Powder supply container

Abstract

The invention provides a powder supply container. A powder supply container according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first housing having a cylindrical inner space; and a second housing that is disposed so as to overlap the internal space so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the internal space, and that opens and closes an opening that opens the internal space by being driven by the rotation of the second housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder supply container. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a powder supply container that supplies powders such as materials or additives to a manufacturing apparatus. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mixing apparatus that mixes and discharges powder particles.

[0003] In relatively small manufacturing apparatuses, there is a case where the following operation is carried out. That is, after manually filling a powder into a powder supply container, the powder supply container is carried by hand and installed in the manufacturing apparatus. In this case, there is a need for a powder supply container that is easy to carry in a state where the powder is filled.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-61282 Summary of the Invention

[0005] A powder supply container, characterized by comprising:

[0006] A first housing having a cylindrical inner space;

[0007] A second housing that is disposed to overlap the inner space so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the inner space;

[0008] A first lid including an opening;

[0009] A second lid;

[0010] An opening / closing device,

[0011] The first lid closes the first direction side of the central axis of the inner space in a state where the opening is closed by the opening / closing device,

[0012] The second lid closes the second direction side of the central axis of the inner space, which is opposite to the first direction,

[0013] The opening / closing device opens and closes the opening following the rotation of the second housing. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] Figure 1 A perspective view showing the appearance of the powder supply container according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 A perspective exploded view showing the structure of the powder supply container.

[0016] Figure 3 A perspective view showing the structure of the first lid portion.

[0017] Figure 4 Exploded perspective view showing the structure of the first lid part.

[0018] Figure 5 Perspective view showing the assembled state of the first cylindrical part and the second cylindrical part.

[0019] Figure 6 Perspective view showing the assembled state of the first cylindrical part, the second cylindrical part, and the second lid part.

[0020] Figure 7 Stereoscopic cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of each structure in the powder supply container.

[0021] Figure 8 Perspective view showing the arrangement of the rotation restricting part of the first cylindrical part and the protrusion part of the second cylindrical part.

[0022] Figure 9 Perspective view showing the state where the opening part is blocked.

[0023] Figure 10 Perspective view showing the state where the opening part is opened.

[0024] Figure 11 Perspective view showing the state where the powder supply container is installed on the powder supply mechanism.

[0025] Figure 12 Schematic view showing the structure of the sheet manufacturing apparatus to which the powder supply container is applied. Detailed implementation mode

[0026] In the following implementation modes, the powder supply container 200 applied to the sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheets from paper is exemplified and described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The powder supply container 200 supplies powders such as additives to the above-mentioned sheet manufacturing apparatus.

[0027] In the following respective drawings, the F axis is marked as the imaginary axis, the direction indicated by the arrow mark is set as the +F direction, and the direction opposite to the +F direction is set as the -F direction. The +F direction corresponds to the first direction of the present invention, and the -F direction corresponds to the second direction of the present invention.

[0028] As Figure 1 shown, the powder supply container 200 has a substantially cylindrical appearance, and the cross-section orthogonal to the F axis is substantially circular. In the substantially cylindrical powder supply container 200, the height direction of the cylinder is along the F axis. Inside the powder supply container 200, powders such as powders or granules are filled. The powder supply container 200 is sealed in the state where the powder is stored, and can be transported or stored in the above state.

[0029] The powder supply container 200 is assembled with a first cylindrical portion 210, a second cylindrical portion 220, a first lid portion 230, and a second lid portion 240. In the powder supply container 200, in the direction from the -F direction to the +F direction, they are arranged in the order of the second lid portion 240, the first cylindrical portion 210, and the first lid portion 230. The second cylindrical portion 220 is disposed inside the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0030] The first cylindrical portion 210 includes a rotation restricting portion 213. The second cylindrical portion 220 includes a protruding portion 223. The first lid portion 230 includes an opening portion 233 and a closing portion 234. Additionally, in Figure 1 and those described later Figure 2 etc., a state is shown in which the opening portion 233 is closed by the closing portion 234.

[0031] As Figure 2 shown, the first cylindrical portion 210 includes a rotation restricting portion 213 and an external thread portion 215. The first cylindrical portion 210 is substantially cylindrical and has a central axis CA1 along the F axis. The cross-section orthogonal to the central axis CA1 of the first cylindrical portion 210 is substantially circular.

[0032] The external thread portion 215 is disposed on the first cylindrical portion 210 near the end portion in the +F direction on the side surface. The external thread portion 215 is screwed with the internal thread portion 235 of the first lid portion 230.

[0033] The rotation restricting portion 213 is disposed on the side surface of the first cylindrical portion 210 near the end portion in the -F direction. The rotation restricting portion 213 is provided at a position corresponding to the protruding portion 223 of the second cylindrical portion 220. The rotation restricting portion 213 is an opening penetrating the side surface of the first cylindrical portion 210. The rotation restricting portion 213 is substantially rectangular when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the F axis, and the length direction is along the end portion in the -F direction of the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0034] The rotation restricting portion 213 can be a hole surrounded by the above-mentioned side surface as Figure 2 shown on the side surface of the first cylindrical portion 210, or can be a cut continuous with the end portion of the side surface in the -F direction of the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0035] The second cylindrical portion 220 includes a groove portion 222, a protrusion portion 223, and an external thread portion 227. The second cylindrical portion 220 is substantially cylindrical and has a central axis CA2 along the F axis. In the direction along the F axis, the length of the second cylindrical portion 220 is slightly longer than the length of the first cylindrical portion 210. The cross-section orthogonal to the central axis CA2 of the second cylindrical portion 220 is substantially circular. In the above cross-section, the diameter of the second cylindrical portion 220 is smaller than the diameter of the first cylindrical portion 210. Therefore, the second cylindrical portion 220 can be accommodated inside the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0036] The groove portion 222 is disposed at the end portion in the +F direction on the side surface of the second cylindrical portion 220. The groove portion 222 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening / closing portion 234 of the first lid portion 230. The groove portion 222 is formed as a thin wall on the side surface of the second cylindrical portion 220 as compared with the region other than the groove portion 222. The groove portion 222 is substantially rectangular when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the F axis, and the length direction is along the end portion in the +F direction of the second cylindrical portion 220.

[0037] The external thread portion 227 is disposed near the end portion in the -F direction on the side surface of the second cylindrical portion 220. The external thread portion 227 is screwed with the internal thread portion 247 of the second lid portion 240.

[0038] The protrusion portion 223 is disposed in the +F direction of the external thread portion 227 on the side surface of the second cylindrical portion 220. The protrusion portion 223 is provided so as to protrude from the above side surface, corresponds to the rotation restricting portion 213 of the first cylindrical portion 210, and is inserted into the rotation restricting portion 213. In addition, if the rotation restricting portion 213 is a cutout of the first cylindrical portion 210, the protrusion portion 223 will pass through the cutout and be inserted, but in the case where it is not a cutout, the protrusion portion 223 will be installed after the second cylindrical portion 220 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0039] The first lid portion 230 is composed of a cylindrical side surface and an upper surface facing the +F direction. The opening portion 233 is disposed on the above upper surface. The opening portion 233 is a substantially semi-circular opening when viewed from the +F direction, and the arcuate region is along the outer periphery of the above upper surface. In the direction along the F axis, the length of the first lid portion 230 is shorter than the length of the first cylindrical portion 210. Although not particularly limited, in the direction along the F axis, the length of the first lid portion 230 is, for example, about one-fourth of the length of the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0040] In the first lid portion 230, the cross-section along a plane orthogonal to the F axis is substantially circular. The diameter of the first lid portion 230 in the above cross-section is slightly larger than the diameter of the cross-section of the first cylindrical portion 210 along the central axis CA1.

[0041] In the first lid portion 230, an internal thread portion 235 is provided near the end portion in the -F direction on the inner side of the side surface. The internal thread portion 235 is screwed with the external thread portion 215 of the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0042] The opening / closing portion 234 is installed inside the upper surface of the first lid portion 230. Through the opening / closing portion 234, the opening portion 233 can be opened and closed.

[0043] The second lid portion 240 is composed of a substantially circular lower surface when viewed from the +F direction and an edge (not shown) that stands up from the lower surface in the +F direction. In the direction along the F axis, the length of the edge is shorter than the length between the rotation restricting portion 213 of the first cylindrical portion 210 and the end portion in the -F direction of the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0044] In the second lid portion 240, the cross-section along the plane orthogonal to the F axis is substantially circular. The diameter of the second lid portion 240 in the above cross-section is slightly larger than the diameter of the cross-section of the first cylindrical portion 210 along the central axis CA1.

[0045] Inside the above-mentioned edge, an internal thread portion 247 corresponding to the external thread portion 227 of the second cylindrical portion 220 is provided.

[0046] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the first lid portion 230 includes a bearing hole 230a, an opening / closing portion 234, a mounting hole 234a, an internal thread portion 235, and a shaft portion 238. The bearing hole 230a is disposed at the center of the upper surface of the first lid portion 230.

[0047] The opening / closing portion 234 is disposed inside the first lid portion 230. The opening / closing portion 234 includes a region that is substantially fan-shaped when viewed from the -F direction and an edge portion 234b that extends in the -F direction from the circumference of the fan. In the direction along the F axis, the length of the edge portion 234b is shorter than the length of the side surface of the first lid portion 230.

[0048] In the above-mentioned substantially fan-shaped region, the angle formed by the two radii of the fan is, for example, approximately 190°. The above two radii are smaller than the radius of the cross-section of the side surface of the first lid portion 230. The above-mentioned substantially fan-shaped region of the opening / closing portion 234 is of a size sufficient to block the opening portion 233.

[0049] The mounting hole 234a is disposed near the region corresponding to the joint of the above two radii. When the opening / closing portion 234 and the first lid portion 230 are assembled together, the mounting hole 234a overlaps with the bearing hole 230a. The shaft portion 238 is inserted into the overlapping mounting hole 234a and bearing hole 230a.

[0050] The shaft portion 238 is fixed relative to the upper surface of the first lid portion 230. The opening / closing portion 234 is not fixed relative to the shaft portion 238, but is supported by the shaft portion 238 and rotates about the shaft portion 238. When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the central axis CA1 passes through the shaft portion 238. That is, the opening / closing portion 234 can rotate about the central axis CA1.

[0051] When assembling the first lid portion 230, the internal thread portion 235 is further provided in the -F direction relative to the -F direction end portion of the edge portion 234b of the opening / closing portion 234.

[0052] As Figure 5 shown, in assembling the powder supply container 200, the second cylindrical portion 220 is overlapped and arranged inside the first cylindrical portion 210. At this time, the groove portion 222 of the second cylindrical portion 220 is exposed in the +F direction relative to the first cylindrical portion 210, and the external thread portion 227 of the second cylindrical portion 220 is exposed in the -F direction. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the protrusion portion 223 of the second cylindrical portion 220 is inserted into the rotation restricting portion 213 of the first cylindrical portion 210. Here, in the rotation restricting portion 213, positioning protrusions may be provided in order to reliably position the protrusion portion 223 relative to the rotation restricting portion 213.

[0053] When assembling the first cylindrical portion 210 and the second cylindrical portion 220, the central axis CA1 of the first cylindrical portion 210 coincides with the central axis CA2 of the second cylindrical portion 220.

[0054] As Figure 6 shown, when assembling the powder supply container 200, the second lid portion 240 is assembled from the -F direction relative to the overlapped first cylindrical portion 210 and the second cylindrical portion 220. Specifically, the second lid portion 240 is fixed to the -F direction end portion of the second cylindrical portion 220. Although not shown in the figure, at this time, the internal thread portion 247 of the second lid portion 240 is screwed together with the external thread portion 227 of the second cylindrical portion 220. Thus, the second lid portion 240 is detachably mounted relative to the second cylindrical portion 220.

[0055] The groove portion 222 reaches approximately half of the circumference of the side surface of the second cylindrical portion 220 when viewed from the +F direction. Similarly, although not shown in the figure, the rotation restricting portion 213 reaches approximately half of the circumference of the side surface of the first cylindrical portion 210. When assembling the first cylindrical portion 210, the second cylindrical portion 220, and the second lid portion 240, the groove portion 222 and the rotation restricting portion 213 overlap when viewed from the +F direction.

[0056] In a state where the first cylindrical portion 210, the second cylindrical portion 220, and the second lid portion 240 are assembled, in other words, in a state where the first lid portion 230 is removed from the assembled powder supply container 200, powder can be filled into the interior of the powder supply container 200 from the substantially +F direction.

[0057] As Figure 7 shown, when assembling the powder supply container 200, the first lid portion 230 is placed on the second cylindrical portion 220 from the +F direction, and the internal thread portion 235 is screwed with the external thread portion 215 of the first cylindrical portion 210. Thus, the first lid portion 230 is mounted and fixed to the +F direction end portion of the first cylindrical portion 210. In addition, the edge portion 234b of the opening / closing portion 234 is fitted into the groove portion 222.

[0058] When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the inside of the second cylindrical portion 220 is blocked by the first cylindrical portion 210, the first lid portion 230, the opening / closing portion 234, and the second lid portion 240. Thus, a space for storing and blocking powder is ensured inside the second cylindrical portion 220.

[0059] In the powder supply container 200, the first cylindrical portion 210 is not fixed relative to the second cylindrical portion 220 and the second lid portion 240, but can rotate about the central axis CA1. The first lid portion 230 is also not fixed relative to the second cylindrical portion 220 and the second lid portion 240, but can rotate about the central axis CA1 together with the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0060] For the opening / closing portion 234, since the edge portion 234b is fitted into the groove portion 222, its movement is restricted by the groove portion 222, and thus it is in a state of being fixed to the second cylindrical portion 220. Therefore, the rotation of the opening / closing portion 234 is not linked with the rotation of the first cylindrical portion 210 and the first lid portion 230, but follows the rotation of the second cylindrical portion 220. That is to say, the opening / closing portion 234 can rotate about the central axis CA1 relative to the first lid portion 230 and the opening portion 233.

[0061] The structure in which the movement of the opening / closing portion 234 is restricted is not limited to the groove portion 222 and the edge portion 234b. For example, instead of the groove portion 222, a plurality of convex portions may be provided on the side surface of the +F direction end portion of the second cylindrical portion 220. The end portion of the edge portion 234b may be brought into contact with the plurality of convex portions, so that the rotation of the opening / closing portion 234 follows the rotation of the second cylindrical portion 220.

[0062] If the second lid portion 240 is rotated about the central axis CA1 relative to the first cylindrical portion 210, the second cylindrical portion 220 also rotates about the central axis CA1. At this time, the first lid portion 230 and the opening portion 233 do not undergo displacement, and the opening / closing device portion 234 also rotates together with the second cylindrical portion 220. That is, the opening / closing device portion 234 rotates relative to the opening portion 233, thereby switching the opening and closing of the opening portion 233.

[0063] As Figure 8 shown, the protrusion 223 of the second cylindrical portion 220 is embedded in the rotation restricting portion 213 of the first cylindrical portion 210, and a part thereof protrudes from the rotation restricting portion 213. In a state where the protrusion 223 is embedded in the rotation restricting portion 213, it can move within the range where the rotation restricting portion 213 is formed. That is, by the rotation restricting portion 213, the rotation of the protrusion 223 is restricted relative to the first cylindrical portion 210, and the rotation of the second cylindrical portion 220 is also restricted. Here, in Figure 8 it shows the state where the above-mentioned opening portion 233 is blocked by the opening / closing device portion 234. The above state is a state where the protrusion 223 rotates counterclockwise most relative to the rotation restricting portion 213 when viewed from the -F direction.

[0064] In the above state, the protrusion 223 abuts against one end of the rotation restricting portion 213 and cannot rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the -F direction. In contrast, the protrusion 223 can move in the direction of the arrow mark in the figure and can rotate clockwise until it abuts against the other end of the rotation restricting portion 213 when viewed from the -F direction. When the protrusion 223 is rotated until it abuts against the other end of the rotation restricting portion 213, the above-mentioned opening / closing device portion 234 rotates relative to the first lid portion 230, thereby opening the above-mentioned opening portion 233.

[0065] By the rotation restricting portion 213 and the protrusion 223, the rotation angle of the second cylindrical portion 220 relative to the first cylindrical portion 210 is restricted. Thereby, the second cylindrical portion 220 does not rotate relative to the first cylindrical portion 210 more than necessary, so that the rotation of the opening / closing device portion 234 relative to the opening portion 233 becomes appropriate. Therefore, the opening and closing of the opening portion 233 performed by the opening / closing device portion 234 can be effectively carried out. In addition, the above-mentioned rotation angle means the angle of rotation relative to the above-mentioned central axis CA1 when viewed from the -F direction.

[0066] The above-mentioned rotation angle is preferably in the range of 0° or more and 180° or less. That is, when observing from the -F direction, the state where the protrusion 223 abuts against one end of the rotation restricting portion 213 is set as the state where the rotation angle is 0°, and the state where the protrusion 223 abuts against the other end of the rotation restricting portion 213 is set as the state where the rotation angle is 180°. When the rotation angle is 0°, the opening portion 233 is blocked, and when the rotation angle is 180°, the opening portion 233 is opened. Thus, it is possible to simultaneously increase the opening area at the opening portion 233 and effectively open and close the opening portion 233.

[0067] Specifically, when the above-mentioned rotation angle is 0°, as Figure 9 shown, the opening portion 233 is blocked by the opening / closing device portion 234. This state is the state where the protrusion 223 abuts against one end of the rotation restricting portion 213. Starting from this state, the second lid portion 240 is rotated with respect to the first cylindrical portion 210 in the direction of the arrow mark, that is, clockwise when observing from the -F direction.

[0068] Thereby, the protrusion 223 also is displaced in the direction of the arrow mark along the rotation restricting portion 213. At this time, following the rotation of the second lid portion 240, the second cylindrical portion 220 is rotated clockwise when observing from the -F direction. Further, following the rotation of the second cylindrical portion 220, the opening / closing device portion 234 also rotates in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow mark. Then, the state where the protrusion 223 abuts against the other end of the rotation restricting portion 213 is Figure 10 .

[0069] As Figure 10 shown, by the rotation of the second lid portion 240, the opening / closing device portion 234 rotates with respect to the opening portion 233, and further the opening portion 233 is opened. In this state, it is possible to supply powder from the powder supply container 200. In addition, during the transition from the state Figure 9 shown to the state Figure 10 shown, the overlapping degree between the opening portion 233 and the opening / closing device portion 234 changes, and according to this overlapping degree, the opening area of the opening portion 233 changes. In addition, the above-mentioned positioning protrusion of the rotation restricting portion 213 may be provided at a position corresponding to both Figure 9 and Figure 10 states, or may be provided on either one of them arbitrarily.

[0070] In addition, although the first lid portion 230 and the second lid portion 240 are described as being detachable, it is not limited thereto. One of the first lid portion 230 and the second lid portion 240 may also be integrally formed with the first cylindrical portion 210.

[0071] Next, a powder supply mechanism 300 for applying the powder supply container 200 to the sheet manufacturing apparatus will be described. Figure 11 The illustrated powder supply mechanism 300 is included in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 described later. The powder supply mechanism 300 supplies powder from the powder supply container 200 to a flow path described later provided in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0072] The powder supply mechanism 300 has a mounting portion 311, a supply portion 322, and a valve (not shown). The cross-section of the mounting portion 311 orthogonal to the F axis is circular, and the powder supply container 200 can be inserted inside the circle.

[0073] After a worker fills the powder supply container 200 with powder and seals the opening portion 233, the powder supply container 200 is inserted into the mounting portion 311 from the first lid portion 230 side. In this state, the powder filled in the powder supply container 200 is supplied to the powder supply mechanism 300.

[0074] Next, the worker holds the first cylindrical portion 210 with one hand and rotates the second lid portion 240 clockwise as viewed from the -F direction with the other hand. The rotation is continued until the second lid portion 240 stops rotating, that is, until the other end of the rotation restricting portion 213 described above is abutted and the rotation of the protruding portion 223 stops. Thereby, an opening portion 233 (not shown) is opened, and the powder inside the powder supply container 200 is supplied to the inside of the powder supply mechanism 300.

[0075] The powder supplied from the powder supply container 200 advances along the path marked by the dotted arrow inside the powder supply mechanism 300, and the flow rate is adjusted by the above-described valve midway along the above path. The powder is supplied from the supply portion 322 to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 at a predetermined flow rate.

[0076] After the powder supply container 200 that has finished supplying powder seals the opening portion 233 by rotating the second lid portion 240, it is removed from the mounting portion 311. The powder supply container 200 can be reused.

[0077] Regarding the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 to which the powder supply container 200 can be applied, reference will be made to Figure 12 for the description. In Figure 12 the XYZ axes are marked as orthogonal coordinate axes to each other, the direction indicated by each arrow mark is set as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is set as the - direction. Figure 12The state where the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is disposed on a horizontal plane is shown. The Z-axis is along the vertical direction, the +Z direction is also referred to as the upper side, and the -Z direction is also referred to as the lower side. The -Z direction is the direction in which gravity acts. For ease of illustration, the sizes of the respective components are made different from the actual ones.

[0078] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures a sheet P3 from paper pieces by a dry method. The sheet manufacturing apparatus to which the powder supply container 200 is applied is not limited to dry, and may also be wet. In the present specification, the term "dry" means that it is carried out in air such as the atmosphere, rather than in a liquid. In addition to paper pieces, sheets can also be manufactured from other fibers such as cotton or cloth.

[0079] As Figure 12 shown, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to 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).

[0080] In Figure 12 , the directions in which the paper pieces C, the sheet P3, the chip pieces S, and the unnecessary corner materials and the like move are shown by hollow arrow marks. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, sometimes the front side in the conveying direction of the paper pieces C, the material pieces W, the sheet P3, etc. is set as the downstream, and the side against the conveying direction is set as the upstream. In the following description, the aggregate of the paper pieces C composed of a plurality of paper pieces C is also simply referred to as the paper piece C.

[0081] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures a sheet P3 from the paper piece C. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, when viewed from the side in 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.

[0082] The paper piece C is conveyed from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 via the pipe 21 passing through the third unit group 103. Then, after the paper piece C is defibrated and the like by passing through the second unit group 102 and becomes fibers, it becomes a mixture containing an adhesive material and the like. The mixture is conveyed to the third unit group 103 via the pipe 24. After the mixture is formed into a material piece W by passing through the third unit group 103, it is formed into a strip-shaped sheet P1. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut by the first unit group 101 to become the sheet P3.

[0083] The first unit group 101 includes a raw material supply device 13, a measurement unit 15, a confluence unit 17, and a pipe 21. In the first unit group 101, these structures are arranged in the above-mentioned order from upstream to downstream. In addition, the first unit group 101 also has a first cutting unit 81, a second cutting unit 82, a tray 91, and a shredding unit 95. The first cutting unit 81 and the second cutting unit 82 cut the strip-shaped sheet P1 into sheets P3 of a predetermined shape. Further, the first unit group 101 has a water supply unit 67. The water supply unit 67 is a water storage tank. The water supply unit 67 supplies humidifying water to the following first humidifying unit 65 and second humidifying unit 66 respectively through a water supply pipe (not shown).

[0084] The raw material supply device 13 stores the paper sheet C, which is the raw material of the sheet P3, and supplies it downstream. The raw material supply device 13 has a raw material inlet 131, a storage unit 132, and a discharge unit 140.

[0085] The paper sheet C is put into the storage unit 132 from the raw material inlet 131. The paper sheet C contains fibers such as cellulose, and is, for example, shredded waste paper. Inside the storage unit 132, humidified air is supplied from the second humidifying unit 66 provided in the third unit group 103.

[0086] After the paper sheet C is temporarily stored in the storage unit 132, it is conveyed to the measurement unit 15 via the discharge unit 140. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 may also be provided with a shredder for shredding the paper sheet C or the like on the upstream side of the storage unit 132.

[0087] The measurement unit 15 has a sensor unit 15a and a supply mechanism (not shown). The sensor unit 15a measures the mass of the paper sheet C. The supply mechanism supplies the paper sheet C, which has been measured by the sensor unit 15a, downstream to the confluence unit 17. That is, the measurement unit 15 measures the paper sheet C by the sensor unit 15a according to each predetermined mass, and supplies it downstream to the confluence unit 17 through the supply mechanism.

[0088] Either a digital or an analog measurement mechanism can also be applied in the sensor unit 15a. Specifically, as the sensor unit 15a, physical sensors such as force sensors, spring scales, or balances can be cited. In the present embodiment, a force sensor is applied as the sensor unit 15a. The predetermined mass for which the sensor unit 15a measures the paper sheet C is, for example, from several g to about several tens of g.

[0089] In the supply mechanism, known techniques such as an openable and closable feeder can be applied. The supply mechanism may also be a structure included in the sensor unit 15a.

[0090] The measurement and supply of the paper sheet C in the measurement unit 15 are batch processes. That is, the supply of the paper sheet C from the measurement unit 15 to the confluence unit 17 is carried out in an intermittent manner. The measurement unit 15 can either have a combination of multiple sensor units 15a and supply mechanisms, or make the multiple sensor units 15a operate with a time difference to improve the efficiency of measurement and supply. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 has two sensor units 15a and supply mechanisms respectively attached thereto. Thus, the paper sheet C is alternately conveyed from the two sets of sensor units 15a and supply mechanisms to the confluence unit 17.

[0091] In the confluence unit 17, the cut pieces of the paper sheet C supplied from the measurement unit 15 are confluent and mixed with the chip pieces S supplied from the shredding unit 95. Regarding the chip pieces S and the shredding unit 95, they will be described later. The paper sheet C mixed with the above-mentioned cut pieces flows into the pipe 21 from the confluence unit 17.

[0092] The pipe 21 uses the suction air flow generated by the downstream defibrillation unit 30 to convey the paper sheet C from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102.

[0093] The second unit group 102 has a defibrillation unit 30 as a dry defibrillator, a separation unit 31, a pipe 23, a mixing unit 33, and a pipe 24. In the second unit group 102, these structures are arranged in the above-mentioned order from upstream to downstream. In addition, the second unit group 102 also has a pipe 25 connected to the separation unit 31, a recovery unit 35, a compressor 38, and a power supply unit 39.

[0094] The paper sheet C conveyed in the pipe 21 flows into the defibrillation unit 30. The defibrillation unit 30 defibrillates the paper sheet C supplied from the measurement unit 15 in a dry manner to form fibers. In the defibrillation unit 30, a known defibrillation mechanism can be applied.

[0095] As the defibrillation unit 30, for example, the following structure can be cited. The defibrillation unit 30 includes a stator and a rotor. The stator has a substantially cylindrical inner surface. The rotor is disposed inside the stator and rotates along the inner surface of the stator. The fragments of the paper sheet C are sandwiched between the inner surface of the stator and the rotor, and are defibrillated by the shear force generated therebetween. Thus, the fibers entangled in the paper sheet of the paper sheet C are defibrillated. The paper sheet C is defibrillated into fibers and conveyed to the separation unit 31.

[0096] The separating unit 31 differentiates the defibrated fibers. Specifically, the separating unit 31 removes the components contained in the fibers that are unnecessary for the production of the sheet P3. Specifically, the separating unit 31 differentiates between relatively long fibers and relatively short fibers. For relatively short fibers, since there is a case where the strength of the sheet P3 is reduced, they are differentiated in the separating unit 31. In addition, the separating unit 31 also differentiates and excludes color materials or additives contained in the paper sheet C. In the separating unit 31, known techniques such as the disk mesh method can be applied.

[0097] Humidified air is supplied from the second humidifying unit 66 of the third unit group 103 to the inside of the separating unit 31.

[0098] After the defibrated fibers exclude relatively short fibers, etc., they are conveyed through the pipe 23 to the mixing unit 33 by the airflow generated by a blower (not shown) disposed at the tip of the airflow pipe 32. Unnecessary parts such as relatively short fibers or color materials are discharged to the recovery unit 35 through the pipe 25.

[0099] The mixing unit 33 mixes powder additives such as a binder material with the fibers in the air to form a mixture. The mixing unit 33 is equipped with a powder supply mechanism 300. In the powder supply mechanism 300, in addition to the above-mentioned supply unit 322 and valve, a hopper is also built-in. In the powder supply mechanism 300, a powder supply container 200 is installed. Although not shown, in addition to the powder supply mechanism 300, the mixing unit 33 also has a flow path for conveying fibers and a fan.

[0100] The hopper communicates with the flow path of the fibers through the supply unit 322. The valve is provided on the supply unit 322 between the hopper and the flow path. The hopper sends out the powder of the binding material supplied from the powder supply container 200 into the flow path. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, starch is used as the binding material for the fibers. The valve adjusts the flow rate, that is, the mass, of the binding material supplied from the hopper to the flow path. Thereby, the mixing ratio of the fibers and the binding material is adjusted.

[0101] In addition to the powder supply container 200 and the powder supply mechanism 300 for supplying the binding material, the mixing unit 33 may also have the same structure for supplying color materials or additives, etc. That is, the powder supply container 200 can also be applied to additives or color materials other than the binding material.

[0102] The fan of the mixing unit 33 forms a mixture by generating an airflow to convey the fibers downstream and mixing the binding material, etc. in the air at the same time. The mixture flows from the mixing unit 33 into the pipe 24.

[0103] The recovery unit 35 is equipped with a filter (not shown). The filter filters out unnecessary parts such as relatively short fibers conveyed by the air flow in the pipe 25.

[0104] The compressor 38 generates compressed air. In the above-mentioned filter, there is a case where it is blocked by minute particles in the unnecessary parts. The compressed air generated by the compressor 38 is sprayed onto the filter, thereby blowing off the attached particles, and then the filter can be cleaned.

[0105] The power supply unit 39 has a control unit 5 and a power supply device (not shown) that supplies power to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The power supply unit 39 distributes the power supplied from the outside to each structure of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The control unit 5 is electrically connected to each structure of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and comprehensively controls the operation of these structures.

[0106] The third unit group 103 stacks and compresses the mixture containing fibers to form a strip-shaped sheet P1 as recycled paper. The third unit group 103 has a stacking part 50, a first conveying part 61, a second conveying part 62, a first humidifying part 65, a second humidifying part 66, a drainage part 68, and a forming part 70.

[0107] In the third unit group 103, the stacking part 50, the first conveying part 61, the second conveying part 62, the first humidifying part 65, and the forming part 70 are arranged in the above-mentioned order from upstream to downstream. The second humidifying part 66 is arranged below the first humidifying part 65.

[0108] The stacking part 50 stacks the mixture containing the separated fibers in the air to generate a sheet material W. The stacking part 50 has a drum member 53, a blade member 55 provided inside the drum member 53, a casing 51 that houses the drum member 53, and a suction part 59. The mixture is taken into the inside of the drum member 53 from the pipe 24.

[0109] Below the stacking part 50, the first conveying part 61 is arranged. The first conveying part 61 has a mesh belt 61a and five supporting rollers (not shown) that support the mesh belt 61a. The suction part 59 is opposed to the drum member 53 across the mesh belt 61a in the direction along the Z axis.

[0110] The blade member 55 is rotationally driven inside the drum member 53 by a motor (not shown). The drum member 53 is a semi-cylindrical sieve. On the lower side surface of the drum member 53, a net having a sieve function is provided. The drum member 53 allows particles such as fibers or mixtures that are smaller than the size of the mesh of the sieve net to pass from the inside to the outside.

[0111] The mixture is inside the drum member 53 and is discharged to the outside of the drum member 53 while being agitated by the rotating blade member 55. Humidified air is supplied from the second humidifying section 66 to the inside of the drum member 53.

[0112] The suction section 59 is disposed below the drum member 53. The suction section 59 sucks the air inside the housing 51 through the plurality of holes of the mesh belt 61a. The plurality of holes of the mesh belt 61a allow air to pass through and do not easily allow fibers or binding materials contained in the mixture to pass through. Thus, the mixture discharged to the outside of the drum member 53 is sucked downward together with the air. The suction section 59 is a known suction device such as a blower.

[0113] The mixture is dispersed in the air inside the housing 51 and accumulates on the upper surface of the mesh belt 61a by gravity and the suction of the suction section 59, thereby becoming the sheet W.

[0114] The mesh belt 61a is a seamless belt and is supported by five support rollers. The mesh belt 61a rotates counterclockwise by the rotation of the support rollers. Figure 12 Thus, the mixture continuously accumulates on the mesh belt 61a to form the sheet W. The sheet W contains a relatively large amount of air and bulges softly. The first conveying section 61 conveys the formed sheet W downstream by the rotation of the mesh belt 61a.

[0115] The second conveying section 62 is downstream of the first conveying section 61 and conveys the sheet W instead of the first conveying section 61. The second conveying section 62 peels the sheet W from the upper surface of the mesh belt 61a and conveys it toward the forming section 70. The second conveying section 62 is above the conveying path of the sheet W and is disposed slightly upstream of the starting point on the return side of the mesh belt 61a. The +Y direction of the second conveying section 62 and the -Y direction of the mesh belt 61a partially overlap in the vertical direction.

[0116] The second conveying section 62 includes a conveyor belt (not shown), a plurality of rollers, and an air suction mechanism. A plurality of holes for allowing air to pass through are provided in the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is supported by a plurality of rollers and rotates by the rotation of the rollers.

[0117] The second conveying section 62 adsorbs the upper surface of the sheet W to the lower surface of the conveyor belt by the negative pressure generated by the air suction mechanism. By rotating the conveyor belt in this state, the sheet W is adsorbed to the conveyor belt and conveyed downstream.

[0118] The first humidifying unit 65 humidifies the fiber-containing sheet W stacked by the stacking unit 50 of the third unit group 103. Specifically, the first humidifying unit 65 is, for example, a mist humidifier, and supplies mist M from below to the sheet W conveyed by the second conveying unit 62 to humidify it. The first humidifying unit 65 is disposed below the second conveying unit 62 and faces the sheet W conveyed by the second conveying unit 62 in the direction along the Z axis. In the first humidifying unit 65, a known humidifying device such as an ultrasonic type can be applied.

[0119] By humidifying the sheet W with the mist M, the function of starch as a binding material is promoted, and thus the strength of the sheet P3 is improved. In addition, since the sheet W is humidified from below, the fall of water droplets from the mist onto the sheet W is prevented. Further, since humidification is performed from the side opposite to the contact surface between the conveyor belt and the sheet W, the adhesion of the sheet W to the conveyor belt is reduced. The second conveying unit 62 conveys the sheet W to the forming unit 70.

[0120] The forming unit 70 has processing rollers 71, 72. The processing rollers 71, 72 compress the fiber-containing sheet W to form a belt-shaped sheet P1. The processing rollers 71, 72 are paired and each has an electric heater built therein, so as to have the function of raising the temperature of the roller surface.

[0121] The processing rollers 71, 72 are each a substantially cylindrical member. The rotation axis of the processing roller 71 and the rotation axis of the processing roller 72 are arranged along the X axis. With respect to the conveying path of the sheet W, the processing roller 71 is disposed substantially above, and the processing roller 72 is disposed substantially below. A gap corresponding to the thickness of the manufactured sheet P3 is provided between the side surface of the processing roller 71 and the side surface of the processing roller 72.

[0122] The processing rollers 71, 72 are rotationally driven by a stepping motor (not shown). The sheet W is sandwiched between the processing roller 71 and the processing roller 72, and is sent downstream while being heated and pressed. That is, the sheet W continuously passes through the forming unit 70, and is stamped and formed while being heated. By using the processing rollers 71, 72 as a pair of forming members, the heating and pressing of the sheet W can be effectively performed.

[0123] By passing through the forming unit 70, the sheet W is reduced in the contained air and the fibers are bonded to each other using the binding material, starting from a state with more air and being soft, and thus is formed into a belt-shaped sheet P1. The belt-shaped sheet P1 is conveyed to the first unit group 101 by a conveying roller (not shown).

[0124] The second humidifying unit 66 is disposed below the first humidifying unit 65. In the second humidifying unit 66, a known vaporizing type humidifying device can be applied. As the vaporizing type humidifying device, for example, a device that blows air onto a wet non-woven fabric or the like to vaporize moisture and generate humidified air can be cited.

[0125] The second humidifying unit 66 humidifies a predetermined area of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The predetermined area refers to one or more of the inside of the storage unit 132, the separating unit 31, and the drum member 53 of the stacking unit 50. Specifically, the humidified air is supplied to the above-mentioned area from the second humidifying unit 66 through a plurality of pipes (not shown). In each of the above-mentioned structures, the humidified air suppresses the charging of the paper sheet C, fibers, etc., and thus suppresses the adhesion to the components caused by such static electricity.

[0126] The drainage unit 68 is a drainage tank. The drainage unit 68 collects and stores the moisture that has become old and has been used in the first humidifying unit 65, the second humidifying unit 66, etc. The drainage unit 68 can be detached from the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 as needed and the accumulated water can be discarded.

[0127] The belt-like sheet P1 conveyed to the first unit group 101 reaches the first cutting unit 81. The first cutting unit 81 cuts the belt-like sheet P1 in a direction crossing the conveying direction, for example, in a direction along the X axis. The belt-like sheet P1 is cut into single-sheet-like sheets P2 by the first cutting unit 81. The single-sheet-like sheets P2 are conveyed from the first cutting unit 81 to the second cutting unit 82.

[0128] The second cutting unit 82 cuts the single-sheet-like sheet P2 in the conveying direction, for example, in a direction along the Y axis. Specifically, the second cutting unit 82 cuts near the sides on both sides in the direction along the X axis in the single-sheet-like sheet P2. As a result, the single-sheet-like sheet P2 becomes a sheet P3 having a predetermined shape such as A4 size or A3 size.

[0129] In the second cutting unit 82, when the single-sheet-like sheet P2 is cut into the sheet P3, chip pieces S are generated as scrap materials. The chip pieces S are conveyed in the substantially -Y direction and reach the shredding unit 95 which is a shredder. The shredding unit 95 shreds the chip pieces S to form shredded pieces and supplies them to the confluence unit 17. A mechanism for measuring the shredded pieces of the chip pieces S and supplying them to the confluence unit 17 may be provided between the shredding unit 95 and the confluence unit 17.

[0130] The sheet P3 is conveyed substantially upward and is gathered on the tray 91. In this way, the sheet P3 can be manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The sheet P3 can be used as a substitute for, for example, copy paper.

[0131] According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0132] It is possible to facilitate the handling in a state where the powder is filled. Specifically, since the inside of the second cylindrical portion 220 is blocked, even when the powder is filled inside and transported, leakage of the powder can be prevented. A powder supply container 200 that can easily implement the handling in a state where the powder is filled can be provided.

[0133] By removing the first lid portion 230, the powder can be easily filled into the inside of the second cylindrical portion 220. In addition, since the inside of the second cylindrical portion 220 can be opened and closed through the opening portion 233 and the opening / closing portion 234, the powder can be easily supplied to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 or the like through the opening portion 233.

[0134] Reference Signs

[0135] 200... powder supply container; 210... first cylindrical portion; 220... second cylindrical portion; 230... first lid portion; 233... opening portion; 234... opening / closing portion; 240... second lid portion; CA1... central axis.

Claims

1. A powder supply container, characterized in that: have: A first shell having a cylindrical inner space; A second shell is arranged to overlap the internal space in a manner rotatable around a central axis of the internal space; a first cover including an opening; Second cover; Opener, The first cover blocks a first direction side of the central axis of the internal space in a state where the opening is closed by the shutter. The second cover blocks a second direction side of the central axis of the internal space opposite to the first direction. The shutter opens and closes the opening portion in response to the rotation of the second housing.

2. The powder supply container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first housing includes a rotation limiting portion as a through hole, When the powder supply container is mounted on the sheet manufacturing apparatus, the second housing is rotated by the powder supply container via the rotation restricting portion.

3. The powder supply container according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotation angle is in the range of not less than 0° and not more than 180°.

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