Web conveying device and fibrous body manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide a web conveyance device and a fiber body manufacturing device improved in a removing performance of materials fitted to a mesh belt.SOLUTION: A web conveyance device 70 has a mesh belt 72 rotating while conveying web W formed by depositing a material containing fiber in a dry type, and a striking part 170 striking a return side of the mesh belt 72 and removing the material fitted to the mesh belt 72. The striking part 170 has a striking rod 174 and a striking lever 172, and the striking rod 174 strikes the mesh belt 72 by repetitive motion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a web conveying device and a fibrous body manufacturing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a conveying device for conveying a web containing fibers by a mesh belt has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a conveying device having a protruding body. The protruding body is provided for the purpose of removing fibers attached to the openings of the mesh belt.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conveying device described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is difficult to improve the removal performance for the fibers attached to the mesh belt. Specifically, since the protruding body enters the openings of the mesh belt and pushes out the fibers, the fibers are likely to adhere to the protruding body. As a result, it may be difficult to remove the fibers from the mesh belt, or the fibers attached to the protruding body may reattach to the mesh belt. That is, there has been a demand for a web conveying device and a fibrous body manufacturing device that can improve the removal performance of fibers and the like attached to the mesh belt.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The web conveying device includes a mesh belt that conveys and rotates a web formed by dry deposition of a material containing fibers, and a striking portion that strikes the return side of the mesh belt to remove the material adhering to the mesh belt. The striking portion has a striking rod and a striking lever, and the striking rod strikes the mesh belt by means of a reciprocating motion.

[0006] The fibrous body manufacturing apparatus includes a deposition portion that dry-deposits a material containing fibers, a web conveying portion that has a mesh belt on which the material is deposited and conveys a web formed by the deposition of the material by the mesh belt, and a forming portion that presses the web transferred from the mesh belt. The web conveying portion has a striking portion including a striking rod and a striking lever that strike the return side of the mesh belt to remove the material adhering to the mesh belt, and the striking rod strikes the mesh belt by means of a reciprocating motion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] In the following embodiments, a fibrous body manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a sheet-like fibrous body containing fibers is exemplified. Hereinafter, the configurations of the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus and the web conveying device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] In the following figures, the XYZ axes are attached as coordinate axes orthogonal to each other as necessary, the direction indicated by each arrow is defined as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is defined as the - direction. The Z axis is a virtual axis along the vertical direction, with the +Z direction being upward and the -Z direction being downward. The -Z direction is the direction in which gravity acts. Also, in the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus and the web conveying apparatus, the front in the conveying direction of raw materials, fibrous bodies, etc. may be referred to as downstream, and the side going against the conveying direction may be referred to as upstream.

[0010] 1. First Embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes, from upstream to downstream, a supply unit 10, a crushing unit 12, a fiberizing unit 20, a sorting unit 40, a first web forming unit 45, a rotating body 49, a mixing unit 50, a deposition unit 60, a web conveying apparatus 70, a transport unit 78, a forming unit 80, and a cutting unit 90. Although not shown, the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a control unit that integrally controls the operation of each of the above configurations. In the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100, a single-strip fibrous body S is manufactured.

[0011] The web conveying apparatus 70 is also an example of the web conveying unit of the present invention in the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100. In the web conveying apparatus 70, a second web described later is formed. In the following description, the second web may sometimes be simply referred to as the web.

[0012] The supply unit 10 supplies raw materials to the crushing unit 12. The supply unit 10, for example, continuously and automatically feeds raw materials into the crushing unit 12. The raw materials supplied to the crushing unit 12 contain fibers and become part of the fibrous body S.

[0013] Various fiber materials are employed for the fibers. Examples of fiber materials include natural fibers and chemical fibers. As natural fibers, for example, animal fibers such as wool and silk, cotton, linen, ramie, hemp, jute, Manila hemp, sisal hemp, and plant fibers such as cellulose derived from coconut, kenaf, rush, coniferous trees, and broad-leaved trees are used.

[0014] In addition to virgin pulp, recycled fibers such as waste paper and waste cloth may be used as the fiber material. The recycled fibers may contain impurities and components contained before recycling. Further, as the fiber material, defibrated materials obtained by dry defibration of waste paper, pulp sheets, etc. may be used. The above fiber material may be surface-treated. Further, as the fiber material, one type may be used alone, or a plurality of types may be used as mixed fibers.

[0015] In the fiber, the length in the longitudinal direction of an independent single fiber is, for example, 1 μm or more and 5 mm or less. The above length is preferably 2 μm or more and 3 mm or less, and more preferably 3 μm or more and 3 mm or less. When the above length is within such a range, the formation of the fibrous body S becomes easy and the strength of the fibrous body is improved.

[0016] The fiber content in the fibrous body S is, for example, 50.0 mass% or more and 99.9 mass% or less, preferably 60.0 mass% or more and 99.0 mass% or less, and more preferably 70.0 mass% or more and 99.0 mass% or less with respect to the total mass of the fibrous body S. When the above content is within such a range, the formation of the fibrous body S becomes easy and the strength of the fibrous body is improved. The above content is adjusted by, for example, the mixing ratio when forming the mixture described later.

[0017] In the present embodiment, waste paper which is printed copy paper is used as the fiber material. The crushing unit 12 cuts the waste paper which is the raw material supplied from the supply unit 10 into small pieces in an atmosphere such as air. The form of the small pieces is, for example, a rectangular shape with several cm sides.

[0018] The crushing unit 12 is a shredder having a crushing blade 14. The waste paper is cut by the crushing blade 14 into small pieces. The small pieces of waste paper are collected by the hopper 1 and transferred to the defibrating unit 20 through the pipe 2.

[0019] The defibrillation unit 20 defibrillates the shredded pieces transferred from the crushing unit 12. Defibrillation here refers to separating individual fibers from a state where multiple fibers are bound together. Also, the defibrillation unit 20 separates resin, color materials such as ink and toner, and additives attached to the fibers from the fibers.

[0020] The shredded pieces of waste paper are defibrillated in the defibrillation unit 20 to become defibrillated products. The defibrillated products may contain, in addition to the defibrillated fibers, resin particles, color materials, and additives such as anti-bleeding agents and paper strength enhancers separated from the fibers by defibrillation. The fibers in the defibrillated product may be in a state where each fiber is independent without being entangled with other fibers, or may be in a lump shape where multiple fibers are entangled.

[0021] The defibrillation in the defibrillation unit 20 is performed dry. Dry defibrillation means that it is performed in the air such as the atmosphere without being performed in a liquid. As the defibrillation unit 20, for example, an impeller mill is used.

[0022] The defibrillation unit 20 sucks the shredded pieces of waste paper and generates an air flow for discharging the defibrillated product. Thereby, the defibrillation unit 20 uses the air flow generated by itself to place the shredded pieces on the air flow from the inlet 22, suck them, perform defibrillation treatment, and then transfer the defibrillated product to the outlet 24. The defibrillated product is transferred from the outlet 24 to the sorting unit 40 via the pipe 3. The air flow for transferring the defibrillated product from the defibrillation unit 20 to the sorting unit 40 is not limited to the air flow generated by the defibrillation unit 20. The air flow for transferring the defibrillated product may be generated by an air flow generating device such as a blower.

[0023] The sorting unit 40 introduces the defibrillated product transferred from the defibrillation unit 20 from the inlet 42. The defibrillated product introduced into the sorting unit 40 is sorted according to the length of the contained fibers. The sorting unit 40 has a drum unit 41 and a housing unit 43 that houses the drum unit 41.

[0024] The drum part 41 is a columnar sieve that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). A net having the function of a sieve is provided on the side surface of the columnar drum part 41. For this net, a wire mesh, an expanded metal obtained by stretching a metal plate with cuts, a punching metal in which a plurality of holes are formed in a metal plate by press working, etc. are used.

[0025] The columnar drum part 41 selects the defibrated material inside the drum part 41 while being rotationally driven with respect to a rotation axis (not shown). Specifically, the drum part 41 selects a first selected material that is fibers or particles smaller than the mesh size of the sieve of the drum part 41, and a second selected material that is fibers, undefibrated pieces, and lumps, etc., larger than the above mesh size. The first selected material passes through the sieve openings of the drum part 41, and the second selected material does not pass through the sieve openings of the drum part 41.

[0026] The first selected material exits from the inside of the drum part 41 to the outside and accumulates on the first web forming part 45. The second selected material is returned from the discharge port 44 penetrating the inside of the drum part 41 to the defibrating part 20 via the pipe 8 and the pipe 2. The second selected material is defibrated again at the defibrating part 20.

[0027] In the first web forming part 45, the first web V is formed from the first selected material. The first web forming part 45 includes a perforated belt 46, a plurality of tension rollers 47, and a suction mechanism 48.

[0028] The suction mechanism 48 is disposed below the drum part 41. The suction mechanism 48 sucks the air in the upper sorting part 40 through the plurality of holes of the perforated belt 46. As a result, the first selected material discharged to the outside of the drum part 41 is sucked downward and accumulates on the upper surface of the perforated belt 46. A known suction device such as a blower is adopted for the suction mechanism 48.

[0029] The plurality of holes in the perforated belt 46 allow air to pass through but make it difficult for the first selected material to pass through. The perforated belt 46 is an endless belt and is stretched by three stretching rollers 47. The upper surface of the perforated belt 46 moves downstream due to the rotation of the plurality of stretching rollers 47. In other words, the perforated belt 46 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 which is a side view.

[0030] By the suction mechanism 48 sucking the air in the sorting section 40 containing the first selected material, the first selected material is sucked and deposited on the upper surface of the perforated belt 46. At this time, as the perforated belt 46 moves by the stretching rollers 47, the first selected material continuously deposits to form the first web V. The first web V contains a relatively large amount of air and is soft and swollen. The first web V is transferred to the downstream rotating body 49 as the perforated belt 46 moves. The rotating body 49 is arranged near the folding position on the downstream side of the perforated belt 46.

[0031] The rotating body 49 divides the first web V. The rotating body 49 has a base 49a and a plurality of protrusions 49b. Each of the protrusions 49b protrudes radially from the base 49a in a side view. Each of the four protrusions 49b is composed of a plate-like member. The four protrusions 49b are arranged at equal intervals in a side view. When the base 49a rotates in the rotation direction R, the four protrusions 49b rotate in the rotation direction R with the base 49a as the rotation axis. As the four protrusions 49b rotate and contact the first web V, the first web V is divided. The first web V divided by the rotating body 49 reaches the downstream mixing section 50 through the pipe 7.

[0032] The mixing section 50 mixes the binder and the divided first web V, that is, the first selected material, to form a mixture. The mixing section 50 has a binder supply section 52, a pipe 54, and a blower 56. The inside of the pipe 54 is continuous with the inside of the upstream pipe 7. The binder supply section 52 supplies the binder into the pipe 54 via the hopper 9. For the binder supply section 52, for example, a screw feeder or a disk feeder is adopted.

[0033] The binder is, for example, starch or dextrin. Starch is a polymer compound in which a plurality of α-glucose molecules are polymerized by glycosidic bonds. The molecular structure of starch may be linear or may have a branched structure.

[0034] For starch, raw materials derived from plants may be used. Examples of plant-derived raw materials include grains such as corn, wheat, and rice, beans such as broad beans, mung beans, and adzuki beans, tubers such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tapioca, wild plants such as arrowroot, bracken, and kudzu, and palms such as sago palm.

[0035] For starch, modified starch may be used. Examples of modified starch include acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch, acetylated starch, oxidized starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch, phosphorylated starch, phosphate esterified phosphate cross-linked starch, urea phosphorylated esterified starch, sodium starch glycolate, high amylose corn starch, etc. For dextrin, i.e., modified starch, those obtained by processing or modifying starch are used.

[0036] When starch or dextrin is used as the binder, by imparting moisture to the web described later and applying pressure and heat, the strength of the fibrous body S is improved. When the strength of the fibrous body S can be sufficiently ensured, the binder may not be added to the first sorted product, and the binder supply unit 52 may be omitted.

[0037] The content of the binder in the fibrous body S is, for example, 0.1% by mass or more and 50.0% by mass or less, preferably 1.0% by mass or more and 40.0% by mass or less, more preferably 1.0% by mass or more and 30.0% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the fibrous body S. The above content is adjusted by the amount of the additive supplied from the binder supply unit 52.

[0038] In the mixture prepared by the binder supply unit 52, in addition to the binder, a coloring material for coloring the fibrous body S, an aggregation inhibitor for suppressing the aggregation of fibers and adhesives, a flame retardant for improving the flame retardancy of the fibrous body S, etc. may be appropriately added.

[0039] Blower 56 generates an air flow inside pipe 54. The air flow mixes the first sorted material that has reached pipe 54 from pipe 7 with the binder to form a mixture and transfers it downstream. The mechanism for mixing the first sorted material and the binder is not limited to blower 56. The mechanism may be a rapidly rotating blade, or a V-type mixer that utilizes the rotation of a container, etc. Then, the mixture is transferred from pipe 54 to deposition section 60.

[0040] <N Deposition section 60 takes in a mixture, which is a material containing fibers, from inlet 62 into the inside of drum section 61 and deposits it dryly on mesh belt 72. Deposition section 60 has drum section 61 and housing section 63 that houses drum section 61. Below deposition section 60, web conveyance device 70 including mesh belt 72 and suction mechanism 76 is arranged. Suction mechanism 76 is arranged to face drum section 61 across mesh belt 72 in the vertical direction.

[0041] Drum section 61 is a columnar sieve that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). A net having the function of a sieve is provided on the side surface of the columnar drum section 61. The same configuration as drum section 41 of sorting section 40 is adopted for drum section 61. Drum section 61 allows particles such as fibers and binders smaller than the mesh opening size of the sieve to pass from the inside to the outside. By drum section 61, the entangled fibers in the mixture are loosened and dispersed in the air inside housing section 63.

[0042] Note that the sieve of drum section 61 does not necessarily have the function of sorting large fibers in the mixture. That is, drum section 61 may loosen the fibers of the mixture and discharge all of the mixture to the inside of housing section 63. The mixture dispersed in the air inside housing section 63 deposits on the upper surface of mesh belt 72 due to gravity and the suction of suction mechanism 76.

[0043] The web conveyor device 70 includes a mesh belt 72, a suction mechanism 76, a striking unit 170, and a recovery unit 77. The web conveyor device 70 promotes the deposition of a mixture, which is a material containing fibers, onto the mesh belt 72 by the suction mechanism 76. Further, the web conveyor device 70 conveys and rotates the web W, which is a second web formed by dry deposition of the mixture, downstream. Furthermore, the web conveyor device 70 removes the mixture adhering to the mesh belt 72 at the striking unit 170, that is, the residue of the web W. The residue of the web W detached from the mesh belt 72 is collected by the recovery unit 77.

[0044] The suction mechanism 76 is disposed below the drum unit 61. The suction mechanism 76 sucks the air in the housing unit 63 through a plurality of holes in the mesh belt 72. As a result, the mixture discharged to the outside of the drum unit 61 is sucked downward together with the air and deposited on the upper surface of the mesh belt 72. A known suction device such as a blower is employed for the suction mechanism 76.

[0045] The plurality of holes in the mesh belt 72 allow air to pass through, but it is difficult for fibers, binders, etc. contained in the mixture to pass through. The mesh belt 72 is an endless belt and is stretched by four stretching rollers 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d. In the following description, the four stretching rollers 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d may be collectively referred to simply as the stretching roller 74.

[0046] The upper surface of the mesh belt 72 moves downstream by the rotation of the stretching roller 74. In other words, the mesh belt 72 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 which is a side view. Here, in the mesh belt 72, the section from the stretching roller 74a to the stretching roller 74b is defined as the conveyance side, and the section from the stretching roller 74b, through the stretching rollers 74c, 74d, to the stretching roller 74a is defined as the return side. Therefore, the starting point of the return side in the mesh belt 72 is the stretching roller 74b.

[0047] The suction mechanism 76 sucks the air in the housing portion 63 where the mixture is dispersed through a plurality of holes in the mesh belt 72. As a result, the mixture is sucked and deposited on the upper surface of the mesh belt 72. At this time, as the mesh belt 72 is rotated by the tensioning roller 74, the mixture is continuously deposited to form the web W. The web W contains a relatively large amount of air and is soft and swollen. The web W is conveyed to the downstream transport unit 78 as the mesh belt 72 moves.

[0048] The striking unit 170 and the recovery unit 77 are arranged between the tensioning roller 74b and the tensioning roller 74c. Details of the web transport device 70 including the striking unit 170 and the recovery unit 77 will be described later.

[0049] The transport unit 78 peels the web W from the upper surface of the mesh belt 72 and transfers it toward the forming unit 80. The transport unit 78 is above the transport path of the web W and is arranged slightly upstream of the starting point on the return side of the mesh belt 72. A part of the upstream side of the transport unit 78 and the transport side of the mesh belt 72 overlap in the vertical direction.

[0050] The transport unit 78 has a transport belt 78a, four rollers 78b, and a suction mechanism 78c. The transport belt 78a is provided with a plurality of holes through which air passes. The transport belt 78a is stretched by the four rollers 78b. The transport belt 78a rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by the rotation of the four rollers 78b.

[0051] The suction mechanism 78c is arranged opposite to the transport path of the web W in the vertical direction with the transport belt 78a interposed therebetween. The suction mechanism 78c includes a blower. Due to the suction force of the blower of the suction mechanism 78c, an upward airflow is generated in the transport path of the web W.

[0052] The web W is peeled off from the downstream end of the conveying side of the mesh belt 72 by the airflow generated by the suction mechanism 78c. The web W peeled off from the mesh belt 72 is transferred to the forming section 80 by the transport belt 78a while being adsorbed on the lower surface of the transport belt 78a.

[0053] Here, the web W transferred by the transport belt 78a may be humidified. Specifically, for example, a humidifying section 79 may be provided below the conveyance path of the web W. The humidifying section 79 humidifies the web W by spraying mist-like water onto the web W. A known spraying device such as a mist blower is employed for the humidifying section 79. By humidifying the web W, when a binder such as starch is used as described above, the strength of the fibrous body S is improved. Further, since the web W is humidified from below, it is possible to prevent droplets derived from the spraying device from falling and adhering to the web W. Further, since the web W is humidified from the side opposite to the contact surface between the transport belt 78a and the web W, the adhesion of the web W to the transport belt 78a is reduced.

[0054] The moisture content of the humidified web W is preferably 40% by mass or less based on the total mass of the web W. According to this, the above-described effects can be obtained and the consumption amount of water used for spraying is reduced.

[0055] The forming section 80 presses the web W transferred from the mesh belt 72 onto the transport belt 78a. The forming section 80 includes a heating and pressing section 84 that presses and heats the web W. In the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100, a pair of heating rollers 86 is provided as the heating and pressing section 84. Each of the pair of heating rollers 86 incorporates an electric heater and has a function of heating the roller surface.

[0056] By continuously passing the web W between a pair of heating rollers 86, the web W is pressed while being heated. As a result, from the web W that contains relatively a large amount of air and is soft, the enclosed air is reduced, and a continuous sheet-like fibrous body S in which fibers are bound by an adhesive is manufactured. The continuous sheet-like fibrous body S is transferred to the cutting section 90. Note that the configuration of the heating and pressing section 84 is not limited to the above configuration.

[0057] The cutting section 90 cuts the continuous sheet-like fibrous body S into individual sheets. The cutting section 90 includes a first cutting section 92 and a second cutting section 94. The first cutting section 92 cuts the fibrous body S in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the fibrous body S. As a result, the continuous sheet-like fibrous body S is divided into substantially individual sheets. The second cutting section 94 cuts the fibrous body S in a direction along the conveyance direction of the fibrous body S. As a result, the planar shape of the fibrous body S is adjusted. In the first cutting section 92 and the second cutting section 94, the position where the continuous sheet-like fibrous body S is cut is adjusted according to the shape of the individual sheet-like fibrous body S to be manufactured. The individual sheet-like fibrous body S is stacked and placed on the tray 96. As described above, the individual sheet-like fibrous body S is manufactured by the fibrous body manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 2, in the web conveyance device 70, a striking section 170 and a recovery section 77 are disposed below a stretching roller 74b which is the starting point on the return side of the mesh belt 72. Here, in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 3 and 4 described later, the illustration of the configurations other than the web conveyance device 70 and the recovery section 77, and the suction mechanism 76 is omitted. Further, FIG. 3 shows a cross section along the XZ plane of the web conveyance device 70.

[0059] In the mesh belt 72, on the conveying side from the tension roller 74a to the tension roller 74b, a web W (not shown) is formed on the upper surface and conveyed. When viewed from the side in the +Y direction, the mesh belt 72 is stretched in a quadrangular shape, and the outer surface of the quadrangle serves as the conveying surface. On the conveying surface of the mesh belt 72, on the conveying side, the web W which is the material of the fibrous body S is placed. Here, in the mesh belt 72, the length in the direction along the Y axis is referred to as the width of the mesh belt 72. In the mesh belt 72, the direction along the X axis is arbitrarily defined as the length direction of the mesh belt 72. The length direction of the mesh belt 72 is along the rotation direction of the mesh belt 72.

[0060] The web W is conveyed from the upstream -X direction to the downstream +X direction. The web W is peeled off from the mesh belt 72 in front of the tension roller 74b and transferred to the above-described transport unit 78. The mesh belt 72 is turned back to the return side at the tension roller 74b and rotates. Then, the mesh belt 72 is turned back to the conveying side at the tension roller 74a via the tension rollers 74c and 74d.

[0061] Residues of the web W may adhere to the mesh belt 72 turned back to the return side. If residues adhere to the mesh belt 72, clogging is likely to occur in a plurality of holes of the mesh belt 72. When clogging occurs, when the web W is deposited on the mesh belt 72 again on the conveying side, the suction of the suction mechanism 76 is inhibited. When the suction becomes insufficient, it affects the quality of the produced fibrous body S.

[0062] On the contrary, the web conveying device 70 strikes the mesh belt 72 with the striking portion 170. Therefore, the residues of the web W adhering to the mesh belt 72 are removed, and the occurrence of clogging in the mesh belt 72 is suppressed.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the web conveying device 70 includes a striking unit 170 and a recovery unit 77. The striking unit 170 has a shaft portion 171, a striking lever 172, a spring member 173, a single striking rod 174, an arm portion 175, and a gear 176. The recovery unit 77 is substantially triangular prism-shaped, and the height direction of the triangular prism is along the Y-axis. The side surface of the recovery unit 77 facing the mesh belt 72 is omitted and released.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 3, the striking rod 174 is a round rod. The longitudinal direction of the striking rod 174 is arranged along the Y-axis. The longitudinal direction intersects the length direction of the mesh belt 72. The length of the striking rod 174 in the longitudinal direction is substantially equal to the width of the mesh belt 72. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state where the striking rod 174 is in a striking position in contact with the mesh belt 72.

[0065] The striking rod 174 and the mesh belt 72 are preferably made of the same material. Specifically, the striking rod 174 and the mesh belt 72 are formed of resin, metal, or the like. Thereby, the generation of static electricity due to the contact between the striking rod 174 and the mesh belt 72 is suppressed. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the striking rod 174 and the mesh belt 72 to be charged, and it is suppressed that materials such as fibers are adsorbed to them, and the residues on the mesh belt 72 are easily removed. In the present embodiment, polyester is adopted as the material of the striking rod 174 and the mesh belt 72.

[0066] One end of the striking rod 174 in the -Y direction is fixed to one end of the striking lever 172. The other end of the striking lever 172 is supported by the shaft portion 171. The striking lever 172 can rotate in a plane along the XZ plane with the shaft portion 171 as a rotation axis.

[0067] When the recovery unit 77 is a triangular prism, the striking lever 172 is arranged in the -Y direction with respect to the bottom surface in the -Y direction of the triangular prism. The striking lever 172 is supported by the shaft portion 171 in the -Y direction with respect to the bottom surface in the -Y direction. The shaft portion 171 extends in the +Y direction through both bottom surfaces of the triangular prism.

[0068] The striking bar 174 is supported by the striking lever 172 and is rotatable about the shaft portion 171 as a fulcrum. The rotation of the striking bar 174 is restricted by an arm portion 175, a gear 176, etc., which will be described later, and it reciprocates along an arc-shaped locus. Due to this reciprocating motion, the striking bar 174 strikes the conveying surface on the return side of the mesh belt 72. Thereby, the residue of the web W, which is the material of the fibrous body S adhering to the mesh belt 72, is removed. Note that the striking bar 174 may remove and collect not only the residue of the web W but also the web W itself from the mesh belt 72 by striking.

[0069] The striking bar 174 is supported by the striking lever 172 in the -Y direction from the bottom surface in the -Y direction of the recovery portion 77. Therefore, a notch 181 corresponding to the reciprocating motion of the striking bar 174 is provided on the bottom surface of the recovery portion 77. Details of the mechanism of the reciprocating motion of the striking bar 174 will be described later.

[0070] At one end of the striking lever 172 that fixes the striking bar 174, a spring member 173 is attached. In the spring member 173, one end is attached to the striking lever 172 and the other end is attached to a frame member of a web conveying device 70 (not shown), respectively. The spring member 173 is a tension coil spring, and in the reciprocating motion of the striking bar 174, it biases the striking bar 174 in the direction of contacting the mesh belt 72. Thereby, the striking bar 174 strikes the mesh belt 72 by the elastic force of the spring member 173.

[0071] By changing the elastic force of the spring member 173, the strength of the strike of the striking bar 174 against the mesh belt 72 can be adjusted. Note that the configuration for driving the strike of the striking bar 174 is not limited to the above. As the spring member 173, an elastic member such as a compression coil spring, a torsion coil spring, a leaf spring, a spiral spring, a torsion bar, or rubber may be used and arranged according to the biasing direction. Also, the number of spring members 173 is not limited to one, and a spring member 173 may also be arranged on the bottom surface side in the +Y direction of the recovery portion 77.

[0072] Since the striking bar 174 strikes the conveying surface of the mesh belt 72, the performance of removing residues of the web W from the mesh belt 72 is further improved. Specifically, since the mesh belt 72 is instantaneously deflected by the strike, due to the inertial force that the residues tend to stay on the conveying surface of the mesh belt 72 and the impact of the strike by the striking bar 174, it becomes easier for the residues to detach from the conveying surface. Also, when the mesh belt 72 is instantaneously deflected, the air on the back side opposite to the conveying surface vigorously passes through a plurality of holes of the mesh belt 72. Therefore, the detachment of the residues from the mesh belt 72 is promoted. As a result, the performance of removing residues of the mesh belt 72 is further improved.

[0073] The recovery unit 77 recovers the residues of the web W removed from the mesh belt 72 by the striking bar 174. The recovery unit 77 has a hopper shape with a narrowed bottom. After the residues of the web W are recovered inside the recovery unit 77, they are collected at the lower end of the recovery unit 77. With the recovery unit 77, it is possible to recover the residues of the material of the web W detached from the mesh belt 72 without scattering them.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 4, the arm portion 175 and the gear 176 are arranged outside the recovery unit 77. Specifically, the arm portion 175 and the gear 176 are positioned in the +Y direction relative to the bottom surface in the +Y direction of the substantially triangular prism-shaped recovery unit 77. The arm portion 175 and the gear 176 are part of a mechanism that repeatedly moves the striking bar 174.

[0075] The arm portion 175 and the gear 176 are in contact with each other. In a plan view from the +Y direction, the arm portion 175 is substantially rectangular, and the gear 176 is substantially star-shaped polygonal. Specifically, the gear 176 has six convex portions protruding radially and six concave portions recessed with respect to the convex portions. The convex portions and the concave portions of the gear 176 are arranged alternately.

[0076] At one end of the arm portion 175, it is in contact with the gear 176, and at the other end, it is supported by the +Y direction end of the shaft portion 171. That is, the arm portion 175 is rotatable about the shaft portion 171 as a rotation axis in the same manner as the above-described striking lever 172.

[0077] One end of the arm portion 175 repeats its motion in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions by following the shapes of the convex and concave portions of the gear 176 when contacting the gear 176. Specifically, in a plan view from the +Y direction, when the gear 176 rotates counterclockwise, the arm portion 175 that was in contact with the concave portion rides over the convex portion and moves clockwise. At this time, the striking bar 174 moves in a direction away from the mesh belt 72 against the biasing force of the spring member 173.

[0078] Next, when the arm portion 175 gets over the convex portion, due to the biasing force of the spring member 173 described above, the arm portion 175 instantaneously moves counterclockwise corresponding to the recess of the concave portion. At this time, the striking bar 174 strikes the mesh belt 72. Then, the arm portion 175 that was again in contact with the concave portion rides over the convex portion and moves clockwise, and the striking bar 174 moves away from the mesh belt 72.

[0079] In this way, the arm portion 175 repeats its clockwise and counterclockwise motions by alternately contacting the convex and concave portions of the gear 176. The motion of the arm portion 175 is transmitted to the striking bar 174 via the shaft portion 171 and the striking lever 172. As a result, the striking bar 174 performs a repetitive motion of alternately striking and separating from the mesh belt 72.

[0080] The gear 176 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown) that drives the tension roller 74. The period of the strikes by the repetitive motion of the striking bar 174 is appropriately changed by the shapes of the gear 176 and the arm portion 175, the reduction ratio of the gear 176 with respect to the drive motor, and the like.

[0081] When the striking bar 174 strikes the mesh belt 72, the impact of the strike reaches a range on the mesh belt 72 from near the tensioning roller 74b, which is the starting point on the return side, to a region slightly downstream from the striking position of the striking bar 174. The impact of the strike of the striking bar 174 does not reach the mesh belt 72 on the upstream side from the starting point on the return side, and acts on the mesh belt 72 on the return side on the downstream side from the starting point. That is, due to the above impact, the residue of the web W is removed at least between the starting point and the striking position where the striking bar 174 strikes.

[0082] As a result, on the mesh belt 72, the residue of the web W attached to at least the range from the starting point to the striking position of the striking bar 174 is removed by the strike of the striking bar 174. The hopper shape of the recovery unit 77 has a shape corresponding to the region including the above range.

[0083] Here, the striking position refers to the position where the mesh belt 72 and the striking bar 174 come into contact. However, although the striking bar 174 always strikes repeatedly at the same striking position, since the mesh belt 72 rotates, the position where the mesh belt 72 receives the strike moves due to the rotation of the mesh belt 72.

[0084] The striking bar 174 strikes the mesh belt 72 with a first strike, and then strikes the rotated mesh belt 72 with a second strike. In the longitudinal direction of the mesh belt 72, the distance between the position where the first strike is applied and the position where the second strike is applied is shorter than the distance between the starting point on the return side of the mesh belt 72 and the striking position of the striking bar 174.

[0085] That is, in the mesh belt 72, the region located at the above-mentioned starting point during the first impact moves between the above-mentioned starting point and the impact position of the impact bar 174 when the second impact is performed. In other words, in the mesh belt 72, the region that was at the above-mentioned starting point of the mesh belt 72 during the first impact does not advance downstream beyond the impact position of the impact bar 174 during the next second impact. Therefore, the region that was at the above-mentioned starting point during the first impact receives the impact of the second impact in front of the impact position of the impact bar 174.

[0086] Therefore, the impact bar 174 will strike the region of the mesh belt 72 that has received the impact of the strike at least once. As a result, the region where the residue adheres and the impact bar 174 will not come into contact, and the adhesion of the residue to the impact bar 174 is suppressed. Thereby, the removal performance of the residue of the web W is further improved. Note that, while the region that was at the above-mentioned starting point during the first impact is advancing to the impact position of the impact bar 174, the impact by the impact bar 174 may be performed two or more times.

[0087] Assuming the distance of the impact of the impact bar 174 on the mesh belt 72 is L (mm), the conveyance speed of the mesh belt 72 is V (mm / second), and the impact period of the impact bar 174 is F (seconds), the formula L = V × F holds. In the longitudinal direction of the mesh belt 72, assuming the distance between the tensioning roller 74b and the impact position of the impact bar 174 is D (mm), as described above, D > L is satisfied. Note that the interval L is the distance between the position where the first impact is applied and the position where the second impact is applied on the mesh belt 72.

[0088] Also, in the longitudinal direction of the mesh belt 72, assuming the distance of the opening along the mesh belt 72 of the recovery unit 77 is M (mm), M > L is satisfied. Thereby, the residue of the web W detached from the mesh belt 72 can be received by the recovery unit 77.

[0089] The distance of one circumference of the mesh belt 72 does not coincide with an integral multiple of the interval L, which is the distance at which the striking bar 174 strikes the mesh belt 72 by means of reciprocating motion. In other words, the length of one circumference of the mesh belt 72 is not divisible by the interval L.

[0090] As a result, for each revolution of the mesh belt 72, the striking position on the mesh belt 72 is shifted, and different positions are struck. Therefore, the removal of the residue of the web W on the mesh belt 72 is promoted, and the removal performance is further improved.

[0091] According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. The removal performance can be improved with respect to the residue of the web W including the fibers attached to the mesh belt 72. Specifically, the residue attached to the mesh belt 72 is knocked off by the impact of the striking of the striking bar 174. Since it does not push out from the opening with a protruding body such as a brush, it is difficult for materials such as fibers to adhere to the striking bar 174. That is, it is possible to provide a web conveying device 70 and a fibrous body manufacturing device 100 that improve the removal performance of the residue of the web W in the mesh belt 72.

[0092] 2. Second Embodiment The fibrous body manufacturing device of the present embodiment has changed the form and arrangement of the striking part of the web conveying device with respect to the fibrous body manufacturing device 100 of the first embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same constituent parts as those in the first embodiment, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 5, the web conveying device of the present embodiment includes a striking part 270. The striking part 270 has a shaft part 271, a pair of striking levers 272, a striking bar 274, a spring member (not shown), an arm part, and a gear. In FIG. 5, illustration of the mesh belt 72, the tension rollers 74b and 74c, and the above-described configuration other than the striking part 270 is omitted. Further, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the striking bar 274 is at the striking position for striking the mesh belt 72.

[0094] - In a side view from the -Y direction, the striking portion 270 is disposed inside the rectangle on which the mesh belt 72 is stretched. The striking bar 274 strikes the back surface of the conveyance surface on which a web W (not shown) is placed, that is, the inner surface of the above rectangle, on the return side of the mesh belt 72.

[0095] A pair of striking levers 272 are rotatably supported by a shaft portion 271 about the shaft portion 271 as a rotation axis in a side view from the -Y direction. One of the pair of striking levers 272 is supported by the shaft portion 271 at the -Y direction end of the shaft portion 271. The other of the pair of striking levers 272 is supported by the shaft portion 271 near the +Y direction end of the shaft portion 271.

[0096] The striking bar 274 has a columnar shape, and its longitudinal direction is arranged along the Y axis. The longitudinal direction intersects the length direction of the mesh belt 72. The length of the striking bar 274 in the longitudinal direction is substantially equal to the width of the mesh belt 72. Both ends of the striking bar 274 are supported by the striking levers 272 respectively.

[0097] It is preferable that the striking bar 274 and the mesh belt 72 are made of the same material. In this embodiment, polyester is adopted as the material of the striking bar 274 and the mesh belt 72.

[0098] The shaft portion 271 is urged by a spring member to rotate clockwise in a side view from the -Y direction. With respect to the shaft portion 271, the regulation and release of the urging of the spring member are repeated by an arm portion and a gear. Therefore, the shaft portion 271 repeats clockwise and counterclockwise movements in a side view from the -Y direction. Thereby, the striking bar 274 strikes the mesh belt 72 by a reciprocating motion.

[0099] According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. Since the striking portion 270 is disposed on the back surface side of the mesh belt 72 in a side view from the -Y direction, the web conveyance device can be easily miniaturized. Also, since it is difficult for the striking portion 270 to interfere with the mesh belt 72, the replacement of the mesh belt 72 can be easily carried out.

Description of Symbols

[0100] 60…Deposition section, 70…Web conveyor device (web conveyance section), 72…Mesh belt, 77…Recovery section, 80…Forming section, 100…Fiber body manufacturing device, 170, 270…Striking section, 172, 272…Striking lever, 174, 274…Striking rod, W…Web.

Claims

1. A mesh belt that conveys and rotates a web formed by dry-depositing a material containing fibers 、 A striking bar that strikes the return side of the mesh belt to remove the material adhering to the mesh belt And a striking bar Support the striking bar so that the longitudinal direction of the striking bar is along the width direction of the mesh belt A striking lever that reciprocally rotates around a rotation axis along the width direction so that the striking bar strikes the mesh belt by repeated movement Comprising: The striking bar performs a first strike on the mesh belt, and subsequently performs a second strike on the rotated mesh belt And performs a second strike In the length direction of the mesh belt, the distance between the position where the first strike is applied and the position where the second strike is applied Is shorter than the distance between the starting point of the return side of the mesh belt and the striking position of the striking bar. A web conveying device

2. The web conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the striking bar and the mesh belt are made of the same material

3. The web conveying device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the striking bar strikes the mesh belt by an elastic force

4. The web conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a recovery unit that collects the material detached from the mesh belt

5. The web conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the striking bar strikes the conveying surface of the mesh belt on which the material is placed

6. The web conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the striking bar strikes the back surface of the conveying surface of the mesh belt on which the material is placed

7. The web conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the distance of one circumference of the mesh belt does not coincide with an integer multiple of the distance of the interval at which the striking bar strikes by the repeated movement

8. A deposition unit for dry-depositing a material containing fibers A web conveying unit having a mesh belt on which the material is deposited and conveying the web formed by depositing the material by the mesh belt And a forming unit that presses the web transferred from the mesh belt The web conveying unit includes: A striking bar that strikes the return side of the mesh belt to remove the material adhering to the mesh belt And a striking bar ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Support the striking bar so that the longitudinal direction of the striking bar is along the width direction of the mesh belt , and a striking lever that reciprocally rotates around a rotating shaft along the width direction so that the striking bar strikes the mesh belt by a reciprocating motion . The striking bar performs a first strike on the mesh belt, and then performs a second strike on the rotated mesh belt . In the length direction of the mesh belt, the distance between the position where the first strike is applied and the position where the second strike is applied is shorter than the distance between the starting point on the return side of the mesh belt and the striking position of the striking bar. A fibrous body manufacturing apparatus .

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