Fiber body accumulation device and sheet manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide a fiber body accumulation device and a sheet manufacturing device, which allow an amount of defibrated material in a drum to be estimated with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A dispersing part 18 of a fiber body accumulation device comprises: a drum 181 that has an opening through which mixture including fibers passes, and discharges the mixture M7 introduced to the inside from the opening to the outside by rotating in a prescribed rotation direction around a central axis Ax; a second dispersing member 32 that is disposed on vertically upper side of the central axis Ax in the drum 181, and disperses the mixture in the drum 181; and a detection part 40 that detects the mixture in the drum 181 by emitting an energy line in the drum 181. The detection part 40 is disposed on downstream side of the second dispersing member 32 in the rotation direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fibrous material depositing device and a sheet manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a sheet manufacturing apparatus that dry-defibrates a raw material containing fibers, and deposits a mixture containing the defibrated raw material to form it into a sheet. In this sheet manufacturing apparatus, the deposition section that deposits the mixture has a drum with a porous screen and a rotor that rotates inside the drum. The defibrated material supplied into the drum is dispersed by passing through the porous screen while being loosened in the drum by the rotation of the rotor, and is deposited on the belt. In addition, the deposition section is provided with an emission section that emits energy rays such as ultrasonic waves and an incidence section into which the energy rays emitted from the emission section are incident in order to estimate the amount of defibrated material present in the drum. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-41156 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the above configuration, there was a problem that the energy rays emitted from the emission section were sometimes blocked by the rotating body, making it difficult to accurately estimate the amount of defibrated material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The fibrous body deposition device comprises a drum having an opening through which a fiber-containing material passes, and which rotates in a predetermined rotational direction around a central axis to release the material introduced inside to the outside from the opening, a dispersion member located within the drum vertically above the central axis and dispersing the material within the drum, and a detection unit which emits an energy beam into the drum to detect the material within the drum, and the detection unit is located downstream of the dispersion member in the rotational direction.

[0006] The sheet manufacturing apparatus is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned fibrous material depositing device, and a forming section that applies pressure and heat to the deposit deposited by the fibrous material depositing device to form a sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a sheet manufacturing apparatus including a fibrous body depositing device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a dispersion section provided in the fibrous body deposition device. [Diagram 3] AA cross-sectional view of the dispersion portion shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispersion part when cut along line AA. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a connection member, illustrating the configuration of an emission portion side. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a connection member, illustrating the configuration of an incident portion side. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the trajectory of a fibrous body inside a rotating drum. [Figure 9] A graph showing the frequency distribution of fiber length by type of raw material. [Figure 10] A graph showing the relationship between the drum rotation speed and the actual amount of mixture retained, broken down by type of raw material. [Figure 11] Graph showing the relationship between the detection value of the detection unit and the actual amount of retained material, and the relationship between the detection value of the detection unit and the rotation speed of the drum, by type of raw material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The fibrous body depositing device and the sheet manufacturing device of this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 including a fibrous body deposition apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a dispersion section 18 included in the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1. Each figure shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the XY plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis is horizontal, and the Z-axis is vertical. The direction in which the arrow of each axis points is the + direction, and the opposite direction is the - direction. The +Z direction may also be called "up" or "upward," and the -Z direction may also be called "down" or "downward."

[0009] 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 crushes and defibrates a raw material M1, mixes it with a binder material, and deposits it using a fibrous material depositing device 1. Then, the deposit is molded by a molding unit 20 to produce a sheet S, which is a sheet-like molded body.

[0010] 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a raw material supplying section 11, a crushing section 12, a defibrating section 13, a sorting section 14, a first web forming section 15, a subdivision section 16, a mixing section 17, a dispersion section 18, a second web forming section 19, a shaping section 20, a cutting section 21, a stock section 22, a recovery section 27, and a control section 28 that controls the operations of these sections. Of these sections, the dispersion section 18 and the second web forming section 19 constitute the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1. Note that the upstream side of the dispersion section 18, i.e., all or part of the section from the raw material supplying section 11 to the mixing section 17, may be regarded as components of the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1.

[0011] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes humidifiers 231-236 and blowers 261-263. The humidifiers 231-236 and the blowers 261-263 are electrically connected to the control unit 28, and their operations are controlled by the control unit 28. That is, in this embodiment, the operation of each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is controlled by one control unit 28. However, this is not limited to the configuration, and for example, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may be configured to include a control unit that controls the operation of each part of the fibrous body deposition device 1 and a control unit that controls the operation of parts other than the fibrous body deposition device 1.

[0012] In addition, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, a raw material supply process, a coarse crushing process, a defibrating process, a sorting process, a first web forming process, a dividing process, a mixing process, a discharging process, a stacking process, a sheet forming process, and a cutting process are carried out in this order.

[0013] The configuration of each part will be described below. The raw material supplying section 11 executes a raw material supplying step of supplying the input raw material M1 to the crushing section 12. The raw material M1 may be a sheet-like material made of a fiber-containing material containing cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers may be fibrous, containing cellulose as a compound as a 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 may not be recycled paper. In this embodiment, used or unnecessary waste paper is used as the raw material M1.

[0014] The crushing unit 12 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.

[0015] The pair of crushing blades 121 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and can crush, i.e., cut, the raw material M1 between them into crushed pieces M2. The shape and size of the crushed pieces M2 are preferably suitable for defibration processing in the defibration unit 13, and are preferably small pieces with a side length of 100 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 70 mm or less.

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

[0017] In addition, a humidifier 231 is disposed above the chute 122, adjacent to the pair of coarse crushing blades 121. The humidifier 231 humidifies the coarsely crushed pieces M2 in the chute 122. The humidifier 231 is configured as an evaporation type humidifier that has a moisture-containing filter and supplies humidified air with increased humidity to the coarsely crushed pieces M2 by passing air through the filter. By supplying humidified air to the coarsely crushed pieces M2, adhesion of the coarsely crushed pieces M2 to the chute 122 and the like due to static electricity is suppressed.

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

[0019] The defibrator unit 13 executes a defibration step in which the coarsely crushed pieces M2 are defibrated in the air, i.e., in a dry manner. Through the defibration process in the defibrator unit 13, a defibrated material M3 is generated from the coarsely crushed pieces M2. Here, "defibrate" 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 exist in a state in which the fibers are entangled with each other to form a mass, that is, in a state in which so-called "lumps" are formed.

[0020] In this embodiment, the defibrating unit 13 is composed of an impeller mill having a rotary blade that rotates at high speed and a liner located on the outer periphery of the rotary blade. The coarse fragments M2 that flow into the defibrating unit 13 are sandwiched between the rotary blade and the liner and defibrated.

[0021] Furthermore, the defibrating unit 13 can generate an air flow, i.e., an air current, from the crushing unit 12 to the sorting unit 14 by rotating the rotary blades. This allows the coarsely crushed pieces M2 to be sucked into the defibrating unit 13 from the pipe 241, and the defibrated material M3 after defibration processing can be sent to the sorting unit 14 via the pipe 242.

[0022] A blower 261 is installed in the middle of the pipe 242. The blower 261 is an airflow generating device that generates an airflow toward the screening section 14. The blower 261 promotes the sending out of the defibrated material M3 to the screening section 14.

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

[0024] The sorting unit 14 has a drum unit 141 and a housing 142 that houses the drum unit 141.

[0025] The drum part 141 is a sieve composed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. The defibrated material M3 flows into the drum part 141 through a pipe 242. 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. The first sorted material M4-1 falls from the drum part 141.

[0026] Meanwhile, the second sorted material M4-2 is sent to a pipe 243, one end of which is connected to the drum section 141. The other end of the pipe 243 is connected to the pipe 241. The second sorted material M4-2 that passes through this pipe 243 merges with the coarsely crushed pieces M2 in the pipe 241 and flows into the defibrating section 13 together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2. As a result, the second sorted material M4-2 is returned to the defibrating section 13 and is defibrated together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2.

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

[0028] The mesh belt 151 is an endless belt made of a mesh member, and is wound around three tension rollers 152. The first sorted material M4-1 is piled up on the mesh belt 151. Then, as the tension rollers 152 are driven to rotate, the first sorted material M4-1 on the mesh belt 151 is transported downstream.

[0029] The mesh size of the mesh belt 151 is sufficiently smaller than the size of the first sorted material M4-1. Therefore, the first sorted material M4-1 does not pass through the mesh belt 151 and accumulates on the mesh belt 151. The first sorted material M4-1 accumulates on the mesh belt 151 and is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 151, thereby becoming a layered first web M5.

[0030] The first sorted material M4-1 may contain dust, dirt, etc. The dust, dirt, etc. may be generated by crushing or defibration, for example. Such dust, dirt, etc. are collected in the collection unit 27, which will be described later.

[0031] The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 151. The suction unit 153 sucks dust and dirt that has passed through the mesh belt 151 together with the air.

[0032] The suction unit 153 is connected to the collection unit 27 via a pipe 244. The dust and dirt sucked by the suction unit 153 is collected in the collection unit 27.

[0033] A pipe 245 is further connected to the collection unit 27. A blower 262 is installed in the middle of the pipe 245. The operation of the blower 262 generates a suction force of the suction unit 153, which promotes the formation of the first web M5 on the mesh belt 151. The first web M5 is formed from the first sorted material M4-1 from which dust, dirt, etc. have been removed. The operation of the blower 262 causes the dust and dirt to pass through the pipe 244 and reach the collection unit 27.

[0034] The housing 142 of the sorting unit 14 is connected to the humidifying unit 232. The humidifying unit 232 is configured with an evaporative humidifier, and supplies humidified air into the housing 142. Since the first sorted item M4-1 is humidified by this humidified air, the first sorted item M4-1 is prevented from adhering to the inner wall of the housing 142 due to electrostatic force.

[0035] The humidifying section 235 is disposed downstream of the sorting section 14. The humidifying section 235 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water. The humidifying section 235 supplies moisture to the first web M5 to adjust the moisture content of the first web M5. This adjustment prevents the first web M5 from being attached to the mesh belt 151 by electrostatic force. Therefore, 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.

[0036] The segmentation unit 16 is disposed downstream of the humidification unit 235. The segmentation unit 16 executes 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 162 that houses the propeller 161. The first web M5 is segmented by the rotating propeller 161. The segmented first web M5 becomes segmented bodies M6. The segmented bodies M6 move down inside the housing 162.

[0037] The housing 162 is connected to the humidifier 233. The humidifier 233 is configured with an evaporative humidifier, and supplies humidified air into the housing 162. This humidified air prevents the fragmented bodies M6 from adhering to the propeller 161 and the inner wall of the housing 162 due to electrostatic force.

[0038] A mixer 17 is disposed downstream of the subdivision section 16. The mixer 17 executes a mixing process of mixing the subdivision body M6 with an additive. The mixer 17 includes an additive supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

[0039] The pipe 172 connects the housing 162 of the subdivision section 16 and the housing 182 of the dispersion section 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivision bodies M6 and the additive passes.

[0040] An additive supply unit 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The additive supply unit 171 has a housing 170 in which an additive is accommodated, and a screw feeder 174 provided in the housing 170. The additive in the housing 170 is pushed out of the housing 170 by the rotation of the screw feeder 174 and supplied into the pipe 172. The additive supplied into the pipe 172 is mixed with the finely divided bodies M6 to become a mixture M7.

[0041] Here, examples of additives supplied from the additive supply unit 171 include a binder that bonds fibers together, a colorant that colors fibers, an aggregation inhibitor that inhibits aggregation of fibers, a flame retardant that makes fibers less flammable, a paper strength enhancer that enhances the paper strength of the sheet S, defibrated material, and the like, and one or more of these can be used in combination. In the following, as an example, a case where a resin R1, which is a binder, is supplied as an additive will be described. The strength of the sheet S can be increased by the additive containing a binder that bonds fibers together.

[0042] The resin R1 may be in the form of a powder or particles. The resin R1 may be, for example, a thermoplastic resin, a curable resin, or the like, but is preferably a thermoplastic resin. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include AS resin, ABS resin, polyolefin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, modified polyolefin, acrylic resin such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyester such as polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyamide such as nylon 6, nylon 46, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 612, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6-12, nylon 6-66, polyphenylene ether, polyacetal, polyether, polyphenylene oxide, polyether ether ketone, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfide, thermoplastic polyimide, polyetherimide, liquid crystal polymer such as aromatic polyester, various thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-based, polyolefin-based, polyvinyl chloride-based, polyurethane-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, polybutadiene-based, trans-polyisoprene-based, fluororubber-based, chlorinated polyethylene-based, and the like, and one or more selected from these can be used in combination. It is preferable to use polyester or one containing it as the thermoplastic resin.

[0043] Further, a blower 173 is provided in the pipe 172 downstream of the additive supply section 171. The action of a rotating section such as a blade of the blower 173 promotes mixing of the fragmented bodies M6 and the resin R1. The blower 173 also generates an airflow toward the dispersion section 18. The fragmented bodies M6 and the resin R1 are agitated in the pipe 172. The mixture M7 is then transported to the dispersion section 18 in a state in which the fragmented bodies M6 and the resin R1 are uniformly dispersed. Furthermore, the fragmented bodies M6 in the mixture M7 are loosened in the process of passing through the pipe 172, becoming finer fibrous.

[0044] The dispersion unit 18 executes a discharging step of loosening and discharging entangled fibers in the mixture M7. The dispersion unit 18 has a drum 181 that introduces and discharges the mixture M7 containing defibrated material, a housing 182 that contains the drum 181, and a drive source 183 that rotates and drives the drum 181. The mixture M7 introduced into the drum 181 is an example of a material containing fibers.

[0045] The drum 181 is a sieve made of a cylindrical porous screen and rotates around the central axis Ax. The porous screen is made of a metal plate with many openings. The drum 181 is housed in the housing 182 in such an orientation that the central axis Ax is horizontal along the Y axis. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 182 has an inlet 180 on both the +Y side and the -Y side of the drum 181. The pipe 172 for conveying the mixture M7 is branched into two on the dispersion section 18 side, and each is connected to the inlet 180. The mixture M7 is introduced into the drum 181 from the pipe 172 through the inlet 180. Then, when the drum 181 rotates in a predetermined rotation direction, fibers and the like in the mixture M7 that are smaller than the openings of the porous screen pass through the openings. At that time, the mixture M7 is loosened and discharged to the outside of the drum 181. That is, the drum 181 rotates in a predetermined direction around the central axis Ax, and discharges the mixture M7 introduced inside to the outside through the openings of the porous screen. The drum 181 may be composed of a mesh body having a plurality of mesh holes. In this case, the mesh holes of the mesh body correspond to the openings of the drum 181.

[0046] Although not shown, the driving source 183 has a motor, a reducer, and a belt. The motor is electrically connected to the control unit 28 via a motor driver. Furthermore, the rotational force output from the motor is reduced by the reducer. The belt is, for example, an endless belt, and is wound around the output shaft of the reducer and the outer periphery of the drum 181. As a result, the rotational force of the output shaft of the reducer is transmitted to the drum 181 via the belt.

[0047] Furthermore, the housing 182 is connected to the humidifier 234. The humidifier 234 is configured as an evaporative humidifier, and supplies humidified air into the housing 182. The inside of the housing 182 is humidified by this humidified air, which prevents the mixture M7 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing 182 due to electrostatic force.

[0048] 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 executes a deposition step in which the mixture M7 is deposited to form a second web M8, which is a deposit. The second web forming unit 19 has a mesh belt 191, four tension rollers 192, and a suction unit 193.

[0049] The mesh belt 191 is a mesh member, and in the illustrated configuration, is configured as an endless belt. The mixture M7 discharged from the dispersion section 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.

[0050] 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. Therefore, most of the mixture M7 does not pass through the mesh belt 191 and is deposited on the mesh belt 191. Furthermore, by being deposited on the mesh belt 191, the mixture M7 becomes a layered second web M8 and is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 191.

[0051] The suction unit 193 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 191. The suction unit 193 sucks the mixture M7 onto the mesh belt 191, facilitating the accumulation of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191.

[0052] A pipe 246 is connected to the suction unit 193. A blower 263 is provided midway through the pipe 246. The operation of the blower 263 allows the suction unit 193 to generate a suction force.

[0053] The 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. The humidifying section 236 adjusts the moisture content of the second web M8 by supplying moisture to the second web M8. This adjustment prevents the second web M8 from being attached to the mesh belt 191 by electrostatic force. Therefore, the second web M8 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

[0054] The total amount of moisture added by the humidifying units 231 to 236 is preferably, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the material before humidification.

[0055] A forming unit 20 is disposed downstream of the second web forming unit 19. The forming unit 20 executes a sheet forming process of forming a sheet S from the second web M8. The forming unit 20 has a pressurizing unit 201 and a heating unit 202, and forms the sheet S by applying pressure and heat to the second web M8.

[0056] The pressurizing unit 201 has a pair of calender rollers 203, and pressurizes the second web M8 between the calender rollers 203 without heating it. This increases the density of the second web M8. Note that the second web M8 may be pressurized while being heated. In this case, the degree of heating is preferably such that the resin R1 is not melted. The pressurized second web M8 is transported toward the heating unit 202. Note that one of the pair of calender rollers 203 is a driven roller driven by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0057] The heating section 202 has a pair of heating rollers 204, and applies pressure to the second web M8 while heating it between the heating rollers 204. This heating and pressure melts the resin R1 in the second web M8, and the fibers are bonded to each other via the molten resin R1. This forms a sheet S. Then, the formed sheet S is transported toward the cutting section 21. One of the pair of heating rollers 204 is a driven roller driven by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0058] The cutting unit 21 is disposed downstream of the forming unit 20. The cutting unit 21 executes a cutting step of cutting the sheet S. The cutting unit 21 has a first cutter 211 and a second cutter 212.

[0059] The first cutter 211 cuts the sheet S in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the sheet S. Specifically, the first cutter 211 cuts the sheet S in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheet S.

[0060] The second cutter 212 cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet S downstream of the first cutter 211. This cutting removes unnecessary portions from both side edges of the sheet S, i.e., the +Y side and -Y side edges, to adjust the width of the sheet S. The cut and removed portions are called "selvages."

[0061] A sheet S having a desired shape and size is obtained by cutting the sheet S with the first cutter 211 and the second cutter 212. Then, the sheet S is transported further downstream and accumulated in the stock section 22.

[0062] Each unit included in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is electrically connected to a control unit 28. The operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit 28.

[0063] The control unit 28 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 281 and a storage unit 282. The CPU 281 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 282. The storage unit 282 is configured, for example, with a memory or the like, and stores a program for manufacturing the sheet S, various calibration curves, tables, and the like.

[0064] The control unit 28 may be built in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, or may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. Here, communication between the external device and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may be communication via a cable or the like, or wireless communication. Also, communication may be via a network such as the Internet.

[0065] Furthermore, the CPU 281 and the storage unit 282 may be integrated into one unit, for example, or the CPU 281 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 and the storage unit 282 may be provided in an external device. Alternatively, the storage unit 282 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 and the CPU 281 may be provided in an external device.

[0066] Next, the configuration of the distribution unit 18 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dispersion portion 18 taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dispersion portion 18 taken along the line AA. 2 to 4, the dispersion section 18 has a first dispersion member 31 and a second dispersion member 32 inside the drum 181. The first dispersion member 31 and the second dispersion member 32 collide with the mixture M7 inside the drum 181, thereby stirring and dispersing the mixture M7. This prevents lumps from forming in the mixture M7 inside the drum 181, and promotes uniform release of the mixture M7 from the drum 181.

[0067] The first dispersion member 31 is flat and has a pair of main surfaces 311 that are opposite each other. The first dispersion member 31 is disposed in a position offset vertically below the central axis Ax within the drum 181. Note that as long as the center of gravity of the first dispersion member 31 is positioned vertically below the central axis Ax, the first dispersion member 31 is considered to be disposed in a position offset vertically below the central axis Ax even if a part of the first dispersion member 31 is positioned vertically above the central axis Ax.

[0068] The first dispersion member 31 is long and extends along the central axis Ax of the drum 181, i.e., along the Y axis. Therefore, the first dispersion member 31 can perform good dispersion of the mixture M7 over a wide range in the longitudinal direction of the drum 181, i.e., in the ±Y direction.

[0069] Both ends of the first dispersion member 31 in the ±Y direction are fixed to the side walls of the housing 182. Therefore, the first dispersion member 31 does not rotate together with the rotation of the drum 181. In other words, even if the drum 181 rotates, the first dispersion member 31 remains at the installation position. This makes it possible to more reliably collide the mixture M7 moving inside the drum 181 as the drum 181 rotates with the first dispersion member 31. Therefore, the mixture M7 can be more effectively loosened.

[0070] The first dispersion member 31 is provided at a position shifted in the ±X direction from the central axis Ax. Specifically, it is provided on the +X side or -X side of the central axis Ax, on the side where the rotating drum 181 moves upward. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the drum 181 rotates clockwise as viewed from the -Y side, the first dispersion member 31 is located on the -X side of the central axis Ax of the drum 181. This allows the mixture M7 to be guided toward the second dispersion member 32 described later in a loosened state. Note that, unlike FIG. 3, when the drum 181 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the -Y side, it is preferable that the first dispersion member 31 is located on the +X side of the central axis Ax of the drum 181.

[0071] The first dispersion member 31 is fixed in a position such that the main surface 311 is approximately parallel to the YZ plane. That is, the first dispersion member 31 is disposed at an angle with respect to the moving direction of the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. Specifically, the first dispersion member 31 is provided such that the distance to the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181 increases as it approaches the +Z direction. This makes it easier for the mixture M7 to collide with the main surface 311. Therefore, the mixture M7 can be more effectively loosened.

[0072] The first dispersion member 31 is disposed away from the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. This allows the mixture M7 to pass between the first dispersion member 31 and the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. At that time, the mixture M7 collides with the edge portion of the first dispersion member 31, so that the mixture M7 can be more effectively agitated and dispersed. As a result, the mixture M7 can be more effectively loosened.

[0073] The second dispersion member 32 is flat and has a pair of main surfaces 321 that are in a mutually opposite relationship. The second dispersion member 32 is disposed in the drum 181 at a position offset vertically upward from the central axis Ax. The second dispersion member 32 collides with the mixture M7 in the drum 181 to agitate and disperse the mixture M7, and also guides the mixture M7 in the drum 181 vertically downward to promote the release of the mixture M7. The second dispersion member 32 is an example of a dispersion member.

[0074] The second dispersion member 32 is long and extends along the central axis Ax of the drum 181, i.e., along the ±Y direction. Therefore, the second dispersion member 32 can perform good dispersion of the mixture M7 and guide it vertically downward over a wide range in the longitudinal direction of the drum 181, i.e., the ±Y direction.

[0075] The second dispersion member 32 has both ends in the ±Y direction fixed to the side walls of the housing 182. Therefore, the second dispersion member 32 does not rotate together with the rotation of the drum 181. In other words, even if the drum 181 rotates, the second dispersion member 32 remains at the installation position. This makes it possible to more reliably collide the mixture M7 moving within the drum 181 as the drum 181 rotates with the second dispersion member 32. Therefore, the mixture M7 can be more effectively loosened and the mixture M7 can be guided vertically downward within the drum 181.

[0076] The second dispersion member 32 is fixed in a position intersecting both the YZ plane and the XY plane. That is, the second dispersion member 32 is disposed at an angle with respect to the moving direction of the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. Specifically, the second dispersion member 32 is provided so that the distance to the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181 increases toward the +X direction. This makes it easier for the mixture M7 to collide with the main surface 321. Therefore, the mixture M7 can be more effectively loosened, and the mixture M7 can be effectively guided vertically downward in the drum 181. Unlike FIG. 3, when the drum 181 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the -Y side, it is preferable that the second dispersion member 32 is provided so that the distance to the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181 increases toward the -X direction.

[0077] The second dispersion member 32 is disposed away from the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. This allows the mixture M7 to pass between the second dispersion member 32 and the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. At that time, the mixture M7 collides with the edge portion of the second dispersion member 32, so that the mixture M7 can be more effectively agitated and dispersed. As a result, the mixture M7 can be more effectively loosened.

[0078] 3, the minimum distance D2 between the second dispersion member 32 and the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181 is preferably smaller than the minimum distance D1 between the first dispersion member 31 and the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181. This allows the second dispersion member 32 to effectively guide the mixture M7 vertically downward within the drum 181.

[0079] 2 and 3, the dispersion unit 18 includes a detection unit 40 for estimating the amount of mixture M7 remaining in the drum 181. The detection unit 40 includes an emission unit 41 that emits an energy ray into the drum 181, and an incidence unit 42 into which the energy ray emitted by the emission unit 41 is incident, and detects the mixture M7 being stirred in the drum 181.

[0080] The emission part 41 and the entrance part 42 are electrically connected to the control part 28, and the operation of the emission part 41 is controlled by the control part 28. The energy ray emitted by the emission part 41 is incident on the entrance part 42, but when the mixture M7 passes between the emission part 41 and the entrance part 42, the energy ray is blocked by the mixture M7, and the entrance part 42 temporarily enters a non-detection state in which the energy ray is not incident. The detection part 40 outputs a detection value according to the frequency at which the entrance part 42 enters the non-detection state to the control part 28. Then, the control part 28 estimates the amount of the mixture M7 remaining based on the detection value input from the detection part 40.

[0081] In this embodiment, the detection unit 40 is an ultrasonic sensor. That is, the emission unit 41 emits ultrasonic waves as energy rays, and the incidence unit 42 receives the ultrasonic waves. When the energy rays used by the detection unit 40 are ultrasonic waves, the sampling period can be shortened, and therefore the detection accuracy can be improved. However, the energy rays are not limited to ultrasonic waves, and may be light such as visible light or infrared light.

[0082] The emission section 41 is disposed on the -Y side of the drum 181, and the incidence section 42 is disposed on the +Y side of the drum 181. The emission section 41 and the incidence section 42 have common X and Z coordinates. In other words, the emission section 41 and the incidence section 42 are disposed to face each other with the drum 181 in between.

[0083] Emitter 41 and incident portion 42 are disposed outside housing 182. Housing 182 has through holes 185 formed in positions adjacent to emitter 41 and incident portion 42, and ultrasonic waves emitted from emitter 41 pass through through holes 185 and enter incident portion 42. As shown in FIG. 3, emitter 41 and incident portion 42 are disposed outside inlet 180 when viewed from the ±Y direction.

[0084] FIG. 5 is a front view showing the detection unit 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the detection unit 40 includes a connection member 43 that connects the emission unit 41 and the incidence unit 42. The connection member 43 is disposed so as to cross the inside of the drum 181 in the ±Y direction. By connecting the emission unit 41 and the incidence unit 42 with the connection member 43, the positional relationship between the emission unit 41 and the incidence unit 42 can be maintained with high accuracy compared to the case where the emission unit 41 and the incidence unit 42 are disposed separately. In addition, the connection member 43 is fixed to the second dispersion member 32 by screwing or the like. That is, the detection unit 40 is attached to the second dispersion member 32 via the connection member 43. Therefore, the detection unit 40 does not rotate together with the rotation of the drum 181, similar to the second dispersion member 32. The connection member 43 is an example of an attachment member.

[0085] 6 and 7 are exploded perspective views showing the configuration of connection member 43, with FIG. 6 showing the configuration on the emission section 41 side and FIG. 7 showing the configuration on the incidence section 42 side. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the connection member 43 includes a fixing portion 431, a first holding portion 432, a first connecting portion 433, a second holding portion 434, and a second connecting portion 435.

[0086] The fixed portion 431 is an elongated member that is long in the ±Y directions, and is fixed to the second dispersion member 32. In this embodiment, the fixed portion 431 is formed of a plate material made of SUS304.

[0087] The first holding portion 432 holds the emission portion 41, and the second holding portion 434 holds the incidence portion 42. In this embodiment, the first holding portion 432 and the second holding portion 434 are made of iron.

[0088] The first connecting portion 433 connects the first holding portion 432 and the fixed portion 431, and the second connecting portion 435 connects the second holding portion 434 and the fixed portion 431. The fixed portion 431 is not directly connected to either the first holding portion 432 or the second holding portion 434, but is connected to the first holding portion 432 via the first connecting portion 433 and is connected to the second holding portion 434 via the second connecting portion 435. In this embodiment, the first connecting portion 433 and the second connecting portion 435 are made of aluminum.

[0089] Since the connecting member 43 is configured as described above, the emission portion 41 is connected to the incidence portion 42 via the first holding portion 432, the first coupling portion 433, the fixing portion 431, the second coupling portion 435, and the second holding portion 434 in this order. Here, it is desirable that the emission portion 41 is connected to the incidence portion 42 via a plurality of members having different acoustic impedances so that the emitted ultrasonic waves do not propagate through the connecting member 43 and enter the incidence portion 42.

[0090] The acoustic impedance of the SUS304 that constitutes the fixed portion 431 is 45.7×10 6 kg / m 2s, and the acoustic impedance of the iron constituting the first holding portion 432 and the second holding portion 434 is 46.4×10 6 kg / m 2 s. The acoustic impedance of aluminum constituting the first connecting portion 433 and the second connecting portion 435 is 16.9×10 6 kg / m 2 s. The acoustic impedances of SUS304 and iron are approximately the same, but the acoustic impedance of aluminum is half or less than that of SUS304 and iron. In other words, the acoustic impedances of SUS304 and iron are more than twice that of aluminum. In this manner, in this embodiment, the emission part 41 is connected to the incidence part 42 via a plurality of members having different acoustic impedances, so that the ultrasonic waves emitted from the emission part 41 are prevented from propagating through the connection member 43. The first coupling part 433 is an example of a first member, and the fixing part 431 is an example of a second member.

[0091] 8 is a diagram showing the trajectory of a fibrous body inside a rotating drum 181. In the figure, the arrows shown by solid lines indicate the trajectory of a fibrous body having a relatively long fiber length, and the arrows shown by dashed lines indicate the trajectory of a fibrous body having a relatively short fiber length. 8, the trajectory of the fibrous bodies contained in the mixture M7 in the rotating drum 181 varies depending on the fiber length. The fibrous bodies with a relatively short fiber length are less likely to be entangled with each other and form clumps, so they fall in front of the second dispersion member 32. On the other hand, the fibrous bodies with a relatively long fiber length are more likely to be entangled with each other and form clumps, so they hit the second dispersion member 32 and fall. In other words, the fibrous bodies with a relatively long fiber length flow in a larger trajectory than the fibrous bodies with a relatively short fiber length.

[0092] It is desirable to place the detection unit 40 at an appropriate position in consideration of the behavior of the fibrous body as described above. In this embodiment, the detection unit 40 is actually placed at four positions P1 to P4, and the position of the detection unit 40 is determined based on the result of detecting the fibrous body. Positions P1 and P2 are upstream positions of the second dispersion member 32 in the rotation direction of the drum 181, and position P2 is located inside position P1, that is, closer to the central axis Ax. Positions P3 and P4 are downstream positions of the second dispersion member 32 in the rotation direction of the drum 181, and position P4 is located inside position P3, that is, closer to the central axis Ax.

[0093] Both fibrous bodies with relatively short fiber lengths and fibrous bodies with relatively long fiber lengths pass through positions P1 and P2. Therefore, when the detection unit 40 is disposed at positions P1 or P2, many fibrous bodies are detected by the detection unit 40 even when the rotation speed of the drum 181 is low and the amount of accumulated material is small. In other words, when the detection unit 40 is disposed at positions P1 or P2, a favorable correlation cannot be obtained between the actual amount of accumulated material and the detection value of the detection unit 40. Therefore, it is preferable to dispose the detection unit 40 at positions P3 or P4, which are downstream of the second dispersion member 32 in the rotation direction of the drum 181.

[0094] However, since position P3 is outside the extension line of the second dispersion member 32, when the detection unit 40 is disposed at position P3, the number of fibrous bodies detected by the detection unit 40 may be small even when the rotation speed of the drum 181 is high and the amount of stagnation is large. In contrast, when the detection unit 40 is disposed at position P4, which is on the extension line of the second dispersion member 32 or a position inside the extension line, a favorable correlation can be obtained between the actual amount of stagnation in the drum 181 and the detection value of the detection unit 40. For this reason, the position of the detection unit 40 is determined to be position P4. Note that position P4 is a position where fibrous bodies with a relatively short fiber length are difficult to detect, but in the dry sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 such as this embodiment, since a sheet S with a longer fiber length is more likely to be obtained with a higher strength, the position of the detection unit 40 is determined by giving priority to the detection of fibrous bodies with a relatively long fiber length.

[0095] Next, the control of the distribution unit 18 will be described. It is desirable that the dispersion section 18 deposits the mixture M7 so that the thickness is as uniform as possible. The uniformity of the sheet S made of the deposited mixture M7 depends on the amount of the mixture M7 remaining in the drum 181. If the amount of the mixture M7 remaining is small, the amount of the mixture M7 introduced from the inlet 180 decreases only momentarily, resulting in a shortage of the mixture M7 in the drum 181, and the second web M8 on the mesh belt 191 becomes partially thin. On the other hand, if the amount of the mixture M7 remaining increases and becomes excessive, the movement of the mixture M7 in the drum 181 decreases. Therefore, the opportunity for the mixture M7 to collide with the first dispersion member 31, the second dispersion member 32, or the inner circumferential surface 184 of the drum 181 decreases, and the amount of the mixture M7 discharged through the opening of the drum 181 decreases. As a result, the second web M8 on the mesh belt 191 becomes thin over the entire width, which may lead to the sheet S being torn off. Therefore, in order to form a uniform sheet S, it is necessary to maintain the amount of mixture M7 retained in the drum 181 at an appropriate level.

[0096] The amount of mixture M7 remaining in the drum 181 is determined by the difference between the amount of mixture M7 introduced from inlets 180 on both sides of the drum 181 and the amount of mixture M7 discharged through the openings of the drum 181. For this reason, if the amount of mixture M7 introduced into the drum 181 is constant, the amount of mixture M7 remaining is determined by the amount discharged from the drum 181. The amount discharged from the drum 181 is determined by the size of the openings of the drum 181 relative to the fiber length of the fibrous bodies contained in the mixture M7, the opening rate, and the rotation speed, i.e., the number of rotations, of the drum 181. For this reason, in a configuration in which the size of the openings and the opening rate are fixed, the amount of remaining is determined by the distribution of the fiber length of the fibrous bodies and the rotation rate of the drum 181.

[0097] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the frequency distribution of fiber length by type of raw material M1. The mixture M7 may contain fibrous bodies of various fiber lengths. The frequency distribution of the fiber lengths differs depending on the raw material M1 fed into the raw material supply unit 11. In the figure, the solid line represents the frequency distribution of the fiber lengths when paper Pa is used as the raw material M1, and the dashed line represents the frequency distribution of the fiber lengths when paper Pb is used as the raw material M1. In either case, the mixture M7 contains both fibrous bodies with relatively short fiber lengths and fibrous bodies with relatively long fiber lengths, but paper Pa contains more fibrous bodies with relatively long fiber lengths than paper Pb.

[0098] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation speed of the drum 181 and the actual amount of the mixture M7 retained therein for each type of raw material M1. As shown in FIG. 10, the higher the rotation speed of the drum 181, the more the amount of mixture M7 discharged from the drum 181 increases, and the amount of mixture M7 remaining in the drum 181 decreases. In the configuration of this embodiment, the amount of remaining mixture M7 is preferably within a range of 20 g to 80 g. For this reason, when the raw material M1 is a paper sheet Pa containing a large amount of fibrous bodies with a relatively long fiber length, the rotation speed of the drum 181 is preferably about 170 rpm to 300 rpm. When the raw material M1 is a paper sheet Pb containing a large amount of fibrous bodies with a relatively short fiber length, the rotation speed of the drum 181 is preferably about 100 rpm to 150 rpm. In other words, when the raw material M1 is fixed to either the paper sheet Pa or the paper sheet Pb, an appropriate amount of remaining mixture M7 can be achieved by rotating the drum 181 at a rotation speed according to the type of raw material M1.

[0099] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the detection value of the detection unit 40 and the actual amount of accumulated material, and the relationship between the detection value of the detection unit 40 and the rotation speed of the drum 181 for each type of raw material M1. Here, the detection value is a value obtained by placing the detection unit 40 at the above-mentioned position P4. As shown in FIG. 11, the correlation between the detection value of the detection unit 40 and the actual amount of the mixture M7 remaining varies depending on the type of raw material M1, i.e., whether the raw material M1 is paper Pa or paper Pb, but the detection value varies depending on the actual amount of the mixture M7 remaining. Specifically, the larger the actual amount of the mixture M7 remaining, the larger the detection value. Here, if the rotation speed of the drum 181 is controlled so that the detection value falls within the range of 600±100, the actual amount of the mixture M7 remaining will be within the range of 32 g to 73 g, whether the raw material M1 is paper Pa or paper Pb. This range is included in the above-mentioned desirable range (20 g to 80 g). At this time, the rotation speed of the drum 181 varies depending on the type of raw material M1, but in either case, it is generally within the range of 100 rpm to 260 rpm. In other words, if the rotation speed of the drum 181 is controlled within the range of 100 rpm to 260 rpm based on the detection value of the detection unit 40, the amount of the mixture M7 remaining can be maintained within an appropriate range, even if the raw material M1 contains a mixture of paper Pa and paper Pb.

[0100] The control of the rotation speed of drum 181 based on the detected value may be control using a LUT (Look Up Table) or PID control.

[0101] The results of producing the sheet S by carrying out the above control will be described below. First, a result will be described in which 100 sheets of paper Pa are fed as raw material M1 into the raw material supply unit 11, then 150 sheets of paper Pb are fed, and then 170 sheets of paper Pa are fed.

[0102] As a comparative example, the rotation speed of the drum 181 was not controlled, but was fixed at 220 rpm, which is suitable for the paper sheet Pa, to produce a sheet S. In this case, the actual amount of the retained material M1 decreased from about 45 g to about 25 g after the raw material M1 was switched from the paper sheet Pa to the paper sheet Pb, and the basis weight of the produced sheet S was also 115 g / m 2 From about 65g / m 2 Although the retention amount of 25 g is within the above-mentioned desirable range (20 g to 80 g), if various conditions vary, the thickness of the sheet S may fall below the appropriate range.

[0103] In contrast, when the sheet S was produced by controlling the rotation speed of the drum 181 as described above, the rotation speed of the drum 181 changed within a range of 110 rpm to 220 rpm. The retention amount was maintained within a range of 35 g to 70 g, and the basis weight of the sheet S was 70 g / m 2 ~105g / m 2 was within the range.

[0104] Next, a result will be described in a case where 100 sheets of paper Pb are fed as raw material M1 into the raw material supply unit 11, then 150 sheets of paper Pa are fed, and then 170 sheets of paper Pb are fed.

[0105] As a comparative example, the rotational speed of the drum 181 was not controlled, but was fixed at 130 rpm, which is suitable for the paper Pb, to produce a sheet S. In this case, the actual amount of the retained material increased from about 50 g to more than 120 g after the raw material M1 was switched from the paper Pb to the paper Pa, and the basis weight of the produced sheet S was 80 g / m 2 From about 60g / m 2 The retention amount of 120 g is far above the desirable range (20 g to 80 g) mentioned above.

[0106] In contrast, when the sheet S was produced by controlling the rotation speed of the drum 181 as described above, the rotation speed of the drum 181 changed within a range of 120 rpm to 200 rpm. The retention amount was maintained within a range of 33 g to 60 g, and the basis weight of the sheet S was 75 g / m 2 ~100g / m 2 was within the range.

[0107] In this way, even when multiple types of raw material M1 with different fiber length distributions are mixed, the amount of mixture M7 remaining in the drum 181 can be appropriately maintained by controlling the rotation speed of the drum 181 based on the detection value of the detection unit 40. As a result, it is possible to produce a sheet S with a uniform thickness.

[0108] As described above, according to the fibrous body deposition apparatus 1 and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0109] According to the present embodiment, the dispersion unit 18 is configured such that the drum 181 itself rotates, and therefore there is no need to rotate a rotor within the drum 181. As a result, the energy beam emitted from the detection unit 40 is not blocked by the rotor, and therefore it is possible to estimate the amount of mixture M7 remaining within the drum 181 with high accuracy. In addition, since the detection unit 40 is disposed downstream of the second dispersion member 32 in the rotation direction of the drum 181, the mixture M7 dispersed by the second dispersion member 32 can be efficiently detected.

[0110] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the detection unit 40 is attached to the second dispersion member 32 via the connection member 43, the detection unit 40 can be positioned with respect to the second dispersion member 32 with high precision.

[0111] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the emission part 41 of the detection part 40 is connected to the incidence part 42 via members, such as the first connecting part 433 and the fixing part 431, having different acoustic impedances. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the ultrasonic vibration generated in association with the emission of ultrasonic waves from the emission part 41 from being propagated to the incidence part 42 via the connecting member 43.

[0112] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the acoustic impedance of the fixing portion 431 constituting the connecting member 43 is more than twice the acoustic impedance of the first coupling portion 433 constituting the connecting member 43, so that the propagation of ultrasonic vibrations can be further suppressed.

[0113] This embodiment is based on the above configuration, but it is possible to partially change or omit the configuration without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, this embodiment and the modified examples described below can be combined with each other within a technically compatible range. The modified examples are described below.

[0114] In the above embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the emission portion 41 and the incidence portion 42 are connected via a connecting member 43, but the emission portion 41 and the incidence portion 42 may also be fixed individually to the housing 182 or the like.

[0115] In the above embodiment, a configuration is shown in which both end portions of the first dispersion member 31 and the second dispersion member 32 are fixed to the side wall of the housing 182, but a configuration in which only one end portion is fixed to the side wall of the housing 182 is also possible.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the first dispersion member 31 and the second dispersion member 32 are configured to be flat plate-shaped, but the first dispersion member 31 and the second dispersion member 32 may be configured in any shape, such as rod-shaped, comb-shaped, etc.

[0117] In the above embodiment, the connection member 43 includes five members, namely, the fixing portion 431, the first holding portion 432, the first connecting portion 433, the second holding portion 434, and the second connecting portion 435, but the configuration of the connection member 43 is not limited thereto. However, in order to suppress the ultrasonic waves emitted from the emission portion 41 from propagating through the connection member 43 and being incident on the incidence portion 42, it is preferable that the connection member 43 includes at least two members having different acoustic impedances, and the emission portion 41 is connected to the incidence portion 42 via these members in order. It is further preferable that the acoustic impedance of one of the two members constituting the connection member 43 is at least twice the acoustic impedance of the other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1...fibrous body deposition device, 11...raw material supply section, 12...crushing section, 13...defibration section, 14...sorting section, 15...first web forming section, 16...fragmenting section, 17...mixing section, 18...dispersion section, 19...second web forming section, 20...shaping section, 21...cutting section, 22...stock section, 27...recovery section, 28...control section, 31...first dispersion member, 32...second dispersion member, 40...detection section, 41...emission section, 42...entrance section, 43...connection member, 100 ...Sheet manufacturing apparatus, 121...crushing blade, 122...chute, 141...drum section, 142...housing, 151...mesh belt, 152...tension roller, 153...suction section, 161...propeller, 162...housing, 170...housing, 171...additive supply section, 172...pipe, 173...blower, 174...screw feeder, 180...inlet, 181...drum, 182...housing, 183 ...driving source, 184...inner peripheral surface, 185...through hole, 191...mesh belt, 192...tension roller, 193...suction section, 201...pressure section, 202...heating section, 203...calender roller, 204...heating roller, 211...first cutter, 212...second cutter, 231-236...humidification section, 241-246...pipes, 261-263...blower, 281...CPU, 282...storage section, 311, 321... Main surface, 431...fixing part, 432...first holding part, 433...first connecting part, 434...second holding part, 435...second connecting part, Ax...center axis, D1, D2...shortest separation distance, M1...raw material, M2...crushed pieces, M3... Defibrated material, M4-1...first sorted material, M4-2...second sorted material, M5...first web, M6...subdivision, M7...mixture, M8...second web, P1~P4...position, Pa, Pb...paper, R1...resin, S...sheet.

Claims

1. a drum having an opening through which a fiber-containing material passes, the drum rotating in a predetermined direction around a central axis to discharge the material introduced therein through the opening to the outside; A dispersion member is disposed vertically above the central axis in the drum and disperses the material in the drum; a detection unit that emits an energy beam into the drum and detects the material in the drum, The fibrous body depositing device, wherein the detection unit is disposed downstream of the dispersion member in the rotation direction.

2. The fibrous body deposition device according to claim 1, The fibrous body depositing device, wherein the detection unit is attached to the dispersion member via an attachment member.

3. The fibrous body deposition device according to claim 2, The detection unit is an ultrasonic sensor including an emission unit that emits ultrasonic waves and an incidence unit that receives the ultrasonic waves, The mounting member includes a first member and a second member, the emission portion is connected to the incidence portion via the first member and the second member in this order, A fibrous body deposition apparatus, characterized in that the first member and the second member have different acoustic impedances.

4. The fibrous body deposition device according to claim 3, 13. A fibrous body deposition apparatus, comprising: a first member and a second member, the first member and the second member each having an acoustic impedance at least twice the acoustic impedance of the second member;

5. A fibrous body deposition device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a forming unit that applies pressure and heat to the deposit deposited by the fibrous material depositing device to form a sheet.

Images