Sheet manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide a sheet manufacturing device provided with a connection structure capable of installing connection between a plurality of units with position accuracy.SOLUTION: A sheet manufacturing device includes a plurality of units including a first unit and a second unit connected to the first unit. The first unit has an insertion member. The second unit has a joining member at a position corresponding to the insertion member. The insertion member has a first inclined section inclined in a tapered shape from a bottom surface. The joining member has a first receiving section on which the first inclined section of the insertion member can slide. The first unit is connected to the second unit in a state where the bottom surface of the insertion member gets on the first receiving section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Sheet manufacturing equipment that dry-processes sheets from waste paper and other paper scraps is a large device composed of multiple components, including a fiber section that dry-processes the paper scraps, a separation section that separates the defibrated fibers, a mixing section that mixes additives such as binders with the fibers, a deposition section that accumulates the mixture to form a web, a forming section and treatment rollers that compress the web and form it into a strip-shaped sheet, and a cutting section that cuts the sheet. To install such sheet manufacturing equipment in an office building or similar, the equipment must be divided into multiple units, transported, and then connected and installed. During installation, the connection positions between each unit must be precisely determined to ensure the performance of the sheet manufacturing equipment.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a first station and a second station are connected by two connecting parts. According to this document, in the connected configuration, positioning in the height Z direction is performed by inserting a positioning pin into an oblong positioning hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-144571 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the connection configuration of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is difficult to ensure positional accuracy in the height direction. Specifically, since the positioning in the height Z direction is performed by fitting a pin into an elongated hole, it is not suitable for structures that require precision. In other words, there has been a demand for a sheet manufacturing apparatus having a connection structure that allows multiple units to be connected with high positional accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A sheet manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application is composed of a plurality of units including a first unit and a second unit connected to the first unit, wherein the first unit has an insertion member, the second unit has a joining member at a position corresponding to the insertion member, the insertion member has a first inclined portion tapering from a bottom surface, the joining member has a first receiving portion along which the first inclined portion of the insertion member can slide, and the first unit and the second unit are connected with the bottom surface of the insertion member resting on the first receiving portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an outline of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first unit as seen from the rear. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] Plan view of the insertion member seen from the X-plus direction. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] A side view of the insertion member seen from the Y plus direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second unit as seen from the front. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a transparent perspective view of the main parts showing the state when connected. [Figure 14]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first joint member when connected. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part showing the state when connected. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Embodiment 1 ***Installation of sheet manufacturing equipment*** Fig. 1 is a side view showing an overview of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a first unit as seen from behind. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 of this embodiment is a sheet manufacturing apparatus that dry-type produces sheets from scraps of paper such as waste paper. As shown in Fig. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 is configured by connecting a first unit 101, a second unit 102, and a third unit 103 in this order. Details of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 will be described later.

[0009] Each figure illustrates three mutually orthogonal axes: the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. In this embodiment, the direction in which the first unit 101, the second unit 102, and the third unit 103 are connected is the X direction, and the height direction of the first unit 101 is the Z positive direction. The direction along the X axis is referred to as the "X direction," the direction along the Y axis is referred to as the "Y direction," and the direction along the Z axis is referred to as the "Z direction." For example, the X direction refers to both the X positive direction and the X negative direction. In this embodiment, the Z direction is the height direction and coincides with the vertical direction. The Z positive side is also referred to as "up," and the Z negative side is also referred to as "down." The X direction is the connection direction, and the Y direction is the depth direction. In the following figures, dimensions and scales may differ from the actual dimensions for clarity.

[0010] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 when installed, for example, on the third floor of an office building, in which the second unit 102 and the third unit 103 have already been connected, and shows the state prior to connecting the first unit 101 to the second unit 102. When the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 is installed on the third floor of an office building, each unit is transported one by one using an elevator and carried to the installation location on the third floor. In FIG. 1, the second unit 102 is the reference unit for connection, and is provided with a first joint member 20 and a second joint member 21 on a front surface 102a on the negative X side and a rear surface 102b on the positive X side, respectively. The first unit 101 has a pair of insertion members 10 on a rear surface 101b on the X positive side. The third unit 103 has a pair of insertion members 10 on a front surface 103a on the X negative side.

[0011] First, the second unit 102, which serves as the reference, is placed at the installation location, and after adjusting its position on the XY plane, the height position in the Z direction is adjusted using the adjuster bolts 9 provided at the four corners of the bottom surface. This determines the positions of the second unit 102 in the X, Y, and Z directions. Then, by moving the first unit 101 so as to insert the pair of insertion members 10 into the first joint member 20 and the second joint member 21 of the second unit 102, the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 are connected with high positional accuracy. In other words, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 is composed of multiple units including a first unit 101 and a second unit 102 connected to the first unit 101, where the first unit 101 has an inserting member 10 and the second unit 102 has a first joining member 20 and a second joining member 21 at a position corresponding to the inserting member 10.

[0012] ***Connected structure*** FIG. 2 is a perspective view of first unit 101 as seen from the rear surface 101b side. 2, the first unit 101 has a substantially cubic housing 11, and an upper portion of the front surface 101a is provided with a paper slip slot 71. A retractable lid is provided on the slot 71, but this is not shown in the figure. The rear surface 101b of the housing 11 has a three-tiered structure consisting of a lower tier 11a, a middle tier 11b, and an upper tier 11c. The housing 11 is robust and integrally constructed from multiple frames along each side of the cube and brace-like frames (not shown) that reinforce the frames. In a preferred example, the frames, insertion member 10, first joint member 20, and second joint member 21 are made of steel. However, they are not limited to steel, and any robust material may be used.

[0013] 2, wheels 8 are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the housing 11. The wheels 8 are casters. Although not shown in the figure, in addition to the wheels, an adjuster bolt is also provided on the front surface 101a side. A frame extending in the Y direction facing the rear surface 101b of the middle section 11b of the housing 11 is defined as the main frame 30. The main frame 30 is a reference frame that serves as a reference for the position of the first unit 101. Two insertion members 10 are attached to the main frame 30 at a distance from each other. In other words, multiple insertion members 10 are provided in the depth direction of the first unit 101.

[0014] Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the insertion member. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the insertion member as viewed from the X-plus direction. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the insertion member alone, corresponding to Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side view of the insertion member as viewed from the Y-plus direction. As shown in Figure 3, insertion member 10 has a rectangular prism-shaped base on the main frame 30 side that tapers toward the tip on the X-positive side. Specifically, insertion member 10 has a second inclined portion 3b that tapers from side surface 3 on the Y-negative side toward the tip, and a second inclined portion 4b that tapers from side surface 4 on the Y-positive side toward the tip. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, insertion member 10 has a first inclined portion 2b that tapers from bottom surface 2 toward the tip. In other words, the insertion member 10 has a second inclined portion 3b tapering from the side surface 3 and a second inclined portion 4b tapering from the side surface 4. The insertion member 10 also has a first inclined portion 2b tapering from the bottom surface 2.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of alignment grooves, including groove 3c, are provided in the base of insert member 10. As shown in Fig. 3, insert member 10 is fixed to main frame 30 with bolts 19, with the base engaged with main frame 30. 4, a through hole 16 for inserting a bolt 19 is provided at the tip of the insertion member 10. The insertion member 10 is detachably attached to the main frame 30 by the bolt 19. In other words, the insertion member 10 is detachably attached. 6, a groove 4c and a positioning groove 4d are provided on the side surface 4 of the insertion member 10. The groove 4c is a groove for aligning with the main frame 30, which is paired with the groove 3c on the side surface 3. The positioning groove 4d is a groove for aligning in the X direction, which is the connecting direction.

[0016] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the second unit as seen from the front, Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the joining member, Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the first receiving portion, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the second receiving portion. As shown in FIG. 7, the second unit 102 includes a housing 42 having a substantially cubic shape. The front surface 102a of the housing 42 has a three-tier structure consisting of a lower tier 42a, a middle tier 42b, and an upper tier 42c. The lower tier 42a, middle tier 42b, and upper tier 42c of the second unit 102 correspond to the lower tier 11a, middle tier 11b, and upper tier 11c of the first unit 101. The housing 42 is robust and integrally constructed from a plurality of frames along each side of the cube, and brace-like frames (not shown) that reinforce the frames.

[0017] 7, a set of wheels 8 and adjuster bolts 9 are provided at the four corners of the bottom of housing 42. After second unit 102 is transported to the installation location using wheels 8, it is positioned on the XY plane as described above, and then its height in the Z direction is adjusted using adjuster bolts 9 provided at the four corners of the bottom surface. A frame extending in the Y direction facing the front surface 102a of the middle section 42b of the housing 42 is defined as the main frame 40. The main frame 40 is a reference frame that serves as a reference for the position of the second unit 102. 8, a first joint member 20 and a second joint member 21 are attached to the main frame 40 at a distance from each other. A shaft 22 is inserted between the first joint member 20 and the second joint member 21. In other words, the second unit 102 is provided with the first joint member 20 and the second joint member 21 at positions corresponding to the multiple insertion members 10.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 9, the first joint member 20 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape is provided with a receiving portion 20b into which the insertion member 10 (FIG. 2) on the Y minus side is fitted. The receiving portion 20b is a groove provided on the upper surface of the first joint member 20, and is composed of a bottom surface 12 as a first receiving portion, two side surfaces 13 and 14 rising from the bottom surface 12, and the like. The front surface 102a side of receiving portion 20b is wider. More specifically, the front surface 102a side of receiving portion 20b is wider due to inclined surface 13b inclined in the negative Y direction from side surface 13 and inclined surface 14b inclined in the positive Y direction from side surface 14. This allows for smooth insertion of insertion member 10. The first joint member 20 is attached to the main frame 40 with high positional accuracy when the second unit 102 is assembled. Furthermore, since it is positioned with high accuracy in the installation position using the wheels 8 and the adjuster bolts 9, the positional accuracy of the bottom surface 12 as the first receiving portion and the side surfaces 13 and 14 as the second receiving portions is ensured.

[0019] 9, the shaft 22 passes through the first joint member 20, and a bolt 23 is attached to one end in the negative Y direction. The bolt 23 and the shaft 22 are fixed together, and when the bolt 23 is turned and pulled out, the shaft 22 also moves in the Y direction. A hole 12b is provided in the bottom surface 12 of the receiving portion 20b. A shaft 22 passes through the interior of the hole 12b, and a positioning member 24 is disposed in the positive Y direction of the hole 12b. The positioning member 24 is provided so as to be movable in the negative Y direction in conjunction with the shaft 22, and is exposed from the hole 12b when connected. In other words, the first joint member 20 is provided with a positioning member 24 that is movable in the depth direction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 10, the second joint member 21 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape is provided with a receiving portion 21b into which the insertion member 10 (FIG. 2) on the Y plus side is fitted. The receiving portion 21b is a notch provided on the upper surface of the second joint member 21, and is composed of a bottom surface 12 as a first receiving portion, a side surface 14 rising from the bottom surface 12, and the like. Receiving portion 21b is provided with inclined surface 14b that is inclined in the positive Y direction from side surface 14. This allows insertion of insertion member 10 to be smooth. The second joint member 21 is attached to the main frame 40 with high positional accuracy when the second unit 102 is assembled. Furthermore, since the second joint member 21 is positioned with high accuracy in the installation position by the wheels 8 and the adjuster bolts 9, the positional accuracy of the bottom surface 12 as the first receiving portion and the side surface 14 as the second receiving portion is ensured.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 10, the shaft 22 extending from the first joint member 20 is also inserted into the second joint member 21. A hole 12b is provided in the bottom surface 12 of the receiving portion 21b. The shaft 22 passes through the inside of the hole 12b, and a positioning member 24 is disposed in the Y+ direction of the hole 12b. The positioning member 24 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-minus direction in conjunction with the shaft 22, and is exposed from the hole 12b when connected. In other words, the second joint member 21 is provided with a positioning member 24 that is movable in the depth direction. With this configuration, when the bolt 23 on the first joining member 20 side is turned and the shaft 22 is pulled out in the Y-minus direction, the positioning member 24 of the first joining member 20 and the positioning member 24 of the second joining member 21 move in conjunction with each other in the Y-minus direction and are exposed from the hole 12b.

[0022] Fig. 11 is a side view showing the initial state when connected. Fig. 12 is a side view showing the state when connected, and corresponds to Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a see-through perspective view of the main parts showing the state when connected, and corresponds to Fig. 9. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the first joint member when connected, and corresponds to Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a side cross-sectional view of the main parts showing the state when connected, and corresponds to Fig. 13. 11, when connecting the first unit 101 and the second unit 102, the first unit 101 is slowly moved closer to the second unit 102, which is set in the reference position, as shown by the arrow. As the two units approach each other, the first inclined portion 2b of the insertion member 10 slides over the bottom surface 12, which serves as the first receiving portion, of the first joint member 20, gradually narrowing the distance between the two units. Although not shown, the second inclined portions 3b and 4b on both side surfaces of the insertion member 10 also slide over the side surfaces 13 and 14, which serve as the second receiving portions, of the first joint member 20, gradually narrowing the distance between the two units.

[0023] As the two units approach each other further, as shown in FIG. 12, the bottom surface 2 of the insert member 10 rides up on the bottom surface 12 of the first joint member 20. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13, the side surface 3 of the insert member 10 abuts against the side surface 13 of the first joint member 20, and the side surface 4 of the insert member 10 abuts against the side surface 14 of the first joint member 20. This allows the insert member 10 and the first joint member 20 to be aligned in the Z and Y directions in the connection structure. In a preferred embodiment, the abutment of the sides 3 and 4 of the insert member 10 is strictly close, and a clearance is provided between the sides 13 and 14 of the first joint member 20 in the Y direction within the tolerance of positional accuracy to ensure sliding. The same applies to the second joint member 21 and the corresponding insert member 10. In other words, the first joint member 20 and the second joint member 21 have a bottom surface 12 as a first receiving portion on which the first inclined portion 2b of the insertion member 10 can slide, and the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 are connected with the bottom surface 2 of the insertion member 10 riding on the bottom surface 12 as the first receiving portion. The first joint member 20 also stands upright from the bottom surface 12 and has side surfaces 13 and 14 as second receiving portions on which the second inclined portions 3b and 4b can slide, and the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 are connected with the side surfaces 3 and 4 of the insertion member 10 abutting against the side surfaces 13 and 14 as the second receiving portions.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 13, alignment in the X direction is achieved by moving positioning member 24 in the negative Y direction. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, when bolt 23 is turned and pulled out in the negative Y direction, shaft 22 moves with it, and positioning member 24 becomes exposed from hole 12b of receiving portion 20b. Positioning member 24 exposed from hole 12b fits into positioning groove 4d of insert member 10, as shown in FIG. 15. Similarly, in second joint member 21, positioning member 24 fits into positioning groove 4d of insert member 10. As a result, alignment in the X direction is achieved in the connection structures formed by first joint member 20 and insert member 10 and second joint member 21 and insert member 10. In other words, the insert member 10 has a positioning groove 4d into which the positioning member 24 can be fitted, and when the bottom surface 2 of the insert member 10 is placed on the bottom surface 12 as the first receiving portion, the positioning member 24 is fitted into the positioning groove 4d of the insert member 10.

[0025] In the above description, the second unit 102 and the third unit 103 are connected first, but this is not limiting, and the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 may be connected first, and then the third unit 103 may be connected. Furthermore, the number of units is not limited to three, but may be any number, and by providing the above-described connection structure between each unit, the units can be connected with similar high positional accuracy.

[0026] As described above, the connecting structure is provided in the middle section 11b of the first unit 101 and the middle section 42b of the second unit 102. The forming section 70 (FIG. 16) is disposed in the middle section 42b, and during operation, a strip-shaped sheet formed by compressing a web is fed toward the first unit 101. The fed sheet is transported to the first cutting section 81 (FIG. 16) in the middle section 11b of the first unit 101. In other words, during operation, a continuous strip-shaped sheet is transported across the units, so a connecting state without any steps or misalignments is desirable. According to this embodiment, the connecting structure is provided in the middle section 42b and middle section 11b directly below the mechanism, thereby achieving a smoother connecting state with better positional accuracy. Furthermore, although the above has been described using the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 as an example, it is not limited to this, and any apparatus configured by connecting multiple units can be used, and by providing the above-mentioned connecting structure between each unit, the units can be connected with similar high positional accuracy.

[0027] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 of this embodiment can provide the following effects. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 is composed of multiple units including a first unit 101 and a second unit 102 connected to the first unit 101, the first unit 101 having an insert member 10, the second unit 102 having a first joining member 20 and a second joining member 21 at a position corresponding to the insert member 10, the insert member 10 having a first inclined portion 2b tapering from a bottom surface 2, the first joining member 20 and the second joining member 21 having a bottom surface 12 as a first receiving portion along which the first inclined portion 2b of the insert member 10 can slide, and the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 are connected in a state in which the bottom surface 2 of the insert member 10 rests on the bottom surface 12 as the first receiving portion.

[0028] According to this, when first unit 101 and second unit 102 are connected, first inclined portion 2b of insertion member 10 slides on bottom surfaces 12 of first joint member 20 and second joint member 21, gradually narrowing the distance between the two units, and the two units are connected with bottom surface 2 of insertion member 10 resting on bottom surface 12 serving as the first receiving portion. Because bottom surface 2 of insertion member 10 has high positional accuracy, when insertion member 10 is set with resting on bottom surface 12 serving as the first receiving portion, the position of insertion member 10 in the height direction is determined, and the height of first unit 101 is positioned with high precision. Furthermore, connection can be easily performed by bringing first unit 101 close to second unit 102, which serves as a reference, with insertion member 10, first connecting member 20, and second connecting member 21 facing each other. In particular, because each unit is equipped with wheels 8, transportation and connection can be performed efficiently by hand without using transportation equipment such as a hand lift or jack. Therefore, it is possible to provide a sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 having a connection structure that allows the connection between multiple units to be installed with high positional accuracy.

[0029] A plurality of insertion members 10 are provided in the depth direction of first unit 101, and first joint members 20 and second joint members 21 are provided in second unit 102 at positions corresponding to the plurality of insertion members 10. This allows the connection height in the depth direction of the contact surfaces between the units to be uniformly positioned by the multiple connection structures, so that the connections between the units can be installed with higher positional accuracy.

[0030] In addition, the insertion member 10 has a second inclined portion 3b tapering from the side surface 3 and a second inclined portion 4b tapering from the side surface 4, and the first joining member 20 stands upright from the bottom surface 12 and has sides 13 and 14 serving as second receiving portions along which the second inclined portions 3b and 4b can slide, and the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 are connected with the sides 3 and 4 of the insertion member 10 abutting against the sides 13 and 14 serving as second receiving portions. According to this, when the first unit 101 and the second unit 102 are connected, the second inclined portions 3b, 4b of the insert member 10 slide along the side surfaces 13, 14 serving as the second receiving portions of the first joining member 20, gradually narrowing the distance between the two units, and the two units are connected when the side surfaces 3, 4 of the insert member 10 abut against the side surfaces 13, 14 serving as the second receiving portions. Therefore, the device can be installed with high positional accuracy not only in the height direction but also in the depth direction.

[0031] In addition, the first joining member 20 and the second joining member 21 further include a positioning member 24 that is movable in the depth direction, and the inserting member 10 has a positioning groove 4d into which the positioning member 24 can be fitted, and when the bottom surface 2 of the inserting member 10 is placed on the bottom surface 12 as the first receiving portion, the positioning member 24 is fitted into the positioning groove 4d of the inserting member 10. This allows the connecting position in the connecting direction to be set with high precision in addition to the height and depth directions.

[0032] Furthermore, the insertion member 10 is provided so as to be detachable. According to this, for example, when an elevator is used for transportation, the device can be transported in a compact state with the insertion member 10 removed, and then the insertion member 10 can be attached, connected, and installed. Therefore, transportation and connection can be easily performed.

[0033] ***Schematic configuration of sheet manufacturing equipment*** FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. Here, a schematic configuration including the functional configuration of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 will be described. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 manufactures sheets from scraps of paper such as waste paper using a dry process. Note that the process is not limited to a dry process and may be a wet process. In this embodiment, the dry process refers to a process that is carried out in air such as the atmosphere, rather than in a liquid.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 16, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 includes a first unit 101, a second unit 102, and a third unit 103. 16, the direction in which the pieces of paper C, sheet P3, slit pieces S, and unnecessary scraps move is indicated by white arrows. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200, the side ahead in the conveying direction of the pieces of paper C, web W, sheet P3, etc. is sometimes referred to as downstream, and the side going upstream in the conveying direction is sometimes referred to as upstream. In the following description, a collection of pieces of paper C made up of multiple pieces of paper C is also simply referred to as piece of paper C.

[0035] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 manufactures a sheet P3 from the paper piece C. The pieces of paper C are supplied from the storage section 32 to the first unit 101 via the discharge section 39, and then transported to the third unit 103 via the pipe 92. The pieces of paper C are then defibrated in the third unit 103 to become fibers, and then made into a mixture containing a binder and the like. The mixture is transported to the second unit 102 via the pipe 94. The mixture is made into a web W in the second unit 102, and then formed into a belt-shaped sheet P1. The belt-shaped sheet P1 is cut in the first unit 101 to become a sheet P3.

[0036] The first unit 101 includes a measuring section 15, a confluence section 17, and a pipe 92. In the first unit 101, these components are arranged in the above order from upstream to downstream. The first unit 101 also includes a first cutting section 81, a second cutting section 82, a tray 91, and a shredding section 95. The first cutting section 81 and the second cutting section 82 cut the strip-shaped sheet P1 into sheets P3 of a predetermined shape. The first unit 101 also includes a water supply section 87. The water supply section 87 is a water storage tank. The water supply section 87 supplies water for humidification to each of the first humidifier section 85 and the second humidifier section 86, which will be described later, via a water supply pipe (not shown).

[0037] The storage section 32 stores paper pieces C, which are the raw material for the sheet P3, and supplies them downstream via the discharge section 39. The paper pieces C contain fibers such as cellulose and are, for example, shredded waste paper, and are fed into the storage section 32 through the feed opening 71. Humidified air is supplied into the storage section 32 from the second humidifier 86 provided in the second unit 102. The pieces of paper C are temporarily stored in the storage unit 32, and then transported to the measuring unit 15 via the discharge unit 39. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 may be provided with a shredder upstream of the storage unit 32 that shreds the pieces of paper C and the like.

[0038] The measuring unit 15 has a sensor unit 15a and a supply mechanism (not shown). The sensor unit 15a measures the mass of the pieces of paper C. The supply mechanism supplies the pieces of paper C weighed by the sensor unit 15a to the downstream junction 17. That is, the measuring unit 15 weighs the pieces of paper C by a predetermined mass using the sensor unit 15a, and supplies them to the downstream junction 17 using the supply mechanism. The sensor unit 15a can be either a digital or analog weighing mechanism. Specifically, the sensor unit 15a can be a physical sensor such as a load cell, a spring balance, or a balance. In this embodiment, a load cell is used as the sensor unit 15a. The predetermined mass at which the sensor unit 15a weighs the piece of paper C is, for example, several grams to several tens of grams.

[0039] The measuring unit 15 measures and supplies the pieces of paper C in batches. That is, the supply of the pieces of paper C from the measuring unit 15 to the junction 17 is performed intermittently. The measuring unit 15 may have multiple combinations of sensor units 15a and supply mechanisms, and the multiple sensor units 15a may be operated at staggered times to improve the efficiency of measuring and supply. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 has two sensor units 15a and a supply mechanism attached to each. As a result, the pieces of paper C are transported alternately to the junction 17 from the two sets of sensor units 15a and supply mechanisms.

[0040] At the confluence 17, the pieces of paper C supplied from the measuring unit 15 are combined with the fine fragments of the slit pieces S supplied from the shredding unit 95 and mixed together. The slit pieces S and the shredding unit 95 will be described later. The pieces of paper C mixed with the fine fragments flow from the confluence 17 into the pipe 92. The piping 92 transports the pieces of paper C from the first unit 101 to the third unit 103 via the second unit 102 by means of the suction airflow generated by the downstream defibrating unit 33.

[0041] The third unit 103 has a defibrating unit 33, which is a dry type defibrator, a separating unit 34, piping 93, a mixing unit 36, and piping 94. Furthermore, the third unit 103 also has a piping 96 branching off from the separating unit 34, a waste powder collecting unit 46 to which the piping 96 is connected, and a power supply unit 69.

[0042] The pieces of paper C transported through the piping 92 flow into the defibrating unit 33. The defibrating unit 33 dry-defibrates the pieces of paper C supplied from the measuring unit 15 into fibers. A known defibrating mechanism can be applied to the defibrating unit 33. The defibrating unit 33 may have the following configuration, for example. The defibrating unit 33 includes a stator and a rotor. The stator has a substantially cylindrical inner surface. The rotor is installed inside the stator and rotates along the inner surface of the stator. The small pieces of paper C are sandwiched between the inner surface of the stator and the rotor and are defibrated by the shear force generated between them. This causes the tangled fibers contained in the paper pieces C to be untangled. The paper pieces C are converted into fibers and transported to the separation unit 34.

[0043] The separation unit 34 separates the defibrated fibers. More specifically, the separation unit 34 removes components contained in the fibers that are unnecessary for producing the sheet P3. Specifically, the separation unit 34 separates relatively long fibers from relatively short fibers. Relatively short fibers are separated in the separation unit 34 because they may cause a decrease in the strength of the sheet P3. The separation unit 34 also separates and removes coloring materials and additives contained in the pieces of paper C. Known technologies such as a disk mesh method can be applied to the separation unit 34. Humidified air is supplied to the interior of the separation unit 34 from the second humidifier 86 of the second unit 102. The defibrated fibers are removed of short fibers that are not suitable for recycling and waste powder such as coloring materials contained in the paper pieces, and are then transported to the mixing section 36 via piping 93 by an airflow generated by a blower (not shown) located at the tip of the airflow piping 35.

[0044] The gas containing the waste powder then flows into the filter section 37 of the waste powder collection section 46 via piping 96. After the waste powder is removed from the filter, the gas is discharged from the exhaust port. The waste powder is collected in the waste powder box 38. The waste powder collection section 46 is a bag filter, and is equipped with a blower 43 that generates an exhaust flow and a compressor 44 that generates compressed air to clean the filter.

[0045] The mixing unit 36 ​​mixes powder additives such as binders with the fibers in the air to form a mixture. The mixing unit 36 ​​includes a powder supply mechanism 49. The powder supply mechanism 49 has a built-in hopper. The powder supply container 29 is attached to the powder supply mechanism 49. Although not shown, the mixing unit 36 ​​also includes a flow path for transporting the fibers, a valve, and a fan in addition to the powder supply mechanism 49. The hopper sends binder powder supplied from the powder supply container 29 into the flow path. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 uses starch as a binder for the fibers. A valve (not shown) adjusts the flow rate, i.e., the mass, of the binder supplied from the hopper to the flow path. This adjusts the mixture ratio of the fibers and binder. In addition to the powder supply container 29 and powder supply mechanism 49 that supply the binder, the mixing section 36 may also include a similar configuration for supplying colorants, additives, etc. The fan in the mixing section 36 generates an airflow that transports the fibers downstream while mixing the binder, etc. into the air to form a mixture. The mixture flows from the mixing section 36 into the pipe 94.

[0046] The power supply unit 69 has a power supply device (not shown) that supplies power to the control unit 45 and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200. The power supply unit 69 distributes power supplied from an external source to each component of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200. The control unit 45 controls all the components of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200. The control unit 45 may be connected to a computer 76. The computer 76 is, for example, a notebook computer.

[0047] The second unit 102 deposits and compresses the mixture containing fibers to form a belt-shaped sheet P1, which is recycled paper. The second unit 102 includes a depositing section 48, a first conveying section 83, a second conveying section 84, a first humidifying section 85, a second humidifying section 86, a drainage section 88, and a forming section 70. In the second unit 102, the deposition section 48, the first conveying section 83, the second conveying section 84, the first humidifying section 85, and the forming section 70 are arranged in the above order from upstream to downstream. The second humidifying section 86 is arranged below the first humidifying section 85.

[0048] The deposition unit 48 deposits the mixture containing the separated fibers in the air to generate a web W. The deposition unit 48 has a drum member 53, blade members 55 installed inside the drum member 53, a housing 51 that houses the drum member 53, and a suction unit 59. The mixture is taken into the drum member 53 through a pipe 94. A first conveying unit 83 is disposed below the accumulation unit 48. The first conveying unit 83 has a mesh belt 83a and five tension rollers (not shown) that tension the mesh belt 83a. The suction unit 59 faces the drum member 53 in the direction along the Z axis, with the mesh belt 83a sandwiched between them.

[0049] The blade member 55 is located inside the drum member 53 and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). The drum member 53 is a semi-cylindrical sieve. A mesh that functions as a sieve is provided on the downward-facing side of the drum member 53. The drum member 53 allows particles such as fibers and mixtures that are smaller than the size of the mesh openings of the sieve to pass from the inside to the outside. The mixture is agitated by rotating blade members 55 inside drum member 53 and then discharged to the outside of drum member 53. Humidified air is supplied to the inside of drum member 53 from second humidifying section 86.

[0050] The suction unit 59 is disposed below the drum member 53. The suction unit 59 sucks air from inside the housing 51 through multiple holes in the mesh belt 83a. The multiple holes in the mesh belt 83a allow air to pass through but prevent fibers and binders contained in the mixture from passing through. As a result, the mixture discharged to the outside of the drum member 53 is sucked downward together with the air. The suction unit 59 is a known suction device such as a blower. The mixture is dispersed in the air within the housing 51 and is deposited on the upper surface of the mesh belt 83a by gravity and the suction of the suction section 59 to form the web W.

[0051] The mesh belt 83a is an endless belt stretched over five tension rollers. The mesh belt 83a rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 16 due to the rotation of the tension rollers. As a result, the mixture is continuously deposited on the mesh belt 83a, forming a web W. The web W contains a relatively large amount of air and is soft and inflated. The first conveying section 83 conveys the formed web W downstream by the rotation of the mesh belt 83a.

[0052] The second conveying section 84 is located downstream of the first conveying section 83 and conveys the web W in place of the first conveying section 83. The second conveying section 84 peels the web W from the upper surface of the mesh belt 83a and conveys it toward the forming section 70. The second conveying section 84 is located above the conveying path of the web W and slightly upstream of the starting point of the return side of the mesh belt 83a. The positive X side of the second conveying section 84 and the negative X side of the mesh belt 83a partially overlap in the vertical direction. The second conveying section 84 has a transport belt, multiple rollers, and a suction mechanism (not shown). The transport belt has multiple holes to allow air to pass through. The transport belt is stretched over multiple rollers and rotates with the rotation of the rollers. The second conveying section 84 adsorbs the upper surface of the web W to the lower surface of the transport belt by using negative pressure generated by the suction mechanism. When the transport belt rotates in this state, the web W is adsorbed to the transport belt and transported downstream.

[0053] The first humidifying section 85 humidifies the web W containing fibers deposited in the deposition section 48 of the second unit 102. More specifically, the first humidifying section 85 is, for example, a mist-type humidifier, and humidifies the web W transported by the second conveying section 84 by supplying mist M from below. The first humidifying section 85 is disposed below the second conveying section 84 and faces the web W transported by the second conveying section 84 in the direction along the Z axis. A known humidifying device, for example, an ultrasonic type, can be used for the first humidifying section 85. By humidifying the web W with the mist M, the function of the starch as a binder is promoted, and the strength of the sheet P3 is improved. In addition, since the web W is humidified from below, droplets from the mist are prevented from falling onto the web W. Furthermore, since the web W is humidified from the side opposite the contact surface between the transport belt and the web W, sticking of the web W to the transport belt is reduced. The second transport section 84 transports the web W to the forming section 70.

[0054] The forming unit 70 has processing rollers 72 and 73. The processing rollers 72 and 73 compress the web W containing fibers and form it into a strip-shaped sheet P1. The processing rollers 72 and 73 form a pair, and each has an electric heater built in to increase the temperature of the roller surface. Processing rollers 72 and 73 are each a substantially cylindrical member. The rotation axis of processing roller 72 and the rotation axis of processing roller 73 are arranged along the Y axis. Processing roller 72 is arranged substantially above the transport path of web W, and processing roller 73 is arranged substantially below. A gap is provided between the side surface of processing roller 72 and the side surface of processing roller 73 according to the thickness of the sheet P3 to be manufactured.

[0055] The processing rollers 72 and 73 are driven to rotate by a stepping motor (not shown). The web W is sandwiched between the processing rollers 72 and 73 and sent downstream while being heated and pressurized. That is, the web W continuously passes through the forming unit 70 and is press-formed while being heated. By using the processing rollers 72 and 73 as a pair of forming members, the web W can be efficiently heated and pressurized.

[0056] As the web W passes through the forming section 70, the air contained therein is reduced and the fibers are bound together by the binder, from a soft state containing a relatively large amount of air, and the web W is formed into a belt-shaped sheet P1. The belt-shaped sheet P1 is transported to the first unit 101 by transport rollers (not shown).

[0057] Second humidifier 86 is disposed below first humidifier 85. A known evaporative humidifier can be used for second humidifier 86. An example of an evaporative humidifier is one that blows air onto a moistened nonwoven fabric or the like to evaporate the moisture and generate humidified air.

[0058] The second humidifying section 86 humidifies a predetermined area of ​​the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200. The predetermined area is one or more of the storage section 32, the separation section 34, and the inside of the drum member 53 of the accumulation section 48. Specifically, humidified air is supplied to the above-mentioned area from the second humidifying section 86 via multiple pipes (not shown). In each of the above-mentioned configurations, the humidified air suppresses the electrostatic charge on the paper pieces C, fibers, etc., and prevents them from adhering to the members due to static electricity.

[0059] The drainage unit 88 is a drainage tank. The drainage unit 88 is used in the first humidifying unit 85, the second humidifying unit 86, etc., and collects and stores old water. The drainage unit 88 can be removed from the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200 as needed, allowing the accumulated water to be discarded.

[0060] The strip-shaped sheet P1 transported to the first unit 101 reaches the first cutting section 81. The first cutting section 81 cuts the strip-shaped sheet P1 in a direction intersecting the transport direction, for example, along the Y axis. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut into single sheets P2 at the first cutting section 81. The single sheets P2 are transported from the first cutting section 81 to the second cutting section 82. The second cutting section 82 cuts the single sheet P2 in the conveyance direction. Specifically, the second cutting section 82 cuts the single sheet P2 near both sides in the direction along the X axis. As a result, the single sheet P2 becomes a sheet P3 of a predetermined shape, such as A4 size or A3 size.

[0061] When the second cutting section 82 cuts the single sheets P2 into sheets P3, slit pieces S, which are scraps, are generated. The slit pieces S are transported downward to the shredding section 95, which is a shredder. The shredding section 95 shreds the slit pieces S into small pieces and supplies them to the junction 17. A mechanism may be installed between the shredding section 95 and the junction 17 to weigh the small pieces of the slit pieces S and supply them to the junction 17. The sheet P3 is conveyed substantially upward and accumulated on the tray 91. In this manner, the sheet P3 is manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 200. The sheet P3 can be used as a substitute for, for example, copy paper. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 2...bottom surface, 2b...first inclined portion, 3...side surface, 3b...second inclined portion, 3c...groove, 4...side surface, 4b...second inclined portion, 4c...groove, 4d...positioning groove, 8...wheel, 9...adjuster bolt, 10...insertion member, 12...bottom surface, 12b...hole, 13...side surface, 13b...inclined surface, 14...side surface, 14b...inclined surface, 15...measuring portion, 15a...sensor portion, 16...through hole, 17...junction portion, 19...bolt, 20...first joining member, 2 0b...receiving portion, 21...second joining member, 21b...receiving portion, 22...shaft, 23...bolt, 24...positioning member, 29...powder supply container, 30...main frame, 32...storage portion, 33...defibration portion, 34...separation portion, 35...air flow piping, 36...mixing portion, 37...filter portion, 38...waste powder box, 39...discharge portion, 40...main frame, 42...housing, 42a...lower portion, 42b...middle portion, 42c...upper portion, 43...blower, 44...comp Lesser, 45...control section, 46...waste powder collection section, 48...accumulation section, 49...powder supply mechanism, 51...housing, 53...drum member, 55...blade member, 59...suction section, 69...power supply section, 70...forming section, 71...feed inlet, 72...processing roller, 73...processing roller, 76...computer, 81...first cutting section, 82...second cutting section, 83...first conveying section, 83a...mesh belt, 84...second conveying section, 85...first Humidification section, 86...second humidification section, 87...water supply section, 88...drainage section, 91...tray, 92...piping, 93...piping, 94...piping, 95...shredding section, 96...piping, 101...first unit, 101a...front, 101b...rear, 102...second unit, 102a...front, 102b...rear, 103...third unit, 103a...front, 200...sheet manufacturing device, C...paper pieces, P1...sheets, P2...sheets, P3...sheets.

Claims

1. The system is composed of a plurality of units including a first unit and a second unit connected to the first unit, the first unit has an insert member; the second unit has a joint member at a position corresponding to the insertion member, the insertion member has a first inclined portion tapering from a bottom surface, and the joining member has a first receiving portion on which the first inclined portion of the insertion member can slide; The first unit and the second unit are connected together in a state where the bottom surface of the insertion member is placed on the first receiving portion. Sheet manufacturing equipment.

2. a plurality of the insertion members are provided in a depth direction of the first unit, The second unit is provided with a plurality of the joining members at positions corresponding to the plurality of the insertion members. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The insertion member has a second inclined portion tapering from a side surface, the connecting member has a second receiving portion that stands upright from the first receiving portion and on which the second inclined portion can slide, The first unit and the second unit are connected together with the side surface of the insertion member in contact with the second receiving portion. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 .

4. the joining member further includes a positioning member that is movable in the depth direction, The insertion member has a positioning groove into which the positioning member can be fitted, In a state where the bottom surface of the insertion member is placed on the first receiving portion, The positioning member is fitted into the positioning groove of the insertion member; The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. The insertion member is provided detachably. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4.

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