Separation device and separation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427327-B2
Application number	US-201514745847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A separation device includes a first shredding unit, a first separation unit, a second shredding unit, and a second separation unit. The first shredding unit shreds a processing target containing a first material and a second material. The first separation unit rotates a first tubular portion in a state in which the processing target shredded by the first shredding unit is accommodated therein, thereby separating the second material passing through first holes from the processing target. The second shredding unit shreds the processing target from which the second material passing through the first holes is separated by the first separation unit. The second separation unit rotates a second tubular portion in a state in which the processing target shredded by the second shredding unit is accommodated therein, thereby separating the second material passing through second holes from the processing target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A separation device comprising:
a first shredding unit that shreds a processing target containing a first material and a second material adhering to the first material;
a first separation unit that has a substantially cylindrical first tubular portion in which a large number of first holes that allow the second material contained in the processing target shredded by the first shredding unit to pass through without allowing the first material to pass through are formed, and that separates the second material passing through the first holes from the processing target by rotating the first tubular portion in a state in which the processing target shredded by the first shredding unit is accommodated in the first tubular portion;
a second shredding unit that shreds the processing target from which the second material passing through the first holes is separated by the first separation unit; and
a second separation unit that has a second tubular portion in which a large number of second holes that allow the second material contained in the processing target shredded by the second shredding unit to pass through without allowing the first material to pass through are formed, and that separates the second material passing through the second holes from the processing target by rotating the second tubular portion in a state in which the processing target shredded by the second shredding unit is accommodated in the second tubular portion,
wherein an inside of the first tubular portion is provided with a substantially cylindrical first rotating rod that has a central axis coinciding with a central axis of the first tubular portion and is rotatable about the central axis of the first rotating rod, and a first screw member that is helically provided around the first rotating rod and has a plurality of teeth formed in the first screw member,
an end portion of each of the teeth is constituted by a first side and a second side, the first side extending in a radial direction of the first tubular portion and the first rotating rod, the second side connecting an outer end of the first side to an inner end of the first side of a next tooth, and
the first rotating rod and the first screw member rotate such that the second side is located on a forward side with respect to a rotation direction of the first rotating rod and the first screw member and the first side is located

on a rearward side with respect to the rotation direction in each of the teeth.

2. The separation device according to claim 1 , comprising a first ridge that is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the first tubular portion and that extends in a direction in which a central axis of the first tubular portion extends.

3. The separation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein an area of each of the second holes in a plan view is smaller than an area of each of the first holes in a plan view.

4. The separation device according to claim 1 , comprising a first air pipe for transferring the processing target shredded by the second shredding unit to the second separation unit with air pressure,
wherein the first air pipe has a first portion that extends in a first direction and a second portion that is connected to the first portion on a downstream side of the first portion and that extends in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

5. The separation device according to claim 4 , comprising a first uneven surface that is present in a connecting portion between the first portion and the second portion of the first air pipe and with which the processing target transferred through the first portion collides.

6. The separation device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a third shredding unit that shreds the processing target from which the second material passing through the second holes is separated by the second separation unit; and
a third separation unit that has a third tubular portion in which a large number of third holes that allow the second material contained in the processing target shredded by the third shredding unit to pass through without allowing the first material to pass through are formed, and that separates the second material passing through the third holes from the processing target by rotating the third tubular portion in a state in which the processing target shredded by the third shredding unit is accommodated in the third tubular portion.

7. The separation device according to claim 6 ,
wherein an area of each of the third holes in a plan view is smaller than an area of each of the second holes in a plan view.

8. The separation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first material is a plastic, and
the second material is a water-absorbent polymer.

9. The separation device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a weight ratio of the water-absorbent polymer adhering to the plastic immediately after processing by the separation device with respect to the plastic is 5% or less.

10. The separation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing target is a disposable diaper.

11. A separation method comprising:
a first shredding step of shredding a processing target containing a first material and a second material adhering to the first material;
a first separating step of rotating a substantially cylindrical first tubular portion in which a large number of first holes that allow the second material contained in the processing target shredded in the first shredding step to pass through without allowing the first material to pass through are formed, the first tubular portion being rotated in a state in which the processing target shredded in the first shredding step is accommodated in the first tubular portion, thereby separating the second material passing through the first holes from the processing target;
a second shredding step of shredding the processing target from which the second material passing through the first holes is separated in the first separating step; and
a second separating step of rotating a second tubular portion in which a large number of second holes that allow the second material contained in the processing target shredded in the second shredding step to pass through without allowing the first material to pass through are formed, the second tubular portion being rotated in a state in which the processing target shredded in the second shredding step is accommodated in the second tubular portion, thereby separating the second material passing through the second holes from the processing target,
wherein an inside of the first tubular portion is provided with a substantially cylindrical first rotating rod that has a central axis coinciding with a central axis of the first tubular portion and is rotatable about the central axis of the first rotating rod, and a first screw member that is helically provided around the first rotating rod and has a plurality of teeth formed in the first screw member,

an end portion of each of the teeth is constituted by a first side and a second side, the first side extending in a radial direction of the first tubular portion and the first rotating rod, the second side connecting an outer end of the first side to an inner end of the first side of a next tooth, and
the first rotating rod and the first screw member rotate such that the second side is located on a forward side with respect to a rotation direction of the first rotating rod and the first screw member and the first side is located
on a rearward side with respect to the rotation direction in each of the teeth.

12. The separation method according to claim 11 , comprising:
a third shredding step of shred

Assignees

• Daiki Kk

Inventors

• Ito Hiroshi
• Hatanaka Shinobu
• Yoshinaga Junji
• Ando Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B29B2017/0468

  Crushing, i.e. disintegrating into small particles · CPC title

• B02C2023/165

  Screen denying egress of oversize material · CPC title

• B29B17/04

  Disintegrating plastics, {e.g. by milling}(B29B9/02, B29B11/02, B29B13/10, {B29B17/02} take precedence) · CPC title

• B29B2017/0224

  Screens, sieves · CPC title

• B02C21/00

  Disintegrating plant with or without drying of the material (for grain B02C9/04) · CPC title