Sheet manufacturing apparatus and sheet manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315941-B2
Application number	US-201414571685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Jan 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A sheet manufacturing apparatus is provided with a defibrating unit configured to defibrate a defibration object in the atmosphere, a mixing unit configured to mix additive agents including resin into a defibrated material, a moisture-adjusting unit configured to adjust moisture in a mixture of the defibrated material and the additive agents, and a heating unit configured to heat the moisture-adjusted mixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a defibrating unit configured to defibrate a defibration object in the atmosphere;
a mixing unit configured to mix, in the atmosphere, additive agents including resin into a defibrated material that has been defibrated by the defibrating unit;
a moisture-adjusting unit configured to adjust moisture in a mixture of the defibrated material and the additive agents, which has come out from the mixing unit; and
a heating unit configured to heat the mixture that has been moisture-adjusted by the moisture-adjusting unit.

2. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a deposition unit configured to deposit the mixture that has been mixed by the mixing unit,
the moisture-adjusting unit being configured to adjust the moisture of the mixture deposited by the deposition unit.

3. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the moisture-adjusting unit is configured to add moisture to the mixture such that a moisture content is 5 parts by weight to 12 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the mixture before moisture adjustment.

4. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the moisture-adjusting unit is configured to add moisture to the mixture such that a moisture content after moisture adjustment of the mixture is greater than a moisture content included in the defibration object.

5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the moisture-adjusting unit is configured to vary content of moisture to be added to the mixture in accordance with at least one of conditions of moisture content of the defibration object, humidity of the environment, and temperature.

6. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a deposition unit including a belt and configured to deposit, on the belt, the mixture that has come out from the mixing unit,
the moisture-adjusting unit being configured to add moisture to the mixture deposited on the belt.

7. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressing unit configured to press the mixture that has been moisture-adjusted before the mixture that has been moisture-adjusted is heated.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Gomi Katsuhito
• Nakamura Masahide
• Yamamoto Yuki

Classifications

• D21F3/04 Primary

  Arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B29K2201/00

  Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as reinforcement · CPC title

• D21F9/00 Primary

  Complete machines for making continuous webs of paper · CPC title

• B29K2001/00

  Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as moulding material · CPC title

• D21H17/20

  Macromolecular organic compounds · CPC title