Sheet manufacturing apparatus and sheet manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9498896-B2
Application number	US-201514624977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2015
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a supply unit configured to supply material including fibers, a defibrating unit configured to defibrate the material in the air, a classifying unit configured to classify defibrated material, which has been defibrated at the defibrating unit, by airflow into fiber material and waste material, a forming unit configured to form a sheet by using the fiber material, and a discharge blower configured to discharge the waste material by airflow from the classifying unit such that the waste material does not move toward a side of the forming unit. When manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus stops, the supply unit, the defibrating unit, and the discharge blower are configured to stop in a sequence of the supply unit, the defibrating unit, and the discharge blower.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
a supply unit configured to supply material containing fibers;
a defibrating unit disposed downstream relative to the supply unit in a direction in which the material is transferred, and configured to dry-defibrate the material supplied from the supply unit;
a classifying unit disposed downstream relative to the defibrating unit in a direction in which defibrated material, which has been dry-defibrated at the defibrating unit, is transferred, the classifying unit being configured to classify the defibrated material by airflow into fiber material and waste material;
a screening unit disposed downstream relative to the classifying unit in a transfer direction in which the fiber material is transferred, and configured to screen the fiber material;
a transfer path disposed downstream relative to the screening unit in the transfer direction, the transfer path including a supply port that is disposed on the transfer path and is configured to supply resin to an inside of the transfer path;
a refining unit disposed downstream relative to the transfer path in the transfer direction, the refining unit being configured to refine the fiber material and the resin;
a transfer blower attached to the transfer path, the transfer blower being disposed downstream relative to the supply port and upstream relative to the refining unit in the transfer direction, the transfer blower including a motor to drive the transfer blower and being configured to transfer the fiber material and the resin by airflow through the transfer path;
a forming unit disposed downstream relative to the refining unit in the transfer direction and configured to form a sheet by using the fiber material and the resin, which has been transferred by the transfer blower;
a discharge blower configured to discharge the waste material, which has been classified at the classifying unit, by airflow from the classifying unit such that the waste material does not move toward a side of the forming unit; and
a controller configured to control driving of the supply unit, the defibrating unit, the classifying unit, the motor of the transfer blower, the forming unit, and the discharge blower,
when manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus stops, the controller being configured to control the motor of the transfer blower to stop before controlling the discharge blower to stop.

2. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus stops, the controller is configured to control the defibrating unit to stop after controlling the defibrating unit to drive for only a time to allow a residue inside of the defibrating unit to be discharged.

3. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a post-defibration blower configured to transfer the defibrated material, which has been defibrated at the defibrating unit, by airflow to the classifying unit,
the controller is further configured to control driving of the post-defibration blower, and
when the manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus stops, the controller is configured to control the supply unit, the defibrating unit, the post-defibration blower, the transfer blower, and the discharge blower to stop in a sequence of the supply unit, the defibrating unit, the post-defibration blower, the transfer blower, and the discharge blower.

4. A sheet manufacturing method, comprising:
supplying material containing fibers by a supply unit;
dry-defibrating the material by a defibrating unit;
classifying by airflow defibrated material, which has been dry-defibrated, into fiber material and waste material by a classifying unit;
screening the fiber material by a screening unit;
transferring by airflow the fiber material through a transfer path by a transfer blower, the transfer path being disposed downstream relative to the screening unit in a transfer direction in which the fiber material is transferred, the transfer blower being attached to the transfer path, being disposed downstream relative to the screening unit in the transfer direction, and including a motor to drive the transfer blower;
supplying resin to an inside of the transfer path through a supply port that is disposed on the transfer path and upstream relative to the transfer blower in the transfer direction;
refining the fiber material and the resin by a refining unit which is disposed downstream relative to the transfer path and the transfer blower in the transfer direction;
forming a sheet using the fiber material by a forming unit disposed downstream relative to the refining unit in the transfer direction;
discharging by airflow the waste material by a discharge blower such that the waste material does not move toward a side of the forming unit; and
controlling the transfer blower to stop before controlling the discharge blower to stop, when manufacturing of the sheet stops.

5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to control the supply unit and the defibrating unit to stop before controlling the discharge blower to stop, when the manufacturing of the sheet stops.

6. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to control the transfer blower to stop before controlling the defibrating unit to stop, when the manufacturing of the sheet stops.

7. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the post-defibration blower includes a motor to drive the post-defibration blower.

8. The sheet manufacturing method according to claim 4 , wherein
the controlling includes further controlling the supply unit and the defibrating unit to stop before controlling the discharge blower to stop, when the manufacturing of the sheet stops.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Oguchi Yuki

Classifications

• D21F9/00 Primary

  Complete machines for making continuous webs of paper · CPC title

• B27N3/04 Primary

  from fibres · CPC title

• D21G9/0009

  Paper-making control systems · CPC title

• D21D5/24

  in cyclones · CPC title

• B27N3/12

  from fibres · CPC title