Sheet production apparatus

Abstract

To provide a sheet production apparatus capable of improving humidification efficiency.SOLUTION: A sheet production apparatus 100 includes a fiber spreading part that makes fibers from material through fiber spreading, a fiber deposition part 18 that forms a second web M8 through deposition of fibers, a pressurization part that applies a pressure to the second web M8 to make a sheet, and a humidification unit 10 that supplies humidified air E1 to the fiber deposition part 18. The fiber deposition part 18 includes a rotary part 6 that stirs fibers supplied from the fiber spreading part, a case 3 that accommodates the rotary part 6, and a mesh belt 191 disposed below the case 3, which transports the second web M8 in a transportation direction. The fibers are deposited on the mesh belt 191, so that the second web M8 is formed on the mesh belt 191. The humidification unit 10 has an upstream side nozzle 601 disposed upstream of the fiber deposition part 18 in the transportation direction, which supplies the humidified air E1 to the fiber deposition part 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus that forms a web by depositing defibrated material in a former (fiber depositing section) disposed inside a housing. The entire inside of the housing is humidified to prevent the fibers from drying out and becoming charged in the former. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-84394 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 requires a large amount of water to humidify the entire inside of the housing, and thus has a problem of low humidification efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrating unit that defibrates material into fibers, a fiber deposition unit that accumulates the fibers to form a web, a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the web to form a sheet, and a humidifying mechanism that supplies humidified air to the fiber deposition unit, wherein the fiber deposition unit includes a rotating unit that agitates the fibers supplied from the defibrating unit, a case that houses the rotating unit, and a conveyor belt that is provided below the case and conveys the web in a conveying direction, and the web is formed on the conveyor belt by depositing the fibers on the conveyor belt, and the humidifying mechanism is provided upstream of the fiber deposition unit in the conveying direction, and has a nozzle that supplies the humidified air to the fiber deposition unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of an upstream nozzle. [Figure 5B] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of an opening of an upstream nozzle. [Figure 6A] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of a downstream nozzle. [Figure 6B] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of an opening of a downstream nozzle. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upstream side of the housing. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the upstream side of the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] First, the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0008] In the following drawings, the three mutually orthogonal axes are described as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The direction along the X-axis is the "X-direction", the direction along the Y-axis is the "Y-direction", and the direction along the Z-axis is the "Z-direction", the direction of the arrow is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is the - direction. The +Z direction is sometimes called "upper", "upper side", or "front side", and the -Z direction is sometimes called "lower", "lower side", or "rear side", and the view from the +Z direction and the -Z direction is also called a planar view or planar. The surface on the +Z side is described as the "upper surface" or "front surface", and the surface on the opposite side of the Z direction is described as the "lower surface" or "rear surface". In FIG. 1, the left side (-X direction) is called the "upstream side", and the right side (+X direction) is called the "downstream side".

[0009] As shown in Fig. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is an apparatus suitable for manufacturing new paper by dry-defibrating and fiberizing used waste paper, such as confidential paper, as a raw material, and then pressurizing, heating, and cutting it. By mixing various additives with the fiberized raw material, the binding strength and whiteness of the paper product may be improved according to the application, or functions such as color, fragrance, and flame retardancy may be added. In addition, by controlling and molding the density, thickness, and shape of the paper, it is possible to manufacture paper of various thicknesses and sizes according to the application, such as A4 or A3 office paper and business card paper.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a raw material supply section 11, a coarse crushing section 12, a defibrating section 13, a sorting section 14, a first web forming section 15, a fine dividing section 16, a mixing section 17, a fiber deposition section 18, a second web forming section 19, a sheet forming section 20, a cutting section 21, a storage section 22, and a recovery section 27.

[0011] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes humidifiers 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, and 236 for the purpose of humidifying the raw materials and the space through which the raw materials move.

[0012] In this embodiment, the humidifiers 231, 232, 233, and 234 are configured as humidifiers of an evaporation type or a warm air evaporation type. That is, the humidifiers 231, 232, 233, and 234 have a filter (not shown) that moistens water, and supply humidified air with increased humidity by passing air through the filter. The humidifiers 231, 232, 233, and 234 may also include a heater (not shown) that effectively increases the humidity of the humidified air.

[0013] In this embodiment, the humidifiers 235 and 236 are ultrasonic humidifiers. That is, the humidifiers 235 and 236 have a vibration unit (not shown) that atomizes water, and supply the mist generated by the vibration unit.

[0014] The raw material supplying unit 11 supplies the raw material M1 to the coarse crushing unit 12. The raw material from which the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures sheets may be any raw material containing fibers, such as paper, pulp, a pulp sheet, a cloth containing a nonwoven fabric, or a woven fabric. In this embodiment, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 uses waste paper as a raw material. The raw material supplying unit 11 may be configured to include, for example, a stacker that stacks and accumulates waste paper, and an automatic input device that sends the waste paper from the stacker to the coarse crushing unit 12.

[0015] The crushing unit 12 cuts (crushes) the raw material M1 supplied by the raw material supply unit 11 with a pair of crushing blades 121 to produce crushed pieces M2. The crushing blades 121 cut the raw material in air such as the atmosphere (air). The crushing unit 12 can have a configuration similar to that of a so-called shredder, for example, including a pair of crushing blades 121 that sandwich and cut the raw material, a chute 122, and a drive unit that rotates the crushing blades 121. The crushed pieces M2 may have any shape or size as long as they are suitable for defibration processing in the defibration unit 13. For example, the crushing unit 12 cuts the raw material into pieces of paper that are 1 to several cm square or smaller in size.

[0016] The chute 122 is disposed below the pair of crushing blades 121 and has, for example, a funnel shape. This allows the chute 122 to receive the coarsely crushed pieces M2 that have been crushed by the crushing blades 121 and dropped.

[0017] Moreover, above the chute 122, a humidifying section 231 is disposed adjacent to the pair of coarse crushing blades 121. The humidifying section 231 humidifies the coarsely crushed pieces M2 in the chute 122. By supplying humidified air to the coarsely crushed pieces M2, it is possible to prevent the coarsely crushed pieces M2 from adhering to the chute 122 and the like due to static electricity.

[0018] The chute 122 is connected to the defibrating unit 13 via a pipe 241. The coarse crushed pieces M2 collected in the chute 122 pass through the pipe 241 and are transported to the defibrating unit 13.

[0019] The defibrating unit 13 defibrates the coarsely crushed pieces M2 cut by the coarse crushing unit 12 to generate defibrated material M3. Here, "defibrating" refers to disentangling the coarsely crushed pieces M2, which are made up of multiple fibers bound together, into individual fibers. The defibrating unit 13 also has the function of separating substances such as resin particles, ink, toner, and anti-bleeding agents attached to the raw material from the fibers.

[0020] The material that has passed through the defibration unit 13 is called defibrated material M3. In addition to the defibrated material fibers, the defibrated material M3 may contain resin particles (resin for binding multiple fibers together) that have separated from the fibers when the fibers are defibrated, coloring agents such as ink and toner, and additives such as anti-bleeding agents and paper strength agents. The defibrated material has a string-like or ribbon-like shape. The defibrated material may exist in a state where it is not entangled with other defibrated fibers (independent state), or it may exist in a state where it is entangled with other defibrated material to form a lump.

[0021] The defibration unit 13 performs defibration in a dry manner. Here, the term "dry manner" refers to performing defibration and other processes in air, such as in the atmosphere (air), rather than in a liquid. In this embodiment, the defibration unit 13 is configured to use an impeller mill. Specifically, the defibration unit 13 includes a rotor (not shown) that rotates at high speed, and a liner (not shown) located on the outer periphery of the rotor. The coarsely crushed pieces cut by the coarse crushing unit 12 are sandwiched between the rotor and the liner of the defibration unit 13 and defibrated. The defibration unit 13 generates an airflow by the rotation of the rotor. This airflow allows the defibration unit 13 to suck the coarsely crushed pieces M2, which are the raw material, from the pipe 241 and transport the defibrated material M3. The defibrated material M3 is sent to the pipe 242 and transferred to the sorting unit 14 via the pipe 242.

[0022] In this way, the defibrated material M3 generated in the defibrated unit 13 is transported from the defibrated unit 13 to the sorting unit 14 by the airflow generated by the defibrated unit 13. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is equipped with a defibrated unit blower 261 which is an airflow generating device, and the defibrated material M3 is transported to the sorting unit 14 by the airflow generated by the defibrated unit blower 261. The defibrated unit blower 261 is attached to a pipe 242, and sucks in air together with the defibrated material M3 from the defibrated unit 13, and sends it to the sorting unit 14.

[0023] The sorting unit 14 sorts the defibrated material M3 according to the length of the fibers. In the sorting unit 14, the defibrated material M3 is sorted into a first sorted material M4-1 and a second sorted material M4-2 that is larger than the first sorted material M4-1. The first sorted material M4-1 has a size suitable for the subsequent production of the sheet S. It is preferable that the average length is 1 μm or more and 30 μm or less. On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 includes, for example, insufficiently defibrated material and material in which defibrated fibers are excessively aggregated.

[0024] In this embodiment, the sorting unit 14 has a drum unit 141 and a housing unit 142 that houses the drum unit 141.

[0025] The drum part 141 is a sieve composed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. The defibrated material M3 flows into this drum part 141. Then, as the drum part 141 rotates, the defibrated material M3 smaller than the mesh opening is sorted as the first sorted material M4-1, and the defibrated material M3 larger than the mesh opening is sorted as the second sorted material M4-2.

[0026] The first sorted material M4-1 falls from the drum section 141. Meanwhile, the second sorted material M4-2 is sent out to a pipe 243 connected to the drum section 141. The pipe 243 is connected to the pipe 241 on the opposite side to the drum section 141, i.e., the upstream side. The second sorted material M4-2 that passes through this pipe 243 merges with the coarsely crushed pieces M2 in the pipe 241 and flows into the defibrating section 13 together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2. As a result, the second sorted material M4-2 is returned to the defibrating section 13 and is defibrated together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2. Also, the first sorted material M4-1 from the drum section 141 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the first web forming section 15 located below the drum section 141.

[0027] The first web forming unit 15 forms a first web M5 from the first selected object M4-1. The first web forming unit 15 has a mesh belt 151, three tension rollers 152, and a suction unit 153.

[0028] The mesh belt 151 is an endless belt on which the first sorted material M4-1 is accumulated. The mesh belt 151 is wound around three tension rollers 152. As the tension rollers 152 rotate, the first sorted material M4-1 on the mesh belt 151 is transported downstream.

[0029] The size of the first sorted material M4-1 is equal to or larger than the mesh openings of the mesh belt 151. This restricts the passage of the first sorted material M4-1 through the mesh belt 151, and therefore the first sorted material M4-1 can be accumulated on the mesh belt 151. Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 151 while being accumulated on the mesh belt 151, and is therefore formed as a layered first web M5.

[0030] In addition, the first sorted material M4-1 may contain, for example, dust or dirt. Dust or dirt may be generated, for example, by crushing or defibrating. Such dust or dirt will be collected in the collection section 27, which will be described later.

[0031] The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that sucks in air from below the mesh belt 151. This makes it possible to suck in the dust and dirt that has passed through the mesh belt 151 together with the air. The suction unit 153 is also connected to the collection unit 27 via a pipe 244. The dust and dirt sucked by the suction unit 153 is collected in the collection unit 27.

[0032] A pipe 245 is further connected to the collection section 27. A blower 262 is installed in the middle of the pipe 245. By operating the blower 262, a suction force can be generated in the suction section 153. This promotes the formation of the first web M5 on the mesh belt 151. Dust and dirt are removed from this first web M5. By operating the blower 262, the dust and dirt pass through the pipe 244 and reach the collection section 27.

[0033] The housing part 142 is connected to the humidifier part 232. The humidifier part 232 is configured as an evaporative humidifier similar to the humidifier part 231. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing part 142. The first sorted item M4-1 can be humidified by this humidified air, and therefore, the first sorted item M4-1 can be prevented from adhering to the inner wall of the housing part 142 due to electrostatic force.

[0034] A humidifying section 235 is disposed downstream of the sorting section 14. The humidifying section 235 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water. This allows moisture to be supplied to the first web M5, and thus the moisture content of the first web M5 is adjusted. This adjustment makes it possible to suppress adhesion of the first web M5 to the mesh belt 151 due to electrostatic force. As a result, the first web M5 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 151 at the position where the mesh belt 151 is folded back by the tension roller 152.

[0035] The segmentation unit 16 is disposed downstream of the humidification unit 235. The segmentation unit 16 segments the first web M5 peeled off from the mesh belt 151. The segmentation unit 16 has a rotatably supported propeller 161 and a housing unit 162 that houses the propeller 161. The rotating propeller 161 can segment the first web M5. The segmented first web M5 becomes segmented bodies M6. The segmented bodies M6 move down inside the housing unit 162.

[0036] The housing part 162 is connected to the humidifier part 233. The humidifier part 233 is configured with an evaporation type humidifier similar to the humidifier part 231. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing part 162. This humidified air can also prevent the fragmented bodies M6 from adhering to the propeller 161 and the inner wall of the housing part 162 due to electrostatic force. It is also possible to directly supply the first selected material M4-1 discharged from the screening section 14 to the mixing section 17. In that case, the first web forming section 15 and the subdivision section 16 do not need to be provided.

[0037] A mixer 17 is disposed downstream of the subdivision section 16. The mixer 17 mixes the subdivision bodies M6 and the resin P1. The mixer 17 includes a binder supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

[0038] The pipe 172 connects the housing portion 162 of the subdivided portion 16 and the case 3 of the fiber deposition portion 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivided bodies M6 and the resin P1 passes.

[0039] A binder supply unit 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The binder supply unit 171 has a screw feeder 174. By driving and rotating this screw feeder 174, it is possible to supply the resin P1 as powder or particles to the pipe 172. The resin P1 supplied to the pipe 172 is mixed with the fragmented bodies M6 to become a mixture M7.

[0040] The resin P1 bonds the fibers together, and may be, for example, a thermoplastic resin, a curable resin, or the like, but it is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefins such as AS resin, ABS resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), modified polyolefins, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyesters such as polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides such as nylon 6, nylon 46, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 612, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6-12, and nylon 6-66, liquid crystal polymers such as polyphenylene ether, polyacetal, polyether, polyphenylene oxide, polyether ether ketone, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfide, thermoplastic polyimide, polyetherimide, and aromatic polyester, and various thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-based, polyolefin-based, polyvinyl chloride-based, polyurethane-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, polybutadiene-based, trans-polyisoprene-based, fluororubber-based, and chlorinated polyethylene-based, and one or more selected from these may be used in combination. Preferably, the thermoplastic resin is polyester or one containing it.

[0041] In addition to the resin P1, the binder supply unit 171 may supply, for example, a colorant for coloring the fibers, an aggregation inhibitor for inhibiting aggregation of the fibers and the resin P1, a flame retardant for making the fibers less flammable, a paper strength enhancer for enhancing the paper strength of the sheet S, and the like. Alternatively, these may be contained in the resin P1 in advance to form a composite, which is then supplied from the binder supply unit 171. Also, a binder made of starch may be supplied from the binder supply unit 171 instead of the resin P1.

[0042] Further, a blower 173 is provided in the middle of the pipe 172 downstream of the binder supply unit 171. The blower 173 has a rotating part such as a blade, which mixes the fragmented bodies M6 and the resin P1. The blower 173 can generate an airflow toward the fiber deposition unit 18. The airflow can agitate the fragmented bodies M6 and the resin P1 in the pipe 172. This allows the mixture M7 to flow into the fiber deposition unit 18 with the fragmented bodies M6 and the resin P1 uniformly dispersed. The fragmented bodies M6 in the mixture M7 are loosened in the process of passing through the pipe 172, becoming finer fibrous.

[0043] The fiber deposition unit 18 loosens entangled fibers in the fiber-containing material, i.e., mixture M7, and disperses them into the air. The configuration of the fiber deposition unit 18 will be described in detail later. The mixture M7 dispersed into the air by the fiber deposition unit 18 falls toward the second web forming unit 19 located below.

[0044] The second web forming unit 19 is a portion where a second web forming step is performed to form a second web M8 from the mixture M7. The fiber deposition unit 18 has a mesh belt 191 as a conveyor belt, a tension roller 192, and a suction unit 193.

[0045] The mesh belt 191 is an endless belt on which the mixture M7 is accumulated. The mesh belt 191 is wound around four tension rollers 192. The mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 is transported downstream by the rotation of the tension rollers 192.

[0046] Moreover, most of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 has a size equal to or larger than the mesh openings of the mesh belt 191. This prevents the mixture M7 from passing through the mesh belt 191, and therefore the mixture M7 can be accumulated on the mesh belt 191. Moreover, while being accumulated on the mesh belt 191, the mixture M7 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 191, and is formed as a layered second web M8.

[0047] The suction unit 193 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 191. This allows the mixture M7 to be sucked onto the mesh belt 191, thereby facilitating the accumulation of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191.

[0048] A pipe 246 is connected to the suction unit 193. A blower 263 is provided midway through the pipe 246. By operating the blower 263, the suction unit 193 can generate a suction force.

[0049] A humidifying section 236 is disposed downstream of the fiber deposition section 18. The humidifying section 236 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier similar to the humidifying section 235. This allows moisture to be supplied to the second web M8, and thus the moisture content of the second web M8 is adjusted. This adjustment makes it possible to suppress adhesion of the second web M8 to the mesh belt 191 due to electrostatic force. As a result, the second web M8 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

[0050] A sheet forming unit 20 is disposed downstream of the second web forming unit 19. The sheet forming unit 20 forms a sheet S from the second web M8. The sheet forming unit 20 has a pressurizing unit 201 and a heating unit 202.

[0051] The pressurizing section 201 has a pair of calender rollers 203, and can pressurize the second web M8 between the calender rollers 203 without heating it. This increases the density of the second web M8. Note that the degree of heating at this time is preferably, for example, such that the resin P1 is not melted. Then, the second web M8 is transported toward the heating section 202. Note that one of the pair of calender rollers 203 is a driven roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0052] The heating section 202 has a pair of heating rollers 204, and can apply pressure to the second web M8 while heating it between the heating rollers 204. This heating and pressurization melts the resin P1 in the second web M8, and the fibers are bonded to each other via the molten resin P1. This forms a sheet S. Then, this sheet S is transported toward the cutting section 21. Note that one of the pair of heating rollers 204 is a driven roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0053] The cutting unit 21 is disposed downstream of the sheet forming unit 20. The cutting unit 21 cuts the sheet S. The cutting unit 21 has a first cutter 211 and a second cutter 212.

[0054] The first cutter 211 cuts the sheet S in a direction intersecting, particularly a direction perpendicular to, the conveying direction of the sheet S. The second cutter 212 cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet S downstream of the first cutter 211. This cutting is performed to remove unnecessary portions from both side edges of the sheet S, i.e., the edges in the +Y axis direction and the -Y axis direction, to adjust the width of the sheet S, and the cut and removed portions are so-called "selvages."

[0055] A sheet S having a desired shape and size is obtained by such cutting by the first cutter 211 and the second cutter 212. Then, this sheet S is conveyed further downstream and accumulated in the stock unit 22.

[0056] Each unit included in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown), and the operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit.

[0057] Next, the configuration of the fiber deposition section 18 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0058] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fiber deposition section 18 has a case 3, a storage section 4 located within the case 3 and dispersing the stored mixture M7, a supply section 5 that supplies the mixture M7 to the storage section 4, and a rotation section 6 provided within the storage section 4.

[0059] The case 3 has a cylindrical housing main body 31. The housing main body 31 has four side walls 311. The housing main body 31 houses the storage section 4 in a space S1 surrounded by these side walls 311, and covers the portion between the storage section 4 and the mesh belt 191.

[0060] The housing body 31 has a lower opening 312 facing the mesh belt 191 and an upper opening 313 located on the opposite side. The lower opening 312 is a discharge port for discharging the dispersed mixture M7 from the storage unit 4. The upper opening 313 is covered with a top plate 41 of the storage unit 4.

[0061] Further, a pair of sealing rollers 7 that hold down the second web M8 are provided downstream of the lower opening 312. Each sealing roller 7 is disposed via a mesh belt 191. Further, a sealing member 8 that seals between the mesh belt 191 and the housing main body 31 is provided at the edge of the opening of the lower opening 312 and at a portion where the sealing roller 7 is not provided. These sealing rollers 7 and sealing member 8 allow air to flow in from the communication opening 412 as described below without impairing the suction force of the suction section 193. Furthermore, since a slight pressure is applied to the second web M8 by the sealing rollers 7, it is possible to prevent the second web M8 from being disturbed.

[0062] In this manner, the fiber deposition unit 18 has a case 3 that covers the space S1 between the storage unit 4 and the mesh belt 191 and has a lower opening 312 provided at a position facing the mesh belt 191. This makes it possible to effectively form a downward airflow in the space S1 by the suction force of the suction unit 193. This makes it possible to promote deposition of the mixture M7 dispersed from the storage unit 4 onto the mesh belt 191.

[0063] The mesh belt 191 transports the second web M8 in a transport direction along the X direction. An upstream nozzle 601 is disposed on the upstream side of the case 3 in the transport direction. A downstream nozzle 602 is disposed on the downstream side of the case 3 in the transport direction. The upstream nozzle 601 and the downstream nozzle 602 are connected to a humidifier 234 (see FIG. 1).

[0064] The storage section 4 has a top plate 41 that closes the upper opening 313 of the case 3, a pair of side walls 42 installed below the top plate 41, and a porous screen 43 having a plurality of openings.

[0065] The top plate 41 has a supply port 411 and a plurality of communication ports 412 that are provided penetrating the top plate 41 in the thickness direction. The supply port 411 is in communication with the supply unit 5 and is a portion through which the mixture M7 passes. The supply port 411 has an elongated shape extending in the Y-axis direction and is provided in the approximate center of the top plate 41 in the X-axis direction. The pair of side walls 42 have an elongated shape extending in the Y-axis direction and are disposed on the lower surface of the top plate 41 facing each other with the supply port 411 interposed therebetween.

[0066] The porous screen 43 has a semi-cylindrical shape extending in the Y-axis direction and projecting toward the -Z-axis direction. That is, the porous screen 43 has an arc shape at any position in the Y-axis direction when viewed in a cross section normal to the Y-axis. This allows the mixture M7 to move smoothly within the storage unit 4 and to be mixed well. The porous screen 43 is connected to each side wall 42, and the space defined by the porous screen 43, each side wall 42, and the top plate 41 functions as a storage space S2 that stores the mixture M7.

[0067] In addition, the +Y axis side and the -Y axis side of the accommodation space S2 of the accommodation unit 4 are closed by walls (not shown). Each wall rotatably supports the rotating unit 6 (described later).

[0068] The porous screen 43 can be, for example, a mesh body or a plate material having a large number of through holes. As a result, the mixture M7 in the storage unit 4 is discharged and dispersed to the outside of the storage space S2 through the porous screen 43. In addition, by appropriately setting the mesh size and the size of the through holes of the porous screen 43, the mixture M7 having a desired fiber length can be preferentially dispersed and deposited on the mesh belt 191.

[0069] In such a storage section 4, the top plate 41 and the side walls 42 function as a holding section 40 that holds a porous screen 43. Since the holding section 40 is provided with a communication port 412, air can be introduced directly into the storage section 4 without passing through the porous screen 43.

[0070] The supply unit 5 is a port installed above the top plate 41. The supply unit 5 has a port body 51 and a connection part 52 provided on the port body 51.

[0071] The port body 51 is box-shaped with a rectangular opening 511 on the lower side. The opening 511 is an elongated rectangle large enough to fully encompass the supply port 411 of the top plate 41. The port body 51 is installed on the top plate 41 so as to communicate with the supply port 411 of the top plate 41 via the opening 511. This allows the mixture M7 to be supplied into the storage unit 4 via the supply unit 5.

[0072] 2, the port body 51 has a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the X-axis direction. Therefore, when viewed in a cross section normal to the Z-axis, the port body 51 becomes wider toward the bottom (-Z-axis direction). That is, the area of ​​the lumen of the port body 51 gradually increases toward the storage section 4.

[0073] A connection part 52 is provided on an upper part of a side wall 512 on the -X axis side of the port main body 51. This connection part 52 is a part formed in a cylindrical shape protruding in the -X axis direction, and is connected to a pipe 172 through which the mixture M7 flows down.

[0074] The mixture M7 flowing down the pipe 172 first flows into the port body 51 via the connection part 52. Then, when the mixture M7 flows into the port body 51, it collides with the side wall 513 opposite the side wall 512, or is carried to the vicinity by the air current. At this time, the mixture M7 is loosened to some extent and moves downward. This makes it possible to prevent the mixture M7 from being supplied in this state into the storage part 4, even if lumps are formed in the mixture M7. Then, the mixture M7 is supplied into the storage part 4 via the opening 511 and the supply port 411.

[0075] 4, when the mixture M7 flows into the storage unit 4, as described above, it flows downward along the side wall 513 and therefore flows into the storage unit 4 on the +X-axis side of the rotation axis O. As described below, the rotation unit 6 is configured to rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the +Y-axis side, so that the mixture M7 that flows into the storage unit 4 rides directly on the air current along the rotation direction of the rotation unit 6. That is, the supply unit 5 supplies the material mixture M7 along the rotation direction of the rotation unit 6. This reduces the accumulation of the mixture M7 in the storage unit 4 and the lifting up of the mixture M7 toward the supply unit 5, and allows the mixture M7 to be smoothly loosened in the storage unit 4.

[0076] The rotating unit 6 rotates in the storage unit 4 to stir and loosen the mixture M7 supplied into the storage unit 4 while promoting dispersion from the porous screen 43. The rotating unit 6 has four blades 61. The blades 61 are made of long plates extending in the Y-axis direction. The ends of one long side of each blade 61 are connected to each other, and the blades rotate around the connected part as the center of rotation, i.e., the rotation axis O. In this embodiment, the rotating unit 6 has a cross-shaped cross section normal to the rotation axis O. That is, the blades 61 are connected at equal intervals in the rotation direction.

[0077] The rotating unit 6 is connected to a rotary drive source (not shown), and the operation of the rotary drive source is controlled by a control unit. In this embodiment, the rotating unit 6 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the +Y axis side.

[0078] By the rotation of the rotating part 6, each blade 61 stirs and loosens the mixture M7 in the storage part 4, and presses an appropriate amount of the mixture M7 against the porous screen 43. This makes it possible to prevent the mixture M7 from clogging the porous screen 43, and to disperse the mixture M7 evenly over the entire area of ​​the porous screen 43.

[0079] Moreover, the rotating part 6 rotates in a state where each blade 61 is spaced apart from the side wall 42 and the porous screen 43. This makes it possible to prevent excessive pressure from being applied to the mixture M7 between the blade 61 and the porous screen 43, thereby enabling better dispersion.

[0080] 2 to 4, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, an upstream nozzle 601, which is one of the humidifying mechanisms 10, is disposed on the upstream side of the case 3 in the conveying direction. A downstream nozzle 602, which is one of the humidifying mechanisms 10, is disposed on the downstream side of the case 3 in the conveying direction. The humidifying mechanism 10 supplies humidified air to the fiber deposition section 18.

[0081] Specifically, the upstream nozzle 601 is disposed adjacent to the side wall 311 on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the case 3. The downstream nozzle 602 is disposed adjacent to the side wall 311 on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the case 3.

[0082] In this manner, since the nozzles 601, 602 are disposed adjacent to the side wall 311, most of the humidified air E1 can be supplied to the second web M8 side, and the second web M8 and the fibers can be humidified.

[0083] 2 and 3, the upstream nozzle 601 and the downstream nozzle 602 are internally connected via a pipe 603. The upstream nozzle 601 and the downstream nozzle 602 are connected to, for example, an evaporation type humidifier unit 234 which is one of the humidifier mechanisms 10 (see FIG. 1). That is, humidified air E1 is supplied to the upstream nozzle 601 and the downstream nozzle 602 via the humidifier unit 234.

[0084] The upstream nozzle 601 has an opening 601a for supplying the humidified air E1. The downstream nozzle 602 similarly has an opening 602a for supplying the humidified air E1. As shown in Fig. 4, the suction unit 193 is disposed below the fiber deposition unit 18, as described above. Thus, the humidified air E1 supplied from the nozzles 601 and 602 is sucked by the suction unit 193 and supplied to the fiber deposition unit 18 and between the fiber deposition unit 18 and the mesh belt 191, i.e., to the second web M8.

[0085] The second web M8 can be humidified by the humidified air E1. In addition, the humidified air E1 can prevent the mixture M7 dispersed inside the fiber deposition section 18 from adhering to the inner wall due to electrostatic force.

[0086] Moreover, the opening 601a of the upstream nozzle 601 is disposed adjacent to the lower end of the side wall 311 and facing the mesh belt 191. Since the opening 601a of the upstream nozzle 601 is disposed in this manner, it becomes possible to directly supply the humidified air E1 to the second web M8 on the mesh belt 191, and it is possible to prevent the second web M8 from drying out.

[0087] As described above, a pair of sealing rollers 7 that press down the second web M8 are disposed on the downstream side of the side wall 311 in the conveying direction so as to be adjacent to the side wall 311. The opening 602a of the downstream nozzle 602 is disposed so as to face the pair of sealing rollers 7.

[0088] In this way, the opening 602a of the downstream nozzle 602 is positioned to face the pair of sealing rollers 7, making it possible to supply humidified air E1 directly to the sealing roller 7, thereby preventing the sealing roller 7 from becoming electrically charged.

[0089] 4, an optical sensor 630 is disposed downstream of the downstream nozzle 602 in the transport direction and above the sealing roller 7. The optical sensor 630 measures the thickness of the second web M8.

[0090] The humidified air E1 supplied from the downstream nozzle 602 hits the sealing roller 7 and is divided into humidified air E1 that flows toward the fiber deposition section 18, i.e., the suction section 193 side, and humidified air E2 that hits the sealing roller 7 and flows downstream. This allows the humidified air E2 to function as an air curtain, and prevents fibers dispersed in the direction of the optical sensor 630 from adhering to the optical sensor 630. This improves the measurement accuracy of the optical sensor 630.

[0091] As described above, since the upstream nozzle 601 is disposed on the upstream side of the fiber deposition section 18 and the downstream nozzle 602 is disposed on the downstream side, it becomes possible to supply humidified air E1 to the second web M8 and the fiber deposition section 18, and it is possible to prevent the fibers from being electrostatically charged. Furthermore, by supplying humidified air E1 to the second web M8 from the nozzles 601 and 602, it is possible to reduce the amount of water used compared to humidifying the entire periphery of the fiber deposition section 18. In other words, it is possible to improve the humidification efficiency. Furthermore, since the humidified air E1 is supplied to the second web M8 from the nozzles 601 and 602, it becomes possible to uniformly send the humidified air E1 to the second web M8, and it is possible to uniformly humidify the fibers.

[0092] Next, the configuration of the upstream nozzle 601 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0093] 5A, the upstream nozzle 601 has a shape whose width gradually increases from the top to the bottom when viewed from the upstream side in the transport direction. An opening 601a is provided on the bottom side of the upstream nozzle 601. The bottom side of the upstream nozzle 601, i.e., the length W2 of the opening 601a, has a width approximately equal to the width of the mesh belt 191.

[0094] 5B, the upstream nozzle 601 has a rectangular opening 601a when viewed from the bottom, i.e., the mesh belt 191 side. The opening 601a has a length W2 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction that is longer than a length W1 in the conveying direction, that is, the length W1 in the conveying direction < the length W2 in the direction intersecting the conveying direction.

[0095] In this way, since the length W2 in the direction intersecting the conveying direction is longer, it is possible to cover the entire width of the mesh belt 191, i.e., the entire width of the second web M8, with the upstream nozzle 601, and humidified air can be supplied to the entire second web M8.

[0096] Next, the configuration of the downstream nozzle 602 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0097] 6A, the downstream nozzle 602 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the downstream side in the transport direction. The downstream nozzle 602 has an opening 602a on the lower side. The lower side of the downstream nozzle 602, i.e., the length W12 of the opening 602a, has a width approximately equal to the width of the mesh belt 191.

[0098] 6B, the downstream nozzle 602 has a rectangular opening 602a when viewed from the bottom, i.e., the mesh belt 191 side. The opening 602a has a length W12 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction that is longer than a length W11 in the conveying direction, that is, the length W11 in the conveying direction is smaller than the length W12 in the direction intersecting the conveying direction.

[0099] In this way, since the length W12 in the direction intersecting the conveying direction is longer, it is possible to cover the entire width of the mesh belt 191, i.e., the entire width of the second web M8, with the downstream nozzle 602, and humidified air E1 can be supplied to the entire second web M8.

[0100] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 including the defibrating unit 13 that defibrates a material into fibers, the fiber deposition unit 18 that deposits the fibers to form the second web M8, the pressurizing unit 201 that pressurizes the second web M8 to form a sheet S, and the humidifying mechanism 10 that supplies humidified air E1 to the fiber deposition unit 18, the fiber deposition unit 18 including the rotating unit 6 that agitates the fibers supplied from the defibrating unit 13, the case 3 that houses the rotating unit 6, and the mesh belt 191 that is provided below the case 3 and transports the second web M8 in the transport direction, and the second web M8 is formed on the mesh belt 191 by depositing the fibers on the mesh belt 191, and the humidifying mechanism 10 is provided upstream of the fiber deposition unit 18 in the transport direction, and includes an upstream nozzle 601 that supplies humidified air E1 to the fiber deposition unit 18.

[0101] According to this configuration, since the upstream nozzle 601 is disposed on the upstream side of the fiber deposition portion 18, it is possible to supply the humidified air E1 in the direction of the second web M8 and the fiber deposition portion 18, and it is possible to prevent the fibers from being charged. Furthermore, by supplying the humidified air E1 from the upstream nozzle 601 to the gap between the fiber deposition portion 18 and the mesh belt 191, it is possible to reduce the amount of water used compared to humidifying the entire periphery of the fiber deposition portion 18. In other words, it is possible to improve the humidification efficiency. Furthermore, since the humidified air E1 is supplied from the upstream nozzle 601, it is possible to uniformly send the humidified air E1 to the second web M8, and it is possible to uniformly humidify the fibers.

[0102] Furthermore, for example, if the upstream nozzle 601 is not positioned, there is a risk that the fibers in the fiber deposition section 18 will dry out due to dry outside air being sucked in through the gap between the fiber deposition section 18 and the mesh belt 191. However, in this embodiment, the upstream nozzle 601 that supplies humidified air E1 is positioned at the mouth of the gap between the fiber deposition section 18 and the mesh belt 191, so that the inside of the fiber deposition section 18 can be prevented from drying out.

[0103] Furthermore, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the upstream nozzle 601 is preferably disposed adjacent to the side wall 311 of the case 3 on the upstream side of the case 3 in the conveying direction. With this configuration, since the upstream nozzle 601 is disposed adjacent to the side wall 311 of the case 3, it becomes possible to supply most of the humidified air E1 in the direction of the second web M8 and the fiber deposition portion 18, and it is possible to humidify the second web M8 and the fibers.

[0104] In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the upstream nozzle 601 has a rectangular opening 601a, and it is preferable that the length W1 of the opening 601a in the conveying direction is less than the length W2 in the direction intersecting the conveying direction. With this configuration, the length in the direction intersecting the conveying direction is longer, in other words, the entire width direction of the second web M8 can be covered by the upstream nozzle 601, and the humidified air E1 can be supplied to the entire second web M8.

[0105] Moreover, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, it is preferable that the opening 601a is disposed adjacent to the lower end of the case 3 and facing the mesh belt 191. With this configuration, the opening 601a faces the mesh belt 191, that is, the humid air E1 is supplied from a position close to the mesh belt 191, so that it is possible to reliably supply the humid air E1 to the second web M8 on the mesh belt 191, and it is possible to prevent the second web M8 from drying out.

[0106] Modifications of the above embodiment will now be described.

[0107] As described above, among the side walls 311 constituting the case 3, the upstream side side wall 311 may have a shape as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lower end of the upstream side case 3. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the lower end of the upstream side case 3.

[0108] 7 and 8, a canopy 311A ​​is provided at the lower end of the upstream side wall 311 among the side walls 311 constituting the case 3 so as to face the opening 601a of the upstream nozzle 601. An end 311A1 of the canopy 311A ​​has a length such that it overlaps with a part of the adjacent upstream nozzle 601 in a plan view. In addition, the length of the canopy 311A ​​in a direction intersecting the transport direction is approximately equal to the length W2 of the upstream nozzle 601.

[0109] In this way, since the eaves 311A ​​are provided so as to face the opening 601a of the upstream nozzle 601, the humidified air E1 from the opening 601a can be supplied in the direction of the second web M8 after hitting the eaves 311A, and the humidified air E1 can be supplied more uniformly to the second web M8 than when the humidified air E1 is forcefully supplied directly to the second web M8 from the opening 601a. ​​Also, it is possible to prevent the second web M8 deposited on the mesh belt 191 from turning over and to prevent wind ripples from being formed on the second web M8.

[0110] In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, it is preferable that an eaves 311A ​​is provided at the lower end of the case 3 so as to face the opening 601a of the upstream nozzle 601. According to this configuration, since the eaves 311A ​​is provided at the lower end of the case 3 so as to face the opening 601a, it becomes possible for the humidified air E1 supplied from the opening 601a to hit the eaves 311A ​​and then be supplied to the second web M8, and it is possible to more uniformly supply the humidified air E1 to the second web M8 than, for example, supplying the humidified air E1 forcefully directly to the second web M8 from the opening 601a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 3...case, 4...storage section, 5...supply section, 6...rotation section, 7...seal roller, 8...sealing member, 10...humidification mechanism, 11...raw material supply section, 12...crushing section, 13...defibration section, 14...screening section, 15...first web forming section, 16...fragmenting section, 17...mixing section, 18...fiber deposition section, 19...second web forming section, 20...sheet forming section, 21...cutting section, 22...stock section, 27...recovery section, 31...housing body, 4 0...holding section, 41...top plate, 42...side wall, 43...porous screen, 51...port body, 52...connection section, 61...blade, 100...sheet manufacturing apparatus, 121...crushing blade, 122...chute, 141...drum section, 142...housing section, 151...mesh belt, 152...tension roller, 153...suction section, 161...propeller, 162...housing section, 171...binder supply section, 172...pipe, 173... Blower, 174...screw feeder, 191...mesh belt as a conveying belt, 192...tension roller, 193...suction section, 201...pressure section, 202...heating section, 203...calender roller, 204...heating roller, 211...first cutter, 212...second cutter, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236...humidification section, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 2 46...pipe, 261...defibration section blower, 262, 263...blower, 311...side wall, 311A...eaves, 311A1...end, 312...lower opening, 313...upper opening, 411...supply port, 412...communication port, 511...opening, 512...side wall, 513...side wall, 601...upstream nozzle as nozzle, 601a...opening, 602...downstream nozzle, 602a...opening, 603...piping, 630...optical sensor.

Claims

1. A defibration unit that defibrates the material into fibers; a fiber depositing section for depositing the fibers to form a web; a pressurizing section for pressing the web into a sheet; a humidifying mechanism for supplying humidified air to the fiber deposition section; A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising: the fiber deposition unit includes a rotating unit that agitates the fibers supplied from the defibration unit, a case that houses the rotating unit, and a conveyor belt that is provided below the case and conveys the web in a conveying direction, and the fibers are deposited on the conveyor belt to form the web on the conveyor belt, The humidifying mechanism is provided upstream of the fiber deposition section in the conveying direction and has a nozzle that supplies the humidified air to the fiber deposition section.

2. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The nozzle is disposed adjacent to a side wall of the case on an upstream side of the case in the conveying direction.

3. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The nozzle has a rectangular opening, The sheet manufacturing apparatus, wherein the opening has a length in the conveying direction that is less than a length in a direction intersecting the conveying direction.

4. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, The opening is disposed adjacent to a lower end of the case and facing the conveyor belt.

5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, a lower end of the case is provided with a canopy so as to face the opening of the nozzle.

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