For example, when using what refine | miniaturized the sheet | seat by the process of disentanglement etc., it is desired that a colored component is remove | excluded and whiteness is improved. For this reason, a method is desired that can more reliably separate and remove colored components contained in the sheet.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to more reliably separate colored components contained in a sheet by processing a sheet containing fibers.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a sheet processing apparatus for processing a sheet on which an image is formed, the detection unit detecting an image formed on the sheet, and the image detected by the detection unit A cooling unit that performs cooling processing for selectively bringing a cooling medium into contact with an image forming area including the image forming area, and a micronizing section that refines the sheet in which the cooling medium contacts the image forming area by the cooling unit; Equipped with
According to the present invention, the sheet having the image formed by printing or the like is cooled by the cooling medium in the area including the portion where the image is formed, and then the sheet is miniaturized. For this reason, the sheet can be miniaturized in a state in which the colored component and the fibers and the like contained in the sheet are easily separated, and the colored material can be more reliably separated from the fibers and the like contained in the sheet. Further, since the portion corresponding to the non-printed portion is not cooled, the deterioration of the cellulose fiber due to the cooling impact is small and the long cellulose fiber is preserved. Thereby, it is possible to improve the quality such as the strength of the recycled waste paper. Furthermore, since it is a selective partial cooling unit that cools a necessary place, consumption energy and the use of a cooling solvent can be suppressed. As a result, environmentally friendly recycling can be realized. Thus, the part containing a large amount of colored components can be selectively cooled efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a finely divided product obtained by refining the sheet in a state of high whiteness.

The present invention further includes a sheet conveyance unit for conveying the sheet, wherein the sheet conveyance unit detects the image of the sheet being conveyed by the sheet conveyance unit and is conveyed by the sheet conveyance unit. At least one of the cooling process for the image forming area of the sheet is performed.
According to this configuration, the sheet can be efficiently processed by performing at least one of the detection of the image formed on the sheet and the cooling process in the sheet conveyance unit that conveys the sheet.

Furthermore, the present invention further includes a classification unit that classifies the finely divided product obtained in the above-described refinement unit.
According to this configuration, by classifying the finely divided product obtained by refining the sheet, it is possible to separate the fibers and the like contained in the sheet and the colored component and obtain the finely divided product with high whiteness.

Furthermore, the present invention further includes a control unit that controls the operation of the cooling unit based on the detection result of the detection unit.
According to this configuration, based on the result of detection of the image formed on the sheet, it is possible to selectively cool the part containing a large amount of colored components.

Further, in the present invention, the cooling unit can change the amount of the cooling medium to be brought into contact with the sheet, and the control unit causes the cooling unit to be brought into contact with the sheet according to the detection result of the detection unit. Control the amount of cooling medium.
According to this configuration, the sheet can be cooled more efficiently by appropriately controlling the amount of the cooling medium to be brought into contact with the sheet.

Further, in the present invention, the detection unit includes a reading unit that optically reads the surface of the sheet, and the control unit includes a data processing unit that processes data read by the reading unit.
According to this configuration, the image formed on the sheet can be accurately detected by processing the read data obtained by optically reading the sheet.

The present invention also includes a temperature control unit that adjusts the temperature of the target space including at least the above-described refinement unit.
According to this configuration, the cooled sheet can be refined at an appropriate temperature, and the colored components contained in the sheet can be separated more efficiently.

The present invention further includes a processing unit for processing the micronized product obtained by the above-described refinement unit, and further comprising a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the processing unit, and the temperature adjustment unit is set by the control unit. The temperature of the target space is adjusted in accordance with the target temperature to be set, and the control unit sets the target temperature of the temperature adjustment unit based on the detection result of the temperature detection unit.
According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately manage the temperature conditions of the process of refining the sheet in accordance with the environment in which the finer is processed. For this reason, for example, the temperature of the finely divided material can be adjusted according to the environment in which the finely divided material is processed. For example, it is possible to set the temperature of the finely divided product to a temperature that causes condensation when processing the finely divided product or to a temperature that does not excessively dry the finely divided product upon processing the finely divided product. .
In this configuration, the temperature in the cooling unit is controlled to a low temperature, and the subsequent steps are performed at normal temperature and normal humidity (from high temperature and high humidity). Therefore, in the processing section, the cellulose and the coloring material resin (printing toner) are humidified by condensation or the like on the ground material (cellulose fiber, coloring material) positively, so that electrostatic charge can be prevented.
That is, since the generation of static electricity due to the friction between the cellulose fiber and the color material resin (printing toner) is suppressed after the opening process is performed in the defibrillation section, the electrostatic property of the cellulose fiber and the color material resin (printing toner) The effect of preventing aggregation and improving separation efficiency, and preventing adhesion and deposition of cellulose fiber and colorant resin (printed toner) in the device can be obtained, and maintenance of the device is possible. Contribute to the easiness of operation and stable operation. Therefore, the efficiency in the processing unit can be enhanced.

In order to solve the above-mentioned subject, the present invention is a sheet processing method which processes a sheet, and the detection process which detects the image formed in the sheet, and the image containing the image detected by the detection process. It has a cooling process which makes a cooling medium contact selectively with respect to a formation area, and a refinement process which refines the sheet processed by the cooling process.
According to the present invention, the sheet having the image formed by printing or the like is cooled by the cooling medium in the area including the portion where the image is formed, and then the sheet is miniaturized. For this reason, the sheet can be miniaturized in a state in which the colored component and the fibers and the like contained in the sheet are easily separated, and the colored material can be more reliably separated from the fibers and the like contained in the sheet. Further, since the portion corresponding to the non-printed portion is not cooled, the deterioration of the cellulose fiber due to the cooling impact is small and the long cellulose fiber is preserved. Thereby, it is possible to improve the quality such as the strength of the recycled waste paper. Furthermore, since it is a selective partial cooling unit that cools a necessary place, consumption energy and the use of a cooling solvent can be suppressed. As a result, environmentally friendly recycling can be realized. Thus, the part containing a large amount of colored components can be selectively cooled efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a finely divided product obtained by refining the sheet in a state of high whiteness.

Further, the present invention further includes a classification step of classifying the micronized product obtained in the refining step after the refining step.
According to this configuration, by classifying the finely divided product obtained by refining the sheet, it is possible to separate the fibers and the like contained in the sheet and the colored component and obtain the finely divided product with high whiteness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The schematic diagram which shows the structure of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The principal part side view which shows the structure of a supply part. The figure which shows the structure of a supply part. Explanatory drawing of the control system of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control device. Explanatory drawing of operation | movement of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. The schematic diagram which shows the structure of cooling condition data. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus. The figure which shows schematic structure of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the control system of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment. The figure which shows the principal part structure of the cooling unit of 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows the principal part structure of the cooling unit of 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows the principal part structure of the cooling unit of 5th Embodiment. The figure which shows the principal part structure of the cooling unit of 6th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not limit the contents of the present invention described in the claims. Further, not all of the configurations described below are necessarily essential configuration requirements of the present invention.

[1. First embodiment]
[1-1. Overall configuration of sheet manufacturing apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a supply unit 10, a crushing unit 12, a defibrating unit 20, a sorting unit 40, a first web forming unit 45, a rotating body 49, a mixing unit 50, a depositing unit 60, A second web forming unit 70, a transport unit 79, a sheet forming unit 80, and a cutting unit 90 are provided. The crushing unit 12, the defibrating unit 20, the sorting unit 40, and the first web forming unit 45 constitute a disintegration processing unit 101. In addition, the rotating body 49, the mixing unit 50, the depositing unit 60, the second web forming unit 70, the sheet forming unit 80, and the cutting unit 90 process the material obtained by the defibrating unit 101 to manufacture the sheet S. The manufacturing unit 102 is configured.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (sheet processing apparatus) corresponds to the fiber raw material regenerating apparatus of the present invention, and executes a regeneration process of fiberizing a raw material containing fibers and regenerating into a new sheet. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures sheets of a plurality of types by disintegrating the raw material in a dry state to form fibers, and then applying pressure, heating, and cutting. Here, by mixing various additives with the fiberized raw material, the bonding strength and whiteness of the sheet can be improved, and functions such as color, smell and flame retardancy can be added according to the application. be able to. In addition, by controlling the density, thickness, size, and shape by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 and molding, it is possible to manufacture and sell various types of sheets. As sheets, in addition to sheet-like products such as A4 and A3 printing sheets, cleaning sheets (floor cleaning sheets, etc.), oil stains sheets, toilet cleaning sheets, etc. It is possible to manufacture.

  The supply unit 10 is an automatic charging unit for storing the raw material MA and continuously charging the raw material MA into the crushing unit 12. The raw material MA supplied by the supply unit 10 includes, for example, fibers such as waste paper and pulp sheet. Below, the case where raw material MA is sheets, such as a waste paper, is mentioned as an example, and is demonstrated. The configuration of the supply unit 10 will be described later.

  The crushing unit 12 cuts the raw material MA supplied by the supply unit 10 into pieces in the air. The shape and size of the strip are, for example, several cm square. In the illustrated example, the crusher 12 has a crusher 14, and the crusher 14 can cut the input raw material MA. As the crushing part 12, a shredder is used, for example. The raw material MA cut by the crushing unit 12 is received by the hopper 9 and then transferred (conveyed) to the defibrating unit 20 through the pipe 2.

  The fibrillation unit 20 disintegrates the raw material cut by the crushing unit 12. Here, "disintegrate" refers to disentangling a raw material MA (broken material) in which a plurality of fibers are bound into one fiber. The defibrating unit 20 also has a function of separating substances such as resin particles, ink, toner, anti-smearing agent, and the like attached to the raw material MA from fibers.

  What passed through the defibrating unit 20 is referred to as "defibrated material". “Diswoven materials” include, in addition to disentangled fibrillated fibers, resin particles (resin for binding a plurality of fibers) particles separated from the fibers when disentangling fibers, ink, toner, etc. And additives such as anti-smearing agents and paper strength agents. The shape of the defibrated material is in the form of a string or a ribbon. The disentangled disaggregated material may exist in a non-entangled state (independent state) with other disentangled fibers, or as entangled with other disentangled disintegrated objects It may exist in a state (in a state of forming a so-called "dummy").

  The defibrating unit 20 fibrillates in a dry manner. Here, performing processing such as disentanglement in air, such as in the air (in air), not in liquid, is referred to as dry. The defibrating unit 20 can be configured using, for example, a defibrator such as an impeller mill. Specifically, the defibrating unit 20 includes a rotor (not shown) that rotates at high speed, and a liner (not shown) located on the outer periphery of the rotor. In this configuration, coarse fragments cut in the coarse portion 12 are sandwiched between the rotor of the defibrating portion 20 and the liner to be broken.

  The defibrating unit 20 sucks the raw material MA and generates an air flow that discharges the defibrated material. Thereby, the defibrating unit 20 can suck the raw material MA from the introduction port 22 together with the air flow by the air flow generated by itself, carry out the disintegration processing, and transport the defibrated material to the discharge port 24. The defibrated material that has passed through the defibrating unit 20 is transferred to the sorting unit 40 via the pipe 3. Note that the air flow for conveying the defibrated material from the defibrating unit 20 to the sorting unit 40 may use the air flow generated by the defibrating unit 20, or an air flow generating device such as a blower is provided, and the air current is You may use it.

  The sorting unit 40 introduces the defibrated material defibrated by the defibrating unit 20 from the introduction port 42, and sorts according to the length of the fiber. The sorting unit 40 includes a drum unit 41 and a housing unit 43 that accommodates the drum unit 41. For example, a sieve is used as the drum unit 41. The drum unit 41 has a mesh (filter, screen), fibers or particles smaller than the mesh size (which pass through the mesh, first sort), fibers larger than the mesh size, or It can be divided into unbroken pieces and wastes (those not passing through the net, second sorted matter). For example, the first sorted matter is transferred to the mixing unit 50 via the pipe 7. The second sorted matter is returned from the discharge port 44 to the defibrating unit 20 via the pipe 8. Specifically, the drum unit 41 is a sieve of a cylinder rotationally driven by a motor. As the mesh of the drum unit 41, for example, a wire mesh, an expanded metal obtained by extending a metal plate with cuts, and a punching metal in which holes are formed in a metal plate by a press machine or the like are used.

  The configuration in which the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 sorts and separates the first sorted matter and the second sorted matter is not limited to the configuration of the sorting unit 40. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the defibrated material disintegrated by the disintegration unit 20 is classified by a classifier. As a classifier, for example, a cyclone classifier, an elbow jet classifier, or an Eddie classifier can be used. Using these classifiers, it is possible to sort and separate the first sort and the second sort. Furthermore, the above-mentioned classifier can realize a configuration for separating and removing removed matter including relatively small ones of defibrated materials and low density ones (resin particles, coloring agents, additives, etc.). For example, fine particles contained in the first sort may be removed from the first sort by the classifier. In this case, the second sorted matter is returned to, for example, the defibrating unit 20, the removed matter is collected by the dust collection unit (not shown), and the first sorted matter excluding the removed matter is sent to the pipe 7 be able to.

  The first web forming unit 45 conveys the first sorted matter that has passed through the sorting unit 40 to the mixing unit 50. The first web forming unit 45 includes a mesh belt 46, a tension roller 47, and a suction unit (suction mechanism) 48.

  The suction unit 48 can suction the first sorted matter dispersed in the air through the opening (the opening of the net) of the sorting unit 40 onto the mesh belt 46. The first sort is deposited on the moving mesh belt 46 to form a first web W1. The basic configuration of the mesh belt 46, the tension roller 47, and the suction unit 48 is the same as the mesh belt 72, the tension roller 74, and the suction mechanism 76 of the second web forming unit 70 described later.

  The first web W1 is formed in a soft and flexible state by containing a large amount of air by passing through the sorting unit 40 and the first web forming unit 45. The first web W1 deposited on the mesh belt 46 is introduced into the pipe 7 and conveyed to the mixing unit 50.

  The rotating body 49 can cut the first web W1 before the first web W1 is conveyed to the mixing unit 50. In the illustrated example, the rotating body 49 has a base 49 a and a projection 49 b projecting from the base 49 a. The protrusion 49 b has, for example, a plate-like shape. In the illustrated example, four protrusions 49 b are provided, and four protrusions 49 b are provided at equal intervals. By rotating the base 49 a in the direction R, the projection 49 b can rotate around the base 49 a. By cutting the first web W1 by the rotating body 49, for example, it is possible to reduce the fluctuation of the amount of defibrated material supplied to the deposition unit 60 per unit time.

  The rotating body 49 is provided in the vicinity of the first web forming unit 45. In the illustrated example, the rotating body 49 is provided in the vicinity of the tension roller 47a located on the downstream side in the path of the first web W1 (besides the tension roller 47a). The rotating body 49 is provided at a position where the protrusion 49 b can contact the first web W 1 and does not contact the mesh belt 46 on which the first web W 1 is deposited. As a result, the mesh belt 46 can be prevented from being worn out (broken) by the projections 49 b. The shortest distance between the protrusion 49 b and the mesh belt 46 is, for example, 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less, which is a distance at which the mesh belt 46 can cut the first web W1 without being damaged. .

The mixing unit 50 mixes the first sorted matter (the first sorted matter conveyed by the first web forming unit 45) which has passed through the sorting unit 40 and the additive containing the resin.
The mixing unit 50 includes an additive supply unit 52 for supplying an additive, a pipe 54 for transporting the first sorted matter and the additive, and a mixing 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 additive supply unit 52, an additive cartridge 52a for accumulating the additive is set. The additive cartridge 52 a may be removable from the additive supply unit 52. The additive supply unit 52 includes an additive removal unit 52b that removes the additive from the additive cartridge 52a, and an additive insertion unit 52c that discharges the additive removed by the additive removal unit 52b to the pipe 54. The additive removal unit 52b includes a feeder (not shown) for feeding out the additive consisting of fine powder or fine particles in the inside of the additive cartridge 52a, and removes the additive from part or all of the additive cartridge 52a. The additive removed by the additive removal unit 52b is sent to the additive insertion unit 52c. The additive input unit 52c contains the additive extracted by the additive extraction unit 52b. The additive loading unit 52c is provided with a shutter (not shown) that can be opened and closed at a connection with the tube 54, and the additive taken out by the additive removal unit 52b is fed out to the tube 54 by opening the shutter.

The additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 includes a resin (binder) for binding a plurality of fibers. When the resin is supplied, the plurality of fibers are not bound. The resin is melted when passing through the sheet forming unit 80 to bind a plurality of fibers.
The resin supplied from the additive supply unit 52 is a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin, and, for example, AS resin, ABS resin, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, acrylic resin, polyester resin, polyethylene terephthalate, Polyphenylene ether, polybutylene terephthalate, nylon, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyacetal, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ether ketone, and the like. These resins may be used alone or in combination as appropriate. The additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 may be fibrous or powdery.

  The additives supplied from the additive supply unit 52 may include other components of the resin for binding the fibers. For example, depending on the type of sheet to be produced, a coloring agent for coloring fibers, a cohesion inhibitor for suppressing cohesion of fibers and cohesion of a resin, and a flame retardant for making flammable fibers and the like are included. It may be done. The mixture (mixture of the first sort and the additive) which has passed through the mixing section 50 is transferred to the deposition section 60 via the pipe 54.

  In the mixing section 50, an air flow can be generated by the mixing blower 56, and can be conveyed in the pipe 54 while mixing the first sorted matter and the additive. The mechanism for mixing the first sorted matter and the additive is not particularly limited, and may be stirring with a blade rotating at a high speed, or using rotation of the container like a V-type mixer. It may be.

  The deposition unit 60 introduces the mixture having passed through the mixing unit 50 from the inlet 62, loosens the entangled disintegrated material (fiber), and causes the mixture to fall in the air while falling. Furthermore, if the resin of the additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 is fibrous, the deposition unit 60 loosens the entangled resin. As a result, the deposition unit 60 can deposit the mixture uniformly on the second web forming unit 70.

The deposition unit 60 includes a drum unit 61 and a housing unit 63 that accommodates the drum unit 61. As the drum unit 61, a sieve of a rotating cylinder is used. The drum unit 61 has a net, and lowers fibers or particles (that pass through the net) smaller than the mesh size of the mesh contained in the mixture that has passed through the mixing unit 50. The configuration of the drum unit 61 is, for example, the same as the configuration of the drum unit 41.
In addition, the "sieve" of the drum part 61 does not need to have a function which screens a specific target object. That is, the “sieve” used as the drum unit 61 means that the mesh unit is equipped with a net, and the drum unit 61 may lower all of the mixture introduced to the drum unit 61.

  The second web forming unit 70 deposits the passing material that has passed through the depositing unit 60 to form a second web W2. The second 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 deposits the passing material that has passed through the opening (opening of the net) of the deposition unit 60. The mesh belt 72 is stretched by a stretching roller 74 so as to make it difficult for the passing material to pass through and air to pass through. The mesh belt 72 moves as the tension roller 74 rotates. As the mesh belt 72 moves continuously, the passing material passing through the stacking unit 60 is continuously deposited, whereby the second web W2 is formed on the mesh belt 72. The mesh belt 72 is, for example, metal, resin, cloth, non-woven fabric, or the like.

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

  As described above, by passing through the deposition section 60 and the second web forming section 70 (web forming process), the second web W2 in a soft and bloated state is formed with a large amount of air. The second web W2 deposited on the mesh belt 72 is conveyed to the sheet forming unit 80.

  In the illustrated example, a humidity control unit 78 that adjusts the humidity of the second web W2 is provided. The humidity control unit 78 can add water or water vapor to the second web W2 to adjust the amount ratio of the second web W2 to water.

  The sheet forming unit 80 (forming unit) press-heats the second web W2 (deposited matter) deposited on the mesh belt 72 to form the sheet S. In the sheet forming unit 80, heat is applied to the mixture of the defibrated material and the additive mixed in the second web W2 to bind a plurality of fibers in the mixture to each other via the additive (resin). can do.

  The sheet forming unit 80 includes a pressing unit 82 that presses the second web W2, and a heating unit 84 that heats the second web W2 pressed by the pressing unit 82. The pressure unit 82 includes a pair of calendar rollers 85 and applies pressure to the second web W2. The pressure of the second web W2 reduces its thickness, and the density of the second web W2 is increased. As the heating unit 84, for example, a heating roller (heater roller), a heat press molding machine, a hot plate, a hot air blower, an infrared heater, or a flash fixing device is used. In the illustrated example, the heating unit 84 includes a pair of heating rollers 86. By configuring the heating unit 84 as the heating roller 86, the sheet S is formed while continuously conveying the second web W2, as compared to the case where the heating unit 84 is configured as a plate-like pressing device (flat plate pressing device). can do. Here, the calendar roller 85 (pressure unit 82) can apply a pressure higher than the pressure applied to the second web W2 by the heating roller 86 (heating unit 84) to the second web W2. The number of calender rollers 85 and heating rollers 86 is 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 for cutting the sheet S in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the sheet S, and a second cutting unit 94 for cutting the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction. ,have. The second cutting unit 94 cuts, for example, the sheet S that has passed through the first cutting unit 92.

  As described above, a single-cut sheet S of a predetermined size is formed. The cut single-cut sheet S is discharged to the discharge unit 96. The discharge unit 96 includes a tray or stacker for storing the manufactured sheets, and the sheet S discharged to the tray can be taken out and used by the user.

[1-2. Configuration of supply section]
FIG. 2 is a view showing the configuration of the supply unit 10, and is a side view of an essential part showing a schematic configuration of the supply unit 10 in a side view. The directions in the installed state of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 are indicated by arrows X, Y, and Z in FIG. 2 and each of the drawings described below. The direction Z is a vertical direction, the direction Y is a direction corresponding to the transport direction of the raw material MA, and the direction X is a direction orthogonal to the direction Y. The directions X and Y are perpendicular to the direction Z (vertical direction).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the supply unit 10 includes a mounting table 501, a pickup roller 502, a conveyance mechanism 506, sheet guides 507, 508, and 509, a reading unit 530, and a cooling unit 550.

  The mounting table 501 is a table on which the raw material MA (corresponding to the sheet of the present invention) is mounted. The pickup roller 502 is a roller for taking out a predetermined number (for example, one) of the raw material MA placed on the placement table 501. The raw material MA picked up by the pickup roller 502 is conveyed along a conveyance path H constituted by sheet guides 507, 508, 509. The sheet guides 507, 508, 509 have a guide surface that supports the raw material MA from below. In the following description, regarding the raw material MA transported on the transport path H, the upper surface is the front surface, and the lower surface is the rear surface.

  The conveyance mechanism 506 (sheet conveyance unit) has a pair of conveyance rollers 505 which are respectively disposed above and below the conveyance path H along which the raw material MA is conveyed. The transport mechanism 506 transports the material MA in the transport direction F with the pair of transport rollers 505 sandwiching the raw material MA. The number of transport rollers 505 provided in the transport mechanism 506 is arbitrary. For example, a plurality of pairs of transport rollers 505 facing each other across the transport path H may be disposed along the transport path H.

  The reading unit 530 is a device that optically reads the surface of the raw material MA transported by the transport mechanism 506. The reading unit 530 includes a front side sensor 531 located above the transport path H, and a back side sensor 532 located below the transport path H. The front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532 are sensors that perform optical reading, and a known image sensor can be used. For example, it is configured by a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or an image sensor such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor). The front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532 irradiate the light to the surface of the raw material MA, receive the reflected light and detect it, and optically read the surface of the raw material MA. The reading unit 530 outputs, to the control device 110, read image data which is a reading result of each of the front sensor 531 and the rear sensor 532. The front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532 can be regarded as a kind of imaging device because they perform optical reading on the raw material MA. In this case, the read image data output by the reading unit 530 corresponds to captured image data. Further, each of the front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532 may be an imaging unit which is installed apart from the transport path H and picks up the front side surface of the raw material MA.

  The reading unit 530 corresponds to a detection unit together with or separately from an image processing unit 153 described later. The front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532 included in the reading unit 530 correspond to the reading unit. The reading unit 530 may be configured to include only one of the front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532.

The cooling unit 550 is a cooling device that cools the raw material MA by bringing the raw material MA into contact with a cooling medium.
The cooling medium used by the cooling unit 550 may be gas, liquid or solid. For example, the cooling medium can be selected from nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, fluorocarbon gas, so-called alternative chlorofluorocarbon gas, oxygen gas, hydrocarbon gas, ammonia gas, helium gas, argon gas, or other inert gas. For example, the cooling unit 550 can be configured to spray or discharge a gaseous cooling medium onto the raw material MA.

  Further, as a liquid cooling medium, liquefied gas obtained by liquefying the above-mentioned various gases may be mentioned. The cooling unit 550 may be configured to discharge or jet these liquids toward the raw material MA. Moreover, as a solid cooling medium, ice, dry ice, etc. are mentioned, For example, what processed these solid into granular form (pellet form) can be used. The cooling unit 550 may be configured to spray or eject a solid cooling medium toward the raw material MA.

  The temperature of the cooling medium with which the cooling unit 550 is in contact with the raw material MA is desirably lower than the upper limit of the so-called normal temperature range (5 degrees to 35 degrees), and is preferably lower. The configuration in which the cooling unit 550 obtains a low temperature cooling medium is not particularly limited. For example, a supply unit (not shown) for storing or supplying the above-described gaseous, liquid or solid cooling medium, and a cooling device for cooling the cooling medium stored and supplied by the supply unit may be provided. The cooling device may use a Peltier cooling device. Moreover, a heat pump type cooling device provided with a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator can also be used as a cooling device.

In addition, the cooling unit 550 may store low-temperature liquid or solid and supply the raw material MA to the cooling unit 550. For example, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may include a tank for storing liquefied helium, liquefied oxygen, liquefied nitrogen, liquefied argon, and liquefied carbon dioxide, and may discharge these cooling media from the cooling unit 550 toward the raw material MA. Also, for example, dry ice pellets may be supplied toward the raw material MA.
In addition, the cooling unit 550 may be configured to discharge or spray a gas obtained by vaporizing the low-temperature liquid or solid toward the raw material MA. For example, the cooling unit 550 discharges a low-temperature liquid toward the raw material MA, and this liquid includes a configuration that evaporates after coming off the cooling unit 550 and before contacting the raw material MA.

  Furthermore, the cooling unit 550 may be configured to spray a high pressure gas onto the raw material MA. In this case, if the gas is decompressed before being sprayed onto the raw material MA, as a result, the low-temperature gas contacts the raw material MA. That is, the cooling unit 550 decompresses a gas having a pressure higher than at least the pressure of the environment in which the supply unit 10 is installed (for example, the degree at which the standard atmospheric pressure can be considered) before contacting the raw material MA to direct the raw material MA. Can be configured to discharge. Specifically, a tank or cylinder storing high-pressure gas and a pressure reducing valve or pressure reducing nozzle can be provided. The high-pressure gas can be, for example, air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fluorocarbon, so-called substitute fluorocarbon, oxygen, hydrocarbon gas, ammonia gas, helium, argon, or other inert gas. In addition, these gases may be stored as a liquid in a tank or a cylinder.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing a configuration example of the cooling unit 550. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, a plan view on the front side of the raw material MA is indicated by symbol A, a side view in which the main part is enlarged is indicated by symbol B, and a plan view on the back side of the raw material MA is indicated by symbol C.

The refrigerant discharge portion 551 is located downstream of the sheet guide 508 in the conveyance direction F of the raw material MA, and faces the refrigerant discharge portion 552.
The refrigerant discharge portion 551 has a plurality of nozzles 555 aligned in the X direction as indicated by a symbol A in FIG. Here, the X direction is a direction orthogonal to the transport direction F of the raw material MA, and coincides with the width direction of the raw material MA. The respective nozzles 555 constituting the refrigerant discharge portion 551 are individually driven under the control of the control device 110 as described later, and can discharge the cooling medium. The nozzle 555 is disposed in a range overlapping at least a part of the raw material MA in the width direction of the raw material MA. Preferably, the refrigerant discharge portion 551 has a nozzle 555 in a range overlapping the entire width of the raw material MA. More preferably, the refrigerant discharge portion 551 has a nozzle 555 in a range exceeding the width of the raw material MA.

  Further, as indicated by a symbol C in FIG. 3, the refrigerant discharge portion 552 has a plurality of nozzles 556 aligned in the X direction. The respective nozzles 556 constituting the refrigerant discharge portion 552 are individually driven under the control of the control device 110 as described later, and can discharge the cooling medium. The nozzle 556 is disposed in a range overlapping at least a part of the raw material MA in the width direction of the raw material MA. Preferably, the refrigerant discharge portion 552 has a nozzle 556 in a range overlapping the entire width of the raw material MA. More preferably, the refrigerant discharge portion 552 has a nozzle 556 in a range exceeding the width of the raw material MA.

  The nozzle 555 is disposed with its tip end facing the raw material MA, as shown by a symbol B in FIG. 3, and has a discharge port 555a at its tip. The nozzle 555 discharges gas, liquid, or solid as a cooling medium onto the surface of the raw material MA from the discharge port 555a. The nozzle 556 is disposed with its tip facing the raw material MA, and has a discharge port 556a at its tip. The nozzle 556 discharges a gas, a liquid, or a solid as a cooling medium onto the back surface of the raw material MA from the discharge port 556a.

  The supply unit 10 can bring the cooling medium into contact with an arbitrary position in the width direction on the surface of the front side and the back side of the raw material MA by the refrigerant discharge units 551 and 552. Further, in accordance with the movement of the raw material MA by the conveyance mechanism 506, the control device 110 drives the nozzles 555 and 556 to cool the raw material MA to an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction (conveyance direction F, Y direction). Media can be contacted.

[1-3. Configuration of controller]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG.
The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a control device 110 having a main processor 111 that controls each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100.

  The control device 110 includes a main processor 111, a read only memory (ROM) 112, and a random access memory (RAM) 113. The main processor 111 is an arithmetic processing unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), and controls each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 by executing a basic control program stored in the ROM 112. The main processor 111 may be configured as a system chip including peripheral circuits such as the ROM 112 and the RAM 113 and other IP cores.

  The ROM 112 stores programs executed by the main processor 111 in a non-volatile manner. The RAM 113 forms a work area used by the main processor 111, and temporarily stores programs to be executed by the main processor 111 and data to be processed.

  The non-volatile storage unit 120 stores programs executed by the main processor 111 and data processed by the main processor 111.

  The display panel 116 is a display panel such as a liquid crystal display, and is installed, for example, on the exterior of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. The display panel 116 displays the operation state of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, various setting values, a warning display, and the like according to the control of the main processor 111.

  The touch sensor 117 detects a touch (contact) operation or a pressing operation. The touch sensor 117 is disposed, for example, on the display surface of the display panel 116 and detects an operation on the display panel 116. The touch sensor 117 outputs operation data including an operation position and the number of operation positions to the main processor 111 in response to the operation. The main processor 111 detects an operation on the display panel 116 based on the output of the touch sensor 117, and acquires an operation position. The main processor 111 realizes GUI (Graphical User Interface) operation based on the operation position detected by the touch sensor 117 and the display data 122 being displayed on the display panel 116.

  The control device 110 is connected to sensors installed in each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 via a sensor I / F (interface) 114. The sensor I / F 114 is an interface for obtaining a detection value output from the sensor and inputting the detection value to the main processor 111. The sensor I / F 114 may include an analog / digital (A / D) converter that converts an analog signal output from the sensor into digital data. Also, the sensor I / F 114 may supply drive current to each sensor. Also, the sensor I / F 114 may include a circuit that acquires the output value of each sensor according to the sampling frequency specified by the main processor 111 and outputs the output value to the main processor 111.

  The raw material sensor 301 and the paper discharge sensor 302 are connected to the sensor I / F 114. Further, the front sensor 531 and the rear sensor 532 of the reading unit 530 are connected to the sensor I / F 114, respectively.

  The raw material sensor 301 detects the remaining amount of the raw material MA stored in the supply unit 10. For example, the raw material sensor 301 is configured by an optical sensor that detects that the raw material MA placed on the mounting table 501 has reached the upper limit. The control device 110 notifies that the raw material MA is not added to the supply unit 10 based on the detection value of the raw material sensor 301 when the amount of the raw material MA becomes equal to or more than the set value.

  The discharge sensor 302 detects the amount of sheets S accumulated in the tray or stacker of the discharge unit 96. The control device 110 gives a notification when the amount of the sheet S detected by the sheet discharge sensor 302 becomes equal to or greater than the set value.

  The front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532 respectively output read image data obtained by reading the side of the raw material MA to the control device 110. The reading unit 530 may further include a circuit that collectively outputs the read image data read by the front sensor 531 and the read image data read by the rear sensor 532. Further, the format of data output from the reading unit 530 to the control device 110 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, image data encoded by a predetermined method. Alternatively, the output signal may be an image sensor provided in each of the front sensor 531 and the rear sensor 532.

  The control device 110 is connected to each drive provided in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 via a drive I / F (interface) 115. The driving unit included in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is a motor, a pump, a heater, or the like. The drive unit I / F 115 may be connected to a drive circuit or drive IC (Integrated Circuit) that supplies a drive current to the motor under the control of the control device 110, in addition to a configuration directly connected to the motor.

  The driving unit I / F 115 includes, as control targets of the control device 110, the crushing unit 311, the defibrating unit 312, the additive supply unit 313, the blower 314, the humidity control unit 315, the drum driving unit 316, the dividing unit 317, and The cutting unit 318 is connected.

  The crushing unit 311 includes a driving unit such as a motor that rotates the crushing blade 14. The defibrating unit 312 includes a drive unit such as a motor that rotates a rotor (not shown) included in the defibrating unit 20. The additive supply unit 313 includes a motor that drives a screw feeder that feeds out the additive, and a drive unit such as a motor or an actuator that opens and closes a shutter.

The blower 314 includes a mixing blower 56 and the like. Each of these blowers may be individually connected to drive part I / F115.
The humidity control unit 315 includes an ultrasonic vibration generator (not shown) provided in the humidity control unit 78, a fan (not shown), a pump (not shown), and the like.
The drum drive unit 316 includes a drive unit such as a motor for rotating the drum unit 41 and a motor for rotating the drum unit 61.
The dividing unit 317 includes a driving unit such as a motor (not shown) for rotating the rotating body 49.
The cutting unit 318 includes a motor (not shown) or the like for operating the blade in each of the first cutting unit 92 and the second cutting unit 94 of the cutting unit 90.

  In addition, a motor for driving the calendar roller 85, a heater for heating the heating roller 86, or the like may be connected to the driving unit I / F 115.

  Further, the transport unit 321, the refrigerant discharge unit 325, and the refrigerant discharge unit 326 are connected to the drive unit I / F 115.

  The transport unit 321 includes a motor (not shown) that drives the transport roller 505 of the transport mechanism 506. The transport unit 321 rotates in the forward direction under the control of the control device 110 and transports the raw material MA in the transport direction F. Further, the transport unit 321 may be capable of transporting the raw material MA in the direction opposite to the transport direction F by rotating the motor in the reverse direction.

  The refrigerant discharge unit 325 is a circuit (not shown) for selecting the plurality of nozzles 555 included in the refrigerant discharge unit 551 according to the control of the control device 110, and a supply unit (not shown) for supplying the cooling medium to the selected nozzle 555. ). The refrigerant discharge unit 325 drives the selected nozzle 555 to discharge the cooling medium. The refrigerant discharge unit 326 is a circuit (not shown) for selecting a plurality of nozzles 556 included in the refrigerant discharge unit 552 according to the control of the control device 110, and a supply unit (not shown) for supplying a cooling medium to the selected nozzle 556. ). The refrigerant discharge unit 326 drives the selected nozzle 556 to discharge the cooling medium.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of control device 110.
The control device 110 implements various functional units by cooperation of software and hardware by executing a program by the main processor 111. FIG. 5 shows the function of the main processor 111 having these function units as a control unit 150. Further, the control device 110 configures the storage unit 160 which is a logical storage device using the storage area of the non-volatile storage unit 120. Here, the storage unit 160 may be configured using storage areas of the ROM 112 and the RAM 113.

  The control unit 150 includes a raw material conveyance control unit 151, a reading control unit 152, an image processing unit 153, a cooling control unit 154, and a drive control unit 155. These units are realized by executing a program by the main processor 111. The control device 110 may execute an operating system (OS) configuring a platform of an application program as a basic control program for controlling the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. In this case, each functional unit of the control unit 150 may be implemented as an application program.

  FIG. 5 shows a reading unit 530, a conveyance unit 321, and refrigerant discharge units 325 and 326 as control targets of the control unit 150. Further, FIG. 5 shows a sensor 300 and a drive unit 310 as control targets of the control unit 150. The sensor 300 is a generic name of a sensor connected to the sensor I / F 114 in FIG. 4 and excludes the reading unit 530. Further, the drive unit 310 is a generic name of each drive unit connected to the drive unit I / F 115 except for the transport unit 321 and the refrigerant discharge units 325 and 326.

  The storage unit 160 stores various data processed by the control unit 150. For example, the storage unit 160 stores setting data 161, read image data 162, and cooling condition data 163.

  The setting data 161 includes various setting values and the like regarding the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. For example, the setting data 161 includes setting values such as the number of sheets S manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, the type and color of the sheets S, and the operating conditions of each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. Further, the setting data 161 includes a setting value as to whether the cooling unit 550 performs the cooling process on the raw material MA in the supply unit 10.

  The control unit 150 obtains the detection result of the sensor 300 and controls the drive unit 310 to operate each unit of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the set value of the setting data 161 to manufacture the sheet S.

The raw material conveyance control unit 151 controls the conveyance unit 321 to convey the raw material MA.
The reading control unit 152 causes the reading unit 530 to execute detection, and acquires the read image data of the front surface of the raw material MA and the read image data of the rear surface. The reading control unit 152 causes the storage unit 160 to store the acquired read image data as read image data 162.

  The reading control unit 152 may store the read image data 162 after the entire one raw material MA passes the reading position by the reading unit 530, that is, the positions of the front side sensor 531 and the back side sensor 532. Further, the reading control unit 152 may store, as the read image data 162, read image data of a portion of the raw material MA which has passed through the reading position of the reading unit 530. In this case, storage of read image data 162 is performed multiple times for one raw material MA. The number of read image data 162 stored for one raw material MA or the number of times the read image data 162 is stored is arbitrary. For example, it is determined according to the distance in the conveyance path H between the reading position of the reading unit 530 and the position of the nozzles 555 and 556 of the cooling unit 550 and the size of the raw material MA.

  The image processing unit 153 (data processing unit) analyzes the read image data 162 to detect an image formed on the raw material MA. The image processing unit 153 detects an image formed on the surface of the raw material MA by printing using ink or toner, writing, or another method. Here, the image includes characters, symbols, photographs, illustrations and the like, and includes images that can be distinguished visually from the ground color of the raw material MA, and the content is not limited. The image processing unit 153 generates information for specifying the position and size of the detected image, and stores the information as cooling condition data 163 in the storage unit 160. The information generated by the image processing unit 153 is, for example, information for specifying the outer edge of the detected image by coordinates in the plane of the raw material MA. The image processing unit 153 detects a portion having a color difference that is distinguishable from the ground color of the raw material MA as the edge of the image, and sets the portion surrounded by the edge as an image.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, and shows an operation of the image processing unit 153 detecting an image from the read image data 162.
Reference A in FIG. 6 indicates read image data 162. The read image data 162 illustrated in FIG. 6 is read image data of the front sensor 531. The read image data 162 includes an image P1 consisting of a geometrical figure, an image P2 consisting of characters, and an image P3 consisting of rectangular photographs. The images P1, P2 and P3 are located with blanks in one another. Therefore, the image processing unit 153 detects each of the images P1, P2, and P3 as an independent image. That is, in the example of FIG. 6, the image processing unit 153 detects three images P1, P2, and P3 from the read image data 162.

  The image processing unit 153 specifies an area including the detected image. The area specified by the image processing unit 153 includes the entire image detected in the read image data 162. The shape of the area may be circular, elliptical, rectangular, or other polygons, and in this embodiment is rectangular. This area is called an image forming area. Since the rectangle is surrounded by orthogonal sides, if these sides are parallel to the X direction and the Y direction, control of the operation of spraying the cooling medium by the refrigerant discharge portions 551 and 552 is easy. Therefore, a rectangular shape is preferable as the shape of the image forming area.

  When the image processing unit 153 detects the images P1, P2, and P3, the image processing unit 153 obtains X and Y coordinates of the outer edge of each of the images P1, P2, and P3. Here, the X coordinate is the coordinate in the width direction of the raw material MA, and the Y coordinate is the coordinate in the longitudinal direction of the raw material MA, that is, the direction along the transport direction F. The position of the origin is optional, but can be, for example, any corner of the raw material MA.

When the detected image is a rectangle, the image processing unit 153 identifies an image forming area that matches the image of the rectangle. That is, the coordinates of the four corners of the image forming area are the coordinates of the corners of the image. When the detected image is not a rectangle, the image processing unit 153 obtains a rectangular area including the entire image, and sets the coordinates of the corner of the obtained rectangle as the coordinates of the image formation area.
That is, the image processing unit 153 obtains the maximum value and the minimum value of the X coordinate of the outer edge of the image P1, and obtains the maximum value and the minimum value of the Y coordinate. The image processing unit 153 obtains the coordinates of the corner of the image forming area surrounding the image P1 based on the maximum value and the minimum value of the obtained coordinates.

  A state in which the image processing unit 153 has specified an image formation area is indicated by a symbol B in FIG. The image forming area PA1 is the smallest rectangle that can surround the image P1. The image processing unit 153 similarly specifies the image forming areas PA2 and PA3 for the images P2 and P3. Since the image P3 is a rectangular image, the image forming area PA3 surrounding the image P3 is substantially equal to the image P3.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of the cooling condition data 163. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the cooling condition data 163 includes coordinate data 163 a indicated by symbol A and cooling position data 163 b indicated by symbol B.

  The coordinate data 163a includes information specifying the position and size of the image forming area obtained by the image processing unit 153. In the present embodiment, since the image forming area is rectangular, the coordinate data 163a includes the coordinates of the upper left corner of the image forming area and the coordinates of the lower right corner. The coordinate data 163 a includes information of all the image formation areas specified by the image processing unit 153 with one read image data 162.

Further, the image processing unit 153 performs processing of specifying the position where the cooling medium is in contact with the cooling medium based on the coordinate data 163a, and including information indicating the specified position in the cooling position data 163b.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the cooling position data 163b, the Y coordinate, information (drive nozzle) for designating a nozzle for discharging the cooling medium, and the discharge amount of the cooling medium (medium discharge amount) are stored in one record. It is the data that contains. The Y coordinate is a Y coordinate which indicates a position at which the cooling medium is discharged in the refrigerant discharge portions 551 and 552 as a position in the transport direction F. The control device 110 controls the Y coordinate of the position for discharging the cooling medium by the amount of conveyance by the conveyance roller 505 after the tip of the raw material MA reaches the position of the nozzles 555, 556. The image processing unit 153 determines the Y coordinate of the cooling position data 163b in accordance with the position and size of the image forming area in the Y direction according to the coordinates included in the coordinate data 163a.

  The driving nozzle is information for specifying a nozzle that discharges the cooling medium among the nozzle 555 included in the refrigerant discharge unit 551 and the nozzle 556 included in the refrigerant discharge unit 552. The image processing unit 153 determines the driving nozzle in accordance with the position included in the X direction of the image forming area and the size according to the coordinates included in the coordinate data 163a.

  The image processing unit 153 determines the medium discharge amount. When the refrigerant discharge units 551 and 552 are configured not to adjust the amount of the cooling medium discharged from the nozzles 555 and 556, the medium discharge amount may be a preset value (default value), or the cooling position data 163b. You may exclude from. When the refrigerant discharge units 551 and 552 are configured to adjust the amount of the cooling medium discharged from the nozzles 555 and 556, the image processing unit 153 detects the nozzle 555 based on the state of the image detected by the read image data 162. The amount of cooling medium to be discharged from each of 556 is determined. For example, the image processing unit 153 can determine the medium discharge amount based on the lightness of the image detected in the read image data 162. The image processing unit 153 may set a medium discharge amount common to one image formation area, or may set a different medium discharge amount for each Y coordinate in one image formation area. The amount of cooling medium may, for example, be adjustable in stages. Alternatively, all the nozzles 555 and 556 driven with the same Y coordinate may be configured to discharge the same amount, or the amount of cooling medium discharged by each of the nozzles 555 and 556 can be individually adjusted. It may be.

  The cooling control unit 154 controls the refrigerant discharge units 325 and 326 based on the cooling condition data 163 generated by the image processing unit 153 to discharge the cooling medium from the nozzles 555 and 556. The drive control unit 155 obtains the detection result of the sensor 300 and controls the drive unit 310 to operate each unit of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the set value of the setting data 161 to manufacture the sheet S.

In the example shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the image processing unit 153 specifies a rectangular image formation area corresponding to the image detected from the read image data 162, and generates cooling position data 163b corresponding to the specified image formation area. Described the configuration. In this configuration, cooling position data 163b that performs cooling on a block basis is generated corresponding to the image forming area, and cooling on a block basis is performed.
In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may be configured to cool so as to trace a colored portion in the image detected by the image processing unit 153 from the read image data 162. In this case, the cooling position data 163b is colored. It is sufficient if it is data indicating the part of. For example, the image processing unit 153 can detect a colored portion as a portion different from the ground color of the read image data 162. For example, cooling may be performed on the image P2 of FIG. 6 composed of characters so as to trace the lines constituting the characters included in the image P2. In this example, the cooling position data 163b can be coordinate data or vector data that can specify a straight line or a curve that constitutes a character of the image P2.

[1-4. Operation of sheet manufacturing apparatus]
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, and shows the operation of the supply unit 10. As shown in FIG.
The control unit 150 controls the conveyance unit 321 to start conveyance of the raw material MA by the conveyance roller 505 and start position detection in the conveyance direction F of the raw material MA (step ST11).

  The control unit 150 uses the reading unit 530 to read the front surface and the back surface of the raw material MA (step ST12). The reading unit 530 executes reading according to the control of the control unit 150 along with conveyance of the raw material MA, and the control unit 150 stores the read image data 162 in the storage unit 160 based on the data output from the reading unit 530.

  The control unit 150 acquires the read image data 162 (step ST13). The control unit 150 detects an image from the acquired read image data 162, and specifies an image forming area corresponding to each detected image (step ST14). The control unit 150 generates cooling condition data 163 corresponding to the specified image forming area, and stores the cooling condition data 163 in the storage unit 160 (step ST15). The control unit 150 drives the cooling unit 550 based on the cooling condition data 163 to execute the cooling of the raw material MA.

  While transporting the raw material MA in the supply unit 10, the control unit 150 repeatedly executes the operation of FIG.

  As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 as a sheet processing apparatus that processes the raw material MA on which the image is formed includes the reading unit 530 that detects the image formed on the raw material MA. In addition, a cooling unit 550 that performs cooling processing for selectively bringing a cooling medium into contact with an image forming area including an image detected by the reading unit 530, and a raw material MA in which the cooling medium contacts the image forming area by the cooling unit 550 And a micronizing unit to miniaturize the The refining unit includes at least one of the crushing unit 12 and the defibrating unit 20. That is, the crushing part 12 or the defibrating part 20 alone constitutes a refining part, or both the crushing part 12 and the defibrating part 20 are included in the refining part.

  According to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 to which the present invention is applied, the raw material MA on which the image is formed by printing or the like is subjected to a process of cooling the region including the portion on which the image is formed by the cooling medium Do. For this reason, the raw material MA can be miniaturized in a state in which the colored component and the fiber etc. contained in the raw material MA are easily separated, and the colored material can be more reliably separated from the fibers etc. contained in the raw material MA. it can. In addition, since the non-printed portion of the raw material MA is not cooled, there is no deterioration of the cellulose fiber due to the cooling impact, and the long cellulose fiber is preserved. For this reason, it is possible to improve the quality such as the strength and the like of the recycled waste paper, that is, the sheet manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. Furthermore, since the cooling unit 550 is a selective partial cooling unit that cools only a necessary portion, it is possible to suppress consumption energy and the use of a cooling solvent, and as a result, environmentally friendly recycling can be realized. Thus, the part containing a large amount of colored components can be selectively cooled efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a finely divided product obtained by refining the raw material MA in a state of high whiteness.

  Moreover, the supply part 10 is provided with the conveyance mechanism 506 which conveys raw material MA. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 detects at least one of the detection of the image of the raw material MA being conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 506 and the cooling process for the image forming area of the raw material MA being conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 506 in the supply unit 10. Do any one. Thereby, the raw material MA can be efficiently processed by performing at least one of the detection of the image formed on the raw material MA and the cooling process by the conveyance mechanism 506 for conveying the raw material MA.

  In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a classification unit that classifies the fine particles obtained in the refinement unit. The classification unit includes at least one of the sorting unit 40 and the first web forming unit 45. That is, the sorting unit 40 or the first web forming unit 45 alone constitutes a refining unit, or both the sorting unit 40 and the first web forming unit 45 are included in the refining unit. As a result, by classifying the finely divided product obtained by refining the raw material MA, it is possible to separate the fibers and the like contained in the raw material MA and the colored component, and obtain the finely divided product with high whiteness.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a control unit 150 that controls the operation of the cooling unit 550 based on the detection result of the reading unit 530. Thereby, based on the result of detecting the image formed on the raw material MA, it is possible to selectively cool the portion containing a large amount of colored components.

  In addition, the cooling unit 550 may be capable of changing the amount of the cooling medium to be brought into contact with the raw material MA. In this case, the control unit 150 controls the amount of the cooling medium to be brought into contact with the raw material MA by the cooling unit 550 according to the detection result of the reading unit 530. Thus, the material MA can be cooled more efficiently by appropriately controlling the amount of the cooling medium to be brought into contact with the material MA.

  Further, the reading unit 530 includes a front side sensor 531 that optically reads the surface of the raw material MA, and a rear side sensor 532. The control unit 150 includes a front side sensor 531 and an image processing unit 153 that processes read image data 162 that is read data by the rear side sensor 532. Thereby, data obtained by optically reading the raw material MA can be processed, and an image formed on the raw material MA can be detected accurately.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 executes a sheet processing method of processing the raw material MA. This sheet processing method includes a detection step of detecting an image formed on the raw material MA by the reading unit 530. In addition, the image forming area including the image detected in the detecting step is included in a cooling step in which a cooling medium is selectively contacted by the cooling unit 550. Further, the method includes a refining step of refining the raw material MA processed in the cooling step by the crushing unit 12 and / or the defibrating unit 20. According to this sheet processing method, with respect to the raw material MA on which an image is formed by printing or the like, the region including the portion on which the image is formed is cooled by a cooling medium, and then it is miniaturized. In other words, in the manufacturing process of the sheet S, the reading unit 530 corresponds to the detection process, the cooling unit 550 corresponds to the cooling process, and the crushing unit 12 and / or the defibrating unit 20 correspond to the refining process.

  With this configuration, the raw material MA can be refined in a state in which the colored component and the fibers and the like contained in the raw material MA are easily separated, and the colored material can be more reliably separated from the fibers and the like contained in the raw material MA. Can. In addition, since the non-printed portion of the raw material MA is not cooled, there is no deterioration of the cellulose fiber due to the cooling impact, and the long cellulose fiber is preserved. For this reason, it is possible to improve the quality such as the strength and the like of the recycled waste paper, that is, the sheet manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. Furthermore, since the cooling unit 550 is a selective partial cooling unit that cools only a necessary portion, it is possible to suppress consumption energy and the use of a cooling solvent, and as a result, environmentally friendly recycling can be realized. Thus, the part containing a large amount of colored components can be selectively cooled efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a finely divided product obtained by refining the raw material MA in a state of high whiteness.

  Further, the sheet processing method performed by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a classification step of classifying the finely divided product obtained in the refining step by the sorting unit 40 and / or the first web forming unit 45 after the refining step. . In other words, the sorting unit 40 and / or the first web forming unit 45 correspond to a classification step. As a result, by classifying the finely divided product obtained by refining the raw material MA, it is possible to separate the fibers and the like contained in the raw material MA and the colored component, and obtain the finely divided product with high whiteness.

[2. Second embodiment]
[2-1. Configuration of sheet manufacturing apparatus]
Next, a second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described.
FIG. 9 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment described below, the components configured in the same manner as the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A includes a chamber 410 that accommodates at least the refinement unit in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1). The chamber 410 is a container capable of dividing the internal space 410A from the outside, and may have a box shape, a cylindrical shape, or a more complicated shape. The refining unit includes the crushing unit 12 and / or the defibrating unit 20 as described above. In the present embodiment, the chamber 410 accommodates the supply unit 10, the crushing unit 12, the defibrating unit 20, and a part or all of the pipes (pipes 2, 3, and 8) connected thereto. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 </ b> A also includes a temperature adjusting device 415 that adjusts the temperature of the internal space 415 </ b> A of the chamber 410.

  The inner space 410A (target space) of the chamber 410 is a space distinguished from the outside of the chamber 410, but air may flow between the outer space and the inner space 410A. That is, as long as the temperature of the internal space 410A can be maintained at a temperature different from that of the external space of the chamber 410, complete airtightness may not be maintained, and for example, the chamber 410 may have an opening.

  The temperature adjustment device 415 (temperature adjustment unit) adjusts the temperature of the air in the internal space 410A under the control of the control device 110. The temperature control device 415 may be any device capable of heating and cooling the air in the internal space 410A, but may be any device capable of cooling at least the air. The specific configuration of the temperature control device 415 is optional, and for example, a Peltier cooling device can be used. Also, for example, the temperature control device 415 can use a heat pump type refrigerator including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. Further, in the case where the temperature control device 415 is configured to heat the air, various heaters that heat the air by electricity or a heat pump type device may be used.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 </ b> A also includes a sensor unit 420. The sensor unit 420 (temperature detection unit) detects the temperature and humidity of the process after the process of miniaturizing each part contained in the chamber 410, that is, the process of refining the raw material MA in the process of manufacturing the sheet S by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. . In the present embodiment, the sensor unit 420 detects the temperature and humidity of the sorting unit 40. The sensor unit 420 detects, for example, the temperature and humidity inside the drum unit 41 in the sorting unit 40. In addition, the sensor unit 420 may be configured to detect the temperature and humidity of the position where the first web W1 is formed on the mesh belt 46. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A is a sensor that detects the temperature and humidity of the pipe 7, the pipe 54, the mixing blower 56, the deposition unit 60, the second web forming unit 70, the conveying unit 79, the sheet forming unit 80, the cutting unit 90, and the like. (Not shown) may be provided. This sensor may be provided in addition to the sensor unit 420 or in place of the sensor unit 420.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A is configured in the same manner as the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 except that the chamber 410, the temperature control device 415, and the sensor unit 420 are provided.

[2-2. Configuration of control system of sheet manufacturing apparatus]
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a control system of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A.
In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A, the control device 110 is connected to the sensor unit 420 via the sensor I / F 114. The sensor unit 420 includes a temperature sensor 421 that detects a temperature, and a humidity sensor 422 that detects a humidity. The control device 110 acquires temperature data based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 421, and detects humidity data based on the detection value of the humidity sensor 422. The sensor unit 420 may be a sensor module in which the functions of the temperature sensor 421 and the humidity sensor 422 are integrated.

The temperature adjustment unit 327 is connected to the control device 110 via the drive unit I / F 115. The temperature control unit 327 is a Peltier device, a compressor, a heater or the like that drives the temperature control device 415.
The control device 110 can detect the temperature by the sensor unit 420, and can control the temperature adjustment unit 327 to adjust the temperature inside the chamber 410.

  The process of acquiring temperature data and humidity data by the sensor unit 420 is executed by the control unit 150 (FIG. 5), and is executed by, for example, the reading control unit 152. Further, the control unit 150 executes the processing of controlling the temperature adjustment unit 327 to adjust the temperature of the internal space 410A, for example, the drive control unit 155.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A controls the supply unit 10 to detect an image of the raw material MA and selectively cool the raw material MA as described in the first embodiment.
Further, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A adjusts the temperature of the internal space 410A in which the components including the supply unit 10 are accommodated by the temperature adjustment unit 327, whereby the defibrated material to be sent to the sorting unit 40 and the subsequent steps. It has a function of maintaining the temperature within a predetermined temperature range. This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart.

[2-3. Operation of sheet manufacturing apparatus]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A, and shows the operation of the supply unit 10.
The control unit 150 detects temperature and humidity by the sensor unit 420, and acquires temperature data and humidity data (step ST21). Control unit 150 sets a target temperature of internal space 410A (step ST22).

  The target temperature determined in step ST22 can be a temperature corresponding to the temperature and humidity detected by the sensor unit 420. Specifically, the control unit 150 sets, as the target temperature, a temperature at which the defibrated material defibrated by the defibrating unit 20 causes dew condensation in the sorting unit 40 as the processing unit. In this case, the control unit 150 obtains the amount of water vapor in the air in the detection environment of the sensor unit 420 from the temperature and the humidity detected by the sensor unit 420. The control unit 150 obtains a temperature at which dew condensation occurs in the detection environment of the sensor unit 420 from the obtained amount of water vapor, and sets the obtained temperature or a temperature obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the obtained temperature as a target temperature.

  The defibrated material disintegrated by the disintegration unit 20 is sent to the sorting unit 40 at a temperature higher than the temperature of the internal space 410A or the temperature of the internal space 410A by a predetermined temperature. Here, the predetermined temperature is a temperature at which the heat generation of the defibrating unit 20 raises the temperature. When the target temperature is set appropriately, when the defibrated material enters the inside of the sorting unit 40 which is the detection environment of the sensor unit 420, dew condensation occurs on the defibrated material. As a result, since the defibrated material is appropriately wetted in the sorting unit 40, excessive drying of the defibrated material can be prevented, and the influence of static electricity on the defibrated material can be suppressed. For example, it is possible to prevent adhesion of the defibrated material due to static electricity or the like in the inside of the drum portion 41 or in the process of dropping the defibrated material (first separated material) from the drum portion 41 to the mesh belt 46.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A is configured to control the temperature from the cooling unit 550A for selectively cooling the raw material MA, which is waste paper, etc., to the low temperature to the defibrillation unit 20, and to set normal temperature normal humidity (from high temperature high humidity) to the subsequent steps. is there. For this reason, in the processing section, the coloring material resin (printed toner) contained in the cellulose and the raw material MA by the condensation on the finely divided product or the crushed product (specifically, cellulose fiber, coloring material, etc.) positively. Since the air is humidified, electrostatic charging can be prevented.
That is, since the generation of static electricity due to the friction between the cellulose fiber and the coloring material resin (printing toner) is suppressed after the defibrillation processing is performed in the defibrating unit 20, the following effects and the like can be obtained.
The separation efficiency can be improved by preventing electrostatic aggregation of the cellulose fiber and the color material resin (printing toner).
-It is possible to prevent adhesion and deposition of cellulose fiber and colorant resin (printed toner) in the device.
This can contribute to facilitation of maintenance of the device and stable operation.

  Further, in step ST22, the control unit 150 may set a preset value as the target temperature. In this case, the configuration for detecting the temperature in step ST21 may be omitted, or the sensor unit 420 may not be provided.

  The control unit 150 starts temperature adjustment by the temperature adjustment device 415 (step ST23), and determines whether or not the target temperature set in step ST22 has been reached (step ST24). While the target temperature is not reached (step ST24; NO), the control unit 150 stands by. If the target temperature has been reached (step ST24; YES), the control unit 150 proceeds to step ST11 and supplies the raw material MA from the supply unit 10.

The operations of steps ST11 to ST16 are as described in the first embodiment.
Further, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A detects the temperature and the humidity by the defibrating unit 20 in step ST21 (also referred to as a temperature detection step), sets the target temperature of the internal space 410A, and adjusts the temperature adjustment device 415 according to the target temperature. Adjust the temperature by. As described above, the control unit 150 cools the internal space 410A by the temperature adjustment device 415 when the purpose is to condense the defibrated material.

As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A includes the temperature adjusting device 415 that adjusts the temperature of the inner space 410A including at least the refining unit. Thereby, the raw material MA cooled by the cooling unit 550 can be refined by the crushing unit 12 and / or the defibrating unit 20 at an appropriate temperature, and the colored components contained in the raw material MA can be more efficiently It can be separated.
In addition, since the non-printed portion of the raw material MA is not cooled, there is no deterioration of the cellulose fiber due to the cooling impact, and the long cellulose fiber is preserved. Therefore, it is possible to improve the quality such as the strength of the recycled waste paper, that is, the sheet manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A. Furthermore, since the cooling unit 550 is a selective partial cooling unit that cools only a necessary portion, it is possible to suppress consumption energy and the use of a cooling solvent, and as a result, environmentally friendly recycling can be realized.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 has a processing unit that processes the micronized product obtained in the micronization unit. The processing unit is, for example, the sorting unit 40, the first web forming unit 45, or each unit further downstream in the manufacturing process of the sheet S.
The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A includes a sensor unit 420 that detects the temperature of the processing unit. The temperature adjustment device 415 adjusts the temperature of the internal space 410A according to the target temperature set by the control unit 150, and the control unit 150 sets the target temperature of the temperature adjustment unit based on the detection result of the sensor unit 420. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately manage the temperature conditions of the process of refining the raw material MA in accordance with the environment in which the fine product is processed. For this reason, for example, the temperature of the finely divided material can be adjusted according to the environment in which the finely divided material is processed. For example, it is possible to set the temperature of the finely divided product to a temperature that causes condensation when processing the finely divided product or to a temperature that does not excessively dry the finely divided product upon processing the finely divided product. .

  In addition, as described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A controls the temperature of the cooling unit 550A to a low temperature from the cooling unit 550A, and changes the subsequent steps from normal temperature to normal temperature to high temperature and high humidity. Humidification to the coloring material resin and the printing toner contained in the cellulose and the raw material MA, such as causing condensation on the finely divided product or the pulverized product. Therefore, electrostatic charge can be prevented, and adhesion of cellulose fiber and colorant resin to the inside of the device and deposition can be prevented by preventing electrostatic aggregation of the cellulose fiber and colorant resin to improve separation efficiency. As a result, the maintenance of the device can be facilitated and stable operation can be contributed, and the efficiency of the processing unit can be enhanced.

[3. Third embodiment]
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the cooling unit 550A in the third embodiment.
The cooling unit 550A is provided instead of the cooling unit 550 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

The cooling unit 550A has a nozzle 557 for discharging a cooling medium, and a moving mechanism for moving the nozzle 557 in the X direction and the Y direction. The movement mechanism includes a Y-direction guide 601, a slide mechanism 602, an X-direction guide 603, and a slide mechanism 604.
The nozzle 557 is arranged to face the raw material MA such that the tip of the nozzle 557 is close to the surface of the front side or the back side of the raw material MA.

The Y direction guide 601 is a rod-like member extended in the Y direction, and can be a rail or a shaft. The slide mechanism 602 includes a motor (not shown) and a roller (not shown), and moves along the Y direction guide 601 under the control of the control device 110. The X-direction guide 603 is fixed to the slide mechanism 602, and the X-direction guide 603 moves in the Y direction as the slide mechanism 602 moves.
The X-direction guide 603 is a rod-like member extending in the X-direction, and can be a rail or a shaft. The slide mechanism 604 includes a motor (not shown) and a roller (not shown), and moves along the X-direction guide 603 under the control of the controller 110. A nozzle 557 is fixed to the slide mechanism 604.

Therefore, the movement of the slide mechanisms 602 and 604 can move the nozzle 557 to any position in the X and Y directions.
The nozzle 557 discharges the cooling medium from its tip toward the raw material MA. The nozzle 557 is configured similarly to the nozzle 555 included in the refrigerant discharge unit 551 and the nozzle 556 included in the refrigerant discharge unit 552. Further, the configuration of each part that supplies the refrigerant to the nozzle 557 is also the same. Further, the cooling medium discharged by the nozzle 557 is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

  The controller 110 drives the slide mechanisms 602 and 604 based on the coordinates of the image forming area PA included in the cooling condition data 163. Thereby, the control device 110 causes the nozzle 557 to scan in the X direction and the Y direction by the Y direction guide 601, the slide mechanism 602, the X direction guide 603, and the slide mechanism 604, thereby cooling the image forming area PA.

  Further, the cooling unit 550A has a sheet suction unit 510. The sheet suction unit 510 is a plate-like member that supports the raw material MA from below similarly to the sheet guide 508 (FIG. 2), and sucks air by the suction force of a suction member (for example, a pump) not shown. By the suction force, the sheet suction unit 510 holds the raw material MA so as not to move in the X direction and the Y direction. With this configuration, positional deviation of the raw material MA can be prevented, and the image forming area PA can be cooled properly by the nozzle 557. Further, the sheet suction unit 510 sucks the raw material MA to prevent the raw material MA from rising in the Z direction. Thereby, the nozzle 557 can be scanned on the raw material MA without the tip of the nozzle 557 coming in contact with the raw material MA, and the image forming area PA can be cooled.

[4. Fourth embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the main configuration of the cooling unit 550B of the fourth embodiment, and schematically showing the configuration when the cooling unit 550B is viewed from the side direction.

The cooling unit 550 </ b> B includes a nozzle 611, a suction pipe 613 disposed close to the nozzle 611, and a chamber 610 accommodating the nozzle 611 and the suction pipe 613.
The chamber 610 is a box that is made of a material that does not pass gas or does not easily pass gas, and partitions the internal space including the nozzle 611 and the suction pipe 613 from the outside. At the end of the chamber 610 on the side of the raw material MA, a seal member 616 for suppressing air flow is disposed so as not to damage the raw material MA. The seal member 616 is, for example, a roller that can rotate in the conveyance direction F of the raw material MA.

  The nozzle 611 is disposed to face the raw material MA such that the nozzle tip 611A is close to the front or back surface of the raw material MA. The nozzle 611 includes a cooling medium supply pipe 611 B that supplies a cooling medium to the nozzle 611. The cooling medium supplied through the cooling medium supply pipe 611B and the structure for supplying the cooling medium to the nozzle 611 are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

  The suction pipe 613 is disposed with the tip opening 613A facing the nozzle tip 611A. The suction pipe 613 has a transport pipe 614. The transport pipe 614 is connected to a suction device (for example, a suction pump) not shown, and sucks gas from the tip opening 613A by negative pressure generated by the suction device.

  When the nozzle 611 discharges the cooling medium from the nozzle tip 611A, the discharged cooling medium is sucked from the tip opening 613A. The suctioned cooling medium can be recovered through the transfer pipe 614.

  The nozzle 611 is housed in the chamber 610. The chamber 610 suppresses the diffusion of the cooling medium that has not been drawn into the suction pipe 613. In addition, the chamber 610 has the function of preventing the cooling medium from diffusing in a direction other than the tip opening 613A due to the influence of external wind on the nozzle tip 611A, and most of the discharged cooling medium is It can be aspirated from 613A and recovered. For example, when the cooling medium contains a component with high rarity such as argon or helium, or contains a component that is not suitable to diffuse in the air or inside the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, the cooling unit 550B is used. It is preferable to recover the cooling medium.

  The cooling unit 550B is provided instead of the cooling unit 550 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. For example, it is possible to replace each nozzle 555 constituting the refrigerant discharge portion 551 with a combination of the nozzle 611 and the suction pipe 613. In this case, one suction pipe 613 may be provided for a plurality of nozzles 611. The chamber 610 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of nozzles 611 and a suction pipe 613.

[5. Fifth embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the main configuration of the cooling unit 550C of the fifth embodiment, and schematically showing the configuration when the cooling unit 550C is viewed from the side direction.

  The cooling unit 550C includes the composite nozzle 621. The composite nozzle 621 is configured in a double tube structure having an outer tube 621A and an inner tube 621B. A cooling medium is supplied to the outer pipe 621A from the outside. The cooling medium supplied through the outer pipe 621A and the configuration for supplying the cooling medium to the outer pipe 621A are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

The composite nozzle 621 is disposed to face the raw material MA such that the tip of the composite nozzle 621 is close to the front or back surface of the raw material MA.
The outer pipe 621A communicates with the discharge port 621C opened at the tip of the composite nozzle 621. The discharge port 621C is disposed to face the raw material MA, and the cooling medium supplied to the outer pipe 621A is discharged from the discharge port 621C toward the raw material MA.

  The inner pipe 621B communicates with a suction port 621D opened at the tip of the composite nozzle 621. The inner pipe 621B is connected to a suction device (for example, a suction pump) (not shown), and sucks gas from the suction port 621D by negative pressure generated by the suction device.

  When the composite nozzle 621 discharges the cooling medium from the discharge port 621C, the discharged cooling medium is sucked from the suction port 621D. The suctioned cooling medium can be recovered through the inner pipe 621B.

  The suction port 621D opens at the tip of the composite nozzle 621 together with the discharge port 621C. In the example of FIG. 14, the suction port 621D is opened adjacent to the discharge port 621C, and the suction port 621D protrudes to the side of the raw material MA rather than the discharge port 621C. Therefore, most of the cooling medium discharged from the discharge port 621C can be sucked from the suction port 621D before the cooling medium is diffused.

  At the tip of the composite nozzle 621, for example, the discharge port 621C may be formed in a ring shape, and the suction port 621D may be opened at the center thereof. Further, for example, the discharge port 621C and the suction port 621D may be opened side by side at the tip of the composite nozzle 621. Also in these configurations, most of the cooling medium can be sucked and recovered from the suction port 621D.

  Similar to the cooling unit 550B of the fourth embodiment, the cooling unit 550C can recover the cooling medium discharged to cool the raw material MA. For this reason, for example, it is suitable when a cooling medium contains a component with high rarity, or contains a component which is not suitable to diffuse in the air or inside the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100.

  Similar to the cooling unit 550B, the cooling unit 550C is provided instead of the cooling unit 550 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. For example, it is possible to replace each nozzle 555 constituting the refrigerant discharge portion 551 with the composite nozzle 621.

[6. Sixth embodiment]
FIG. 15 is a view showing the main configuration of the cooling unit 550D of the sixth embodiment, and schematically showing the configuration when the cooling unit 550D is viewed from the side direction.

  The cooling unit 550D includes a composite nozzle 631 and a chamber 630 that houses the composite nozzle 631. The composite nozzle 631 is constituted by a double pipe structure having an outer pipe 631A and an inner pipe 631B. Gas is supplied to the outer pipe 631A from the outside. The gas supplied to the outer pipe 631A may be a cooling medium, but may be a gas not containing a component used as a cooling medium, such as air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, inert gas, etc. It is. Further, a cooling medium is supplied from the outside to the inner pipe 631B. The cooling medium supplied through the inner pipe 631B and the structure for supplying the cooling medium to the outer pipe 631A are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

The composite nozzle 631 is disposed to face the raw material MA such that the tip of the composite nozzle 631 is close to the front or back surface of the raw material MA.
The outer pipe 631A communicates with the discharge port 631C opened at the tip of the composite nozzle 631. The discharge port 631C is disposed to face the raw material MA, and the gas supplied to the outer pipe 631A is discharged from the discharge port 631C toward the raw material MA.

  Further, the inner pipe 631B communicates with a cooling medium discharge port 631D opened at the tip of the composite nozzle 631. The cooling medium discharge port 631D is disposed to face the raw material MA, and the cooling medium supplied to the inner pipe 631B is discharged from the cooling medium discharge port 631D toward the raw material MA.

  At the tip of the composite nozzle 631, the cooling medium discharge port 631D is disposed so as to be surrounded by the discharge port 631C. For this reason, the cooling medium discharged from the cooling medium discharge port 631D passes through the air flow flowing out from the discharge port 631C and contacts the raw material MA. Therefore, since the cooling medium selectively contacts the image forming area PA, the image forming area PA can be efficiently cooled.

  The chamber 630 is a box that is made of a material that does not pass gas or does not easily pass gas, and partitions the internal space including the composite nozzle 631 from the outside. At the end of the chamber 630 on the side of the raw material MA, a seal member 636 for restraining the air flow is disposed so as not to damage the raw material MA. The seal member 636 is, for example, a roller that can rotate in the conveyance direction F of the raw material MA.

  The chamber 630 has an exhaust port 630A communicating with the internal space of the chamber 630. The exhaust port 630A is connected to an external suction device (for example, a pump) (not shown), and sucks gas from the chamber 630 by the suction force of the suction device.

  The cooling medium discharged from the composite nozzle 631 and the gas flowing around the cooling medium are recovered through the exhaust port 630A. Since the chamber 630 is a space partitioned from the outside, the cooling medium can be efficiently recovered from the exhaust port 630A. For example, it is suitable when a cooling medium contains a component with high rarity, or contains a component that is not suitable to diffuse in the air or inside the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100.

  Like the cooling units 550B and 550C, the cooling unit 550D is provided instead of the cooling unit 550 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. For example, it is possible to replace each nozzle 555 constituting the refrigerant discharge portion 551 with the composite nozzle 631.

[7. Other embodiments]
Each embodiment mentioned above is only a concrete mode which carries out the present invention described in a claim, and does not limit the present invention, and in the range which does not deviate from the gist, for example, as shown below, And can be implemented in various aspects.
For example, in each embodiment described above, the reading unit 530 may, for example, magnetically detect a portion of the raw material MA on which an image is formed. In addition, although the configuration including cooling units 550 and 550A to 550D for discharging the cooling medium toward the raw material MA as the cooling unit for cooling the raw material MA has been described, for example, the cooling unit contacts a low temperature member to the raw material MA It may be allowed to cool the raw material MA. In this case, the cooling unit may be configured to include an apparatus for cooling the member and a moving mechanism for moving the member toward the raw material MA.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, 100A may include a humidifier that humidifies the internal space of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, 100A, the raw material, and the like. The humidifier includes, for example, a raw material crushed by the crushing unit 12, a defibrated material of the defibrating unit 20, a first sorted product sorted by the sorting unit 40, and a first formed by the first web forming unit 45. The mixture mixed by the web W1, the tube 54 and the mixing blower 56 is humidified. Examples of the humidifier include a steam humidifier, a vaporization humidifier, a warm air vaporization humidifier, and an ultrasonic humidifier. For example, humidified air with high humidity may be supplied, or water fine particles (mist) may be supplied.

  The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 or 100A is not limited to the sheet S, and may be configured to manufacture a board-like or web-like product configured of a hard sheet or a laminated sheet. Further, the product is not limited to paper, and may be non-woven fabric. The properties of the sheet S are not particularly limited, and may be paper usable as recording paper (for example, so-called PPC paper) for the purpose of writing or printing, and may be wallpaper, wrapping paper, colored paper, drawing paper, Kent paper, etc. It may be. When the sheet S is a non-woven fabric, in addition to a general non-woven fabric, a fiber board, a tissue paper, a kitchen paper, a cleaner, a filter, a liquid absorber, a sound absorber, a buffer, a mat, etc. may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Hopper, 10 ... Supply part, 12 ... Crushing part (refining part) 14, 14 ... Crushing blade, 20 ... Defibrillation part (refining part) 22, ... Introduction port, 24 ... Discharge port, 40 ... Sorting Section (classification section) 41 drum section 42 introduction port 43 housing section 44 discharge port 45 first web formation section (classification section) 46 mesh belt 47, 47a tension roller , 48: suction unit, 49: rotating body, 50: mixing unit, 52: additive supply unit, 56: mixing blower, 60: deposition unit, 70: second web forming unit, 78: humidity control unit, 79: conveyance Unit 80 80: sheet forming unit 82: pressurizing unit 84: heating unit 90: cutting unit 96: discharge unit 100 100A: sheet manufacturing apparatus (sheet processing apparatus) 101: disintegration processing unit 102 ... Manufacturing unit (processing unit), 110 ... Control device, 111 ... Main processor, 11 ... ROM, 113 ... RAM, 120 ... non-volatile storage unit, 150 ... control unit, 151 ... raw material conveyance control unit, 152 ... reading control unit, 153 ... image processing unit (data processing unit), 154 ... cooling control unit, 155 ... drive control unit 160 storage unit 161 setting data 162 image data 163 cooling condition data 163a coordinate data 163b cooling position data 321 transport unit 325, 326 refrigerant discharge unit 327 ... temperature adjustment part, 410 ... chamber, 410 A ... internal space (target space), 415 ... temperature adjustment device (temperature adjustment part), 415 A ... internal space, 420 ... sensor part (temperature detection part), 421 ... temperature sensor, 422: humidity sensor, 501: mounting table, 502: pickup roller, 505: conveyance roller, 506: conveyance mechanism (sheet conveyance unit) 507, 508, 509: sheet guide, 510: sheet suction unit, 530: reading unit (detection unit), 531: front side sensor (reading unit), 532: back side sensor (reading unit), 550, 550A, 550B, 550C, 550D: Cooling part, 551, 552: Refrigerant discharge part, 555, 556: Nozzle, 555a, 556a: Discharge port, 557: Nozzle, 601: Y direction guide, 602, 604: Slide mechanism, 603: X direction guide, 610 ... Chamber, 611 ... nozzle, 611 A ... nozzle tip, 611 B ... cooling medium supply pipe, 613 ... suction pipe, 613 A ... tip opening, 614 ... transport pipe, 616 ... sealing member, 621 ... composite nozzle, 621 A ... outer pipe, 621 B ... Inner pipe, 621 C ... Discharge port, 621 D ... Suction port, 630 ... Chamber, 630 A ... Exhaust port, 631 ... Multiple Joint nozzle, 631A: Outer tube, 631B: Inner tube, 631C: Discharge port, 631D: Cooling medium discharge port, 636: Seal member, F: Transport direction, H: Transport path, MA: Raw material (sheet), P1, P2 , P3 ... image, PA, PA1, PA2, PA3 ... image forming area, S ... sheet.

Claims (10)

A sheet processing apparatus for processing a sheet on which an image is formed,
A detection unit that detects an image formed on the sheet;
A cooling unit that performs a cooling process for selectively bringing a cooling medium into contact with an image forming area including the image detected by the detection unit;
A refining unit that refines the sheet subjected to the cooling process by the cooling unit;
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: A sheet conveying unit for conveying the sheet;
At least the detection of the image of the sheet being conveyed by the sheet conveyance unit and the cooling process on the image forming area of the sheet being conveyed by the sheet conveyance unit in the sheet conveyance unit The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, which performs any of the above.   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a classification unit that classifies the finely divided product obtained by the refinement unit.   The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a control unit that controls an operation of the cooling unit based on a detection result of the detection unit. The cooling unit is capable of changing the amount of the cooling medium to be brought into contact with the sheet,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls an amount of the cooling medium that the cooling unit causes the sheet to contact in accordance with a detection result of the detection unit. The detection unit includes a reading unit that optically reads the surface of the sheet.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit includes a data processing unit configured to process read data by the reading unit.   The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising: a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust a temperature of a target space including at least the refinement unit. It has a processing unit for processing the micronized product obtained in the above-mentioned refinement unit,
A temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the processing unit;
The temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the target space according to the target temperature set by the control unit,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit sets a target temperature of the temperature adjustment unit based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit. A sheet processing method for processing a sheet, wherein
Detecting the image formed on the sheet;
A cooling step of selectively bringing a cooling medium into contact with an image forming area including the image detected in the detecting step;
A refining process for refining the sheet treated in the cooling process;
And a sheet processing method.   The sheet processing method according to claim 9, further comprising a classification step of classifying the fine particles obtained in the refining step after the refining step.

Images