Fiber structure manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device which can effectively clean a cleaning roller, and to provide a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus.SOLUTION: A cleaning device 10 includes: a cleaning roller 4 which rotates around a first rotation axis O1 to clean a member, to which paper powder adheres, and has a first area and a second area which is arranged in a direction of the first rotation axis O1 of the first area and in which an amount of the adhered paper powder is larger than that in the first area; and a removal member 5 which rotates around a second rotation axis O2 as seen in a direction different from that of the first rotation axis O1 and contacts with at least a part of the second area to remove the paper powder adhering to the second area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a fabric structure manufacturing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a dry type fiber structure manufacturing apparatus that uses as little water as possible has been proposed. As shown in Patent Document 1, this fiber structure manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrating unit that defibrates raw material to produce defibrated material, a depositing unit that deposits the defibrated material to produce a deposit, a transport unit that transports the deposit, and a forming unit that forms the deposit into a sheet shape.

[0003] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, a brush is provided to remove paper dust adhering to the transport roller. The brush comes into contact with the rotating transport roller, thereby cleaning the transport roller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-076621 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional method, the brush is fixed, and therefore the removal of paper dust is insufficient. Furthermore, in the conventional method, the brush is in contact with the entire conveying roller, and therefore the removal of paper dust is particularly insufficient in areas where paper dust is likely to adhere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cleaning device of the present invention includes a cleaning roller that rotates around a first rotation axis to clean a member on which paper powder adheres, the cleaning roller having a first area and a second area that is aligned with the first area in the direction of the first rotation axis and has a larger amount of paper powder adhered thereto than the first area; and a removal member that rotates about a second rotation axis in a direction different from that of the first rotation axis and contacts at least a portion of the second area to remove the paper dust adhering to the second area.

[0007] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a depositing section for depositing a fiber-containing material to generate a deposit; a forming unit having a pressing member for pressing the pile and forming it into a sheet shape; a cleaning device for cleaning the pressing member, the cleaning device includes a cleaning roller that rotates around a first rotation axis to clean the pressing member on which paper powder has adhered, the cleaning roller having a first region and a second region that is aligned with the first region in the first rotation axis direction and has a larger amount of paper powder adhered thereto than the first region; and a removal member that rotates about a second rotation axis in a direction different from that of the first rotation axis and contacts at least a portion of the second area to remove the paper dust adhering to the second area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a modified example of the removal member. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a vibration applying section of a cleaning device included in a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a collision member included in the vibration applying unit shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the vibration applying portion shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a cleaning device and a fabric structure manufacturing device of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a textile structure manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a cleaning device provided in the textile structure manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view seen from the direction of arrow A in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a modified example of the removal member.

[0011] For ease of explanation, the three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis as shown in Figures 2 to 4. The XY plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is horizontal, and the Z-axis is vertical. The direction of the arrow of each axis is referred to as "+" and the opposite direction is referred to as "-".

[0012] 1 is a schematic diagram, and the positional relationship of each part of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 is different from that shown in the figure. In addition, in FIG. 1, the direction in which the raw material M1, the coarse pieces M2, the defibrated material M3, the first sorted material M4-1, the second sorted material M4-2, the first web M5, the fine pieces M6, the mixture M7, the second web M8, and the sheet S are transported, i.e., the direction indicated by the arrow, is also referred to as the transport direction. The tip side of the arrow is also referred to as the upstream side of the transport direction, and the base side of the arrow is also referred to as the downstream side of the transport direction.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention is an apparatus for roughly crushing and defibrating raw material M1, mixing it with a binding material, depositing it, and molding this deposit in a molding section 20 to obtain a molded body.

[0014] Furthermore, the molded body manufactured by the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 may be, for example, in the form of a sheet like recycled paper, or in the form of a block. The density of the molded body is not particularly limited, and it may be a molded body with a relatively high fiber density like a sheet, a molded body with a relatively low fiber density like a sponge, or a molded body with a mixture of these properties.

[0015] In the following description, the raw material M1 is assumed to be used or unnecessary waste paper, and the molded body to be manufactured is assumed to be a sheet S of recycled paper.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a raw material supply section 11, a coarse crushing section 12, a defibrating section 13, a sorting section 14, a first web forming section 15, a fine dividing section 16, a mixing section 17, a discharging section 18, a second web forming section 19, a molding section 20, a cutting section 21, a storage section 22, a recovery section 27, a cleaning device 10, and a control section 28 that controls the operation of these sections.

[0017] In addition, in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, a raw material supply process, a coarse crushing process, a defibrating process, a sorting process, a first web forming process, a cutting process, a mixing process, a second web forming process, a sheet forming process, and a cutting process are carried out in this order.

[0018] The configuration of each part will be described below.

[0019] The raw material supplying section 11 is a section that performs a raw material supplying step of supplying the raw material M1 to the crushing section 12. The raw material M1 is a sheet-like material made of a fiber-containing material including cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers may be fibrous and contain cellulose as a compound as a main component, and may contain hemicellulose and lignin in addition to cellulose. The raw material M1 may be in any form, such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric. The raw material M1 may be, for example, recycled paper produced by disintegrating waste paper and regenerating it, or synthetic paper such as Yupo paper (registered trademark), or it may not be recycled paper. In this embodiment, the raw material M1 is used or unnecessary waste paper.

[0020] The crushing unit 12 is a part that performs a crushing step in which the raw material M1 supplied from the raw material supply unit 11 is crushed in air, such as in the atmosphere, to generate crushed pieces M2. The crushing unit 12 has a pair of crushing blades 121, and the raw material M1 is crushed to obtain crushed pieces M2 by passing between the rotating crushing blades 121. The crushed pieces M2 generated by the crushing unit 12 are conveyed to the defibrating unit 13 through a pipe 241.

[0021] The defibrating unit 13 is a section that performs a defibrating process in which the coarsely crushed pieces M2 are defibrated in the air, i.e., in a dry manner. The defibrating process in this defibrating unit 13 makes it possible to generate a defibrated material M3 from the coarsely crushed pieces M2. Here, "defibrating" refers to untangling the coarsely crushed pieces M2, which are made up of multiple fibers bound together, into individual fibers. This untangled material becomes the defibrated material M3. The shape of the defibrated material M3 is linear or band-like. The defibrated material M3 may also be present in a state where it is entangled with other pieces to form a mass, that is, in a state where it forms so-called "lumps."

[0022] In this embodiment, for example, the defibrating unit 13 is configured with an impeller mill having a rotary blade that rotates at high speed and a liner located on the outer periphery of the rotary blade. The coarse fragments M2 that flow into the defibrating unit 13 are sandwiched between the rotary blade and the liner and defibrated.

[0023] Furthermore, the defibrating unit 13 can generate an air flow from the crushing unit 12 toward the sorting unit 14, i.e., an airflow, by the rotation of the rotary blades. This allows the coarsely crushed pieces M2 to be sucked into the defibrating unit 13 from the pipe 241. Furthermore, after the defibrating process, the defibrated material M3 can be sent to the sorting unit 14 via the pipe 242.

[0024] A blower 261 is installed in the middle of the pipe 242. The blower 261 is an airflow generating device that generates an airflow toward the screening section 14. This promotes the sending out of the defibrated material M3 to the screening section 14.

[0025] The sorting unit 14 is a section that performs a sorting process in which the defibrated material M3 is sorted according to the length of the fibers. In the sorting unit 14, the defibrated material M3 is sorted into a first sorted material M4-1 and a second sorted material M4-2 that is larger than the first sorted material M4-1. The first sorted material M4-1 has a size suitable for the subsequent production of the sheet S. It is preferable that the average length is 1 μm or more and 30 μm or less. On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 includes, for example, insufficiently defibrated material and material in which defibrated fibers are excessively aggregated.

[0026] The sorting unit 14 has a drum unit 141 and a housing unit 142 that houses the drum unit 141.

[0027] The drum part 141 is a sieve composed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. The defibrated material M3 flows into this drum part 141. Then, as the drum part 141 rotates, the defibrated material M3 smaller than the mesh opening is sorted as the first sorted material M4-1, and the defibrated material M3 larger than the mesh opening is sorted as the second sorted material M4-2. The first sorted item M4-1 falls from the drum portion 141.

[0028] Meanwhile, the second sorted material M4-2 is sent to a pipe 243 connected to the drum section 141. The pipe 243 is connected to the pipe 241 on the side opposite the drum section 141, i.e., the upstream side. The second sorted material M4-2 that passes through this pipe 243 merges with the coarsely crushed pieces M2 in the pipe 241 and flows into the defibrating section 13 together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2. As a result, the second sorted material M4-2 is returned to the defibrating section 13 and is defibrated together with the coarsely crushed pieces M2.

[0029] The first selected object M4-1 that has fallen from the drum portion 141 falls while dispersing in the air, and heads toward the first web forming portion 15 located below the drum portion 141. The first web forming portion 15 is a portion that carries out a first web forming step of forming the first web M5 from the first selected object M4-1. The first web forming portion 15 has a mesh belt 151, three tension rollers 152, and a suction portion 153.

[0030] The mesh belt 151 is an endless belt on which the first sorted material M4-1 is accumulated. The mesh belt 151 is wound around three tension rollers 152. As the tension rollers 152 rotate, the first sorted material M4-1 on the mesh belt 151 is transported downstream.

[0031] The size of the first sorted material M4-1 is equal to or larger than the mesh size of the mesh belt 151. This restricts the passage of the first sorted material M4-1 through the mesh belt 151, and therefore the first sorted material M4-1 can be piled up on the mesh belt 151. Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 151 while being piled up on the mesh belt 151, and is thus formed as a layered first web M5.

[0032] In addition, the first sorted material M4-1 may contain, for example, dust or dirt. Dust or dirt may be generated, for example, by crushing or defibrating. Such dust or dirt will be collected in the collection section 27, which will be described later.

[0033] The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 151. This makes it possible to suck in dust and dirt that has passed through the mesh belt 151 together with the air.

[0034] In addition, the suction unit 153 is connected to the collection unit 27 via a pipe 244. The dust and dirt sucked by the suction unit 153 is collected in the collection unit 27.

[0035] A pipe 245 is further connected to the collection unit 27. A blower 262 is installed in the middle of the pipe 245. By operating the blower 262, a suction force can be generated in the suction unit 153. This promotes the formation of the first web M5 on the mesh belt 151. Dust and dirt are removed from this first web M5. By operating the blower 262, the dust and dirt pass through the pipe 244 and reach the collection unit 27.

[0036] The housing part 142 is connected to the humidifier part 232. The humidifier part 232 is configured with an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing part 142. The first sorted object M4-1 can be humidified by this humidified air, and therefore, the first sorted object M4-1 can be prevented from adhering to the inner wall of the housing part 142 due to electrostatic force.

[0037] A humidifying section 235 is disposed downstream of the sorting section 14. The humidifying section 235 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water. This allows moisture to be supplied to the first web M5, and thus the moisture content of the first web M5 is adjusted. This adjustment makes it possible to suppress adhesion of the first web M5 to the mesh belt 151 due to electrostatic force. As a result, the first web M5 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 151 at the position where the mesh belt 151 is folded back by the tension roller 152.

[0038] The segmentation unit 16 is disposed downstream of the humidification unit 235. The segmentation unit 16 is a section that performs a segmentation step of segmenting the first web M5 peeled off from the mesh belt 151. The segmentation unit 16 has a rotatably supported propeller 161 and a housing portion 162 that houses the propeller 161. The rotating propeller 161 can segment the first web M5. The segmented first web M5 becomes segmented bodies M6. The segmented bodies M6 move down inside the housing portion 162.

[0039] The housing part 162 is connected to the humidifier 233. The humidifier 233 is, for example, an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing part 162. This humidified air can also prevent the fragmented bodies M6 from adhering to the propeller 161 or the inner wall of the housing part 162 due to electrostatic force.

[0040] A mixing section 17 is disposed downstream of the subdivision section 16. The mixing section 17 is a section in which a mixing step of mixing the subdivision bodies M6 and the binder P1 is carried out. The mixing section 17 has a binder supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

[0041] The pipe 172 connects the housing portion 162 of the subdivided portion 16 and the housing portion 182 of the discharging portion 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivided bodies M6 and the binder P1 passes.

[0042] A binder supply unit 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The binder supply unit 171 has a screw feeder 174. By rotating the screw feeder 174, the binder P1 can be supplied as powder or particles to the pipe 172. The binder P1 supplied to the pipe 172 is mixed with the fragmented bodies M6 to become a mixture M7.

[0043] The binder P1 is used to bind the fibers together in a later process, and examples of materials that can be used include thermoplastic resins, curable resins, starch, dextrin, glycogen, amylose, hyaluronic acid, kudzu, konjac, potato starch, etherified starch, esterified starch, natural gum pastes (etherified tamarind gum, etherified locust bean gum, etherified guar gum, acacia arabic gum), fiber-derived pastes (etherified carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose), seaweed (sodium alginate, agar), animal proteins (collagen, gelatin, hydrolyzed collagen, sericin), etc., but it is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefins such as AS resin, ABS resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), modified polyolefins, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyesters such as polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides (nylons) such as nylon 6, nylon 46, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 612, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6-12, and nylon 6-66, liquid crystal polymers such as polyphenylene ether, polyacetal, polyether, polyphenylene oxide, polyether ether ketone, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfide, thermoplastic polyimide, polyetherimide, and aromatic polyester, and various thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-based, polyolefin-based, polyvinyl chloride-based, polyurethane-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, polybutadiene-based, trans-polyisoprene-based, fluororubber-based, and chlorinated polyethylene-based. One or more types selected from these may be used in combination. Preferably, the thermoplastic resin used is polyester or a material containing polyester.

[0044] In addition to the binder P1, the binder supply unit 171 may supply, for example, a colorant for coloring the fibers, an aggregation inhibitor for inhibiting aggregation of the fibers and the binder P1, a flame retardant for making the fibers less flammable, a paper strength enhancer for enhancing the paper strength of the sheet S, and the like. Alternatively, these may be preliminarily contained in the binder P1 to form a composite, which is then supplied from the binder supply unit 171.

[0045] Further, a blower 173 is provided in the middle of the pipe 172 downstream of the binder supply section 171. The blower 173 has a rotating section such as a blade, which mixes the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1. The blower 173 can generate an airflow toward the discharge section 18. The airflow can agitate the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1 in the pipe 172. This allows the mixture M7 to flow into the discharge section 18 with the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1 uniformly dispersed. The fragmented bodies M6 in the mixture M7 are loosened in the process of passing through the pipe 172, becoming finer fibrous.

[0046] The discharging section 18 is a section that disentangles and discharges entangled fibers in the mixture M7. The discharging section 18 has a drum section 181 and a housing section 182 that houses the drum section 181.

[0047] The drum section 181 is a sieve that is composed of a cylindrical mesh body and rotates around its central axis. The mixture M7 flows into the drum section 181. As the drum section 181 rotates, fibers and the like in the mixture M7 that are smaller than the mesh openings can pass through the drum section 181. At that time, the mixture M7 is loosened and released into the air.

[0048] The housing part 182 is connected to the humidifier part 234. The humidifier part 234 is configured, for example, by an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing part 182. The inside of the housing part 182 can be humidified by this humidified air, and therefore, it is also possible to prevent the mixture M7 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing part 182 due to electrostatic force.

[0049] Furthermore, the mixture M7 loosened by the drum section 181 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the second web forming section 19 located below the drum section 181. The second web forming section 19 is a section where a second web forming step is carried out to form a second web M8 from the mixture M7. The second web forming section 19 has a mesh belt 191, a tension roller 192, and a suction section 193.

[0050] The mesh belt 191 is an endless belt on which the mixture M7 is accumulated. The mesh belt 191 is wound around four tension rollers 192. The mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 is transported downstream by the rotational drive of the tension rollers 192. The mesh belt 191 constitutes a part of a transport section that transports the second web M8 downstream.

[0051] Moreover, most of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 has a size equal to or larger than the mesh openings of the mesh belt 191. This prevents the mixture M7 from passing through the mesh belt 191, and therefore the mixture M7 can be accumulated on the mesh belt 191. Moreover, the mixture M7 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 191 while being accumulated on the mesh belt 191, and is thus formed as a layered second web M8.

[0052] The suction unit 193 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 191. This allows the mixture M7 to be sucked onto the mesh belt 191, thereby facilitating the accumulation of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191.

[0053] A pipe 246 is connected to the suction unit 193. A blower 263 is provided midway through the pipe 246. By operating the blower 263, the suction unit 193 can generate a suction force.

[0054] A humidifier 236 is disposed downstream of the discharge section 18. The humidifier 236 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier similar to the humidifier 235. This allows moisture to be supplied to the second web M8, and thus the moisture content of the second web M8 is adjusted. This adjustment makes it possible to suppress adhesion of the second web M8 to the mesh belt 191 due to electrostatic force. This allows the second web M8 to be easily peeled off from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

[0055] The total amount of moisture added from humidifier 231 to humidifier 236 is preferably, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the material before humidification.

[0056] A forming section 20 is disposed downstream of the second web forming section 19. The forming section 20 is a section where a sheet forming step is performed to form a sheet S from the second web M8. The forming section 20 has a pressurizing section 201 and a heating section 202.

[0057] The pressurizing unit 201 has a pair of calender rollers 203, and can pressurize the second web M8 between the calender rollers 203 without heating it. This increases the density of the second web M8. The calender rollers 203 also function as a conveying unit that conveys the second web M8 downstream. The second web M8 is conveyed toward the heating unit 202. One of the pair of calender rollers 203 is a driven roller that is driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0058] The heating section 202 has a pair of heating rollers 204, and can apply pressure to the second web M8 while heating it between the heating rollers 204. The heating rollers 204 also function as a conveying section that conveys the second web M8 downstream. This heating and pressurizing causes the binder P1 to melt in the second web M8, and the fibers are bonded to each other via the molten binder P1. This forms a sheet S. Then, this sheet S is conveyed toward the cutting section 21. One of the pair of heating rollers 204 is a driven roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0059] The cutting unit 21 is disposed downstream of the forming unit 20. The cutting unit 21 is a section that performs a cutting step of cutting the sheet S. The cutting unit 21 has a first cutting unit 211 and a second cutting unit 212.

[0060] The first cutting section 211 cuts the sheet S in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the sheet S, particularly in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0061] The second cutting section 212 has a rotating blade, and cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet S downstream of the first cutting section 211. This cutting is to remove unnecessary portions on both side edges of the sheet S to adjust the width of the sheet S, and the cut and removed portions are so-called "selvages." In this way, the sheet S of the desired shape and size is conveyed further downstream and accumulated in the stock section 22.

[0062] Each of the components of the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 described above is electrically connected to a control unit 28. The operation of each of these components is controlled by the control unit 28.

[0063] 1, the control unit 28 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 281 and a storage unit 282. The CPU 281 can perform, for example, various kinds of decisions and various kinds of commands.

[0064] The storage unit 282 stores various programs, such as a program for manufacturing the sheet S. Specifically, the storage unit 282 stores programs for executing a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, and the like, which will be described later.

[0065] The control unit 28 may be built in the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100, or may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. When the control unit 28 is provided in an external device, the control unit 28 and the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 may be connected wirelessly or by wire.

[0066] Furthermore, the CPU 281 and the memory unit 282 may, for example, be integrated and configured as a single unit, or the CPU 281 may be built into the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 and the memory unit 282 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer, or the memory unit 282 may be built into the fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 and the CPU 281 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer.

[0067] Such a control unit 28 can be regarded as belonging to the cleaning device 10 or as belonging to the fabric structure manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0068] Next, the cleaning device 10 will be described. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the cleaning device 10 has a function of cleaning members that come into contact with the second web M8, the sheet S, etc. Short fibers (hereinafter referred to as "paper powder") may adhere to the members that come into contact with the second web M8, the sheet S, etc., and the cleaning device 10 is for removing the paper powder. The cleaning device 10 may be provided on all of the members that come into contact with the second web M8, the sheet S, etc., or on one or more of these members. The case where the cleaning device 10 is installed on the calender roller 203 will be described below.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning device 10 includes a felt roller 3, a drive unit 30 that rotates the felt roller 3, a cleaning roller 4 that removes paper powder adhering to the felt roller 3, a drive unit 40 that rotates the cleaning roller 4, a removal member 5 that removes paper powder adhering to the cleaning roller 4, a drive unit 50 that rotates the removal member 5, and a cleaning member 6 that cleans the removal member 5.

[0070] The felt roller 3 is an elongated roller extending along the Y-axis direction, and at least the surface of the roller is made of felt fabric, which not only allows for cleaning of paper powder but also effectively removes the binder P1.

[0071] In this embodiment, the felt roller 3 comes into contact with the calendar roller 203 located on the -Z axis side of the pair of calendar rollers 203, and has a function of cleaning this calendar roller 203. The felt roller 3 is disposed in the -Z axis direction of the calendar roller 203, and is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the calendar roller 203.

[0072] The felt roller 3 rotates in contact with the calendar roller 203, thereby sweeping away paper dust adhering to the surface of the calendar roller 203, that is, cleaning the same.

[0073] The felt roller 3 may be omitted. That is, the cleaning roller 4 may be configured to directly clean the calendar roller 203 and the heating roller 204.

[0074] The driving unit 30 has a motor, a reducer, etc. (not shown), and rotates the felt roller 3. The motor of the driving unit 30 is electrically connected to the control unit 28 shown in Fig. 1, and the operation thereof is controlled.

[0075] The cleaning roller 4 is an elongated roller extending along the Y-axis direction, and is configured as a brush roller. The cleaning roller 4 rotates around a first rotation axis O1 along the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the cleaning roller 4 comes into contact with the felt roller 3 and has a function of cleaning the felt roller 3. The cleaning roller 4 is disposed in the -Z-axis direction of the felt roller 3, and is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the calendar roller 203.

[0076] As the cleaning roller 4 rotates in contact with the felt roller 3, the brush bristles of the cleaning roller 4 can scrape out the paper powder within the felt material, that is, clean it.

[0077] Since the cleaning roller 4 is a brush roller, it can efficiently clean members on which paper powder adheres.

[0078] The driving unit 40 has a motor, a reducer, etc. (not shown), and drives to rotate the cleaning roller 4. The motor of the driving unit 40 is electrically connected to the control unit 28 shown in Fig. 1, and the operation thereof is controlled.

[0079] Here, the regions of the outer circumferential surface of the calendar roller 203 that contact both ends of the second web M8 in the width direction, i.e., both edges in the Y-axis direction, and the region B1 around them are parts to which paper powder is more likely to adhere than the region A1 between the regions B1. Therefore, the region B2 of the outer circumferential surface of the felt roller 3 that corresponds to the region B1 of the calendar roller 203 is more likely to have paper powder adhere thereto than the region A2 between the regions B2. Furthermore, the region B3 of the cleaning roller 4 that corresponds to the region B2 is more likely to have paper powder adhere thereto than the region A3 between the regions B3. The region A3 is the first region, and the region B3 is the second region. Therefore, the cleaning device 10 has two removal members 5 that selectively remove paper powder from the region B3 to which paper powder is more likely to adhere. Since each removal member 5 has a substantially similar configuration, one of the removal members 5 will be described below.

[0080] The removal member 5 rotates in a direction different from the first rotation axis O1, in this embodiment, around a second rotation axis O2 perpendicular to the first rotation axis O1, and comes into contact with at least a part of the region B3 to remove the paper dust adhering to the region B3. That is, the removal member 5 rotates around the second rotation axis O2 along the X-axis direction. The removal member 5 rotates to scrape out and clean the paper dust that has gotten into the bristles of the cleaning roller 4.

[0081] 4, the removing member 5 is a plate-shaped member. This allows the cleaning roller 4 to be effectively cleaned. More specifically, the removing member 5 can easily get into between the bristles of the cleaning roller 4, allowing the cleaning roller 4 to be effectively cleaned. The removing member 5 may be a frame-shaped member.

[0082] 2, the removing member 5 has a circular shape in a plan view, which allows the cleaning roller 4 to be cleaned stably.

[0083] 4, the removal member 5 may be polygonal in plan view. That is, the removal member 5 may have a shape having a plurality of corners 51 in plan view. In this case, the corners 51 can easily enter the bristles of the cleaning roller 4, and the cleaning roller 4 can be cleaned more reliably. In the illustrated configuration, the removal member 5 is dodecagonal, but the number of corners 51 is not limited to this.

[0084] Moreover, the maximum outer diameter of the removal member 5 in plan view is preferably 5 cm to 30 cm, and more preferably 10 cm to 15 cm, which makes it possible to more effectively clean the cleaning roller 4 while preventing the device from becoming too large.

[0085] The thickness of the removing member 5 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.01 cm or more and 2.0 cm or less, and more preferably 0.03 cm or more and 1.00 cm or less, which allows the removing member 5 to smoothly enter the cleaning roller 4 and more effectively clean the cleaning roller 4.

[0086] Furthermore, the removing member 5 may or may not penetrate into the bristles of the cleaning roller 4. If the removing member 5 penetrates into the bristles of the cleaning roller 4, the penetration depth is preferably 0.1 cm to 5 cm, and more preferably 0.2 cm to 3 cm. This allows the cleaning of the cleaning roller 4 to be performed more effectively.

[0087] The driving unit 50 has a motor, a reducer, etc. (not shown), and rotates the removal member 5. The motor of the driving unit 50 is electrically connected to the control unit 28 shown in Fig. 1, and the operation thereof is controlled. In addition, the motor of the driving unit 50 is configured so that the rotation speed and rotation direction can be changed by controlling the energization conditions.

[0088] In this manner, the cleaning device 10 includes a drive unit 50 that drives and rotates the removal member 5, and a control unit 28 that controls the operation of the drive unit 50. This allows cleaning of the cleaning roller 4 without manually moving the removal member 5. Note that the removal member 5 may also be configured to be rotated manually.

[0089] Furthermore, the control unit 28 intermittently rotates the removal member 5. That is, the control unit 28 controls the operation of the drive unit 50 so that the removal member 5 alternately rotates and stops. This allows the cleaning roller 4 to be cleaned effectively.

[0090] The ratio T1 / T2 of the time T1 during rotation to the time T2 during stoppage is preferably 0.1 or more and 10 or less, and more preferably 1.0 or more and 5.0 or less.

[0091] The rotation speed of the removing member 5 may be variable. The removing member 5 may be configured to rotate continuously.

[0092] In this way, the member to which paper powder adheres constitutes a conveying section that conveys the second web M8, which is a sheet-like material containing fibers, and the second region B3 is located at a position corresponding to the end of the second web M8 in the Y-axis direction that intersects with the X-axis direction that is the conveying direction of the second web M8. This makes it possible to efficiently clean the parts of the cleaning roller 4 that are particularly prone to paper powder adhesion.

[0093] Moreover, the first region, region A3, is located in the center in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning roller 4, and the second region, region B3, is located at one end and the other end of the cleaning roller 4 in the longitudinal direction. A pair of removal members 5 are provided corresponding to the one end and the other end of the cleaning roller 4. This allows efficient cleaning of both of the two locations on the cleaning roller 4 where paper powder is likely to adhere.

[0094] 2, the rotation direction of the removal member 5 on the left side in FIG. 2 is counterclockwise, and the rotation direction of the removal member 5 on the right side in FIG. 2 is clockwise. This makes it possible to prevent the paper powder scraped off from the cleaning roller 4 by the removal member 5 from scattering toward the center of the cleaning roller 4.

[0095] The rotation direction of the removal member 5 on the left side in Fig. 2 may be clockwise, and the rotation direction of the removal member 5 on the right side in Fig. 2 may be counterclockwise. In this case, by providing a collection unit for collecting paper powder near the center of the cleaning roller 4, the paper powder can be collected in a simple manner.

[0096] In this way, the removal members 5 rotate in opposite directions to each other. This has the advantage of preventing the paper dust from scattering toward the center of the cleaning roller 4 and of making it easy to collect the paper dust.

[0097] The cleaning device 10 also includes a cleaning member 6 that cleans the removal member 5. As shown in Fig. 3, the cleaning member 6 has a pair of contact members 61 that sandwich the removal member 5 from both sides. The contact members 61 are provided on the +X axis side and the -X axis side of the removal member 5, respectively. The portion of each contact member 61 that comes into contact with the removal member 5 is made of, for example, felt fabric, and as the removal member 5 rotates, paper dust adhering to the removal member 5 is wiped off by each contact member 61, thereby cleaning the removal member 5.

[0098] In this manner, the cleaning device 10 includes the cleaning member 6 that cleans the removing member 5. This makes it possible to remove the paper powder adhering to the removing member 5.

[0099] Moreover, the cleaning member 6 has a contact member 61 that directly contacts the removing member 5 to clean the removing member 5. This makes it possible to more effectively remove paper dust adhering to the removing member 5.

[0100] As described above, the cleaning device 10 of the present invention includes a cleaning roller 4 that rotates around a first rotation axis O1 to clean the felt roller 3, which is a member to which paper powder adheres, and has a first region A3 and a second region B3 that is aligned with the region A3 in the first rotation axis O1 direction and has a larger amount of paper powder adhered thereto than in the region A3, and a removal member 5 that rotates around a second rotation axis O2 in a direction different from the first rotation axis O1 and comes into contact with at least a part of the region B3 to remove the paper powder adhered to the region B3. This makes it possible to effectively remove the paper powder adhered to the cleaning roller 4. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively clean the region B3 of the cleaning roller 4, to which paper powder is likely to adhere.

[0101] The fiber structure manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a second web forming section 19, which is a depositing section that deposits a material containing fibers to generate a second web M8, a forming section 20 having a calendar roller 203, which is a pressing member that pressurizes the deposit to form it into a sheet, and a cleaning device 10 that cleans the calendar roller 203. The cleaning device 10 also includes a cleaning roller 4 that rotates around a first rotation axis O1 to clean the calendar roller 203 to which paper powder has adhered, and has a first region A3 and a second region B3 that is aligned with the region A3 in the first rotation axis O1 direction and has a larger amount of paper powder adhered thereto than the region A3, and a removal member 5 that rotates around a second rotation axis O2 in a direction different from the first rotation axis O1, comes into contact with at least a part of the region B3, and removes the paper powder adhered to the region B3. This allows the advantages of the cleaning device 10 to be enjoyed. The cleaning roller 4 can also effectively clean the calendar roller 203 directly or indirectly. This makes it possible to maintain a state in which no paper powder or only a small amount of paper powder adheres to the calendar roller 203. As a result, the second web M8 can be pressed with high accuracy, and a high-quality fiber structure can be manufactured.

[0102] <Second embodiment> Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a vibration imparting unit of a cleaning device included in a fiber structure manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a collision member included in the vibration imparting unit shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vibration imparting unit shown in Fig. 5.

[0103] Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the cleaning device and fabric structure manufacturing device of the present invention will be described with reference to these drawings, but the differences from the previously described embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of similar points will be omitted.

[0104] 5, in this embodiment, the cleaning member 6 has a vibration applying part 62 that applies vibration to the removal member 5. The vibration applying part 62 has a shaft 63 connected to the removal member 5, a collision member 64 coupled to the shaft 63, a one-way clutch 65 coupled to the shaft 63, a one-way clutch 66, and a support member 67. From the left in the figure, the one-way clutch 65, the collision member 64, the support member 67, the one-way clutch 66, and the removal member 5 are inserted or connected to the shaft 63 in this order. The shaft 63 is rotatably supported by a support member 67 .

[0105] 6, the collision member 64 is in the shape of a disk having an insertion hole 641 through which the shaft 63 is inserted. The insertion hole 641 has a notch 643. The collision member 64 has a protruding portion 642 that protrudes toward the one-way clutch 65. The protruding portions 642 are provided in pair with the insertion hole 641 interposed therebetween.

[0106] Moreover, the collision member 64 is biased toward the one-way clutch 65 side by a spring 644. The collision member 64 is fixed to the shaft 63 and rotates together with the shaft 63.

[0107] The one-way clutch 65 has a gear built in. The one-way clutch 65 can be in a first state in which it engages with the shaft 63 and rotates together with the shaft 63 and the collision member 64, and in a second state in which it slides relative to the shaft 63 and does not rotate together with the shaft 63 and the collision member 64.

[0108] 7, the one-way clutch 65 has an inclined surface 651 that protrudes toward the collision member 64. The inclined surface 651 is a portion with which the protruding portion 642 comes into contact.

[0109] In the second state, the one-way clutch 65 and the collision member 64 rotate relatively. At this time, when the protruding portion 642 of the collision member 64 slides on the inclined surface 651, the collision member 64 moves in a direction away from the one-way clutch 65 against the biasing force of the spring 644. Then, when the protruding portion 642 overcomes the step at the end of the inclined surface 651, the collision member 64 is struck against the one-way clutch 65 by the biasing force of the spring 644, as shown in FIG. 7. This impact generates vibration, which is transmitted to the removal member 5 via the shaft 63. As a result, the paper powder adhering to the removal member 5 can be shaken off.

[0110] In addition, when the collision member 64 approaches or moves away from the one-way clutch 65, a key (not shown) fixed to the shaft 63 moves through the notch 643 of the collision member 64, thereby ensuring that the collision member 64 approaches or moves away from the one-way clutch 65 stably.

[0111] The number of times the first state and the second state are switched during one rotation of the cleaning roller 4 is preferably 5 to 20 times, and more preferably 7 to 15 times, so that the paper powder adhering to the removing member 5 can be shaken off more reliably.

[0112] In this manner, the cleaning member 6 has the vibration applying portion 62 that applies vibration to the removal member 5. This makes it possible to clean the removal member 5 by the simple method of generating vibration.

[0113] Although the cleaning device and the textile structure manufacturing apparatus of the present invention have been described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each part constituting the cleaning device and the textile structure manufacturing apparatus can be replaced with any other part capable of exerting the same function. In addition, any other component can be added.

[0114] Furthermore, the cleaning device and the fabric structure manufacturing device of the present invention may be a combination of any two or more of the configurations or features of the above-described embodiments.

[0115] A cleaning roller for cleaning the first area may be provided between each of the removing members. In this case, the cleaning roller is preferably configured to rotate about a third axis parallel to the first axis. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 3...felt roller, 4...cleaning roller, 5...removal member, 6...cleaning member, 10...cleaning device, 11...raw material supply section, 12...crushing section, 13...defibrating section, 14...screening section, 15...first web forming section, 16...fragmenting section, 17...mixing section, 18...discharging section, 19...second web forming section, 20...shaping section, 21...cutting section, 22...stock section, 27...recovery section, 28...control section, 30...driving section, 40...driving section, 50...driving section, 51...corner section, 61...contact member, 62...with vibration feeding portion, 63...shaft, 64...collision member, 65...one-way clutch, 66...one-way clutch, 67...support member, 100...fiber structure manufacturing apparatus, 121...crushing blade, 141...drum portion, 142...housing portion, 151...mesh belt, 152...tension roller, 153...suction portion, 161...propeller, 162...housing portion, 171...binder supply portion, 172...pipe, 173...blower, 174...screw feeder, 181...drum portion, 182...housing cutting section, 191...mesh belt, 192...tension roller, 193...suction section, 201...pressure section, 202...heating section, 203...calender roller, 204...heating roller, 211...first cutting section, 212...second cutting section, 231...humidification section, 232...humidification section, 233...humidification section, 234...humidification section, 235...humidification section, 236...humidification section, 241...tube, 242...tube, 243...tube, 244...tube, 245...tube, 246...tube, 261...blower, 262...blower, 263...blower A, 281...CPU, 282...storage unit, 641...insertion hole, 642...projection portion, 643...notch, 644...spring, 651...inclined surface, A...arrow, A1...area, A2...area, A3...area, B1...area, B2...area, B3...area, M1...raw material, M2...coarsely crushed pieces, M3...defibrated material, M4-1...first sorted material, M4-2...second sorted material, M5...first web, M6...fragmented body, M7...mixture, M8...second web, O1...first rotating shaft, O2...second rotating shaft, P1...binder, S...sheet

Claims

[Claim 1] a deposition section for depositing a fiber-containing material to generate a deposit; A forming section having a pressure roller for pressing the pile and forming it into a sheet shape; a cleaning device for cleaning the pressure roller; The cleaning device includes: The pressure roller is cleaned of paper powder by rotating about a first rotation shaft; The first region is located next to the first region in the first rotation axis direction, and the amount of paper powder attached to the first region is a second region greater than the first region; and One end and the other end of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning roller and rotate around a second rotation axis in a direction different from the first rotation axis, a removing member that comes into contact with at least a part of the second region and removes the paper powder adhering to the second region; and, The removing member is directly contacted to clean the removing member, and the removing member is sandwiched from both sides. A cleaning member consisting of a pair of abutting members; A fiber structure manufacturing apparatus comprising:

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