Web forming device, molding manufacturing device

Abstract

To reduce a risk of damaging a transportation part due to contact of a solid additive with an inner surface of the transportation part when the solid additive is transported inside the transportation part.SOLUTION: A web formation apparatus 1 includes: a drum part 62 including an accommodation chamber 66 capable of accommodating fragments P, and powder supplied from a first supply part 100; and a second web formation part 70 for allowing a mixture which falls from the drum part 62 and contains the fragments P and the powder to accumulate, thereby forming a second web W2. The first supply part 100 includes: a storage chamber 106 for storing the powder; and a discharge part 108 provided below the storage chamber 106, for discharging the powder from the storage chamber 106. The drum part 62 includes meshes 67 allowing the powder to pass therethrough, in a net 65 demarcating the accommodation chamber 66. The discharge part 108 is provided vertically above the net 65 of the drum part 62.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a web forming apparatus and a molded body manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet manufacturing apparatus in which a resin supply section that supplies solid resin as an additive is provided midway through a conveying section that conveys defibrated fibers, and the additive is conveyed horizontally toward a sieve that can contain the additive and fibers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-66932 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the additive, which is a solid, is transported inside the transport section, there is a risk that the additive may come into contact with the inner surface of the transport section and damage the transport section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The web forming apparatus comprises a supply section which supplies powder, a drum section having a storage chamber capable of storing fibers and the powder supplied from the supply section, and a web forming section which deposits a mixture containing the fibers and the powder that falls from the drum section to form a web, wherein the supply section has a storage chamber which stores the powder, and a discharge section which is provided below the storage chamber and discharges the powder from the storage chamber, wherein the drum section has a circumferential surface which defines the storage chamber and through which the powder can pass, and the discharge section is provided vertically above the circumferential surface of the drum section, and wherein the supply section supplies the powder to the storage chamber through the through hole by dropping it from the discharge section.

[0006] The molded body manufacturing apparatus includes the web forming apparatus described above, and a molded body forming section that applies pressure and heat to the formed web to form a molded body containing the fibers. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a molded body manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the d3-d3 cross section of the sieve unit, the first supply unit, the second supply unit, the third supply unit, and the fourth supply unit shown in FIG. 2; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing the configuration of a first supply unit and a sieve unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partial schematic view showing another embodiment of the molded body manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment. In each drawing, the same members are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0009] In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three spatial axes that are mutually orthogonal. In this specification, the directions along these axes are the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. When specifying the direction, the positive direction is "+" and the negative direction is "-", and the direction notation is both positive and negative, with the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure being the + direction and the opposite direction to the arrow being the - direction. The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, the +Z direction is the vertical downward direction, and the -Z direction is the vertical upward direction. In addition, the plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is described as the XY plane, the plane including the X-axis and Z-axis is the XZ plane, and the plane including the Y-axis and Z-axis is the YZ plane. The XY plane is a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the three spatial axes X, Y, and Z that are not limited to positive and negative directions are described as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0010] 1. Embodiment 1 The configuration of the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 according to the first embodiment will be described. The molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 is an apparatus suitable for manufacturing new paper, for example, by dry-type defibration of used waste paper as a raw material, followed by pressurization, heating, and cutting. By mixing various additives with the fiberized raw material, the binding strength and whiteness of the paper product may be improved according to the application, and functions such as color, fragrance, and flame retardancy may be added. In addition, by controlling and molding the density, thickness, and shape of the paper, it is possible to manufacture papers of various thicknesses and sizes according to the application, such as A4 or A3 office paper and business card paper, and molded bodies used for liquid absorption, etc.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 includes a raw material 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 conveying section 50, a sieve section 60, a second web forming section 70, a first supply section 100, a second supply section 200, a third supply section 300, a fourth supply section 400, a transfer section 79, a molded body forming section 80, a cutting section 90, and a receiving section 96.

[0012] The raw material supply section 10, coarse crushing section 12, defibrating section 20, sorting section 40, first web forming section 45, rotating body 49, conveying section 50, sieve section 60, second web forming section 70, first supply section 100, second supply section 200, third supply section 300, and fourth supply section 400 provided in the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 constitute the web forming device 1. In other words, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 includes the web forming device 1, a conveying section 79, a molded body forming section 80, a cutting section 90, and a receiving section 96.

[0013] Furthermore, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 includes humidifiers 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 for the purpose of humidifying the raw materials and the space through which the raw materials move. The humidifiers 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 suppress adhesion of the raw materials caused by static electricity through humidification. The humidifiers 31, 32, 33, and 34 are, for example, evaporative or hot air evaporative humidifiers. The humidifiers 35 and 36 are, for example, ultrasonic humidifiers.

[0014] Furthermore, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 further includes a control unit 450. The control unit 450 controls the driving of the raw material supply unit 10, the crushing unit 12, the defibrating unit 20, the sorting unit 40, the first web forming unit 45, the rotating body 49, the conveying unit 50, the sieve unit 60, the second web forming unit 70, the first supply unit 100, the second supply unit 200, the third supply unit 300, the fourth supply unit 400, the transferring unit 79, the molded body forming unit 80, the cutting unit 90, the receiving unit 96, and the humidifying units 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36.

[0015] The raw material supplying section 10 supplies raw material to the coarse crushing section 12. The raw material supplied to the coarse crushing section 12 may be any material containing fiber, such as paper, pulp, a pulp sheet, a nonwoven fabric, a cloth, or a woven fabric. In the following, a configuration in which the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 uses waste paper as a raw material will be illustrated. The raw material supplying section 10 has, for example, a stacker that stacks and accumulates waste paper, and an automatic input device that sends the waste paper from the stacker to the coarse crushing section 12.

[0016] The crushing unit 12 cuts the raw material supplied by the raw material supply unit 10 into coarsely crushed pieces with the crushing blades 14. The crushing blades 14 cut the raw material in air such as the atmosphere. The crushing unit 12 has, for example, a pair of crushing blades 14 that sandwich and cut the raw material, and a drive unit that rotates the crushing blades 14, and can have a configuration similar to that of a so-called shredder. The shape and size of the crushed pieces are arbitrary as long as they are suitable for the defibration process in the defibration unit 20. The crushing unit 12 cuts the raw material into pieces of paper that are, for example, 1 cm to several cm square or smaller. The crushed pieces cut by the crushing unit 12 are transported to the defibration unit 20 through the pipe 2 via the chute 9.

[0017] The defibrating unit 20 defibrates the coarsely crushed pieces cut by the coarse crushing unit 12. More specifically, the defibrating unit 20 defibrates the raw material cut by the coarse crushing unit 12 to generate defibrated material. Here, "defibrating" refers to unraveling the raw material, which is made up of multiple fibers bound together, into individual fibers. The defibrating unit 20 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 defibrated material. In addition to the defibrated material fibers, the defibrated material may contain resin particles that have separated from the fibers when the fibers are defibrated, i.e., resin particles for binding multiple fibers together, coloring materials such as ink and toner, and additives such as anti-bleeding agents and paper strength agents. The defibrated material has a string-like or flat 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 defibration unit 20 performs defibration in a dry manner. Here, the term "dry manner" refers to processing such as defibration in air, such as in the atmosphere, rather than in a liquid. The defibration unit 20 is configured using, for example, an impeller mill. Specifically, although not shown, the defibration unit 20 has a rotor that rotates at high speed and a liner located on the outer periphery of the rotor. The coarsely crushed pieces cut by the coarse crushing unit 12 are sandwiched between the rotor and the liner of the defibration unit 20 and defibrated.

[0020] The defibrator unit 20 generates an airflow by the rotation of the rotor. This airflow allows the defibrator unit 20 to suck in the coarsely crushed pieces, which are the raw material, from the pipe 2 through the inlet 22 and transport the defibrated material to the outlet 24. The defibrated material is sent from the outlet 24 to the pipe 3, and transported to the sorting unit 40 through the pipe 3. In the illustrated example, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 includes a defibrator blower 26, which is an airflow generating device, and the defibrated material is transported to the sorting unit 40 by the airflow generated by the defibrator blower 26.

[0021] The sorting unit 40 is provided with an inlet 42 through which the defibrated material defibrated by the defibrator unit 20 flows in from the pipe 3 together with the airflow. The sorting unit 40 sorts the defibrated material introduced from the inlet 42 according to the length of the fibers. In detail, the sorting unit 40 sorts the defibrated material defibrated by the defibrator unit 20, by classifying defibrated material of a predetermined size or smaller as a first sorted material, and by classifying defibrated material larger than the first sorted material as a second sorted material. The first sorted material includes fibers or particles, and the second sorted material includes, for example, large fibers, undefibrated pieces, coarsely crushed pieces that have not been fully defibrated, and clumps of defibrated fibers that have aggregated or become tangled. The sorting unit 40 has, for example, a drum unit 41 and a housing unit 43 that houses the drum unit 41.

[0022] The drum unit 41 is a cylindrical sieve that is rotated by a motor. The drum unit 41 has a mesh and functions as a sieve. With the mesh of this mesh, the drum unit 41 separates the defibrated material into a first sorted material that is smaller than the mesh size of the mesh and a second sorted material that is larger than the mesh size of the mesh.

[0023] The defibrated material introduced from the inlet 42 is sent into the inside of the drum section 41 together with the airflow, and the first sorted material falls downward through the mesh of the drum section 41 as the drum section 41 rotates. The second sorted material that cannot pass through the mesh of the drum section 41 is carried by the airflow flowing into the drum section 41 from the inlet 42, guided to the discharge outlet 44, and sent out to the pipe 8. The pipe 8 connects the inside of the drum section 41 to the pipe 2. The second sorted material that flows through the pipe 8 is returned to the defibration section 20 and undergoes defibration processing.

[0024] The first sorted material sorted by the drum unit 41 passes through the mesh of the drum unit 41 and disperses into the air, and falls toward the mesh belt 46 of the first web forming unit 45 located below the drum unit 41.

[0025] The first web forming section 45 has a mesh belt 46, a roller 47, and a suction section 48. The mesh belt 46 is an endless belt suspended on three rollers 47, and is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure by the movement of the rollers 47. The surface of the mesh belt 46 is made of a net with a row of openings of a predetermined size. Of the first sorted material that falls from the sorting section 40, fine particles of a size that can pass through the mesh mesh fall below the mesh belt 46, and fibers of a size that cannot pass through the mesh mesh are deposited on the mesh belt 46, forming the first web W1. The first web W1 formed on the mesh belt 46 is transported in the arrow direction together with the mesh belt 46. The fine particles that fall from the mesh belt 46 are relatively small or low density defibrated materials, that is, they include resin particles, coloring materials, additives, etc. that are not necessary for binding fibers to fibers, and are removed materials that are not used by the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 in manufacturing the sheet S.

[0026] The mesh belt 46 moves at a constant speed V1 during normal operation for manufacturing the sheet S. Here, normal operation refers to operation excluding the execution of start control and stop control of the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500, and more specifically, refers to the period during which the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 is manufacturing the sheet S of desired quality.

[0027] The suction unit 48 sucks air from below the mesh belt 46. The suction unit 48 is connected to the dust collection unit 27 via the pipe 23. The dust collection unit 27 is a filter-type or cyclone-type dust collection device, and separates fine particles from the airflow. The collection blower 28 is installed downstream of the dust collection unit 27, and functions as a dust collection suction mechanism that sucks air from the dust collection unit 27. The air discharged by the collection blower 28 is discharged to the outside of the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 via the pipe 29.

[0028] In the transport path of the mesh belt 46, air containing mist is supplied by the humidifier 35 to the downstream side of the sorting unit 40. The mist, which is water particles generated by the humidifier 35, falls toward the first web W1 and supplies moisture to the first web W1. This adjusts the amount of moisture contained in the first web W1, and can suppress adhesion of fibers to the mesh belt 46 due to static electricity.

[0029] The molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 has a rotating body 49 that cuts the first web W1 accumulated on the mesh belt 46. The first web W1 is peeled off from the mesh belt 46 at a position where the mesh belt 46 is folded back by a roller 47, and is cut by the rotating body 49.

[0030] The rotor 49 has a rotating blade shape that has a plate-like blade and rotates. The rotor 49 is disposed at a position where the first web W1 peeled off from the mesh belt 46 comes into contact with the blade. By the rotation of the rotor 49, for example in the direction indicated by the arrow R in the figure, the first web W1 peeled off from the mesh belt 46 and conveyed collides with the blade and is cut, and fragments P are generated. The fragments P are an example of fibers that are a main raw material when forming the second web W2 and the sheet S described later. The fragments P cut by the rotor 49 descend inside the tube 7 and are conveyed to the conveying section 50 by the air current flowing inside the tube 7.

[0031] The conveying section 50 has an additive supplying section 52 that supplies an additive containing a resin, a conveying pipe 54 that communicates with the pipe 7 and through which an airflow containing the fragmented body P flows, and a mixing blower 53 provided in the conveying pipe 54. The conveying pipe 54 is an example of a conveying path. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the conveying section 50 has a conveying pipe 55 that communicates with the downstream side of the conveying direction of the conveying pipe 54 and extends in the X-axis direction, a conveying pipe 56 that communicates with the +X direction side of the conveying pipe 55 and extends in the +Z direction, a second supplying section 200 provided in the conveying pipe 56, and a blower 57 provided in the conveying pipe 56 on the +Z direction side downstream of the second supplying section 200. The conveying section 50 also includes a conveying pipe 58 that communicates with the -X direction side of the conveying pipe 55 and extends in the +Z direction, a second supply section 200 provided in the conveying pipe 58, and a blower 59 provided in the conveying pipe 58 on the +Z direction side downstream of the second supply section 200. The conveying pipes 55, 56, and 58 are an example of a conveying path. Note that FIG. 2 shows a part of the conveying pipes 56 and 58 and the inside of the housing 61 of the sieve section 60 in cross section.

[0032] In the conveying section 50, an air flow is generated by the mixing blower 53 in the conveying pipe 54, and the smashed bodies P and the additive containing the resin are conveyed toward the sieve section 60 while being mixed.

[0033] The additive supply unit 52 is connected to an additive cartridge (not shown) that accumulates additives, and supplies the additives inside the additive cartridge to the conveying pipe 54. The additive supply unit 52 stores the additives from the additive cartridge. The additive supply unit 52 has a discharge unit 52a that sends the stored additives to the conveying pipe 54.

[0034] The additive supplied by the additive supply unit 52 includes a resin as a binder for binding a plurality of fibers. The resin included in the additive is a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin, such as AS resin, ABS resin, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, acrylic resin, polyester resin, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene ether, polybutylene terephthalate, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyacetal, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ether ketone, and the like. These resins may be used alone or in appropriate mixture. That is, the additive may include a single substance, may be a mixture, and may include multiple types of particles each composed of a single substance or multiple substances. The additive may be in the form of a fiber or a powder.

[0035] The resin contained in the additive melts when heated and bonds multiple fibers together, so if the resin is mixed with the fibers but is not heated to a temperature at which the resin melts, the fibers will not be bonded together.

[0036] The airflow generated by the mixing blower 53 sucks the smashed bodies P and additives descending through the tube 7 into the conveying tube 54, passes through the inside of the mixing blower 53 and the conveying tube 55, and is conveyed toward the sieve unit 60. The airflow generated by the mixing blower 53 and the action of the rotating parts such as the blades of the mixing blower 53 mix the smashed bodies P and the additives, and this mixture, i.e., the mixture of the smashed bodies P and the additives, passes through the conveying tubes 56, 58 together with the powder supplied from the second supply unit 200 as necessary, and is conveyed toward the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 in the sieve unit 60, which will be described later.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, in this embodiment, two second supply units 200 are provided so as to be able to supply powder into the conveying pipes 56, 58. The powder supplied by the second supply units 200 includes a powdered functional material. The functional material will be described later. The second supply unit 200 includes a container 201, a storage chamber 202, and a connecting pipe line 204.

[0038] A container 201 for containing powder is attached in the −Z direction of a storage chamber 202. The storage chamber 202 stores the powder from the container 201. A feed mechanism 203 is provided in the storage chamber 202, and supplies the powder in the storage chamber 202 into the conveying pipes 56, 58 via a connecting pipe 204 while stirring the powder.

[0039] The connecting pipe 204 is provided on the +Z direction side of the storage chamber 202, and connects the storage chamber 202 to a position on the +Z direction side of the storage chamber 202 in the conveying pipes 56, 58. In addition, the conveying pipes 56, 58 in which the two second supply units 200 are provided extend in the +Z direction toward the sieve unit 60. For this reason, the powder supplied from the second supply unit 200 to the conveying pipes 56, 58 is likely to fall in the conveying pipes 56, 58. As a result, the suction force of the blowers 57, 59 may be smaller than the suction force of the mixing blower 53. In addition, for example, as compared with the case in which the conveying pipes 56, 58 in which the second supply units 200 are provided extend in the X-axis direction, the degree of deterioration of the powder caused by the powder coming into contact with the inner surface of the conveying pipes 56, 58 and the degree of damage to the inner surface of the conveying pipes 56, 58 can be reduced.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the sieve unit 60 has a drum unit 62 and a housing 61 that accommodates the drum unit 62. The drum unit 62 has a cylindrical accommodation chamber 66. The accommodation chamber 66 can accommodate the fragmented body P, additives, and powder supplied from the second supply unit 200, which are introduced from an inlet 63 communicating with the conveying pipe 56 and an inlet 64 communicating with the conveying pipe 58. The accommodation chamber 66 can also accommodate powder supplied from the first supply unit 100, which will be described later. The drum unit 62 is a cylindrical sieve that is driven to rotate by a motor. The drum unit 62 is held in the housing 61 so that the central axis of the cylindrical shape is aligned with the X-axis. The drum unit 62 is held in the housing 61 so as to be rotatable around the central axis of the cylindrical shape as the rotation center. In this case, the drum unit 62 may be rotatably held by the inlets 63 and 64 provided in the housing 61.

[0041] The drum part 62 has a mesh 65 and functions as a sieve. The mesh 65 is an example of a peripheral surface that defines the storage chamber 66. Due to mesh 67 of the mesh 65, the drum part 62 allows fibers and particles with smaller mesh openings to pass through and drop them in the +Z direction from the drum part 62. The mesh 67 is an example of a through hole. The configuration of the drum part 62 is, for example, the same as the configuration of the drum part 41. As the mesh 65 of the drum part 62, for example, a wire mesh, an expanded metal obtained by stretching a metal plate with slits, or a punched metal obtained by forming through holes in a metal plate using a press or the like can be used.

[0042] When the mixture of the fragmented body P and the additive that has passed through the conveying section 50 and the powder supplied from the second supply section 200 are introduced into the storage chamber 66 from the inlets 63 and 64 as shown by the white arrows in FIG. 2, the sieve section 60 loosens the entangled mixture and causes it to fall while dispersing it in the air. Furthermore, when the resin of the additive supplied from the additive supply section 52 is fibrous, the sieve section 60 loosens the entangled resin. In addition, the powder supplied from the discharge section 108 of the first supply section 100, which will be described later, is introduced into the storage chamber 66 through the mesh 67 of the net 65 into the sieve section 60. As a result, the sieve section 60 can sieve the mixture of the fragmented body P, the additive, the powder supplied from the second supply section 200, and the powder supplied from the first supply section 100 onto the mesh belt 72 of the second web forming section 70 and deposit it with good uniformity.

[0043] The first supply unit 100 is provided so as to be able to supply powder to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62. The first supply unit 100 is an example of a supply unit. The powder supplied by the first supply unit 100 includes a powdered functional material. The powder supplied by the first supply unit 100 may be the same as or different from the powder supplied by the second supply unit 200. The functional material will be described later.

[0044] 2 to 4, the first supply unit 100 includes a container 101 and a supply mechanism 102. The supply mechanism 102 includes a container holder 105 that holds the container 101, a storage chamber 106, a discharge unit 108, a roller 109, a doctor blade 111, a scraping blade 113, a cleaning blade 116, and an input blade 114.

[0045] The container 101 contains the powder that the first supply unit 100 supplies to the container chamber 66 of the drum unit 62. When the container 101 is held by the container holding unit 105, the powder contained in the container 101 is located on the -Z direction side above the storage chamber 106. When the container 101 is held by the container holding unit 105, an outlet 103 for discharging the contained powder is provided on the bottom surface, which is the surface on the +Z direction side of the container 101. The container 101 also includes an agitation mechanism 104 capable of agitating the contained powder.

[0046] A storage chamber 106 is provided on the +Z direction side below the container holding part 105. As shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 4, the storage chamber 106 stores the powder discharged from the outlet 103 of the container 101. An inlet 107 is provided on the upper surface, which is the surface on the -Z direction side that defines the storage chamber 106, through which the powder discharged from the outlet 103 is introduced into the storage chamber 106. The storage chamber 106 is provided with a stirring mechanism 112 capable of stirring the stored powder.

[0047] A discharge section 108 capable of discharging the powder stored in the storage chamber 106 in the +Z direction downward is provided on the lower surface, which is the surface on the +Z direction side that defines the storage chamber 106. The discharge section 108 of this embodiment is formed by a through hole provided on the lower surface of the storage chamber 106 and a roller 109. The through hole of the discharge section 108 communicates between the storage chamber 106 and the housing 61. The through hole of the discharge section 108 is provided on the -Z direction side that is vertically above the storage chamber 106 and the net 65 of the drum section 62. In addition, it is preferable that the opening dimension in the X-axis direction of the through hole of the discharge section 108 is set to be equal to or longer than the dimension in the X-axis direction of the second web W2.

[0048] The roller 109 of the discharge unit 108 is a cylindrical roller that is rotated by a motor. The roller 109 is provided so that the rotation axis 110 is aligned along the X-axis. The roller 109 has an outer peripheral surface 115. It is preferable that the dimension of the outer peripheral surface 115 in the X-axis direction is set to be equal to or longer than the dimension of the second web W2 in the X-axis direction. The roller 109 is provided at a position in the Y-axis direction that is closer to the -Y direction than the center of the through hole of the discharge unit 108. As a result, a gap is formed in the discharge unit 108 on the +Y direction side of the outer peripheral surface 115 of the roller 109. The dimension of this gap in the X-axis direction is the same as the dimension of the through hole of the discharge unit 108 in the X-axis direction.

[0049] 4, the roller 109 is provided at a position where the outer peripheral surface 115 moves between a position where the outer peripheral surface 115 contacts the powder in the storage chamber 106 and a position between the through hole of the discharge unit 108 and the mesh 65 of the drum unit 62 in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the roller 109 can move the powder in the storage chamber 106 adhering to the outer peripheral surface 115 toward the mesh 65 of the drum unit 62 through the aforementioned gap formed on the +Y direction side of the outer peripheral surface 115 by rotating around the rotation axis 110 in the direction shown by the white arrow in FIG.

[0050] The doctor blade 111 is provided in the storage chamber 106. The scraping blade 113, the cleaning blade 116, and the feeding blade 114 are provided in the housing 61. The scraping blade 113 is provided between the roller 109 and the mesh 65 of the drum portion 62 in the Z-axis direction.

[0051] The scraping blade 113 is provided on the -Z direction side vertically above the mesh 65 of the drum unit 62. The scraping blade 113 scrapes off powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface 115. It is preferable that the dimension of the scraping blade 113 in the X-axis direction is set to be equal to or longer than the dimension of the outer circumferential surface 115 of the roller 109 in the X-axis direction.

[0052] Cleaning blade 116 is provided at a position behind scraping blade 113 in the rotation direction of roller 109. Cleaning blade 116 cleans outer peripheral surface 115 by contacting outer peripheral surface 115 of roller 109. It is preferable that the dimension of cleaning blade 116 in the X-axis direction is set to be equal to or longer than the dimension of outer peripheral surface 115 of roller 109 in the X-axis direction.

[0053] The feeding blade 114 is provided on the -Z direction side, which is above the center of rotation of the drum unit 62, in the Z axis direction. The feeding blade 114 is provided at a position behind the scraping blade 113 in the direction of rotation of the drum unit 62 shown by the outline arrow in Fig. 4. The feeding blade 114 comes into contact with the mesh 65 of the drum unit 62, thereby feeding the powder adhering to the mesh 65 into the storage chamber 66 through the mesh holes 67. It is preferable that the dimension of the feeding blade 114 in the X axis direction is set to be the same as or longer than the dimension of the mesh 65 of the drum unit 62 in the X axis direction.

[0054] The doctor blade 111 is provided so that the distance between the contact end, which is the end on the +Z direction side, and the outer circumferential surface 115 of the roller 109 is a predetermined dimension. In this way, the doctor blade 111 comes into contact with the powder that adheres in excess to the outer circumferential surface 115 of the rotating roller 109, thereby regulating the amount of powder that adheres to the outer circumferential surface 115. The amount of powder that adheres to the outer circumferential surface 115 can be adjusted by changing the position of the contact end of the doctor blade 111. For this reason, the doctor blade 111 may be provided so that the position of the contact end can be adjusted with respect to the outer circumferential surface 115 of the roller 109.

[0055] The powder adhering to the outer peripheral surface 115 of the roller 109 passes through the above-mentioned gap as the roller 109 rotates, after the amount of powder adhering to the outer peripheral surface 115 is adjusted by the doctor blade 111. The powder adhering to the outer peripheral surface 115 of the roller 109 falls in the +Z direction, which is vertically downward, due to gravity acting on the powder, or is scraped off from the outer peripheral surface 115 by the scraping blade 113 provided on the +Z direction side of the roller 109, and falls toward the mesh 65 of the drum section 62.

[0056] The powder that has descended toward the mesh 65 of the drum part 62 passes through mesh holes 67 of the mesh 65 and enters the storage chamber 66 or adheres to the mesh 65 of the drum part 62, as shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 4. When the drum part 62 rotates in the direction shown by the hollow arrow in Fig. 4, the powder that has adhered to the mesh 65 of the drum part 62 comes into contact with the feeding blade 114, and enters the storage chamber 66 through the mesh holes 67, as shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 4.

[0057] In other words, the first supply unit 100 supplies the powder in the storage chamber 106 to the storage chamber 66 through the mesh 67 of the net 65 in the drum unit 62 by dropping the powder from the discharge unit 108. In this case, unlike the case where the powder is transported to the storage chamber 66 via the transport unit 50, the powder can be supplied to the storage chamber 66 by dropping, so that damage to the inner surface of the transport pipes 54, 55, 56, 58 can be reduced. Furthermore, in the transport pipes 56, 58, the powder is transported by the airflow generated by the blowers 57, 59, so that friction is likely to occur due to contact between the powder particles. In contrast, the first supply unit 100 supplies the powder to the storage chamber 66 by dropping it, so that friction between the powder particles is unlikely to occur, and deterioration of the powder supplied to the storage chamber 66 can be suppressed.

[0058] Furthermore, compared to a case where the powder in the storage chamber 106 is supplied to the storage chamber 66 without passing through the mesh 65 of the drum part 62, the first supply part 100 tends to reduce the amount of powder that falls from the discharge part 108, falls within the storage chamber 66 without coming into contact with the mesh 65 of the drum part 62, and reaches the inner surface of the mesh 65. This makes it possible to reduce the degree to which the powder supplied from the first supply part 100 damages the inner surface of the storage chamber 66 due to contact with the inner surface of the storage chamber 66.

[0059] Furthermore, the powder supplied to the storage chamber 66 through the mesh 67 of the net 65 in the drum unit 62 passes through the mesh 67 of the net 65 and falls toward the mesh belt 72 located in the +Z direction, as indicated by the solid arrow. In other words, the first supply unit 100 can sift the powder in the storage chamber 106 by causing it to fall from the discharge unit 108, causing it to pass through the mesh 67 of the net 65 in the drum unit 62 twice. The outer circumferential surface 115 that has passed through the scraping blade 113 is cleaned by the cleaning blade 116.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the second web forming section 70 is disposed on the +Z direction side below the drum section 62. The second web forming section 70 is an example of a web forming section. The second web forming section 70 deposits a mixture of the fragments P that have passed through the sieve section 60, the additive, the powder supplied from the second supply section 200, and the powder supplied from the first supply section 100 on the mesh belt 72 to form the second web W2. The second web W2 is an example of a web. For this reason, it is preferable that the dimension in the X-axis direction of the net 65 in the drum section 62 is set to be equal to or longer than the dimension in the X-axis direction of the second web W2. The second web forming section 70 has a mesh belt 72, a roller 74, and a suction mechanism 76.

[0061] The mesh belt 72 is an endless belt that is suspended around a plurality of rollers 74 and is transported in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in Fig. 1 by the movement of the rollers 74. The mesh belt 72 is made of, for example, metal, resin, cloth, nonwoven fabric, etc. The surface of the mesh belt 72 is made of a net with an array of openings of a predetermined size.

[0062] 2 to 4, of the mixture falling from the drum unit 62, fine particles of a size that can pass through the mesh fall below the mesh belt 72 in the +Z direction, and the mixture of the fragments P of a size that cannot pass through the mesh, the additives, the powder supplied from the second supply unit 200, and the powder supplied from the first supply unit 100 is deposited on the mesh belt 72 and is transported together with the mesh belt 72 in the direction shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 1. The mesh belt 72 moves at a constant speed V2 during normal operation for manufacturing the sheet S.

[0063] The mesh of the mesh belt 72 is fine and can be sized to not allow most of the mixture dropping from the drum section 62 to pass through.

[0064] 1, the suction mechanism 76 is provided on the +Z direction side below the mesh belt 72. The suction mechanism 76 includes a suction blower 77 in a suction passage 78, and can generate an airflow in the +Z direction below the suction mechanism 76 by the suction force of the suction blower 77.

[0065] The suction mechanism 76 sucks the mixture dispersed in the air by the sieve unit 60 onto the mesh belt 72. This promotes the formation of the second web W2 on the mesh belt 72 and increases the discharge speed from the sieve unit 60. Furthermore, the suction mechanism 76 can form a downflow in the falling path of the mixture, preventing the fragmented bodies P and fibrous additives from becoming entangled during the fall.

[0066] As described above, the second web W2 containing a lot of air and in a soft and swollen state is formed by passing through the sieve unit 60 and the second web forming unit 70. The second web W2 accumulated on the mesh belt 72 is transported toward the formed body forming unit 80.

[0067] 1 and 3, in the conveying path of the mesh belt 72, a third supply unit 300 is provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction, which is the +Y direction side of the sieve unit 60. The third supply unit 300 includes a container 301, a storage chamber 302, a sieve chamber 304, and a supply chamber 307. The third supply unit 300 supplies powder to the surface of the second web W2 on the -Z direction side.

[0068] The powder supplied by the third supply unit 300 includes a powdered functional material. The powder supplied by the third supply unit 300 may be the same as or different from the powder supplied by either the second supply unit 200 or the first supply unit 100. The powder supplied by the first supply unit 100, the powder supplied by the second supply unit 200, and the powder supplied by the third supply unit 300 may be different from each other. The functional material will be described later.

[0069] A container 301 for containing powder is attached to the -Z direction side of a storage chamber 302. The storage chamber 302 stores the powder from the container 301. The storage chamber 302 is provided on the -Z direction side of a sieve chamber 304. A stirring mechanism 303 is provided in the storage chamber 302, and the powder in the storage chamber 302 is supplied to a sieve 305 provided in the sieve chamber 304 while being stirred.

[0070] The sieve chamber 304 is provided on the -Z direction side of the supply chamber 307. The sieve chamber 304 is provided with a sieve 305 for sieving the powder supplied from the storage chamber 302. The sieve 305 has the same structure as the drum unit 62 of the sieve unit 60. Therefore, the third supply unit 300 can sieve the powder in the storage chamber 302 by dropping the powder from the -Z direction vertically above the sieve 305, causing the powder to pass through the meshes of the sieve 305 twice. A communication port 306 that communicates between the sieve chamber 304 and the supply chamber 307 is provided on the +Z direction vertically below the sieve 305.

[0071] The supply chamber 307 is provided on the +Z direction side of the sieve chamber 304. The powder supplied to the sieve 305 is sieved by the sieve 305 and falls through the communication port 306 onto the surface of the -Z direction side of the second web W2 that is transported to the +Z direction side below the communication port 306. In other words, the third supply unit 300 supplies the powder in the storage chamber 302 to the surface of the -Z direction side of the second web W2 by dropping the powder from the communication port 306.

[0072] In the transport path of the mesh belt 72, a fourth supply unit 400 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction, which is the +Y direction side of the third supply unit 300. The fourth supply unit 400 applies liquid to the second web W2. The fourth supply unit 400 is an example of a liquid application unit. The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 will be described later. The fourth supply unit 400 includes a container 401, a storage chamber 402, a nozzle 405, and a supply chamber 408.

[0073] A container 401 for containing liquid is attached to the −Z direction side of a storage chamber 402. The storage chamber 402 stores the liquid supplied from the container 401. A stirring mechanism 403 is provided in the storage chamber 402, and stirs the liquid in the storage chamber 402.

[0074] Nozzle 405 has an internal mixing chamber that communicates with the nozzle opening, and uses a flow of pressurized air supplied to the internal mixing chamber via an air flow path 406 to atomize the liquid in storage chamber 402 that is connected to the internal mixing chamber by a supply tube 404, and sprays a mixture of the atomized liquid and air from the nozzle opening. Nozzle 405 of this embodiment is a so-called two-fluid nozzle having an internal mixing chamber.

[0075] A pressure pump 407 that supplies pressurized air to the internal mixing chamber is provided in the air flow path 406. The nozzle 405 has a plurality of nozzle openings spaced apart in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the second web W2. This allows the fourth supply unit 400 to apply the atomized liquid across the width direction of the second web W2. The fourth supply unit 400 may also include a nozzle moving mechanism that moves the nozzle 405 in the X-axis direction. The fourth supply unit 400 may also have a plurality of nozzle openings in the nozzle 405 spaced apart in the Y-axis direction.

[0076] The nozzle orifice of the nozzle 405 is provided to open in the +Z direction in the supply chamber 408. The fourth supply unit 400 drives the pressure pump 407 to spray a mixture of atomized liquid and air from the nozzle orifice toward the surface of the second web W2 on the -Z direction side transported into the supply chamber 408.

[0077] 1, in the transport path of the mesh belt 72, a humidifier 36 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction, which is the +Y direction side of the fourth supply unit 400. The humidifier 36 is capable of supplying air containing mist to the second web W2. The mist generated by the humidifier 36 is supplied to the second web W2, thereby adjusting the moisture content of the second web W2. This makes it possible to suppress adhesion of fibers to the mesh belt 72 due to static electricity, etc.

[0078] The molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 has a transfer section 79 that transports the second web W2 on the mesh belt 72 to the molded body forming section 80. The transfer section 79 has, for example, a mesh belt 79a, a roller 79b, and a suction mechanism 79c.

[0079] The suction mechanism 79c includes a suction pump (not shown) and generates an upward airflow on the mesh belt 79a by the suction force of the suction pump. This airflow sucks the second web W2, and the second web W2 is separated from the mesh belt 72 and adsorbed to the mesh belt 79a. The mesh belt 79a moves by the rotation of the rollers 79b and transports the second web W2 to the compact forming section 80.

[0080] In this manner, the transport section 79 peels off the second web W2 formed on the mesh belt 72 from the mesh belt 72 and transports it.

[0081] The molded body forming section 80 forms a sheet S from the deposit formed in the second web forming section 70. More specifically, the molded body forming section 80 pressurizes and heats the second web W2 deposited on the mesh belt 72 and transported by the transport section 79 to form the sheet S. In the molded body forming section 80, heat is applied to the fragments P contained in the second web W2 and the binder for binding the fibers, thereby binding the multiple fibers in the mixture to each other via the resin.

[0082] The compact forming section 80 has a pressurizing section 82 that pressurizes the second web W2, and a heating section 84 that heats the second web W2 pressurized by the pressurizing section 82.

[0083] The pressurizing unit 82 is composed of a pair of calendar rollers 85, which pressurize the second web W2 by nipping it with a predetermined nip pressure. The thickness of the second web W2 is reduced by being pressed, and the density of the second web W2 is increased. One of the pair of calendar rollers 85 is a drive roller driven by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller. The calendar roller 85 rotates by the driving force of the motor, and transports the second web W2, which has been made dense by being pressed, toward the heating unit 84.

[0084] The heating unit 84 is composed of, for example, a heating roller, a heat press molding machine, a hot plate, a hot air blower, an infrared heater, a flash fixing device, etc. In the illustrated example, the heating unit 84 includes a pair of heating rollers 86. The heating rollers 86 are heated to a preset temperature by a heater installed inside or outside. The heating rollers 86 sandwich the second web W2 pressed by the calendar roller 85 and apply heat to it to form a sheet S.

[0085] One of the pair of heating rollers 86 is a drive roller driven by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller. The heating roller 86 rotates by the driving force of the motor, and transports the heated sheet S toward the cutting unit 90.

[0086] The second web W2 thus formed in the second web forming unit 70 is pressurized and heated in the formed body forming unit 80 to become a sheet S. The sheet S is an example of a formed body containing fibers.

[0087] The cutting unit 90 cuts the sheet S formed by the formed body forming unit 80. The cutting unit 90 has a first cutting unit 92 that cuts the sheet S in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the sheet S, and a second cutting unit 94 that cuts the sheet S that has passed through the first cutting unit 92. The second cutting unit 94 is provided so as to be able to cut the sheet S, for example, in a direction intersecting and parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet S.

[0088] In this manner, a single sheet S of a predetermined size is formed. The cut single sheet S is discharged to a receiving section 96. The receiving section 96 has a tray or stacker on which the sheet S of the predetermined size is placed.

[0089] Next, the functional material contained in the powder supplied by the first supply unit 100, the second supply unit 200, and the third supply unit 300 will be described.

[0090] The functional material may be a material used for plant cultivation. Specifically, the functional material may be a fertilizer or a soil improvement agent. Examples of the fertilizer include nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, and ammonium nitrate. Also, particles of phosphate fertilizers such as superphosphate, triple superphosphate, and fused phosphate fertilizer may be used. Also, particles of potash fertilizers such as potassium chloride and potassium nitrate may be used. Also, the functional material may be a mixed fertilizer in which a plurality of types of these fertilizers are mixed. The soil improvement agent is, for example, a pH adjuster, and specifically, for example, organic lime, wood ash, quicklime, slaked lime, etc. can be used. In this case, by supplying a powder containing the functional material described above to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given a function that can be used for plant cultivation.

[0091] The functional material may be a material used as a pest repellent or insecticide. Examples of repellents and insecticides include known chemically synthesized agents such as camphor and naphthalene, as well as natural materials such as camphor wood powder and cypress wood powder. These repellents and insecticides can also be used in combination. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of an insect repellent sheet.

[0092] The functional material may be a deodorizing functional material such as a deodorant, an odor adsorbent, or an odor decomposition material. Examples of odor adsorbents include activated carbon and porous ceramic particles. Examples of odor decomposition materials include titanium oxide. These deodorants and odor adsorbents can be used in combination. In this case, by supplying a powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a deodorant sheet or an antibacterial sheet.

[0093] The functional material may be a moisture absorbing material. For example, a particle of a desiccant such as silica gel may be used as the moisture absorbing material. A mixture of a plurality of types of moisture absorbing materials may also be used. In this case, by supplying a powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a dehumidifying sheet.

[0094] The functional material may be a material that exhibits heat retention or heat generation properties. Examples of this type of functional material include powder or particles containing capsaicin. These particles may be mixed with black silica particles as a secondary material. It is also possible to mix a plurality of types of functional materials. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a heat retention and heat generation sheet.

[0095] The functional material may be a material having water-absorbency. For example, water-absorbent polymer particles may be used as this type of functional material. A mixture of multiple types of functional materials may also be used. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a moisture retaining sheet or a moisture removing sheet.

[0096] The functional material may be a material having an aromatic property. Examples of this type of functional material include well-known fragrances and natural materials such as cypress powder. It is also possible to use a mixture of multiple types of aromatic materials. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a fragrant sheet.

[0097] The functional material may be a material used for dust prevention. Examples of this type of functional material include resins such as acrylic and urethane. Depending on the application, it is also possible to mix a conductive agent into the resin. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a dustproof sheet.

[0098] The functional material may be a material used to impart water resistance. Examples of this type of functional material include paraffin, silicone, etc. In this case, by supplying a powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a water-resistant sheet.

[0099] The functional material may be a material used to impart oil resistance. Examples of this type of functional material include fluorine. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of an oil-resistant sheet.

[0100] The functional material may be a material used to block radiation. Examples of this type of functional material include metal powders such as lead powder, titanium powder, tungsten powder, ferrite powder, and amorphous metal powder. In this case, by supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a radiation shield sheet or a noise filter.

[0101] The functional material may be a material used as a flame retardant. Examples of the flame retardant include aluminum hydroxide, antimony oxide, boron compounds, bromine compounds, chlorinated paraffin, non-halogenated phosphate esters, and halogenated phosphate esters. In this case, by supplying a powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of a flame retardant sheet.

[0102] The functional material may be a material used as an oxygen absorber. An example of the oxygen absorber is an iron-based oxygen absorber "AGELESS (registered trademark)" manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Ltd. It is also possible to mix activated carbon with the iron-based oxygen absorber. In this case, by supplying a powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given the function of an oxygen absorber sheet.

[0103] The functional material may be plant powder or wood powder. By supplying powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2, the sheet S can be given a texture similar to that of Japanese paper used for paper sliding doors, for example.

[0104] The functional material may be a material used as a rust inhibitor. Examples of the rust inhibitor include chromates, molybdates, tungstates, nitrites, polymerized phosphates, zinc salts, mercaptobenzothiazoles, benzotriazoles, alkanolamines, fatty acid salts, alkylamine ethylene oxide adducts, alkyl phosphate salts, petroleum sulfonates, sorbitan esters, alkenyl succinic anhydrides, alkyl naphthalene sulfonates, diisopropyl ammonium nitrite, and dicyclohexyl ammonium nitrite. In this case, the sheet S can be given the function of a rust-preventive sheet by supplying a powder containing the functional material to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2.

[0105] Next, the liquid applied by the fourth supply unit 400 to the second web W2 will be described.

[0106] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be water. This is expected to have the following effects: humidification of the functional material contained in the second web W2, improvement in efficiency of heating the second web W2 in the compact forming unit 80, and suppression of scattering of the powder applied from the third supply unit 300 from the second web W2.

[0107] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be water to which an aromatic agent or a deodorizer has been added. This allows the sheet S to function as a fragrant sheet or a deodorizing sheet.

[0108] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be water to which liquid glue or a binder has been added. In this manner, even if the binder supplied by the additive supply unit 52 is unevenly distributed on the +Z direction side of the second web W2, the fibers contained in the mixture are well bonded to each other when the second web W2 is heated in the molded body forming unit 80.

[0109] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be water to which a dye-based coloring material has been added. In this way, the sheet S can be colored.

[0110] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be an emulsion in which particles of urethane resin or acrylic resin are dispersed in water, which can impart quality required for printing paper for inkjet printers to the sheet S.

[0111] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be an emulsion in which fluorine particles are dispersed in water, which can impart a function as an oil-resistant sheet to the sheet S.

[0112] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be oil, which can impart a waterproof sheet function to the sheet S.

[0113] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be an insect repellent, which can impart the sheet S with the function of an insect repellent sheet.

[0114] The liquid applied to the second web W2 by the fourth supply unit 400 may be a mildewproofing agent, which can impart the sheet S with the function of an anti-mildew sheet.

[0115] As described above, according to the web forming apparatus 1 and the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0116] The web forming apparatus 1 comprises a first supply section 100 for supplying powder, a drum section 62 having a storage chamber 66 capable of storing the fragmented body P and the powder supplied from the first supply section 100, and a second web forming section 70 for depositing a mixture containing the fragmented body P and the powder that falls from the drum section 62 to form a second web W2, the first supply section 100 having a storage chamber 106 for storing the powder and a discharge section 108 provided below the storage chamber 106 for discharging the powder from the storage chamber 106, the drum section 62 having a mesh 65 defining the storage chamber 66 having a mesh 67 through which the powder can pass, the discharge section 108 being provided vertically above the mesh 65 of the drum section 62, the first supply section 100 supplying the powder to the storage chamber 66 through the mesh 67 by dropping it from the discharge section 108. According to this, the powder held by the first supply unit 100 can be dropped from the discharge unit 108 and supplied to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 through the mesh 67. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the inner surface of the transport path and deterioration of the powder, compared to the case where a transport path is used to transport the powder. Furthermore, by supplying the powder from the first supply unit 100 to the storage chamber 66, it is possible to form the second web W2 having a function due to the powder applied from the first supply unit 100.

[0117] The web forming apparatus 1 further includes conveying pipes 56, 58 for conveying the fibers to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62. This allows the fibers to be conveyed to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62.

[0118] The web forming apparatus 1 further includes a second supply unit 200 that supplies either the powder or the powder to a position on the upstream side of the drum unit 62 in the conveying direction of the fibers in the conveying pipes 56, 58. This makes it possible to convey the powder supplied from the second supply unit 200 to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62. Furthermore, by supplying the powder from the second supply unit 200 to the storage chamber 66, a second web W2 having a function due to the powder applied from the second supply unit 200 can be formed.

[0119] The web forming apparatus 1 further includes a third supplying section 300 that applies either the powder or a powder to the surface of the second web W2. By applying powder from the third supplying section 300 to the surface of the second web W2, it is possible to form the second web W2 having a function on its surface due to the powder applied from the third supplying section 300.

[0120] The web forming apparatus 1 further includes a fourth supply section 400 that applies liquid to the second web W2. By applying liquid from the fourth supply section 400 to the second web W2, the second web W2 having a function due to the liquid applied from the fourth supply section 400 can be formed. In addition, it is possible to prevent fibers, additives, and powder contained in the second web W2 from scattering.

[0121] The first supply section 100 includes a roller 109 having an outer circumferential surface 115, and the roller 109 rotates to move the powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface 115 toward the drum section 62. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the inner surface of the conveying path and deterioration of the powder, compared to the case where a conveying path is used to convey the powder, and is therefore preferable as a configuration for conveying the powder toward the drum section 62.

[0122] The first supply unit 100 includes a doctor blade 111 that comes into contact with the powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface 115 of the roller 109, thereby regulating the amount of the powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface 115. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of powder to be supplied to the drum unit 62 to an appropriate amount.

[0123] The powder may contain metal. When the powder contains metal, the specific gravity is large compared to, for example, resin powder, so the powder is likely to fall. Also, when the powder contains metal, the hardness is often high compared to, for example, resin powder. In this regard, the first supply unit 100, the second supply unit 200, and the third supply unit 300 use gravity acting on the powder to move the powder when supplying the powder to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62 or the second web W2. According to this, for example, compared to the case where the powder containing metal is moved by a transport path extending in the horizontal direction, it is possible to reduce the degree of deterioration of the powder caused by the powder contacting the inner surface of the transport path and the damage to the inner surface of the transport path.

[0124] The molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 includes a web forming device 1 and a molded body forming section 80 that pressurizes and heats the formed second web W2 to form a sheet S containing the fibers. Since the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 includes the web forming device 1, by supplying powder from the first supply section 100 to the storage chamber 66, the sheet S having a function due to the powder applied from the first supply section 100 can be formed.

[0125] The web forming apparatus 1 and the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 according to the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention are basically configured as described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit some of the configurations without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment and other embodiments described below can be combined with each other within a range that does not cause technical contradiction. Other embodiments will be described below.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 first has the crushing section 12 crush the raw material and then produces a sheet S from the crushed raw material. However, for example, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 may be configured to produce a sheet S using fibers as the raw material.

[0127] For example, the defibrator unit 20 may be configured to be able to feed raw materials of fibers equivalent to the defibrated material produced by the defibration unit 20 into the drum unit 41. The defibrator unit 20 may also be configured to be able to feed raw materials of fibers equivalent to the fragmented bodies P separated from the defibrated material into the conveying pipe 54. In this case, the sheet S can be manufactured by supplying fibers obtained by processing waste paper, pulp, etc. to the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500.

[0128] In the above embodiment, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 does not have to include the receiving portion 96 for receiving the single sheet S. For example, the molded body manufacturing apparatus 500 may be configured to form a long sheet S into a roll shape.

[0129] In the above embodiment, the green body forming section 80 of the green body manufacturing apparatus 500 has the pressurizing section 82, the heating section 84, the calender roller 85, and the heating roller 86, but as shown in Fig. 5, the green body forming section 80 of the green body manufacturing apparatus 500 may have a pressing section 87 and a base section 88 instead of the pressurizing section 82, the heating section 84, the calender roller 85, and the heating roller 86. The pressing section 87 is configured to be movable up and down in the Z-axis direction as shown by the outline arrow in Fig. 5. The base section 88 is provided so that the second web W2 is transported on the -Z direction side above the base section 88.

[0130] The molded body forming section 80 is a hot press in which the second web W2 being conveyed is sandwiched between a base section 88 and a pressing section 87 configured to be movable up and down, and the second web W2 is heated while being pressurized. The base section 88 and the pressing section 87 have built-in heaters, and the molded body forming section 80 is configured to be able to heat the second web W2 sandwiched between the base section 88 and the pressing section 87. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the base section 88 has a recess, and the pressing section 87 has a protrusion. The molded body forming section 80 may sandwich the second web W2 being conveyed between the base section 88 and the pressing section 87, and heat the second web W2 while being pressurized, thereby forming a container B having a recess. The container B is an example of a molded body. Also, for example, the molded body forming unit 80 may sandwich the transported second web W2 between a base unit 88 and a pressing unit 87 having an uneven portion, and heat the second web W2 while applying pressure to form the sheet S. In this way, a watermark pattern may be formed by providing the sheet S with a portion thinner than other portions.

[0131] In the above embodiment, covers for covering the -Z direction side of the second web W2 being transported may be provided in the transport path of the mesh belt 72 in an area between the sieve unit 60 and the third supply unit 300 and an area between the third supply unit 300 and the fourth supply unit 400. This can prevent additives and powder applied to the second web W2 from scattering.

[0132] In the above embodiment, the number of second supply units 200 provided to be capable of supplying powder into the conveying pipes 56, 58 does not have to be two. For example, a plurality of second supply units 200 may be provided in each of the conveying pipes 56, 58, or a plurality of second supply units 200 may be provided in either one of the conveying pipes 56, 58. Alternatively, one second supply unit 200 may be provided in either one of the conveying pipes 56, 58 to be capable of supplying powder.

[0133] In the above embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the additive supplying unit 52. In this case, the additive supplied from the additive supplying unit 52 may be supplied from the second supplying unit 200.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the first supply unit 100 may not include the roller 109. In this case, the first supply unit 100 may not include the doctor blade 111, the scraping blade 113, and the cleaning blade 116. Furthermore, the first supply unit 100 may not include the input blade 114.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the drum portion 62 of the sieve portion 60 does not have to be held in the housing 61 so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the cylindrical shape as the center of rotation. For example, the drum portion 62 may be held in the housing 61 so as to be swingable about the central axis of the cylindrical shape as the swing center. In this case, the drum portion 62 is a sieve that is swingably driven by a motor. Also, in this case, the drum portion 62 may be held swingably by inlets 63, 64 provided in the housing 61.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the drum portion 62 of the sieve unit 60 does not have to be rotatably held by the housing 61. For example, the drum portion 62 may be held by the housing 61 so as to be reciprocally movable in either the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. Also, for example, the drum portion 62 may have an introduction hole through which the powder supplied by the first supply unit 100 can pass, at a position on the +Z direction side vertically below the discharge unit 108 of the first supply unit 100. In this way, the first supply unit 100 can supply the powder to the storage chamber 66 through the introduction hole of the drum portion 62 by dropping the powder from the discharge unit 108.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the web forming apparatus 1 may include two third supply units 300. For example, the third supply units 300 may be provided on the downstream side of the conveying direction, which is the +Y direction side of the sieve unit 60, and on the upstream side of the conveying direction, which is the -Y direction side of the sieve unit 60, in the conveying path of the mesh belt 72. In this case, the control unit 450 may control the third supply unit 300 provided on the upstream side of the sieve unit 60 in the conveying direction to deposit a mixture of the fragmented body P, the additive of the additive supply unit 52, the powder of the second supply unit 200, and the powder of the first supply unit 100 on the mesh belt 72 on which the powder from the third supply unit 300 has been deposited in advance, thereby forming the second web W2. In this way, the powder from the third supply unit 300 can be applied to the surface on the +Z direction side of the second web W2.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the third supply unit 300 may not include the sieve 305. In addition, the third supply unit 300 may have a spray nozzle and supply the powder to the surface on the -Z direction side of the second web W2 by spraying the powder from the spray nozzle.

[0139] In the above embodiment, the second web W2 may be formed by depositing a mixture of the fragmented body P, the additive of the additive supplying unit 52, the powder of the second supplying unit 200, and the powder of the first supplying unit 100 on the mesh belt 72 of the second web forming unit 70 on which the powder supplied from the first supplying unit 100 has been deposited in advance. In this case, the control unit 450 controls the first supplying unit 100 and the sieve unit 60 to supply the powder from the first supplying unit 100 to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62, and deposits it on the mesh belt 72 via the drum unit 62. Then, the control unit 450 controls the conveying unit 50 and the first supplying unit 100 to supply the fragmented body P, the additive of the additive supplying unit 52, the powder of the second supplying unit 200, and the powder of the first supplying unit 100 to the storage chamber 66 of the drum unit 62. Then, the control unit 450 controls the sieve unit 60 to deposit a mixture of the fragmented bodies P, the additive from the additive supply unit 52, the powder from the second supply unit 200, and the powder from the first supply unit 100 on the mesh belt 72 on which the powder supplied from the first supply unit 100 has been deposited, thereby forming the second web W2. This allows the powder from the first supply unit 100 to be applied to the surface on the +Z direction side of the second web W2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1...web forming device, 2,3,7,8,23,29...pipe, 9...chute, 10...raw material supply section, 12...crushing section, 14...crushing blade, 20...defibration section, 22...inlet, 24...outlet, 26...defibration blower, 27...dust collection section, 28...collection blower, 31,32,33,34,35,36...humidification section, 40...sorting section, 41...drum section, 42...inlet, 43...housing section, 44...outlet, 45...first web forming section, 46...mesh belt, 47...roller, 48...suction section, 49...rotating body, 50...conveying section, 52...attachment Additive supply section, 52a... discharge section, 53... mixing blower, 54, 55, 56, 58... conveying pipe, 57, 59... blower, 60... sieve section, 61... housing, 62... drum section, 63, 64... inlet, 65... mesh, 66... ​​storage chamber, 67... mesh, 70... second web forming section, 72... mesh belt, 74... roller, 76... suction mechanism, 77... suction blower, 78... suction flow path, 79... transfer section, 79a... mesh belt, 79b... roller, 79c... suction mechanism, 80... compact forming section, 82... pressure section , 84...heating section, 85...calender roller, 86...heating roller, 87...pressure section, 88...base section, 90...cutting section, 92...first cutting section, 94...second cutting section, 96...receiving section, 100...first supply section, 101, 201, 301, 401...container, 102...supply mechanism, 103...outlet, 104...mixing mechanism, 105...container holding section, 106, 202, 302, 402...storage chamber, 107...inlet, 108...discharge section, 109...roller, 110...rotating shaft, 111...doctor blade, 112...mixing mechanism, 1 13...scraping blade, 114...feeding blade, 115...outer peripheral surface, 116...cleaning blade, 200...second supply section, 203...feed mechanism, 204...connecting pipe, 300...third supply section, 303...agitation mechanism, 304...sieve chamber, 305...sieve, 306...communicating port, 307, 408...supply chamber, 400...fourth supply section, 404...supply tube, 405...nozzle, 406...air flow path, 407...pressurizing pump, 450...control section, 500...molded body manufacturing apparatus, V1, V2...speed, W1...first web, W2...second web.

Claims

1. A supply unit that supplies powder; A drum portion having a storage chamber capable of storing fibers and the powder supplied from the supply portion; a web forming section that deposits the mixture containing the fibers and the powder that falls from the drum section to form a web; Equipped with The supply unit has a storage chamber that stores the powder, and a discharge unit that is provided below the storage chamber and discharges the powder from the storage chamber, the drum portion has a through hole through which the powder can pass on a peripheral surface that defines the storage chamber, the discharge portion is provided vertically above a peripheral surface of the drum portion, and the supply portion supplies the powder to the storage chamber through the through hole by dropping the powder from the discharge portion. Web forming device.

2. Further comprising a conveying path for conveying the fiber to the storage chamber of the drum portion. The web forming apparatus of claim 1 .

3. a second supply unit that supplies either the powder or a powder to a position upstream of the drum unit in the fiber transport direction in the transport path, The web forming apparatus of claim 2 .

4. Further comprising a third supply unit that supplies either the powder or a powder to the surface of the web. The web forming apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Further comprising a liquid applying unit that applies liquid to the web. The web forming apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the supply section includes a roller having an outer circumferential surface; The roller rotates to move the powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface toward the drum portion. The web forming apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the supply unit includes a doctor blade that contacts the powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface of the roller to regulate an amount of the powder adhering to the outer circumferential surface. The web forming apparatus of claim 6.

8. The powder comprises a metal. The web forming apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A web forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a molded body forming section that pressurizes and heats the formed web to form a molded body containing the fibers; Equipped with Molded body manufacturing equipment.

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