Sheet manufacturing equipment

Abstract

Paper dust can adhere to the side walls of the suction section that constitutes the fiber deposition device. If the amount of paper dust increases, it can cause a change in the suction volume of the suction section, which may hinder the deposition of fibers onto the web conveyor belt. [Solution] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is a sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a sheet P3 from a material containing fibers, and comprises a deposition section 50 that deposits material by airflow to form a web W, and a sheet molding section that pressurizes the web W to form a strip-shaped sheet P1, wherein the deposition section 50 has a web conveyor belt 61a on which the material is deposited, and a suction section 59 that sucks up the material that has passed through the web conveyor belt 61a by airflow, and the suction section 59 has a hopper 591 provided below the web conveyor belt 61a and a discharge pipe 26 connected to the hopper 591, and a vibration unit 593 is installed on the wall surface of the hopper 591.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet manufacturing apparatus. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The fibrous body depositing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a discharge portion that discharges a fiber-containing material, a mesh member that deposits the material discharged by the discharge portion, and a recovery portion that recovers the material that has passed through the mesh member. The recovery portion has a suction portion that sucks air, and a side wall portion of the suction portion has an inclined portion that is disposed to be inclined with respect to a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. PRIOR ART DOCUMENT PATENT DOCUMENT

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-123066 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, paper dust adheres to the side wall portion. When the amount of paper dust adhering to the side wall portion increases, the suction amount of the suction portion decreases, which may hinder the deposition of fibers on the mesh member. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0005] A sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a sheet from a fiber-containing material, comprising: a deposition portion that deposits the material by an air flow to form a web; and a sheet forming portion that forms the sheet by pressing the web, wherein the deposition portion includes a web conveyance belt on which the material is deposited, and a suction portion that sucks the material that has passed through the web conveyance belt by the air flow, the suction portion includes a hopper provided below the web conveyance belt, and a discharge pipe connected to the hopper, and a vibration unit is installed on a wall surface of the hopper. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the frame's shape. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing the configuration of the suction unit. [Figure 4] An enlarged front view showing the configuration of the suction section and discharge pipe. [Figure 5] A side view showing the configuration of the buffer section. [Figure 6] A side view showing the configuration of the buffer section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] In the following embodiments, a sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 for recycling paper scraps such as waste paper using a dry method will be illustrated and described with reference to the drawings. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present invention is not limited to being dry, but may also be wet. In this specification, "dry" means that the process is carried out in air, such as the atmosphere, rather than in a liquid.

[0008] In the following diagrams, the X, Y, and Z axes are shown as mutually orthogonal coordinate axes, with the direction indicated by each arrow being the + direction and the opposite direction being the - direction. The Z axis is a virtual axis along the vertical direction, with the +Z direction being upward and the -Z direction being downward. The -Z direction is the direction in which gravity acts. In addition, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the end of the conveying direction for raw materials, webs, and sheets is sometimes referred to as downstream, and the side going upstream in the conveying direction is sometimes referred to as upstream. For illustrative purposes, the size of each component is different from the actual size.

[0009] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has a first unit group 101, a second unit group 102, and a third unit group 103. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 has a first frame F1, a second frame F2, and a third frame F3. The first frame F1, the second frame F2, and the third frame F3 constitute the main frame F. The first frame F1, the second frame F2, and the third frame F3 will be described later. In Figure 1, the direction in which the raw material C, sheet P3, slit piece S, and scrap material move is indicated by white arrows.

[0010] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures a sheet P3 from raw material C. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the first unit group 101, the third unit group 103, and the second unit group 102 are arranged from the -Y direction to the +Y direction.

[0011] Raw material C is transported from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 via piping 21 that crosses the third unit group 103. After being subjected to defibration and other processes in the second unit group 102, raw material C is transported to the third unit group 103 via piping 24. In the third unit group 103, raw material C is formed into a web W and then molded into a strip-shaped sheet P1. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut in the first unit group 101 to become sheet P3.

[0012] The first unit group 101, as a processing unit, includes a buffer tank 13, a quantitative supply unit 15, a merging unit 17, a first cutting unit 81, a second cutting unit 82, a tray 91, and a shredding unit 95.

[0013] Raw material C is introduced into the buffer tank 13 from the raw material inlet 11. Raw material C is a material containing fibers such as cellulose, for example, shredded recycled paper scraps. Humidified air is supplied to the inside of the buffer tank 13 from the second humidification unit 66 provided in the third unit group 103.

[0014] After being temporarily stored in the buffer tank 13, the raw material C is conveyed to the constant-quantity feeding unit 15 in accordance with the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 may be provided with a shredder for shredding waste paper or the like on the upstream side of the buffer tank 13.

[0015] The constant-quantity feeding unit 15 includes a weighing device 15a and a feeding mechanism (not shown). The weighing device 15a weighs the mass of the raw material C. The feeding mechanism feeds the raw material C weighed by the weighing device 15a to the merging portion 17 on the downstream side. That is, the constant-quantity feeding unit 15 weighs the raw material C into portions each having a predetermined mass by the weighing device 15a, and feeds the weighed portions to the merging portion 17 on the downstream side via the feeding mechanism.

[0016] In the present embodiment, a load cell is used as the weighing device 15a. The predetermined mass by which the weighing device 15a weighs the raw material C is, for example, about several grams to several tens of grams.

[0017] A known technique such as a vibrating feeder can be applied to the feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism may be a component included in the weighing device 15a.

[0018] The weighing and feeding of the raw material C by the constant-quantity feeding unit 15 are performed as batch processing. That is, the feeding of the raw material C from the constant-quantity feeding unit 15 to the merging portion 17 is performed intermittently. The constant-quantity feeding unit 15 may include a plurality of weighing devices 15a, and may improve the weighing efficiency by operating the plurality of weighing devices 15a with a time difference.

[0019] In the merging portion 17, shredded pieces of slit pieces S fed from the shredding portion 95 merge with and are mixed into the raw material C fed from the constant-quantity feeding unit 15. The slit pieces S and the shredding portion 95 will be described later. The raw material C mixed with the shredded pieces flows into the pipe 21 from the merging portion 17.

[0020] The pipe 21 conveys the raw material C from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 by an air flow generated by a blower (not shown).

[0021] The second unit group 102 comprises, as processing units, a defibrating unit 31, a separating unit 32, a pipe 23, and a mixing unit 33. In the second unit group 102, these components are arranged in the above order from upstream to downstream. The second unit group 102 also comprises a pipe 25 connected to the separating unit 32, a recovery unit 35, a compressor 38, and a power supply unit 39.

[0022] The raw material C conveyed through the pipe 21 flows into the defibrating unit 31. The defibrating unit 31 defibrates the raw material C supplied from the constant quantity feeding unit 15 into fibers in a dry process. A known defibration mechanism can be applied to the defibrating unit 31.

[0023] Examples of the configuration of the defibrating unit 31 are as follows. The defibrating unit 31 comprises a stator and a rotor. The stator has a substantially cylindrical inner side surface. The rotor is disposed inside the stator and rotates along the inner side surface of the stator. Fine pieces of the raw material C are sandwiched between the inner side surface of the stator and the rotor, and are defibrated by the shearing force generated therebetween. Accordingly, entangled fibers contained in paper pieces of the raw material C are disentangled, and the raw material C becomes fibrous raw material C. The fibrous raw material C is conveyed to the separating unit 32.

[0024] The separating unit 32 removes components unnecessary for manufacturing the sheet P3 contained in the fibrous raw material C. Specifically, the separating unit 32 separates relatively long fibers from relatively short fibers. Since relatively short fibers may cause a decrease in the strength of the sheet P3, they are separated by the separating unit 32. The separating unit 32 also separates and removes coloring materials, additives and the like contained in waste paper. A known technique such as a disk mesh method can be applied to the separating unit 32.

[0025] Humidified air from the second humidifying unit 66 of the third unit group 103 is supplied into the separating unit 32.

[0026] The raw material C is conveyed to the mixing unit 33 via the pipe 23. Unnecessary components such as relatively short fibers and coloring materials are discharged to the recovery unit 35 via the pipe 25.

[0027] The mixing unit 33 mixes the raw material C with a binder and other materials in air to form a mixture M7. Although not shown in the figures, the mixing unit 33 includes a flow path for conveying the raw material C, a fan, a storage tank, a supply pipe, and a valve.

[0028] The storage tank is connected to the flow path of raw material C via a supply pipe. A valve is installed in the supply pipe between the storage tank and the flow path. The storage tank supplies a binder such as starch into the flow path. The valve adjusts the mass of the binder supplied from the storage tank to the flow path. This adjusts the mixing ratio of raw material C and the binder.

[0029] In addition to the above configuration for supplying a binder, the mixing unit 33 may also have a similar configuration for supplying colorants, additives, etc.

[0030] The fan in the mixing section 33 uses the generated airflow to transport the raw material C downstream while mixing in binders and other materials in the air to form a mixture M7. The mixture M7 flows from the mixing section 33 into the piping 24.

[0031] The recovery unit 35 has a suction pump (not shown). The recovery unit 35 sucks up the relatively short fibers separated in the separation unit 32 via the piping 25. The recovery unit 35 also sucks up the paper dust M8, which will be described later, supplied from the third unit group 103.

[0032] The recovery unit 35 is equipped with a filter (not shown). The filter filters out unwanted material C supplied from the separation unit 32 and paper dust M8 supplied from the third unit group 103.

[0033] The compressor 38 generates compressed air. The filter may become clogged with fine particles and other unwanted substances. It is possible to clean the filter by blowing the compressed air generated by the compressor 38 onto it to blow away the attached particles.

[0034] The power supply unit 39 includes the control unit 5 as well as a power supply device that supplies power to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The power supply unit 39 distributes the power supplied from the outside to each component of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0035] The third unit group 103, as a processing unit, includes a stacking section 50, a first conveying section 61, a second conveying section 62, a first humidification section 65, a second humidification section 66, and a heating roller section 70. In the third unit group 103, the stacking section 50, the first conveying section 61, the second conveying section 62, the first humidification section 65, and the heating roller section 70 are arranged in the above order from upstream to downstream.

[0036] The deposition unit 50 is a fiber deposition unit that generates a web W by depositing a mixture M7 with an airflow. The deposition unit 50 includes a drum member 53, a blade member 55 installed inside the drum member 53, a housing 51 that accommodates the drum member 53, and a suction unit 59. The mixture M7 is taken into the drum member 53 from the piping 24.

[0037] Below the drum member 53, the first conveying unit 61 is positioned. The first conveying unit 61 has a web conveying belt 61a and five tensioning rollers that tension the web conveying belt 61a. The suction unit 59 faces the drum member 53 in the direction along the Z axis, with the web conveying belt 61a in between. That is, the drum member 53 is positioned above the web conveying belt 61a.

[0038] The blade member 55 is located inside the drum member 53 and is rotationally driven 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 binders that are smaller than the mesh opening of the sieve to pass from the inside to the outside.

[0039] The mixture M7 is agitated by the rotating blade member 55 within the drum member 53 and discharged to the outside of the drum member 53. Humidified air from the second humidification unit 66 is supplied to the inside of the drum member 53.

[0040] The mixture M7 is dispersed in the air inside the housing 51 and, due to gravity and suction from the suction unit 59, is released by airflow from an opening provided on the bottom surface of the housing 51 and accumulates on the upper surface of the web conveyor belt 61a to form the web W. The mixture M7 that does not become web W, i.e., the mixture M7 that passes through the web conveyor belt 61a, is sucked up as paper dust M8.

[0041] The suction unit 59 is positioned below the drum member 53 and the web conveyor belt 61a, and is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the web conveyor belt 61a. The suction unit 59 generates an airflow, sucks in the paper dust M8 along with the air, and supplies it to the recovery unit 35. Details of the suction unit 59 will be described later.

[0042] The web conveyor belt 61a is an endless belt and is stretched by five tension rollers. The web conveyor belt 61a rotates counterclockwise in Figure 1 due to the rotation of the tension rollers. As a result, the mixture M7 is continuously deposited on the web conveyor belt 61a, and the web W is formed. The web W contains a relatively large amount of air and is soft and inflated. The first conveying unit 61 conveys the formed web W downstream by the rotation of the web conveyor belt 61a.

[0043] The second conveying unit 62 is a conveying unit that conveys the web W downstream of the first conveying unit 61, taking over the role of the first conveying unit 61. The second conveying unit 62 peels the web W from the upper surface of the web conveying belt 61a and conveys it toward the heating roller unit 70. The second conveying unit 62 is located above the conveying path of the web W. The +Y direction of the second conveying unit 62 and the -Y direction of the web conveying belt 61a partially overlap in the vertical direction.

[0044] The second conveying section 62 includes a conveying belt (not shown), a plurality of rollers, and a suction mechanism. The conveying belt is provided with a plurality of holes for air to pass through. The conveying belt is stretched by the plurality of rollers and rotates as the rollers rotate.

[0045] The second transport section 62 uses the negative pressure generated by the suction mechanism to attract the upper surface of the web W to the lower surface of the transport belt. In this state, as the transport belt rotates, the web W is attracted to the transport belt and transported downstream.

[0046] The first humidifying unit 65 is an ultrasonic humidifier that humidifies the web W being transported by the second transporting unit 62 by supplying mist M from below. The first humidifying unit 65 is positioned below the second transporting unit 62 and faces the web W being transported by the second transporting unit 62 in a direction along the Z-axis.

[0047] When the web W is humidified with mist M, the function of the starch as a binder is enhanced, improving the strength of the sheet P3. 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 humidification is performed from the opposite side of the contact surface between the transport belt and the web W, the web W is less likely to stick to the transport belt. The second transport section 62 transports the web W to the heated roller section 70.

[0048] The heating roller section 70 is a heating roller unit that heats and pressurizes the fiber-laden web W to compress it and form it into a strip-shaped sheet P1. The heating roller section 70 has a pair of heating rollers 71 and 72. Each of the pair of heating rollers 71 and 72 has a built-in electric heater that heats the roller surface. The heating roller section 70 is also called the sheet forming section that forms the web W into a strip-shaped sheet P1.

[0049] The web W is heated and pressed by continuously passing it between a pair of heating rollers 71 and 72. This reduces the amount of air contained in the relatively soft web W, and the fibers are bound together by the binder, forming a strip-shaped sheet P1. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is conveyed to the first unit group 101 by conveyor rollers (not shown).

[0050] The second humidification unit 66 is located below the first humidification unit 65. The second humidification unit 66 is an evaporative humidifier. The second humidification unit 66 supplies humidified air to the buffer tank 13, the separation unit 32, and the drum member 53 through a plurality of pipes (not shown). In each of the above configurations, the humidified air suppresses the charging of fibers and particles of the raw material C, thereby suppressing their adhesion due to static electricity.

[0051] The strip-shaped sheet P1, transported to the first unit group 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 X-axis. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut into single-sheet-shaped sheets P2 at the first cutting section 81. The single-sheet-shaped sheets P2 are transported from the first cutting section 81 to the second cutting section 82.

[0052] The second cutting unit 82 cuts the single sheet P2 in the transport direction, for example, along the Y-axis. More specifically, the second cutting unit 82 cuts the single sheet P2 near both sides in the direction along the X-axis. As a result, the single sheet P2 becomes sheets P3 of a predetermined shape, such as A4 or A3. The sheets P3 are transported diagonally upward and accumulated in the tray 91. The sheets P3 can be used as a substitute for, for example, copy paper.

[0053] In the second cutting section 82, when the single sheet P2 is cut into sheet P3, slit pieces S, which are scraps, are generated. The slit pieces S are transported in approximately the -Y direction to the shredding section 95, which is a shredder. The shredding section 95 shreds the slit pieces S into fine fragments, which are then supplied to the merging section 17. A mechanism for weighing the fine fragments of the slit pieces S and supplying them to the merging section 17 may be installed between the shredding section 95 and the merging section 17.

[0054] As shown in Figure 2, the first frame F1, the third frame F3, and the second frame F2 are arranged in this order along the Y-axis to form the main frame F. In other words, the third frame F3 is installed between the first frame F1 and the second frame F2. The first frame F1, the second frame F2, and the third frame F3 are each separate components. Although not shown in the illustration, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with a housing that covers the first frame F1, the second frame F2, and the third frame F3.

[0055] Each of the first frame F1, second frame F2, and third frame F3 consists of multiple skeletal members arranged along one of the X, Y, or Z axes, and has a space inside in which the aforementioned processing unit can be installed. The first frame F1, second frame F2, and third frame F3 have an outline that is roughly rectangular. In each outline, the length along the X axis is roughly equal, and the height along the Z axis is roughly equal. The first frame F1, second frame F2, and third frame F3 may each be equipped with casters for movement at their lower ends.

[0056] The first unit group 101 is installed on the first frame F1. Specifically, the buffer tank 13, the quantitative supply unit 15, the merging unit 17, the first cutting unit 81, the second cutting unit 82, the tray 91, and the shredding unit 95 are installed on the first frame F1.

[0057] The second unit group 102 is installed on the second frame F2. Specifically, the piping 23, piping 25, defibration unit 31, separation unit 32, mixing unit 33, recovery unit 35, compressor 38, and power supply unit 39 are installed on the second frame F2.

[0058] The third unit group 103 is installed on the third frame F3. Specifically, the accumulation section 50, the suction section 59, the first transport section 61, the second transport section 62, the first humidification section 65, the second humidification section 66, and the heating roller section 70 are installed on the third frame F3. The piping 21 is installed spanning the first frame F1, the second frame F2, and the third frame F3. The piping 24 is installed spanning the second frame F2 and the third frame F3.

[0059] The third frame F3 has a support frame F3a that supports the processing unit. The support frame F3a is a support member for attaching the processing unit to the skeletal member. The drum member 53 that constitutes the accumulation section 50 is fixed to the support frame F3a using fasteners such as bolts and screws.

[0060] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the suction unit 59 comprises a hopper 591, a vibration unit 593, a bracket 592, a discharge port 595, a gasket 60, and a discharge pipe 26.

[0061] The hopper 591 is a duct member located below the web conveying belt 61a and has a shape that gradually narrows downwards when viewed from the side in the +X direction. The upper surface of the hopper 591 is open opposite the opening surface of the housing 51 and collects the mixture M7, i.e., paper dust M8, that has passed through the web conveying belt 61a. An outlet 595 is provided on the lower side of the hopper 591 and is connected to a discharge pipe 26. The discharge pipe 26 is connected to a recovery section 35, and the paper dust M8 collected by the hopper 591 is sucked towards the recovery section 35 and transported to the recovery section 35.

[0062] Some of the paper dust M8 collected by the hopper 591 adheres to the inner wall surface of the hopper 591. Furthermore, over time, the paper dust M8 adhering to the inner wall surface of the hopper 591 accumulates, which may reduce the suction capacity of the hopper 591. For this reason, the suction unit 59 of this embodiment is equipped with a vibration unit 593 for removing the paper dust M8 adhering to the inner wall surface of the hopper 591.

[0063] The vibration unit 593 is a vibration unit installed on the wall surface of the hopper 591. The vibration unit 593 is a mechanism that removes paper dust M8 adhering to the inner wall surface of the hopper 591 by mechanical vibration. In this embodiment, the vibration unit 593 is attached to the outer wall surface of the hopper 591.

[0064] As shown in Figure 3, the vibration unit 593 generates vibrations by rotating a rotor 593b, to which a weight 593c is attached, using a motor 593e. The motor 593e is connected to the control unit 5 and rotates under the control of the control unit 5. The body of the motor 593e is held in place by a unit chassis 593a that covers the rotor 593b.

[0065] The rotating shaft of the motor 593e is connected to the shaft member, shaft 593d. The shaft 593d is rotatably held by the unit chassis 593a and transmits the rotation of the motor 593e to the rotor 593b. The rotor 593b is fixed to the shaft 953d inside the unit chassis 593a.

[0066] The rotor 593b is a flat disc. The rotor 593b is formed from, for example, a metal or resin material. The shaft 593d is fixed to the rotor 593b so as to pass through its center. A weight 593c (consisting of a bolt and nut) is attached to the rotor 593b at an offset position from its center. In other words, because the center of gravity of the rotating body consisting of the rotor 593b and the weight 593c is spaced apart from the shaft 593d, vibration is generated when the shaft 593d is rotated around its axis.

[0067] Alternatively, instead of attaching the weight 593c to the rotor 593b, the shaft 593d may be fixed at a position offset from the center of gravity of the rotor 593b. Or, the shaft 593d may be fixed at a position offset from the center of gravity of the rotor 593b, and then the weight 593c may be attached to the rotor 593b.

[0068] The unit chassis 593a has mounting holes 593f formed therein for attachment to the hopper 591. The vibration unit 593 is attached to the hopper 591 by fixing fasteners such as screws to the outer wall surface of the hopper 591 through these mounting holes 593f.

[0069] By attaching the vibration unit 593 to the hopper 591, it becomes possible to remove the paper dust M8 adhering to the wall surface of the hopper 591 by vibration. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the accumulation of paper dust M8 on the wall surface of the hopper 591 and to ensure that the mixture M7 is properly deposited onto the web conveyor belt 61a.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, the outlet 595 is in close contact with the discharge pipe 26 via a gasket 60. The gasket 60 is an annular elastic member that allows for airflow between the outlet 595 and the discharge pipe 26. The gasket 60 is formed from, for example, a plate-shaped EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). Alternatively, the gasket 60 may be made of a closed-cell sponge material. With this configuration, since the outlet 595 of the suction unit 59 and the discharge pipe 26 are connected via an elastic gasket 60, it is possible to mitigate the transmission of vibrations generated by the vibration unit 593 to other mechanisms.

[0071] The material for gasket 60 may be EPDM, natural rubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, fluororubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, tetrafluoroethylene rubber resin, or plant fibers such as hemp or cotton.

[0072] The gasket 60 is fixed to the outlet 595 and the outlet pipe 26 with an adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive. In addition to acrylic adhesives, rubber adhesives, silicone adhesives, urethane adhesives, or combinations of these adhesives can be used.

[0073] Bracket 592 is a sheet metal member for attaching and fixing the vibration unit 593 to the support frame F3a. Bracket 592 is attached to the wall surface of the hopper 591 that faces the support frame F3a. Bracket 592 is attached to the support frame F3a via the buffer portion 80. In other words, the hopper 591 is attached to the support frame F3a via the buffer portion 80, which is a buffering member.

[0074] The buffer portion 80 is a buffer member that connects the bracket 592 and the support frame F3a. The buffer portion 80 also has a buffering function that makes it difficult for vibrations generated by the vibration unit 593 to be transmitted to the support frame F3a. The bracket 592 has a first connecting plate 592J parallel to the XY plane. The first connecting plate 592J has a hole (not shown) to which the buffer portion 80 is attached. The support frame F3a also has a second connecting plate F3aJ parallel to the XY plane at a position opposite to the bracket 592. The second connecting plate F3aJ has a hole (not shown) to which the buffer portion 80 is attached.

[0075] As shown in Figure 5, the buffer section 80 consists of a shaft member 801, a bush 802, end members 803 disposed at both ends of the shaft member 801, and a spring member 810. When the bracket 592 and the support frame F3a are connected, the second connecting plate F3aJ of the support frame F3a, the bush 802, the first connecting plate 592J of the bracket 592, and the spring member 810 are arranged from bottom to top between the two end members 803. The shaft member 801 is positioned to pass through holes and the like provided in them.

[0076] The shaft member 801 is a steel shaft. Female screw holes are formed at both ends of the shaft member 801 for attaching the end members 803.

[0077] The bush 802 is a cylindrical mechanical member through which the shaft member 801 passes. The bush 802 is inserted between the bracket 592 and the support frame F3a to prevent contact between the bracket 592 and the support frame F3a. The material of the bush 802 is preferably elastic and vibration-damping. The material of the bush 802 may be polyacetal, nylon, rubber, or other materials such as iron, brass, or copper alloy.

[0078] The spring member 810 is a compression coil spring. The spring member 810 can be made from materials such as carbon steel, alloy steel, or copper alloy. Materials made from resin can also be used. The shaft member 801 passes through the center of the spring member 810.

[0079] The end members 803 are fixing members attached to both ends of the shaft member 801. In this embodiment, the end members 803 are pan head screws that can be screwed into female screw holes provided in the shaft member 801. In the end members 803 attached to the shaft member 801, the diameter of the portion protruding from the shaft member 801 is larger than the diameter of the spring member 810. With this configuration, the buffer section 80 is able to hold the spring member 810, the bracket 592, the bush 802, and the support frame F3a in the axial direction by sandwiching them between the two end members 803. With this configuration, since the suction section 59 is attached to the support frame F3a via the buffer section 80, it is possible to mitigate the transmission of vibrations emitted by the suction section 59 to other mechanisms.

[0080] As shown in Figure 6, a second spring member 820 may be placed in place of the bush 802 in the buffer section 80. By placing the second spring member 820 in place of the bush 802, the vibrations emitted by the vibration unit 593 are absorbed by the spring member 810 and the second spring member 820, thereby further mitigating the transmission of vibrations to the support frame F3a and other processing units. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 1…Sheet manufacturing device, 5…Control unit, 11…Raw material input port, 13…Buffer tank, 15…Quantitative supply unit, 15a…Weighing device, 17…Confluence unit, 21,23,24,25…Piping, 26…Discharge pipe, 31…Fibre section, 32…Separation section, 33…Mixing section, 35…Recovery section, 38…Compressor, 39…Power supply unit, 50…Stacking section, 51…Housing, 53…Drum component, 55…Blade component, 59…Suction section, 60…Gasket, 61…First conveying section, 61a…Web conveying belt, 62…Second conveying section, 65…First humidification section, 66…Second humidification section, 70…Heating roller section, 71,72…Pair of heating rollers, 80…Buffer section, 81…First cutting section, 82…Second cutting section, 91…Tray, 95…Shredding section ,101...First unit group, 102...Second unit group, 103...Third unit group, 591...Hopper, 592...Bracket, 592J...First connecting plate, 593...Vibration unit, 593a...Unit chassis, 593b...Rotor, 593c...Weight, 593d...Shaft, 593e...Motor, 593f...Mounting hole, 595...Discharge port, 801...Shaft member, 802...Bush, 803...End member, 810...Spring member, 820...Second spring member, F3aJ...Second connecting plate, F1...First frame, F2...Second frame, F3...Third frame, F3a...Support frame, M7...Mixture, M8...Paper dust, P1...Strip-shaped sheet, P2...Single sheet, P3...Sheet, W...Web.

Claims

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheets from materials containing fibers, A deposition section where the aforementioned material is deposited by airflow to form a web, The system comprises a sheet molding section that forms the sheet by applying pressure to the web, The deposition section comprises a web conveyor belt on which the material is deposited, and a suction section that sucks up the material that has passed through the web conveyor belt using the airflow. The suction unit comprises a hopper located below the web conveying belt and a discharge pipe connected to the hopper. A sheet manufacturing apparatus characterized by having a vibration unit installed on the wall surface of the hopper.

2. A sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, A sheet manufacturing apparatus characterized by having a drum provided above the web conveying belt for discharging the material, and a frame to which the drum is fixed.

3. A sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, A sheet manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the hopper is attached to the frame via a cushioning member.

4. A sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The sheet manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the hopper has a discharge port, and the discharge port and the discharge pipe are in close contact by a gasket.

5. A sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, A sheet manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the gasket is an elastic material.

Images