JP2024055806A - Feather cleaning method and feather product manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method capable of sufficiently removing impurities and improving the heat retention of feathers. [Solution] The feather washing method includes the steps of preparing feathers, generating fine bubbles B in water W using an air bubble generator 20 to produce fine bubble water containing fine bubbles B, applying the fine bubble water to feathers, and drying the feathers to which the fine bubble water has been applied. [Selected Figure] Figure 3

Description

This disclosure relates to a feather cleaning method and a feather product manufacturing method.

JP2010-505464A describes a method for washing clothes using a washing machine. In this washing method, fabrics are washed in a domestic front-loading washing machine using wash water containing a detergent composition, and a rinsing and spin-drying program is performed. The publication describes that the operation of the rinsing and spin-drying program for the fabrics is not preceded by washing the fabrics by hand or machine.

JP 2010-505464 A

Feathers are known to be a very delicate material. Therefore, when washing feathers, it is necessary to thoroughly remove impurities and dirt from the feathers, as well as to reduce the force applied to the feathers. However, if feathers are washed in the same way as clothes, as in the washing method described in Patent Document 1, the force applied to the feathers will be excessive, which may shorten the lifespan of the feathers and feather products. If the washing time is shortened or the rotation speed of the washing machine drum is reduced in order to reduce the force applied to the feathers, the feathers may not be washed sufficiently, and impurities may not be sufficiently removed from the feathers during washing. Furthermore, from the perspective of improving the quality of feather products, it is necessary to improve the heat retention of feathers.

The present disclosure aims to provide a feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method that can thoroughly remove impurities and improve the heat retention of feathers.

The feather cleaning method according to the present disclosure includes (1) the steps of preparing feathers, generating fine bubbles in water using a bubble generator to produce fine bubble water containing fine bubbles, applying the fine bubble water to the feathers, and drying the feathers to which the fine bubble water has been applied.

In this feather washing method, a bubble generator generates fine bubbles in water, producing fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. In this feather washing method, fine bubble water is given to feathers, and the feathers to which the fine bubble water has been given are dried. The feathers to which the fine bubble water has been given are dried, thereby expanding the feathers. As a result, the bulk of the feathers can be increased, and the heat retention of the feathers can be improved. In this feather washing method, fine bubble water is used as the water given to the feathers before drying. By giving the fine bubble water to the feathers before drying, the bubbles contained in the fine bubble water have the effect of removing fine dirt and the like from the feathers. As a result, impurities can be sufficiently removed from the feathers.

(2) In the above (1), the feather washing method may further include a step of cooling the feathers and removing impurities from the feathers after the drying step. In this case, impurities are removed from the feathers when the feathers are cooled after drying. Therefore, impurities can be removed from the feathers more reliably.

(3) In the above (2), the feather washing method may further include a step of sorting the feathers after the removing step. In this case, by including a step of sorting the feathers after removing impurities, it is possible to select only the feathers of higher quality from the feathers from which the impurities have been removed. As a result, the feathers of higher quality are selected, and the heat retention of the feathers can be further improved.

(4) In any of the above (1) to (3), the water may be activated water. Activated water has superior penetration, cleaning and antioxidant power for feathers compared to non-activated water. Therefore, compared to the case where microbubbles are generated in non-activated water and microbubble water is applied to the feathers, impurities can be removed more reliably from the feathers, and the lifespan of the feathers can be extended.

(5) In any of the above (1) to (4), the fine bubble water may be soft water. Compared to hard water, soft water has a lower metal ion content and therefore has superior cleaning power for feathers. Therefore, impurities can be removed from the feathers more reliably than when fine bubble water, which is hard water, is applied to the feathers.

A feather washing method according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes (6) a step of preparing feathers, a step of washing the feathers, and a step of generating fine bubbles in water using an air bubble generator to generate fine bubbles, which are minute air bubbles, thereby producing fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. In the step of washing the feathers, the fine bubble water is applied to the feathers to wash them.

In this feather washing method, feathers are washed by applying fine bubble water containing fine bubbles to the feathers. When the feathers are washed, the fine bubbles contained in the fine bubble water remove fine dirt and other impurities from the feathers, allowing impurities to be thoroughly removed from the feathers. Furthermore, because the fine bubbles contained in the fine bubble water can be used to gently wash the feathers, the force applied to the feathers during washing can be reduced compared to when washing with water that is not fine bubble water. As a result, the lifespan of the feathers can be extended.

The feather product manufacturing method according to the present disclosure (7) includes the steps of preparing feathers, generating fine bubbles in water using a bubble generator to produce fine bubble water containing fine bubbles, applying the fine bubble water to the feathers, drying the feathers that have been applied with the fine bubble water, placing the dried feathers in a pouch, and sewing the pouch.

In this feather product manufacturing method, feathers can be expanded by applying fine bubble water to the feathers and then drying the feathers. As a result, feathers with high volume are placed in a bag to manufacture the feather product, improving the heat retention of the feathers placed inside the feather product. Also, in this feather product manufacturing method, like the feather washing method described above, fine bubble water is used as the water to be applied to the feathers before drying. Therefore, the fine bubbles contained in the fine bubble water can remove fine dirt and the like from the feathers, allowing impurities to be sufficiently removed from the feathers.

This disclosure makes it possible to thoroughly remove impurities and improve the heat retention properties of feathers.

1A is a diagram showing a feather according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a feather comforter as an example of the feather product according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of each step of a feather cleaning method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of how fine bubble water is generated using the air bubble generating device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bag used in the feather cleaning method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which air is being sucked from the inside of the bag of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bag of FIG. 4 in a compressed state. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of each process of the feather product manufacturing method according to the present embodiment. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of each step of the freshening process in FIG. 7 . 1A is a table showing the evaluation test results of the feather washing method according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a table showing the evaluation test results of the feather washing method according to the comparative example. 1A is a table showing the evaluation test results of the feather washing method according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a table showing the evaluation test results of the feather washing method according to the comparative example. 1A is a table showing the evaluation test results of the feather washing method according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a table showing the evaluation test results of the feather washing method according to the comparative example. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing how fine bubble water is generated using a bubble generating device according to a modified example.

Below, an embodiment of the feather cleaning method and feather product manufacturing method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the drawings may be partially simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding, and the dimensional ratios, etc. are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

The feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method disclosed herein are used in the process of manufacturing or selling feather products from feathers. In this disclosure, "feather product" refers to a product that contains feathers, for example, a product in which feathers are contained inside a cover. "Feather product" refers to, for example, feather bedding.

"Feather bedding" includes, for example, feather duvets (including feather comforters and feather futons), feather comforters, feather pillows, feather cushions, feather cushions, feather mattresses, feather bed pads, and feather sofas. "Feather products" may include items other than feather bedding. Feather products may include, for example, clothing (for example, feather wear or down jackets).

"Fine bubble water" refers to water generated by generating microscopic bubbles in water using a bubble generator described below. Fine bubble water includes microscopic bubbles. "Fine" means, for example, that the outer shape is not visible to the naked eye. In this embodiment, "fine bubbles" refers to bubbles having a size of 100 μm or less. The size is, for example, the average bubble diameter. In this disclosure, "water" refers to water that is not generated by a bubble generator generating microscopic bubbles in water, and is distinguished from fine bubble water.

Figure 1(a) is a diagram showing a model of feathers according to this embodiment. Figure 1(b) is a diagram showing a model of a feather duvet, which is an example of a feather product according to this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), this embodiment describes an example in which the feather product is a feather duvet 1 made from feathers F.

The duvet 1 is a feather comforter. The shape of the duvet 1 in a plan view is, for example, rectangular. The duvet 1 comprises a rectangular outer fabric 2 and a lining located on the back side of the outer fabric 2. The materials of the outer fabric 2 and the lining may be, for example, cotton, polyester, rayon, or lyocell, and various materials can be used for the outer fabric 2 and the lining.

The duvet 1 has straight stitches 3 (tataki quilt) that divide the internal space between the outer fabric 2 and the lining. For example, the duvet 1 has multiple straight stitches 3 extending in the longitudinal direction of the duvet 1 and multiple straight stitches 3 extending in the lateral direction of the duvet 1, and the multiple straight stitches 3 cross each other. Note that the duvet 1 may have a gusset section (three-dimensional quilt) instead of or in addition to the straight stitches 3.

For example, the duvet 1 is divided into multiple internal spaces (for example, 55) by multiple straight stitches 3, and each of the divided internal spaces is filled with feathers F. The feathers F include, for example, down and feathers, which are the fluff of birds (such as geese or ducks).

The proportion of down in the feathers F in the duvet 1 is, for example, 90% or more. However, the proportion of down and feathers in the duvet can be changed as appropriate. The feathers F contain more air as the temperature drops and contract as the temperature rises. The duvet 1 is able to trap heat within the expanded feathers F, providing excellent heat retention.

Next, the feather washing method according to this embodiment will be described. Below, an example of washing feathers F contained in a feather comforter 1 will be described. Figure 2 is a flow chart showing an example of each step of the feather washing method according to this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1(a) and 2, first, feathers F are prepared (feather preparation step, step S1).

At this time, for example, raw feathers F that have been washed overseas and imported are placed in bags, and a number of such bags are bundled together and prepared. Also, unwashed feathers F may be prepared in bags. Then, the bags containing the raw feathers F are opened, and the raw feathers F are inspected for quality.

Next, impurities such as dust are removed from the raw feathers F (step S2). In step S2, the raw feathers F are placed in a dust collector to separate dust from the raw feathers F and remove the dust. The dust collector may include, for example, a mesh for separating the dust from the feathers F. Step S2 may be a dust removal process in which the feathers F are pre-dusted before being washed.

Fine bubble water is also generated (generation process, step S3). The generation of fine bubble water may be performed before or after the removal of impurities (step S2). FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing how fine bubble water is generated using the bubble generator according to this embodiment. In step S3, first, the bubble generator 20 shown in FIG. 3 is placed in the water W. Specifically, a bubble generating nozzle 23 (described later) of the bubble generator 20 is placed in the water W stored in the water tank WP. Then, the bubble generator 20 generates fine bubbles B, which are fine bubbles, in the water W, thereby generating fine bubble water containing fine bubbles B. The bubble generator 20 has a water supply device 21, an air supply device 22, and a bubble generating nozzle 23.

The water supply device 21 supplies water W stored in advance in the water tank WP to the bubble generating nozzle 23. The water supply device 21 has a water supply pump 24 that draws up water W from the water tank WP and supplies the water W to the bubble generating nozzle 23, a water intake hose 25 through which the water W drawn up from the water tank WP by the water supply pump 24 passes, and a water supply hose 26 through which the water W sent to the bubble generating nozzle 23 by the water supply pump 24 passes.

In this embodiment, the water W is activated water. For example, the water W in which the fine bubbles B are generated is activated water. Activated water is, for example, water that is positively charged by the action of ceramic particles on the water. Activated water is superior in penetration power, cleaning power, and antioxidant power for feathers F compared to non-activated water. Activated water may be produced, for example, by an activated water device. The activated water device includes, for example, a tank containing ceramic particles. For example, the capacity of the tank is 2 L (two liters). When generating activated water, for example, water is supplied into the tank. This water flow causes ceramic particles to collide with each other in the tank, or friction occurs between the water and the ceramic particles. The resulting electrical energy acts on the water, causing the water to be positively charged.

The type of water W is not particularly limited. The water W may be seawater, tap water, or pure water. However, as described below, since the fine bubble water generated from the water W is used to wash and humidify the feathers F, it is preferable that the water W is clean enough to be suitable for washing and humidifying the feathers F.

One end of the water intake hose 25 is submerged in the water W in the water tank WP. The other end of the water intake hose 25 is connected to the water supply pump 24. One end of the water supply hose 26 is connected to the water supply pump 24. The other end of the water supply hose 26 is connected to the bubble generating nozzle 23. The water supply pump 24 pumps up the water W in the water tank WP via the water intake hose 25 and sends the water W to the bubble generating nozzle 23 via the water supply hose 26.

The air supply device 22 supplies gas from outside the water tank WP to the bubble generating nozzle 23. The gas may be, for example, air or a gas stored in a cylinder. The gas is, for example, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, or a mixture of these. The air supply device 22 includes an air tube 27. One end of the air tube 27 is connected to the bubble generating nozzle 23. The other end of the air tube 27 is connected to, for example, an air supply device (a cylinder as an example) for supplying gas. The air supply device 22 supplies gas to the bubble generating nozzle 23 via the air tube 27.

The bubble generating nozzle 23 generates fine bubbles B by mixing the water W sent from the water supply device 21 with the gas sent from the air supply device 22. Specifically, the water supply device 21 sends water W to the bubble generating nozzle 23, generating a vortex in the bubble generating nozzle 23. Then, the gas sent into the bubble generating nozzle 23 by the air supply device 22 is brought into contact with the vortex, generating bubbles in the water W. As a result, fine bubble water is generated from the water W stored in the water tank WP. Step S3 takes, for example, about one day.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the feathers F are washed (feather washing process, step S4). In step S4, first, the fine bubble water generated in step S3 is applied to the feathers F. The fine bubble water is then used to wash the feathers F. For example, a water supply device (not shown) sends the fine bubble water stored in a water tank WP to a feather F washing machine. The feathers F are then placed in the washing machine and washed with the fine bubble water and detergent. In this washing of the feathers F, the feathers F are washed by mixing the fine bubble water and detergent with the feathers F, so that the feathers F can be gently washed with the fine bubble water while achieving a high washing effect.

For example, the feathers F are rinsed until the wastewater from the washer after the feathers are washed is clean. As a specific example, the wastewater obtained by washing the feathers F may be placed in a transparency meter, and the purity of the wastewater may be checked by determining whether the mark on the transparency meter is visible. The volume of the transparency meter is, for example, 1000 ml.

Then, the feathers F are dried (step S5). In step S5, for example, the feathers F are placed in a dryer and hot air is blown onto the feathers F to dry and sterilize the feathers F. As an example, the temperature of the hot air is 100°C or higher. Also, after the feathers F are dried by blowing hot air onto them, the feathers F may be cooled and cooled to remove dust. In this case, it is possible to further increase the cleanliness of the feathers F.

Next, the dried feathers F are put into a sorting machine to sort the feathers F (step S6). Hereinafter, the sorting of feathers F in step S6 may be referred to as the first sorting. At this time, only high-quality feathers F are selected from the feathers F. Specifically, the sorting machine, for example, has multiple compartments to store feathers F, and blows air onto the feathers F to select only the feathers F that have flown to the farthest compartment. This sorting method makes use of the property that feathers, immature down, and fiber do not fly very far even when air is blown onto them, whereas high-quality down can fly farther, and the feathers F that have flown farther are selected as high-quality down.

In step S6, the feathers F that do not fly to the farthest section may be discarded or may be reused for purposes other than as the contents of the duvet 1. For example, the feathers F may be reused as materials for practical items such as cushions, or as materials for clothing, etc.

In step S6, the feathers F may be subjected to plasma processing by spraying de-electrified air onto the feathers F. Specifically, when air is sprayed onto the feathers F as described above, de-electrified air may be sprayed onto the feathers F to remove static electricity from the feathers F. This makes it possible to prevent the feathers F from tangling, and also makes it possible to more reliably separate impurities and the like from the feathers F.

For example, the de-ionized air may be sprayed onto the feathers F from a plasma discharger (one example is Plasmacluster (registered trademark)) that generates active oxygen through plasma discharge, generating positive and negative ions and releasing them into the air.

After the feathers F are washed, dried and sorted as described above, the feathers F are compressed (step S7). In step S7, as shown in FIG. 4, a bag 10 for compressed storage is prepared. As an example, the bag 10 is a vinyl vacuum bag. The bag 10 may be a bag that can be used multiple times, or may be a bag that can be reused. The volume of the bag 10 is, for example, a volume that can contain the feather duvet 1 described above.

The bag 10 has, for example, a rectangular shape with an opening 11b on one side. However, the shape of the bag 10 can be changed as appropriate. The bag 10 is formed by a pair of sheet members 11. For example, three sides of the pair of rectangular sheet members 11 are connected to each other, and the remaining side is separated from each other to form the opening 11b.

The bag 10 is a bag capable of sealing an item contained therein, and is provided with a sliding opening/closing member 12 at the opening 11b. The opening/closing member 12 has a sliding member 12b that slides along the opening 11b, and an opening/closing portion 12c that opens and closes the opening 11b by sliding the sliding member 12b.

The sliding member 12b is, for example, sized so that it can be picked up by hand. As an example, the sliding member 12b opens the opening 11b when it moves in one direction along the opening 11b (to the left in FIG. 4), and closes the opening 11b when it moves in the opposite direction along the opening 11b (to the right in FIG. 4).

The opening/closing portion 12c includes, for example, a recess formed on one side of the pair of sheet members 11, and a protrusion formed on the other side of the pair of sheet members 11 that fits into the recess. When the sliding member 12b moves in the opposite direction, it fits the protrusion into the recess, thereby sealing the bag 10, and when it moves in one direction, it separates the pair of sheet members 11 from each other, thereby releasing the engagement of the protrusion into the recess, thereby opening the bag 10. In this way, the bag 10 can be freely opened and closed by manually sliding the sliding member 12b in one direction and the opposite direction.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bag 10 has a suction device insertion section 13 into which a suction device 30 that sucks air from inside the bag 10 is inserted. The suction device 30 has a nozzle 31 that sucks air from inside the bag 10, a gripping section 32 that is held by hand, and a hose 33 through which the air sucked by the nozzle 31 passes.

The suction device insertion section 13 has, for example, a hole 13b into which the nozzle 31 of the suction device 30 can be inserted, and a lid that seals the hole 13b. The hole 13b is, for example, a ring-shaped part fixed to a hole formed in the sheet member 11. The lid can be attached and detached by hand from the hole 13b, and seals the bag 10 when attached to the hole 13b, and opens the hole 13b when removed from the hole 13b.

In step S7, the washed and dried feathers F are placed in the bag 10 with the bag 10 open, and the sliding member 12b is slid to seal the bag 10. After that, the lid of the suction device insertion part 13 is opened to open the hole 13b, and the nozzle 31 is inserted into the suction device insertion part 13 (the hole in the sheet member 11) while holding the grip part 32 by hand, to suck out the air inside the bag 10.

The feathers F inside the bag 10 are compressed while the air inside the bag 10 is sucked out. This compression is performed, for example, by applying an external force to the bag 10. As an example, an operator presses the bag 10 from the outside with his or her hand to apply an external force to the bag 10, thereby compressing the feathers F inside the bag 10.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the feathers F and bag 10 after compression is completed. As shown in Figure 6, the inside of the bag 10 is made into a vacuum (or a state close to a vacuum) by sucking air from inside the bag 10 and applying an external force to compress the feathers inside the bag 10. After confirming that the bag 10 is sealed, the compressed bag 10 and feathers F are temporarily stored (step S8), completing the series of steps.

In this embodiment, "temporary storage" refers to storing the feathers F before manufacturing feather products such as the feather duvet 1, and the period for storing the feathers F is, for example, within one year (as an example, several months). However, the period for storing the feathers F is not particularly limited, and it is possible to use feathers F that have been appropriately stored as needed.

In this way, by storing the feathers F in the bag 10, compressing the feathers F, and sealing the bag 10, it is possible to prevent the feathers F inside the bag 10 from coming into contact with air. This makes it possible to prevent the feathers F from absorbing moisture and from developing an odor. Furthermore, since the feathers F do not become bulky due to compression, large amounts of feathers F can be stored for long periods of time.

After a certain period of time has passed since the storage of the feathers F, a process of compressing the feathers F again may be carried out. Specifically, the bag 10 containing the stored feathers F may be opened after a certain period of time (e.g., 1 to 3 months) from the storage, and the feathers F may be placed in another bag 10, after which a process of compressing the feathers F again may be carried out. In this case, it is possible to store the feathers F in a better condition.

Next, the subsequent steps of the feather washing method according to this embodiment and an example of the steps of the feather product manufacturing method will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 7. First, the bag 10 is opened and the feathers F are taken out from the bag 10. For example, the sliding member 12b of the bag 10 is moved to open the bag 10 and the feathers F are taken out from the opened bag 10.

Then, the removed feathers F are subjected to Fresh Up Processing (registered trademark) (Step S11). In this case, it is possible to increase the heat retention of the feathers F and increase the thermal resistance of the feather product that contains the feathers F. The details of Step S11 will be described later.

The feathers F that have been freshened are placed in a bag (storing process, step S12). At this time, the feathers F are stored in the bag to manufacture the feather product. In this disclosure, the "bag" refers to a bag-shaped object in which the feathers are stored. The "bag" serves as a cover for the feathers, and refers to the fabric part in which the feathers are stored, such as the outer fabric, outer fabric, lining, or interlining.

In step S12, the bag may be filled with feathers F using a filling machine. The filling machine may adjust the amount of feathers F filled into the bag, for example, depending on the moisture content of the feathers F. If the feather product has straight stitched parts 3 like the feather duvet 1 described above, the amount of feathers F filled into each internal space partitioned by the straight stitched parts 3 may be adjusted.

After the feathers F are contained in the pouch, the pouch is sewn (sewing process, step S13). More specifically, when manufacturing the feather comforter 1, for example, the outer fabric 2 is overlapped with the lining, and parts of the edges of the lining and the outer fabric 2 are sewn together to form the pouch. After filling the pouch with feathers F, the straight stitched portion 3 is formed, and the remaining parts of the edges of the lining and the outer fabric 2 are sewn together to complete the manufacturing of the feather comforter 1.

Next, the details of the freshening process (step S11) shown in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. First, the feathers F temporarily stored in step S8 are taken out of the bag 10 (see FIG. 4). At this time, the sliding member 12b is moved in one direction along the opening 11b to open the opening 11b. Then, the feathers F are taken out of the bag 10.

Next, the feathers F removed from the bag 10 are humidified (step S21, a process of applying fine bubble water). In step S21, the fine bubble water generated in step S3 is applied to the feathers F. Specifically, for example, mist-like fine bubble water is sprayed onto the feathers F. In this case, spraying the fine bubble water onto the feathers F allows the fine bubble water to penetrate the feathers F more effectively in a simple manner.

Next, the feathers F to which the fine bubble water has been applied are dried (drying process, step S22). At this time, hot air at a high temperature (for example, 110°C or higher and 120°C or lower) is blown onto the feathers F. This causes the compressed feathers F to expand. That is, by blowing hot air onto the feathers F to dry them, the feathers F are expanded greatly. This drying brings out the fluffy feel and texture of the feathers F. Note that in steps S21 and S22, the feathers F may be dried and sterilized by blowing hot steam at a temperature of, for example, 100°C or higher onto them.

After step S22, the feathers F that have been humidified and dried are cooled and de-dusted (a process for cooling the feathers and removing impurities from the feathers, step S23). In step S23, the feathers F are cooled and impurities are removed from the feathers F. The feathers F that have been brought to a high temperature in step S22 are cooled to room temperature (for example, 20°C), and then the feathers F are placed in a dust collector. This removes impurities (for example, fibers, etc.) from the feathers F. At this time, a dust collector with a finer mesh than the mesh of the dust collector used in step S2 may be used. This allows impurities finer than those removed in step S2 to be removed from the feathers F.

After step S23, the feathers F that have been cooled and de-dusted are sorted (step S24). Hereinafter, the sorting of feathers F in step S24 may be referred to as the second sorting. In the second sorting, feathers F are first fed into the sorting machine. At this time, feathers F of higher quality are selected from the feathers F selected in the first sorting. In this embodiment, feathers F are sorted multiple times (twice). This allows feathers F of higher quality to be selected, so that a feather duvet 1 of even higher quality can be manufactured. The sorting machine has, for example, multiple compartments (two, for example) that store feathers F. The multiple compartments are separated from each other by partition walls. Air is blown onto the feathers F stored in one compartment to blow the feathers F upward, and feathers F that fly over the partition wall to another compartment are selected as high-quality feathers F.

Next, the effects of the feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be described in detail. In the feather washing method according to this embodiment, the air bubble generating device 20 generates fine bubbles B in water W, which is fine bubbles, to generate fine bubble water, which is water containing fine bubbles B. In this feather washing method, fine bubble water is given to feathers F, and the feathers F to which the fine bubble water has been given are dried. By drying the feathers F to which the fine bubble water has been given, the feathers F can be inflated. As a result, the bulk of the feathers F can be increased, and the heat retention of the feathers F can be improved. In this feather washing method, fine bubble water is used as the water given to the feathers F before drying the feathers F. By giving fine bubble water to the feathers F before drying, the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water have the effect of removing fine dirt and the like from the feathers F. For example, the fine bubble water penetrates into the fine gaps of the feathers F and removes impurities such as dust. As a result, impurities can be sufficiently removed from the feathers F.

The feather washing method according to this embodiment further includes a step of cooling the feathers F and removing impurities from the feathers F after the step of drying the feathers F. This allows impurities to be removed from the feathers F when the feathers F are cooled after drying. This makes it possible to more reliably remove impurities from the feathers F.

The feather washing method according to this embodiment further comprises a step of sorting the feathers F after the removing step. By including a step of sorting the feathers F after removing impurities, it is possible to select only the feathers F of higher quality from the feathers F from which the impurities have been removed. As a result, the feathers F of higher quality are selected, and the heat retention of the feathers F can be further improved.

In the feather cleaning method according to this embodiment, the water W is activated water. Activated water is superior in terms of penetration, cleaning power, antioxidant power, etc., into feathers compared to non-activated water. In this case, compared to the case where fine bubble water generated by generating fine bubbles in non-activated water is applied to the feathers F, the water W can be more reliably penetrated into the feathers F, and oxidation of the feathers F can be more reliably suppressed. As a result, impurities can be more reliably removed from the feathers F, and the lifespan of the feathers F can be further extended.

In the feather washing method according to this embodiment, feathers F are washed by applying fine bubble water containing fine bubbles B to the feathers F. When the feathers F are washed, the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water remove fine dirt and the like from the feathers F, thereby sufficiently removing impurities from the feathers F. Furthermore, since the feathers F can be washed gently using the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water, the force applied to the feathers F during washing can be reduced compared to washing with water that is not fine bubble water (e.g. pure water). As a result, the lifespan of the feathers F can be extended.

As an example, when washing the feathers F, the feathers F may be repeatedly washed and drained until the drainage water from the washing machine after washing the feathers F becomes clean. However, in the feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the feathers F are washed using fine bubble water, which can achieve a high cleaning effect, and therefore it is possible to reduce the number of washings and drainages. This allows the amount of water used to wash the feathers F to be saved.

In the feather product manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the feathers F can be expanded by applying fine bubble water to the feathers F and then drying the feathers F. As a result, the feathers F with high volume are accommodated in a bag to manufacture the feather duvet 1, and the heat retention of the feathers F accommodated inside the feather duvet 1 can be improved. Also, in this feather product manufacturing method, like the feather washing method described above, fine bubble water is used as the water to be applied to the feathers F before drying. Therefore, the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water can remove fine dirt and the like from the feathers F, and impurities can be sufficiently removed from the feathers F.

The above describes the embodiments of the feather cleaning method and feather product manufacturing method according to the present disclosure. However, the content and order of each step of the feather cleaning method and feather product manufacturing method according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate.

For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which feathers F were placed in a bag 10 having a sheet member 11, an opening/closing member 12, and a suction device insertion portion 13, and the bag 10 was sealed and compressed. However, the bag may be a bag other than the bag 10, and the shape, size, material, and structure of the bag can be changed as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the feathers were washed, dried, compressed and stored when manufacturing the down comforter 1. However, the feather washing method and down product manufacturing method according to the present disclosure can be applied to other times besides manufacturing the down comforter 1. For example, when maintaining the down comforter 1, the down comforter 1 may be disassembled and the feathers F inside the down comforter 1 may be washed, dried and compressed, or the maintained down comforter 1 may be placed in a bag 10 and transported to a store or a customer's home in a compressed state.

When washing the feathers F in step S4, feather dissolving liquid may be used in addition to the fine bubble water. Feather dissolving liquid is a liquid obtained by dissolving feathers, and contains, for example, keratin. By applying feather dissolving liquid to the feathers F and washing the feathers F, the feathers F can be moisturized. Similarly, when humidifying the feathers F in step S21, feather dissolving liquid may be used in addition to the fine bubble water.

When humidifying the feathers F in step S21, a liquid extracted from Aomori Ai (registered trademark) may be sprayed in addition to the fine bubble water. The liquid contains, for example, at least one of tryptanthrin and limonene. The liquid acts as an antibacterial agent for the feathers F.

The bubble generating device is not limited to the bubble generating device 20 disposed in the water W. The bubble generating device may be one that generates fine bubble water by bringing gas into contact with water. The bubble generating device may be one that is attached to the above-mentioned activated water device, for example. In this case, the bubble generating device may have, for example, a flow path through which the activated water generated by the activated water device passes, and an outside air intake member attached to the flow path. The bubble generating device generates fine bubble water by bringing gas taken in by the outside air intake member into contact with the activated water flowing in the flow path.

The bubble generating device may be a device that is attached to a water pipe or a faucet. In this case, the bubble generating device includes, for example, a flow path through which water supplied from a water pipe or a faucet passes. The bubble generating device has a function of taking in gas into the flow path, a function of bringing the taken-in gas into contact with the water in the flow path, and a function of stirring the water containing the gas to generate fine bubble water. When the bubble generating device is a device that is attached to a water pipe or a faucet, the device can be made smaller than the bubble generating device 20 described above. Furthermore, the bubble generating device may be a hand shower type device having a shower head that receives water from a hose. In this case, the shower head has a function of taking in gas into the shower head and a function of bringing the taken-in gas into contact with the water from the hose. With this hand shower type bubble generating device, it is possible to spray fine bubble water by holding the shower head in one's hand. Therefore, the supply of fine bubble water to feathers can be more effectively performed.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the bubble generating device 20 generates fine bubble water by bringing the water W and gas into contact with each other using the water supply device 21 and the air supply device 22. However, the bubble generating device 20 does not have to have the water supply device 21. In this case, the bubble generating device 20 generates fine bubble water from the water W stored in the water tank WP by sending gas to the bubble generating nozzle 23 using the air supply device 22.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which fine bubble water is generated by generating fine bubbles B in the water W stored in advance in the water tank WP in step S3. However, the timing of performing the step of generating fine bubble water (step S3) and the contents of the step may be changed as appropriate. The step of generating fine bubble water may be performed before the step of washing the feathers F (step S4) or before the step of humidifying the feathers F (step S21). In the step of generating fine bubble water, for example, water is stored in a water storage tank installed near the humidifying dryer that humidifies and dries the feathers F in step S21. The capacity of the water storage tank is, for example, 60 L (60 liters). Then, for example, after the fine bubble water is generated in the water storage tank by the bubble generating device, the generated fine bubble water is sent to the humidifying dryer for the feathers F. The fine bubble water sent to the humidifying dryer is used to humidify the feathers F. If activated water is used as the water, the activated water device described above may be installed in the water storage tank.

In step S3 of generating the fine bubble water W1, a fine bubble water generating device 40 shown in FIG. 12 may be used to generate the fine bubble water W1. The fine bubble water generating device 40 generates fine bubbles B (see FIG. 3) in the water W to generate the fine bubble water W1. In this modification, the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water W1 have a size of less than 1 μm. The fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water W1 are, for example, nanobubbles. Nanobubbles are ultrafine bubbles that have low buoyancy and remain stationary in water, making it possible to prevent them from escaping from the water for a long period of time. The fine bubbles B may also be ultrafine bubbles (registered trademark) that are so small in diameter that they are invisible to the naked eye.

The density of the fine bubble water W1 in this modified example (the number of fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water W1 per unit volume) is greater than the density of fine bubble water containing fine bubbles B with a size of 1 μm or more. In other words, the fine bubble water W1 can increase the number of fine bubbles B contained in the water per unit volume, thereby further improving the cleaning power of feathers. The fine bubble water generating device 40 has a water supply device 41, a bubble generating device 20A, a water supply device 42, and a water softening device 43.

The water supply device 41 supplies water W, which is stored in advance in the water storage section 61, to the water tank 62. The water supply device 41 has a pump 63 and a water intake hose 64. The pump 63 draws up the water W from the water storage section 61. The water intake hose 64 passes through the water W drawn up from the water storage section 61 by the pump 63. The pump 63 is provided, for example, at one end of the water intake hose 64. The other end of the water intake hose 64 is submerged in the water W in the water tank 62.

The water storage section 61 is, for example, a well. The water W stored in the water storage section 61 contains impurities such as sand and dust. The water W stored in the water storage section 61 is, for example, soft water. However, the water W may be hard water. The water tank 62 is, for example, a water tank installed underground. The capacity of the water tank 62 is, for example, 40,000 L or more and 100,000 L or less (70,000 L as an example). When the capacity of the water tank 62 is 70,000 L, the usable capacity of the water tank 62 is, for example, 60,000 L. The usable capacity of the water tank 62 is, for example, the capacity of the water W that can actually be contained in the water tank 62 when the fine bubble water generating device 40 is operating. Impurities contained in the water W pumped up from the water storage section 61 settle in the lower part of the water tank 62. As a result, the upper part of the water tank 62 stores water W that is cleaner (has a lower impurity content) than the water W located in the lower part of the water tank 62.

The air bubble generator 20A draws up water W from the water tank 62 and generates fine bubbles B in the drawn up water W to generate fine bubble water W1. The air bubble generator 20A generates, for example, 200 L or more and 1000 L or less (500 L as an example) of fine bubble water W1 per minute. The fine bubble water generating device 40 may have multiple air bubble generators 20A. For example, by using two air bubble generators 20A capable of generating 500 L of fine bubble water W1 per minute, 1000 L of fine bubble water W1 may be generated per minute. The air bubble generator 20A sends the generated fine bubble water W1 to the water tank 62. The air bubble generator 20A has a bubble generating unit 65, a water intake hose 66, and a water supply hose 67.

The air bubble generating unit 65 generates fine air bubbles B in the water W by supplying gas to the water W pumped up from the water tank 62. The air bubble generating device 20A includes, for example, a pump (not shown) for pumping the water W from the water tank 62 to the air bubble generating unit 65. The water W pumped up from the water tank 62 by the pump passes through the water intake hose 66. One end of the water intake hose 66 is submerged in the water W in the water tank 62. For example, one end of the water intake hose 66 is disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom of the water tank 62. The predetermined distance is set to a distance such that impurities that settle at the bottom of the water tank 62 are unlikely to flow from one end of the water intake hose 66 into the water intake hose 66. The other end of the water intake hose 66 is connected to the air bubble generating unit 65. The water supply hose 67 passes through the fine air bubble water W1 sent from the air bubble generating unit 65 to the water tank 62. One end of the water supply hose 67 is connected to the bubble generating unit 65. The other end of the water supply hose 67 is submerged in the water W in the water tank 62.

The fine bubble water W1 generated by the bubble generator 20A is sent to the water tank 62, where the fine bubble water W1 is stored. As a result, the water W stored in the water tank 62 changes into fine bubble water W1. The time required to change the water W in the water tank 62 into fine bubble water W1 is, for example, 40 minutes or more and 100 minutes or less (60 minutes as an example).

The water supply device 42 supplies the fine bubble water W1 stored in the water tank 62 to the water softener 43. The water supply device 42 has a pump 68, a water intake hose 69, a pressure tank 70, and a water supply hose 71. The pump 68 pumps up the fine bubble water W1 from the water tank 62. The fine bubble water W1 pumped up from the water tank 62 by the pump 68 passes through the water intake hose 69. The pump 68 is provided, for example, at one end of the water intake hose 69. The other end of the water intake hose 69 is connected to the pressure tank 70.

The pressure tank 70 pumps the fine bubble water W1 pumped up from the water tank 62 through the water intake hose 69 to the water softener 43. By pumping the fine bubble water W1 with the pressure tank 70, the fine bubble water W1 can be efficiently sent from the water tank 62 to the water softener 43. The fine bubble water W1 pumped by the pressure tank 70 passes through the water supply hose 71. One end of the water supply hose 71 is connected to the pressure tank 70. The other end of the water supply hose 71 is connected to a water softener 72 (described later) included in the water softener 43.

The water softening device 43 reduces the hardness of the fine bubble water W1 sent from the water supply device 42, and sends the fine bubble water W1 with reduced hardness to the outside of the fine bubble water generating device 40. In this embodiment, the water softening device 43 reduces the hardness of the fine bubble water W1 by removing metal ions from the fine bubble water W1. The "hardness" may be a value measured by a test method described in, for example, JIS K 0101:1998. The water softening device 43 has a water softener 72 and a water supply hose 73.

The water softener 72 reduces the hardness of the fine bubble water W1 sent from the water supply device 42. The water softener 72 includes, for example, a filter 72a. The filter 72a removes, for example, metal ions (calcium ions and magnesium ions) contained in the fine bubble water W1. The water softener 72 reduces the hardness of the fine bubble water W1 by passing the fine bubble water W1 through the filter 72a. The water supply hose 73 passes the fine bubble water W1 whose hardness has been reduced by the water softener 72. One end of the water supply hose 73 is connected to the water softener 72. The other end of the water supply hose 73 is connected to the outside of the fine bubble water generating device 40. The fine bubble water W1 is sent, for example, to a factory that handles feathers F (for example, that washes feathers F).

The fine bubble water W1 generated by the fine bubble water generating device 40 may be used, for example, to wash the feathers F in step S4 (see FIG. 2) or to humidify the feathers F in step S21 (see FIG. 8).

In this modified example, the fine bubble water generating device 40 generates fine bubble water W1 containing fine bubbles B having a size of less than 1 μm. When the fine bubble water W1 is applied to the feathers F, the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water W1 have the effect of removing fine dirt and the like from the feathers F. Compared to when fine bubble water containing fine bubbles B having a size of 1 μm or more is applied to the feathers F, the fine bubble water W1 generated by the fine bubble water generating device 40 penetrates even finer gaps in the feathers F and removes impurities. This further improves the cleaning effect of the feathers F.

Since the cleaning effect of the feathers F can be further improved, the amount of detergent added when cleaning the feathers F can be further reduced. In addition, since the cleaning effect of the feathers F can be further improved, it is possible to further reduce the number of times washing and draining is performed, and the amount of water used for cleaning the feathers F can be further saved. Furthermore, fine bubbles B having a size of less than 1 μm have the characteristic that they are less likely to disappear from the fine bubble water W1 than fine bubbles B having a size of 1 μm or more. Therefore, according to this modified example, the fine bubbles B contained in the fine bubble water W1 can be maintained for a long period of time, making it easier to maintain the quality of the fine bubble water W1.

In this modified example, the fine bubble water W1 is soft water. Soft water has a better cleaning power for feathers F than hard water. Therefore, impurities can be more reliably removed from the feathers F compared to when fine bubble water W1, which is hard water, is applied to the feathers F.

In this modified example, one end of the water intake hose 66 included in the bubble generating device 20A is positioned at a predetermined distance from the bottom of the water tank 62. This reduces the possibility that impurities that settle at the bottom of the water tank 62 will flow into the water intake hose 66 from one end of the water intake hose 66. Therefore, even cleaner fine bubble water W1 can be produced.

The micro-bubble water W1 generated by the micro-bubble water generator 40 may be used for reforming feather products. The reforming process means, for example, recycling old feather products. The reforming process takes, for example, 70 minutes or more and 80 minutes or less. The reforming process includes, for example, a process of removing feathers from the feather product, a process of removing dust, a process of washing the feathers, a process of drying the feathers, a process of cooling and removing dust, a process of placing the feathers in a bag (side fabric), and a process of sewing the bag.

In the process of removing feathers from feather products, for example, old feather products are disassembled and the feathers are removed. In the process of removing feathers from feather products, for example, feathers are removed from a bag that contains the feathers. The process of removing feathers from feather products takes, for example, 10 minutes. In the dust removal process, for example, the feathers removed in the process of removing feathers from feather products are pre-dusted. "Pre-dusting" refers to dust removal that is performed before the feathers are washed. In the dust removal process, impurities are removed from the feathers using, for example, a dust remover. The process of removing dust takes, for example, 5 minutes.

In the feather washing process, for example, the feathers that have been pre-dust removed in the dust removal process are washed. In the feather washing process, for example, the feathers are washed and rinsed by putting the fine bubble water W1 generated by the fine bubble water generating device 40 and the feathers into a washing machine. The time required for the feather washing process is, for example, 35 minutes. In the feather drying process, for example, the feathers washed in the feather washing process are dried. In the feather drying process, for example, the feathers are dried using a dryer. The time required for the feather drying process is, for example, 10 minutes.

In the cooling dust removal process, the feathers are cooled and impurities are removed from the feathers. In the cooling dust removal process, the feathers, which were heated to high temperatures in the feather drying process, are cooled to room temperature, and then the feathers are put into a dust remover to remove impurities from the feathers. The time required for the cooling dust removal process is, for example, 10 minutes.

In the process of storing the feathers in the bag, for example, the bag is filled with feathers to store the feathers in the bag. The bag may be the bag of the feather product disassembled in the process of removing the feathers from the feather product, or may be a separate bag prepared in advance. In the process of storing the feathers in the bag, for example, a filling machine is used to fill the bag with feathers. In the process of sewing the bag, for example, the bag is sewn after storing the feathers in it. The total time required for the process of storing the feathers in the bag and the process of sewing the bag is, for example, 5 minutes. Through the above processes, the remodeling process of the feather product is completed.

The fine bubble water W1 generated by the fine bubble water generating device 40 may be used in a cleaning facility that handles feather products. The cleaning facility may be, for example, a facility that receives feather products from users of the cleaning facility and washes and dries the feather products using a washing machine and a dryer, or a facility where users of the cleaning facility themselves wash and dry the feather products using a washing machine and a dryer. In this modified example, the cleaning effect of feather products can be further improved by using the fine bubble water W1 generated by the fine bubble water generating device 40 to wash feather products.

Furthermore, the feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method disclosed herein are not limited to being applied to a feather duvet 1, which is a comforter, but can be used for various feather products.

(Example)
Next, examples of the feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method according to the present disclosure will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the contents of the following examples. In these examples, evaluation tests were conducted on feather products according to Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Examples 1 to 9, which will be described later. In these evaluation tests, the dust generation properties of the feather products were evaluated. First, Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Examples 1 to 9 in these evaluation tests will be described.

Example 1
In Example 1, a down comforter was manufactured using the above-mentioned feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method. In Example 1, fine bubble water was used for washing the feathers in step S4. In Example 1, fine bubble water was given to the feathers when humidifying the feathers in step S21.

In Example 1, in step S4, first, feathers were put into the cleaning machine. The feathers had a weight of 60 kg. Next, the feathers were placed in the fine bubble water, and detergent was added to the fine bubble water to clean the feathers. The weight of the fine bubble water used to clean the feathers was 5 t, and the cleaning time was 10 minutes or more and 15 minutes or less (10 minutes as an example). Then, the feathers were rinsed multiple times (four times as an example). The weight of the fine bubble water used for each rinse was 8 t, and the time required for each rinse was 5 minutes or more and 6 minutes or less (6 minutes as an example). Finally, the feathers were dehydrated. The time required for dehydration was 5 minutes.

Example 2
In Example 2, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.
Example 3
In Example 3, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.
Example 4
In Example 4, a feather duvet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 after a certain period of time had elapsed since the manufacture of the feather duvets according to Examples 1 to 3.
Example 5
In Example 5, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Example 4.
Example 6
In Example 6, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Example 4.

(Comparative Example 1)
In Comparative Example 1, water other than microbubble water (hereinafter simply referred to as "water") was used for washing the feathers in step S4. Also, water was given to the feathers when humidifying the feathers in step S21. Except for these points, a down comforter was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1.

(Comparative Example 2)
In Comparative Example 2, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1.
(Comparative Example 3)
In Comparative Example 3, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1.
(Comparative Example 4)
In Comparative Example 4, a feather duvet was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 after a certain period of time had elapsed since the production of the feather duvets of Comparative Examples 1 to 3.
(Comparative Example 5)
In Comparative Example 5, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 4.
(Comparative Example 6)
In Comparative Example 6, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 4.

(Example 7)
In Example 7, a down comforter was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that step S24 of the feather washing method and feather product manufacturing method described above was not performed. In Example 7, after performing cooling and dust removal in step S23, steps S12 and S13 were performed without performing the second sorting in step S24. That is, in Example 7, feathers that were not subjected to the second sorting were placed in a bag, and the bag was sewn to manufacture a down comforter.

(Example 8)
In Example 8, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Example 7.
Example 9
In Example 9, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Example 7.

(Comparative Example 7)
In Comparative Example 7, water was used for washing the feathers in step S4. Also, water was given to the feathers when moistening the feathers in step S21. Except for these points, a down comforter was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 7.

(Comparative Example 8)
In Comparative Example 8, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 7.
(Comparative Example 9)
In Comparative Example 9, a down comforter was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 7.

(Test method)
The duvet according to Example 1 was manufactured. After that, the duvet was spread out on the floor. Next, an object was dropped onto the duvet, and the size and number of impurities such as dust particles emitted from the duvet were measured.

The material of the object dropped onto the duvet was lead. The shape of the object was cylindrical in plan view, and the bottom surface was flat. The area of the object in plan view (i.e., the area of the bottom surface of the object) was ⁶⁵ cm2. The weight of the object was 2500 g. In addition, when dropping the object onto the duvet, the object was dropped from a position 10 cm away in the vertical direction from the floor surface on which the duvet was placed.

When measuring the size and number of impurities, the impurities emerging from the feather duvet were photographed with an imaging device, and the size and number of impurities were measured from the footage. Similar measurements were also performed on the feather duvets of Examples 2 to 9 and Comparative Examples 1 to 9.

(Test results)
9(a), 9(b), 10(a), 10(b), 11(a) and 11(b) are diagrams showing the results of the above-mentioned measurements. In these diagrams, the leftmost column shows the size of impurities, and the second to fourth columns from the left show the number of impurities generated from each of the feather duvets of Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Examples 1 to 9. In these diagrams, the rightmost column shows the number of impurities generated by impurity size. As shown in FIG. 9(a), in Example 1, 21616 impurities of 0.3 μm were generated, and 3968 impurities of 0.5 μm were generated. 3643 impurities of 1.0 μm were generated, and 2406 impurities of 2.0 μm were generated. 1187 impurities of 5.0 μm were generated, and 679 impurities of 10.0 μm were generated. In Example 1, a total of 33499 impurities were generated from the feather duvet.

As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the total number of impurities generated from the feather duvet in Examples 1 to 3 was 97,576. In contrast, the total number of impurities generated from the feather duvet in Comparative Examples 1 to 3 was 98,069. Therefore, it was confirmed that Examples 1 to 3, which used fine bubble water to wash and humidify the feathers, were able to reduce the number of impurities generated from the feather duvet by 1% compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, which used water to wash and humidify the feathers.

As shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), the total number of impurities generated from the feather duvet in Examples 4 to 6 was 134,073. In contrast, the total number of impurities generated from the feather duvet in Comparative Examples 4 to 6 was 143,148. Therefore, it was confirmed that Examples 4 to 6 were able to reduce the number of impurities generated from the feather duvet by 18% compared to Comparative Examples 4 to 6.

As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the total number of impurities generated from the feather duvet in Examples 7 to 9 was 117,936. In contrast, the total number of impurities generated from the feather duvet in Comparative Examples 7 to 9 was 143,360. Therefore, it was confirmed that Examples 7 to 9 could reduce the number of impurities generated from the feather duvet by 6% compared to Comparative Examples 7 to 9.

From the above, it was confirmed that when fine bubble water is used to wash and humidify feathers, dust generation can be reduced and impurities can be sufficiently removed from the feathers compared to when water is used to wash and humidify feathers.

1...down comforter (down product), 2...outer fabric, 3...straight stitching, 10...bag, 11...sheet member, 11b...opening, 12...opening/closing member, 12b...sliding member, 12c...opening/closing section, 13...suction device insertion section, 13b...hole section, 20, 20A...air bubble generating device, 21, 41, 42...water supply device, 22...air supply device, 23...air bubble generating nozzle, 24...water supply pump, 25, 64, 66, 69...water intake hose, 26, 67, 71, 73...water supply hose, 27...air tube, 30...suction device, 31...nozzle, 32...handle, 33...hose, 40...fine bubble water generator, 43...water softener, 61...water storage section, 63, 68...pump, 65...bubble generator, 70...pressure tank, 72...water softener, 72a...filter, B...fine bubbles, F...feathers, W...water, W1...fine bubble water, WP, 62...water tank.

Claims (7)

preparing feathers;
A step of generating fine bubbles in water using an air bubble generating device to generate fine bubbles, thereby generating fine bubble water containing the fine bubbles;
applying the fine bubble water to the feathers;
and drying the feathers to which the fine bubble water has been applied.
How to wash feathers. The method further comprises the step of cooling the feathers and removing impurities from the feathers after the drying step.
The feather cleaning method according to claim 1. The method further comprises a step of sorting the feathers after the removing step.
The feather cleaning method according to claim 2. The water is activated water.
The feather washing method according to claim 1 or 2. The fine bubble water is soft water.
The feather washing method according to claim 1 or 2. preparing feathers;
washing the feathers;
The method includes a step of generating fine bubbles in water using an air bubble generating device, thereby generating fine bubble water containing the fine bubbles;
In the step of washing the feathers, the fine bubble water is applied to the feathers to wash the feathers.
How to wash feathers. preparing feathers;
A step of generating fine bubbles in water using an air bubble generating device to generate fine bubbles, thereby generating fine bubble water containing the fine bubbles;
applying the fine bubble water to the feathers;
drying the feathers to which the fine bubble water has been applied;
A step of placing the dried feathers in a bag;
and sewing the bag body.
Feather product manufacturing method.

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