Sheet manufacturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11174594-B2
Application number	US-201716328357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a defibration unit that defibrates a raw material containing fibers in a gas atmosphere; and a sheet former that forms a sheet by using at least a part of defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process performed by the defibration unit. The defibration unit and the sheet former are thermally blocked from each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a defibration unit that defibrates a raw material containing fibers in a gas atmosphere;
a first web former that accumulates defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process performed by the defibration unit and forms a first web;
a mixer that mixes a resin and defibrated substances accumulated by the first web former in a gas atmosphere; and
a second web former that accumulates the defibrated substances and the resin mixed by the mixer and forms a second web,
wherein the defibration unit and the second web former are thermally blocked from each other.

2. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the defibration unit and the first web former are thermally blocked from each other.

3. A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a defibration unit that defibrates a raw material containing fibers in a gas atmosphere;
a first web former that accumulates defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process performed by the defibration unit and forms a first web;
a mixer that mixes a resin and defibrated substances accumulated by the first web former in a gas atmosphere;
a second web former that accumulates the defibrated substances and the resin mixed by the mixer and forms a second web; and
a first partition plate that is a partition between the defibration unit and the second web former.

4. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a second partition plate that is a partition between the defibration unit and the first web former.

5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a housing that accommodates the defibration unit, the first web former, the mixer, and the second web former; and
the first partition plate that partitions an inside of the housing into a front section and a rear section of the housing,
wherein the second web former is provided in the front section,
wherein the first web former, the mixer, and the defibration unit are provided in the rear section,
wherein the first partition plate is provided with a vent hole for ventilation from the front section to the rear section of the housing, and
wherein the sheet manufacturing apparatus further includes an exhaust unit on the rear section side of the housing.

6. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a suction unit that suctions matter to be removed, which is not used in the second web, from the defibrated substances obtained through the defibrating process performed by the defibration unit; and
a trapping unit that traps the matter to be removed which is suctioned by the suction unit,
wherein the defibration unit, the suction unit, and the trapping unit are installed in the rear section.

7. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an air current pipe through which an air current after the suction unit performs suction and the trapping unit traps the matter to be removed flows;
a straightener that straightens the air current flowing through the air current pipe; and
a detector that measures at least one of a flow speed and a temperature of the air current in the air current pipe.

8. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a vaporization-type humidifying unit that vaporizes water so as to supply humidified air,
wherein the vaporization-type humidifying unit is installed in the rear section.

9. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the second web formed by the second web former so as to form a sheet; and
a cutter that cuts the sheet formed by the pressurizing unit into a preset size,
wherein the pressurizing unit and the cutter are installed in the front section.

10. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a rough crushing unit that roughly crushes the raw material and supplies a crushed material to the defibration unit,
wherein offcuts cut by the cutter are transported to the rough crushing unit.

11. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a housing that accommodates the defibration unit, the first web former, the mixer, and the second web former; and
a second partition plate that partitions the inside of the housing into a front section and a rear section of the housing,
wherein the first web former, the mixer, and the second web former are provided in the front section,
wherein the defibration unit is provided in the rear section,
wherein the second partition plate is provided with a vent hole for ventilation from the front section to the rear section of the housing, and
wherein the sheet manufacturing apparatus further includes an exhaust unit on the rear section side of the housing.

12. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a heating unit that heats a mixture mixed by the mixer,
wherein the heating unit is installed in the front section.

13. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a sorting unit that sorts the defibrated substances obtained through defibration performed by the defibration unit into a first sorted substance and a second sorted substance;
a first sorted substance transport pipe through which the first sorted substance sorted by the sorting unit is transported along with an air current to the mixer; and
a resin supply unit that supplies the resin contained in a resin container to the first sorted substance transport pipe,
wherein the first sorted substance transport pipe and the resin supply unit are installed in the front section.

14. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the sorting unit is installed at a higher position than the defibration unit in a direction of gravitational force, and
wherein the sheet manufacturing apparatus further includes a return pipe through which the second sorted substance sorted by the sorting unit is transported to the defibration unit.

15. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an electrical unit that is installed outside the housing and supplies electric power to a power component included in the defibration unit.

16. A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a defibration unit that defibrates a raw material containing fibers in a gas atmosphere;
a first web former that accumulates defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process performed by the defibration unit and forms a first web;
a mixer that mixes a resin and defibrated substances accumulated by the first web former in a gas atmosphere;
a second web former that accumulates the defibrated substances and the resin mixed by the mixer and forms a second web; and
a first partition plate that is a partition between the defibration unit and the first web former.

17. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a second partition plate that is a partition between the mixer and the second web former.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Gomi Katsuhito

Classifications

• B27N3/04

  from fibres · CPC title

• D21F7/008

  Steam showers · CPC title

• D21B1/063

  using grinding devices · CPC title

• D04H1/732

  by fluid current, e.g. air-lay · CPC title

• D21H17/20

  Macromolecular organic compounds · CPC title