Fibrous body manufacturing apparatus, fibrous body manufacturing unit, and fibrous body manufacturing method

Abstract

To suppress sticking of a web to a conveyor belt.SOLUTION: A fiber body manufacturing device comprises a deposition section for forming a web by depositing material, which contains fibers, on a first conveyor belt in a dry process, a conveyance section for peeling off a first face of the web from the first conveyor belt and then bringing a second face of the web, which is an opposite face of the first face peeled off from the first conveyor belt, into contact with a second conveyor belt to convey the web, a moisture application section for applying moisture to the first face of the web in a state in which the web is in contact with the second conveyor belt, and a pressurization section for pressurizing the web applied with moisture and peeled off from the second conveyor belt.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fibrous body manufacturing apparatus, a fibrous body manufacturing unit, and a fibrous body manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a sheet manufacturing apparatus is known that includes a deposition section that deposits a fiber-containing material on a mesh belt to form a web, a humidification section that is arranged downstream of the deposition section in the web transport direction and humidifies the web, a transport section that is arranged downstream of the humidification section in the web transport direction and transports the web downstream while peeling it off from the mesh belt, and a pressure roller that is arranged downstream of the transport section in the web transport direction and pressurizes the web. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-44284 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned device, the humidifying section humidifies one side of the web, and the conveying section conveys the web while contacting the one side of the web. However, since the conveying section contacts the one side having a higher moisture content, there is a problem that the web sticks to the conveying section. If the web sticks to the transport section, this can cause problems with the web transport and damage to the web. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The fibrous body manufacturing apparatus includes a deposition unit that dry deposits a fiber-containing material onto a first conveyor belt to form a web, a conveying unit that peels off a first side of the web from the first conveyor belt and conveys the web by contacting a second side of the web, which is the side opposite to the first side peeled off from the first conveyor belt, with a second conveyor belt, a moisture application unit that applies moisture toward the first side of the web while the web is in contact with the second conveyor belt, and a pressure unit that pressurizes the web to which the moisture has been applied and which has been peeled off from the second conveyor belt.

[0006] The fibrous body manufacturing unit includes a deposition section that dry deposits a fiber-containing material onto a first conveyor belt to form a web, a conveying section that peels off a first side of the web from the first conveyor belt and conveys the web by contacting a second side of the web, which is the side opposite to the first side peeled off from the first conveyor belt, with a second conveyor belt, and a moisture application section that applies moisture to the web in contact with the second conveyor belt toward the first side.

[0007] The fibrous body manufacturing method is a fibrous body manufacturing apparatus equipped with a deposition section having a first conveyor belt capable of transporting a web, a conveyor section having a second conveyor belt capable of transporting the web, a moisture application section that applies moisture to the web, and a pressure application section that pressurizes the web, and includes a deposition step of dry-depositing a fiber-containing material on the first conveyor belt to form the web, a conveying step of peeling a first side of the web from the first conveyor belt and contacting a second side of the web, which is the side opposite to the first side peeled off from the first conveyor belt, with the second conveyor belt to convey the web, a moisture application step of applying the moisture to the web in contact with the second conveyor belt toward the first side, and a pressure application step of pressing the web to which the moisture has been applied and which has been peeled off from the second conveyor belt. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a fibrous body manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing the configuration of a fibrous body manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a method for producing a fibrous body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a fibrous body manufacturing unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of another fibrous body manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of another fibrous body manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 1. First embodiment First, there will be described the configuration of the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100. The fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for manufacturing a sheet-shaped fibrous body S. As shown in FIG. 1, the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 includes, for example, a supply section 10, a coarse crushing section 12, a defibrating section 20, a sorting section 40, a first web forming section 45, a rotating body 49, a mixing section 50, a deposition section 60, a second web forming section 70, a conveying section 78, a moisture imparting section 79, a pressurizing section 80, and a cutting section 90.

[0010] The supply unit 10 supplies raw material to the crushing unit 12. The supply unit 10 is, for example, an automatic input unit for continuously inputting raw material to the crushing unit 12. The raw material supplied by the supply unit 10 is a material containing various fibers.

[0011] The fibers are not particularly limited, and a wide variety of fiber materials can be used. Examples of the fibers include natural fibers (animal fibers, plant fibers), chemical fibers (organic fibers, inorganic fibers, organic-inorganic composite fibers), and the like. More specifically, the fibers include fibers made of cellulose, silk, wool, cotton, hemp, kenaf, flax, ramie, jute, Manila hemp, sisal, coniferous trees, broadleaf trees, and the like, and these may be used alone or in appropriate mixtures, or may be used as regenerated fibers that have been purified, etc.

[0012] Examples of the raw material of the fiber include pulp, waste paper, and old cloth. The fiber may be subjected to various surface treatments. The material of the fiber may be a pure substance, or may be a material containing multiple components such as impurities and other components. The fiber may be a defibrated material obtained by dry defibration of waste paper, pulp sheets, and the like.

[0013] The length of the fiber is not particularly limited, but the length of a single independent fiber along the longitudinal direction is 1 μm or more and 5 mm or less, preferably 2 μm or more and 3 mm or less, and more preferably 3 μm or more and 2 mm or less.

[0014] In the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100, moisture is added in the moisture adding section 79, so if a fiber capable of forming hydrogen bonds is used, the mechanical strength of the formed fibrous body S can be increased. An example of such a fiber is cellulose.

[0015] The fiber content in the fibrous material S is, for example, 50% by mass or more and 99.9% by mass or less, preferably 60% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less, and more preferably 70% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less. Such a content can be achieved by blending when forming the mixture.

[0016] The crushing unit 12 cuts the raw material supplied by the supply unit 10 into small pieces in air, such as the atmosphere. The small pieces have a shape and size of, for example, several centimeters square. In the example shown in the figure, the crushing unit 12 has crushing blades 14, which can cut the input raw material. For example, a shredder is used as the crushing unit 12. The raw material cut by the crushing unit 12 is received in a hopper 1 and then transferred to the defibrating unit 20 via a pipe 2.

[0017] The defibrating unit 20 defibrates the raw material cut by the coarse crushing unit 12. Here, "defibrating" refers to unraveling the raw material, which is made up of multiple fibers bound together, into individual fibers. The defibrating unit 20 also has the function of separating substances such as resin particles, ink, toner, and anti-bleeding agents attached to the raw material from the fibers.

[0018] The material that has passed through the defibration unit 20 is called the "defibrated material." In addition to the defibrated material fibers, the "defibrated material" may also contain additives such as resin particles that have separated from the fibers when the fibers are defibrated, coloring agents such as ink and toner, and anti-bleeding agents and paper strength enhancers. The defibrated material has a string-like shape. The defibrated material may exist in a state where it is not entangled with other defibrated fibers, i.e., in an independent state, or it may exist in a state where it is entangled with other defibrated material and forms a lump, i.e., in a state where it forms lumps.

[0019] The defibrator unit 20 performs defibration in a dry manner. Here, the term "dry manner" refers to performing defibration and other processes in air, such as in the atmosphere, rather than in a liquid. For example, an impeller mill is used as the defibrator unit 20. The defibrator unit 20 has a function of generating an airflow that sucks in the raw material and discharges the defibrated material. This allows the defibrator unit 20 to suck in the raw material together with the airflow from the inlet 22 using the airflow it generates, defibrate the raw material, and transport the defibrated material to the outlet 24. The defibrated material that has passed through the defibrator unit 20 is transferred to the sorting unit 40 via the pipe 3. The airflow for transporting the defibrated material from the defibrator unit 20 to the sorting unit 40 may be the airflow generated by the defibrator unit 20, or an airflow generating device such as a blower may be provided and the airflow may be used.

[0020] The sorting unit 40 introduces the defibrated material defibrated by the defibration unit 20 from an inlet 42 and sorts it according to the length of the fibers. The sorting unit 40 has, for example, a drum unit 41 and a housing unit 43 that houses the drum unit 41. For example, a sieve is used as the drum unit 41. The drum unit 41 has a net and can separate fibers or particles smaller than the size of the mesh of the net, i.e., a first sorted material that passes through the net, from fibers, undefibrated pieces, and lumps larger than the size of the mesh of the net, i.e., a second sorted material that does not pass through the net. For example, the first sorted material is transferred to the deposition unit 60 via a pipe 7. The second sorted material is returned to the defibration unit 20 from the discharge port 44 via a pipe 8. Specifically, the drum unit 41 is a cylindrical sieve that is rotated by a motor. The mesh of the drum portion 41 may be, for example, a wire mesh, an expanded metal made by stretching a metal plate with slits, or a punched metal made by forming holes in a metal plate using a press or the like.

[0021] The first web forming unit 45 conveys the first sorted material that has passed through the sorting unit 40 to the pipe 7. The first web forming unit 45 has, for example, a mesh belt 46, a tension roller 47, and a suction mechanism 48.

[0022] The suction mechanism 48 can suck the first sorted material, which has passed through the openings of the sorting unit 40 and been dispersed in the air, onto the mesh belt 46. The first sorted material is deposited on the moving mesh belt 46 and forms a web V.

[0023] Materials that have passed through the openings of the sorting section 40 are accumulated on the mesh belt 46. The mesh belt 46 is stretched by tension rollers 47 and is configured to prevent materials from passing through but allow air to pass through. The mesh belt 46 moves as the tension rollers 47 rotate. Materials that have passed through the sorting section 40 continuously fall and accumulate on the mesh belt 46 as the mesh belt 46 moves continuously, forming a web V on the mesh belt 46.

[0024] The suction mechanism 48 is provided below the mesh belt 46. The suction mechanism 48 can generate a downward airflow. The suction mechanism 48 can suck the passing materials dispersed in the air by the sorting section 40 onto the mesh belt 46. This can increase the discharge speed from the sorting section 40.

[0025] The web V is formed into a soft and puffy state containing a lot of air by passing through the screening unit 40 and the first web forming unit 45. The web V accumulated on the mesh belt 46 is input into the pipe 7 and transported to the accumulation unit 60.

[0026] The rotating body 49 can cut the web V. In the illustrated example, the rotating body 49 has a base 49a and protrusions 49b protruding from the base 49a. The protrusions 49b have, for example, a plate-like shape. In the illustrated example, four protrusions 49b are provided, and the four protrusions 49b are provided at equal intervals. By rotating the base 49a in the direction R, the protrusions 49b can rotate around the base 49a as an axis. By cutting the web V with the rotating body 49, for example, it is possible to reduce the fluctuation in the amount of defibrated material supplied to the deposition section 60 per unit time.

[0027] The rotating body 49 is provided in the vicinity of the first web forming section 45. In the illustrated example, the rotating body 49 is provided in the vicinity of the tension roller 47a located downstream in the path of the web V. The rotating body 49 is provided at a position where the protrusions 49b can contact the web V but do not contact the mesh belt 46 on which the web V is deposited. This makes it possible to prevent the mesh belt 46 from being worn by the protrusions 49b. The shortest distance between the protrusions 49b and the mesh belt 46 is, for example, 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. This is the distance at which the web V can be cut without damaging the mesh belt 46.

[0028] The mixing section 50 mixes, for example, the first sorted material that has passed through the sorting section 40 with a binder. The mixing section 50 has, for example, a binder supplying section 52 that supplies the binder, a pipe 54 that transports the first sorted material and the binder, and a blower 56. In the example shown in the figure, the binder is supplied from the binder supplying section 52 to the pipe 54 via a hopper 9. The pipe 54 is continuous with the pipe 7.

[0029] In the mixing section 50, an air flow is generated by a blower 56, and the first sorted material and the binder can be transported while being mixed in the pipe 54. The mechanism for mixing the first sorted material and the binder is not particularly limited, and may be one that mixes with blades that rotate at high speed, or one that utilizes the rotation of a container such as a V-type mixer.

[0030] The binder supplying section 52 may be a screw feeder, a disk feeder, or the like.

[0031] The binder supplied from the binder supply unit 52 is, for example, starch or dextrin. Starch is a polymer in which multiple α-glucose molecules are polymerized through glycosidic bonds. Starch may be linear or may contain branches.

[0032] Starch derived from various plants can be used. Examples of starch sources include cereals such as corn, wheat, and rice, beans such as broad beans, mung beans, and red beans, tubers such as potato, sweet potato, and tapioca, wild plants such as dogtooth violets, bracken, and kudzu, and palms such as sago palm.

[0033] In addition, processed starch or modified starch may be used as the starch. Examples of the processed starch include acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, acetylated starch, oxidized starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, phosphorylated starch, phosphate esterified phosphate cross-linked starch, urea phosphate esterified starch, sodium starch glycolate, and high amylose corn starch. In addition, dextrin obtained by processing or modifying starch can be suitably used as the modified starch.

[0034] In the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100, by using starch or dextrin as the binder, the binder is gelatinized and / or hydrogen bonds are formed between the fibers by applying moisture and then pressurizing and heating, thereby providing sufficient strength to the fibrous body S. On the other hand, if the fibrous body S can be provided with sufficient strength only by hydrogen bonds between the fibers, the fibrous body can be manufactured without using a binder. When manufacturing a fibrous body without using a binder, the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 does not need to be equipped with the binder supply unit 52.

[0035] The starch or dextrin content in the fibrous material S is, for example, 0.1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, preferably 1% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, and more preferably 1% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. Such a content can be achieved by blending when forming the mixture.

[0036] In addition to the binder, the binder supplying section 52 may contain, depending on the type of fibrous body S to be manufactured, a coloring agent for coloring the fibers, an aggregation inhibitor for inhibiting aggregation of the fibers and the binder, and a flame retardant for making the fibers, etc., less flammable. The mixture that has passed through the mixing section 50 is transferred to the deposition section 60 via a pipe 54.

[0037] The depositing unit 60 introduces the mixture that has passed through the mixing unit 50 from an inlet 62, loosens the tangled defibrated material, and drops it while dispersing it in the air. This allows the depositing unit 60 to deposit the mixture in the second web forming unit 70 with good uniformity.

[0038] The deposition section 60 has, for example, a drum section 61 and a housing section 63 that houses the drum section 61. A rotating cylindrical sieve is used as the drum section 61. The drum section 61 has a mesh and causes fibers or particles smaller than the mesh size contained in the mixture that has passed through the mixing section 50 to fall. The configuration of the drum section 61 is the same as that of the drum section 41, for example.

[0039] The "sieve" of the drum unit 61 does not have to have the function of separating out a specific object. In other words, the "sieve" used as the drum unit 61 means one equipped with a net, and the drum unit 61 may allow all of the mixture introduced into the drum unit 61 to fall.

[0040] The second web forming section 70 accumulates the material that has passed through the accumulation section 60 to form a web W. The second web forming section 70 has, for example, a first mesh belt 72 as a first conveyor belt, a tension roller 74, and a suction mechanism 76.

[0041] Materials passing through the openings of the deposition section 60 are deposited on the first mesh belt 72. The first mesh belt 72 is stretched by tension rollers 74 and is configured to prevent materials from passing through but allow air to pass through. The first mesh belt 72 moves as the tension rollers 74 rotate. Materials passing through the deposition section 60 are continuously deposited on the first mesh belt 72 as the first mesh belt 72 moves continuously, forming a web W on the first mesh belt 72.

[0042] The suction mechanism 76 is provided below the first mesh belt 72. The suction mechanism 76 can generate a downward airflow. The suction mechanism 76 can suck the mixture dispersed in the air by the deposition unit 60 onto the first mesh belt 72. This can increase the discharge speed from the deposition unit 60. Furthermore, the suction mechanism 76 can form a downflow in the falling path of the mixture, preventing the defibrated material and the binder from becoming entangled during the fall.

[0043] As described above, by passing through the deposition unit 60 and the second web forming unit 70, the web W is formed in a soft and puffy state containing a lot of air.

[0044] A conveying section 78 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction of the web W on the first mesh belt 72. The conveying section 78 peels off the web W on the first mesh belt 72 from the first mesh belt 72 and conveys it toward the pressurizing section 80. As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying section 78 has a second mesh belt 78a as a second conveying belt, a roller 78b, and a suction mechanism 78c. The second mesh belt 78a is stretched by the roller 78b and configured to pass air. The second mesh belt 78a is configured to be movable by the rotation of the roller 78b. The suction mechanism 78c is disposed at a position facing the web W across the second mesh belt 78a. The suction mechanism 78c has a blower and generates an upward airflow on the second mesh belt 78a by the suction force of the blower. The web W is sucked by this airflow.

[0045] As a result, the first surface Wa of the web W is peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, and the second surface Wb, which is the surface opposite to the first surface Wa peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, can be adsorbed onto the second mesh belt 78a. The web W adsorbed onto the second mesh belt 78a is transported in a state of contact with the second mesh belt 78a.

[0046] A moisture applying section 79 is disposed below the conveying section 78. The moisture applying section 79 applies moisture toward the first surface Wa of the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 78a. The moisture applying section 79 applies moisture, for example, water vapor or mist, to the web W. This allows moisture to be applied uniformly to the web W.

[0047] The moisture applying unit 79 applies moisture from below the web W toward the first surface Wa. In this embodiment, the device includes a container 79a capable of storing water and a piezoelectric vibrator 79b disposed at the bottom of the container 79a. The top of the container 79a is opened, and the container 79a is disposed so that the opening faces the first surface Wa of the web W. By driving the piezoelectric vibrator 79b, ultrasonic waves are generated in the water, and mist is generated in the container 79a. The generated mist is supplied to the web W through the opening of the container 79a. By applying moisture from below the web W, even if condensation occurs at the moisture applying unit 79 or its vicinity, water droplets do not fall onto the web W. That is, for example, when moisture is applied to the web W from above, moisture may adhere to the moisture applying unit 79 or its vicinity, fall as water droplets, and the water droplets may adhere to the web. In this case, the application of moisture to the web W becomes uneven. However, in this embodiment, the falling of water droplets and the like is suppressed, and the quality of the fibrous body S is prevented from being affected.

[0048] Further, the suction mechanism 78c of the conveying section 78 is disposed at a position facing the moisture providing section 79 across the second mesh belt 78a. This allows the moisture-containing airflow generated in the moisture providing section 79 by the suction mechanism 78c to pass through the inside of the web W, and moisture can be provided to the inside of the web W. That is, the suction mechanism 78c is disposed facing a part of the first mesh belt 72 of the second web forming section 70 and the container 79a of the moisture providing section 79. This allows the common suction mechanism 78c to perform both the function of peeling the web W from the first mesh belt 72 and adsorbing it to the second mesh belt 78a, and the function of providing moisture to the inside of the web W. This allows the configuration of the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 to be simplified.

[0049] In this embodiment, moisture is applied from the first surface Wa side of the web W, which is opposite to the second surface Wb of the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 78a, so that the second surface Wb side can be transported with weaker adhesive strength than the first surface Wa side. This makes it possible to prevent the moisture-applied web W from sticking to the second mesh belt 78a.

[0050] The moisture content of the web W to which moisture is applied in the moisture application section 79 is preferably 12% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. The specified web moisture content allows hydrogen bonds between fibers to be effectively formed, and the strength of the fibrous body S to be increased. Here, a web W having a moisture content of 12% by mass or more is generally in a state where it is likely to stick to the conveying section. However, in this embodiment, moisture is applied to the web W from the first surface Wa side opposite to the second surface Wb of the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 78a, so that even if the web W is in a state where it is likely to stick to the conveying section, it is possible to prevent the web W from sticking to the second mesh belt 78a. In addition, by specifying the moisture content of the web W to be 40% by mass or less, the amount of water used can be reduced. Furthermore, a web W containing a binder (starch or dextrin) is generally in a state that makes it easy for the web W to stick to the conveying section, but in this embodiment, even such a web W is prevented from sticking to the second mesh belt 78a, and the binder increases the bonding strength between the fibers, thereby increasing the strength of the fibrous body S.

[0051] A pressurizing unit 80 is disposed downstream of the conveying unit 78 and the moisture imparting unit 79. The web W to which moisture has been imparted is conveyed to the pressurizing unit 80.

[0052] The pressurizing unit 80 pressurizes the web W to which moisture has been added and which has been peeled off from the second mesh belt 78a. The pressurizing unit 80 of this embodiment pressurizes and heats the web W to which moisture has been added. As a result, the moisture contained in the web W rises in temperature and then evaporates, and the thickness of the web W becomes thinner and the fiber density is increased. The temperature of the moisture and the binder rises due to the heat, and the fiber density increases due to the pressure, so that the binder gelats, and then the moisture evaporates, so that the multiple fibers are bonded to each other via the gelatinized binder. Furthermore, the moisture evaporates due to the heat, and the fiber density increases due to the pressure, so that the multiple fibers are bonded to each other by hydrogen bonds. This makes it possible to form a sheet-like fibrous body S with better mechanical strength.

[0053] The pressurizing section 80 of the present embodiment has a pressurizing and heating section 84 that pressurizes and heats the web W. The pressurizing and heating section 84 can be configured using, for example, a heating roller and a heat press molding machine. In the illustrated example, the pressurizing and heating section 84 is a pair of heating rollers 86. The number of heating rollers 86 is not particularly limited. The pressurizing and heating section 84 can simultaneously pressurize and heat the web W. In addition, the configuration of the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 can be simplified.

[0054] 1, the cutting unit 90 cuts the fibrous body S formed by the pressurizing unit 80. In the illustrated example, the cutting unit 90 has a first cutting unit 92 that cuts the fibrous body S in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the fibrous body S, and a second cutting unit 94 that cuts the fibrous body S in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction. The second cutting unit 94 cuts the fibrous body S that has passed through the first cutting unit 92, for example. In this manner, a single sheet of fibrous material S having a predetermined size is formed. The cut single sheet of fibrous material S is discharged to a discharge receiving portion 96.

[0055] Next, a method for producing a fibrous body will be described. In this embodiment, a method for producing a fibrous material S using a fibrous material producing apparatus 100 will be described.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, in the depositing step (step S11), a material containing fibers is dry deposited on a first mesh belt 72 to form a web W. In detail, a mixture containing defibrated fibers and a binder (starch or dextrin) is dry-deposited to form the web W. The fibers are defibrated material defibrated by the defibrator unit 20, the binder is supplied from the binder supply unit 52, and the mixture is formed by the mixing unit 50. Then, the mixture is dry-deposited by the depositing unit 60 and the second web forming unit 70 to form the web W.

[0057] Next, in the conveying process (step S12), the first surface Wa of the web W is peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, and the second surface Wb, which is the opposite surface to the first surface Wa peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, is brought into contact with the second mesh belt 78a to convey the web W. In detail, an upward airflow is generated on the second mesh belt 78a by the suction mechanism 78c of the conveying section 78, and the web W is sucked in. As a result, the first surface Wa of the web W is peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, and the web W is conveyed with the second surface Wb in contact with the second mesh belt 78a.

[0058] Next, in a moisture imparting step (step S13), moisture is imparted to the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 78a toward the first surface Wa. That is, in this embodiment, moisture is imparted to the web W while the web W is being transported in the transport step. More specifically, moisture is supplied from the moisture imparting section 79. In this step, water vapor or mist is imparted to the web W. In this way, moisture can be imparted more uniformly to the web W, and the fibrous body S can be manufactured with a simpler device configuration. The amount of water imparted in the moisture imparting step can be controlled, for example, by the moisture content of the web W. The moisture content of the web W to which moisture has been imparted in the moisture imparting step is preferably 12% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. When the amount of moisture imparted is about this level, a fibrous body S having superior strength can be manufactured while suppressing the amount of energy, such as electricity, required to heat and dry the web W. In addition, by applying moisture to the first surface Wa side of the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 78a, the second surface Wb side has weaker adhesive strength than the first surface Wa side, so that the web W to which moisture has been applied can be prevented from sticking to the second mesh belt 78a.

[0059] Next, in the pressurizing step (step S14), the web W to which moisture has been added and which has been peeled off from the second mesh belt 78a is pressed. In detail, a pair of heating rollers 86 of the pressurizing unit 80 applies pressure to the web W to thin the web and increase the fiber density in the web W. The pressure applied to the web W is preferably 0.1 MPa to 15 MPa, more preferably 0.2 MPa to 10 MPa, and even more preferably 0.4 MPa to 8 MPa. If the pressure applied to the web W in the pressurizing step is within this range, fiber deterioration can be suppressed, and a fibrous body S with good strength can be manufactured again using the defibrated material obtained by defibrating the manufactured fibrous body S as a raw material.

[0060] In the pressurizing step, heat is applied to the web W to evaporate the moisture contained in the web W. In the pressurizing step, the web W is heated to a temperature of 60° C. or more and 100° C. or less. In this way, the time required for the pressurizing step can be reduced, and the fibrous body S can be produced with less energy.

[0061] In the pressurizing step, a relatively low pressure is applied to the web W, so that a small manufacturing device can be used, and damage to the fibers is relatively small, so that the fibrous body S can be defibrated again to easily manufacture a new fibrous body S.

[0062] In addition, in the pressurizing step, the web W is heated to a relatively low temperature, which facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonds between the fibers and ensures the strength of the fibrous body S. In addition, the binder can be gelatinized, which allows the fibers to bond with each other via the binder, thereby ensuring the strength of the fibrous body S.

[0063] 2. Second embodiment Next, the configuration of the fibrous material producing unit 1000 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the fibrous body manufacturing unit 1000 includes a deposition section 60 that deposits a fiber-containing material on a first mesh belt 72 serving as a first conveying belt to form a web W, a conveying section 78 that peels off a first side Wa of the web W from the first mesh belt 72 and conveys the web by contacting a second side Wb, which is the side opposite to the first side Wa peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, with a second mesh belt 78a serving as a second conveying belt, and a moisture applying section 79 that applies moisture to the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 78a toward the first side Wa. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0064] As described above, the fibrous body manufacturing unit 1000 can prevent the web W to which moisture has been imparted from sticking to the second conveyor belt, similarly to the above embodiment. In addition to the above configuration, the fibrous material manufacturing unit 1000 may include, for example, a supply section 10, a crushing section 12, a defibrating section 20, a screening section 40, a first web forming section 45, a rotating body 49, a mixing section 50, and the like.

[0065] 3. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In the first embodiment, a configuration was described in which the web W is transported by contacting it with the second mesh belt 78a using the suction mechanism 78c of the transport section 78, but this is not limited to this and the configuration may not include the suction mechanism 78c.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 5, the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100A of this embodiment includes a depositing section 60, a second web forming section 70, a conveying section 102, a moisture providing section 79, and a pressurizing section 80.

[0067] The web W formed on the first mesh belt 72 as the first conveyor belt is conveyed by the rotational movement of the first mesh belt 72. The web W conveyed to the downstream end of the first mesh belt 72 (the portion corresponding to the tension roller 74b) is conveyed downward while adhering to the first mesh belt 72. Here, the angle formed by the first belt surface F1 on the first mesh belt 72 and the third belt surface F3 of the first mesh belt 72 stretched between the tension roller 74b and the tension roller 74c is less than 90 degrees. Therefore, the web W peels off from the third belt surface F3 by its own weight. As a result, the web W is transferred from the first mesh belt 72 to the conveying section 102 and conveyed. The conveying section 102 is disposed below the first belt surface F1 on the first mesh belt 72.

[0068] In the conveying section 102, a second mesh belt 105 is arranged as a second conveying belt stretched by a plurality of tension rollers 106. At least one of the tension rollers 106 rotates, so that the second mesh belt 105 moves in one direction. The web W is then transferred from the first belt surface F1 of the first mesh belt 72 to the second belt surface F2 of the conveying section 102, and conveyed in the conveying direction (arrow in the figure). Here, the conveying direction of the second belt surface F2 is downward. At this time, the first surface Wa of the web W is peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, and the web W is conveyed in a state where the second surface Wb, which is the surface opposite to the first surface Wa of the web W, is in contact with the second mesh belt 105 of the conveying section 102.

[0069] The second belt surface F2 is located downstream of the first belt surface F1 in the transport direction of the web W. A first angle θ between the first belt surface F1 on the first mesh belt 72 and the second belt surface F2 on the second mesh belt 105 is set to be less than 90 degrees. When the web W piled up on the first belt surface F1 is transported to the second belt surface F2 side, the web W is peeled off from the first belt surface F1 by its own weight at the end of the first belt surface F1 (near the end of the tension roller 74b in the transport direction) and is transferred to the second belt surface F2 arranged vertically downward. This makes it possible to simplify the transport configuration since it is not necessary to provide a suction mechanism, blade, or other equipment for peeling off the web W at the end of the first belt surface F1 when transporting the web W from the first belt surface F1 to the second belt surface F2.

[0070] The moisture applicator 79 applies moisture to the first surface Wa of the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 105. The moisture applicator 79 is disposed at a position facing the second belt surface F2.

[0071] The pressurizing unit 80 is disposed downstream of the conveying unit 102. The pressurizing unit 80 pressurizes the web W to which moisture has been imparted and which has been peeled off from the second mesh belt 105. The pressurizing unit 80 of the present embodiment pressurizes and heats the web W to which moisture has been imparted at the same time.

[0072] As described above, according to this embodiment, similar to the above-described embodiment, the second mesh belt 105 supports the second surface Wb opposite the first surface Wa to which moisture is applied by the moisture application section 79, thereby preventing the web W to which moisture has been applied from sticking to the second conveyor belt.

[0073] 4. Fourth embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In the third embodiment, the upper limit of the first angle θ formed by the first belt surface F1 and the second belt surface F2 is set to less than 90 degrees, but the lower limit of the first angle θ formed by the first belt surface F1 and the second belt surface F2 may be set to 0 degrees.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 6, the second web forming section 70 of the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100B has a first mesh belt 72 as a first conveyor belt and two tension rollers 74 around which the first mesh belt 72 is wound, and is configured to move the first mesh belt 72 in one direction by at least one of the tension rollers 74 rotating on its axis. The conveying section 112 is disposed below the second web forming section 70. The conveying section 112 has a second mesh belt 115 as a second conveyor belt and a plurality of tension rollers 116 around which the second mesh belt 115 is wound, and is configured to move the second mesh belt 115 in one direction by at least one of the tension rollers 116 rotating on its axis. Here, the conveying section 112 is disposed so that the second belt surface F2 is longer in the horizontal direction than the first belt surface F1 so that the web W conveyed from the first belt surface F1 can be reliably delivered. The angle between the first belt surface F1 that conveys the web W formed on the first mesh belt 72 and the second belt surface F2 of the second mesh belt 115 to which the web W conveyed from the first belt surface F1 is transferred is set to 0 degrees, that is, the first belt surface F1 and the second belt surface F2 are arranged parallel to each other. Even in this manner, the web W conveyed horizontally by the first belt surface F1 can be peeled off from the first belt surface F1 by the weight of the web W at the end of the first belt surface F1 and handed over by the second belt surface F2 arranged below the first belt surface F1. At this time, the first surface Wa of the web W is peeled off from the first mesh belt 72, and the second surface Wb, which is the surface opposite to the first surface Wa of the web W, is conveyed in a state of contact with the second mesh belt 115 of the conveying section 112.

[0075] The moisture applicator 79 applies moisture to the first surface Wa of the web W in contact with the second mesh belt 115. The moisture applicator 79 is disposed at a position facing the second belt surface F2. In this embodiment, moisture is applied to the web W from above downward.

[0076] The pressurizing unit 80 is disposed downstream of the conveying unit 112. The pressurizing unit 80 pressurizes the web W to which moisture has been imparted and which has been peeled off from the second mesh belt 115. The pressurizing unit 80 of the present embodiment pressurizes and heats the web W to which moisture has been imparted at the same time.

[0077] As described above, according to this embodiment, similarly to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to prevent the moisture-added web W from sticking to the second mesh belt 115. In addition, since the second web forming unit 70 and the conveying unit 112 can be arranged to overlap each other in a plan view, it is possible to further shorten the horizontal length of the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] Reference Signs List 10...supply section, 12...crushing section, 20...defibration section, 40...screening section, 50...mixing section, 52...binder supply section, 60...accumulation section, 61...drum section, 62...inlet, 63...housing section, 70...second web forming section, 72...first mesh belt, 74, 74b, 74c...tension rollers, 76...suction mechanism, 78...conveyor section, 78a...second mesh belt, 78b...roller, 78c...suction mechanism, 79...moisture imparting section, 79a ...container, 79b...piezoelectric vibrator, 80...pressurizing section, 84...pressurizing and heating section, 86...heating roller, 90...cutting section, 96...discharge receiving section, 100, 100A, 100B...fibrous body manufacturing apparatus, 102...conveying section, 105...second mesh belt, 106...tension roller, 112...conveying section, 115...second mesh belt, 116...tension roller, 1000...fibrous body manufacturing unit, S...fibrous body, W...web, Wa...first side, Wb...second side.

Claims

1. a deposition section for dry depositing fibrous material onto a first transport belt to form a web; a conveying section that peels off a first surface of the web from the first conveying belt and conveys the web by bringing a second surface of the web, which is the surface opposite to the first surface peeled off from the first conveying belt, into contact with a second conveying belt; a moisture applying section that applies moisture toward the first surface of the web while the web is in contact with the second conveyor belt; a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the web to which the moisture has been applied and which has been peeled off from the second conveyor belt.

2. The fiber body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, In the moisture applying section, The apparatus for producing a fiber body applies water vapor or mist to the web as the moisture.

3. The fiber body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The conveying unit is The fibrous body manufacturing apparatus further comprises a suction mechanism for adsorbing the web onto the second transport belt.

4. The fiber body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, The suction mechanism is disposed at a position facing the moisture providing section across the second conveyor belt.

5. The fiber material manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The moisture applying section applies the moisture from below the web toward the first surface.

6. The fiber body manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The moisture content of the web to which moisture has been added is 12% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

7. The fiber material manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, In the deposition section, the material containing the fibers and a binder is deposited.

8. The fiber body manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The pressurizing unit pressurizes and heats the web at the same time.

9. A fibrous body manufacturing method in a fibrous body manufacturing apparatus including a depositing section having a first conveyor belt capable of conveying a web, a conveying section having a second conveyor belt capable of conveying the web, a moisture imparting section that imparts moisture to the web, and a pressurizing section that pressurizes the web, comprising: depositing a fibrous material onto the first transport belt in a dry manner to form the web; a conveying step of peeling a first surface of the web from the first conveyor belt, and conveying the web by bringing a second surface of the web, which is the surface opposite to the first surface peeled from the first conveyor belt, into contact with the second conveyor belt; a moisture applying step of applying the moisture to the web in contact with the second transport belt toward the first surface; and a pressurizing step of pressing the web to which the moisture has been applied and which has been peeled off from the second conveyor belt.

10. a deposition section for dry depositing fibrous material onto a first transport belt to form a web; a conveying section that peels off a first surface of the web from the first conveying belt and conveys the web by bringing a second surface of the web, which is the surface opposite to the first surface peeled off from the first conveying belt, into contact with a second conveying belt; a moisture applying section that applies moisture to the web in contact with the second conveyor belt toward the first surface.

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