Filler manufacturing apparatus, filler manufacturing method, and filler

Abstract

To provide an apparatus for producing a filler having high heat retention, deodorization, mildew prevention, antibacterial, anti-mite, moisture absorption and release, moisture absorption and heat generation performance, and washing resistance, a method for producing this filler, and this filler. [Solution] A manufacturing device for a filler containing kapok fiber and feathers includes a stirring tank into which the kapok fiber and feathers are introduced, a rotating shaft arranged to extend in a predetermined direction within the stirring tank, stirring blades attached to the rotating shaft, and a gas blowing unit that blows gas in a direction intersecting the direction in which the rotating shaft extends, and only non-ionized gas with a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more is blown into the stirring tank from the gas blowing unit. A manufacturing method for a filler containing kapok fiber and feathers includes a mixing step of putting kapok fiber and feathers into a stirrer having a rotating shaft extending in a predetermined direction and stirring blades attached to the rotating shaft, and blowing only non-ionized gas with a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Kapok is a deciduous tree of the Malvaceae family that grows mainly in Southeast Asia, and can be cultivated without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Kapok fiber is known as an environmentally friendly material, harvested from fruit without cutting down trees. Kapok fiber (fiber length 3-20 mm) has an extremely high hollow ratio (about 80%) and its air-pack effect makes it highly insulating, as its thermal conductivity is low. Furthermore, kapok fiber is overwhelmingly light (the density of kapok fiber is 1 / 8 that of cotton), and has the luster, slime, softness, and water repellency of natural silk. In addition, it is highly elastic, does not easily pill, and has the ability to recover after washing. Kapok fiber has been used as a natural material that takes advantage of these characteristics.

[0003] Fabrics made by blending kapok fiber with fiber materials such as cotton and polyester are considered to be comfortable materials with a soft, light, and moist texture, and are being commercialized as "natural materials that are gentle on nature and comfortable." Patent Document 1 discloses cotton mixed with kapok fiber, cellulose fiber other than kapok fiber, and hydrophobic fiber such as polyester fiber. Patent Document 2 describes a cotton blend containing ion-exchange fiber and natural fiber such as kapok fiber. Patent Document 3 discloses a flame-retardant fiber product containing halogen-containing flame-retardant fiber and natural fiber such as kapok fiber.

[0004] On the other hand, feathers are known as a material with high thermal insulation. However, feathers are expensive and have a strong odor. Furthermore, when feather-containing products are washed, their thermal insulation decreases, so the products cannot be washed frequently and bacteria are likely to grow in the products. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6873093 [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-69142 A [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2014 / 046087 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In recent years, there has been a demand for a filling material having high heat-retaining, antibacterial and anti-mite properties.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an apparatus for producing a filler having high heat-retaining, antibacterial and anti-mite properties, a method for producing said filler, and said filler. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have conducted extensive research in light of the above problems and have found that the above-mentioned filler can be produced by a method for producing a filler in which kapok fibers and feathers are stirred and mixed while blowing in only non-ionized gas with a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

[0009] The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for a filler containing kapok fiber and feathers, the manufacturing apparatus for a filler comprising a stirring tank into which the kapok fiber and feathers are introduced, a rotating shaft arranged to extend in a predetermined direction within the stirring tank, stirring blades provided on the rotating shaft, and a gas blowing unit that blows gas in a direction intersecting the direction in which the rotating shaft extends, and in which only non-ionized gas having a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more is blown from the gas blowing unit into the stirring tank.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a filling material containing kapok fiber and feathers, which includes a mixing step of mixing the kapok fiber and feathers in an agitator having a rotating shaft extending in a predetermined direction and an agitating blade attached to the rotating shaft while blowing in only non-ionized gas having a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft, wherein the kapok fiber content in the filling material is in the range of 10 to 49% by mass and the feather content in the filling material is in the range of 51 to 90% by mass.

[0011] The present invention further relates to a filling material containing kapok fiber and feathers, the kapok fiber being entangled with the barbs of the feathers, the kapok fiber content in the filling material being in the range of 10 to 49% by mass, and the feather content in the filling material being in the range of 51 to 90% by mass. The filler is manufactured by the manufacturing method thereof. Regarding filling materials 。 before The filling material is preferably for bedding or clothing. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The filling material manufacturing apparatus of the present invention provides a filling material having high heat retention, antibacterial and anti-mite properties. The filling material manufacturing method of the present invention provides the filling material. The filling material of the present invention provides the filling material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of a production apparatus of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will now be described in further detail. In addition, unless otherwise specified, "~" in a numerical range means from above to below, and both ends of the range are included. In addition, when a numerical range is indicated, the upper limit and the lower limit can be appropriately combined, and the numerical range obtained by combining them is also disclosed. In addition, in the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted. Also, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation, and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0015] [Filling material manufacturing equipment] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus for the filler containing kapok fiber and feathers of the present invention. The manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with a stirring tank 2 into which kapok fiber and feathers are introduced, a rotating shaft 3 arranged to extend in a predetermined direction in the stirring tank 2, and a stirring blade 4 attached to the rotating shaft 3. A partition wall does not need to be installed inside the stirring tank 2.

[0016] The number of the rotating shafts 3 may be one or more, and the extension direction of the rotating shafts 3 may be set appropriately as long as the stirring blades 4 do not collide with each other. When the number of the rotating shafts 3 is two or more, all the rotating shafts 3 may be parallel. In FIG. 1, two rotating shafts 3a and 3b extend in parallel. The rotation directions of the rotating shafts 3a and 3b may be the same or different. The rotation speeds of the rotating shafts 3a and 3b may also be set appropriately. As long as the stirring blades 4 do not collide with each other, the shape and number of the rotor blades 4 may be set appropriately. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the manufacturing apparatus 1. In this embodiment, three blades are arranged so that the rotating shaft 3 is at the center. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. The manufacturing apparatus of the other embodiment has one rotating shaft 3, and three blades are arranged so that the rotating shaft 3 is at the center.

[0017] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a gas blowing unit 5 that blows gas in a direction intersecting the direction in which the rotation shaft 3 extends. When two or more rotation shafts 3 are present, the gas blowing unit 5 is arranged to blow gas in a direction intersecting the direction in which at least one of the rotation shafts 3 extends. The shape and number of the gas blowing units 5 may be appropriately set. The gas blowing unit 5 may be two or more gas blowing ports. The gas blowing ports may be arranged in parallel with at least one of the rotation shafts 3. In FIG. 1, a plurality of gas blowing ports are provided at the bottom of the stirring tank 2 so that gas is blown in a direction intersecting (vertical) the direction in which the two rotation shafts 3a and 3b extend. The plurality of gas blowing ports are connected to a blower tube not shown.

[0018] The gas may include at least one selected from the group consisting of air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon, preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of air, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, more preferably includes air, and even more preferably is compressed air. The gas is not ionized. The gas is blown into the stirring tank from the gas blowing unit 5 at a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more. The flow rate is preferably 1.5 m / sec or more, more preferably 2 m / sec or more, and even more preferably 3 m / sec or more.

[0019] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a supply port 6 through which the kapok fibers and feathers are supplied to the stirring tank 2, and a discharge port 7 through which the mixture of the kapok fibers and feathers is discharged from the stirring tank 2. The locations of the supply port 6 and the discharge port 7 are not limited. In FIG. 1, the supply port 6 and the discharge port 7 are provided at the top of the stirring tank 2. The manufacturing apparatus 1 may include a gas discharge port (not shown) through which gas is discharged.

[0020] In this specification, feathers include down, which is known as cotton feathers and has good heat retention, and large feathers, which are known as feathers (usually 6 cm or less), and refer to any mixture of 0 to 100% of these. Down feathers are feathers with thread-like barbs growing all at the tip of the rachis (which was attached to the bird's cuticle via the base), and large feathers have many barbs growing in a row on the rachis, and further barbs growing in a row on the barb (see "World Encyclopedia," first edition, published by Heibonsha). Kapok fiber is a commonly used natural fiber. The preferred fiber length of the kapok fiber is 7 to 28 mm, and the preferred fiber fineness is 0.15 to 30 dtex.

[0021] [Manufacturing method of filler] The manufacturing method of the filling material containing kapok fiber and feathers of the present invention includes a mixing step of mixing kapok fiber and feathers in an agitator 2 having a rotating shaft 3 extending in a predetermined direction and an agitating blade 4 attached to the rotating shaft 3, while blowing only non-ionized gas at a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3. The manufacturing method of the filling material containing kapok fiber and feathers of the present invention may be a batch type or a continuous type.

[0022] The raw kapok fiber may be defibrated and separated into kapok fiber and impurities by airflow utilizing the difference in specific gravity. Fibers other than kapok fiber may be identified by a camera and removed from the kapok fiber from which the impurities have been removed. The kapok fiber from which the fibers other than kapok fiber have been removed may be carded to remove fine impurities and short kapok fibers, thereby preparing refined kapok fiber.

[0023] High temperature steam may be sprayed onto the raw feathers, and then the steam-treated feathers may be dried. The refined kapok fiber and the dried feathers may be subjected to the mixing process.

[0024] When the manufacturing method of the filler containing kapok fiber and feathers of the present invention is a batch type, the kapok fiber and the feathers may be introduced simultaneously or sequentially into the stirring tank 2. The number of introductions may be one or more. When the kapok fiber and the feathers are introduced sequentially, the order of introduction is appropriately set.

[0025] The kapok fiber and feathers are stirred while gas is blown in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3, and the kapok fiber is entangled with the barbs and mixed uniformly. Since the properties of kapok fiber and feathers are different, if they are stirred without blowing gas, the kapok fiber will not be entangled with the barbs and a uniform mixture will not be obtained.

[0026] The pressure of the gas blown in is preferably higher than the pressure inside the stirring tank 2 by 0.1 MPa or more.

[0027] [Filling material] The filling material of the present invention includes kapok fiber and feathers. The kapok fiber is entangled with the barbs of the feathers. The content of the kapok fiber in the filling material of the present invention is in the range of 10-49% by mass, and the content of the feathers in the filling material is in the range of 51-90% by mass. Preferably, the content of the kapok fiber in the filling material of the present invention is in the range of 25-40% by mass, and the content of the feathers in the filling material is in the range of 60-75% by mass. If the content of the kapok fiber in the filling material is too small, the deodorizing, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-mite, moisture absorption and release, and moisture absorption and heat generation performance of the filling material will be reduced. If the amount of feathers in the filling material is too small, the heat retention of the filling material will be reduced.

[0028] The filling material of the present invention may or may not contain fibers other than kapok fiber and feathers. The content of kapok fiber and feathers in the filling material of the present invention is preferably in the range of 50 to 100 mass%, more preferably in the range of 70 to 100 mass%, further preferably in the range of 80 to 100 mass%, and particularly preferably 100 mass%, that is, the filling material of the present invention does not contain fibers other than kapok fiber and feathers.

[0029] When the filling material of the present invention is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a filling material of the present invention, the kapok fiber is entangled with the barbs, and the kapok fiber and the feathers are mixed more uniformly.

[0030] <Impossible / unrealistic circumstances> When 10-49% by mass of kapok fiber and 51-90% by mass of feathers are mixed without blowing gas in the direction crossing the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the kapok fiber is not entangled with the barbs of the feathers, and the kapok fiber and the feathers are not mixed uniformly. It is impossible or impractical to quantitatively measure the uniformity of the mixture of the kapok fiber and the feathers by a device. Therefore, the filling material of the present invention in which the kapok fiber and the feathers are mixed more uniformly may be specified by the manufacturing method.

[0031] Preferably, the filler of the present invention has a down power of 300 or more, a deodorizing property for each of ammonia, acetic acid, and isovaleric acid of 90 or more, an antibacterial activity value of 3.0 or more, a mite repellency rate of 60% or more, a moisture absorption heat generation value of 3 to 8°C, and a heat retention rate of 85% or more.

[0032] The filling material of the present invention may be used, for example, in bedding such as mattresses, quilts, and pillows, clothing such as winter clothing, cushions, and stuffed toys. EXAMPLES

[0033] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0034] In the examples and comparative examples, various physical properties were measured or calculated as follows. <Down power> The down power of the filler was measured according to JIS L1903-2011. 30g of the filler was placed in a cylinder with an inner diameter of 29cm, and the height of the filler was measured when a 94.3g load disk was applied, and the volume of the filler was calculated. The volume of 1g of the filler was calculated as the down power.

[0035] <Deodorizing effect against ammonia, acetic acid and isovaleric acid> The test was conducted based on the SEK Mark Textile Product Certification Standard (Deodorizing Test) of the Japan Textile Evaluation Technology Council. 0.5g of filler was placed in a 500ml Erlenmeyer flask, and an ethanol solution of odor components (ammonia, acetic acid, and isovaleric acid) was dropped into the flask to achieve the specified initial concentration (ammonia 100ppm, acetic acid 50ppm, isovaleric acid 38ppm), and the flask was sealed. After 2 hours, a sample was taken with a syringe and gas chromatograph measurements were performed to measure the blank test concentration (a) and the sample test concentration after 2 hours (b), and the reduction rate (%) was calculated according to the following formula (2). Decrease rate (%) [(ab) / a]×100...(2)

[0036] <Anti-bacterial activity values ​​against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Moraxella> The antibacterial activity against each of the above bacteria based on JIS L 1902 was calculated as the following activity values. 0.4g of the filler sample was placed in a vial, 0.2ml of the test bacteria solution was inoculated into the sample, and immediately thereafter, 20ml of physiological saline containing 0.2% by mass of a nonionic surfactant (Polysorbate 80, from Plants, manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was added to the vial to wash out the bacteria from the sample, and the number of bacteria in the washing solution was measured as the amount of ATP using a luminescence measuring device (manufactured by METTLER TOLEDO). In addition, 0.4g of another sample of the cotton was placed in another vial, 0.2ml of the test bacteria solution was inoculated into this sample, and the sample was cultured at 37±1°C for 18±1 hours. Thereafter, the number of bacteria in the washing solution was measured in the same manner as above. The activity value was calculated by the following formula (1). Activity value = log (number of bacteria immediately after inoculation) - log (number of bacteria after cultivation) (1)

[0037] <Mite repellency rate> The anti-mite properties based on the JIS L 1920 glass A tube method were calculated as the following repellency rate. One end of a glass tube (inner diameter 2 cm, length 10 cm) was sealed with adhesive tape, 0.01 g of attractant feed was placed in the glass tube and uniformly attached to the adhesive tape. Next, 0.4 g of the filler sample was packed to a thickness of 2 cm, and 2 cm of the mite medium was packed from the other end of the glass tube, and the other end of the glass tube was sealed with a high-density fabric and left in a dark place under conditions of 25 ± 2 ° C and 75 ± 5% RH. After 48 ± 1 hours, the number of attracted mites (the number of mites in the adhesive tape, attractant feed, and filler sample) was counted, and the repellency was calculated by the following formula (2). Mite repellency rate = (number of mites attracted to cotton sample without filler – number of mites attracted to sample with filler) / number of mites attracted to cotton sample without filler × 100 (2)

[0038] <Hygroscopic heat generation> The 20cm x 20cm filling material and cotton were each folded in four and a thermocouple temperature sensor was attached inside, and they were placed in a thermo-hygrostat at 20℃ and 40% RH for two hours, after which the environment was changed to 20℃ and 90% RH and the temperature change was measured every minute for 15 minutes. The filling material and cotton were measured simultaneously, and the temperature rise of the filling material was compared to that of the cotton.

[0039] <Heat retention> The heat retention test was carried out based on "JIS L 1096 Fabric Testing Method for Woven and Knitted Fabrics". The filler was placed on the hot plate of the heat retention tester set at a constant temperature (36±0.5℃), and the amount of heat (a) dissipated through the test piece after 2 hours was measured. Meanwhile, the amount of heat (b) dissipated after 2 hours without the filler was measured, and the heat retention rate (%) was calculated according to the following formula (3). Heat retention rate (%)=(1-a / b)×100...(3)

[0040] <Washing durability> A sample of filler material measuring 30cm x 30cm x 2cm (weight 100g / cm 2) was wrapped in a polyester plain weave fabric (warp fineness: 56 dtex, weft: 84 dtex, warp density: 48 threads / cm, weft: 35 threads / cm) in the shape of a futon and sewn on all four sides to prepare a washing sample. The washing sample was washed three times for 10 minutes (one set) in a commercial dry cleaning machine, the polyester plain weave fabric was removed, and the shape and bias of the filler sample were visually evaluated according to the following criteria. Ten sets of washing were performed, and the number of times it was rated A is shown in Table 1. - Evaluation criteria for shape and bias of cotton samples - A: No shape or deviation was observed. B: Some shape and deviation were confirmed. C: Damage confirmed.

[0041] [Examples 1 to 3 and Control Example 1] The raw kapok fiber was defibrated and separated into kapok fiber and impurities by airflow utilizing the difference in specific gravity. Fibers other than kapok fiber were identified by a camera and removed from the kapok fiber from which the impurities had been removed. The kapok fiber from which the impurities had been removed was carded to remove fine impurities and short kapok fibers, and refined kapok fiber was prepared.

[0042] Meanwhile, high temperature steam was sprayed onto the raw feathers, and then the steam-treated feathers were dried. The refined kapok fiber and the dry feathers were stirred in the mixing tank of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in the ratio shown in Table 1 while blowing in compressed air of 0.6 MPa, to prepare a filler. In Example 1, the refined kapok fiber and the dry feathers were simultaneously introduced into the mixing tank. In Examples 2 and 3, the refined kapok fiber was introduced into the mixing tank, and then the dry feathers were introduced into the mixing tank to prepare a filler. Furthermore, only the dry feathers were introduced into the manufacturing apparatus 1 to prepare a filler (Control Example 1). The physical properties of these fillers are shown in Table 1.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] The kapok fibers constituting the filling materials of Examples 1 to 3 were entangled with the barbs of the feathers. The down power of the filling materials was equivalent to that of the filling material consisting only of feathers of Control Example 1. Furthermore, the filling materials of Examples 1 to 3 had high deodorizing properties, antibacterial activity, mite repellency, moisture absorption heat generation properties, and washing durability. The filling material consisting only of feathers of Control Example 1 did not have deodorizing properties, antibacterial activity, or mite repellency, and its moisture absorption heat generation properties, heat retention properties, and washing durability were not measured.

[0045] [Comparative Example 1] The refined kapok fibers and the dry feathers were agitated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that gas was not blown in from the gas blowing unit 5 of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. However, a filling material in which the refined kapok fibers and the dry feathers were uniformly mixed was not prepared. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] Reference Signs List 1... Manufacturing equipment, 2... Mixing tank, 3... Rotating shaft, 4... Mixing blade, 5... Gas injection unit, 6... Supply port, 7... Discharge port.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a filling material containing kapok fiber and feathers, A stirring tank into which the kapok fibers and the feathers are introduced; a rotating shaft disposed in the mixing tank so as to extend in a predetermined direction; A stirring blade provided on the rotating shaft; and The gas blowing unit is provided to blow gas in a direction intersecting a direction in which the rotation axis extends, A filler manufacturing apparatus, wherein only non-ionized gas having a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more is blown into the mixing tank from the gas blowing unit.

2. A method for producing a filling material containing kapok fiber and feathers, comprising the steps of: The method includes a mixing step of mixing kapok fibers and feathers in an agitator having a rotating shaft extending in a predetermined direction and an agitating blade attached to the rotating shaft, while blowing only non-ionized gas having a flow rate of 1 m / sec or more in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft, A method for producing a filling material, wherein the content of the kapok fiber in the filling material is in the range of 10 to 49% by mass, and the content of the feathers in the filling material is in the range of 51 to 90% by mass.

3. A filling material comprising kapok fiber and feathers, The kapok fibers are entangled in the barbs of the feathers, The content of the kapok fiber in the filler is in the range of 10 to 49% by mass, The content of the feathers in the filling material is in the range of 51 to 90 mass%, A filler produced by the method for producing a filler according to claim 2.

4. 4. The filling material according to claim 3, which is for bedding or clothing.

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