Fiber processing device and fibrous feedstock recycling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072888-B2
Application number	US-201816220536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

Technology for efficiently extracting fiber from a feedstock containing fiber. A subunit has a mesh drum configured as a rotatable cylinder with mesh in at least part of its surface, and a case that houses the mesh drum. The case has a first opening and a second opening that communicate with a first area, and a third opening that communicates with a second area. First screened material is supplied from the first opening to the first area. The subunit discharges from the third opening waste, which is a first component of the first screened material moved by an air current from the first area to the second area, and discharges from the second opening by an air current processing feedstock, which is a second component of the first screened material that does not pass through the mesh drum with the air current and remains in the first area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber processing device comprising:
a mesh member configured as a rotatable cylinder having a circumferential surface around a rotation axis of the cylinder and a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface opposed to and separated from each other along the rotation axis, the mesh member having mesh in at least part of the circumferential surface; and
a case housing the mesh member, and having a first opening and a second opening communicating with a first area inside of the mesh member, and a third opening communicating with a second area outside the mesh member, the first opening and the second opening being formed on the first bottom surface;
the fiber processing device supplying separator feedstock containing fiber from the first opening to the first area,
discharging from the third opening a first component of the separator feedstock that past by an air current through the mesh member and moved from the first area to the second area, and
discharging from the second opening a second component of the separator feedstock that did not pass through the mesh member by the air current and remained in the first area.

2. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the mesh member has multiple blades arrayed in the circumferential direction on the circumferential surface.

3. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the mesh member has multiple openings that are longer along the axis of rotation than the circumferential direction.

4. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a cleaner configured to remove from the mesh member the second component accumulated in the first area on an inside surface of the mesh member.

5. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the second opening is disposed vertically lower than the first opening in the state in which the fiber processing device is installed and operates.

6. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the second opening is configured to connect to a vacuum configured to suction the second component.

7. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the first opening is configured to connect to a first air current generator configured to supply an air current from the first area to the second area.

8. The fiber processing device described in claim 6 , wherein:
the third opening is configured to connect to a second air current generator configured to supply an air current from the first area to the second area.

9. The fiber processing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the fiber processing device is configured to switch between a first state in which separator feedstock is supplied with an air current from the first opening to the first area, and the air current moves the first component from the first area to the second area, and discharges the first component from the third opening, and
a second state in which a second component of the separator feedstock that did not pass through the mesh member in the first state and remained in the first area is recovered with an air current to the second opening.

10. A fibrous feedstock recycling device comprising:
a defibrator configured to defibrate feedstock containing fiber;
a processor configured to process defibrated material produced by the defibrator;
a conveyor configured to convey the defibrated material by an air conveyance current from the defibrator to the processor; and
a separator disposed to the conveyor, and including
a mesh member configured as a rotatable cylinder having a circumferential surface around a rotation axis of the cylinder and a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface opposed to and separated from each other along the rotation axis, the mesh member having mesh in at least part of the circumferential surface; and
a case housing the mesh member, and having a first opening and a second opening communicating with a first area inside of the mesh member, and a third opening communicating with a second area outside the mesh member, the first opening and the second opening being formed on the first bottom surface;

the separator supplying separator feedstock containing fiber from the first opening to the first area,
discharging from the third opening a first component of the separator feedstock that past by an air current through the mesh member and moved from the first area to the second area, and
discharging from the second opening a second component of the separator feedstock that did not pass through the mesh member by the air current and remained in the first area.

11. A fibrous feedstock recycling device comprising:
a separator including a mesh member configured as a rotatable cylinder having a circumferential surface around a rotation axis of the cylinder and a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface opposed to and separated from each other along the rotation axis, the mesh member having mesh in at least part of the circumferential surface, and a case housing the mesh member, and having a first opening and a second opening communicating with a first area inside of the mesh member, and a third opening communicating with a second area outside the mesh member, the first opening and the second opening being formed on the first bottom surface;
an air current generator configured to produce an air current inside the case; and
a controller configured to change a state of the air current generator between a first state producing an air current from the first area to the second area, and a second state producing an air current from the second area to the first area.

12. The fibrous feedstock recycling device described in claim 11 , further comprising:
a supplier configured to supply separator feedstock containing fiber to the first area, and a collector configured to recover a second component that did not move from the first area to the second area by an air current flowing from the first area to the second area, connected to the first opening;
a first control valve disposed between the first opening and the supplier, and changing to a state in which the separator feedstock can be supplied from the supplier to the first opening, and a state in which the separator feedstock cannot be supplied; and
a second control valve disposed between the first opening and the collector, and changing to a state in which the second component can be collected by the collector from the second opening, and a state in which the second component cannot be collected;
the controller changing the state of the first control valve and the second control valve appropriately to the change between the first state and second state.

13. The fibrous feedstock recycling device described in claim 11 , further comprising:
a first separator and a second separator;
the controller repeatedly alternating the operating mode between a first mode in which the state of the air current generator to the first separator is the first state, and the state of the air current generator to the second separator is the second state; and
a second mode in which the state of the air current generator to the first separator is the second state, and the state of the air current generator to the second separator is the first state.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Hiroshi

Classifications

• D21D5/06 Primary

  Rotary screen-drums · CPC title

• D21F9/00

  Complete machines for making continuous webs of paper · CPC title

• D21D5/16

  Cylinders and plates for screens · CPC title

• D21D5/026

  with rotating cleaning foils · CPC title

• Y02W30/64

  Paper recycling · CPC title