Fiber production apparatus and fiber production method

Abstract

The present invention provides a fiber material production apparatus and a fiber material production method that do not hinder the normal transport of the web by foreign matter such as fiber scraps and paper fragments generated when the web is peeled off from the pressurized section. [Solution] A fiber production apparatus 1 comprising a forming mechanism 50 for forming a mixture W, a pressurizing section 70 for conveying the mixture W under pressure, a peeling blade 76 for peeling the mixture W from the pressurizing section 70, a cleaner 77 for cleaning the pressurizing section 70, and a molding mechanism for forming a fiber W, wherein the pressurizing section 70 rotates in reverse after the rear end of the mixture W has passed through the pressurizing section 70 to move foreign matter E attached to the peeling blade 76 to the pressurizing section 70, and after rotating in reverse for a predetermined amount, rotates forward to convey the foreign matter E and compress the foreign matter E on the pressurizing section 70 so that it passes between the peeling blade 76 and the pressurizing section 70, and the cleaner 77 removes the conveyed foreign matter E from the pressurizing section 70.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fibrous body production apparatus and a fibrous body production method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, there has been disclosed a sheet manufacturing apparatus having a deposition part for depositing a material containing fibers to form a web, and a pressing part for pressing the web to form a sheet. <00000!0>

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document!

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, normal conveyance of the web may be hindered by foreign matters such as fiber scraps and paper pieces generated when the web is peeled off from the pressing part;

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A fibrous body production apparatus includes a forming mechanism for forming a mixture containing fibers and a binder, a roller that rotates in a forward rotation to convey the mixture while compressing it, a peeling blade for peeling the mixture from the roller, a cleaner for cleaning the roller at a position where the mixture does not pass, and a forming mechanism for forming the mixture peeled off from the roller to produce a fibrous body in which the fibers are bonded by the binder. The roller reversely rotates after the rear end of the mixture has passed through the roller to move foreign matters attached to the peeling blade to the roller, and after reversely rotating by a predetermined amount, it rotates forward to convey the foreign matters and compress the foreign matters on the roller to pass between the peeling blade and the roller. The cleaner is characterized by removing the conveyed foreign matters from the roller. It should be noted that there are some unclear or incorrect tags in the original text (such as <00000!0>, <00*5>,

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[0006] The fiber production method involves forming a mixture containing fibers and a binder, conveying the mixture under pressure using a forward-rotating roller, peeling the mixture from the roller with a peeling blade, cleaning the roller with a cleaner at a position where the mixture does not pass, and shaping the mixture peeled from the roller to produce a fiber in which the fibers are bound together with a binder. The method is characterized by: after the rear end of the mixture has passed the roller, the roller is rotated in the reverse direction to move any foreign matter attached to the peeling blade to the roller; after the roller has been rotated in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount, it is rotated in the forward direction to convey the foreign matter with the roller; the foreign matter on the roller is compressed to pass between the peeling blade and the roller; and the foreign matter is removed from the roller with a cleaner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A schematic side view showing a fiber production apparatus. [Figure 2] A schematic side view showing the area immediately after the start of pressurization in the pressurized section. [Figure 3] A schematic side view showing the pressurization process in the pressurized section. [Figure 4] A schematic side view showing the point at which the pressurization process in the pressurized section is completed. [Figure 5] A schematic side view showing the cleaning process in the pressurized section. [Figure 6] A schematic side view showing the cleaning process in the pressurized section. [Figure 7] A schematic side view showing the cleaning process in the pressurized section. [Figure 8] A plan view of the peeling blade used in a fiber production machine. [Figure 9] Side view of a peeling blade installed in a fiber production machine. [Figure 10] Flowchart of the fiber production method. [Figure 11] Flowchart of the cleaning process in a fiber production method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (First Embodiment) The present disclosure will be described below based on embodiments. In the following embodiments, a fiber production apparatus 1 that recycles paper scraps such as waste paper in a dry manner will be exemplified as a fiber production apparatus for producing fiber bodies P1, P2, and P3 from a material containing fibers, and will be described with reference to the drawings. The fiber production apparatus 1 of the present invention is not limited to being dry, but may also be wet. In this embodiment, "dry" mainly refers to the fact that the process of turning waste paper into fibers is not carried out in a liquid, but in air such as the atmosphere.

[0009] In each figure, identical components are denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant explanations are omitted. Furthermore, in this specification, "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" do not only mean completely identical. For example, in this specification, "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" include cases where they are identical considering measurement errors. Also, for example, in this specification, "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" include cases where they are identical considering manufacturing variations of the components.

[0010] Furthermore, in this specification, for example, "same," "identical," and "simultaneous" include cases where they are the same to the extent that their function is not impaired. Therefore, for example, "the dimensions of both are the same" means that, taking into account measurement errors and manufacturing variations of the components, the difference between the two dimensions is within ±5 percent of the dimension of one, and particularly preferably within ±3 percent.

[0011] In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. In this specification, the directions along these axes are referred to as the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction. When specifying directions, positive directions are denoted as "+" and negative directions as "-", and positive and negative signs are used in conjunction with direction notation. In each figure, the direction pointed to by the arrow is described as the + direction, and the opposite direction of the arrow is described as the - direction.

[0012] The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, with the +Z direction being vertically upward and the -Z direction being vertically downward. The plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is referred to as the X-Y plane, the plane including the X-axis and Z-axis is referred to as the X-Z plane, and the plane including the Y-axis and Z-axis is referred to as the Y-Z plane. The X-Y plane is a horizontal plane. For the three spatial axes of X, Y, and Z without limiting the positive and negative directions, they are described as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0013] The X-axis direction is a horizontal direction along the installation surface which is a horizontal plane where the fibrous body production device 1 is installed. The Y-axis direction is a horizontal direction along the installation surface where the fibrous body production device 1 is installed. The Z-axis direction is the normal direction to the installation surface where the fibrous body production device 1 is installed, and is the height direction of the fibrous body production device 1.

[0014] In the following description, the +Z direction may be referred to as "upward" and the -Z direction may be referred to as "downward". In the following description, in the fibrous body production device 1, the front in the conveyance direction of raw materials, mixtures, fibrous bodies, etc. may also be referred to as "downstream", and the side going against the conveyance direction may be referred to as "upstream". For the sake of illustration convenience, the sizes of each member are made different from the actual ones.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the fibrous body production device 1 of the present embodiment includes a first unit group 101, a second unit group 102, and a third unit group 103. The first unit group 101, the second unit group 102, and the third unit group 103 are supported by a frame not shown.

[0016] In the fibrous body production device 1, in a side view from the -X direction, the first unit group 101, the third unit group 103, and the second unit group 102 are arranged from the -Y direction toward the +Y direction. In FIG. 1, the directions in which waste paper C, mixture W, fibrous bodies P1, P2, P3, slit pieces S, and unnecessary end materials, etc. move are indicated by white arrows.

[0017] The fiber body production device 1 manufactures a fiber body P3 from waste paper C, which is a material containing fibers. According to the fiber body production device 1 of the present embodiment, since the fiber body P3 can be manufactured from waste paper C, the amount of waste paper C discarded can be reduced by recycling waste paper C. Therefore, the fiber body production device 1 of the present embodiment can contribute to the achievement of Goal 12, "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns," in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0018] The waste paper C is conveyed from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 through a pipe 21 that crosses inside the third unit group 103. The waste paper C is defibrated in the second unit group 102 to become defibrated fibers G, and then a binder K is added to form a mixture K1. The mixture K1 is conveyed to the third unit group 103 through a pipe 24. The mixture K1 is made into a mixture W in the third unit group 103 and then formed into a belt-shaped fiber body P1. The belt-shaped fiber body P1 is cut in the first unit group 101 to become the fiber body P3. The binder K used in the present embodiment is a thermosetting resin that melts and binds by heat.

[0019] The first unit group 101 includes a buffer tank 13, a metering supply unit 15, a confluence unit 17, and a pipe 21. In the first unit group 101, these components are arranged in the above order from upstream to downstream. The first unit group 101 also includes a first forming mechanism 81, a second forming mechanism 82, a tray 84, and a shredding unit 86.

[0020] The first forming mechanism 81 and the second forming mechanism 82 are forming mechanisms that cut the belt-shaped fiber body P1 into a fiber body P3 with a predetermined shape. The first unit group 101 includes a water supply unit 67. The water supply unit 67 is a water storage tank. The water supply unit 67 supplies humidifying water to each of the first humidifying unit 65 and the second humidifying unit 66, which will be described later, through a water supply pipe (not shown).

[0021] The waste paper C is fed into the buffer tank 13 from the raw material inlet 11. The waste paper C contains fibers such as cellulose and is, for example, shredded waste paper scraps. Humidified air is supplied into the buffer tank 13 from the second humidification unit 66 provided in the third unit group 103.

[0022] The defibrated waste paper C is temporarily stored in the buffer tank 13 and then transported to the quantitative supply unit 15 in accordance with the operation of the fiber production device 1. The fiber production device 1 may also be equipped with a shredder upstream of the buffer tank 13 for shredding the waste paper C and other materials.

[0023] The quantitative supply unit 15 includes a weighing device 15a and a supply mechanism (not shown). The weighing device 15a weighs the mass of the waste paper C. The supply mechanism supplies the waste paper C weighed by the weighing device 15a to the downstream confluence 17. The quantitative supply unit 15 weighs the waste paper C in predetermined masses using the weighing device 15a and supplies it to the downstream confluence 17 via the supply mechanism.

[0024] In this embodiment, a load cell is used for the weighing device 15a. The predetermined mass that the weighing device 15a weighs the waste paper C is, for example, several grams to several tens of grams.

[0025] A vibrating feeder or the like can be used as the supply mechanism. The supply mechanism may also be a component included in the measuring instrument 15a.

[0026] The weighing and supply of waste paper C in the quantitative supply unit 15 is a batch process. The supply of waste paper C from the quantitative supply unit 15 to the merging unit 17 is performed intermittently. The quantitative supply unit 15 may have multiple weighing devices 15a, and the efficiency of weighing may be improved by operating the multiple weighing devices 15a with a time difference.

[0027] At the confluence section 17, the fine fragments of the slit pieces S supplied from the shredding section 86 are mixed with the waste paper C supplied from the quantitative supply section 15. The slit pieces S and the shredding section 86 will be described later. The waste paper C mixed with the fine fragments flows from the confluence section 17 into the piping 21.

[0028] The piping 21 transports the waste paper C from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 by the airflow generated by a blower (not shown).

[0029] The second unit group 102 includes a dry defibrator 30, a separator 40, piping 23, a mixing unit 91, and piping 24. In the second unit group 102, these components are arranged in the order described above, from upstream to downstream. The second unit group 102 also includes a recovery unit 95, a compressor 97, a power supply unit 99, piping 25 connected to the separator 40, and airflow piping 451.

[0030] The waste paper C transported through the piping 21 flows into the defibration machine 30. The defibration machine 30 defibrates the waste paper C supplied from the quantitative supply unit 15 in a dry manner to produce defibrated fibers G. The defibration machine 30 can be equipped with a mechanical defibration mechanism that loosens the waste paper C using mechanical force. The defibration machine 30 untangles the tangled fibers contained in the waste paper C, turning it into defibrated fibers G, which are then transported to the separator 40.

[0031] The separator 40 separates the defibrated fibers G. More specifically, the separator 40 removes components unnecessary for the production of fibrous bodies P1, P2, and P3 contained in the defibrated fibers G. The separator 40 separates relatively long fibers from relatively short fibers. Relatively short fibers can cause a decrease in the strength of fibrous bodies P1, P2, and P3, so they are sorted and removed by the separator 40. The separator 40 also removes colorants and additives contained in the waste paper C. The separator 40 is a disc type using a disc filter.

[0032] The separator 40 is supplied with humidified air from the second humidification unit 66 of the third unit group 103.

[0033] The recovery unit 95 is equipped with a filter (not shown). The filter filters out unnecessary components, such as relatively short fibers, that are not needed in the production of the fibrous bodies P1, P2, and P3 that have been transported by airflow through the piping 25.

[0034] Compressor 97 generates compressed air. The filter may become clogged with fine particles and other unwanted substances. It is possible to clean the filter by blowing the compressed air generated by compressor 97 onto it to blow away the attached particles.

[0035] The defibrated fibers G, with relatively short fibers and other unwanted materials removed, are transported to the mixing section 91 via the pipe 23 by an airflow generated by a blower (not shown) located at the end of the airflow pipe 451. Unwanted materials such as relatively short fibers and colorants are discharged from the pipe 25 to the recovery section 95.

[0036] The mixing unit 91 mixes the defibrated fibers G with the binder K in air to form a mixture K1. Although not shown in the illustration, the mixing unit 91 includes a flow path for conveying the defibrated fibers G, as well as a fan, hopper, supply pipe, and valve (not shown).

[0037] The hopper is connected to the flow path of the defibrated fibers G via a supply pipe. A valve is provided in the supply pipe between the hopper and the flow path. The hopper supplies the binder K into the flow path. The valve adjusts the mass of the binder K supplied from the hopper to the flow path. This adjusts the mixing ratio of the defibrated fibers G and the binder K.

[0038] In addition to the above configuration for supplying the binder K, the mixing unit 91 may also have a similar configuration for supplying colorants, additives, and the like.

[0039] The fan in the mixing unit 91 uses the generated airflow to transport the defibrated fibers G downstream while mixing in the binder K and other substances in the air to form a mixture K1. The mixture K1 flows from the mixing unit 91 into the piping 24.

[0040] The power supply unit 99 has a power supply device (not shown) that supplies power to the fiber production apparatus 1. The power supply unit 99 distributes the power supplied from the outside to each component of the fiber production apparatus 1. The power supply unit 99 is provided with a control unit 5. The control unit 5 is electrically connected to each component of the fiber production apparatus 1 and comprehensively controls the operation of these components.

[0041] The control unit 5 may include one or more processors that perform various processes according to a program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits that perform at least some of the various processes, or a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to perform the processes. Memory, or computer-readable media, includes any readable media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0042] The third unit group 103 deposits and pressurizes the mixture K1 to form a strip-shaped fibrous material P1 which is recycled paper. The third unit group 103 includes a forming mechanism 50, a first transport section 61, a second transport section 62, a first humidification section 65, a second humidification section 66, a drainage section 68, and a pressurizing section 70 which is a molding section.

[0043] In the third unit group 103, the forming mechanism 50, the first transport unit 61, the second transport unit 62, the first humidification unit 65, and the pressurization unit 70 are arranged in the above order from upstream to downstream. The second humidification unit 66 is located below the first humidification unit 65.

[0044] The forming mechanism 50 deposits the mixture K1 supplied from the separator 40 by airflow and gravity to form a mixture W. The forming mechanism 50 includes a drum member 53, a blade member 55 installed inside the drum member 53, a housing 51 that accommodates the drum member 53, and a suction section 59. The mixture K1 is taken into the drum member 53 from the piping 24.

[0045] Below the forming mechanism 50, a first conveying unit 61 is positioned. The first conveying unit 61 has a first conveying belt 61a and a plurality of tensioning rollers 31 that tension the first conveying belt 61a. The suction unit 59 faces the drum member 53 in the direction along the Z axis, with the first conveying belt 61a in between.

[0046] The blade member 55 is located inside the drum member 53 and is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). The drum member 53 is a semi-cylindrical sieve. A mesh that functions as a sieve is provided on the downward-facing side of the drum member 53. The drum member 53 allows the mixture K1, which is smaller than the mesh opening size of the sieve, to pass from the inside to the outside.

[0047] The mixture K1 is agitated by the rotating blade member 55 inside the drum member 53 and released to the outside of the drum member 53. Humidified air from the second humidification unit 66 is supplied to the inside of the drum member 53, and moisture is added to the mixture K1. By adding moisture to the mixture K1, it is possible to prevent the mixture K1 from adhering to the inner wall of the drum member 53 due to static electricity, or from clumping together. Alternatively, the amount of humidification from the second humidification unit 66 may be increased to actively add moisture to the mixture K1 and cause it to accumulate on the first conveyor belt 61a.

[0048] The suction unit 59 is positioned below the drum member 53. The suction unit 59 sucks air from inside the housing 51 through multiple holes in the first conveyor belt 61a. This generates an airflow that causes the mixture K1 to accumulate on the first conveyor belt 61a. The multiple holes in the first conveyor belt 61a allow air to pass through but make it difficult for defibrated fibers G and binder K contained in the mixture K1 to pass through. As a result, the mixture K1 released to the outside of the drum member 53 is sucked downward along with the air. The suction unit 59 is a suction device such as a blower.

[0049] The mixture K1 is dispersed in the air inside the housing 51 and, due to gravity and the airflow generated by the suction unit 59, accumulates on the upper surface of the first conveyor belt 61a to form the mixture W.

[0050] The first conveyor belt 61a is an endless belt and is stretched by tension rollers 31. The first conveyor belt 61a rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the -X direction in Figure 1 due to the rotation of tension rollers 31. As a result, the mixture K1 is continuously deposited on the first conveyor belt 61a, and a mixture W is formed. The mixture W contains a relatively large amount of air and is soft and swollen. The first conveying unit 61 conveys the formed mixture W downstream by the rotation of the first conveyor belt 61a.

[0051] The second conveying unit 62 conveys the mixture W downstream of the first conveying unit 61, taking over from the first conveying unit 61. The second conveying unit 62 separates the mixture W from the upper surface of the first conveyor belt 61a and conveys it toward the pressurizing unit 70. The second conveying unit 62 is located above the conveying path of the mixture W and is positioned slightly upstream of the starting point on the return side of the first conveyor belt 61a. The +Y direction of the second conveying unit 62 and the -Y direction of the first conveyor belt 61a partially overlap in the vertical direction.

[0052] The second conveying unit 62 includes a second conveying belt 62a, a plurality of rollers 32, and a suction mechanism (not shown). The second conveying belt 62a is provided with a plurality of holes for air to pass through. The second conveying belt 62a is stretched over the plurality of rollers 32 and rotates as the rollers 32 rotate.

[0053] The second conveying unit 62 uses the negative pressure generated by the suction mechanism to attract the upper surface of the mixture W to the lower surface of the second conveying belt 62a. In this state, as the second conveying belt 62a rotates, the mixture W is attracted to the second conveying belt 62a and conveyed downstream.

[0054] A cleaning section 201 is provided in the area extending from the overlapping portion of the first conveying section 61 and the second conveying section 62 to the area below the first conveying section 61 and the second conveying section 62. The cleaning section 201 is equipped with brush rollers and the like for removing any remaining fibers adhering to the first conveying belt 61a and the second conveying belt 62a.

[0055] The remaining fibers recovered by the cleaning unit 201 are transported to the defibration machine 30 via the transport pipe 22, the confluence unit 17, and the piping 21. This reduces the need for the user to remove the remaining fibers attached to the first transport belt 61a and the second transport belt 62a, i.e., to perform maintenance. This reduces the amount of remaining fibers discarded as waste, thereby minimizing the waste of raw materials.

[0056] The first humidification unit 65 humidifies the mixture W deposited in the formation mechanism 50 of the third unit group 103. Specifically, the first humidification unit 65 is, for example, a mist-type humidifier that humidifies the mixture W being transported by the second transport unit 62 by supplying mist M from below. The first humidification unit 65 is positioned below the second transport unit 62 and faces the mixture W being transported by the second transport unit 62 in a direction along the Z-axis. For example, an ultrasonic humidifier can be applied to the first humidification unit 65. In each of the above configurations, the humidified air suppresses the charging of waste paper C and fibers, and prevents them from adhering to the components due to static electricity.

[0057] The pressurizing section 70 pressurizes and heats the humidified mixture W to form a strip-shaped fibrous body P1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pressurizing section 70 consists of a first roller 72 that can heat the mixture W and is driven by a motor (not shown), and a second roller 73 that rotates in conjunction with the first roller 72. The second roller 73 is movable between a separated position and a nip position by a moving mechanism (not shown). The first roller 72 corresponds to a roller.

[0058] The first roller 72 and the second roller 73 pressurize and heat the mixture W while it is nipped, forming the mixture W into a fibrous material P1, and conveying the fibrous material P1 downstream in the conveying direction. At this time, the first roller 72 rotates in direction A, which is counterclockwise when viewed from the -X direction, and the second roller 73 rotates clockwise. The rotation of the first roller 72 in direction A is also called "forward rotation," and the rotation in the opposite direction to direction A, which is -A, is called "reverse rotation."

[0059] The pressurizing section 70 heats the fibrous body P1 to a temperature above the bonding temperature of the binder K, causing the binder K to melt and bond, thereby bonding the fibers contained in the mixture W. For example, when a heat-bonding resin using polyethylene is used as the binder K, the heating temperature is preferably 100°C to 150°C. The mixture W, with its fibers bonded by the binder K, obtains high strength. The pressurizing section 70 can take any form as long as it can pressurize and heat the mixture W and transport the fibrous body P1 downstream in the transport direction. As in this embodiment, it may be a pair of rollers combining a first roller 72 and a second roller 73, or it may be a combination of the first roller 72 and a flat or curved plate.

[0060] The pressurizing section 70, that is, the first roller 72 and the second roller 73, are rollers that convey the mixture W while pressurizing it by rotating in a forward direction. When conveyed under pressure by the pressurizing section 70, the mixture P1, which is relatively soft and contains a lot of air, has its internal air content reduced and the fibers are bound together by the binder K, forming a strip-shaped fibrous body P1.

[0061] Downstream of the first roller 72 and the second roller 73, a winding roller 74 is positioned, and downstream of the winding roller 74, a conveying roller pair 79 is positioned. The fiber P1 is conveyed from the nip point between the first roller 72 and the second roller 73, via the winding roller 74 to the conveying roller pair 79, and then conveyed to the first unit group 101 by the conveying roller pair 79.

[0062] The fiber production apparatus 1 is equipped with a peeling blade 76. The peeling blade 76 is located downstream in the conveying direction of the fiber P1 from the nip point between the first roller 72 and the second roller 73.

[0063] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the peeling blade 76 consists of a shaft portion 761 extending in the X-axis direction and a rectangular blade portion 762 attached to the shaft portion 761. Multiple rectangular slits 763 extending in the +Z direction are arranged in the X-axis direction at the +Z end of the blade portion 762. A motor (not shown) is connected to the shaft portion 761, and the peeling blade 76 is rotatable around the shaft portion 761 as its axis of rotation. Therefore, the peeling blade 76 is movable between a first position where the tip of the blade portion 762 is close to the first roller 72 and a second position where the tip of the blade portion 762 is further from the first roller 72 than the first position. The first position is the position where the mixture W can be peeled off from the first roller 72, and the second position is the position further from the first roller than the first position. Furthermore, the first position is not limited to a position close to the first roller 72, but may be a position in contact with the first roller 72 or a position slightly separated from it, as long as the mixture W can be peeled off.

[0064] As shown in Figure 2, at the start of production, the peeling blade 76 is in a first position close to the first roller 72. The peeling blade 76 peels the tip of the fiber body P1 formed by the pressurizing section 70 from the first roller 72 which is rotating in the A direction, and guides it toward the winding roller 74. After being wound onto the winding roller 74, the fiber body P1 is conveyed to the first unit group 101 by the transport roller pair 79.

[0065] Once the leading edge of the fiber P1 is nipped by the conveyor roller pair 79, the fiber P1 is subsequently peeled from the first roller 72 by tension, even without the peeling blade 76. Therefore, after the leading edge of the fiber P1 is nipped by the conveyor roller pair 79, the peeling blade 76 moves to the second position, as shown in Figure 3.

[0066] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fiber production apparatus 1 is equipped with a cleaner 77. The cleaner 77 is positioned so that the fiber material P1 and the mixed material W do not pass through it. The cleaner 77 contacts the first roller 72 and is responsible for removing foreign matter E, such as fiber residue, that adheres to the surface of the first roller 72, thereby cleaning it. By removing foreign matter E that adheres to the surface of the first roller 72 with the cleaner 77, it is possible to prevent interference with the normal transport of the fiber material P1.

[0067] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the cleaner 77 is composed of a cleaning roller section 771, an arm section 772, a shaft section 773, and an arm shaft 774. The cleaning roller section 771 is a cylindrical roller that can rotate around the X-axis and the parallel shaft section 773. The cleaning roller section 771 is a felt roller with felt material attached to its surface to clean in contact with the first roller 72. A motor (not shown) drives the shaft section 773, allowing it to rotate in the D direction, which is counterclockwise when viewed from the -X direction. The length of the cleaning roller section 771 in the X-axis direction is longer than the width of the first roller 72 in the X-axis direction. The felt material attached to the surface of the cleaning roller section 771 is made of chemical fibers such as acrylic fibers or nylon fibers, or cotton.

[0068] The shaft portion 773, which serves as the rotation axis of the cleaning roller portion 771, is connected to the arm shaft 774 via the arm portion 772. The arm shaft 774 is rotatable by a drive unit (not shown). Therefore, by rotating around the arm shaft 774, the cleaner 77 can move between a cleaning position for cleaning the first roller 72 and a standby position further away from the first roller 72 than the cleaning position.

[0069] As shown in Figure 3, the winding roller 74 is provided downstream of the first roller 72 in the conveying direction of the fiber body P1. The winding roller 74 is provided so that the fiber body P1 formed by the pressurizing section 70 is wound onto the first roller 72 for a predetermined length from the nip position. By winding the fiber body P1 onto the surface of the first roller 72, a winding portion Aw that comes into contact with the surface of the first roller 72 is formed. By forming the winding portion Aw, it is possible to ensure that the fiber body P1 is in contact with the first roller 72 for a longer period of time. By ensuring that the fiber body P1 is in contact with the first roller 72 for a longer period of time, it is possible to evenly distribute the binder K, which has been melted by heating, to every corner of the fiber body P1.

[0070] The rotation axis of the winding roller 74 is positioned along the X-axis. The width dimension of the winding roller 74 along the X-axis is longer than the width dimension of the conveyed fiber material P1 along the X-axis.

[0071] As shown in Figure 1, multiple pairs of conveying rollers 79 are provided downstream of the winding roller 74. During the conveying of the fiber P1, the drive of the conveying roller pairs 79 and the pressurizing unit 70 is controlled by the control unit 5 so that tension is applied to the fiber P1.

[0072] The second humidification unit 66 is located below the first humidification unit 65. An evaporative humidifier can be applied to the second humidification unit 66. An example of an evaporative humidifier is one that generates humidified air by blowing air over a damp nonwoven fabric or the like to vaporize the moisture.

[0073] The second humidification unit 66 humidifies a predetermined area of ​​the fiber production apparatus 1. The predetermined area is one or more of the buffer tank 13, the separator 40, and the drum member 53 of the forming mechanism 50. Specifically, humidified air is supplied from the second humidification unit 66 to the above area via a plurality of pipes (not shown). In each of the above configurations, the humidified air suppresses the charging of waste paper C and fibers, and prevents them from adhering to the components due to static electricity.

[0074] The drainage section 68 is a drainage tank. The drainage section 68 is used in the first humidification section 65 and the second humidification section 66, etc., and collects and stores old moisture. The drainage section 68 can be removed from the fiber production apparatus 1 as needed, and the accumulated water can be disposed of.

[0075] The strip-shaped fiber P1, transported to the first unit group 101, proceeds to the first molding mechanism 81. The first molding mechanism 81 cuts the strip-shaped fiber P1 in a direction intersecting the transport direction, for example, along the X-axis. The strip-shaped fiber P1 is then cut into single-sheet-shaped fiber P2 by the first molding mechanism 81. The single-sheet-shaped fiber P2 is transported from the first molding mechanism 81 to the second molding mechanism 82.

[0076] The second molding mechanism 82 cuts the single sheet-shaped fiber body P2 in the transport direction, for example, along the Y-axis. More specifically, the second molding mechanism 82 cuts the single sheet-shaped fiber body P2 near both sides in the direction along the X-axis. As a result, the single sheet-shaped fiber body P2 becomes a fiber body P3 of a predetermined shape, such as A4 or A3 size. The first molding mechanism 81 and the second molding mechanism 82 constitute a molding mechanism and mold the mixture W peeled off from the first roller 72 by the peeling blade 76 to produce a fiber body P3 in which defibrated fibers G are bound together by a binder K.

[0077] In the second molding mechanism 82, when the single sheet of fiber P2 is cut into fiber P3, slit pieces S, which are scraps, are generated. The slit pieces S are transported in approximately the -Y direction to the shredding section 86, which is a shredder. The shredding section 86 shreds the slit pieces S into fine fragments, which are then supplied to the merging section 17. A mechanism for weighing the fine fragments of the slit pieces S and supplying them to the merging section 17 may be installed between the shredding section 86 and the merging section 17.

[0078] The fibrous material P3 is conveyed almost upwards and accumulated in tray 84. Thus, the fibrous material P3 is manufactured in the fibrous material production apparatus 1. The fibrous material P3 can be used as a substitute for, for example, copy paper.

[0079] The mixture W supplied from the forming mechanism 50 to the pressurizing section 70 is in a state where the binder K is not functioning, that is, the bonds between the fibers are weak and it is cotton-like. Therefore, during the forming process by the pressurizing section 70, the fibers scatter and adhere to the surface of the blade section 762 as foreign matter E, as shown in Figure 4. When the foreign matter E accumulates on the surface of the blade section 762, it becomes entangled with the tip of the fibrous body P1 formed by the pressurizing section 70, preventing the fibrous body P1 from reaching the winding roller 74 in a normal path. If the fibrous body P1 does not reach the winding roller 74 in a normal path, normal conveyance is hindered, and conveyance failure may occur. To solve these problems, in this embodiment, a cleaning process (step S6) described later is performed.

[0080] The fiber production method (steps S1 to S5) and cleaning process (step S6) of fiber P3 by the fiber production apparatus 1 will be explained in accordance with Figure 10. Note that the following operations are controlled by the control unit 5. Step S1 is the defibration process. In the defibration process, the waste paper C introduced from the raw material inlet 11 is weighed into predetermined masses and supplied to the defibration machine 30. In the defibration machine 30, the waste paper C is defibrated dry, and in the separator 40, components unnecessary for the production of the fiber P3 are removed, while relatively long fibers are separated by a disc filter. The resulting defibrated fibers G are supplied to the mixing process.

[0081] Step S2 is a mixing step. In the mixing step, the defibrated fibers G are mixed with a binder K in air in the mixing unit 91 to form a mixture K1. The mixing unit 91 weighs the binder K and adjusts the mixing ratio with the defibrated fibers G to the desired ratio. The resulting mixture K1 is supplied to the deposition step S3.

[0082] Step S3 is a deposition process. In the deposition process, the mixture K1 supplied from step S2 is deposited onto the first conveyor belt 61a by airflow and gravity using the forming mechanism 50 to form a mixture W.

[0083] Step S4 is the pressurization step. In the pressurization step, the mixture W formed in step S3 is pressurized and heated in the pressurization section 70. As the mixture W passes through the pressurization section 70, it is formed from a relatively soft state containing a lot of air to a strip-shaped fibrous body P1 in which the amount of air contained is reduced and the fibers are bound together by the binder K. As shown in Figure 2, at the start of production, the peeling blade 76 is positioned in a first position close to the first roller 72, and peels the tip of the fibrous body P1 formed by the pressurization section 70 from the first roller 72 which is rotating in the forward direction A, and guides it toward the winding roller 74.

[0084] Step S5 is the molding process. In the molding process, the fibrous body P1 formed in step S4 is cut by the molding mechanism 81 in a direction intersecting the transport direction, that is, along the X-axis. The strip-shaped fibrous body P1 is cut into single-sheet-shaped fibrous bodies P2 by the first molding mechanism 81 and transported to the second molding mechanism 82. The second molding mechanism 82 cuts the single-sheet-shaped fibrous body P2 in the transport direction, that is, along the Y-axis. Specifically, the second molding mechanism 82 cuts the single-sheet-shaped fibrous body P2 near both sides in the direction along the X-axis to form a fibrous body P3 of a predetermined shape.

[0085] Step S6 is a cleaning process. The cleaning process moves foreign matter E attached to the peeling blade 76 to the first roller 72, and the cleaner 77 removes the foreign matter E that has moved to the first roller 72. The cleaning process is performed after the production of the fiber material P3 (steps S1 to S5). The control unit 5 executes step S6 when the rear end of the mixture W has passed through the pressurizing section 70 and all of the produced fiber material P3 has been placed in the tray 84. At this time, the first roller 72 is assumed to be stopped.

[0086] As shown in Figure 11, the details of the cleaning process will be described. Figure 4 shows the state of the pressurizing unit 70, the peeling blade 76, and the cleaner 77 immediately before step S6 is performed. The first roller 72 and the second roller 73 are stopped rotating, the second roller 73 is in the nip position, the peeling blade 76 is in the second position, the cleaner 77 is in the standby position, and the mixture W and the fibrous material P1 are not pressurized, heated, or conveyed.

[0087] Next, the cleaning process included in step S6 will be described. In step S11, the control unit 5 moves the cleaner 77 to the cleaning position, as shown in Figure 5. Specifically, the control unit 5 drives a drive unit (not shown) of the cleaner 77 to rotate the arm shaft 774 and move the cleaning roller section 771 to the cleaning position where it contacts the first roller 72.

[0088] In step S12, the control unit 5 rotates a motor (not shown) to drive the shaft 773 and rotate the cleaning roller 771 in direction D. By rotating the cleaning roller 771 in direction D, the relative speed with the first roller 72 increases in step S18, which will be described later, and the ability to remove foreign matter E is improved.

[0089] In step S13, the control unit 5 drives a motor drive unit (not shown) of the peeling blade 76 to rotate the shaft portion 761, moving the tip of the blade portion 762 to a first position close to the first roller 72.

[0090] In step S14, the control unit 5 drives a motor (not shown) for the first roller 72, causing the first roller 72 to rotate in the reverse direction -A. By rotating the first roller 72 in the reverse direction, the foreign matter E on the blade portion 762 moves from the blade portion 762 to the first roller 72 because the blade portion 762 is located in a first position close to the first roller 72. A slit 763 is provided on the blade portion 762. The presence of the slit 763 increases the contact area between the foreign matter E and the first roller 72, making it possible to effectively move the foreign matter E to the first roller 72. By moving the foreign matter E accumulated on the surface of the blade portion 762 to the first roller 72, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter E from becoming entangled with the tip of the fiber body P1 formed by the pressurizing portion 70. By preventing the foreign matter E from becoming entangled with the tip of the fiber body P1, it is possible to prevent interference with the normal transport of the fiber body P1. In this case, the second roller 73 may be spaced apart or positioned at the nip position.

[0091] In step S14, the amount of reverse rotation of the first roller 72 in the -A direction shall be less than 360°. If the first roller 72 is rotated in the reverse direction by 360° or more, there is a risk that foreign matter E adhering to the first roller 72 will re-adhere to the peeling blade 76. Note that when the second roller 73 is in the nip position, it follows the rotation of the first roller 72.

[0092] In step S15, the control unit 5 stops the drive of the motor (not shown) of the first roller 72, thereby stopping the rotation of the first roller 72. At this time, as shown in Figure 6, the foreign matter E that moved from the blade portion 762 to the first roller 72 remains attached to the first roller 72.

[0093] In step S16, as shown in Figure 7, the control unit 5 drives a motor drive unit (not shown) of the peeling blade 76 to rotate the shaft portion 761 and move the tip of the blade portion 762 to a second position where it is separated from the first roller 72.

[0094] In step S17, the control unit 5 controls a moving mechanism (not shown) to move the second roller 73 to the nip position.

[0095] In step S18, the control unit 5 drives a motor (not shown) for the first roller 72 to rotate the first roller 72 in the forward direction A. As shown in Figure 7, the foreign matter E adhering to the first roller 72 is compressed by the first roller 72 and the second roller 73, and is transported to the cleaning roller section 771 by passing between the peeling blade 76 located at the second position and the first roller 72, where it is removed by the cleaning roller section 771. At this time, the control unit 5 rotates the first roller 72 forward by 360° or more. By rotating the first roller 72 forward by 360° or more, it becomes possible to clean the entire area on the first roller 72 by the cleaning roller section 771. By removing the foreign matter E on the first roller 72, it becomes possible to prevent it from adhering to the fiber P1, and thus it becomes possible to prevent a deterioration in the quality of the fiber P3.

[0096] It is desirable that the pressure applied by the first roller 72 and the second roller 73 to compress the foreign matter E, that is, the pressure applied by the pressurizing unit 70 when compressing the foreign matter E, is greater than the pressure applied by the pressurizing unit 70 when forming the mixture W into a fibrous body P1 and sending the fibrous body P1 downstream in the conveying direction. Furthermore, it is desirable that the conveying speed when the pressurizing unit 70 compresses and conveys the foreign matter E is greater than the conveying speed when it conveys the fibrous body P1 while compressing it. By making the conveying speed when the pressurizing unit 70 compresses and conveys the foreign matter E greater than the conveying speed when it conveys the fibrous body P1 while compressing it, it becomes possible to compress the foreign matter E attached to the first roller 72 in a short amount of time.

[0097] In step S19, the control unit 5 stops the drive of the motor (not shown) for the first roller 72, thereby stopping the rotation of the first roller 72.

[0098] In step S20, the control unit 5 stops the drive of the motor (not shown) of the cleaner 77 and stops the rotation of the cleaning roller unit 771.

[0099] In step S21, the control unit 5 drives the motor drive unit (not shown) of the cleaner 77 to rotate the arm shaft 774, moving the cleaning roller unit 771 to a standby position where it does not come into contact with the first roller 72. With this, the cleaning process is completed.

[0100] While the fiber production apparatus 1 is stopped producing fiber P1, foreign matter E floating inside the fiber production apparatus 1 may adhere to the peeling blade 76 and the first roller 72. For this reason, the cleaning process may be performed when production of fiber P1 is started. It is desirable that the cleaning operation be performed both when production is started and when production is finished. The cleaning operation when production is finished is performed after the rear end of the mixture W has passed the first roller 72. The cleaning operation when production is started is performed after the previous production has finished. For this reason, the cleaning operation when production is started may also be included in the operations performed after the rear end of the mixture W has passed the first roller 72.

[0101] By producing fibrous bodies P1, P2, and P3 according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent foreign matter E from hindering the normal transport of fibrous body P1, and to stably produce fibrous bodies P1, P2, and P3.

[0102] (Second Embodiment) As a modification, starch can be used as the binder K used in the first embodiment. When starch is used as the binder K, the defibrated fibers G and the binder K made of starch are mixed in the mixing section 91 to form a mixture K1, similar to the first embodiment.

[0103] In forming the fibrous bodies P1, P2, and P3 with a starch-based binder K, the defibration process S1, the deposition process S3, the molding process S5, and the cleaning process S6 of the fibrous body production method shown in Figure 10 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0104] In mixing step S2, the defibrated fibers G are mixed with a starch-based binder K in the mixing unit 91 in air to form a starch-based mixture K1. The mixing unit 91 weighs the starch-based binder K and adjusts the mixing ratio with the defibrated fibers G to the desired ratio. The starch-based mixture K1 is supplied to the deposition step S3.

[0105] In the pressurization step S4, the starch mixture W formed in step S3 is pressurized and heated in the pressurization section 70. Since the starch mixture W is pressurized and heated simultaneously, the heat causes the temperature of the water and starch to rise, the pressure increases the fiber density, and the starch gelatinizes, followed by the evaporation of water, causing multiple fibers to bond together via the gelatinized starch. Furthermore, as the water evaporates due to the heat and the fiber density increases due to the pressure, multiple fibers bond together by hydrogen bonds, and the fibrous body P1 is formed with the starch binder K. The minimum temperature required for this heating is the bonding temperature.

[0106] According to this embodiment, while using a naturally derived binder, it is possible to prevent foreign matter E from hindering the normal transport of the fiber P1, and to stably produce the fiber P1, P2, and P3.

[0107] The fiber production apparatus 1 and fiber production method according to the first and second embodiments of this disclosure are based on having the configuration described above, but it is of course possible to make partial changes or omissions to the configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, fibers other than recycled paper, such as cotton or wool, may be used as fibers, and binders other than resin or starch may be used. The fiber P3 produced is not limited to recycled paper, but may be used for various purposes such as boards or ornaments. In this embodiment, the cleaning process was started after all of the produced fiber material P3 had been placed in the tray 84, but it is not limited to this, and the cleaning process may also be started after the rear end of the mixture W has passed through the pressurizing section 70. In other words, the order in which steps S5 and S6 described above are performed does not matter, and they may be performed simultaneously in parallel. Furthermore, during the cleaning process, the foreign matter E may be compressed while the first roller 72 is rotating in the reverse direction -A. That is, step S17 may be performed between step S13 and step S14. However, considering the possibility that the foreign matter E may expand after compression, it is preferable to compress the foreign matter E while the first roller 72 is rotating in the forward direction A. Furthermore, the peeling blade 76 may be fixed in place. In that case, the peeling blade 76 and the first roller 72 should be brought close enough to allow the mixture to be peeled off, and the peeling blade 76 and the first roller 72 should be separated enough to allow the compressed foreign matter to pass through. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1...Fiber production device, 5...Control unit, 11...Raw material input port, 13...Buffer tank, 15...Quantitative supply unit, 15a...Measuring instrument, 17...Confluence unit, 22...Conveyor pipe, 21,23,24,25...Piping, 30...Fiber defibrator, 31...Tensioning roller, 32...Roller, 40...Separator, 50...Forming mechanism, 51...Housing, 53...Drum member, 55...Blade member, 59...Suction unit, 61...First conveying unit, 61a...First conveying belt, 62...Second conveying unit, 62a...Second conveying belt, 65...First humidification unit, 66...Second humidification unit, 67...Water supply unit, 68...Drainage unit, 70...Pressurization unit, 72...First roller, 73...Second roller, 74...Wrapping roller, 76... 77...Cleaner, 79...Conveyor roller pair, 81...First molding mechanism, 82...Second molding mechanism, 84...Tray, 86...Shredding section, 91...Mixing section, 95...Collection section, 97...Compressor, 99...Power supply section, 101...First unit group, 102...Second unit group, 103...Third unit group, 201...Cleaning section, 451...Airflow piping, 761...Shaft section, 762...Blade section, 763...Slit, 771...Cleaning roller section, 772...Arm section, 773...Shaft section, 774...Arm shaft, C...Waste paper, E...Foreign matter, G...Fibreated fibers, K1...Mixture, M...Mist, P1, P2, P3...Fiber body, S...Slit piece, W...Mixture.

Claims

1. A formation mechanism that forms a mixture containing fibers and a binder, A roller that rotates in a forward direction to convey the mixture while pressurizing it, A peeling blade for peeling the mixture from the roller, A cleaner for cleaning the roller at a position where the mixture does not pass through, A fiber production apparatus comprising: a molding mechanism for molding the mixture peeled off from the roller to produce a fiber body in which the fibers are bound together by the binder, The aforementioned roller is After the rear end of the mixture passes through the roller, the mixture is rotated in the reverse direction to move any foreign matter adhering to the peeling blade to the roller. The foreign matter is conveyed by rotating in the reverse direction for a predetermined amount and then rotating in the forward direction, compressing the foreign matter, and passing the compressed foreign matter between the peeling blade and the roller. The aforementioned cleaner is characterized by removing the foreign matter that has been conveyed from the rollers in the fiber production apparatus.

2. A fiber production apparatus according to claim 1, The fiber production apparatus is characterized in that the roller conveys the mixture while pressurizing it and heats it to a temperature above the bonding temperature at which the binder bonds.

3. A fiber production apparatus according to claim 1, A fiber production apparatus characterized in that the pressure applied by the roller when compressing the foreign matter is greater than the pressure applied by the roller when conveying the mixture while pressurizing it.

4. A fiber production apparatus according to claim 1, A fiber production apparatus characterized in that the conveying speed when the roller compresses and conveys the foreign matter is greater than the conveying speed when the mixture is conveyed under pressure.

5. A fiber production apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned peeling blade is The mixture is movable between a first position from which it can be peeled off the roller and a second position further away from the roller than the first position. When moving the foreign matter adhering to the peeling blade to the roller, the first position is located, A fiber production apparatus characterized in that it is positioned in the second position when the foreign matter passes between the peeling blade and the roller.

6. A fiber production apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned cleaner The device is capable of moving between a cleaning position for cleaning the roller and a standby position further away from the roller than the cleaning position. A fiber production apparatus characterized in that the roller is positioned in the standby position when it rotates in reverse.

7. A fiber production apparatus according to claim 1, The fiber production apparatus is characterized in that the cleaner is a felt roller that comes into contact with the roller to perform cleaning.

8. Forming a mixture containing fibers and a binder, The mixture is conveyed while being pressurized by a forward-rotating roller. The mixture is peeled off the roller with a peeling blade. The roller is cleaned with a cleaner at a position where the mixture does not pass through. A method for producing a fibrous body, comprising molding the mixture peeled off from the roller to produce a fibrous body in which the fibers are bound together by the binder, After the rear end of the mixture passes through the roller, the roller is rotated in the reverse direction to move any foreign matter adhering to the peeling blade to the roller. After rotating the roller in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount, it is then rotated forward to convey the foreign matter with the roller, compress the foreign matter on the roller, and allow the compressed foreign matter to pass between the peeling blade and the roller. A method for producing a fiber material, characterized by removing the foreign matter from the roller using the cleaner.

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