Powder collection device and fiber structure manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide a powder collection device which enables reduction of frequency of disposal work of a collected powder, and to provide a fiber structure manufacturing device.SOLUTION: A powder collection device includes: a housing having a first introduction port configured to introduce a powder and air, a second introduction port provided at a position different from the first introduction port and configured to introduce the powder and air, an exhaust port configured to exhaust air, and a storage part in which the powder is stored; a filter which is connected to the exhaust port, captures the powder, and allows air to pass; and a wind guide member which is installed in the housing and guides the powder and air introduced from the first introduction port toward airflow introduced from the second introduction port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder collecting device and a fiber structure manufacturing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Background Art There is known a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus that includes a crushing section that crushes waste paper roughly, a storage section that stores the crushed pieces obtained in the crushing section, a defibration section that defibrates the coarsely crushed pieces discharged from the storage section, a deposition section that deposits the defibrated material obtained in the defibration section on a flat surface, a heating and pressurizing section that heats and pressurizes the deposited web, a cutting section that cuts the sheet obtained in the heating and pressurizing section into a predetermined shape, a sheet recovery section that recovers the obtained sheet, and a collection device that collects waste powder generated in the deposition section.

[0003] An example of the collection device is described in Patent Document 1. The collection device described in Patent Document 1 includes a housing having an inlet for introducing waste powder and air and an exhaust port for discharging air, and a filter provided at the exhaust port. Of the waste powder and air introduced into the housing, the waste powder cannot pass through the filter and falls to accumulate at the bottom of the housing, while the air passes through the filter and is discharged from the exhaust port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-175562 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the waste powder introduced from the inlet together with the air tends to accumulate unevenly at the bottom of the housing, rather than evenly. That is, some parts of the housing accumulate a large amount of waste powder, while other parts accumulate only a small amount. In this case, the waste powder must be disposed of before the housing becomes full of waste powder, which increases the frequency of disposal operations unnecessarily. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The powder collecting device of the present invention includes a housing having a first inlet for introducing powder and air, a second inlet provided at a position different from the first inlet and for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter connected to the exhaust port, which captures powder and allows air to pass through; The air guide member is installed within the housing and guides the powder and air introduced from the second inlet toward the air flow introduced from the first inlet.

[0007] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a first depositing section that deposits defibrated material containing fibers to generate a first deposit; a second deposit section for loosening the first deposit to generate a second deposit; a molding section for molding the second deposit to obtain a fiber structure; a powder collecting device that collects powder generated in the first deposition section and the second deposition section, The powder collecting device is a housing having a first inlet for introducing powder and air, a second inlet provided at a position different from the first inlet and for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter connected to the exhaust port, which captures powder and allows air to pass through; The air guide member is installed within the housing and guides the powder and air introduced from the second inlet toward the air flow introduced from the first inlet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus equipped with a powder collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the powder collecting device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view of an air guide member and its surroundings provided in the powder collector shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a powder collecting device and a fiber structure manufacturing device of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] <Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus equipped with a powder collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the powder collecting device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an air guide member and its surroundings equipped in the powder collecting device shown in Fig. 1.

[0011] In the following, the upper side (+z-axis side) of Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. 4 may be referred to as "upper" or "upper side", and the lower side (-z-axis side) of Fig. 4 may be referred to as "lower" or "lower". Also, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, and Fig. 5 show an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis which are perpendicular to each other. Also, Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram, and the positional relationship, orientation, size, etc. of each part of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0012] In addition, in Fig. 1, the direction in which the coarse fragments M2, the defibrated material M3, the first sorted material M4-1, the second sorted material M4-2, the first web M5, the finely divided bodies M6, the mixture M7, the second web M8, and the sheet S are transported, i.e., the direction indicated by the arrow, is also referred to as the transport direction. The tip side of the arrow in Fig. 1 is also referred to as the "downstream side" in the transport direction, and the base side of the arrow in Fig. 1 is also referred to as the "upstream side" in the transport direction.

[0013] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber structure that manufactures a sheet S, which is an example of a fiber structure, from a raw material M1, which is waste paper such as used copy paper.

[0014] The fiber structure manufactured by the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 is not limited to the sheet S, and may be, for example, a block shape, a cup shape, a rod shape, a cylinder shape, a ring shape, a frame shape, or other irregular shapes. The shape and structure of the fiber structure depend on the configuration of the molding unit 20 described later, etc.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the fiber structure 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 dispersion section 18, a second web forming section 19, a molding section 20, a cutting section 21, a stock section 22, and a powder collecting device 3 which is an example of a powder collecting device of the present invention.

[0016] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a humidifier section 231, a humidifier section 232, a humidifier section 233, a humidifier section 234, a humidifier section 235, and a humidifier section 236. In addition, the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a blower 261, a blower 262, and a blower 263.

[0017] In addition, in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, a raw material supplying process, a coarse crushing process, a defibrating process, a sorting process, a first web forming process, a dividing process, a mixing process, a loosening process, a second web forming process, a sheet forming process, and a cutting process are carried out in this order. In addition, a powder collecting process is carried out so as to overlap with these processes in time.

[0018] The configuration of each part will be described below. The raw material supplying section 11 is a section that performs a raw material supplying step of supplying raw material M1 to the crushing section 12. This raw material M1 is a sheet-like material made of a fiber-containing material including cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers may be fibrous and contain cellulose as a compound as the main component, and may contain hemicellulose and lignin in addition to cellulose. The raw material M1 may be in any form, such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric. The raw material M1 may be, for example, recycled paper produced by disintegrating waste paper and regenerating it, or synthetic paper such as Yupo paper (registered trademark), or it may not be recycled paper.

[0019] The crushing unit 12 is a section that performs a crushing step of crushing the raw material M1 supplied from the raw material supply unit 11 in air such as the atmosphere. The crushing unit 12 has a pair of crushing blades 121 and a chute 122.

[0020] The pair of crushing blades 121 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and can crush the raw material M1 between them, that is, cut it into crushed pieces M2. The shape and size of the crushed pieces M2 are preferably suitable for defibration processing in the defibration unit 13. Examples of the shape of the crushed pieces M2 include small pieces with a square planar shape, rectangular pieces, and particularly small pieces with a strip shape. The size of the crushed pieces M2 is preferably small pieces with an average side length of 100 mm or less, and more preferably small pieces with an average side length of 3 mm or more and 70 mm or less. The shape of the small pieces may be other than square or rectangular. The thickness is preferably 0.07 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less.

[0021] The chute 122 is disposed below the pair of crushing blades 121 and has, for example, a cone or 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.

[0022] 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. This humidifying section 231 is configured as an evaporation type humidifier that has a moisture-containing filter (not shown) and supplies humidified air with increased humidity to the coarsely crushed pieces M2 by passing air through the filter. By supplying the humidified air to the coarsely crushed pieces M2, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the coarsely crushed pieces M2 to the chute 122 and the like due to electrostatic forces.

[0023] The chute 122 is connected to the defibrating unit 13. The coarse fragments M2 collected by the chute 122 are sent to the defibrating unit 13.

[0024] The defibrating unit 13 is a section that performs a defibrating process in which the coarsely crushed pieces M2 are defibrated in the air, i.e., in a dry manner. The defibrating process in this defibrating unit 13 makes it possible to generate a defibrated material M3 from the coarsely crushed pieces M2. Here, "defibrating" refers to untangling the coarsely crushed pieces M2, which are made up of multiple fibers bound together, into individual fibers. This untangled material becomes the defibrated material M3. The shape of the defibrated material M3 is linear or band-like. The defibrated material M3 may also be present in a state where it is entangled with other pieces to form a mass, that is, in a state where it forms so-called "lumps."

[0025] In addition, the defibrating unit 13 can generate an air flow toward the sorting unit 14, i.e., an airflow, by the rotation of a rotor (not shown). This allows the coarse fragments M2 to be introduced from the pipe 241 to the upstream side of the defibrating unit 13, and after defibration processing, the defibrated material M3 can be sent to the sorting unit 14 via the pipe 242.

[0026] A pipe 242 is connected to the downstream side of the defibrating unit 13. A blower 261 consisting of, for example, a turbo fan is installed midway through the pipe 242. The blower 261 is an airflow generating device that generates an airflow toward the sorting unit 14. This promotes the introduction of the coarsely crushed pieces M2 into the defibrating unit 13 and the sending out of the defibrated material M3 to the sorting unit 14. Due to its structure, the defibrating unit 13 smoothly passes through and is defibrated, and the operation of the blower 261 installed downstream of the defibrating unit 13 promotes the passage of the coarsely crushed pieces M2 within the defibrating unit 13 and the defibrating process. The blower 261 may be installed upstream of the defibrating unit 13.

[0027] The sorting unit 14 is a section that performs a sorting process in which the defibrated material M3 is sorted according to the fiber length. 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 having a fiber length longer than that of the first sorted material M4-1. The first sorted material M4-1 has a size suitable for the subsequent production of the sheet S. On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 includes, for example, material that is insufficiently defibrated or material in which defibrated fibers are excessively aggregated.

[0028] The sorting unit 14 has a drum unit 141 and a housing unit 142 that houses the drum unit 141.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The first sorted item M4-1 falls from the drum portion 141. Meanwhile, the second sorted material M4-2 is sent out to a pipe 243 connected to the drum section 141. The end of the pipe 243 opposite the drum section 141, i.e., the downstream end, is connected midway through the pipe 241. The second sorted material M4-2 that passes through this pipe 243 merges with the coarsely crushed pieces M2 inside 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.

[0031] The first sorted material M4-1 that has fallen from the drum unit 141 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the first web forming unit 15 located below the drum unit 141. The first web forming unit 15 is a first accumulation unit, and is a unit that carries out a first web forming step of forming the first web M5 from the first sorted material M4-1. The first web forming unit 15 has a mesh belt 151, three tension rollers 152, and a suction unit 153.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The size of the first sorted material M4-1 is equal to or larger than the mesh size 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 piled up on the mesh belt 151. Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 151 while being piled up on the mesh belt 151, and is formed as a first web M5, which is a first pile.

[0034] The first sorted object M4-1 may contain foreign matter such as dust, dirt, paper powder, and broken pieces of fiber. Foreign matter such as dust, dirt, paper powder, and broken pieces of fiber are collectively referred to as waste powder. The waste powder may be generated, for example, by crushing in the crushing section 12 or defibrating in the defibrating section 13. Powder H resulting from such waste powder is separated from the first sorted object M4-1 in the first web forming section 15 and is collected and recovered by the powder collecting device 3 described below. By separating and removing the waste powder from the first sorted object M4-1, the quality of the sheet S to be manufactured can be improved.

[0035] The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 151. This makes it possible to suck the powder H that has passed through the mesh belt 151 together with the air.

[0036] The suction unit 153 is connected to the powder collector 3 via a pipe 245. The powder H, which is waste powder, sucked by the suction unit 153 is collected in the powder collector 3 via the pipe 245.

[0037] 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. The first web M5 has the powder H removed, improving the quality of the material. In addition, by operating the blower 262, the powder H is transferred through the pipe 245 to the powder collector 3 and collected.

[0038] The housing part 142 is connected to the humidifier part 232. The humidifier part 232 is configured with an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing part 142. The first sorted object M4-1 can be humidified by this humidified air, and therefore, the first sorted object M4-1 can be prevented from adhering to the inner wall of the housing part 142 due to electrostatic force.

[0039] 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.

[0040] The segmentation unit 16 is disposed downstream of the humidification unit 235. The segmentation unit 16 is a section that performs a segmentation step of segmenting the first web M5 peeled off from the mesh belt 151. The segmentation unit 16 has a rotatably supported propeller 161 and a housing portion 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 portion 162.

[0041] The housing part 162 is connected to the humidifier part 233. The humidifier part 233 is configured by an evaporation type humidifier. 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.

[0042] A mixing section 17 is disposed downstream of the subdivision section 16. The mixing section 17 is a section in which a mixing step is performed to mix the subdivision bodies M6 with an additive. The mixing section 17 has an additive supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

[0043] The pipe 172 connects the housing portion 162 of the subdivision portion 16 and the housing 182 of the dispersion portion 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivision bodies M6 and the additive passes.

[0044] An additive supply unit 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The additive supply unit 171 has a housing portion 170 in which an additive is accommodated, and a screw feeder 174 provided in the housing portion 170. By rotation of the screw feeder 174, the additive in the housing portion 170 is pushed out from the housing portion 170 and supplied into the pipe 172. The additive supplied into the pipe 172 is mixed with the fragmented bodies M6 to become a mixture M7.

[0045] Here, examples of additives supplied from the additive supply unit 171 include a binder that bonds fibers together, a colorant for coloring fibers, an aggregation inhibitor for inhibiting aggregation of fibers, a flame retardant for making fibers less flammable, a paper strength enhancer for enhancing the paper strength of the sheet S, and the like, and one or more of these can be used in combination. In the following, as an example, a case where the additive is a binder P1 will be described. By including the binder P1 that bonds fibers together in the additive, the strength of the sheet S can be increased.

[0046] Examples of the binder P1 include natural product-derived components such as starch, dextrin, glycogen, amylose, hyaluronic acid, kudzu, konjac, potato starch, etherified starch, esterified starch, natural gum paste, fiber-derived paste, seaweed, and animal protein, as well as polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, and polyacrylamide, and one or more selected from these can be used in combination, but natural product-derived components are preferred, and starch is more preferred. In addition, various polyolefins, acrylic resins, thermoplastic resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, and polyamide, and various thermoplastic elastomers can also be used.

[0047] A blower 173 is installed in the pipe 172 downstream of the additive supply unit 171. The action of a rotating part such as a blade of the blower 173 promotes mixing of the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1. The blower 173 can generate an airflow toward the dispersion unit 18. This airflow can agitate the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1 in the pipe 172. As a result, the mixture M7 is transported to the dispersion unit 18 in a state in which the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1 are uniformly dispersed. The fragmented bodies M6 in the mixture M7 are loosened in the process of passing through the pipe 172, becoming finer fibrous.

[0048] The blower 173 is electrically connected to the control device 28, and the operation thereof is controlled by the control device 28. By adjusting the airflow rate of the blower 173, the amount of air sent into the drum 181 can be adjusted.

[0049] Although not shown in the figure, the end of pipe 172 on the drum 181 side is branched into two, and the branched ends are each connected to an inlet port (not shown) formed on the end face of drum 181.

[0050] 1 is a section that performs a disintegration process for disintegrating and releasing entangled fibers in the mixture M7. The dispersion section 18 has a drum 181 that introduces and releases the defibrated mixture M7, and a housing 182 that houses the drum 181.

[0051] The drum 181 is a sieve that is composed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. As the drum 181 rotates, fibers and the like of the mixture M7 that are smaller than the mesh openings can pass through the drum 181. At that time, the mixture M7 is loosened and discharged together with air. That is, the drum 181 functions as a discharge section that discharges the material including fibers.

[0052] The drum 181 is connected to a drive source (not shown) and rotates by a torque output from the drive source. The drive source is electrically connected to the control device 28, and the operation of the drive source is controlled by the control device 28.

[0053] Furthermore, the housing 182 is connected to the humidifier 234. The humidifier 234 is configured as an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing 182. The inside of the housing 182 can be humidified by this humidified air, and therefore, it is also possible to prevent the mixture M7 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing 182 due to electrostatic force.

[0054] Furthermore, the mixture M7 discharged from the drum 181 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the second web forming unit 19 located below the drum 181. The second web forming unit 19 is a second deposition unit, and is a portion for carrying out a second web forming step of depositing the mixture M7 to form a deposit, that is, a second web M8. The second web forming unit 19 has a mesh belt 191, a tension roller 192, and a suction unit 193.

[0055] The mesh belt 191 is a mesh member, and in the illustrated configuration, is configured as an endless belt. The mixture M7 dispersed and discharged by the dispersion unit 18 is accumulated on the mesh belt 191. The mesh belt 191 is wound around four tension rollers 192. The mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 is transported downstream by the rotational drive of the tension rollers 192.

[0056] In the illustrated configuration, the mesh belt 191 is used as an example of the mesh member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the mesh member may be, for example, a flat plate-like member.

[0057] 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 second web M8, which is a second deposit.

[0058] The mixture M7 may contain foreign matter, such as dust, dirt, paper powder, and cut pieces of fibers, that is, waste powder. The waste powder may be generated by stirring, mixing, loosening, and the like in the subdivision section 16, the mixing section 17, and the dispersion section 18. In addition, waste powder that has not been completely removed from the first sorted material M4-1 in the first web forming section 15 may remain in the mixture M7. Such powder H due to waste powder is separated from the mixture M7 in the second web forming section 19 and is collected and recovered by the powder collecting device 3 described below. By separating and removing the waste powder from the mixture M7, the quality of the sheet S to be manufactured can be improved.

[0059] 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.

[0060] The suction unit 193 is connected to the powder collector 3 via a pipe 246. The powder H, which is waste powder, sucked by the suction unit 193 is collected in the powder collector 3 via the pipe 246.

[0061] A blower 263 is installed in the middle of the pipe 246. By operating this blower 263, a suction force can be generated in the suction section 193. This promotes the formation of the second web M8 on the mesh belt 191. This second web M8 has the powder H removed, improving the quality of the material. In addition, by operating the blower 263, the powder H is transferred through the pipe 246 to the powder collector 3 and collected.

[0062] A humidifying section 236 is disposed downstream of the dispersion 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. This allows the second web M8 to be easily peeled off from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

[0063] The total amount of moisture added from the humidifying units 231 to 236 is preferably, for example, 0.5 parts by mass to 20 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the material before humidification.

[0064] A forming unit 20 is disposed downstream of the second web forming unit 19. The forming unit 20 is a section where a sheet forming process is performed to form a sheet S, which is a fiber structure, from the second web M8. The forming unit 20 has a pressurizing unit 201 and a heating unit 202.

[0065] The pressurizing unit 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. When heating, the degree of heating is preferably such that the binder P1 is not melted. Then, the second web M8 is transported toward the heating unit 202. 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.

[0066] 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 binder P1 in the second web M8, and the fibers are bound to each other via the molten binder 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.

[0067] The cutting unit 21 is disposed downstream of the forming unit 20. The cutting unit 21 is a portion that performs a cutting step of cutting the sheet S. The cutting unit 21 has a first cutter 211 and a second cutter 212.

[0068] The first cutter 211 cuts the sheet S in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the sheet S, particularly in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0069] The second cutter 212 is disposed downstream of the first cutter 211 and cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet S. This cutting is performed to remove unnecessary portions on both side edges of the sheet S in the width direction, thereby adjusting the width of the sheet S.

[0070] 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.

[0071] Each of the components of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 is electrically connected to a control device 28. The operation of each of these components is controlled by the control device 28.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 28 includes a control unit 281, a storage unit 282, and a communication unit 283.

[0073] The control unit 281 has at least one processor and executes various programs stored in the storage unit 282. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used as the processor. The control unit 281 also has various functions, such as a function to control the driving of each part of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 related to sheet manufacturing, such as a function to control the driving of the blower 261.

[0074] The storage unit 282 stores, for example, programs related to sheet manufacturing. The communication unit 283 is composed of, for example, an I / O interface, and communicates with each unit of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100. In addition, the communication unit 283 has a function of communicating with a computer or server (not shown), for example, via a network.

[0075] The control device 28 may be built into the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, or may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. Furthermore, the control unit 281 and the memory unit 282 may, for example, be integrated into one unit, or the control unit 281 may be built into the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 and the memory unit 282 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer, or the memory unit 282 may be built into the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 and the control unit 281 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer.

[0076] Next, the powder collector 3 will be described. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the powder collector 3 is a device that collects powder H (waste powder) sucked by the suction section 153 and the suction section 193, and is provided with a housing 4, a filter 5, and an air guide member 6.

[0077] 2, the housing 4 separates the air and the powder H from the airflow containing the transferred powder H, collects the powder H, and stores it in the lower part. The housing 4 includes a first inlet 41 and a second inlet 42 for introducing the powder H and the air, an exhaust port 43 for discharging the air, and a storage section 44 for storing the powder H.

[0078] The housing 4 is configured as a box having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance, and has an internal space S0. The housing 4 is formed by assembling two halves that can be separated into upper and lower halves. In the following, the upper half of the halves may be referred to as the upper member 4A, and the lower half may be referred to as the lower member 4B. In the internal space S0, the portion corresponding to the lower member 4B is the storage section 44. When the powder H stored in the storage section 44 becomes full, the upper member 4A and the lower member 4B are separated so as to be separated into upper and lower parts, and the powder H in the storage section 44 is removed and discarded. Hereinafter, this operation is referred to as the "disposal operation."

[0079] Whether the storage section 44 is full of powder H can be determined, for example, by disposing a level sensor (not shown) at the boundary K between the upper member 4A and the lower member 4B and based on the detection value of the level sensor. Alternatively, a weight sensor (not shown) that detects the weight of the powder H stored in the storage section 44 can be provided and the determination can be made based on the detection value of the weight sensor.

[0080] The housing 4 also has a top plate 401, a bottom plate 402, and four side walls 403, 404, 405, and 406.

[0081] The top plate 401 is located on the +z-axis side. The bottom plate 402 is located on the -z-axis side. The side wall 403 is a second wall portion and is located on the +x-axis side. The side wall 404 is a first wall portion and is located on the -x-axis side. The side wall 405 is located on the +y-axis side. The side wall 406 is located on the -y-axis side.

[0082] The top plate 401 and the bottom plate 402 face each other across the internal space S0, the side walls 403 and 404 face each other across the internal space S0, and the side walls 405 and 406 face each other across the internal space S0. The side walls 403 and 404 have areas larger than the side walls 405 and 406, respectively, in a plan view.

[0083] A first inlet 41 and a second inlet 42 are provided in a portion of the side wall 404 that corresponds to the upper member 4A. The first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are arranged in this order from the +y-axis side at a distance. The first inlet 41 is located in the center of the side wall 404 in the y-axis direction. The second inlet 42 is located near the side wall 406. That is, the second inlet 42 is located at a position offset toward the -y-axis side from the center of the side wall 404 in the y-axis direction.

[0084] A pipe 245 is connected to the first inlet 41. The first inlet 41 introduces the powder H and air sucked by the suction unit 153 into the housing 4. A pipe 246 is connected to the second inlet 42. The second inlet 42 introduces the powder H and air sucked by the suction unit 153 into the housing 4.

[0085] The opening planes of the first introduction port 41 and the second introduction port 42 are parallel to the yz plane. The first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are each circular and have the same opening area. However, this is not limited to the configuration, and the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 may have other shapes, such as a rectangle, a polygon, or an ellipse. Furthermore, the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 may have different opening shapes and different opening areas.

[0086] In this way, the housing 4 has a side wall 404 as a first wall portion and a side wall 403 as a second wall portion facing each other, and the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are arranged side by side on the side wall 404. This makes it possible to easily guide the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 toward the air flow A introduced from the first inlet 41 using the air guide member 6 with a simple configuration. In addition, by consolidating the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 on one side wall 404, it is possible to simplify the layout of the piping around the housing 4, particularly the pipes 245 and 246. This also contributes to the miniaturization of the entire powder collector 3.

[0087] In this embodiment, the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 is greater than the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the first inlet 41. That is, the suction force of the suction unit 193 is greater than the suction force of the suction unit 153. When the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the first inlet 41 is R1 and the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 is R2, R2 / R1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.1 or more and 5 or less, and more preferably 1.5 or more and 3 or less.

[0088] The top plate 401 is provided with an exhaust port 43. In this embodiment, four exhaust ports 43 are provided. The exhaust ports 43 are provided in a line spaced apart from each other along the y-axis direction. Each exhaust port 43 is provided with a filter 5. The filter 5 is cylindrical with an opening 51 at one end (upper end), and the opening 51 is connected to the exhaust port 43. The filter 5 allows air to pass through and prevents the powder H from passing through, i.e., has a function of collecting the powder H. As the filter 5, for example, a fine mesh, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc. can be used.

[0089] Thus, the filter 5 has a cylindrical shape having the opening 51 at one end, and the opening 51 is connected to the exhaust port 43. This allows the powder H to be efficiently collected in the internal space S0 of the housing 4.

[0090] Although not shown, a suction source may or may not be connected to the exhaust port 43. When a suction source is connected to the exhaust port 43, a dedicated suction source may be connected to each exhaust port 43, or one suction source may be configured to suck each exhaust port 43. When such a suction source is connected, the collection of the powder H can be performed more smoothly and efficiently.

[0091] 2 to 5, the air guide member 6 is installed in the housing 4 and guides the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 toward the air flow introduced from the first inlet 41. The air guide member 6 has an air guide wall 61 and a top plate 62 connected to the air guide wall 61.

[0092] The wind guide wall 61 is erected on the inner surface of the side wall 404 so as to surround the second inlet 42 except for the +y-axis side, i.e., the first inlet 41 side. The wind guide wall 61 has four corners 611, 612, 613, 614, and is formed into a plate shape bent at each of the corners 611, 612, 613, 614. The corners 611, 612, 613, 614 are arranged counterclockwise in this order in a plan view seen from the +x-axis side toward the -x-axis side. Also, the portions between the corners 611, 612, 613, 614 are each formed into a flat plate shape.

[0093] The air guide wall 61 may be a plate member erected on the inner surface of the side wall 404 so as to surround the periphery of the second inlet 42 except for the first inlet 41 side, and may be constructed of a curved plate curved in an arc shape.

[0094] The top plate 62 is a plate member connected to the +x-axis side of the wind guide wall 61, i.e., the side opposite to the second inlet 42. The top plate 62 is made of a flat plate member parallel to the yz plane. Note that a part or the whole of the top plate 62 may be inclined or curved with respect to the yz plane.

[0095] The top plate 62 blocks the portion surrounded by the air guide wall 61 in a plan view in the z-axis direction. Moreover, the top plate 62 overlaps with the entire area of ​​the second inlet 42 in a plan view in the z-axis direction, i.e., in a plan view of the opening surface of the second inlet 42. The top plate 62 may be configured to overlap with a portion of the second inlet 42 but not with the remainder in a plan view of the opening surface of the second inlet 42.

[0096] The air guide member 6 is erected on the inner surface of the side wall 404, thereby forming an opening 63. The opening 63 is a portion surrounded by the end of the air guide wall 61 on the +y-axis side, the edge of the top plate 62 on the +y-axis side, and the inner surface of the side wall 404. The opening surface of the opening 63 is parallel to the xz plane. Note that the opening surface of the opening 63 may be partially or entirely inclined with respect to the xz plane.

[0097] The air guide member 6 is fixedly installed in the housing 4, but may be installed detachably in the housing 4. The air guide member 6 may be installed displaceably in the housing 4, that is, movable (position adjustable) or with a changeable attitude. This allows the direction, strength, etc. of the air flow B described below to be adjusted as desired.

[0098] The powder H introduced from the first inlet 41 and the powder H introduced from the second inlet 42 are partly captured by the filter 5, and the remainder floats in the housing 4, then drops downward and accumulates in the storage section 44. Also, a portion of the powder H captured by the filter 5 also detaches from the filter 5, drops, and accumulates in the storage section 44. The air introduced from the first inlet 41 and the air introduced from the second inlet 42 pass through the filter 5, pass through the inner cavity of the filter 5, and are exhausted from the exhaust port 43.

[0099] In this way, a single powder collecting device 3 is configured to collect powder H generated in the first web forming section 15 and powder H generated in the second web forming section 19, which makes it possible to simplify the device configuration and reduce the overall size of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 compared to a configuration in which a dedicated powder collecting device is connected to each section.

[0100] Furthermore, since the powder H generated in the first web forming section 15 and the powder H generated in the second web forming section 19 are introduced into a single powder collecting device 3 through different inlets, by adjusting the installation positions of the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 and by installing the air guide member 6, the direction of the air flow introduced into the internal space S0 can be controlled, and the air flows can collide with each other as described below, thereby obtaining the effects of the present invention.

[0101] Here, by providing the above-mentioned air guide member 6, the following effects are obtained.

[0102] The powder H and air introduced from the first inlet 41 into the internal space S0 are discharged as an air flow A having a vector component in the +x-axis direction as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, first collide with the side wall 403, then bounce off the side wall 404, and spread radially as shown in Fig. 3. On the other hand, the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 collide with the inner surface (the surface on the -x-axis side) of the top plate 62 and the inner surface of the wind guide wall 61, change their course, and are discharged from the opening 63 toward the +y-axis side, forming an air flow B having a vector component in the +y-axis direction. That is, the air flow B is guided by the wind guide member 6 so as to move toward the air flow A. For this reason, the air flow A and the air flow B collide and mix with each other, forming a flow (hereinafter referred to as a "turbulent flow") that flows irregularly in any direction and in multiple directions as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3. Since the powder H is contained in the air flow A and the air flow B, the powder H rides on this turbulent flow and floats so as to spread throughout almost the entire internal space S0. Then, when the mixed flow (turbulent flow) of air currents A and B eventually loses speed, the powder H that was flying up falls downward due to the action of gravity and accumulates at a substantially uniform height throughout the entire area of ​​storage section 44, i.e., throughout the entire areas in the x-axis and y-axis directions. This allows the volume of storage section 44 to be utilized effectively, and it is not necessary to dispose of the powder H until storage section 44 is full, i.e., until the top of the powder H accumulated in storage section 44 reaches boundary K. This makes it possible to prevent the disposal operation from being performed unnecessarily frequently.

[0103] When performing disposal operations, the powder collection device 3 and its peripheral devices (blowers 262, 263, suction units 153, 193, etc.) must be stopped temporarily. Therefore, less frequent disposal operations reduce the number of stops and the downtime, which contributes to improving the powder collection efficiency.

[0104] If the air guide member 6 were omitted, the amount of accumulated powder would tend to be greater below the first inlet 41 and below the second inlet 42. For this reason, for example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the amount of accumulated powder H on the -y axis side is relatively large, and the amount of accumulated powder H tends to gradually decrease toward the +y axis side. In the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the accumulated powder H is located at the boundary K between the upper member 4A and the lower member 4B below the second inlet 42. In this case, a level sensor (not shown) located at the boundary K may erroneously detect that the container is full. Therefore, if the air guide member 6 were omitted, the frequency of disposal operations would be increased unnecessarily.

[0105] As described above, the powder collector 3 includes a housing 4 having a first inlet 41 for introducing the powder H and air, a second inlet 42 for introducing the powder H and air, which is provided at a position different from the first inlet 41, an exhaust port 43 for discharging the air, and a storage section 44 for storing the powder H, a filter 5 connected to the exhaust port 43, which captures the powder H and allows the air to pass, and an air guide member 6 installed in the housing 4 for guiding the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 toward the air flow A introduced from the first inlet 41. This allows turbulence to be generated in the housing 4, and the powder H can be deposited evenly over the entire area of ​​the storage section 44. This reduces the frequency of disposing of the powder H in the storage section 44.

[0106] The air guide member 6 may also be installed at the first inlet 41. In this case, the air guide member 6 installed at the first inlet 41 is preferably configured to guide the air flow A toward the second inlet 42 side.

[0107] Moreover, the air guide members 6 installed at the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are not limited to those having the above-mentioned structure, and any member that can change the direction of the air flow may be used.

[0108] The first inlet 41 is provided in the center of the side wall 404, which is the first wall portion, and the second inlet 42 is provided in a position offset from the center of the side wall 404, which is the first wall portion. This makes it possible, with a relatively simple configuration, to guide the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 to the air flow A located in the center. This causes a turbulent flow to be formed near the center, allowing the powder H to be deposited more evenly over the entire area of ​​the storage portion 44.

[0109] The configuration is not limited to the above, and the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 may be provided in any of the top plate 401 and the side walls 403, 404, 405, and 406. The first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 may be provided in different wall parts of the top plate 401 and the side walls 403, 404, 405, and 406, respectively.

[0110] The air guide member 6 has an air guide wall 61 erected so as to surround the periphery of the second inlet 42 except for the first inlet 41 side, and a top plate 62 connected to the air guide wall 61 on the opposite side to the second inlet 42. This makes it possible to more reliably guide the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 toward the air flow A.

[0111] The top plate 62 overlaps with the second inlet 42 in a plan view of the opening surface of the second inlet 42. This makes it possible to more reliably guide the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 toward the air flow A.

[0112] Moreover, the powder H is waste powder separated from the first web M5 and the second web M8, which are an example of a defibrated material containing fiber. This allows the waste powder to be collected by the powder collector 3. In particular, the powder collector 3 can obtain the above-mentioned actions and effects by providing the air guide member 6, and can deposit the waste powder evenly over the entire area of ​​the storage section 44, thereby reducing the frequency of waste powder disposal work.

[0113] The powder H is not limited to waste powder, and may be, for example, food, chemicals, toner, pigment, ceramic powder such as silica or alumina, various metal powders, various resin powders, carbon powder, etc., or other types, uses, shapes, or materials of powder. In other words, the powder collector 3 may be used as a device for processing, classifying, and collecting powder other than waste powder.

[0114] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a first web forming unit 15 as a first deposition unit that deposits defibrated material containing fibers to generate a first deposit, a first web M5, a second web forming unit 19 as a second deposition unit that loosens the first web M5 to generate a second deposit, a forming unit 20 that forms the second web M8 to obtain a sheet S, which is a fiber structure, and a powder collecting device 3 that collects powder H generated in the first web forming unit 15 and the second web forming unit 19. The powder collector 3 includes a housing 4 having a first inlet 41 for introducing the powder H and air, a second inlet 42 for introducing the powder H and air, which is provided at a position different from the first inlet 41, an exhaust port 43 for discharging the air, and a storage section 44 for storing the powder H, a filter 5 connected to the exhaust port 43, which captures the powder H and allows the air to pass, and an air guide member 6 installed in the housing 4 to guide the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 toward the air flow A introduced from the first inlet 41. This allows turbulence to be generated in the housing 4, and the powder H can be deposited evenly over the entire area of ​​the storage section 44. This reduces the frequency of the disposal of the powder H in the storage section 44. In particular, the powder collector 3 is often installed in a casing (not shown) of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, and the disposal of the waste powder is relatively difficult. Therefore, by collecting the waste powder H by the powder collector 3, the frequency of disposing of the waste powder can be reduced, and the maintenance and inspection of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 can be facilitated.

[0115] When disposing of waste powder, the powder collector 3 and its peripheral devices (blowers 262, 263, suction units 153, 193, etc.) must be stopped temporarily. In some cases, the entire fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 may need to be stopped. Less frequent disposal operations mean fewer stops and less downtime, which results in improved powder collection efficiency and ultimately contributes to improved fiber structure (sheet S) manufacturing efficiency.

[0116] The flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 is greater than the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the first inlet 41. This allows the air flow B containing the powder H introduced into the housing 4 from the second inlet 42 to collide more strongly with the air flow A introduced into the housing 4 from the first inlet 41, and more reliably forms a turbulent flow. As a result, the powder H can be deposited more evenly over the entire area of ​​the storage section 44.

[0117] However, this configuration is not limited to this, and the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the second inlet 42 may be the same as the flow rate of the powder H and air introduced from the first inlet 41, or may be less.

[0118] In the present embodiment, the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are connected to separate, independent pipes 245 and 246, respectively, but are not limited to this configuration. For example, a single pipe may be branched into two pipes 245 and 246 midway, and the downstream ends of the branched pipes 245 and 246 may be connected to the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42, respectively.

[0119] Although the powder collecting device and the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention have been described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each part constituting the powder collecting device and the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus can be replaced with any other part capable of exerting the same function. In addition, any other component may be added to the powder collecting device and the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 3...powder collector, 4...housing, 4A...upper member, 4B...lower member, 5...filter, 6...air guide member, 11...raw material supply section, 12...crushing section, 13...defibrating section, 14...screening section, 15...first web forming section, 16...subdividing section, 17...mixing section, 18...dispersing section, 19...second web forming section, 20...shaping section, 21...cutting section, 22...stock section, 28...control device, 41...first inlet, 42...second inlet, 43...exhaust port, 44...storage section, 51...opening, 61...air guide wall, 62 ...top plate, 63...opening, 100...fiber structure 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, 170...housing section, 171...additive supply section, 172...pipe, 173...blower, 174...screw feeder, 181...drum, 182...housing, 191...mesh belt, 192 ... tension roller, 193... suction section, 201... pressure section, 202... heating section, 203... calendar roller, 204... heating roller, 211... first cutter, 212... second cutter, 231... humidification section, 232... humidification section, 233... humidification section, 234... humidification section, 235... humidification section, 236... humidification section, 241... pipe, 242... pipe, 243... pipe, 245... pipe, 246... pipe, 261... blower, 262... blower, 263... blower, 281... control section, 282... record Storage section, 283... communication section, 401... top plate, 402... bottom plate, 403... side wall, 404... side wall, 405... side wall, 406... side wall, 611... corner, 612... corner, 613... corner, 614... corner, A... air flow, B... air flow, H... powder, K... boundary, M1... raw material, M2... coarsely crushed pieces, M3... defibrated material, M4-1... first sorted material, M4-2... second sorted material, M5... first web, M6... finely divided body, M7... mixture, M8... second web, P1... binder, S... sheet, S0... internal space

Claims

1. a housing having a first inlet for introducing powder and air, a second inlet provided at a position different from the first inlet and for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter connected to the exhaust port, which captures powder and allows air to pass through; a wind guide member installed within the housing for guiding the powder and air introduced from the second inlet toward the air flow introduced from the first inlet.

2. The powder collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposed to each other, and the first inlet and the second inlet are arranged side by side in the first wall portion.

3. The powder collecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the first inlet is provided in a center portion of the first wall portion, and the second inlet is provided in a position offset from the center portion of the first wall portion.

4. The powder collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air guide member has an air guide wall erected so as to surround the periphery of the second inlet except for the first inlet side, and a top plate connected to the air guide wall on the opposite side to the second inlet.

5. The powder collecting device according to claim 4 , wherein the top plate overlaps the second inlet in a plan view of an opening surface of the second inlet.

6. The powder collecting device according to claim 4 , wherein the filter is tubular and has an opening at one end, the opening being connected to the exhaust port.

7. The powder collector according to claim 1 , wherein the powder is waste powder separated from defibrated material containing fibers.

8. a first depositing section that deposits defibrated material containing fibers to generate a first deposit; a second depositing section for loosening the first deposit to generate a second deposit; a molding section for molding the second deposit to obtain a fiber structure; a powder collecting device that collects powder generated in the first deposition section and the second deposition section, The powder collecting device is a housing having a first inlet for introducing powder and air, a second inlet provided at a position different from the first inlet and for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter connected to the exhaust port, which captures powder and allows air to pass through; a ventilation member installed within the housing for guiding the powder and air introduced from the second inlet toward the air flow introduced from the first inlet.

9. 9. The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a flow rate of the powder and air introduced from the second inlet is greater than a flow rate of the powder and air introduced from the first inlet.

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