JP7424088B2 - Fiber body deposition equipment and fiber structure manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fibrous body deposition device and a fibrous structure manufacturing device.

In recent years, dry-type sheet manufacturing equipment that uses as little water as possible has been proposed. This sheet manufacturing apparatus includes, for example, a deposition apparatus that discharges and deposits a fibrous body, and a method that pressurizes the deposit formed by the deposition apparatus to manufacture a sheet. An example of this deposition apparatus is one having a configuration as shown in Patent Document 1.

The deposition device described in Patent Document 1 includes a drum having a discharge hole for discharging fiber bodies, a mesh belt for depositing the fiber bodies discharged from the discharge holes, and a suction mechanism. Further, the suction mechanism includes a hopper and a suction port provided in the hopper, and can promote deposition of the fibrous body on the mesh belt by sucking air from the suction port.

WO2018/100989 publication

However, depending on various conditions such as the suction conditions from the suction port, there is a risk that the fibrous bodies may accumulate in the hopper or that the fibrous bodies may partially block the suction port. In this case, there is a possibility that a deposit having a desired thickness distribution may not be obtained. As a result, the thickness of the deposit may become uneven, leading to a decrease in quality.

The fibrous body deposition device of the present invention includes a discharge section that discharges a material containing fibers;
a mesh member that deposits the material discharged by the discharge section;
a collection unit that collects the material that has passed through the mesh member;
The recovery section is characterized in that it has a suction section having a suction port that sucks air, and a gas ejection section that spouts gas toward the suction port.

The fiber structure manufacturing device of the present invention includes a fiber body deposition device of the present invention,
The method is characterized by comprising a molding section that molds the deposit formed by the fiber body deposition device.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus including a fibrous body deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the collection section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the collection section shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the +z-axis side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a recovery section included in the fibrous body deposition apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a view of the recovery section included in the fibrous body deposition apparatus according to the third embodiment, viewed from the +z-axis side.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the fibrous body deposition apparatus and fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus including a fibrous body deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the collection section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the collection section shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the +z-axis side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

In the following, for convenience of explanation, three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 to 5. Further, the xy plane including the x-axis and y-axis is horizontal, and the z-axis is vertical. Also, the direction in which the arrow on each axis points is called "+", and the opposite direction is called "-". Further, the upper side of FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 may be referred to as "upper" or "upper", and the lower side may be referred to as "lower" or "lower".

The fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. This is a device for obtaining molded bodies.

Further, the molded body manufactured by the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 may be in the form of a sheet such as recycled paper, or may be in the form of a block, for example. Further, the density of the molded body is not particularly limited, and it may be a molded body with a relatively high fiber density such as a sheet, or a molded body with a relatively low fiber density such as a sponge body. , a molded article having a mixture of these characteristics may be used.

In the following description, the raw material M1 is used or unnecessary waste paper, and the molded product to be produced is a sheet S made of recycled paper.

The fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 17, a dispersing section 18, a second web forming section 19, a forming section 20, a cutting section 21, a stock section 22, a collecting section 27, and a control section 28 that controls the operation of these sections. There is. Among these, the dispersing section 18 and the second web forming section 19 constitute the fiber body deposition device 1. Note that the upstream side of the dispersion section 18, that is, the raw material supply section 11 to the mixing section 17 may be regarded as constituent elements of the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1.

The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a humidifying section 231, a humidifying section 232, a humidifying section 233, a humidifying section 234, a humidifying section 235, and a humidifying section 236. In addition, the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a blower 261, a blower 262, and a blower 263.

Furthermore, the humidifying sections 231 to 236 and the blowers 261 to 263 are electrically connected to the control section 28, and their operations are controlled by the control section 28. That is, in this embodiment, the operation of each part of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 is controlled by one control unit 28. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the configuration may include a control section that controls the operation of each part of the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1 and a control section that controls the operation of parts other than the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1. Good too.

The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a raw material supply process, a coarse crushing process, a defibration process, a sorting process, a first web forming process, a dividing process, a mixing process, a discharge process, and a deposition process. , a sheet forming process, and a cutting process are performed in this order.

The configuration of each part will be explained below.
The raw material supply section 11 is a section that performs a raw material supply step of supplying the raw material M1 to the coarse crushing section 12. This raw material M1 includes a sheet-like material made of a fiber-containing material containing cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers may be anything that is fibrous and has cellulose as a compound as its main component, and may contain hemicellulose and lignin in addition to cellulose. Moreover, the raw material M1 may be in any form, such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric. Further, the raw material M1 may be, for example, recycled paper produced by defibrating used paper, Yupo Paper (registered trademark), which is a synthetic paper, or may not be recycled paper.

The coarse crushing section 12 is a section that performs a coarse crushing step of crushing the raw material M1 supplied from the raw material supply section 11 in air such as the atmosphere. The coarse crushing section 12 has a pair of coarse crushing blades 121 and a chute 122.

By rotating in opposite directions, the pair of coarse crushing blades 121 can crush the raw material M1 between them, that is, cut it into coarse pieces M2. The shape and size of the coarsely crushed pieces M2 are preferably suitable for defibration processing in the defibrating section 13, for example, small pieces with a side length of 100 mm or less, and small pieces with a length of 10 mm or more and 70 mm or less. It is more preferable that

The chute 122 is arranged below the pair of coarse crushing blades 121, and has, for example, a funnel shape. Thereby, the chute 122 can receive the crushed pieces M2 that have been crushed by the crushing blade 121 and fallen.

Further, above the chute 122, a humidifying section 231 is arranged adjacent to the pair of coarse crushing blades 121. The humidifying section 231 humidifies the crushed pieces M2 in the chute 122. The humidifying unit 231 includes a vaporizing type humidifier that has a filter containing water and supplies humidified air with increased humidity to the crushed pieces M2 by passing air through the filter. By supplying humidified air to the coarsely crushed pieces M2, it is possible to suppress the coarsely crushed pieces M2 from adhering to the chute 122 and the like due to static electricity.

The chute 122 is connected to the defibrating section 13 via a pipe 241. The coarse pieces M2 collected in the chute 122 pass through the pipe 241 and are transported to the defibrating section 13.

The defibrating section 13 is a part that performs a defibrating step of defibrating the coarse pieces M2 in air, that is, in a dry manner. By this defibrating process in the defibrating section 13, a defibrated material M3 can be generated from the coarsely crushed pieces M2. Here, "defibrating" refers to disentangling the coarse fragments M2 formed by binding a plurality of fibers into individual fibers. This loosened material becomes the defibrated material M3. The shape of the defibrated material M3 is linear or band-like. Further, the defibrated materials M3 may exist in a state where they are entangled with each other and become a lump, that is, a state where they form a so-called "clump".

For example, in this embodiment, the defibrating section 13 is composed of an impeller mill having a rotary blade that rotates at high speed and a liner located on the outer periphery of the rotary blade. The coarse pieces M2 that have flowed into the defibrating section 13 are sandwiched between the rotary blade and the liner and defibrated.

Further, the defibrating section 13 can generate a flow of air from the coarse crushing section 12 toward the sorting section 14, that is, an air current, by rotating the rotary blade. Thereby, the coarsely crushed pieces M2 can be sucked into the defibrating section 13 from the pipe 241. Furthermore, after the defibration process, the defibrated material M3 can be sent to the sorting section 14 via the pipe 242.

A blower 261 is installed in the middle of the pipe 242. The blower 261 is an airflow generating device that generates an airflow toward the sorting section 14. This facilitates delivery of the defibrated material M3 to the sorting section 14.

The sorting section 14 is a part that performs a sorting process of sorting the defibrated material M3 according to the length of the fibers. In the sorting section 14, the defibrated material M3 is sorted into a first sorted material M4-1 and a second sorted material M4-2 which is larger than the first sorted material M4-1. The first sorted material M4-1 has a size suitable for the subsequent production of sheets S. The average length is preferably 1 μm or more and 30 μm or less. On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 includes, for example, insufficiently defibrated fibers and fibers in which defibrated fibers are excessively aggregated.

The sorting section 14 includes a drum section 141 and a housing 142 that accommodates the drum section 141.

The drum portion 141 is a sieve that is formed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. The defibrated material M3 flows into this drum portion 141. Then, as the drum part 141 rotates, the defibrated material M3 smaller than the mesh opening is sorted as the first sorted material M4-1, and the defibrated material M3 larger than the mesh opening is sorted as the first sorted material M4-1. It is sorted as a second sorted material M4-2.
The first sorted object M4-1 falls from the drum section 141.

On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 is sent out to a pipe 243 connected to the drum section 141. The pipe 243 is connected to the pipe 241 on the side opposite to the drum section 141, that is, on the downstream side. The second sorted material M4-2 that has passed through this pipe 243 joins with the coarsely crushed pieces M2 in the pipe 241, and flows into the defibrating section 13 together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2. Thereby, the second sorted material M4-2 is returned to the defibrating section 13 and is defibrated together with the coarse pieces M2.

Further, the first sorted material M4-1 from the drum section 141 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the first web forming section 15 located below the drum section 141. The first web forming section 15 is a part that performs a first web forming step of forming a first web M5 from the first sorted material M4-1. The first web forming section 15 includes a mesh belt 151, three tension rollers 152, and a suction section 153.

The mesh belt 151 is an endless belt, and the first sorted material M4-1 is deposited thereon. This mesh belt 151 is wound around three tension rollers 152. Then, the first sorted material M4-1 on the mesh belt 151 is conveyed to the downstream side by the rotation of the tension roller 152.

The first sorted material M4-1 has a size larger than the opening of the mesh belt 151. As a result, the first sorted material M4-1 is restricted from passing through the mesh belt 151, and can therefore be deposited on the mesh belt 151. Further, the first sorted material M4-1 is deposited on the mesh belt 151 and is conveyed to the downstream side together with the mesh belt 151, so that it is formed as a layered first web M5.

Further, there is a possibility that the first sorted material M4-1 contains, for example, dust and dirt. Dust and dirt may be generated, for example, by coarse crushing or fibrillation. Then, such dust and dirt will be collected by a collection section 27, which will be described later.

The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 151. Thereby, dust and dust passing through the mesh belt 151 can be sucked together with the air.

Further, the suction section 153 is connected to the collection section 27 via a pipe 244. Dust and dust sucked by the suction section 153 are collected by the collection section 27.

A pipe 245 is further connected to the recovery section 27 . Further, a blower 262 is installed in the middle of the pipe 245. By operating this blower 262, suction force can be generated in the suction section 153. This facilitates the formation of the first web M5 on the mesh belt 151. This first web M5 has dust, dust, etc. removed therefrom. In addition, dust and dust pass through the pipe 244 and reach the collection section 27 by the operation of the blower 262.

The housing 142 is connected to the humidifier 232. The humidifier 232 is composed of an evaporative humidifier. As a result, humidified air is supplied into the housing 142. This humidified air can humidify the first sorted object M4-1, and can therefore also prevent the first sorted object M4-1 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing 142 due to electrostatic force.

A humidifying section 235 is arranged downstream of the sorting section 14. The humidifier 235 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water. Thereby, moisture can be supplied to the first web M5, and therefore, the moisture content of the first web M5 is adjusted. This adjustment can suppress adsorption of the first web M5 to the mesh belt 151 due to electrostatic force. Thereby, the first web M5 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 151 at the position where the mesh belt 151 is folded back by the tension roller 152.

The subdivision section 16 is arranged downstream of the humidification section 235. The subdivision portion 16 is a portion that performs a dividing step of dividing the first web M5 peeled from the mesh belt 151. The subdivision 16 has a rotatably supported propeller 161 and a housing 162 that accommodates the propeller 161. Then, the rotating propeller 161 can divide the first web M5. The divided first web M5 becomes subdivided bodies M6. Moreover, the subdivision body M6 descends within the housing 162.

Housing 162 is connected to humidifier 233. The humidifying section 233 is composed of an evaporative humidifier. As a result, humidified air is supplied into the housing 162. This humidified air can also prevent the subdivided body M6 from adhering to the propeller 161 or the inner wall of the housing 162 due to electrostatic force.

A mixing section 17 is arranged downstream of the subdivision section 16 . The mixing section 17 is a section that performs a mixing step of mixing the subdivision bodies M6 and additives. This mixing section 17 has an additive supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

The tube 172 connects the housing 162 of the subdivision section 16 and the housing 182 of the dispersion section 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivision body M6 and the additive passes.

An additive supply section 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The additive supply section 171 includes a housing 170 that accommodates additives, and a screw feeder 174 provided within the housing 170. As the screw feeder 174 rotates, the additive in the housing 170 is forced out of the housing 170 and fed into the tube 172. The additive fed into tube 172 is mixed with subdivision M6 to form mixture M7.

Here, the additives supplied from the additive supply section 171 include, for example, a binder that binds fibers together, a coloring agent that colors fibers, and an aggregation inhibitor that suppresses fiber aggregation. , a flame retardant to make fibers etc. difficult to burn, a paper strength enhancer to increase the paper strength of the sheet S, a defibrated material, etc., and one or more of these can be used in combination. . Below, as an example, a case where the additive is resin P1 as a binder will be described. The strength of the sheet S can be increased by the additive containing a binder that binds fibers together.

The resin P1 can be in the form of powder or particles. Further, as the resin P1, for example, a thermoplastic resin, a curable resin, etc. can be used, but it is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin. Examples of thermoplastic resins include AS resins, ABS resins, polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, modified polyolefins, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate. Polyesters such as butylene terephthalate, polyamides such as nylon 6, nylon 46, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 612, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6-12, nylon 6-66, polyphenylene ether, polyacetal, polyether, polyphenylene oxide , polyetheretherketone, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfide, thermoplastic polyimide, polyetherimide, liquid crystal polymers such as aromatic polyester, styrene type, polyolefin type, polyvinyl chloride type, polyurethane type, polyester type, polyamide type, polybutadiene type, Examples include various thermoplastic elastomers such as transpolyisoprene, fluororubber, and chlorinated polyethylene, and one type or a combination of two or more types selected from these can be used. As the thermoplastic resin, it is preferable to use polyester or one containing polyester.

Further, a blower 173 is installed in the middle of the pipe 172 on the downstream side of the additive supply section 171. The action of a rotating part such as a blade of the blower 173 promotes mixing of the subdivided body M6 and the resin P1. Further, the blower 173 can generate an airflow toward the dispersion section 18 . This airflow allows the subdivided bodies M6 and the resin P1 to be stirred within the tube 172. Thereby, the mixture M7 is conveyed to the dispersion section 18 in a state in which the subdivided bodies M6 and the resin P1 are uniformly dispersed. In addition, the subdivided bodies M6 in the mixture M7 are loosened in the process of passing through the tube 172, and become finer fibrous.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, the blower 173 is electrically connected to the control unit 28, and its operation is controlled. Furthermore, by adjusting the amount of air blown by the blower 173, the amount of air sent into the drum 181 can be adjusted.

Although not shown, the end of the pipe 172 on the side of the drum 181 is branched into two, and the branched ends are connected to inlet ports (not shown) formed on the end surface of the drum 181, respectively.

The dispersing portion 18 shown in FIG. 1 is a portion that performs a release step of loosening and releasing intertwined fibers in the mixture M7. The dispersion section 18 includes a drum 181 that introduces and discharges the mixture M7, which is a defibrated material, a housing 182 that houses the drum 181, and a drive source 183 that rotationally drives the drum 181.

The drum 181 is a sieve that is constructed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. By rotating the drum 181, fibers and the like that are smaller than the opening of the mesh in the mixture M7 can pass through the drum 181. In this case, the mixture M7 is loosened and released together with the air. That is, the drum 181 functions as a discharge section that discharges the material containing fibers.

Although not shown, the drive source 183 includes a motor, a speed reducer, and a belt. The motor is electrically connected to the control unit 28 via a motor driver. Further, the rotational force output from the motor is reduced by a speed reducer. The belt is, for example, an endless belt, and is wound around the output shaft of the speed reducer and the outer periphery of the drum. Thereby, the rotational force of the output shaft of the speed reducer is transmitted to the drum 181 via the belt.

Further, the housing 182 is connected to the humidifying section 234. The humidifier 234 is composed of an evaporative humidifier. As a result, humidified air is supplied into the housing 182. This humidified air can humidify the inside of the housing 182, and can therefore also prevent the mixture M7 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing 182 due to electrostatic force.

Further, the mixture M7 discharged by the drum 181 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the second web forming section 19 located below the drum 181. The second web forming part 19 is a part that performs a deposition step of depositing the mixture M7 to form a second web M8 as a deposit. The second web forming section 19 includes a mesh belt 191, a tension roller 192, and a collection section 3.

The mesh belt 191 is a mesh member, and in the illustrated configuration, is an endless belt. Further, the mixture M7 dispersed and discharged by the dispersing section 18 is deposited on the mesh belt 191. This mesh belt 191 is wound around four tension rollers 192. The mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 is then conveyed to the downstream side by the rotation of the tension roller 192.

In the illustrated configuration, a mesh belt 191 is used as an example of the mesh member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may have a flat plate shape, for example.

Further, most of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 has a size larger than the opening of the mesh belt 191. Thereby, the mixture M7 is prevented from passing through the mesh belt 191, and can therefore be deposited on the mesh belt 191. Further, the mixture M7 is deposited on the mesh belt 191 and is conveyed to the downstream side together with the mesh belt 191, so that it is formed as a layered second web M8.

The collection unit 3 sucks air from below the mesh belt 191. This allows the mixture M7 to be sucked onto the mesh belt 191, thereby promoting the deposition of the mixture M7 onto the mesh belt 191. The configuration of the recovery section 3 will be detailed later.

A humidifying section 236 is arranged downstream of the dispersion section 18 . The humidifying section 236 is composed of an ultrasonic humidifier similar to the humidifying section 235. Thereby, moisture can be supplied to the second web M8, and thus the moisture content of the second web M8 is adjusted. With this adjustment, adsorption of the second web M8 to the mesh belt 191 due to electrostatic force can be suppressed. Thereby, the second web M8 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

Note that the total amount of water added to the humidifying sections 231 to 236 is preferably, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, based on 100 parts by mass of the material before humidification.

A forming section 20 is arranged downstream of the second web forming section 19 . The forming section 20 is a section that performs a sheet forming process of forming the sheet S from the second web M8. This molding section 20 has a pressing section 201 and a heating section 202.

The pressing section 201 has a pair of calendar rollers 203, and can press the second web M8 between the calendar rollers 203 without heating it. This increases the density of the second web M8. Note that the degree of heating in the case of heating is preferably such that, for example, the resin P1 is not melted. This second web M8 is then conveyed toward the heating section 202. Note that one of the pair of calendar rollers 203 is a main roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

The heating unit 202 has a pair of heating rollers 204, and can pressurize the second web M8 while heating it between the heating rollers 204. Due to this heating and pressurization, the resin P1 is melted within the second web M8, and the fibers are bonded to each other via the melted resin P1. Thereby, the sheet S is formed. Then, this sheet S is conveyed toward the cutting section 21. Note that one of the pair of heating rollers 204 is a main roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

A cutting section 21 is arranged downstream of the forming section 20. The cutting part 21 is a part that performs a cutting process of cutting the sheet S. This cutting section 21 has a first cutter 211 and a second cutter 212.

The first cutter 211 cuts the sheet S in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the sheet S, particularly in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheet S.

The second cutter 212 is downstream of the first cutter 211 and cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction of the sheet S. This cutting is to trim the width of the sheet S by removing unnecessary portions at both ends of the sheet S, that is, the ends in the +y-axis direction and the −y-axis direction, and the cut and removed portions are as follows: It is called "Mimi".

Through such cutting by the first cutter 211 and the second cutter 212, a sheet S having a desired shape and size can be obtained. This sheet S is then conveyed further downstream and accumulated in the stock section 22.

Note that the molding section 20 is not limited to the configuration for molding into the sheet S as described above, but may be configured to mold into a block-shaped, spherical, etc. molded body, for example.

Each part of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 is electrically connected to the control part 28. The operation of each of these parts is controlled by the control part 28.

The control unit 28 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 281 and a storage unit 282. The CPU 281 can execute various programs stored in the storage unit 282, and can, for example, make various judgments and give various instructions.

The storage unit 282 stores various programs such as a program for manufacturing the sheet S, various calibration curves, tables, etc., for example.

Moreover, this control unit 28 may be built in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, or may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. In addition, the external device may be connected to the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 via a cable or the like, for example, by wireless communication, or via a network such as the Internet. There are cases where

Further, the CPU 281 and the storage section 282 may be integrated into one unit, for example, or the CPU 281 may be built in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 and the storage section 282 may be provided in an external computer, etc. Alternatively, the storage section 282 may be built in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, and the CPU 281 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer.

Next, the collection section 3 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 1, the collection unit 3 has a function of sucking air from below the mesh belt 191 to promote deposition of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191, and also has the function of promoting the deposition of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191. It has a function of collecting long fibers and foreign matter that could not be collected by the collecting section 27. The recovery section 3 includes a suction section 4 and a gas ejection section 5, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the suction unit 4 includes a hopper 41, a suction port 42 provided in the hopper, and a contact member 43 provided in the hopper 41.

The hopper 41 has a function of guiding the material that has passed through the mesh belt 191 toward the suction port 42 . The hopper 41 has a bottom portion 411 and a side wall portion 412 that stands up from the bottom portion 411. The bottom portion 411 has a rectangular shape extending in the y-axis direction when viewed from the z-axis direction. Further, the side wall portion 412 includes a side wall portion 413, a side wall portion 414, a side wall portion 415, and a side wall portion 416.

Side wall portion 413 and side wall portion 414 face each other in the y-axis direction. The side wall portion 413 is located on the +y-axis side, and the side wall portion 414 is located on the −y-axis side. The side wall portion 413 and the side wall portion 414 are erected along the z-axis direction. That is, the side wall portion 413 and the side wall portion 414 are installed such that their main surfaces are along the xz plane and their thickness directions are along the y-axis direction.

Side wall portion 415 and side wall portion 416 face each other in the x-axis direction. The side wall portion 415 is located on the +x axis side, and the side wall portion 416 is located on the −x axis side. The side wall portion 415 and the side wall portion 416 are inclined portions installed to be inclined with respect to the x-axis and the z-axis. The side wall portion 415 and the side wall portion 416 have inclination directions opposite to each other, and are installed so as to be inclined such that the distance between them increases toward the +z-axis side.

In such a side wall portion 412, the area of the cross-sectional shape with the z-axis as the normal line increases as it goes toward the +z-axis side. Thereby, the material that has passed through the mesh belt 191 can be effectively guided toward the suction port 42.

In this way, the suction section 4 has the hopper 41 that is a receiving section that guides the mixture M7, which is a material that has passed through the mesh belt 191, which is a mesh member, to the suction port 42. Thereby, the mixture M7 that has passed through the mesh belt 191 can be effectively guided to the suction port 42.

Further, the hopper 41, which is a receiving portion, has a bottom portion 411 and a side wall portion 412 that stands up from the bottom portion. Thereby, the mixture M7 that has passed through the mesh belt 191 can be effectively guided by the suction port 42.

An opening penetrating through the side wall portion 414 in its thickness direction is formed, and a tube 246 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to this opening. Further, a blower 263 is installed in the middle of this pipe 246. By operating this blower 263, suction force can be generated in the recovery section 3. An opening formed in the side wall portion 414 functions as a suction port 42 that performs suction. Note that when the end of the tube 246 is provided to protrude into the side wall portion 414, the opening of the tube 246 functions as the suction port 42.

As shown in FIG. 2, the blower 263 is electrically connected to the control unit 28, and its operation is controlled. In addition, by adjusting the amount of air blown by the blower 263, the amount of suction can be adjusted.

The suction port 42 is provided on the bottom 411 side of the side wall 414. Thereby, the mixture M7 guided to the bottom part 411 by the side wall part 412 can be effectively sucked.

The suction port 42 has a circular shape. Thereby, clogging of the mixture M7 at the suction port 42 can be more effectively prevented or suppressed. However, the structure is not limited to the above structure, and the suction port 42 may have any shape, such as a square, a rectangle, an ellipse, etc., for example.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the contact member 43 is installed near the bottom portion 411. As shown in FIGS. The contact member 43 has the function of contacting the mixture M7 that has passed through the mesh belt 191, eliminating clumps of the mixture M7, and guiding the mixture M7 to the bottom portion 411.

The contact member 43 is a member extending in the y-axis direction, and has one end supported by the side wall 413 and the other end supported by the side wall 414. The contact member 43 has two inclined plates 431 and 432. The inclined plate 431 and the inclined plate 432 are connected on the +z-axis side, and this portion constitutes the top portion 433. Further, the inclined plate 431 and the inclined plate 432 have different inclination directions, and the distance between them increases toward the -z axis side.

Further, the contact member 43 is installed apart from the bottom portion 411. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a gap G is formed between the contact member 43 and the bottom portion 411. Thereby, the mixture M7 can be suctioned through the gap G, and the jetting of air by the gas jetting section 5, which will be described later, is not inhibited.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the width W1 of the contact member 43, that is, the length in the x-axis direction, is smaller than the width W2 of the bottom portion 411, that is, the length in the x-axis direction. Thereby, the mixture M7 that has slipped and fallen on the inclined plates 431 and 432 can be guided directly to the bottom 411. Therefore, the mixture M7 can be suctioned more effectively.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the gas jet section 5 is provided on the side wall section 413, and has the function of jetting air from the +y-axis side toward the -y-axis side, that is, toward the suction port 42. has. Thereby, suction can be promoted while preventing or suppressing clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42. By realizing stable suction, it is possible to obtain the second web M8 having a desired thickness distribution.

The gas jetting part 5 has a jetting port 51 which is a first jetting port, and a jetting port 52 and a jetting port 53 which are two second jetting ports. These jet ports 51 to 53 are configured by openings formed in the side wall portion 413. These are arranged in the order of jet nozzle 52, jet nozzle 51, and jet nozzle 53 from the +x-axis side.

Further, a pipe 510 is connected to the spout 51 . Further, the pipe 510 is connected to a blower 511 shown in FIG. By operating this blower 511, gas can be ejected from the ejection port 51.

Further, a pipe 520 is connected to the spout 52 . Further, the pipe 520 is connected to a blower 521 shown in FIG. By operating this blower 521, gas can be ejected from the ejection port 52.

Further, a pipe 530 is connected to the spout 53 . Further, the pipe 530 is connected to a blower 531 shown in FIG. By operating this blower 531, gas can be ejected from the ejection port 53.

As shown in FIG. 2, these blowers 511 to 531 are each electrically connected to the control section 28, and their operations are controlled. Further, by adjusting the amount of air blown by the blowers 511 to 531, the amount of gas ejected can be adjusted.

Note that although the above description has been made of a configuration in which the openings formed in the side wall portion 413 are the jet ports 51 to 53, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ends of the pipes 510 to 530 are formed in the side wall portion 413. When the pipe 510 is provided so as to protrude inward from the pipe 510 , the opening of the pipe 510 functions as the jet port 51 , the opening of the pipe 520 functions as the jet port 52 , and the opening of the pipe 530 functions as the jet port 53 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the spout 51 is located at the center of the side wall 413 and at a position unevenly distributed toward the bottom 411 when viewed from the −y-axis side. This allows air to be blown out towards the mixture M7 located on the bottom 411. Therefore, the mixture M7 located on the bottom portion 411 can be blown away toward the suction port 42, and suction by the suction port 42 can be promoted. Further, clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42 can be effectively prevented or suppressed.

Further, the jet nozzle 51 has a flat shape extending in the x-axis direction. Thereby, the above effect can be exhibited over a wider range in the width direction of the bottom portion 411, that is, in the x-axis direction.

Further, the jet nozzle 51 is located between the contact member 43 and the bottom portion 411 when viewed from the y-axis direction. That is, when viewed from the y-axis direction, the jet nozzle 51 does not overlap the abutting member 43 and is located on the −z-axis side of the abutting member 43. Thereby, the air jetting by the gas jetting part 5 is not obstructed, and clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42 can be more reliably prevented or suppressed.

In this way, the hopper 41 as a receiving part is provided apart from the bottom part 411, and has the contact member 43 that comes into contact with the mixture M7, which is the material that has passed through the mesh belt 191, which is the mesh member. When viewed from the ejection direction of the gas ejection part 5, that is, from the y-axis direction, the gas ejection part 5 has the ejection port 51, which is the first ejection hole provided between the contact member 43 and the bottom part 411. have Thereby, the air jetting by the gas jetting part 5 is not obstructed, and clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42 can be more reliably prevented or suppressed.

The jet nozzle 52 and the jet nozzle 53 are arranged side by side in the x-axis direction with the jet nozzle 51 interposed therebetween. The spout 52 is located at the boundary 417 between the bottom 411 and the side wall 415 when viewed from the −y-axis side. The spout 53 is located at the boundary 418 between the bottom 411 and the side wall 416 when viewed from the −y-axis side. The boundary portion 417 and the boundary portion 418 are areas where the mixture M7 is relatively likely to accumulate. By ejecting gas toward the boundary portions 417 and 418, it is possible to effectively prevent or suppress the mixture M7 from accumulating in the hopper 41.

In this way, the side wall portion 412 includes a side wall portion 415 and a side wall portion 416, which are a pair of inclined portions that face each other with the suction port 42 in between. The gas jetting section 5 has a jetting port 52 and a jetting port 53 which are second jetting ports that jet gas toward a boundary section 417 and a boundary section 418 between the side wall section 415 and the side wall section 416 and the bottom section 411 . By ejecting gas toward the boundary portions 417 and 418, which are areas where the mixture M7 is relatively likely to accumulate, it is possible to effectively prevent or suppress the mixture M7 from remaining in the hopper 41. .

Furthermore, the spout 52 and the spout 53 each have a circular shape, and the opening area thereof is smaller than the opening area of the spout 51 . Thereby, air can be ejected in a pinpoint manner toward the boundary portion 417 and the boundary portion 418. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent or suppress the mixture M7 from remaining in the hopper 41.

In this way, the suction port 42 is provided in the side wall portion 414, and the gas jetting portion 5 is provided in the side wall portion 412, which is the wall portion that faces the side wall portion 414, which is the wall portion where the suction port 42 is provided. It is provided in the section 413. Thereby, clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42 can be effectively prevented or suppressed.

In this way, the gas jetting portions 5 are provided at positions unevenly distributed on the bottom portion 411 side of the side wall portion 413. This allows air to be blown out towards the mixture M7 located on the bottom 411. Therefore, the mixture M located on the bottom portion 411 can be blown away toward the suction port 42, and suction by the suction port 42 can be promoted. Further, clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42 can be effectively prevented or suppressed.

Further, the amount of gas ejected per unit time from the gas ejection section 5 is defined as A, the amount of gas ejected per unit time from the drum 181 which is the ejection section is defined as B, and the amount of air suctioned per unit time from the suction section 4. When is C, C>A+B is satisfied. Note that the amount of gas ejected per unit time from the gas ejection portion 5 is the sum of the amount of gas ejected per unit time from the ejection ports 51 to 53 in a state of ejecting gas. Further, the amount of gas ejected from the drum 181 per unit time is the sum of the amount of gas ejected from all meshes of the drum 181 per unit time. By satisfying the above formula, it is possible to effectively prevent or suppress the airflow from the drum 181 toward the suction section 4 from being disturbed by the gas ejected from the gas ejection section 5. Therefore, it contributes to the formation of the second web M8 having a desired thickness distribution.

Further, A/C is preferably 0.001 or more and 0.4 or less, more preferably 0.01 or more and 0.1 or less. Thereby, the above effects can be more reliably achieved.

The above A, B, and C can be adjusted as appropriate by, for example, adjusting the air flow rates of the blower 173, blower 263, blower 511, blower 521, and blower 531 shown in FIG. Note that the adjustment method is not limited to this, and for example, a method may be used in which a throttle valve is provided in each flow path and the opening degree is adjusted.

Moreover, it is preferable that the gas ejection part 5 ejects gas intermittently. That is, it is preferable that the gas ejection part 5 is configured to alternately switch between the ejection state and the stopped state. Thereby, formation of air stagnation within the hopper 41 can be effectively prevented or suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent or suppress the mixture M7 from remaining in the hopper 41.

Note that even if the gas ejection part 5 is configured to eject gas continuously, the same effect as above can be obtained by varying the ejection amount or changing the ejection direction over time. Can be done.

Note that the gas ejection unit 5 may be an ionizer having a function of eliminating static electricity, or may be a humidifier that ejects humidified air. Thereby, it is possible to more effectively prevent the mixture M7 from remaining in the hopper 41.

As described above, the fibrous body deposition device 1 includes the drum 181 which is a discharge section which discharges the mixture M7 which is a material containing fibers, and the mesh belt 191 which is a mesh member which deposits the material discharged by the drum 181. and a recovery section 3 that recovers the mixture M7 that has passed through the mesh belt 191. The recovery unit 3 also includes a suction unit 4 having a suction port 42 that sucks air, and a gas ejection unit 5 that spouts gas toward the suction port 42 . Thereby, suction can be promoted while preventing or suppressing clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42. Therefore, the suction unit 4 can stably suction the mixture M7, and the second web M8 having a desired thickness distribution can be obtained.

The fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a fibrous body deposition apparatus 1 and a molding section 20 that shapes the second web M8, which is the deposit formed by the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1. Thereby, by forming the second web M8 having a desired thickness distribution formed by the fibrous body deposition device 1, a high quality sheet S, that is, a fibrous structure can be obtained.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a recovery section included in the fibrous body deposition apparatus according to the second embodiment.

The second embodiment of the fibrous body deposition apparatus and fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to this figure. The explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the suction unit 4 includes a suction member 420 installed on the bottom 411 of the hopper 41. The suction member 420 has a box shape and has an inner cavity 421 . Further, the suction member 420 has a shape extending in the y-axis direction.

Further, a pipe 246 is connected to the end of the suction member 420 on the -y axis side. Pipe 246 communicates with lumen 421 . Further, a plurality of suction ports 42 are provided on the +x-axis side and −x-axis sides of the suction member 420, respectively. The suction ports 42 are arranged side by side in the y-axis direction.

By having such a suction member 420, the bottom portion 411 can be suctioned over a wider area.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a view of the recovery section included in the fibrous body deposition apparatus according to the third embodiment, viewed from the +z-axis side.

The third embodiment of the fibrous body deposition apparatus and fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to this figure. The explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, a suction port 42 is provided in the center of the bottom portion 411. That is, the tube 246 shown in FIG. 3 is connected to the bottom portion 411 from the -z axis side. Further, the contact member 43 is installed so as to cover the suction port 42 . Thereby, lumps of the mixture M7 can be prevented from heading directly toward the suction port 42.

As described above, in this embodiment, the suction port 42 is provided on the bottom portion 411 and the gas ejection portion 5 is provided on the side wall portion 413. Thereby, the bottom portion 411 can be suctioned radially. Therefore, clogging of the mixture M7 in the suction port 42 can be more effectively prevented or suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the gas ejection part 5 may be provided also in the side wall part 414, and may be provided in the side wall part 415 and the side wall part 416.

Although the fibrous body deposition apparatus and fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention have been described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fibrous body deposition apparatus and fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus constitute Each part can be replaced with an arbitrary configuration that can perform the same function. Moreover, arbitrary components may be added. Moreover, the features of each embodiment may be combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Fibrous structure manufacturing device, 1... Fibrous body deposition device, 3... Recovery section, 4... Suction section, 5... Gas ejection section, 11... Raw material supply section, 12... Crushing section, 13... Defibration section, 14 ... sorting section, 15... first web forming section, 16... subdividing section, 17... mixing section, 18... dispersing section, 19... second web forming section, 20... forming section, 21... cutting section, 22... stock section, 27... Recovery section, 28... Control section, 41... Hopper, 42... Suction port, 43... Contact member, 51... Spout port, 52... Spout port, 53... Spout port, 121... Crushing blade, 122... Chute, 141...Drum part, 142...Housing, 151...Mesh belt, 152...Tension roller, 153...Suction part, 161...Propeller, 162...Housing, 170...Housing, 171...Additive supply part, 172...Pipe, 173... Blower, 174... Screw feeder, 181... Drum, 182... Housing, 183... Drive source, 191... Mesh belt, 192... Tension roller, 201... Pressure section, 202... Heating section, 203... Calendar roller, 204... Heating Roller, 211... First cutter, 212... Second cutter, 231... Humidifying section, 232... Humidifying section, 233... Humidifying section, 234... Humidifying section, 235... Humidifying section, 236... Humidifying section, 241... Tube, 242... Pipe, 243...Pipe, 244...Pipe, 245...Pipe, 246...Pipe, 261...Blower, 262...Blower, 263...Blower, 281...CPU, 282...Storage section, 411...Bottom section, 412...Side wall section, 413... Side wall part, 414... Side wall part, 415... Side wall part, 416... Side wall part, 417... Boundary part, 418... Boundary part, 420... Suction member, 421... Inner cavity part, 431... Inclined plate, 432... Inclined plate, 433 …Top, 510…Pipe, 511…Blower, 520…Pipe, 521…Blower, 530…Pipe, 531…Blower, G…Gap, M1…Raw material, M2…Crushed pieces, M3…Defibrated material, M4-1… First sorted material, M4-2...Second sorted material, M5...First web, M6...Subdivision, M7...Mixture, M8...Second web, S...Sheet, P1...Resin, W1...Width, W2...Width

Claims (11)

a discharge section that discharges a material containing fibers;
a mesh member that deposits the material discharged by the discharge section;
a collection unit that collects the material that has passed through the mesh member;
The fibrous body deposition apparatus is characterized in that the recovery section includes a suction section having a suction port that sucks air, and a gas ejection section that spouts gas toward the suction port. The fibrous body deposition device according to claim 1, wherein the suction section includes a receiving section that guides the material that has passed through the mesh member to the suction port. The fibrous body deposition device according to claim 2, wherein the receiving portion has a bottom portion and a side wall portion erected from the bottom portion. The suction port is provided in the side wall portion,
The fibrous body deposition apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the gas jetting section is provided in a wall section of the side wall section that faces a wall section in which the suction port is provided. The suction port is provided at the bottom,
The fibrous body deposition apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the gas jetting section is provided on the side wall section. The fibrous body deposition device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the gas jetting portion is provided at a position unevenly distributed on the bottom side of the side wall portion. The receiving part further includes a contact member that is provided apart from the bottom part and that comes into contact with the material that has passed through the mesh member,
The gas jetting section has a first jetting port provided between the abutting member and the bottom when viewed from the jetting direction of the gas jetting section, according to any one of claims 3 to 6. fibrous body deposition device. The side wall portion has a pair of inclined portions facing each other via the suction port,
The fibrous body deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the gas ejection part has a second ejection port that ejects gas toward a boundary between the inclined part and the bottom part. When the amount of gas ejected per unit time of the gas ejecting part is A, the amount of gas ejected per unit time of the emitting part is B, and the amount of air suctioned per unit time of the suction part is C. The fibrous body deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which satisfies C>A+B. The fibrous body deposition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the gas jetting section jets out the gas intermittently. A fibrous body deposition device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A fibrous structure manufacturing apparatus comprising: a molding section that molds the deposit formed by the fibrous body deposition apparatus.

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