Filament 3D joint manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a filament three-dimensional conjugate manufacturing device that smoothly leads an end fused filament group into a water bath and can suppress temperature drop or temperature unevenness at a linking zone.SOLUTION: A filament three-dimensional conjugate manufacturing device has a fused filament feed section, which discharges a fused filament group formed by translating a plurality of fused filaments downward, and a fusion conjugate formation section, which forms a filament three-dimensional conjugate by causing the fused filaments to be fused and coupled to each other in a water bath. The manufacturing device has a receiving plate, which has an inclined part for receiving an end fused filament group located in the vicinity of a top view end of the fused filament group and sliding it in an inside downward inclination direction to lead it into the water bath, a water-absorbing sheet that covers the inclined part, and a cooling water reservoir that stores cooling water fed to the water-absorbing sheet. The water-absorbing sheet absorbs the cooling water from the cooling water reservoir, causing the cooling water to be fed to the water-absorbing sheet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional filament assembly. [Background technology]

[0002] High-resilience mattresses using a bonded body (filament three-dimensional bonded body) obtained by three-dimensionally fusing and bonding filaments made of thermoplastic resin have been attracting attention in recent years because of their high resilience, ease of turning over in bed, and excellent breathability. Methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, are known as methods for manufacturing such filament three-dimensional bonded bodies.

[0003] According to the methods of Patent Documents 1 and 2, a molten thermoplastic resin is extruded vertically downward from multiple nozzles arranged horizontally, and then a group of molten filaments (filamentary aggregate) with a diameter of about 1 mm is dropped into water, and loops are formed by the buoyancy of the water, and at the same time, the multiple molten filaments that have formed the loops are fused and bonded together in three dimensions to produce a three-dimensional filament bond. At this time, the end molten filament groups located on both sides (both front-rear directions) of the group of molten filaments (filamentary aggregate) in the thickness direction are received by an inclined receiving plate (chute), and then slid in the inclined direction on the surface of the receiving plate and dropped into a water tank, forming a smooth, high-density surface layer with high strength.

[0004] As a method for allowing the end molten filaments to smoothly slide down the receiving plate and fall into the water tank, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which cooling water is supplied to a roughened receiving plate (chute) to form a cooling water film. Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which the surface of the receiving plate (chute) is covered with a water-permeable sheet, and cooling water is supplied between the receiving plate (chute) surface and the water-permeable sheet to form a cooling water film. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4966438 [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-218116 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To form a 3D filament bond, multiple molten filaments must be fused together in a water tank (underwater). Therefore, to prevent the fusion strength (fusion point strength) between the molten filaments from changing, the water temperature in the upper part of the water tank, especially the area in the water tank where the fusion bonding between the molten filaments occurs (linking zone), must be kept constant.

[0007] However, when cooling water is supplied from the top of the receiving plate, the cooling water flows down into the tank, lowering the water temperature at the top of the tank. As a result, while the water temperature is less likely to drop in the center in the fore-and-aft direction (center in the thickness direction) away from the receiving plate, the temperature is more likely to drop at both ends in the fore-and-aft direction (both ends in the thickness direction) close to the receiving plate where the cooling water flows down.

[0008] In particular, in order to form a cooling water film on the entire surface of the backing plate, it is necessary to supply more cooling water than the minimum amount of cooling water required to cool and solidify the portion near the end of the molten filament group when viewed from above (end molten filament group), which results in a large temperature drop (variation over time) in the linking zone and large temperature unevenness (variation over position) in the linking zone.

[0009] If the temperature of the linking zone fluctuates with respect to position or time, the fusion bonding between the molten filaments may not be performed properly, and problems such as unstable repulsive force and hardness of the three-dimensional filament bond may occur. In particular, if the temperature of the linking zone is lower than the appropriate temperature, sufficient bonding strength (linking strength) between the filaments may not be obtained, and when the resulting three-dimensional filament bond is used as a cushioning material, problems may occur such that the cushioning properties (repulsive force and hardness) tend to decrease with the years of use.

[0010] In order to deal with these problems, it is important to reduce and stabilize the amount of cooling water flowing into the linking zone. In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a manufacturing device for a three-dimensional filament bond that can smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the water tank and suppress the temperature drop and temperature unevenness in the linking zone. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional bonded filament body, the apparatus having a molten filament supply section which discharges a group of molten filaments formed by translating a plurality of molten filaments downward, and a fusion bond forming section which causes the molten filaments to be fused and bonded to each other in a water tank to form a three-dimensional bonded filament body, and the apparatus is provided with a receiving plate having an inclined portion which receives an end molten filament group located near the end of the molten filament group as viewed from above, and guides the end molten filament group in an inward and downward inclined direction into the water tank, an absorbent sheet which covers the inclined portion, and a cooling water storage section which stores cooling water to be supplied to the water absorbent sheet, and the cooling water is supplied to the water absorbent sheet by the water absorbent sheet sucking up the cooling water from the cooling water storage section.

[0012] According to this configuration, it is possible to smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the water tank and to suppress temperature drop and temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

[0013] More specifically, the above configuration may be configured such that a plurality of the cooling water storage sections are provided below the inclined portion, and the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the plurality of cooling water storage sections.

[0014] More specifically, as the above configuration, each of the multiple cooling water storage sections may be positioned at a different position in the inclination direction of the inclined portion, the inclined portion may have holes corresponding to each of the multiple cooling water storage sections, and the absorbent sheet may be configured to suck up the cooling water from each of the multiple cooling water storage sections through the holes.

[0015] More specifically, the above configuration may be such that at least one of the cooling water storage sections is configured such that a portion extending from an outer end of the inclined section is bent into a shape capable of storing the cooling water. Note that the term "at least one of the cooling water storage sections" is not limited to a case in which there are multiple cooling water storage sections, but also includes a cooling water storage section in a case in which there is only one cooling water storage section.

[0016] More specifically, the cooling water storage section may be the water tank, and water in the water tank may be used as the cooling water.More specifically, the inclined section may have a support section formed by bending a portion extending from an outer end of the inclined section toward the inside of the water tank, an outer portion of the absorbent sheet may extend along the support section and contact the water in the water tank, and a cover may be provided above the support section with the absorbent sheet sandwiched therebetween.

[0017] More specifically, the above configuration may include a water flow generating device provided below the receiving plate for generating a water flow in the water tank to cool the filament three-dimensional combination. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the water tank and to suppress temperature drop and temperature unevenness in the linking zone. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional assembly according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing apparatus taken along line AA' in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a nozzle portion as viewed from below. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic enlarged view of a portion within a dotted frame X shown in FIG. [Figure 5A]FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a receiving plate and its surroundings as viewed from below. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line CC' of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control system for the temperature of the water inside the wall. [Figure 7] 11 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of a receiving plate of the manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional combined body according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of a receiving plate of the manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional combined body according to the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of a receiving plate of a manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional combined body according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] 1. First embodiment First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 1 for a three-dimensional filament assembly according to this embodiment, showing the manufacturing apparatus 1 from the viewpoint of a cross-sectional view when cut along a plane dividing the apparatus into left and right halves. Fig. 2 is an arrow view of the A-A' cross section of the manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1. Note that the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions (directions perpendicular to each other) in the description of the manufacturing apparatus 1 are as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The up-down direction is the vertical direction.

[0022] The manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a three-dimensional filament bond includes a molten filament supply section 10 that discharges a group of molten filaments consisting of a plurality of molten filaments MF with diameters of approximately 0.3 to 3.0 mm vertically downward, and a fusion bond forming section 20 that three-dimensionally entangles the molten filaments MF to fusion bond the contact points, and then cools and solidifies the resulting filament three-dimensional bond FZ.

[0023] The molten filament supply section 10 includes a pressure melting section 11 (extruder) and a filament discharge section 12 (die). The pressure melting section 11 includes a material input section 13 (hopper), a screw 14, a screw motor 15 that drives the screw 14, a screw heater 16, and a plurality of temperature sensors (not shown). Inside the pressure melting section 11, a cylinder 11a is formed for transporting the thermoplastic resin supplied from the material input section 13 while heating and melting it with the screw heater 16.

[0024] A screw 14 is rotatably housed in the cylinder 11a. A cylinder outlet 11b is formed at the downstream end of the cylinder 11a for discharging the thermoplastic resin toward the filament discharge section 12. The heating temperature of the screw heater 16 is controlled based on a detection signal of a temperature sensor provided in the molten filament supply section 10, for example.

[0025] The filament discharge section 12 includes a nozzle section 17, a die heater 18, and a plurality of temperature sensors (not shown), and is formed therein with a guide passage 12a that guides the molten thermoplastic resin discharged from the cylinder discharge port 11b to the nozzle section 17.

[0026] The nozzle portion 17 is a thick metal plate having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a plurality of openings are formed, and is provided below the filament discharge portion 12, which corresponds to the most downstream portion of the guide channel 12a.

[0027] Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the nozzle section 17 as viewed from below. A plurality of nozzle openings 17a for discharging the molten filament MF are formed in the nozzle section 17. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the openings 17a are arranged in a staggered manner in the front-rear and left-right directions, and the distance (pitch) between adjacent openings 17 is about 10 mm. However, the specific shape of the openings 17 is not particularly limited.

[0028] A plurality of die heaters 18 (six, 18a to 18f, in the example shown in FIG. 2) are provided in the left-right direction and heat the filament discharge section 12. The heating temperature of the die heater 18 is controlled based on a detection signal of a temperature sensor provided in the filament discharge section 12, for example.

[0029] Examples of thermoplastic resins that can be used as materials for the filament three-dimensional bonded body include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide resins such as nylon 66, polyvinyl chloride resins, and polystyrene resins, as well as thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-based elastomers, PVC-based elastomers, olefin-based elastomers, urethane-based elastomers, polyester-based elastomers, nitrile-based elastomers, polyamide-based elastomers, and fluorine-based elastomers.

[0030] The thermoplastic resin supplied from the material input unit 13 is heated and melted in the cylinder 11a, and is supplied as a molten thermoplastic resin from the cylinder outlet 11b to the guide channel 12a of the filament discharge unit 12, for example, by being extruded by a screw 14. Thereafter, a group of molten filaments made up of a plurality of molten filaments MF is discharged from each of the plurality of nozzle openings 17a of the nozzle unit 17 so as to move downward in translation.

[0031] The fusion bond forming section 20 includes a cooling water tank 21, a receiving plate 22, a cooling water storage section 23, a conveyor 24, and a plurality of conveying rollers 25a to 25h. The receiving plate 22 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the axial direction being vertical, and is disposed below the nozzle section 17 so as to receive the molten filament MF discharged from the nozzle section 17. In the following description, the horizontal inner side of the receiving plate 22 may be simply referred to as the "inner side", and the horizontal outer side of the receiving plate 22 may be simply referred to as the "outer side". As shown in FIG. 4 described later, the cooling water storage section 23 is disposed below the receiving plate 22, and stores cooling water for the cooling water film formed on the upper surface of the receiving plate 22.

[0032] The cooling water tank 21 is a tank that contains water W used to cool the molten filament MF, and can store a sufficient amount of water W as shown in Fig. 1. The water W serves as a coolant that provides buoyancy to the molten filament MF to bend it, and cools and solidifies the molten filament MF after the contact points between the molten filaments formed by the bending are fused together. A pair of conveyors 24 and a plurality of transport rollers 25a to 25h are disposed inside the cooling water tank 21. The pair of conveyors 24 and the plurality of transport rollers 25a to 25h are driven by a drive motor (not shown).

[0033] The molten filaments MF discharged from the nozzle portion 17 are adjusted in thickness (front-rear dimension) by the receiving plate 22, and are deflected by the buoyancy of the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and each molten filament MF therein forms a random loop. The random loops are entangled with adjacent random loops in a three-dimensional molten state, and the contact points are fused and bonded to form a three-dimensional filament bond (filament three-dimensional bonded body FZ). At this time, the higher the temperature of the molten filaments MF, the higher the degree of contact fusion, and the stronger the repulsive force of the filament three-dimensional bonded body FZ obtained after cooling. In the following description, the region of the water W where such fusion bonding between the molten filaments MF occurs may be referred to as a linking zone.

[0034] The three-dimensional filament bound body FZ is transported by the conveyor 24 and the plurality of transport rollers 25a-25h while being cooled by the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and is finally discharged to the outside of the cooling water tank 21. In this manner, the manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures the three-dimensional filament bound body FZ.

[0035] Next, the configuration of the backing plate 22 and its periphery will be described in more detail. Fig. 4 is a schematic enlarged view of the portion within the dotted line frame X shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5A is a schematic configuration diagram of the backing plate 22 and its periphery as viewed from below. Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the B-B' cross section shown in Fig. 5A, and Fig. 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the C-C' cross section shown in Fig. 5A.

[0036] As shown in these figures, the receiving plate 22 is formed symmetrically on the left and right and front and rear sides, and has inclined portions 22a on the front, rear, left and right sides that slope inward as they extend downward, and wall portions 22b on the front, rear, left and right sides that are arranged so as to surround the area Z including the linking zone in the cooling water tank 21. In addition, a water-absorbent sheet 22c is provided on the upper surface of the inclined portions 22a.

[0037] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the receiving plate 22 is formed by bending a metal plate material so that the inclined portion 22a and the wall portion 22b are connected to each other. However, the inclined portion 22a and the wall portion 22b may be formed separately, and the wall portion 22b may be formed of a material with higher thermal insulation properties than the inclined portion 22a so that the heat of the water W inside the wall portion 22b is less likely to escape to the outside. In this embodiment, the wall portion 22b is in a form that completely surrounds the front, rear, left and right sides of the region Z, but the form of the wall portion 22b is not limited to this, and may be in a form that does not surround all or part of the left and right sides of the region Z, for example.

[0038] The front-rear and left-right dimensions of region Z are slightly smaller than those of nozzle portion 17. When viewed from above, the centers of region Z and nozzle portion 17 coincide with each other. In region Z, the molten filaments MF are fused and bonded to each other in a linking zone near the water surface WS, and then move downward while being cooled by water W.

[0039] The inner surface of each of the front, rear, left and right wall portions 22b is a vertical surface, and the lower end of each of the front, rear, left and right inclined portions 22a is connected to the upper end of each wall portion 22b. That is, the front inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the rear side (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the front wall portion 22b. The rear inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the front side (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the rear wall portion 22b. The left inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the right side (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the left wall portion 22b. The right inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the left side (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the right wall portion 22b.

[0040] Among the multiple molten filaments MF discharged from the nozzle portion 17, those located inside the outer edge of the region Z as viewed from above directly enter the region Z. On the other hand, among the multiple molten filaments MF discharged from the nozzle portion 17, those located outside the outer edge of the region Z as viewed from above, i.e., the end molten filaments, come into contact with the inclined portion 22a and are guided to the region Z located inside the wall portion 22b while sliding down the inclined portion 22a.

[0041] The wall 22b restricts the forward / backward and left / right spreading of the molten filament MF that has entered the region Z, and the thickness (forward / backward dimension) and width (left / right dimension) of the formed filament three-dimensional bond FZ are constant. The wall 22b also plays a role in preventing the water W on the outside from entering the inside, thereby suppressing a decrease in temperature in the linking zone.

[0042] The cooling water storage portion 23 is provided on the outer lower portion of the inclined portion 22a and stores the cooling water CW. A part of the water absorbent sheet 22c is provided so as to be in contact with the cooling water CW in the cooling water storage portion 23. The cooling water storage portion 23 is provided with a cooling water supply pipe 23p for supplying the cooling water CW.

[0043] More specifically, the cooling water storage section 23 has a first plate-shaped section 23x formed by bending a portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a downward outward, and a second plate-shaped section 23y formed by bending a portion extending from the outer end of the first plate-shaped section 23x upward outward, and the cooling water CW can be stored in the space between the plate-shaped sections 23x and 23y. In this way, the cooling water storage section 23 is formed by bending a portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a into a shape that can store the cooling water CW.

[0044] As described above, in this embodiment, the cooling water storage section 23 is arranged at an ideal position in a form connected to the outer end of the inclined portion 22a by bending a part of the plate material forming the receiving plate 22. Note that since the upper end of the first plate-shaped portion 23x is at a higher position (upper side) than the upper end of the second plate-shaped portion 23y, even if the cooling water CW overflows from the cooling water storage section 23, the overflowing cooling water CW only falls into the cooling water tank 21 outside the wall portion 22b, and there is no risk of the cooling water CW flowing into the inclined portion 22a.

[0045] The cooling water storage section 23 is provided adjacent to the outer end of the inclined section 22a, and the outer end of the water-absorbent sheet 22c provided so as to cover the upper surface of the inclined section 22a is simply folded along the upper surface of the first plate-shaped section 23x, so that the water-absorbent sheet 22c can be brought into contact with the cooling water CW in the cooling water storage section 23. The water W in the cooling water tank 21 may be supplied to the cooling water storage section 23 as the cooling water CW via the cooling water supply pipe 23p, or tap water or the like may be supplied as the cooling water CW via the cooling water supply pipe 23p.

[0046] The water-absorbent sheet 22c sucks up the cooling water CW stored inside the cooling water storage section 23, forming a cooling water film on the surface of the water-absorbent sheet 22c provided on the upper surface of the inclined portion 22a. This cooling water film prevents the molten filament MF from sticking to the inclined portion 22a, improves the sliding of the molten filament MF on the inclined portion 22a, and can cool the molten filament MF. In this way, the cooling water CW is supplied to the water-absorbent sheet 22c covering the surface of the inclined portion 22a, making it possible to supply the cooling water to the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

[0047] In this embodiment, a cotton fabric having a thickness of 1 mm is used as the absorbent sheet 22c, but there are no particular limitations on the material that can be used for the absorbent sheet 22c as long as it has the ability to absorb water, and examples of materials that can be used include cloth containing cellulose-based fibers having hydroxyl groups or acrylate-based fibers having carboxylate salts, and sponge-like porous hydrophilic resins.

[0048] Methods for increasing the ability to absorb water include decreasing the contact angle of the fiber material to increase wettability, and decreasing the fiber diameter to increase the surface area (enhancing capillary action).

[0049] The absorbent sheet 22c preferably has a thickness of 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and may be used as a single piece of fabric or a plurality of pieces of fabric may be layered. If the absorbent sheet 22c is less than 0.5 mm thick, the amount of water in the cooling water film formed is small, and the sheet 22c is easily dried. On the other hand, if the absorbent sheet 22c is more than 5 mm thick, the surface is easily uneven, and the end molten filament group is less likely to slide smoothly. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 22a may be determined by taking into consideration the balance between the ease of sliding of the end molten filament group on the inclined portion 22a and the progress of the loop formation described above. The receiving plate 22 and the absorbent sheet 22c may be formed of a hard material such as a porous hydrophilic resin having hydrophilicity, and the receiving plate 22 and the absorbent sheet 22c may be integrated.

[0050] The temperature of the cooling water CW is preferably 1° C. or higher and 35° C. or lower. If the temperature of the cooling water CW is lower than 1° C., it is likely to freeze if the installation temperature of the manufacturing equipment is low. On the other hand, if the temperature of the cooling water CW exceeds 35° C., it is likely to evaporate and dry out.

[0051] In order to increase the adhesion between the inclined portion 22a and the water-absorbent sheet 22c, the hydrophilicity of the surface of the inclined portion 22a may be increased. Methods for increasing the hydrophilicity include coating with a cellulose resin, an acrylic resin having a carboxylic acid group or a carboxylate ion group, or a silicone resin having an ionic group or a hydroxyl group, or chemically modifying the surface with a silane coupling agent having an ionic group or a hydroxyl group.

[0052] If the temperature of the linking zone fluctuates, the degree of fusion bonding of the molten filaments MF will change, and there is a risk of problems with the quality of the three-dimensional filament bond FZ. In particular, if the temperature of the linking zone becomes lower than the appropriate temperature due to the influence of cooling water CW flowing into the linking zone, a sufficient bond strength (linking strength) between the filaments MF cannot be obtained, and when the generated three-dimensional filament bond FZ is used as a cushioning material, problems may occur such as a decrease in cushioning properties.

[0053] Therefore, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a temperature sensor 31 (detection unit) is provided to detect the temperature of the water W inside the wall portion 22b, and the temperature of the linking zone is controlled by temperature adjustment (output adjustment) of the heater 32 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 4, the temperature sensor 31 is disposed in a hole D provided in the wall portion 22b, and detects the temperature of the water W that it comes into contact with. The temperature sensor 31 is disposed at a position approximately 10 mm below the water surface WS contained in the linking zone, and is capable of detecting the temperature of the water W in the linking zone inside the wall portion 22b. In the example of this embodiment, a thermocouple is adopted as the temperature sensor 31 (temperature detection means), but the type of the temperature sensor 31 is not limited to this, and any means that can transmit the detected temperature as a signal that can be processed by a computer or the like, such as a mechanism that digitizes the display of an alcohol thermometer, may be used.

[0055] Furthermore, by disposing the temperature sensor 31 in the hole D, it is possible to dispose the temperature sensor 31 outside the inner surface of the wall portion 22b, thereby preventing the temperature sensor 31 from interfering with the molten filament MF or the filament three-dimensional combined body FZ. In the example of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5A, three temperature sensors 31 are provided at intervals on each of the front and rear wall portions 22b, and one is provided on each of the left and right wall portions 22b.

[0056] 4 has a through hole at its bottom. The width of the hole D is not limited to be constant from the opening to the bottom of the hole, and the cross-sectional area may change along the depth like a taper. The size of the hole D may be set so that the temperature sensor 31 does not protrude beyond the inner surface of the wall portion 22b, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the hole D is preferably 3 to 12 mm. 2 The specific shape of the hole D is not particularly limited, and may be an ellipse, a circle, or a rectangle.

[0057] The heater 32 is configured to generate heat using, for example, supplied power, and is arranged to cover the outer surface of the wall 22b. In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5A, the heater 32 is arranged to cover most of the front and rear walls 22b except for the vicinity of the temperature sensor 31. Also, as shown in FIG. 5C, a plurality of through holes 22x extending left and right are arranged vertically in the part of the front and rear walls 22b covered by the heater 32. As a result, the heat of the heater 32 is transferred to the water W inside the wall 22b via the wall 22b, and is also directly transferred to the water W entering the through holes 22x from the inside. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently heat the water W inside the wall 22b including the linking zone.

[0058] By using a material having higher thermal insulation properties than metal as the material of the backing plate 22, it becomes possible to make it difficult for the heat of the molten filament MF and the water W in contact with it to escape to the outside, and it is possible to prevent the temperature of the molten filament MF from becoming too low. In particular, by using a material having high thermal insulation properties for the material of the wall portion 22b arranged in the water W, it becomes possible to minimize the escape of heat of the water W inside the wall portion 22b to the outside of the wall portion 22b, and to make it difficult for the temperature of the linking zone to decrease.

[0059] To achieve this, the material of the wall portion 22b may be made more heat insulating than the material of the inclined portion 22a, and the wall portion 22b may be covered with a plate-shaped material made of a material with high heat insulating properties while adopting a receiving plate 22 made entirely of metal. Note that, as a material with higher heat insulating properties than metal, for example, a resin with a high heat resistance such as polyphenylene sulfide, polyimide resin, polytetrafluoroethylene (fluororesin), polyamideimide, diallyl phthalate (allyl resin), or silicone (silicon resin) may be adopted. In addition, in order to make it difficult for the temperature of the linking zone to decrease, the cooling water CW that has entered the inside of the wall portion 22b may be made to flow out to the outside.

[0060] The manufacturing apparatus 1 also controls the temperature of the linking zone based on the detection information of the detection sensor 31. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 can optimize the temperature of the linking zone to appropriately fuse and bond the molten filaments together. In this embodiment, the heater 32 is used as a mechanism for heating the linking zone, but any type of method can be used as long as it can directly or indirectly heat the linking zone. The heater 32 may heat the linking zone directly without using the backing plate 22.

[0061] As a method for heating the linking zone, in addition to (or instead of) the method using the heater 32, a method of flowing steam or hot air toward the linking zone, or a method of applying electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays to the linking zone may be adopted. Also, a cooling mechanism for cooling the linking zone may be provided in the manufacturing apparatus 1, so that the linking zone can be cooled as one form of temperature control of the linking zone. Also, the wall portion 22b buried in the water W may be shaped like a fin or provided with a hole or a diverticulum so that other items besides the temperature sensor 31 can be installed.

[0062] 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic control system for the temperature of the water W inside the wall portion 22b. As shown in this figure, the manufacturing apparatus 1 has a temperature control unit 30 that controls the temperature of the linking zone. The temperature control unit 30 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and calculates the optimal temperature (output) of the heater 32 based on the detection information (information on the detected temperature) of the temperature sensor 31, and sends a control signal to the heater 32 to achieve this temperature (output). The heater 32 generates heat in response to this control signal, thereby controlling the temperature of the linking zone.

[0063] As an example, the temperature control unit 30 performs feedback control of the temperature of the heater 32 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31 approaches a predetermined temperature or falls within a predetermined allowable range. This feedback control may be PID control. Note that the temperature sensor 31 is preferably disposed so as to directly detect the temperature of the water W in the linking zone, but may be disposed so as to detect the temperature of the water W near the linking zone inside the wall portion 22b.

[0064] Even in this case, since the temperature of the water W in the linking zone and the water W near the linking zone are similar inside the wall portion 22b, it is possible to control the temperature of the linking zone based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 31. Furthermore, the specific arrangement of the temperature sensor 31 is not limited to the one described above, and various modifications can be made.

[0065] As described above, the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a three-dimensional filament bond according to this embodiment includes a molten filament supply section 10 that discharges a group of molten filaments formed by translating a plurality of molten filaments downward, and a fusion bond formation section 20 that fusion bonds the molten filaments to each other in a cooling water tank 21 to form a three-dimensional filament bond FZ.

[0066] Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a receiving plate 22 having an inclined portion 22a that receives the end molten filament group located near the end of the molten filament group when viewed from above, slides the end molten filament group in an inward downward inclination direction, and guides the end molten filament group into the cooling water tank 21, a water-absorbent sheet 22c that covers the inclined portion 22a, and a cooling water storage portion 23 that stores the cooling water CW to be supplied to the water-absorbent sheet 22c, and the cooling water CW is supplied to the water-absorbent sheet 22c by the water-absorbent sheet 22c sucking up the cooling water CW from the cooling water storage portion 23. Therefore, according to the manufacturing apparatus 1, by stably supplying the cooling water CW to the surface of the inclined portion 22a, it is possible to smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the cooling water tank 21 and suppress temperature drop and temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

[0067] That is, if the cooling water CW supplied to the surface of the inclined portion 22a flows into the linking zone, the temperature drop and temperature unevenness of the linking zone will be likely to occur. However, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the water-absorbent sheet 22c covering the inclined portion 22a rapidly absorbs the cooling water CW when it is relatively dry, but the power to absorb the cooling water CW weakens as the moisture content approaches saturation. Therefore, excessive cooling water CW is prevented from being supplied to the water-absorbent sheet 22c covering the inclined portion 22a, and the flow of the cooling water CW into the linking zone is suppressed, making it possible to suppress the temperature drop and temperature unevenness of the linking zone.

[0068] 2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the emphasis will be placed on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of the commonalities between the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be omitted.

[0069] 7 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate 22 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, five cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e are provided below the inclined portion 22a of the receiving plate 22, and are arranged at different positions in the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a, to store the cooling water CW. The water-absorbent sheet 22c is provided so as to be in contact with the cooling water stored in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e. A cooling water supply pipe 23p for supplying the cooling water CW is provided individually in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e.

[0070] The five cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e are arranged below the inclined portion 22a at approximately equal intervals in the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a. The uppermost cooling water storage section 23a is formed in approximately the same manner as the cooling water storage section 23 in the first embodiment, and has the same function.

[0071] That is, the cooling water storage section 23a has a first plate-shaped section 23x formed by bending a portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a downward outward, and a second plate-shaped section 23y formed by bending a portion extending from the outer end of the first plate-shaped section 23x upward outward, and the cooling water CW can be stored in the space between the plate-shaped sections 23x and 23y. In this way, the cooling water storage section 23a is formed by bending a portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a into a shape that can store the cooling water CW.

[0072] Holes H corresponding to the remaining four cooling water storage sections 23b to 23e are formed in the inclined portion 22a. Each of the four cooling water storage sections 23b to 23e has a configuration generally equivalent to that of the cooling water storage section 23a in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7, and is connected to the lower edge of the corresponding hole H. Each of the four cooling water storage sections 23b to 23e has a portion (corresponding to the first plate-shaped portion 23x) extending outwardly downward from the lower edge of the corresponding hole H, and a portion (corresponding to the second plate-shaped portion 23y) extending outwardly upward from the end of the portion, and the cooling water CW can be stored in the valley space between these portions. Even if the cooling water CW overflows from each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e, the overflowing portion only falls into the cooling water tank 21 outside the wall portion 22b, and there is no risk of excessive cooling water CW being supplied to the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

[0073] Moreover, the water absorbent sheet 22c of the second embodiment is provided with a plurality of protruding portions 22c1 protruding downward so as to correspond to each of the holes H. In the water absorbent sheet 22c provided so as to cover the upper surface of the inclined portion 22a, as shown in Fig. 7, the outer end portion bent so as to follow the upper surface of the first plate-shaped portion 23x comes into contact with the cooling water CW in the cooling water storage portion 23a, and each of the plurality of protruding portions 22c1 reaches each of the cooling water storage portions 23b to 23e through each of the holes H and comes into contact with the cooling water CW in the corresponding cooling water storage portion.

[0074] In this manner, the water-absorbent sheet 22c is provided so as to be in contact with the cooling water CW in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a-23e that are arranged at different positions in the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a. This allows the water-absorbent sheet 22c to suck up the cooling water CW in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a-23e, thereby making it possible to simultaneously supply the cooling water CW to different locations in the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a. As a result, it is possible to increase the supply capacity of the cooling water CW to the surface of the inclined portion 22a, and it is possible to form a more uniform cooling water film on the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

[0075] 3. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the emphasis will be placed on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of the commonalities between the first embodiment and the third embodiment may be omitted.

[0076] 8 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate 22 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment, a portion extending from the outer end of the inclined portion 22a of the receiving plate 22 is bent outwardly and downwardly toward the inside of the cooling water tank 21 to form a support portion 22s. A lower tip portion 22sa of the support portion 22s is in contact with the water W in the cooling water tank 21. An outer portion of the water-absorbent sheet 22c extends to the tip portion 22sa along the upper surface of the support portion 22s, and a lower tip portion 22ca of the water-absorbent sheet 22c is in contact with the water W in the cooling water tank 21. This allows the water-absorbent sheet 22c to suck up the water W in the cooling water tank 21.

[0077] A cover 22d is provided on the upper side of the support portion 22s with the absorbent sheet 22c sandwiched therebetween. The cover 22d covers the entire portion of the absorbent sheet 22c arranged on the support portion 22s. The provision of the cover 22d prevents the sucked-up water W from evaporating, and increases the supply capacity of the cooling water CW to the surface of the inclined portion 22a by the capillary phenomenon. This makes it possible to form a more uniform cooling water film on the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

[0078] In this manner, in this embodiment, the cooling water tank 21 is also used in place of the cooling water storage unit in the first and second embodiments, and the water W in the cooling water tank 21 is used as the cooling water CW. This makes it possible to stabilize the supply of cooling water to the surface of the inclined portion 22a without providing a cooling water supply pipe with high cooling water supply accuracy.

[0079] In this embodiment, the tip 22sa of the support portion 22s is configured to extend until it contacts the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and the water W is sucked up only by the tip 22ca of the water-absorbent sheet 22c, but in addition to this, the water W in the cooling water tank 21 outside the wall portion 22b (water W in the area excluding the linking zone) may be sucked up at another location. For example, one or more holes may be provided at the middle part of the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a, and a part of the water-absorbent sheet 22c may be extended through the hole until it contacts the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and the water W may be sucked up at this location as well.

[0080] 4. Fourth embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the emphasis will be placed on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of the commonalities between the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment will be omitted.

[0081] 9 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate 22 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, a water flow generating device 34 is provided below the receiving plate 22 to generate a water flow WF in the cooling water tank 21 to cool the filament three-dimensional bond FZ.

[0082] The water current generating device 34 in this embodiment is a device that generates a water current WF by rotating a blade to agitate the water W, and a plurality of water current generating devices 34 are provided on the lower side of the wall portion 22b so as to face each other in the front and rear with the filament three-dimensional combined body FZ in between. Both the front and rear water current generating devices 34 are configured to generate a water current WF that advances forward, and this makes it possible to effectively generate a water current WF that penetrates the filament three-dimensional combined body FZ in the thickness direction (front-rear direction).

[0083] The water flow generator 34 generates the water flow WF, so that the three-dimensional filament bond FZ that has passed through the linking zone is rapidly cooled. Therefore, the fusion force (fusion area) of the three-dimensional filament bond FZ is prevented from becoming excessively large, and the repulsive force (hardness) of the three-dimensional filament bond FZ can be stabilized.

[0084] Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the above-mentioned embodiments are illustrative in all respects and should be considered as not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0085] The present invention can be used in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional filament bond. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 Manufacturing equipment 10 Molten filament supply section 11 Pressurized fusion zone 11a Cylinder 11b Cylinder outlet 12 Filament outlet 12a Channel 13 Material input section 14 Screw 15 Screw motor 16 Screw heater 17 Nozzle section 17a Nozzle opening 18 Die heater 20 Fusion joint forming part 21 Cooling Water Tank 22 Support plate 22a Slope 22b Wall section 22c Water-absorbent sheet 22d Cover 22s support part 22x through holes 23, 23a to 23e Cooling water storage section 23p Cooling water supply pipe 23x First plate 23y Second plate-shaped part 24 Conveyor 25a~25h Transport roller 30 Temperature control unit 31 Temperature Sensor 32 Heater 34 Water current generator CW cooling water FZ Filament 3D assembly MF Fused Filament W Water in the cooling tank WS water surface

Claims

1. a molten filament supply section that discharges a group of molten filaments formed by translating a plurality of molten filaments downward; and a fusion bond forming section for forming a filament three-dimensional bond by fusion bonding the molten filaments to each other in a water tank, comprising: A receiving plate having an inclined portion that receives an end portion of the molten filament group as viewed from above and guides the end portion of the molten filament group into the water tank by sliding the end portion in an inward and downward inclined direction; A water-absorbent sheet covering the inclined portion; a cooling water storage section for storing cooling water to be supplied to the water absorbent sheet, The manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from the cooling water storage section, thereby supplying the cooling water to the water-absorbent sheet.

2. A plurality of the cooling water reservoirs are provided below the inclined portion, 2. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the plurality of cooling water reservoirs.

3. The cooling water storage sections are arranged at different positions in a tilt direction of the tilt portion, the inclined portion has holes corresponding to the plurality of cooling water storage portions, 3. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the plurality of cooling water storage sections through the holes.

4. At least one of the cooling water reservoirs is 4. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion extending from an outer end of the inclined portion is bent into a shape capable of storing the cooling water.

5. 2. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling water storage unit is the water tank, and water in the water tank is used as the cooling water.

6. a support portion formed by bending a portion extending from an outer end of the inclined portion toward the inside of the water tank; an outer portion of the water absorbent sheet extends along the support portion and contacts the water in the water tank; The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cover provided on the upper side of the support portion with the water-absorbent sheet sandwiched therebetween.

7. The manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a water flow generating device is provided below the receiving plate to generate a water flow in the water tank to cool the filament three-dimensional combination.

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