Powder collection device and fiber structure production device

Abstract

To provide a powder collection device which can continue good operation for a longer time, and to provide a fiber structure production device.SOLUTION: A powder collection device includes: a housing having an introduction port for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for exhausting air, and a storage part for storing the powder; a filter member which is installed so as to protrude into the housing, forms a cylindrical shape having an opening connected to the exhaust port, and is configured to capture the powder and allow air to pass therethrough; and a swirl flow forming part which is installed at the housing and changes a direction of airflow including the powder introduced through the introduction port to form swirl flow around an outer periphery part of the filter member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Background Art A fiber structure manufacturing apparatus is known 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 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 collection device described in Patent Document 1, the amount of waste powder adhering to the filter surface increases as the operation time of the device passes, causing the filter to become clogged. When the filter becomes clogged, it becomes difficult to continue collecting the waste powder, so it becomes necessary to temporarily stop the collection device and perform maintenance work such as cleaning or replacing the filter. However, if this maintenance work is performed too frequently, there is a problem that the efficiency of the waste powder collection work decreases. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The powder collecting device of the present invention includes a housing having an inlet for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter member that is disposed in the housing so as to protrude therefrom, has a cylindrical shape having an opening connected to the exhaust port, and captures powder and allows air to pass through; The filter member further includes a swirling flow forming section that is disposed in the housing and changes the direction of the powder-containing airflow introduced from the inlet to form a swirling flow around the outer periphery of the filter member.

[0007] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a depositing section that deposits defibrated material containing fibers to generate a deposit; A molding unit that shapes the deposit; A powder collecting device that collects powder generated in the deposition section, The powder collecting device includes a housing having an inlet for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter member that is disposed in the housing so as to protrude therefrom, has a cylindrical shape having an opening connected to the exhaust port, and captures powder and allows air to pass through; The filter member further includes a swirling flow forming section that is disposed in the housing and changes the direction of the powder-containing airflow introduced from the inlet to form a swirling flow around the outer periphery of the filter member. [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] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC 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 fiber structure manufacturing apparatus including 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 cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 2.

[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 selected 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 (accumulation section), and is a section where a first web forming step is performed to form the first web M5 from the first selected 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 first sorted material M4-1 has a size equal to or larger than the mesh openings of the mesh belt 151. This restricts the first sorted material M4-1 from passing through the mesh belt 151, and therefore the first sorted material M4-1 can be piled up on the mesh belt 151. Furthermore, while being piled up on the mesh belt 151, the first sorted material M4-1 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 151, and is formed as a first web M5, which is a first deposit (deposit).

[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 section 19 located below the drum 181. The second web forming section 19 is a second deposition section (deposition section), and is a section where a second web forming step is performed in which the mixture M7 is deposited to form a second web M8, which is a deposit. The second web forming section 19 has a mesh belt 191, a tension roller 192, and a suction section 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-shaped 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 (sediment).

[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 collecting device 3 is a device that collects powder H (waste powder) sucked by the suction section 153 and the suction section 193, and is equipped with a housing 4, a filter member 5, and a swirling flow forming section 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 storage section 44 becomes full of powder H, 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.

[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] Furthermore, as the powder collector 3 continues to be used (operated), powder H gradually adheres to the outer surface, particularly the outer periphery, of the filter member 5. If the amount of adhered powder H increases, the filter member 5 may become clogged, and the function of capturing powder H may decrease. For this reason, the operation of the powder collector 3, etc., or the operation of the entire fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 is temporarily stopped, the upper member 4A and the lower member 4B are separated so as to be separated into upper and lower halves, and the internal filter member 5 is removed and cleaned or replaced. This work will be referred to as maintenance work hereinafter.

[0081] The housing 4 also has a top plate 401, a bottom plate 402, and four side walls 403, 404, 405, and 406.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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 in the vicinity of the side wall 406. In other words, the second inlet 42 is provided in a position offset toward the -y-axis side from the center of the side wall 404 in the y-axis direction.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] In this manner, the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are arranged side by side on the side wall 404. 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, in particular the pipes 245 and 246. This contributes to the miniaturization of the entire powder collector 3.

[0088] Moreover, first inlet 41 is disposed between filter member 52 and filter member 53, which will be described later, when viewed from the x-axis direction, that is, in a plan view of side wall 404.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 3 to 5, the air flow A1 containing the powder H flowing in from the first inlet 41 advances straight toward the +x-axis side. Although not shown, the second inlet 42 is provided with a guide member that guides the air flow A2 toward the side wall 406. For this reason, the air flow A2 containing the powder H flowing in from the second inlet 42 advances at an angle toward the side wall 406 with respect to the +x-axis direction.

[0092] 2, the top plate 401 is provided with exhaust ports 43. In this embodiment, four exhaust ports 43 are provided. The exhaust ports 43 are arranged side by side and spaced apart from each other along the y-axis direction, i.e., along the surface direction of the side walls 403 and 404. A filter member 5 is provided in each exhaust port 43.

[0093] The filter member 5 is cylindrical with an opening 50 at one end (upper end), and the opening 50 is connected to the exhaust port 43. The filter member 5 has a function of allowing air to pass through and preventing the passage of, i.e., collecting, the powder H. As the filter member 5, for example, a fine mesh, a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or any combination of these materials can be used.

[0094] In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the filter member 5 may be made of a material to which the powder H does not easily adhere or to which it easily detaches, or may be subjected to a surface treatment to which the powder H does not easily adhere or to which it easily detaches. This, combined with the action of the swirling flow B described later, makes it possible to more effectively prevent or suppress clogging of the filter member 5 by the powder H.

[0095] These four filter members 5 are also referred to as filter member 51, filter member 52, filter member 53, and filter member 54, in that order from the -y-axis side in the y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the outer diameters and lengths in the z-axis direction of the four filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 are approximately equal to each other. However, this is not limited thereto, and any one of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 may have a different shape, material, outer diameter, length, or other dimensions from the others.

[0096] In the present embodiment, the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 each have the same outer diameter and cross-sectional shape over the entire length in the z-axis direction, but this is not limited thereto, and different portions may exist along the z-axis direction. For example, the filter member 5 may have a portion in the z-axis direction where the outer diameter and cross-sectional shape are different from other portions.

[0097] 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.

[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 member 5, and the remainder floats in the housing 4, then falls downward and accumulates in the storage section 44. In addition, the powder H captured by the filter member 5 and attached to the surface also falls from the filter member 5 due to the swirling flow B described below, 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 member 5, pass through the inner cavity of the filter member 5, and are discharged 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] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the swirling flow forming section 6 is disposed within the housing 4 and has the function of changing the direction of the air flow containing powder H introduced from the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42, and forming a swirling flow B around the outer periphery of the filter members 51, 52, 53 and 54.

[0101] The air flow containing powder H introduced into the internal space S0 from the first inlet 41 is referred to as air flow A1, and the air flow containing powder H introduced into the internal space S0 from the second inlet 42 is referred to as air flow A2. The swirling flow B around the outer periphery of filter member 51 is referred to as swirling flow B1, the swirling flow B around the outer periphery of filter member 52 is referred to as swirling flow B2, the swirling flow B around the outer periphery of filter member 53 is referred to as swirling flow B3, and the swirling flow B around the outer periphery of filter member 54 is referred to as swirling flow B4.

[0102] 5, the swirl flow forming section 6 has swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65. The swirl flow forming members 61, 62, and 63 are provided on the inner surface of the side wall 403. The swirl flow forming members 64 and 65 are provided on the inner surface of the side wall 404. The swirl flow forming members 61, 62, and 63 are arranged side by side in this order from the -y axis side and spaced apart from each other. The swirl flow forming members 64 and 65 are arranged side by side in this order from the -y axis side and spaced apart from each other.

[0103] When viewed from the x-axis direction, i.e., in a plan view of the side wall 403, the swirling flow forming member 61 is disposed between the filter member 51 and the filter member 52. When viewed from the x-axis direction, i.e., in a plan view of the side wall 403, the swirling flow forming member 62 is disposed between the filter member 52 and the filter member 53. When viewed from the side wall 403, the swirling flow forming member 63 is disposed between the filter member 53 and the filter member 54.

[0104] Moreover, the swirl flow forming member 62 is disposed at a position facing the first inlet 41 across the internal space S0, i.e., when viewed from the x-axis direction, it overlaps with the first inlet 41. In this embodiment, when viewed from the x-axis direction, the center in the y-axis direction of the swirl flow forming member 62, i.e., the top portion 623, overlaps with the first inlet 41. However, the center in the y-axis direction of the swirl flow forming member 62 and the center of the first inlet 41 may be disposed so as to be misaligned.

[0105] When viewed from the x-axis direction, i.e., in a plan view of the side wall 404, the swirl flow forming member 64 is disposed between the filter member 51 and the filter member 52. The swirl flow forming member 64 is disposed opposite the swirl flow forming member 61 across the internal space S0.

[0106] The swirl flow forming member 65 is disposed between the filter member 53 and the filter member 54 in a plan view of the side wall 404. The swirl flow forming member 65 is disposed opposite the swirl flow forming member 63 across the internal space S0.

[0107] The swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 are elongated and extend in the z-axis direction. The length of the swirl flow forming member 61 in the z-axis direction is approximately the same as that of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54. The swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 have a cross-sectional shape parallel to the xy plane (hereinafter simply referred to as the "cross-sectional shape") that forms an equilateral triangle, and are installed so that one apex protrudes inside the housing 4.

[0108] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 are the same over the entire length in the z-axis direction, but are not limited to this, and different portions may exist along the z-axis direction. For example, in a part of the z-axis direction, there may be a portion where an inclined surface or a top portion, which will be described later, is missing or deformed.

[0109] The cross-sectional shape of the swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 is not limited to an equilateral triangle, and may be a triangle other than an equilateral triangle, for example, an isosceles triangle, or may have other shapes such as a trapezoid, a pentagon, etc. Furthermore, the swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 may be hollow.

[0110] 5, the swirl flow forming member 61 has an inclined surface 611 located on the -y-axis side, an inclined surface 612 located on the +y-axis side, and an apex 613 located at the boundary between them. The inclined surfaces 611, 612, and apex 613 are provided over the entire area of ​​the swirl flow forming member 61 in the z-axis direction. The inclined surface 611 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 51. The inclined surface 612 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 52.

[0111] The swirl flow forming member 62 has an inclined surface 621 located on the -y axis side, an inclined surface 622 located on the +y axis side, and an apex 623 located at the boundary between them. The inclined surfaces 621, 622, and apex 623 are provided over the entire area of ​​the swirl flow forming member 62 in the z axis direction. The inclined surface 621 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 52. The inclined surface 622 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 53.

[0112] The swirl flow forming member 63 has an inclined surface 631 located on the -y axis side, an inclined surface 632 located on the +y axis side, and an apex 633 located at the boundary between them. The inclined surfaces 631, 632, and apex 633 are provided over the entire area of ​​the swirl flow forming member 63 in the z axis direction. The inclined surface 631 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 53. The inclined surface 632 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 54.

[0113] The swirl flow forming member 64 has an inclined surface 641 located on the -y axis side, an inclined surface 642 located on the +y axis side, and an apex 643 located at the boundary between them. The inclined surfaces 641, 642, and apex 643 are provided over the entire area of ​​the swirl flow forming member 64 in the z axis direction. The inclined surface 641 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 51. The inclined surface 642 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 52.

[0114] The swirl flow forming member 65 has an inclined surface 651 located on the -y axis side, an inclined surface 652 located on the +y axis side, and an apex 653 located at the boundary between them. The inclined surfaces 651, 652, and apex 653 are provided over the entire area of ​​the swirl flow forming member 65 in the z axis direction. The inclined surface 651 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 53. The inclined surface 652 is a surface inclined with respect to the xz plane so as to face the filter member 54.

[0115] In this embodiment, the conditions of the outer shape, cross-sectional shape, length in the z-axis direction, etc. of the swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 are almost the same. However, this is not limited to this, and any one of the swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 may have dimensions such as the outer shape, cross-sectional shape, length, etc. different from the other members. In addition, the number and installation locations of the swirl flow forming members are not limited to those of this embodiment.

[0116] Air flow A1 containing powder H introduced from first inlet 41 travels between filter member 52 and filter member 53 toward the +x-axis side, and collides with apex 623 of swirl flow forming member 62. Air flow A1 that collides with apex 623 is divided into air flow A11 that flows along inclined surface 621 and toward side wall 403, and air flow A12 that flows along inclined surface 622 and toward side wall 403.

[0117] The air flow A11 moving along the side wall 403 toward the -y-axis side collides with the inclined surface 612 of the swirling flow forming member 61 and changes course to move along the inclined surface 612 toward the side wall 404. The air flow A11 passing between the filter members 51 and 52 toward the -x-axis side collides with the inclined surface 642 of the swirling flow forming member 64 on the side wall 404 side and further changes course toward the +y-axis side. Then, this air flow A11 merges with a new air flow A1 introduced from the first inlet 41, and the above flow is repeated. In this way, a part of the air flow A1 introduced from the first inlet 41 becomes the air flow A11, and forms an air flow along the outer periphery of the filter member 52, that is, a clockwise swirling flow B2 in FIG. 5, by the action of the swirling flow forming members 61, 62, 64, etc. As shown in FIG. 3, the swirling flow B2 is separated into upper and lower parts from near the center of the filter member 52 in the z-axis direction and spreads over the entire area of ​​the filter member 52 in the z-axis direction.

[0118] On the other hand, the air flow A12 moving along the side wall 403 toward the +y-axis side collides with the inclined surface 631 of the swirling flow forming member 63 and changes its course to move along the inclined surface 631 toward the side wall 404. Then, the air flow A12 passing between the filter members 53 and 54 toward the -x-axis side collides with the inclined surface 651 of the swirling flow forming member 65 on the side wall 404 side and further changes its course toward the -y-axis side. Then, the air flow A12 merges with the new air flow A1 introduced from the first inlet 41, and the above flow is repeated. In this way, a part of the air flow A1 introduced from the first inlet 41 becomes the air flow A12, and due to the action of the swirling flow forming members 62, 63, 65, etc., an air flow along the outer periphery of the filter member 53, i.e., a swirling flow B3 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 is formed. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the swirling flow B3, like the swirling flow B2, branches into upper and lower parts from near the center of the filter member 53 in the z-axis direction and spreads over the entire area of ​​the filter member 53 in the z-axis direction.

[0119] The airflow A12 also branches toward the inclined surface 652 (+y-axis side) at the top 653 of the swirling flow forming member 65, forming an airflow A13. The airflow A13 changes course along the inclined surface 652, and then travels sequentially along the inner surfaces of the sidewall 404, the sidewall 405, and the sidewall 403. Then, it collides with the inclined surface 632 of the swirling flow forming member 63, and changes course toward the -x-axis side along the inclined surface 632. In this way, a part of the airflow A12 becomes the airflow A13, and due to the action of the swirling flow forming members 63, 65, etc., forms an airflow along the outer periphery of the filter member 54, that is, a clockwise swirling flow B4 in FIG. 5. The swirling flow B4, like the swirling flow B2, is divided into upper and lower parts from near the center of the filter member 54 in the z-axis direction and spreads over the entire area of ​​the filter member 54 in the z-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0120] The air flow A2 containing the powder H introduced from the second inlet 42 advances between the side wall 406 and the filter member 51 toward the +x-axis side, collides with the inner surface of the side wall 403, and changes course toward the +y-axis side. Then, it collides with the inclined surface 611 of the swirling flow forming member 61, changes course along the inclined surface 611, and moves toward the side wall 404. Then, it changes course along the inclined surface 641 of the swirling flow forming member 64 toward the -y-axis side. Then, this air flow A2 merges with the new air flow A2 introduced from the second inlet 42, and the above flow is repeated. In this way, the air flow A2 forms an air flow along the outer periphery of the filter member 51, that is, a counterclockwise swirling flow B1 in FIG. 5, by the action of the swirling flow forming members 61, 64, etc. The swirling flow B1, like the swirling flows B2, B3, and B4, is divided into upper and lower parts and spreads over the entire area of ​​the filter member 51 in the z-axis direction.

[0121] 3 and 4, at least one of the swirling flows B1, B2, B3, and B4 may be configured to flow spirally around the outer periphery of the filter member 54 from the top to the bottom of the filter member 54 and spread over the entire area of ​​the filter member 5 in the z-axis direction.

[0122] In this way, the swirl flow forming section 6 composed of the swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 forms a swirl flow B1 around the outer periphery of the filter member 51, a swirl flow B2 around the outer periphery of the filter member 52, a swirl flow B3 around the outer periphery of the filter member 53, and a swirl flow B4 around the outer periphery of the filter member 54. These swirl flows B1, B2, B3, and B4 can easily remove the powder H adhering to the surfaces, particularly the outer periphery, of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 from the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54. Alternatively, the adhesion of the powder H to the surfaces, particularly the outer periphery, of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 can be prevented or suppressed.

[0123] Therefore, clogging of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 can be prevented or suppressed during use (operation) of the powder collector 3, and the powder collector 3 can be used (operated) for a long period of time. In other words, the frequency of maintenance work on the powder collector 3 can be reduced. The powder H detached from the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 falls while floating within the housing 4, and accumulates in the storage section 44.

[0124] As described above, the powder collector 3 includes a housing 4 having the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42, which are inlets for introducing the powder H and air, the exhaust port 43 for discharging the air, and the storage section 44 for storing the powder H; a filter member 5 (51, 52, 53, and 54) that is installed so as to protrude into the housing 4, has a cylindrical shape with an opening 50 connected to the exhaust port 43, captures the powder H, and allows air to pass through; and a swirling flow forming section 6 that is installed in the housing 4 and changes the direction of the air flows A1 and A2 containing the powder H introduced from the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42, and forms a swirling flow B (B1, B2, B3, and B4) around the outer periphery of the filter member 5. This allows the powder H attached to the surface of the filter member 5, particularly the outer periphery, to be separated by the swirling flow B. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress clogging of the filter member 5. As a result, the powder H can be captured by the filter member 5 and stored in the storage section 44 successfully for a longer period of time during operation of the powder collector 3, and the frequency of maintenance work can be reduced.

[0125] When performing maintenance work, the powder collection device 3 and its peripheral devices (blowers 262, 263, suction units 153, 193, etc.) must be stopped temporarily. Therefore, less frequent maintenance work means fewer stoppages and less downtime, which contributes to improving the collection efficiency of powder H.

[0126] In this embodiment, there are two inlets (first inlet 41 and second inlet 42) for the powder H and air into the housing 4, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have one, or three or more.

[0127] 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 portions of the top plate 401 and the side walls 403, 404, 405, and 406, respectively.

[0128] 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, the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 as inlets are installed on the side wall 404, the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 are disposed at positions offset from the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 in a plan view of the side wall 404, and the swirling flow forming part 6 is installed on the side wall 403. This makes it possible to more reliably and effectively form the swirling flow B (B1, B2, B3, and B4). As a result, the operation of the powder collector 3 can be continued for a longer period of time in a good condition, and the frequency of maintenance work can be reduced.

[0129] As in this embodiment, the swirl flow forming part 6 may be provided on the side wall 404 as well, and may also be provided on the side wall 405 or the side wall 406.

[0130] The swirling flow forming part 6 has at least one, in this embodiment, five swirling flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65 having inclined surfaces 611, 612, 621, 622, 631, 632, 641, 642, 651 and 652 with which the air flows A1 and A2 collide and change their direction. This makes it possible to change the direction of the air flows A1 and A2 more appropriately and to form the swirling flows B1, B2, B3 and B4 more reliably and effectively. As a result, the operation of the powder collector 3 can be continued for a longer period of time in a good condition, and the frequency of maintenance work can be reduced.

[0131] The inclination angles of the inclined surfaces 611, 612, 621, 622, 631, 632, 641, 642, 651, and 652 are not particularly limited, and for example, the absolute value of the angle with respect to the xz plane can be 20° or more and 70° or less. In addition, the inclination directions of the inclined surfaces 611, 612, 621, 622, 631, 632, 641, 642, 651, and 652 are not limited to the illustrated configuration. In addition, the inclined surfaces 611, 612, 621, 622, 631, 632, 641, 642, 651, and 652 are not limited to flat surfaces, and may be curved surfaces whose entirety or part is curved in any direction. Further, the inclined surfaces 611, 612, 621, 622, 631, 632, 641, 642, 651 and 652 may be formed with, for example, grooves, slits, convex stripes or the like along the flow direction as a means for maintaining or promoting the flow of the swirling flow B.

[0132] A plurality of filter members 5 (four in this embodiment) are arranged at intervals along the surface direction of side wall 404 as the first wall portion and side wall 403 as the second wall portion, and a plurality of swirl flow forming members (swirl flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65) are arranged at intervals at positions shifted from each filter member 5 in a plan view of side wall 404. This makes it possible to more reliably and effectively form swirl flows B1, B2, B3, and B4 for each filter member 5. As a result, the powder collector 3 can continue to operate satisfactorily for a longer period of time, and the frequency of maintenance work can be reduced.

[0133] The number of filter members 5 is not limited to the illustrated configuration, and may be one to three, or five or more.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 5, swirling flows B1, B2, B3, and B4 are formed around the outer periphery of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 arranged in sequence along the +y axis direction, respectively. In these swirling flows B1, B2, B3, and B4, the direction of the swirling flows B1 and B3 is counterclockwise, and the direction of the swirling flows B2 and B4 is clockwise. That is, in two adjacent filter members 5, the swirling flows B formed around the outer periphery of each filter member 5 are in opposite directions. As a result, the air flows in the adjacent parts of the swirling flows B1, B2, B3, and B4 are in opposite directions. Therefore, the formed swirling flows B1, B2, B3, and B4 can be maintained well and more reliably. As a result, the operation of the powder collector 3 can be continued well for a longer period of time, and the frequency of maintenance work can be reduced.

[0135] Among the swirling flows B1, B2, B3, and B4, adjacent swirling flows B may be in the same direction, or the rotation central axes of the swirling flows B may intersect at a predetermined angle.

[0136] 5, a plate-shaped straightening plate 71 is provided between adjacent filter members 51 and 52, and a plate-shaped straightening plate 72 is provided between adjacent filter members 53 and 54. Note that the straightening plates 71 and 72 are omitted from FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0137] The straightening plates 71 and 72 are elongated and extend in the x-axis direction, and are disposed with their thickness direction oriented in the y-axis direction. The straightening plates 71 and 72 are elongated and have a length substantially equal to the length of the filter members 51, 52, 53, and 54 in the z-axis direction.

[0138] The straightening vane 71 has a function of maintaining the flow of the swirling flow B1 toward the -x-axis side in the +y-axis side portion, and maintaining the flow of the swirling flow B2 toward the -x-axis side in the -y-axis side portion, thereby making it possible to maintain the swirling flows B1 and B2 in a good condition.

[0139] The straightening vane 72 has a function of maintaining the flow toward the -x-axis side in the portion on the +y-axis side of the swirling flow B3, and maintaining the flow toward the -x-axis side in the portion on the -y-axis side of the swirling flow B4, thereby making it possible to maintain the swirling flows B3 and B4 in a good condition.

[0140] In this way, the powder collector 3 has the straightening plates 71 and 72 that are installed between the adjacent filter members 5 and maintain the swirling flows B (B1, B2, B3, and B4) formed by the swirling flow forming members 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65. This makes it possible to maintain the swirling flow B in a good condition. As a result, the powder collector 3 can continue to operate in a good condition for a longer period of time, and the frequency of maintenance work can be reduced. Here, maintaining the swirling flow B has the same meaning as preventing or suppressing the disappearance, stall, turbulence, etc. of the swirling flow B.

[0141] The current plates 71 and 72 may be flat plates or curved plates. At least one of the current plates 71 and 72 may be omitted. The thickness direction of the current plates 71 and 72 may be inclined with respect to the y-axis direction.

[0142] 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 swirl flow forming unit 6, and can continue to operate satisfactorily for a longer period of time, thereby reducing the frequency of maintenance work.

[0143] 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.

[0144] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a first web forming unit 15 and a second web forming unit 19 which are deposition units that deposit defibrated material M3 containing fibers to generate a first web M5 and a second web M8, which are examples of deposits, a forming unit 20 that forms the second web M8, 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 collection device 3 also includes a housing 4 having a first inlet 41 and a second inlet 42 which are inlets for introducing powder H and air, an exhaust port 43 for discharging air, and a storage section 44 for storing powder H, a filter member 5 (51, 52, 53 and 54) which is installed so as to protrude into the housing 4, is cylindrical with an opening 50 connected to the exhaust port 43, and captures the powder H and allows air to pass through, and a swirling flow forming section 6 which is installed in the housing 4 and changes the direction of the air flows A1 and A2 containing the powder H introduced from the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42, and forms a swirling flow B (B1, B2, B3 and B4) around the outer periphery of the filter member 5.

[0145] This allows the powder H adhering to the surface, particularly the outer peripheral surface, of the filter member 5 to be detached by the swirling flow B. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress clogging of the filter member 5. As a result, the capture of the powder H by the filter member 5 and the storage in the storage section 44 by the operation of the powder collector 3 can be continued for a longer period of time and in a satisfactory manner, thereby reducing the frequency of maintenance work. Less frequent maintenance work means that the powder collector 3 is stopped less often and for less time, which results in an improved collection efficiency of the powder H, which in turn contributes to an improvement in the manufacturing efficiency of the fiber structure (sheet S) in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 and an improvement in the quality of the fiber structure (sheet S).

[0146] 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.

[0147] In addition, in this embodiment, the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42 are connected to independent separate 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 these branched pipes 245 and 246 may be connected to the first inlet 41 and the second inlet 42, respectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 3...powder collecting device, 4...housing, 4A...upper member, 4B...lower member, 5...filter member, 6...swirl flow forming section, 11...raw material supply section, 12...coarse 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, 50...opening, 51...filter member, 52...filter member, 53...filter member, 54...filter member, 61...swirl flow forming member, 62... Swirling flow forming member, 63...swirling flow forming member, 64...swirling flow forming member, 65...swirling flow forming member, 71...straightening plate, 72...straightening plate, 100...fiber structure manufacturing apparatus, 121...crushing blade, 122...chute, 141...drum portion, 142...housing portion, 151...mesh belt, 152...tension roller, 153...suction portion, 161...propeller, 162...housing portion, 170...housing portion, 171...additive supply portion, 172...pipe, 173...blower, 174...screw feeder, 181...drum, 182...housing, 191...mesh belt, 192...tension roller , 193...suction unit, 201...pressurizing unit, 202...heating unit, 203...calender roller, 204...heating roller, 211...first cutter, 212...second cutter, 231...humidifying unit, 232...humidifying unit, 233...humidifying unit, 234...humidifying unit, 235...humidifying unit, 236...humidifying unit, 241...pipe, 242...pipe, 243...pipe, 245...pipe, 246...pipe, 261...blower, 262...blower, 263...blower, 281...control unit, 282...storage unit, 283...communication unit, 401...top plate, 402...bottom plate, 403...side wall, 404...side wall, 405...side wall, 406...side wall, 611...inclined Surface, 612... Sloped surface, 613... Top, 621... Sloped surface, 622... Slanted surface, 623... Top, 631... Slanted surface, 632... Slanted surface, 633... Top, 641... Slanted surface, 642... Slanted surface, 643... Top, 651... Slanted surface, 652... Slanted surface, 653... Top, A1... Air flow, A11... Air flow, A12...air flow, A13...air flow, A2...air flow, B...swirling flow, B1...swirling flow, B2...swirling flow, B3...swirling flow, B4...swirling flow, H...powder, K...boundary, M1...raw material, M2...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: inner space,

Claims

1. a housing having an inlet for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter member that is installed in the housing so as to protrude therein, has a cylindrical shape having an opening connected to the exhaust port, and captures powder and allows air to pass through; a swirling flow forming section that is installed in the housing and changes the direction of the air flow containing powder introduced from the inlet, and forms a swirling flow around the outer periphery of the filter member.

2. The housing has a first wall portion and a second wall portion opposed to each other, The inlet is provided in the first wall portion, the filter member is disposed at a position offset from the inlet in a plan view of the first wall portion, The powder collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the swirl flow forming portion is disposed on the second wall portion.

3. The powder collecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the swirl flow forming section has at least one swirl flow forming member having an inclined surface with which the air flow collides and changes its direction.

4. The filter members are arranged in a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other along a surface direction of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, The powder collecting device according to claim 3 , wherein the swirl flow forming members are disposed in a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other and shifted from each of the filter members in a plan view of the first wall portion.

5. The powder collecting device according to claim 4 , wherein the swirling flows formed on the outer peripheries of the two adjacent filter members flow in opposite directions to each other.

6. 6. The powder collecting device according to claim 5, further comprising a baffle plate disposed between adjacent filter members for maintaining the swirling flow formed by the swirling flow forming member.

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

8. a depositing section for depositing defibrated material containing fiber to generate a deposit; A molding unit that shapes the deposit; A powder collecting device that collects powder generated in the deposition section, The powder collecting device includes a housing having an inlet for introducing powder and air, an exhaust port for discharging air, and a storage section for storing powder; a filter member that is installed in the housing so as to protrude therein, has a cylindrical shape having an opening connected to the exhaust port, and captures powder and allows air to pass through; a swirling flow forming unit that is installed in the housing and changes the direction of the air flow containing powder introduced from the inlet to form a swirling flow around the outer periphery of the filter member.

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