Sheet manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a sheet production device capable of producing high-quality sheets.SOLUTION: A sheet production device for producing sheet-like recycled paper using cracked pieces obtained by coarsely cracking sheets containing fibers, as a raw material, comprises: a container loading part which can load a container storing cracked pieces and having an information holding unit holding information on characteristics of the stored cracked pieces; a reading unit for reading the information held by the information holding unit; a determination unit for determining whether or not the cracked pieces in the container are suitable for a raw material of sheets produced by the sheet production device on the basis of the information read by the reading unit; and a switching unit for switching between a first state in which the container can be loaded into the container loading part and a second state of inhibiting loading of the container into the container loading part according to a determination result from the determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet manufacturing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a dry sheet manufacturing apparatus that crushes waste paper such as used copy paper into strips to obtain crushed pieces, defibers the crushed pieces, deposits the defibered material on a plane, and heats and presses the deposit to obtain a sheet-like recycled paper. Such a sheet manufacturing apparatus contributes to reducing the load on the global environment and is preferable.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet manufacturing apparatus including a crushing unit that crushes waste paper, a storage unit that stores the crushed pieces obtained by the crushing unit, a defibering unit that defibers the crushed pieces stored in the storage unit, a deposition unit that deposits the defibered material obtained by the defibering unit on a plane, a heating and pressing unit that heats and presses the deposited web, a cutting unit that cuts the sheet obtained by the heating and pressing unit into a predetermined shape, and a sheet recovery unit that recovers the obtained sheet.

[0004] Also, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus having the above-described configuration described in Patent Document 1, a sheet manufacturing apparatus having no crushing unit is also known. In this case, the supply of crushed pieces to the sheet manufacturing apparatus is performed by a method of transporting the crushed pieces serving as raw materials for sheet manufacturing from another place and filling them into the storage unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the method of transporting the coarse fragments described above and filling them into a storage unit has a problem in that if the characteristics of the coarse fragments to be filled into the storage unit, such as shape, size, thickness, basis weight, and paper quality, are unsuitable, the quality of the manufactured sheets may be inferior. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is a sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheet-shaped recycled paper using coarse fragments obtained by coarsely crushing a sheet containing fibers as a raw material, and is characterized by comprising: a container loading unit that can load a container having an information carrying unit that stores the coarse fragments and carries information regarding the characteristics of the stored coarse fragments; a reading unit that reads the information carried by the information carrying unit; a determination unit that determines whether or not the coarse fragments in the container are suitable as a raw material for sheet manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus based on the information read by the reading unit; and a switching unit that switches between a first state that allows loading the container into the container loading unit and a second state that prevents loading the container into the container loading unit, depending on the determination result of the determination unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the storage section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a front view of the display unit of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the storage section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the storage section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a front view of the display section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1.

[0011] In the following, the upper side of Figures 1, 3, and 4 may be referred to as "up" or "above," and the lower side as "down" or "below." Also, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram, and the positional relationships, orientations, sizes, etc., of the parts of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 are not limited to those shown. Furthermore, in each figure, the direction in which the coarse fragments M2, defibrated material M3, first sorted material M4-1, second sorted material M4-2, first web M5, subdivided material M6, mixture M7, second web M8, and recycled paper S are conveyed, i.e., the direction indicated by the arrow, is also called the conveying direction. In Figure 3, the tip of the arrow is also called the "downstream side" in the conveying direction, and the base of the arrow is also called the "upstream side" in the conveying direction.

[0012] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is a sheet manufacturing apparatus that produces sheet-shaped recycled paper S using coarse paper fragments M2, such as used copy paper, as raw material. The coarse paper fragments M2 are supplied to the storage section 12 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, and the supplied coarse paper fragments M2 are subjected to processing as described later to regenerate them into recycled paper S.

[0013] The supply of the coarse crushed pieces M2 to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is carried out as follows: With the coarse crushed pieces M2 placed in a container 50, the container 50 is transported to the storage section 12 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 and 4 and loaded.

[0014] The container 50 may be any container as long as it can store the crushed pieces M2, and it may be either soft or hard in form. In this embodiment, a hard container, such as a bottle, will be described as an example. In this case, the constituent material of the container 50 is not particularly limited, and examples include plastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, and polycarbonate, various glass materials, paper materials such as cardboard and thick paper, wood, various rubber materials, various ceramics, and various metal materials. When the constituent material of the container 50 is made of a material having light transmissibility, such as transparent or translucent, the visibility of the crushed pieces M2 stored inside can be obtained, which is preferable.

[0015] Note that the container 50 is not limited to a hard one, and may be a soft, i.e., flexible and deformable bag-like one. <{

[0016] Also, although not shown, the container 50 may have a container body and a lid for closing the upper opening of the container body. In this case, the container body and the lid are made of the same material as the constituent material of the container 50 described above. Further, it is preferable that the container body is made of a material having light transmissibility.

[0017] The crushed pieces M2 are obtained by crushing a sheet containing fibers (hereinafter also referred to as "raw material sheet") with, for example, a crushing device. A typical example of the crushed pieces M2 is shredded pieces in the shape of strips cut by a shredder.

[0018] Examples of the raw material sheet of the crushed pieces M2 include sheet-like materials made of fiber-containing substances containing cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers may be any fibers having cellulose as the main component in the form of a compound, and may contain hemicellulose and lignin in addition to cellulose.

[0019] [[ID=;19]] In addition, examples of the raw material sheet for the shredded pieces M2 include used or unused paper, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, etc. Examples of paper include high-quality paper, recycled paper obtained by defibrating waste paper and then manufacturing it, white cardboard, kraft paper, mat paper, Kent paper, special paper, rice straw half paper, newsprint, cardboard, Yupo paper (registered trademark).

[0020] The paper type, paper quality, etc. of the sheet raw material of the shredded pieces M2 as described above affect the quality of the recycled paper S produced by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0021] The shape, size, thickness, and basis weight of the shredded pieces M2 are preferably suitable for the defibrating process in the defibrating section 13 described later. Examples of the shape of the shredded pieces M2 include small pieces with a square planar shape, rectangular, especially strip-shaped small pieces. Also, the size of the shredded pieces M2 is preferably, for example, small pieces with an average side length of 100 mm or less, and more preferably small pieces with a size of 3 mm or more and 70 mm or less. The shape of the small pieces may be other than square or rectangular. Also, the thickness is preferably 0.07 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less. The basis weight is 64 g / m 2 to 90 g / m 2 below is preferable.

[0022] The shredded pieces M2 are defibrated in the defibrating section 13 to become defibrated materials M3. However, the shape and size of the shredded pieces M2 described above affect the properties, characteristics, uniformity, degree of defibration, etc. of the defibrated materials M3 obtained in the defibrating section 13, and as a result, affect the quality of the produced recycled paper S.

[0023] Although not shown in the figure, in a shredding device such as a shredder, the raw material sheet is shredded to obtain shredded pieces M2, and the obtained shredded pieces M2 are accumulated in a container 50 loaded in the accumulating section of the shredding device. The shredded pieces M2 accumulated in the container 50 are collected for each container 50, transported and loaded into the storage section 12 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, and used for the production of the recycled paper S. In this case, the container 50 can be loaded into either the accumulating section of the shredding device or the storage section 12 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. That is, the container 50 is used as being compatible between the shredding device and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0024] Furthermore, the supply of coarse fragments M2 to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is not limited to the method described above. For example, a supplier could collect the coarse fragments M2 and fill them into a container 50. The user of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 could obtain the container 50 filled with coarse fragments M2 for a fee or free of charge and load it into the storage section 12 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0025] The container 50 is equipped with an information-carrying section 5 that carries information as described later. The information-carrying section 5 may be attached to the outer surface of the container 50, or it may be connected to the container 50 via a flexible connecting member such as a string or tape. Furthermore, if the container 50 has a container body and a lid that closes the upper opening of the container body, the information-carrying section 5 may be attached to the lid. In addition, the information-carrying section 5 may be fixedly installed on the container 50 or it may be detachably installed.

[0026] The main information carried by the information-carrying unit 5 is information regarding the characteristics of the coarse fragments M2 stored in the container 50. Hereinafter, the information regarding the characteristics of the coarse fragments M2 will simply be referred to as "characteristic information".

[0027] The characteristic information includes the shape, size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, paper quality, whiteness, fiber bulk density, average fiber length, and moisture content of the coarse crushed fragments M2 stored in the container 50. At least one of these characteristic pieces of information is carried on the information carrying unit 5. This is because this characteristic information often affects the quality of the recycled paper S that is produced.

[0028] In particular, it is preferable that the information-carrying section 5 carries at least one characteristic information from among the shape, size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, and paper quality of the coarse crushed pieces M2 stored in the container 50, more preferably multiple characteristic information for size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, and paper quality, and even more preferably all characteristic information. This is because this characteristic information has a relatively large influence on the quality of the recycled paper S produced.

[0029] The shape, size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, and paper quality of the coarse fragments M2 are as described above. The raw material sheets for the coarse fragments M2 are often used copy paper, but if there is a large amount of toner remaining, the whiteness of the coarse fragments M2 will decrease, and the quality of the recycled paper S produced, i.e., the whiteness, will also decrease.

[0030] The bulk density of the fibers is mainly that of cellulose fibers. Specifically, it is 0.8 g / m². 3 More than 0.9g / m 3 The following is preferable:

[0031] The average fiber length of the fibers is preferably 0.5 μm or more and 40 μm or less, and more preferably 1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.

[0032] The moisture content is preferably between 5% and 15%. The bulk density, average fiber length, and moisture content of the fibers mentioned above affect the degree of defibration, and therefore affect the quality of the recycled paper S produced.

[0033] As described above, the information carried by the information carrying unit 5 is information regarding the characteristics of the coarse crushed fragments M2, i.e., characteristic information. This characteristic information is at least one of the following: shape, size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, paper quality, whiteness, fiber bulk density, average fiber length, and moisture content of the coarse crushed fragments M2. This characteristic information often affects the quality of the recycled paper S produced. Therefore, by judging the suitability of the coarse crushed fragments M2 in the container 50 as raw material for sheet production based on this characteristic information, and by deciding whether or not to load the container 50 into the container loading unit 121 according to this judgment result, the quality of the recycled paper S produced can be further improved.

[0034] The information-carrying unit 5 may be rewritable or non-rewritable. The configuration of the information-carrying unit 5 is not particularly limited, but examples include two-dimensional codes, three-dimensional codes, and other identifiers. An example of a two-dimensional code is a barcode, and an example of a three-dimensional code is a QR code (registered trademark). When filling the container 50 with crushed pieces M2, a pattern corresponding to the characteristic information of the crushed pieces M2 is issued by label printing or the like, and this can be attached to or connected to the container 50.

[0035] Other components of the information-carrying unit 5 include, for example, IC tags and other IC chips. When the IC tags and other IC chips are filled into the container 50, information is written to them, and they can be attached to or connected to the container 50. Alternatively, IC tags and IC chips with information corresponding to the coarse crushed pieces M2 to be stored in the container 50 can be attached to or connected to the container 50 in advance.

[0036] Furthermore, the information carrying unit 5 may be composed of a recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or a magneto-optical recording medium, and these may be rewritable or non-rewritable. The relationship between the timing of installation of the information carrying unit 5 into the container 50 and the timing of writing the information is the same as for the other forms of the information carrying unit 5 described above.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, a reading unit 6 for reading the information carried in the information carrying unit 5 is installed on the front of the housing 10.

[0038] If the information carrying unit 5 is configured as a two-dimensional code or a three-dimensional code, the reading unit 6 is a code reader. If the information carrying unit 5 is configured as an IC tag, the reading unit 6 is an IC reader. Furthermore, if the information carrying unit 5 is configured as a recording medium, the reading unit 6 is a recording medium playback device.

[0039] Furthermore, the reading unit 6 is not limited to being fixedly installed in the housing 10; for example, the reading unit itself may be connected to the housing 10 via a wire containing a communication line. In addition, the reading unit 6 may not be physically connected to the housing 10, and may exchange information with the control device 28 via wireless communication.

[0040] As described above, the information-carrying unit 5 is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional code, and the reading unit 6 is a code reader. This ensures that the information-carrying unit 5 and the reading unit 6 are highly versatile and compatible, and the reading operation is also easy.

[0041] Furthermore, the information-carrying unit 5 is an IC tag, and the reading unit 6 is an IC reader. This gives the information-carrying unit 5 the advantage of being able to rewrite information. For example, it can accommodate cases where different types of coarse crushed pieces M2 are replaced inside the container 50 for reuse, and this has the advantage of allowing the container 50 to be reused.

[0042] Furthermore, the information-carrying unit 5 can carry information other than the characteristic information mentioned above. For example, information regarding the volume or weight of the crushed pieces M2 stored in the container 50 can be written to the information-carrying unit 5.

[0043] Furthermore, the information carrying unit 5 may carry, as additional information, at least one of the ID information of a user authorized to use the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and the ID information of the sheet manufacturing apparatus. In this case, the judgment unit 8 reads the ID information of the user authorized to use the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and the ID information of the sheet manufacturing apparatus carried in the information carrying unit 5 and determines whether they are appropriate or not. That is, prior to determining the suitability of the coarse crushed pieces M2, which will be described later, the judgment unit 8 compares the ID information of the user authorized to use the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and the ID information of the sheet manufacturing apparatus with the ID information of the user of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and the ID information unique to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 stored in the storage unit 282 and determines whether they match. If both the user ID information and the ID information of the sheet manufacturing apparatus match, the next step, namely the determination of the suitability of the coarse crushed pieces M2, is performed; otherwise, the second state, which will be described later, is maintained. The results of such user and sheet manufacturing apparatus suitability determinations can also be displayed on the display unit 29.

[0044] The ID information for the sheet manufacturing equipment includes, for example, the serial number, manufacturing date, model number, and manufacturing location. The user's ID information includes, for example, the company name, corporate name, or individual name.

[0045] As described above, the information carried by the information carrying unit 5 includes, as additional information, at least one of the ID information of the user authorized to use the sheet manufacturing device 1 and the ID information of the sheet manufacturing device 1. This makes it easy to determine the suitability of the user and the sheet manufacturing device 1, prevents incorrect loading of containers 50, and facilitates security management and other management.

[0046] In this way, the information read by the reading unit 6 can be used for various management and control functions in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, and can also be displayed on the display unit 29.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is a device that obtains recycled paper S, which is a sheet-like molded body, by defibrating the supplied coarse fragments M2, mixing a binder P1 with the resulting defibrated material M3, depositing this mixture M7, and molding this deposit, which is a second web M8, in the molding section 20.

[0048] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Figures 2 and 3 includes an input port 11 into which the coarse pieces M2 are fed in along with a container 50, a storage section 12 for storing the fed-in coarse pieces M2, a defibration section 13 for defibrating the coarse pieces M2, a sorting section 14 for sorting the defibrated material M3, a first web forming section 15, a subdivision section 16, a mixing section 17, a dispersion section 18, a second web forming section 19, a molding section 20, a cutting section 21, a stock section 22, a recovery section 27, a display section 29, a remaining amount detector 30, and a control device 28 for controlling the operation of each of the above sections.

[0049] Furthermore, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a humidification unit 231, a humidification unit 232, a humidification unit 233, a humidification unit 234, a humidification unit 235, and a humidification unit 236. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a blower 261, a blower 262, and a blower 263.

[0050] Furthermore, the humidifiers 231 to 236 and the blowers 261 to 263 are electrically connected to the control device 28, and their operation is controlled by the control device 28.

[0051] Furthermore, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the following steps are executed in this order: coarse fragment storage step, defibration step, sorting step, first web formation step, division step, mixing step, discharge step, accumulation step, sheet formation step, and cutting step. The configuration of each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 that performs these steps will be described below.

[0052] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 has a storage section 12 equipped with a container loading section 121, which performs a coarse fragment storage process for storing coarse fragments M2.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 has a housing 10 that houses a storage unit 12, and an inlet 11 for introducing crushed material M2 is provided in the wall of the housing 10. This inlet 11 has an opening in the wall of the housing 10, which is on the front in Figure 1 and on the right side in Figure 4. The inlet 11 is also provided with an opening / closing door 111 that opens and closes the opening of the inlet 11. When the opening / closing door 111 is open, a container 50 containing crushed material M2 can be loaded into the container loading section 121 of the storage unit 12, or an empty container 50 or a container with a small amount remaining can be removed from the container loading section 121 of the storage unit 12.

[0054] The opening / closing door 111 is supported by rails 112 installed at the upper and lower ends of the input slot 11, respectively, so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4. The opening / closing door 111 is driven in the direction of arrow A by the opening / closing drive unit 110 to open and close.

[0055] The opening / closing drive unit 110 constitutes a so-called electric door opening / closing mechanism and includes a motor 113 as a drive source installed on the wall above the input opening 11, and a roller 115 fixed to the rotation shaft 114 of the motor 113. The motor 113 can rotate in both forward and reverse directions by switching the direction of energization. The roller 115 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and the outer surface of the roller 115 is pressed against the upper back surface of the opening / closing door 111.

[0056] When the opening / closing door 111 is closed, that is, covering the opening of the input slot 11, power is supplied to the motor 113, causing the roller 115 to rotate in a predetermined direction, and the opening / closing door 111 moves to the right in Figure 1, opening the input slot 11. In other words, the opening / closing door 111 becomes open. When the opening / closing door 111 is open, power is supplied to the motor 113 in the opposite direction, causing the roller 115 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the opening / closing door 111 moves to the left in Figure 1, closing the opening of the input slot 11. In other words, the opening / closing door 111 becomes closed. In this way, the opening / closing door 111 opens and closes through the operation of the opening / closing drive unit 110.

[0057] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a reading unit 6 that reads the information carried by the information carrying unit 5 attached to the container 50, a determination unit 8 that determines whether the coarse crushed pieces M2 in the container 50 are suitable as raw materials for sheet manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 based on the information read by the reading unit 6, that is, a determination of the suitability of the raw materials, and an opening / closing drive unit 110 which is a switching unit 7 that switches between a first state that allows the loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121 and a second state that prevents the loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121, according to the determination result of the determination unit 8. Here, the first state is the opening / closing door 111 being in the open state, and the second state is the opening / closing door 111 being in the closed state.

[0058] The storage section 12 has a box-shaped, frame-shaped, or plate-shaped container loading section 121 into which a container 50 containing the crushed pieces M2 is loaded. The form of the container loading section 121 is not particularly limited, as long as it can be used to detachably install or hold the container 50. If the container 50 is a self-supporting container, such as a bottle or bucket, the container loading section 121 can be a mounting platform on which the bottom surface of the container 50 can be in contact and the container 50 can be placed. Alternatively, the container loading section 121 may be configured to suspend and hold the container 50.

[0059] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an input port 11 for loading containers 50 into the container loading section 121, and an opening / closing door 111 provided on the input port 11 for opening and closing the input port 11. The switching section 7 has an opening / closing drive unit 110 that switches between a first state in which the opening / closing door 111 is open and a second state in which the opening / closing door 111 is closed. This makes it possible to set the first state and the second state more reliably with a simple configuration.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4, the storage section 12 is provided with a remaining amount detector 30 for detecting the remaining amount of coarse fragments M2 in the storage section 12. The remaining amount detector 30 consists of a level sensor that detects the remaining amount (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "remaining amount") of coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 loaded in the storage section 12, particularly its volume, as the position of the uppermost part of the coarse fragments M2. The remaining amount detector 30 has a plurality of optical sensors 301, four in the illustrated configuration. Each optical sensor 301 is spaced apart from each other along the depth direction, i.e., the vertical direction, of the container 50 installed in the storage section 12.

[0061] The container loading section 121 and the container 50 are made of a substantially transparent material and are light-transmitting. Each optical sensor 301 is a reflective optical sensor and comprises a light-emitting section that emits laser light and a light-receiving section that receives the reflected light from the coarse fragments M2. When the laser light emitted from the light-emitting section of the optical sensor 301 is reflected by the coarse fragments M2 and the reflected light is received, the received light is photoelectrically converted and a signal is output, detecting that the coarse fragments M2 are present at the installation height of the optical sensor 301. The remaining amount detector 30 can detect the height, i.e., the volume, of the coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 by the combination of whether or not the reflected light is received by each optical sensor 301. For example, if no reflected light is received by any of the optical sensors 301, the container 50 is determined to be empty, and if reflected light is received by any of the optical sensors 301, the container 50 is determined to be full of coarse fragments M2. By identifying which of the four optical sensors 301 receives reflected light and which does not, the remaining amount of coarse fragments M2 in the storage section 12 can be detected.

[0062] Furthermore, the optical sensor 301 is not limited to a reflective type; a transmissive optical sensor can also be used. Additionally, a capacitive sensor can be used instead of an optical sensor.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2, the motor 113 constituting the opening / closing drive unit 110 is electrically connected to the control device 28 via a motor driver (not shown), and its rotation, stopping, and direction of rotation are controlled by the control signal output from the control device 28.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, each optical sensor 301 constituting the remaining amount detector 30 is electrically connected to the control device 28, and the signals output from each optical sensor 301 are input to the control device 28. The control device 28 performs predetermined processing on the input signals to obtain information regarding the remaining amount of coarse fragments M2 in the storage unit 12.

[0065] The remaining amount detector 30 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure, and may, for example, be composed of a weight sensor that measures the weight of the coarse crushed pieces M2 in the container 50. In this case as well, the remaining amount of coarse crushed pieces M2 in the storage section 12 can be detected.

[0066] Although not shown in the diagram, the storage section 12 is connected to a quantitative supply unit that quantitatively sends the coarse fragments M2 stored in the storage section 12 to the defibration section 13. The coarse fragments M2 sent out by this quantitative supply unit are transported to the defibration section 13 via the pipe 241.

[0067] As shown in Figure 3, the defibration section 13 is the part that performs the defibration process in which the coarse fragments M2 are defibrated in the air, that is, in a dry manner. Through the defibration process in this defibration section 13, defibrated material M3 can be produced from the coarse fragments M2. Here, "defibration" means separating the coarse fragments M2, which are made up of multiple fibers bound together, into individual fibers. The separated fibers then become the defibrated material M3. The shape of the defibrated material M3 is linear or strip-shaped. The defibrated material M3 may also exist in a state where they are intertwined and form clumps, that is, in a state where they form so-called "clumps".

[0068] In this embodiment, the defibration section 13 is composed of an impeller mill having a high-speed rotating blade and a liner located on the outer circumference of the rotating blade. The coarse fragments M2 that flow into the defibration section 13 are sandwiched between the rotating blade and the liner and defibrated.

[0069] Furthermore, the defibration unit 13 can generate an airflow, i.e., an air current, from the storage unit 12 to the sorting unit 14 by the rotation of the rotating blade. This allows the coarse fragments M2 to be drawn from the pipe 241 into the defibration unit 13. After the defibration process, the defibrated material M3 can be sent to the sorting unit 14 via the pipe 242.

[0070] A blower 261 is installed in the middle of pipe 242. The blower 261 is an airflow generator that generates an airflow directed toward the sorting section 14. This facilitates the delivery of the defibrated material M3 to the sorting section 14.

[0071] The sorting section 14 is the part that performs a sorting process to separate the defibrated material M3 according to the size of the fiber length. In the sorting section 14, the defibrated material M3 is sorted into first sorted material M4-1 and second sorted material M4-2, which has a larger fiber length than the first sorted material M4-1. The first sorted material M4-1 is of a size suitable for the subsequent manufacture of recycled paper S, and its average fiber length is as described above. On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 includes, for example, material that has not been sufficiently defibrated or material in which the defibrated fibers have excessively aggregated.

[0072] The sorting unit 14 includes a drum section 141 and a housing section 142 that houses the drum section 141.

[0073] The drum section 141 is a sieve composed of a cylindrical mesh body that rotates around its central axis. The defibrated material M3 flows into this drum section 141. As the drum section 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.

[0074] The first sorted item, M4-1, falls from the drum section 141. 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 drum section 141 on the opposite side, i.e., the upstream side. After passing through this pipe 243, the second sorted material M4-2 merges with the coarse fragments M2 within the pipe 241 and flows into the defibration section 13 together with the coarse fragments M2. As a result, the second sorted material M4-2 is returned to the defibration section 13 and subjected to defibration processing together with the coarse fragments M2.

[0075] Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 that falls from the drum section 141 disperses into the air as it falls toward the first web forming section 15 located below the drum section 141. The first web forming section 15 is the part that performs the first web forming process, which forms the first web M5 from the first sorted material M4-1. The first web forming section 15 has a mesh belt 151, three tension rollers 152, and a suction section 153.

[0076] The mesh belt 151 is an endless belt on which the first sorted material M4-1 accumulates. This mesh belt 151 is wrapped around three tension rollers 152. The rotational drive of the tension rollers 152 then transports the first sorted material M4-1 on the mesh belt 151 downstream.

[0077] The first sorted material M4-1 is larger than the mesh opening of the mesh belt 151. As a result, the passage of the first sorted material M4-1 through the mesh belt 151 is restricted, and it can therefore accumulate on the mesh belt 151. Furthermore, as the first sorted material M4-1 accumulates on the mesh belt 151 and is transported downstream along with the mesh belt 151, it forms a layered first web M5.

[0078] Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 may contain, for example, dust and dirt. Dust and dirt can be generated, for example, by crushing or defibration. Such dust and dirt will be collected in the recovery unit 27, which will be described later.

[0079] The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that draws air from below the mesh belt 151. This allows dust and dirt that have passed through the mesh belt 151 to be drawn in along with the air.

[0080] Furthermore, the suction unit 153 is connected to the collection unit 27 via the pipe 244. Dust and dirt sucked up by the suction unit 153 are collected in the collection unit 27.

[0081] A pipe 245 is further connected to the recovery unit 27. A blower 262 is installed in the middle of the pipe 245. The operation of this blower 262 generates suction force in the suction unit 153. This promotes the formation of the first web M5 on the mesh belt 151. This first web M5 is formed from dust and dirt that have been removed. The dust and dirt are also passed through the pipe 244 by the operation of the blower 262 and reach the recovery unit 27.

[0082] The housing section 142 is connected to the humidifying section 232. The humidifying section 232 consists of an evaporative humidifier. As a result, humidified air is supplied into the housing section 142. This humidified air can humidify the first sorted material M4-1, and thus it is possible to suppress the first sorted material M4-1 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing section 142 due to electrostatic force.

[0083] A humidification unit 235 is located downstream of the sorting unit 14. The humidification unit 235 consists of an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water. This supplies moisture to the first web M5, thereby adjusting the moisture content of the first web M5. This adjustment suppresses the adhesion of the first web M5 to the mesh belt 151 due to electrostatic force. As a result, the first web M5 is easily detached from the mesh belt 151 at the position where the mesh belt 151 is folded back by the tension roller 152.

[0084] A subdivision section 16 is located downstream of the humidification section 235. The subdivision section 16 is the part that performs the subdivision process of dividing the first web M5 that has been separated from the mesh belt 151. The subdivision section 16 has a rotatably supported propeller 161 and a housing section 162 that houses the propeller 161. The first web M5 can be divided by the rotating propeller 161. The divided first web M5 becomes a subdivision body M6. The subdivision body M6 then descends within the housing section 162.

[0085] The housing section 162 is connected to the humidifying section 233. The humidifying section 233 consists of an evaporative humidifier. As a result, humidified air is supplied into the housing section 162. This humidified air also helps to suppress the adhesion of the fragments M6 to the propeller 161 and the inner wall of the housing section 162 due to electrostatic force.

[0086] A mixing section 17 is located downstream of the subdivision section 16. The mixing section 17 is the part that performs the mixing process of mixing the subdivision material M6 with the additive. This mixing section 17 includes an additive supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

[0087] The pipe 172 connects the housing 162 of the subdivision section 16 and the housing 182 of the dispersion section 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivision material M6 and the additive passes.

[0088] An additive supply unit 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The additive supply unit 171 has a housing unit 170 containing the additive and a screw feeder 174 provided inside the housing unit 170. The rotation of the screw feeder 174 pushes the additive inside the housing unit 170 out and supplies it into the pipe 172. The additive supplied into the pipe 172 is mixed with the fractionated product M6 to form a mixture M7.

[0089] Examples of additives supplied from the additive supply unit 171 include binders that bind fibers together, colorants that color fibers, flocculation inhibitors that suppress fiber aggregation, flame retardants that make fibers less flammable, paper strength enhancers that increase the paper strength of recycled paper S, and defibrations. One or more of these can be used in combination. Below, as an example, the case in which the additive is a binder P1 will be described. By including a binder P1 that binds fibers together, the strength of recycled paper S can be increased.

[0090] Examples of binders P1 include natural product-derived components such as starch, dextrin, glycogen, amylose, hyaluronic acid, kudzu, konjac, potato starch, etherified starch, esterified starch, natural gum glue, fiber-inducing glue, seaweed, and animal protein, as well as polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, and polyacrylamide. One or more of these can be selected and used in combination, but it is preferable that the binder be a natural product-derived component, and more preferably starch. In addition, thermoplastic resins such as various polyolefins, acrylic resins, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, and polyamide, and various thermoplastic elastomers can also be used.

[0091] In addition to the binder P1, the additives supplied from the additive supply unit 171 may also include, for example, a coloring agent for coloring the fibers, an agglomeration inhibitor for suppressing the aggregation of fibers and the binder P1, a flame retardant for making the fibers less flammable, and a paper strength enhancer for increasing the paper strength of the recycled paper S. Alternatively, these may be pre-mixed into the binder P1 and supplied from the additive supply unit 171.

[0092] Furthermore, a blower 173 is installed in the middle of the pipe 172, downstream of the additive supply section 171. The action of the rotating parts such as blades of the blower 173 promotes the mixing of the fractionated material M6 and the binder P1. The blower 173 can also generate an airflow directed toward the dispersion section 18. This airflow can agitate the fractionated material M6 and the binder P1 within the pipe 172. As a result, the mixture M7 is transported to the dispersion section 18 in a state where the fractionated material M6 and the binder P1 are uniformly dispersed. In addition, the fractionated material M6 in the mixture M7 is loosened as it passes through the pipe 172, becoming finer and more fibrous.

[0093] The blower 173 is electrically connected to the control device 28, and its operation is controlled. Furthermore, by adjusting the airflow rate of the blower 173, the amount of air supplied to the drum 181 can be adjusted.

[0094] Although not shown in the diagram, the pipe 172 is branched into two at the end facing the drum 181, and each branched end is connected to an inlet (not shown) formed on the end face of the drum 181.

[0095] The dispersion unit 18 shown in Figure 3 is the part that performs the release process in which intertwined fibers in the mixture M7 are loosened and released. The dispersion unit 18 has a drum 181 for introducing and releasing the mixture M7, which is the defibrated material, and a housing 182 for housing the drum 181.

[0096] The drum 181 is a sieve composed of a cylindrical mesh body that rotates around its central axis. As the drum 181 rotates, fibers and other materials in the mixture M7 that are smaller than the mesh opening can pass through the drum 181. In the process, the mixture M7 is loosened and released along with the air. In other words, the drum 181 functions as a release unit that releases materials containing fibers.

[0097] The drum 181 is connected to a drive source (not shown) and rotates due to the rotational force output from the drive source. The drive source is electrically connected to a control device 28, and its operation is controlled.

[0098] Furthermore, the housing 182 is connected to the humidification unit 234. The humidification unit 234 consists of an evaporative humidifier. This supplies humidified air into the housing 182. This humidified air humidifies the inside of the housing 182, thereby suppressing the adhesion of the mixture M7 to the inner wall of the housing 182 due to electrostatic force.

[0099] Furthermore, the mixture M7 released from the drum 181 disperses into the air and falls toward the second web forming section 19 located below the drum 181. The second web forming section 19 is the part that performs the deposition process to deposit the mixture M7 and form the deposited second web M8. The second web forming section 19 has a mesh belt 191, tension rollers 192, and a suction section 193.

[0100] The mesh belt 191 is a mesh member, and in the illustrated configuration, it is composed of an endless belt. The mixture M7 dispersed and released by the dispersion unit 18 accumulates on the mesh belt 191. This mesh belt 191 is wrapped around four tension rollers 192. The rotational drive of the tension rollers 192 then transports the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 downstream.

[0101] In the illustrated configuration, a mesh belt 191 is used as an example of a mesh member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a flat plate may also be used.

[0102] Furthermore, most of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 is larger than the mesh opening of the mesh belt 191. This restricts the mixture M7 from passing through the mesh belt 191, and thus it can accumulate on the mesh belt 191. In addition, as the mixture M7 accumulates on the mesh belt 191, it is transported downstream along with the mesh belt 191, forming a layered second web M8.

[0103] The suction unit 193 is a suction mechanism that draws air from below the mesh belt 191. This allows the mixture M7 to be drawn onto the mesh belt 191, thereby promoting the accumulation of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191.

[0104] A pipe 246 is connected to the suction unit 193. A blower 263 is installed in the middle of this pipe 246. The operation of this blower 263 generates suction force in the suction unit 193.

[0105] A humidification unit 236 is located downstream of the dispersion unit 18. The humidification unit 236 is composed of an ultrasonic humidifier similar to that of the humidification unit 235. This allows moisture to be supplied to the second web M8, thereby adjusting the moisture content of the second web M8. This adjustment suppresses the adhesion of the second web M8 to the mesh belt 191 due to electrostatic force. As a result, the second web M8 is easily detached from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

[0106] The total amount of moisture added to humidification units 231 to 236 is preferably, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the material before humidification.

[0107] A molding section 20 is located downstream of the second web forming section 19. The molding section 20 is the part that performs the sheet forming process to form recycled paper S from the second web M8. This molding section 20 has a pressurizing section 201 and a heating section 202.

[0108] The pressurizing section 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. When heating is used, it is preferable to heat it to an extent that does not melt the binder P1. The second web M8 is then conveyed toward the heating section 202. One of the pair of calender rollers 203 is a driven roller driven by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0109] The heating section 202 has a pair of heating rollers 204, and can heat and pressurize the second web M8 between the heating rollers 204. Due to this heating and pressurizing, the binder P1 melts within the second web M8, and the fibers bond together via this molten binder P1. This forms recycled paper S. This recycled paper S is then conveyed toward the cutting section 21. One of the pair of heating rollers 204 is a driven roller driven by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0110] A cutting section 21 is located downstream of the molding section 20. The cutting section 21 is the part that performs the cutting process for cutting the recycled paper S. This cutting section 21 has a first cutter 211 and a second cutter 212.

[0111] The first cutter 211 cuts the recycled paper S in a direction intersecting, and especially perpendicular to, the direction in which the recycled paper S is transported.

[0112] The second cutter 212 is located downstream of the first cutter 211 and cuts the recycled paper S in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the recycled paper S. This cutting removes unnecessary portions from both ends in the width direction of the recycled paper S, thereby leveling the width of the recycled paper S.

[0113] By cutting with the first cutter 211 and the second cutter 212 in this manner, recycled paper S of the desired shape and size is obtained. This recycled paper S is then transported further downstream and stored in the stock section 22.

[0114] Each component of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is electrically connected to the control device 28. The operation of each component is controlled by the control device 28.

[0115] The display unit 29 shown in Figure 2 is a display installed at any position on the outside of the housing 10 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. Examples of display types include liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays. The display unit 29 is driven by the control device 28, and the display content is controlled by it.

[0116] As shown in Figure 2, the control device 28 includes a control unit 281, a storage unit 282, and a communication unit 283.

[0117] The control unit 281 has at least one processor and executes various programs stored in the storage unit 282. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used as the processor. The control unit 281 also has various functions, including a function to control the driving of each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 related to sheet manufacturing, a function to control the driving of the display unit 29, a function as a determination unit 8 that determines whether the coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 are suitable as raw materials for sheet manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 based on the information read by the reading unit 6, a function to control the operation of the switching unit 7 according to the determination result of the determination unit 8 and switch between a first state that allows loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121 and a second state that prevents loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121, a function to generate display information related to the determination result of the determination unit 8, a function to generate display information related to the remaining amount based on information related to the remaining amount in the storage unit 12, and a function to send and receive the device ID and user ID described later.

[0118] In other words, the control unit 281 has a determination unit 8 that determines whether or not the coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 are suitable as raw materials for sheet manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, based on the information read by the reading unit 6.

[0119] The determination of the suitability of the coarse fragments M2 by the judgment unit 8 is performed, for example, as follows: The quality standards for the recycled paper S to be produced, such as sheet thickness, strength, smoothness and uniformity of the sheet surface, and whiteness, are predetermined and stored in the memory unit 282. Meanwhile, the memory unit 282 stores the characteristics of the coarse crushed paper M2, such as shape, size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, and paper quality, and the aforementioned quality items that are estimated to be expressed when sheets are manufactured under these characteristics, in the form of a table or as a calibration curve. Based on the characteristic information of the coarse crushed paper M2 read from the information carrying unit 5 and the table or calibration curve, a comprehensive determination is made as to whether the recycled paper S produced using the coarse crushed paper M2 meets the standards. If the standards are met, the suitability of the coarse crushed paper M2 is determined to be "suitable" or "OK," and if the standards are not met, it is determined to be "unsuitable" or "NO." If there are two or more characteristic information items for the coarse crushed fragment M2 read from the information carrying unit 5, for example, if these are the size, paper type, and paper quality of the coarse crushed fragment M2, a comprehensive judgment will be made for each characteristic information item. In addition, a predetermined weight may be assigned to each characteristic information item when making the judgment. A predetermined weight may also be assigned to the quality items being compared. Note that the above judgment of the suitability of the coarse crushed fragment M2 is just one example and is not limited to this.

[0120] The memory unit 282 stores, for example, a program for controlling the operation of the display unit 29, the detection results of the remaining amount detector 30, i.e., data regarding the remaining amount of coarse fragments M2 in the storage unit 12, the maximum capacity of the container 50 loaded into the storage unit 12, a program for processing the information read by the reading unit 6, criteria for each quality item used for the judgment of the judgment unit 8, data regarding each characteristic information, a table or calibration curve, weighting coefficients for the quality items and characteristic information, a program for the judgment of the judgment unit 8, a program for controlling the operation of the switching unit 7, user ID information for the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, and ID information specific to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0121] The communication unit 283 is, for example, composed of an I / O interface and communicates with various parts of the sheet manufacturing apparatus, such as the reading unit 6, the switching unit 7, the remaining amount detector 30, and the display unit 29. The communication unit 283 also has the function of communicating with a computer or server (not shown) via a network, for example.

[0122] The control device 28 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, or it may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. Furthermore, the control unit 281 and the storage unit 282 may, for example, be integrated and configured as a single unit, or the control unit 281 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and the storage unit 282 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer, or the storage unit 282 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and the control unit 281 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer.

[0123] In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the user needs to keep track of the remaining amount of coarse crushed material M2 in the storage section 12 and, if necessary, replenish the storage section 12 with the desired amount of coarse crushed material M2.

[0124] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 has a remaining amount detector 30 that detects the remaining amount of coarse crushed pieces M2 in the storage section 12. The control device 28 generates display information based on the detection result of the remaining amount detector 30, i.e., information regarding the remaining amount, and displays it on the display unit 29. This allows the user to easily understand the remaining amount of coarse crushed pieces M2 in the storage section 12 by looking at the display unit 29.

[0125] As shown in Figure 5, the display unit 29 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 displays information regarding the remaining amount of coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 loaded in the storage unit 12. Specifically, the remaining amount is displayed on the indicator 291 of the display unit 29 as the illumination / exiting of bar indexes. For example, when the remaining amount has reached the maximum capacity, i.e., when it is fully filled, all four bars are illuminated; when the remaining amount is half of the maximum capacity, two of the four bars are illuminated as shown in Figure 5; and when the remaining amount is 0, all four bars are extinguished.

[0126] Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, the indicator 291 may also display numerical information about the remaining amount, such as "0%", "20%", "30%", "50%", "85%", and "100%", representing the percentage of the remaining amount relative to the maximum capacity.

[0127] The indicator 291 visually displays the ratio of the current remaining amount to the maximum capacity of the storage unit 12. This allows the user to grasp the ratio of the current remaining amount to the maximum capacity of the storage unit 12 at a glance. Therefore, the user can easily and accurately determine the remaining amount. As a result, the user can easily determine when to replenish the storage unit 12 with crushed pieces M2.

[0128] Furthermore, below the indicator 291 is a judgment result display unit 292 that shows the suitability / unsuitability judgment result from the judgment unit 8. The judgment result display unit 292 has two display elements; if the judgment result from the judgment unit 8 is suitable, the display element marked "OK" lights up as shown in Figure 5, and if it is unsuitable, the display element marked "NO" lights up. This allows the user to easily and accurately grasp the judgment result from the judgment unit 8 by looking at the display unit 29. As a result, it is easy to determine whether or not the container 50 can be loaded into the storage unit 12.

[0129] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, a switching display unit may be provided instead of the judgment result display unit 292, which displays the result of the switching execution of the switching unit 7, that is, whether the system is currently in the first state or the second state. In this case as well, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the container 50 can be loaded into the storage unit 12. Note that the display unit 29 may be provided with both the judgment result display unit 292 and the switching display unit.

[0130] The display format for the remaining amount of coarse fragments M2, the judgment result of the judgment unit 8, the result of the switching execution of the switching unit 7, etc., is not particularly limited and may include, for example, letters such as the alphabet, symbols, figures, patterns, or displays containing these.

[0131] As described above, by displaying the judgment result in the judgment unit 8 or the result of the switching execution in the switching unit 7 on the display unit 29, the user can more reliably and quickly determine whether the coarse crushed pieces M2 to be replenished in the storage unit 12 are suitable.

[0132] In this embodiment, the user is notified by displaying the determination result of the determination unit 8 or the result of the switching execution of the switching unit 7 on the display unit 29. However, the method of notification is not limited to this, and may also be, for example, by lighting a lamp or by making an audible notification. Therefore, the display unit 29 can be called a notification unit that notifies the user of the determination result, etc.

[0133] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing sheet-shaped recycled paper S using coarse fragments M2 obtained by coarsely crushing a sheet containing fibers as a raw material, and comprises a container loading unit 121 into which a container 50 can be loaded, which contains the coarse fragments M2 and has an information carrying unit 5 that carries characteristic information which is information about the characteristics of the coarse fragments M2 stored therein; a reading unit 6 that reads the information carried by the information carrying unit 5; a determination unit 8 that determines whether or not the coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 are suitable as a raw material for sheet manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 based on the information read by the reading unit 6; and a switching unit 7 that switches between a first state that allows loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121 and a second state that prevents loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121, according to the determination result of the determination unit 8. In this way, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 determines the suitability of the coarse crushed pieces M2 in the container 50 as raw material for sheet manufacturing based on the information regarding the characteristics of the coarse crushed pieces M2 read by the reading unit 6, and decides whether or not to load the container 50 into the container loading unit 121 according to this determination result. As a result, sheet manufacturing under conditions unsuitable for sheet manufacturing, such as conditions under which the quality may fall below the standard, is avoided, and the quality of the recycled paper S produced can be further improved.

[0134] <Second Embodiment> Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the storage section of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 6.

[0135] The second embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7, explaining the differences from the first embodiment, while omitting explanations of the commonalities. In Figures 6 and 7, the upper side will be referred to as "upper" or "above," and the lower side as "lower" or "below."

[0136] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment has an input port 11 into which a container 50 containing coarse crushed pieces M2 is introduced, and a storage section 12 for storing the introduced coarse crushed pieces M2.

[0137] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 has a housing 10 that houses a storage unit 12, and an input port 11 for introducing crushed material M2 is provided in the wall of the housing 10. This input port 11 has an opening in the wall of the housing 10, on the front in Figure 6 and on the right side in Figure 7. The input port 11 is also provided with an opening / closing door 111 that opens and closes the opening of the input port 11. When the opening / closing door 111 is open, a container 50 containing crushed material M2 can be loaded into the container loading section 121 of the storage unit 12, or an empty container 50 or a container with a small amount remaining can be removed from the container loading section 121 of the storage unit 12.

[0138] The opening / closing door 111 is supported by rails 112 installed at the upper and lower ends of the input slot 11, respectively, so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow A in Figure 6, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 7. The opening / closing door 111 is equipped with a handle 65, and the user opens and closes the input slot 11 by grasping the handle 65 and sliding the opening / closing door 111 in the direction of arrow A. This opening / closing door 111 can be locked by a locking mechanism 60.

[0139] The locking section 60 constitutes a so-called locking mechanism and has a solenoid 62 installed on the wall above the input slot 11 as a drive source. This solenoid 62 is supported and fixed to the housing 10 by a support member 61. The solenoid 62 is electrically connected to an energizing circuit including a relay or switch, and the operation of the energizing circuit is controlled by the control unit 281 of the control device 28 described above. The solenoid 62 has a pin 63, and the pin 63 extends and retracts in the direction of the arrow in Figure 7 when the solenoid 62 is energized or de-energized.

[0140] A hole 64 into which a pin 63 can be inserted is formed at the top of the opening / closing door 111. When the opening / closing door 111 is closed, energizing the solenoid 62 causes the pin 63 to extend, and the tip of the pin 63 is inserted into the hole 64. As a result, the opening / closing door 111 enters a locked state, i.e., the second state, restricting its movement to the right in Figure 6 and preventing it from being opened. From this state, when the energizing of the solenoid 62 is stopped, the pin 63 retracts, and the tip of the pin 63 is removed from the hole 64. As a result, the opening / closing door 111 enters an unlocked state, i.e., the first state, where the lock is released, and it becomes possible to move in the direction of arrow A. Therefore, by grasping the handle 65, the opening / closing door 111 can be slid to the right in Figure 6, opening the input slot 11.

[0141] The relationship between energizing / discharging the solenoid 62 and extending / contracting the pin 63 may be reversed from the above. Furthermore, the locking mechanism 60 may be installed below the input slot 11. A known electronic locking mechanism may be used as the locking mechanism 60.

[0142] Similar to Embodiment 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a reading unit 6 that reads the information carried by the information carrying unit 5 attached to the container 50, a determination unit 8 that determines whether the coarse fragments M2 in the container 50 are suitable as raw materials for sheet manufacturing in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 based on the information read by the reading unit 6, and a locking unit 60 which is a switching unit 7 that switches between a first state that allows the loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121 and a second state that prevents the loading of the container 50 into the container loading unit 121, according to the determination result of the determination unit 8.

[0143] Here, the first state is to unlock the opening / closing door 111, and the second state is to lock the opening / closing door 111 from the closed state.

[0144] The configuration and operation of the container 50, information carrying unit 5, reading unit 6, judgment unit 8, storage unit 12, remaining amount detector 30, control device 28, display unit 29, etc., are the same as those described in Embodiment 1.

[0145] As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an input port 11 for loading containers 50 into the container loading section 121, and an opening / closing door 111 provided on the input port 11 for opening and closing the input port 11. The switching section 7 has a locking section 60 that switches between a first state in which the opening / closing door 111 is unlocked and a second state in which the closed opening / closing door 111 is locked. This makes it possible to switch between the first state and the second state more reliably with a simple configuration.

[0146] Although the sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention has been described in detail in the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and each part constituting the sheet manufacturing apparatus can be replaced with any configuration that can perform similar functions. Furthermore, any additional components may be added to the sheet manufacturing apparatus. Moreover, the sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may be a combination of the features of each embodiment.

[0147] Furthermore, although the sheet manufacturing apparatuses in each of the above embodiments manufactured sheets using a dry method, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may also be a sheet manufacturing apparatus that manufactures sheets using a wet method.

[0148] Furthermore, the sheet manufacturing apparatus may also have a coarse crushing section with a configuration similar to that of a coarse crushing device such as a shredder. In this case, the configuration of the coarse crushing section can be, for example, a pair of coarse crushing blades rotating in opposite directions arranged upstream of the storage section 12.

[0149] Furthermore, the sheet manufacturing apparatus may have a container detector that detects whether a container 50 is loaded into the storage unit 12, and the loading / unloading status of the container 50 into the storage unit 12, as detected by the container detector, may be displayed on the display unit 29 or on another display unit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0150] 1...Sheet manufacturing device, 5...Information carrying unit, 6...Reading unit, 7...Switching unit, 8...Decision unit, 10...Housing, 11...Input port, 12...Storage unit, 13...Fibre separation unit, 14...Sorting unit, 15...First web forming unit, 16...Subdivision unit, 17...Mixing unit, 18...Dispersion unit, 19...Second web forming unit, 20...Forming unit, 21...Cutting unit, 22...Stock unit, 27...Collection unit, 28...Control device, 29...Display unit, 30...Remaining amount detector, 50...Container, 60...Locking unit, 61...Support member, 62 ...Solenoid, 63...Pin, 64...Hole, 65...Handle, 110...Opening / Closing Drive Unit, 111...Opening / Closing Door, 112...Rail, 113...Motor, 114...Rotating Shaft, 115...Roller, 121...Container Loading Unit, 141...Drum Unit, 142...Housing Unit, 151...Mesh Belt, 152...Tensioning Roller, 153...Suction Unit, 161...Propeller, 162...Housing Unit, 170...Housing Unit, 171...Additive Supply Unit, 172...Tube, 173...Blower -, 174...Screw feeder, 181...Drum, 182...Housing, 191...Mesh belt, 192...Tension roller, 193...Suction section, 201...Pressurization section, 202...Heating section, 203...Calendar roller, 204...Heating roller, 211...First cutter, 212...Second cutter, 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, 281...control unit, 282...storage unit, 283...communication unit, 291...indicator, 292...judgment result display unit, 301...optical sensor, A...arrow, M2...coarse fragments, M3...fibrated material, M4-1...first sorted material, M4-2...second sorted material, M5...first web, M6...fragmented material, M7...mixture, M8...second web, S...recycled paper, P1...binding agent

Claims

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for producing sheet-shaped recycled paper using coarsely crushed fragments of a fiber-containing sheet as raw material, A container loading unit capable of loading a container in which the coarse fragments are stored and which has an information carrying portion that carries information regarding the characteristics of the stored coarse fragments, A reading unit that reads the information carried by the information carrying unit, A determination unit determines, based on the information read by the reading unit, whether the coarse fragments in the container are suitable as raw materials for sheet manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus, The system includes a switching unit that switches between a first state that allows the container to be loaded into the container loading unit and a second state that prevents the container from being loaded into the container loading unit, depending on the determination result of the determination unit. The sheet manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the information carried by the information carrying unit is at least one of the following: shape, size, thickness, basis weight, paper type, paper quality, whiteness, fiber bulk density, average fiber length, and moisture content of the coarse crushed pieces.

2. The container loading section comprises an input port for loading the container, and an opening / closing door provided at the input port for opening and closing the input port. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit has an opening / closing drive unit that switches between a first state in which the opening / closing door is in an open state and a second state in which the opening / closing door is in a closed state.

3. The container loading section comprises an input port for loading the container, and an opening / closing door provided at the input port for opening and closing the input port. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit has a locking unit that switches between a first state in which the opening and closing door is in an unlocked state and a second state in which the opening and closing door is in a closed state and is in a locked state.

4. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information carried by the information carrying unit includes, as additional information, at least one of the ID information of a user authorized to use the sheet manufacturing apparatus and the ID information of the sheet manufacturing apparatus.

5. The information-carrying part is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional code. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reading unit is a code reader.

6. The information-carrying unit is an IC tag, The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reading unit is an IC reader.

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