JP7130969B2 - Sheet manufacturing apparatus and sheet manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet manufacturing apparatus and a sheet manufacturing method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus for processing fibers into a sheet is known (see Patent Document 1, for example). The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 manufactures a sheet containing fibers and a functional material, and in the manufactured sheet, one side and the back side of the manufactured sheet contain different proportions of the functional material. It has several different layers.

JP 2015-183321 A

The sheet manufactured by the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 contains fibers and functional materials, and it was possible to vary the ratio of the fibers and functional materials. There was no disclosure of a method to change the
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and an object of the present invention is to realize a change in the type of material inside the sheet when manufacturing the sheet containing fibers.

In order to solve the above problems, the sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a web forming section that forms a web based on a first material containing fibers, and a second material that is superimposed on the web formed by the web forming section. and a sheet forming section for manufacturing a sheet by processing the web on which the second material is placed in the second material placement section.
According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a sheet in which the second material is layered on the first material containing fibers. Therefore, for example, a sheet in which the first material and the second material are layered can be constructed. Therefore, by using different types of the first material and the second material, it is possible to change the type of material inside the sheet.

In the present invention, the first material may be a mixture containing fibers and resin, and the sheet forming section may heat the web to produce the sheet.

Further, in the present invention, the second material placement section may be configured to lay the second material, which is a material other than the fibers and the resin contained in the first material, on the web.

Further, in the present invention, the second material placing portion may place the second material including solids larger than particles of the resin contained in the first material so as to overlap the web.

Further, according to the present invention, the web forming unit includes a dispersing unit that disperses the first material in the air, a depositing unit that deposits the first material dispersed by the dispersing unit to form the web, and the second material placement section may be configured to place the second material on top of the web deposited in the deposition section.

In addition, the present invention provides a third material placement section which is arranged between the second material placement section and the sheet formation section, and which places a third material on the web on which the second material has been placed by the second material placement section. The structure provided with a material placement part may be sufficient.

Further, the present invention may be configured to include a printing section that prints on the sheet manufactured by the sheet forming section.

Further, according to the present invention, the sheet forming unit includes a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the web, and a heating unit that heats the web pressurized by the pressurizing unit in a non-pressurized state. may

Further, the present invention may be configured to include a press working part that partially presses the web to impart an uneven shape to the web.

Further, the sheet manufacturing method of the present invention includes a web forming step of forming a web based on a first material containing fibers, and a second material overlapping the web formed in the web forming step and disposing a second material. and a sheet forming step of processing the web on which the second material has been placed in the second material placing step to produce a sheet.
According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a sheet in which the second material is layered on the first material containing fibers. Therefore, for example, a sheet in which the first material and the second material are layered can be constructed. Therefore, by using different types of the first material and the second material, it is possible to change the type of material inside the sheet.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. The side view of the principal part of a solid feeder. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a sheet manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus; The schematic block diagram of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a processing roller according to the third embodiment; The schematic block diagram of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 4th Embodiment. The schematic block diagram of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 5th Embodiment. The schematic block diagram of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of 6th Embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the processing roller of 7th Embodiment.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below do not limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Moreover, not all the configurations described below are essential constituent elements of the present invention.

[1. First Embodiment]
[1-1. Overall configuration of sheet manufacturing apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG.
The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 performs a recycling process of converting the fiber-containing raw material MA into fibers to recycle it into a new sheet S. FIG. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is capable of manufacturing a plurality of types of sheets S. For example, by mixing additives into the fibrous raw material MA, the bonding strength and whiteness of the sheet S can be adjusted according to the application. , color, fragrance, flame retardancy, etc. can be added. Further, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 can adjust the density, thickness, size, and shape of the sheet S. Typical examples of the sheet S include A4 and A3 standard size printing paper, cleaning sheets such as floor cleaning sheets, oil stain sheets, toilet cleaning sheets, and other sheet products, as well as paper plates. shape and the like.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a supply section 10, a crushing section 12, a defibrating section 20, a screening section 40, a first web forming section 45, a rotating body 49, a mixing section 50, a stacking section 60, a second web forming section 70, A conveying section 79 , a sheet forming section 80 and a cutting section 90 are provided. The coarsely crushing section 12, the defibrating section 20, the sorting section 40, and the first web forming section 45 constitute a fibrillation processing section 101 that obtains the material of the sheet S by pulverizing the raw material MA. Further, the rotating body 49, the mixing section 50, the depositing section 60, the second web forming section 70, the sheet forming section 80, and the cutting section 90 process the material obtained in the fibrillation processing section 101 to manufacture the sheet S. A manufacturing department 102 is constructed. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a control device 110 that controls each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 .

The supply unit 10 is an automatic charging device that accommodates the raw material MA and continuously charges the raw material MA to the crushing unit 12 . For example, the supply unit 10 includes a stocker (not shown) that loads the raw material MA, and a feeder (not shown) that delivers the raw material MA from the stocker. The raw material MA may be any material containing fibers, such as waste paper, waste paper, and pulp sheets.

The coarsely crushing unit 12 is provided with coarsely crushing blades 14 for cutting the raw material MA supplied by the supply unit 10. The raw material MA is cut by the coarsely crushing blades 14 in air into small pieces of several cm square. The shape and size of the strips are arbitrary. A shredder, for example, can be used as the crushing unit 12 . The raw material MA cut by the crushing section 12 is collected by the hopper 9 and transported to the defibrating section 20 through the pipe 2 .

The defibrating section 20 defibrates the coarsely crushed pieces cut by the coarsely crushing section 12 . Defibrillation is a process of unraveling the raw material MA, in which a plurality of fibers are bound together, into one or a small number of fibers. The raw material MA can also be called a material to be defibrated.
By defibrating the raw material MA by the defibrating unit 20, in addition to the effect of unraveling the fibers contained in the raw material MA, substances such as resin particles, ink, toner, and anti-bleeding agents adhering to the raw material MA are removed from the fibers. A separation effect can be expected. The material that has passed through the defibrating unit 20 is defined as the defibrated material MB.

The defibrated material MB contains, in addition to the disentangled fibers, inclusions separated from the fibers when the disentanglement unit 20 disentangles the fibers. The inclusions are particles or powder, and the components of the inclusions are, for example, resin particles contained in the raw material MA, colorants such as ink and toner, and additives such as anti-bleeding agents and paper strength agents. be. The resin grains are resins mixed to bind a plurality of fibers together when manufacturing the raw material MA. The shape of the fibers contained in the defibrated material MB is, for example, string-like or ribbon-like. The fibers contained in the defibrated material MB may exist in an independent state that is not entangled with other fibers, or may exist in a state of being entangled with other fibers to form a lump, forming a so-called "lumb". You may

The defibrating unit 20 performs fibrillation in a dry manner. The dry process means that the treatment is performed not in a liquid but in air such as the atmosphere (in the air). The disentanglement part 20 can be comprised using disentanglement machines, such as an impeller mill, for example. Specifically, the defibrating unit 20 includes a rotating rotor (not shown) and a liner (not shown) positioned on the outer periphery of the rotor (not shown), and the coarse fragments are sandwiched between the rotor and the liner. defibrate with

Coarsely crushed pieces are transported from the coarsely crushing section 12 to the defibrating section 20 by an air current. This airflow may be generated by the defibrating unit 20, or a blower (not shown) may be provided upstream or downstream of the defibrating unit 20 in the conveying direction of the coarsely crushed pieces or the defibrated material MB to generate the airflow. may occur. Further, the defibrated material MB is sent from the defibrating section 20 through the pipe 3 to the sorting section 40 by the air current. The air current for conveying the defibrated material MB to the sorting part 40 may be generated by the defibrating part 20, or may be the air current of the blower described above.

The sorting unit 40 sorts the components contained in the defibrated material MB according to the fiber size. Fiber size refers primarily to fiber length.
The sorting section 40 has a drum section 41 and a housing section 43 that accommodates the drum section 41 . The drum portion 41 is a member that functions as a sieve, and includes, for example, a net, a filter, a screen, or the like that has openings and functions as a sieve. The drum portion 41 has a cylindrical shape that is rotationally driven by a motor, and at least a portion of the peripheral surface is a mesh. The mesh of the drum portion 41 is composed of a wire mesh, an expanded metal obtained by stretching a metal plate with cuts, a punching metal, or the like. The defibrated material MB introduced into the drum portion 41 through the introduction port 42 is separated by the rotation of the drum portion 41 into a passed material that passes through the opening of the drum portion 41 and a residue that does not pass through the opening. The permeate passing through the aperture contains fibers or particles smaller than the aperture and is the first sort. The residue, which includes fibers larger than the openings, unfibrillated pieces and clumps, is referred to as the second sort. The first sorted material descends inside the housing portion 43 toward the first web forming portion 45 . The second sorted material is sent to defibration unit 20 as described above.

Instead of the sorting unit 40, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may include a classifier that separates the first sorted material and the second sorted material. Classifiers are, for example, cyclone classifiers, elbow jet classifiers, eddy classifiers. This classifier may be configured to separate smaller or less dense components from the components contained in the first sorted material. For example, it is possible to employ a configuration in which resin particles, colorants, and additives that have been torn off from the fibers in the disentanglement section 20 are separated from the first sorted material by a classifier and removed. In this case, the first sorted material can be conveyed to the first web forming section 45 and the mixing section 50 in a state in which fine particles such as resin grains, colorants, and additives are removed.

The first web forming section 45 includes a mesh belt 46 , a tension roller 47 and a suction section 48 . The mesh belt 46 is an endless metal belt and is stretched over a plurality of tension rollers 47 . The mesh belt 46 revolves around a track formed by tension rollers 47 . A part of the track of the mesh belt 46 is flat under the drum section 41, and the mesh belt 46 constitutes a flat surface.

A large number of openings are formed in the mesh belt 46 . Of the first sorted material descending from the drum portion 41 positioned above the mesh belt 46 , the component larger than the opening of the mesh belt 46 accumulates on the mesh belt 46 . In addition, a component smaller than the opening of the mesh belt 46 among the first sorted materials passes through the opening. The component passing through the openings of the mesh belt 46 is the third sorted material.

The suction part 48 is connected to the first dust collection part 27 via the pipe 23 . The first dust collector 27 has a filter (not shown) that separates the third sorted matter from the airflow, and a first collection blower 28 is installed downstream of the first dust collector 27 . The first collection blower 28 sucks air from the first dust collection section 27 . By the suction force of the first collection blower 28, the third sorted matter passing through the opening of the mesh belt 46 is sent from the suction unit 48 to the first dust collection unit 27 and collected by the filter of the first dust collection unit 27. be done. The air flow sucked by the suction unit 48 draws the first sorted material descending from the drum unit 41 to the mesh belt 46, which has the effect of promoting deposition.

The component deposited on the mesh belt 46 forms a web and constitutes the first web W1. That is, the first web forming section 45 forms the first web W1 from the first sorted material sorted by the sorting section 40 . The first web W1 mainly contains fibers larger than the openings of the mesh belt 46 among the components contained in the first sorted material, and is formed in a soft and swollen state containing a large amount of air. The first web W1 is conveyed to the rotating body 49 as the mesh belt 46 moves.

The rotating body 49 includes a base portion 49a connected to a driving portion (not shown) such as a motor, and a projection portion 49b projecting from the base portion 49a. rotate around . The protrusion 49b has, for example, a plate-like shape. In the example of FIG. 1, four protrusions 49b are provided at regular intervals on the base 49a.

The rotating body 49 is positioned at the end of the flat portion of the track of the mesh belt 46 . Since the track of the mesh belt 46 is bent downward at this end, the mesh belt 46 bends downward and moves. Therefore, the first web W<b>1 conveyed by the mesh belt 46 protrudes from the mesh belt 46 and comes into contact with the rotating body 49 . The first web W1 is unraveled by the collision of the protrusions 49b against the first web W1, and becomes a mass of small fibers. This lump is conveyed to the mixing section 50 through the tube 7 located below the rotating body 49 . As described above, the first web W<b>1 has a soft structure formed by depositing fibers on the mesh belt 46 , so it is easily split when it collides with the rotating body 49 .
A material obtained by dividing the first web W1 by the rotating body 49 is referred to as a material MC. The material MC is obtained by removing the third selected material from the first selected material described above, and the main component is fiber.

The position of the rotating body 49 is such that the protrusion 49b can come into contact with the first web W1, but is provided at a position where the protrusion 49b does not come into contact with the mesh belt 46. As shown in FIG. The distance between the protrusions 49b and the mesh belt 46 at the positions where they are closest to each other is preferably, for example, 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.

The mixing section 50 mixes the material MC and the additive. The mixing section 50 has an additive supply section 52 that supplies additives, a pipe 54 that conveys the material MC and additives, and a mixing blower 56 .

An additive cartridge 52 a for storing additives is set in the additive supply section 52 . The additive cartridge 52 a may be detachable from the additive supply section 52 . The additive supply unit 52 includes an additive take-out unit 52b for taking out the additive from the additive cartridge 52a and an additive input unit 52c for discharging the additive taken out by the additive take-out unit 52b into the pipe . The additive take-out part 52b has a feeder (not shown) that feeds out the additive made of fine powder or fine particles inside the additive cartridge 52a, and takes out the additive from some or all of the additive cartridges 52a. The additive taken out by the additive take-out part 52b is sent to the additive input part 52c. The additive input portion 52c accommodates the additive taken out by the additive take-out portion 52b. The additive input section 52c is provided with an openable and closable shutter (not shown) at the joint with the pipe 54, and the additive extracted by the additive extractor 52b is delivered to the pipe 54 by opening the shutter.

The additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 contains resin (binder) for binding a plurality of fibers. The resin contained in the additive melts by being heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition point in the production unit 102, and binds the fibers of the material MC. This resin is a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin, such as AS resin, ABS resin, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, acrylic resin, polyester resin, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene ether, polybutylene terephthalate, nylon. , polyamides, polycarbonates, polyacetals, polyphenylene sulfides, polyetheretherketones, and the like. These resins may be used singly or as an appropriate mixture.

The additive supplied from the additive supply unit 52 may contain a component other than the resin that binds the fibers. For example, depending on the type of sheet S to be manufactured, a coloring agent for coloring fibers, an aggregation inhibitor for suppressing aggregation of fibers and aggregation of resin, a flame retardant for making fibers less flammable, etc. may be included. Moreover, the additive may be fibrous or powdery.

A mixing blower 56 generates an airflow in the pipe 54 connecting the pipe 7 and the deposition section 60 . The material MC and additive supplied to tube 54 by additive supply 52 are mixed as they pass through mixing blower 56 . The mixing blower 56 can have, for example, a motor (not shown), blades (not shown) driven and rotated by the motor, and a case (not shown) that houses the blades. may be connected. Also, the mixing blower 56 may include a mixer for mixing the material MC and the additive in addition to blades for generating airflow. The mixture mixed in the mixing section 50 is conveyed to the deposition section 60 by the air flow generated by the mixing blower 56 and introduced into the introduction port 62 of the deposition section 60 . Here, the mixture introduced into the introduction port 62 is indicated by symbol MX1.

The deposition section 60 has a drum section 61 and a housing section 63 that accommodates the drum section 61 . The drum portion 61 is, for example, a cylindrical structure configured in the same manner as the drum portion 41, and like the drum portion 41, it is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown) and functions as a sieve. The drum portion 61 (dispersion portion) has an opening, and the mixture MX1 (first material) loosened by the rotation of the drum portion 61 is lowered from the opening.

A second web forming section 70 (web forming section) is arranged below the drum section 61 . The second web forming section 70 has, for example, a mesh belt 72 , a tension roller 74 and a suction mechanism 76 .

The mesh belt 72 (accumulation section) is composed of an endless metal belt similar to the mesh belt 46 and is stretched over a plurality of tension rollers 74 . The mesh belt 72 revolves around a track formed by tension rollers 74 . A part of the track of the mesh belt 72 is flat under the drum section 61, and the mesh belt 72 constitutes a flat surface. Also, the mesh belt 72 is formed with a large number of openings.
Of the mixture MX1 descending from the drum portion 61 positioned above the mesh belt 72, a component larger than the openings of the mesh belt 72 deposits on the mesh belt 72. As shown in FIG. Also, the component of the mixture MX1 smaller than the openings of the mesh belt 72 passes through the openings.

The suction mechanism 76 sucks air from the side of the mesh belt 72 opposite to the drum portion 61 .
A suction mechanism 76 is connected to the tube 66 . The pipe 66 is connected to a second collection blower 68 via a second dust collection section 67 . The second dust collector 67 has a filter (not shown) that collects particles and fibers that have passed through the mesh belt 72 . A second collection blower 68 is a blower that draws air through the tube 66 . The suction mechanism 76 sucks air from below the mesh belt 72 by the suction force of the second collection blower 68 , and the particles and fibers contained in the sucked air are collected by the second dust collection section 67 . The airflow sucked by the second collection blower 68 has the effect of drawing the mixture MX1 descending from the drum portion 61 toward the mesh belt 72 and promoting the deposition. In addition, the suction airflow of the second collection blower 68 forms a downflow in the path along which the mixture MX1 falls from the drum portion 61, and can be expected to have the effect of preventing the fibers from becoming entangled during the fall. The mixture MX1 deposited on the mesh belt 72 forms a web shape on the flat portion of the mesh belt 72 and constitutes the second web W2 (web).

A solid feeder 30 (second material placement section) is arranged downstream of the deposition section 60 in the conveying path of the mesh belt 72 . The solid feeder 30 stores a solid material P as a second material that forms the sheet S, and discharges the solid material P toward the second web W2. The solid feeder 30 stacks the solid material P on the second web W2 deposited in the depositing section 60 .
The configuration of solid feeder 30 will be described later.

A humidity control section 78 is provided downstream of the solid feeder 30 in the conveying path of the mesh belt 72 . The humidity control unit 78 is a mist type humidifier that turns water into a mist and supplies it toward the mesh belt 72 . The humidity control unit 78 includes, for example, a tank that stores water and an ultrasonic transducer that turns water into mist. Since the moisture content of the second web W2 is adjusted by the mist supplied by the humidity control unit 78, an effect of suppressing adsorption of fibers to the mesh belt 72 due to static electricity can be expected.

The second web W<b>2 is peeled off from the mesh belt 72 and conveyed to the sheet forming section 80 by the conveying section 79 . The transport section 79 has, for example, a mesh belt 79a, rollers 79b, and a suction mechanism 79c. The suction mechanism 79c includes a blower (not shown), and generates an upward airflow through the mesh belt 79a by the suction force of the blower. Due to this airflow, the second web W2 separates from the mesh belt 72 and is attracted to the mesh belt 79a. The mesh belt 79 a is moved by the rotation of the rollers 79 b to convey the second web W<b>2 to the sheet forming section 80 .

The sheet forming section 80 forms a sheet S by pressing and heating the second web W2. The sheet forming section 80 includes a pressurizing section 82 that pressurizes the second web W2 and a heating section 84 that heats the second web W2 pressurized by the pressurizing section 82 . The pressure unit 82 is composed of a pair of calender rollers 85 , 85 . The pressure unit 82 includes a press mechanism (not shown) that applies nip pressure to the calendar rollers 85 and 85 by hydraulic pressure, and a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor that rotates the calendar rollers 85 and 85 toward the heating unit 84. connected to The pressing section 82 presses the second web W2 with a predetermined nip pressure using calendar rollers 85 and 85 and conveys it toward the heating section 84 .

The heating section 84 includes a pair of heating rollers 86,86. The heating unit 84 includes a heater (not shown) that heats the peripheral surface of the heating roller 86 to a predetermined temperature, and a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor that rotates the heating rollers 86 toward the cutting unit 90. . The heating unit 84 applies heat to the second web W<b>2 densified by the pressure unit 82 and conveys it to the cutting unit 90 . The temperature at which the heating unit 84 heats the second web W2 can be arbitrarily set, but it is desirable that the second web W2 is heated until the temperature of the resin contained in the mixture MX1 reaches the glass transition point or higher. In this case, the sheet S is formed by melting the resin contained in the second web W2 and binding the fibers together.

The cutting section 90 cuts the sheet S formed by the sheet forming section 80 . The cutting unit 90 includes a first cutting unit 92 that cuts the sheet S in a direction crossing the conveying direction indicated by reference numeral F in the drawing, a second cutting unit 94 that cuts the sheet S in a direction parallel to the conveying direction F, have The cutting unit 90 cuts the sheet S to a predetermined size in length and width to form a cut sheet S. As shown in FIG. The sheet S cut by the cutting section 90 is accommodated in the discharge section 96 . The discharge unit 96 includes a tray and a stacker for accommodating manufactured sheets, and the user can take out and use the sheets S discharged to the tray.

Each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 constitutes a disentanglement processing part 101 and a manufacturing part 102 . The disentanglement processing section 101 includes at least the disentanglement section 20 and may include the sorting section 40 and the first web forming section 45 . The disentanglement processing unit 101 manufactures a disentanglement material from the raw material MA, or a first web W1 formed by turning the disentanglement material into a web. The product of the fibrillation processing section 101 can be not only transported to the mixing section 50 via the rotating body 49, but can also be taken out of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 and stored without being transported to the rotating body 49. Also, this product may be enclosed in a predetermined package to be transportable and tradable.

The manufacturing unit 102 is a functional unit that regenerates the product manufactured by the fibrillation processing unit 101 into the sheet S. The manufacturing section 102 includes a mixing section 50 , a depositing section 60 , a second web forming section 70 , a conveying section 79 , a sheet forming section 80 and a cutting section 90 , and may also include a rotating body 49 . Also, an additive supply unit 52 may be included.
The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may be configured such that the fibrillation processing unit 101 and the manufacturing unit 102 are integrally configured, or may be configured as separate units.

The control device 110 controls each part of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 to manufacture the sheet S. As shown in FIG. For example, the control device 110 executes a start-up sequence when manufacturing the sheet S is started. In the startup sequence, the supply unit 10, the crushing unit 12, the fibrillation unit 20, the screening unit 40, the first web forming unit 45, the rotating body 49, the additive supply unit 52, the mixing blower 56, the deposition unit 60, the second web The forming unit 70, the sheet forming unit 80, and the cutting unit 90 are activated in sequence. The control device 110 controls the operating rotation speeds of the coarse crushing blades 14, the fibrillating section 20, the sorting section 40, the first web forming section 45, the rotor 49, the depositing section 60, the second web forming section 70, and the sheet forming section 80. Control, timing control of cutting by the cutting unit 90, and the like are executed. The control device 110 also controls the start and stop of each blower including the first collection blower 28, the mixing blower 56, the second collection blower 68, and the blower (not shown) of the suction mechanism 79c. Further, the control device 110 controls humidification by the humidity control section 78 . Controller 110 also controls solids feeder 30 .

[1-2. Configuration of solid feeder]
FIG. 2 is a side view of the essential parts of the solid feeder 30. As shown in FIG. The solid feeder 30 includes a hopper 31 that stores the solid material P and a rotary valve 32 arranged below the hopper 31 . The rotary valve 32 includes a rotor 33 and a drive motor 34 that rotates the rotor 33 in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing.

The hopper 31 can contain solid material P, which can be powder, particles, or other forms of solid matter. The solid material P is placed on the second web W2 to form the sheet S, and may be of any size and shape. The solid material P may be, for example, a material other than the fibers and additives contained in the mixture MX1, or may be a solid larger than particles of the additives contained in the mixture MX1. Moreover, the solid material P is not limited to one type, and a plurality of types of solid materials may be mixed and stored in the hopper 31 . Further, the solid feeder 30 may be provided with a feeding device (not shown) that feeds the solid material P from the outside of the solid feeder 30 to the hopper 31 .

The rotary valve 32 is a hollow valve, and when the rotor 33 is rotated by the power of the drive motor 34, the solid material P is taken out from the lower part of the hopper 31 and sent downward. A discharge port 35 opens below the rotary valve 32 . The solid material P drawn out from the hopper 31 by the rotation of the rotor 33 falls on the upper surface of the second web W2 through the discharge port 35. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the solid material P is arranged on the surface of the second web W2.

Although the discharge port 35 may be arranged in any direction in the width direction of the second web W2, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction F, the solid feeder 30 arranges the solid material P at a plurality of positions in the width direction of the second web W2. It should be possible. For example, the rotor 33 and the discharge port 35 can be shaped to extend in the width direction of the second web W2. Also, a plurality of discharge ports 35 may be arranged side by side along the width direction of the second web W2.

Drive motor 34 operates under the control of control device 110 . Thus, for example, the control device 110 can control the timing of the operation of the drive motor 34 . When the drive motor 34 rotates all the time, the solid feeder 30 can evenly distribute the solid material P over the entire surface of the second web W2. Further, when the drive motor 34 rotates intermittently, the solid material P can be arranged on the surface of the second web W2 at regular intervals in the transport direction F. The control device 110 controls the timing at which the solid feeder 30 discharges the solid material P and the timing at which the first cutting unit 92 cuts the sheet S, and the position at which the solid material P is arranged and the sheet in the conveying direction F. The cutting position of S can be aligned. For example, a configuration in which one row of solid materials P is arranged on one sheet S can be realized.

[1-3. Sheet manufacturing example]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a sheet S1 as an example of the sheet S manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. Symbol A in FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sheet S1, and symbol B is a cross-sectional view of the sheet S1.

The sheet S<b>1 is an example of the sheet S cut into a predetermined size by the cutting section 90 . In the plan view of the sheet S1, L is the length of the sheet S1, and W is the width thereof. The length L is the size in the transport direction F, and the width WI is the size in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction F. The length L can be adjusted by adjusting the timing of cutting the sheet S by the control device 110 and the first cutting section 92 . Width WI is determined by the position of the blade of second cutting portion 94 .

In the sheet S1, the solid materials P are arranged side by side in the width WI direction. The solid materials P are arranged in two rows in the length L direction. The position of the solid material P in the length L direction can be adjusted by the controller 110 controlling the drive motor 34 .

As shown in FIG. 3B, the sheet S1 is in a state in which a solid material P is embedded in the surface of a base sheet BS composed of fibers bound together by an additive resin. The solid material P is considered to be exposed on the surface of the sheet S1, but may be buried inside the sheet S1. For example, when the density of the fibers in the second web W2 is low, the bulkiness of the fibers is high, and the specific gravity of the solid material P is high, the solid material P settles inside the second web W2. I have something to do. In such a case, the solid material P is buried in the sheet S formed by the sheet forming section 80 .

Here, when a material other than a resin functioning as a binder is used as the additive added by the additive supply unit 52, the additive is dispersed in the base sheet BS as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. exist. For example, when the additive supply unit 52 adds a resin functioning as a binder and additives AD1, AD2, and AD3 other than the resin, as shown in FIG. Particles of AD3 are scattered respectively. Additives AD1, AD2, and AD3 are not limited to colorants, and functional materials can be used. The number of types of additives added by the additive supply unit 52 is not limited, and the additive supply unit 52 may be able to add five or more kinds of additives.

[1-4. Sheet application example]
A specific example of a combination of the use of the sheet S and the additive added by the additive supply unit 52 will be given.
(1) Plant Cultivation Sheet As a method of using the sheet S containing the solid material P, there is an example of using the sheet S as a plant cultivation tool.
Plant seeds are used as the solid material P in this example. For example, it is preferable to arrange 1 to 10 solid materials P on one sheet S1 so as to have a width WI. Also, the solid material P may be arranged in a plurality of rows in the length L direction.

When the sheet S1 is a plant cultivation sheet, the additive added by the additive supply unit 52 is a material used for plant cultivation.
Specifically, a particulate fertilizer can be used as an additive. Fertilizers include nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and ammonium nitrate. Particles of phosphate fertilizer such as supercalcium phosphate, heavy lime superphosphate and molten phosphate may also be used. Particles of potassium fertilizer such as potassium chloride and potassium nitrate may also be used. In addition, a plurality of types of particles among these fertilizer particles may be used as an additive, or a mixture of a plurality of types of fertilizer particles may be used as an additive. Further, when the sheet S1 is a sheet for plant cultivation, the additive may be a pH adjuster, and for example, particles of organic lime, plant ash, quicklime, slaked lime, etc. can be used.
By molding these additives into particles and storing them in the additive cartridge 52a, the additives AD1, AD2, and AD3 shown in FIG. 3 can be dispersed and arranged inside the sheet S1.

As the additive, a water-retaining material that retains water can be used. For example, particles of SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer) can be used as the additive. Porous ceramic particles may also be used as the water retaining material. These water retention materials may be added by the additive supply unit 52 as additives, but they can also be contained in the solid material P. For example, the solid feeder 30 may be configured to discharge a solid material P that is a mixture of water-retentive material particles and plant seeds. In addition, by using particles containing mushrooms as the solid material P instead of plant seeds, the sheet S1 can be used as a sheet for mushroom bed cultivation.

The plant cultivation sheet configured as described above enables cultivation of plants, for example, by being buried in soil as it is. In addition, if the sheet S1 contains a fertilizer necessary for plant growth, a pH adjuster, and the like, it is possible to easily cultivate plants without soil improvement. Also, if the sheet S1 is long, it can be buried in the soil of a planter or a field without being cut, thereby enabling large-scale plant cultivation. Furthermore, when the sheet S1 contains a water-retaining material, it is possible to grow plants by simply moistening the sheet S1 without burying it in soil. In this case, the base sheet BS that constitutes the sheet S1 preferably has a thickness capable of holding plant roots. Further, when the sheet S1 is used as a sheet for fungal bed cultivation, mushrooms can be easily cultivated by applying moisture to the sheet S1.
When the sheet S1 is used as a sheet for plant cultivation and when it is used as a sheet for fungal bed cultivation, the heating unit 84 heats the second web W2 at a temperature that does not affect the growth of plant seeds and fungi. preferably. In this case, a resin having a relatively low glass transition point is selected as the additive added by the additive supply unit 52 .

(2) Insect-Repellent Sheet As the solid material P, the sheet S1 can be used as an insect-repellent sheet by using particles containing a repellent or an insecticide for pests. As repellents and insecticides, in addition to known agents, natural materials such as camphor tree and cypress wood powder can be used. These repellents and insecticides can be mixed and used. Alternatively, particles containing a repellent or an insecticide may be added as an additive by the additive supply unit 52 .

(3) Deodorizing Sheet By using particles containing a deodorant, an odor absorbing material, and an odor decomposing material as the solid material P, the sheet S1 can be used as a deodorizing sheet. For the odor adsorbent, for example, particles of activated carbon or porous ceramics can be used. Titanium oxide, for example, can be used as the odor decomposition material. These deodorants and odor adsorbents can be mixed and used. Alternatively, particles containing a deodorant or an odor adsorbent may be added as an additive by the additive supply unit 52 .

(4) Dehumidifying Sheet By using particles containing a moisture absorbing material as the solid material P, the sheet S1 can be used as a dehumidifying sheet. The hygroscopic material can be, for example, particles of a desiccant such as silica gel. It is also possible to use a mixture of a plurality of kinds of hygroscopic materials. Particles containing a hygroscopic material may be added as an additive by the additive supply unit 52 .

(5) Heat Insulation and Heat Retention Sheet As the solid material P, the sheet S1 can be used as a heat insulation and heat generation sheet by using particles containing a functional material exhibiting heat retention and heat generation properties. This type of functional material can be, for example, capsaicin-containing particles (eg, red pepper powder). These particles may be mixed with black silica particles as an auxiliary material. Moreover, it is also possible to mix and use several types of functional materials. Particles containing the above-described functional material or auxiliary material may be added as an additive by the additive supply unit 52 .

(6) Moisturizing Sheet By using particles containing a water-absorbing functional material as the solid material P, the sheet S1 can be used as a dehumidifying sheet. For example, particles of SAP can be used as the functional material. It is also possible to mix and use several types of functional materials. Particles containing the functional material may be added as an additive by the additive supply unit 52 .

(7) Fragrant Sheet By using particles containing an aromatic material as the solid material P, the sheet S1 can be used as a dehumidifying sheet. As the fragrant material, in addition to known fragrances, natural materials such as cypress powder can be used. It is also possible to mix and use several types of fragrant materials. Alternatively, particles containing an aromatic material may be added as an additive by the additive supply unit 52 .

The solid material P may be in a particulate form that can be accommodated in the hopper 31, and is not limited to the examples (1) to (7). It can be a functional sheet.
Also, the sheet S1 can be a paper for printing or writing, and in this case, the solid material P can be a decoration material.

The sheet S exemplified in (1) to (7) can be added with a coloring material by the additive supply unit 52 . Therefore, the sheet S containing the functional material described above may be colored in a color corresponding to the application of the sheet S or the type of the functional material contained.

As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes the second web forming section 70 that forms the second web W2 based on the mixture MX1 containing fibers. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a solid feeder 30 that places the solid material P over the second web W2 formed by the second web forming unit 70, and a solid material P that is placed in the second web forming unit 70. and a sheet forming unit 80 that processes the second web W2 to manufacture the sheets S.

Also, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 corresponds to an apparatus that implements the sheet manufacturing method of the present invention. The processing of the second web forming station 70 corresponds to the web forming step, and the processing of the solid feeder 30 corresponds to the second material placement step. The processing of the sheet forming section 80 corresponds to the sheet forming process.

According to the sheet manufacturing apparatus and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 to which the sheet manufacturing method of the present invention is applied, the sheet S in which the solid material P is superimposed on the mixture MX1 containing fibers can be manufactured. Therefore, for example, a sheet S in which the mixture MX1 and the solid material P are overlapped can be obtained. By using different types of the mixture MX1 and the solid material P in the sheet S, the types of materials inside the sheet S can be varied.

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, the mixture MX1 is a mixture containing fibers and resin, and the sheet forming section 80 heats the second web W2 to manufacture the sheet S. As shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the sheet S in which the resin is melted by the sheet forming unit 80 and the fibers contained in the mixture MX1 are bound by the resin. Further, the resin contained in the mixture MX1 exerts an effect of binding the solid material P to the fibers, and the solid material P can be reliably held on the base sheet BS, so that the solid material P can be prevented from coming off.

Further, the solid feeder 30 can stack the solid material P, which is a material other than the fibers and resin contained in the mixture MX1, on the second web W2. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the sheet S containing the fibers derived from the raw material MA and the solid material P different from the additive added by the additive supply unit 52 .

Further, the solid feeder 30 can stack the solid material P containing solids larger than the resin particles contained in the mixture MX1 on the second web W2. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a sheet S in which various materials are arranged, and to manufacture a functional sheet as exemplified in (1) to (7).

The second web forming unit 70 also includes a drum unit 61 that disperses the mixture MX1 in the air, and a mesh belt 72 that deposits the mixture MX1 dispersed by the drum unit 61 to form the second web W2. . The solids feeder 30 places the solid material P overlying the second web W2 deposited on the mesh belt 72 . With this configuration, by placing the solid material P on the web-shaped second web W2, a sheet S in which the mixture MX1 and the solid material P are laminated can be obtained.

[2. Second Embodiment]
A second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described below.
FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A of the second embodiment. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A has a configuration in which the stacking section 60A is arranged between the stacking section 60 and the sheet forming section 80 in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1).
In the second embodiment, components common to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

The deposition section 60A has a drum section 61A and a housing section 63A that accommodates the drum section 61A. The drum portion 61A is a cylindrical structure configured in the same manner as the drum portion 61, and like the drum portion 61, it is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown) and functions as a sieve. The housing portion 63A is provided with an inlet 62A through which the mixture is introduced from the mixing blower 56 into the drum portion 61A.

In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A, a mixture MX1 is supplied to the depositing section 60 as a mixture of the additive added by the additive supplying section 52 and the material MC. Also, the mixture MX2 (third material) is supplied to the deposition section 60A (third material placement section). Mixture MX2 may have the same components as mixture MX1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a pipe 54 connecting from the mixing blower 56 to the depositing section 60 may be branched to be connected to the depositing section 60A.

Moreover, the mixture MX2 may be a mixture of components different from the mixture MX1. This configuration can be realized by providing a plurality of additive supply units 52 , mixing blowers 56 , and pipes 54 connecting the additive supply units 52 and mixing blowers 56 .

The drum portion 61 is positioned above the mesh belt 72 , and the mixture MX2 descends toward the mesh belt 72 as the drum portion 61 disperses the mixture MX2. The mesh belt 72 is loaded with the second web W2 deposited by the depositing section 60 and the solid material P deposited by the solid feeder 30 . The depositing section 60A deposits the mixture MX2 on the second web W2 containing the solid material P. As shown in FIG.

A suction mechanism 76A is arranged below the deposition section 60A. The suction mechanism 76A sucks air from the side of the mesh belt 72 opposite to the drum portion 61A. The suction mechanism 76A is connected via a pipe 66A to a third dust collection section 67A, and a third collection blower 68A is connected to the third dust collection section 67A. The third dust collection section 67A includes a filter (not shown) that collects particles and fibers that have passed through the mesh belt 72 . The third collection blower 68A is a blower that sucks air through the tube 66A. The suction mechanism 76A, the pipe 66A, the third dust collection part 67A, and the third collection blower 68A are configured similarly to the suction mechanism 76, the pipe 66, the second dust collection part 67, and the second collection blower 68, respectively. be done.

The suction mechanism 76A sucks air from below the mesh belt 72 by the suction force of the third collection blower 68A, and the particles and fibers contained in the sucked air are collected by the third dust collection section 67A. The airflow sucked by the third collecting blower 68A has the effect of drawing the mixture MX2 descending from the drum portion 61A to the mesh belt 72 and promoting the deposition. In addition, the suction air current of the third collection blower 68A forms a downflow in the path along which the mixture MX2 falls from the drum portion 61A, and can be expected to have the effect of preventing the fibers from becoming entangled during the fall.

The mixture MX2 is, for example, evenly distributed and evenly deposited on the second web W2 in the deposition section 60A. Therefore, the mesh belt 72 forms a second web W2 in which the mixture MX1, the solid material P, and the mixture MX2 are laminated.

The second web W<b>2 on which the mixture MX<b>2 is laminated in the deposition section 60</b>A is given moisture by the humidity control section 78 and is transported by the transport section 79 . The processing by the sheet forming section 80 and the cutting section 90 is the same as in the first embodiment.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A is provided between the solid feeder 30 and the sheet forming section 80, and includes a depositing section 60A that deposits the mixture MX2 on the second web W2 on which the solid material P is placed by the solid feeder 30. That is, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A includes a stacking section 60 located upstream of the solid feeder 30 and a stacking section 60A located downstream of the solid feeder 30 in the conveying direction F of the second web W2. Then, the mixture MX1 is deposited by the deposition section 60, the mixture MX2 is deposited by the deposition section 60A, and the solid material P is arranged by the solid feeder 30 between the layers of the mixture MX1 and the mixture MX2.

According to this configuration, a sheet S having a configuration in which the solid material P is sandwiched between layers of the mixture MX1 and the mixture MX2 can be manufactured. For example, it is possible to manufacture a sheet S in which a solid material P is wrapped with fibers.

[3. Third Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the processing roller 310 of the third embodiment. Symbol A in FIG. 5 is a side view showing the configuration of the processing roller 310, and symbol B is a plan view of the sheet S2.

The processing roller 310 (press processing section) is installed in the conveying path of the second web W2 and includes a pair of rollers 311 and 315 . The processing roller 310 conveys the second web W2 with a predetermined nip pressure between the rollers 311 and 315, and applies a pressing force to the second web W2. The processing roller 310 includes a pressure mechanism (not shown) that applies nip pressure to the rollers 311 and 315 and a drive motor (not shown) that drives the rollers 311 and 315 .

Protrusions 312 are formed on the surface of the roller 311 . In contrast, roller 315 is a cylindrical roller with a flat peripheral surface.
The second web W<b>2 receives nip pressure from the projections 312 when the processing rollers 310 sandwich and convey the second web W<b>2 . Therefore, the second web W2 is partially subjected to a pressing force, and a part of the second web W2 collapses. Accordingly, unevenness corresponding to the shape of the projections 312 is formed on the second web W2.

The processing roller 310 is installed in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1) or the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A (FIG. 4) instead of the calender rollers 85, 85 of the pressing section 82 or upstream of the pressing section 82. . For example, a processing roller 310 can be installed between the transport section 79 and the pressure section 82 .
The processing roller 310 forms irregularities in the second web W2 after the solid feeder 30 has placed the solid material P before the second web W2 is heated by the heating unit 84 .

FIG. 5B shows a plan view of a sheet S2 as an example of the sheet S manufactured using the processing roller 310. As shown in FIG. The length L and width WI in FIG. 5 are the same as in FIG.

The sheet S2 is formed with a grid-like concave portion SE extending in the length L direction and the width WI direction. The recesses SE are formed by pressing the second web W2 by the protrusions 312, and the portions other than the recesses SE are relatively convex, so the sheet S2 has unevenness as a whole.

The recess SE of the second web W2 receives a stronger recess pressure than other portions of the second web W2. In the configuration in which the processing roller 310 is provided in place of the pressure member 82 , the recess SE in contact with the protrusion 312 receives a stronger pressure than the portion pressed by the peripheral surface of the roller 311 other than the protrusion 312 . In addition, in the configuration in which the processing roller 310 is provided in addition to the pressure unit 82, the recess SE is pressed by the projection 312 and the pressure unit 82, so the integrated value of the pressing force applied to the recess SE is greater than that of other portions. big. As a result, in the recesses SE, the fibers and particles contained in the second web W2 are compressed to a higher density than in the portions other than the recesses SE, thereby exhibiting a sealing effect. Therefore, the portion SP surrounded by the recess SE is separated from other portions. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the solid material P placed inside the portion SP does not move beyond the recess SE to other portions.

In this way, the processing roller 310 functions as a pressing processing section that partially presses the second web W2 to give the uneven shape to the second web W2. By partially pressing the second web W2 with the projections 312, the processing roller 310 can form the portions SP defined by the recesses SE on the sheet S2.

In particular, sheet S manufactured by sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A (FIG. 4) has solid material P between a layer of mixture MX1 and a layer of mixture MX2. A processing roller 310 is provided in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A, and the solid feeder 30 arranges the solid material P so as to match the position of the portion SP, whereby the solid material P is accommodated in the portion SP. In this case, the sheet S2 is formed with a pocket-like portion SP in which two layers are pressure-bonded by the recess SE, and the solid material P is accommodated in this pocket.

Moreover, the protrusion 312 can also form a recess SE as a decoration in the sheet S2. In this case, by providing the processing roller 310 in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 or the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A, the sheet S2 having the uneven decoration can be manufactured.

[4. Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B of the fourth embodiment. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B has a configuration in which the printing section 500 is arranged between the sheet forming section 80 and the cutting section 90 in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1).
In the fourth embodiment, configurations common to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

The printing unit 500 includes a print head 501 that ejects ink toward the sheet S, and an ink cartridge 510 that stores the ink ejected by the print head 501 . The print head 501 can eject a plurality of colors of ink, and the ink cartridges 510 are provided corresponding to the number of ink colors ejected by the print head 501 . The printing unit 500 also includes an ink supply mechanism (not shown) that supplies ink from the ink cartridge 510 to the print head 501, nozzles (not shown) that eject ink from the print head 501, and the like.

The printing unit 500 forms an image by ejecting ink from the print head 501 onto the second web W2 processed into a sheet by the sheet forming unit 80, that is, the sheet S. The printing unit 500 can form an image in the width direction of the sheet S (for example, the width WI direction in FIG. 3) by scanning the print head 501 in a direction intersecting the transport direction F, for example. Also, the print head 501 may be a line inkjet head extending in the width direction of the sheet S. FIG.

The second web W<b>2 is pressurized and heated in the sheet forming section 80 to form a sheet S, and an image is formed by the printing section 500 . After that, the sheet S is cut by the cutting section 90 and discharged to the discharge section 96 .

The printing unit 500 executes printing under the control of the control device 110 . Control device 110 drives printing unit 500 to form an image according to image data for printing. In addition, the control device 110 controls the print position on the sheet S based on the position where the first cutting unit 92 cuts the sheet S, so that the image is printed on the set position on the sheet S cut to a predetermined size. can be formed.

As described above, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B includes the printing section 500 that prints on the sheet S manufactured by the sheet forming section 80, so that an image can be formed on the sheet S having the solid material P thereon.

Further, the control device 110 can form an image according to the position where the solid feeder 30 places the solid material P. FIG.
That is, it is possible to form an image in accordance with the position on the sheet S where the solid material P is arranged. For example, when the solid material P is placed on the sheet S as shown in A of FIG. The image to be printed can be printed by the printing unit 500 .

In addition, in the examples (1) to (7) given as the uses of the sheet S, the printing unit 500 may print a description of the use of the sheet S and how to use it. In this case, for the sheet S containing the solid material P and/or additives suitable for a specific application, the image formed on the sheet S can indicate the application and usage.

[5. Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100C of the fifth embodiment. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100C has a configuration in which a heating section 600 is provided instead of the heating section 84 in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1).
In the fifth embodiment, configurations common to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

The heating unit 600 has a furnace 601 that accommodates the upper portion and preferably the lower portion of the conveying path of the second web W2, and a heat source 602 that is accommodated in the furnace 601 . The second web W2 passes through the interior of the furnace 601 between the pressing section 82 and the cutting section 90 .

The heat source 602 is an infrared heater that emits infrared rays for heating or a heater that has a heating element. A resistance heating element can be used as the heating element, and for example, a nichrome wire heater or a ceramic heater can be used. The heating unit 600 heats the second web W2 in the furnace 601 by radiant heating by infrared rays emitted by the heat source 602 or by transmission heating by heating the inner space of the furnace 601 to a high temperature by the heat source 602 .

Further, the furnace 601 may be configured to heat the second web W2 by induction heating, dielectric heating, or a heat pump type heater. Alternatively, the second web W2 may be heated by a heat source 602 that does not have the furnace 601 and is arranged close to the conveying path of the second web W2.

The heating unit 600 is a non-pressure heating unit that heats the second web W2 without applying pressure. In other words, a heat source 602 that does not contact the second web W2 is provided to heat the second web W2 in a non-contact manner.
Thus, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B, the sheet forming section 80 heats the pressing section 82 that presses the second web W2 and the second web W2 pressed by the pressing section 82 in a non-pressurized state. and a heating unit 600 . According to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, after adjusting the density of the second web W2 by applying pressure with the pressurizing unit 82, the adjusted density of the second web W2 is maintained and the resin of the second web W2 is melted. The sheet S can be manufactured by Therefore, the density of the sheet S can be finely adjusted with high precision, and the hardness and basis weight of the sheet S can be arbitrarily adjusted.

[6. Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100D according to the sixth embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, configurations common to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100D has a manufacturing section 400 instead of the manufacturing section 102 in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1). That is, the manufacturing section 400 is provided instead of the stacking section 60 , the second web forming section 70 , the conveying section 79 and the sheet forming section 80 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 .

The production unit 400 forms the mixture MX1 in which the fibers and additives are mixed in the additive supply unit 52 and the mixing blower 56 of the fibrillation processing unit 101 into a web shape by an electrostatic method, and forms a third web W3 (web ). That is, the production unit 400 electrostatically transfers the mixture MX1, which is the fiber-containing material, onto the transfer belt 401, which is the transfer target, and performs post-treatment to adjust the surface properties of the mixture MX1, thereby producing the sheet S3.

The production unit 400 includes a supply unit 410 that supplies the mixture MX1, a carrier 420 that carries the supplied mixture MX1, a conveyor belt 401 to which the carried mixture MX1 is electrostatically transferred, and a processing unit 430 that performs post-processing. have.

The mixture MX1 is common to the first embodiment, and is a mixture of fibers derived from the raw material MA and additives added by the additive supply section 52 . Moreover, the mixture MX1 may contain a charge control agent or a charge control agent for obtaining the charging properties of the mixture MX1.

Supply section 410 accommodates storage section 412 , stirrer 413 , roller 414 , first carrier 415 and blade 416 in housing section 411 .

The reservoir 412 stores the mixture MX1. The stirrer 413 stirs the mixture MX1 in the reservoir 412, and electrifies the mixture MX1 by friction during stirring.
Mixture MX1 is supplied to first carrier 415 by rotation of roller 414 . The first carrier 415 has a potential difference with the roller 414, and this potential difference causes the mixture MX1 to adhere electrostatically. The blade 416 adjusts the thickness or adhesion amount of the mixture MX1 adhering to the first carrier 415 to form the mixture MX1 into a sheet, and electrifies the mixture MX1 by friction.

The carrier 420 has a potential difference with the first carrier 415 , and the mixture MX1 electrostatically adheres to the carrier 420 . The carrier 420 is a roller member that rotates, and transfers the mixture MX1 carried by the carrier 420 onto the conveyor belt 401 .
Around the carrier 420 , a charging unit 422 that charges the outer peripheral surface 421 of the carrier 420 and an exposure unit 423 that adjusts the potential of the outer peripheral surface 421 are provided. Further, a transfer unit 424 is provided around the carrier 420 to transfer the mixture MX1 onto the conveyor belt 401 by electrostatic force generated by a potential difference with the carrier 420 .

The transfer unit 424 presses the mixture MX1 transferred onto the conveyor belt 401 against the carrier 420 to make the thickness of the mixture MX1 uniform. As a result, the third web W3 having a uniform thickness is formed on the conveyor belt 401 . The carrier 420 and transfer section 424 constitute a web forming section.

The transport belt 401 is an endless belt and transported by a plurality of rollers 402 . The surface of the transport belt 401 onto which the mixture MX1 is transferred is preferably made of a resin having medium to high resistance (volume resistivity of 107 to 1011 Ω·cm). As this type of resin, for example, a fluorine-based resin kneaded with carbon black can be used, but it is of course possible to use other materials.

The processing unit 430 includes a smoothing processing unit 431 that smoothes the surface of the third web W3, and a pressure processing unit 432 that presses the third web W3. It also includes a semi-solidifying processing section 433 that semi-solidifies the surface of the third web W3, and a solidifying section 434 that solidifies the third web W3. The leveling unit 431 has a leveling roller 435 whose outer peripheral surface is made of metal. Static electricity of W3 is removed.

The pressure processor 432 bonds the fibers contained in the third web W3 together and the fibers and the resin by applying pressure using the pressure roller 437, thereby uniformizing the density.
The semi-solidification processing section 433 has a chamber 438 made of a heat insulating material and a heater 439 provided in the chamber 438, and semi-solidifies the surface of the third web W3 by heating with the heater 439. FIG.

The solidification section 434 has a solidification roller 440 and a heater 441 provided inside the solidification roller 440 . The solidifying unit 434 heats the solidifying roller 440 by energizing the heater 441 and presses the third web W3 while the solidifying roller 440 heats the third web W3. As a result, the resin contained in the third web W3 is melted, and the fibers of the third web W3 and the resin are bound together to form the sheet S3. After passing through the hardening roller 440, the sheet S3 is, for example, naturally cooled to bind and harden.
Downstream of the processing unit 430, there are provided a fan (not shown) for promoting separation of the sheet S3 from the conveying belt 401, a cutting unit 90 (not shown) for cutting the sheet S3, and the like.

Production section 400 has solid feeder 30 between leveling roller 435 and pressure roller 437 . The solid feeder 30 has the same configuration as described in the first embodiment. The manufacturing department 400 uses the solid feeder 30 to put the solid material P on the third web W3 that has been neutralized by the leveling roller 435 . As a result, the sheet S3 can be manufactured in a state in which the solid material P is superimposed on the third web W3 made of the mixture MX1. Since the solid feeder 30 places the solid material P on the third web W3 from which static electricity has been removed, there is an advantage that the position of the solid material P is less susceptible to static electricity.

Further, the solid feeder 30 may be configured to arrange the solid material P on the third web W3 before being neutralized by the leveling roller 435 . In this case, there is an advantage that the solid material P is satisfactorily attracted to the third web W3 by static electricity.

The production unit 400 does not require fibrillation, sorting, suction, web formation, etc. compared to the production unit 102 of the first embodiment, so the configuration of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100D can be simplified. Therefore, there is an advantage that the manufacturing time of the sheet S3 can be shortened.

[7. Seventh embodiment]
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the processing roller 320 of the seventh embodiment. Symbol A in FIG. 9 is a side view showing the configuration of the processing roller 320, and symbol B is a plan view of the sheet S4.

The processing roller 320 (press processing section) is installed on the conveying path of the second web W2 and includes a pair of rollers 321 and 325 . The processing roller 320 conveys the second web W2 with a predetermined nip pressure between the rollers 321 and 325, and applies a pressing force to the second web W2. The processing roller 320 includes a pressure mechanism (not shown) that applies nip pressure to the rollers 321 and 325 and a drive motor (not shown) that drives the rollers 321 and 325 .

Protrusions 322 are formed on the surface of the roller 321 . In contrast, roller 325 is a cylindrical roller with a flat peripheral surface.
The second web W<b>2 receives nip pressure from the projections 322 when the processing rollers 320 sandwich and convey the second web W<b>2 . Therefore, the second web W2 is partially subjected to a pressing force, and a part of the second web W2 collapses. Accordingly, unevenness corresponding to the shape of the projection 322 is formed on the second web W2.

The processing roller 320 is the calendar roller 85 of the pressure unit 82 in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 (FIG. 1), the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A (FIG. 4), the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B (FIG. 6), and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100C (FIG. 7). , 85. Alternatively, a processing roller 320 may be additionally installed upstream of the pressure unit 82 . For example, a processing roller 320 can be installed between the transport section 79 and the pressure section 82 .
The processing roller 320 forms irregularities in the second web W2 after the solid feeder 30 has placed the solid material P thereon before the second web W2 is heated by the heating unit 84 .

FIG. 9B shows a plan view of a sheet S4 as an example of the sheet S manufactured using the processing roller 320. As shown in FIG. The length L and width WI in FIG. 9 are the same as in FIG.

The sheet S4 is formed with recesses EM aligned in the length L direction and the width WI direction. The recesses EM are recesses formed by so-called embossing, and are formed by pressing the second web W2 by the protrusions 322. Since the portions other than the recesses EM are relatively convex, the sheet S4 is uneven as a whole. have.

In this way, the processing roller 320 functions as a pressing section that partially presses the second web W2 to give the uneven shape to the second web W2. The processing roller 320 can emboss the sheet S by partially pressing the second web W<b>2 with the projections 322 . Therefore, it is possible to change the texture of the sheet S4, and to manufacture the sheet S4 having uneven decoration.

In the seventh embodiment, the roller 321 having the projections 322 and the roller 325 having a smooth surface are used to emboss the sheet S4 on one side. may That is, the roller 325 may also be provided with the protrusion 322 .

[8. Other embodiments]
Each of the above-described embodiments is merely a specific mode for carrying out the present invention described in the claims, and does not limit the present invention. , which can be implemented in various ways.

For example, in the third embodiment, an example in which the processing roller 310 is applied to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100A of the second embodiment has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the processing roller 310 can also be applied to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B of the fourth embodiment, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100C of the fifth embodiment, and the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100D of the sixth embodiment. be.
Further, the printing unit 500 described in the fourth embodiment is not limited to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100B, and can be applied to the sheet manufacturing apparatuses 100, 100A, 100C, and 100D.
Moreover, the heating unit 600 described in the fifth embodiment is not limited to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100C, and can be applied to the sheet manufacturing apparatuses 100, 100A, 100B, and 100D.
Furthermore, two or more of the processing rollers 310, 320, the printing unit 500, and the heating unit 600 can be selected and combined to apply to one sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, 100A to 100D.

Further, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may be configured to manufacture not only the sheet S but also a board-like or web-like product composed of hard sheets or laminated sheets. Moreover, the product is not limited to paper, and may be a non-woven fabric. The properties of the sheet S are not particularly limited, and may be paper that can be used as recording paper for writing or printing (for example, so-called PPC paper), wallpaper, wrapping paper, colored paper, drawing paper, Kent paper, or the like. There may be. Moreover, when the sheet S is a nonwoven fabric, it may be a general nonwoven fabric, a fiber board, tissue paper, kitchen paper, a cleaner, a filter, a liquid absorbing material, a sound absorbing body, a cushioning material, a mat, or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, the sheet manufacturing apparatus and the fiber raw material recycling apparatus of the present invention obtain the material by defibrating the raw material in the air, and manufacture the sheet S using this material and the resin. A dry sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 has been described. The object of application of the present invention is not limited to this, but can also be applied to a so-called wet sheet manufacturing apparatus that dissolves or floats a raw material containing fibers in a solvent such as water and processes this raw material into a sheet. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to an electrostatic sheet manufacturing apparatus in which a material containing fibers defibrated in air is attracted to the surface of a drum by static electricity or the like, and the raw material adsorbed to the drum is processed into a sheet.

2, 3, 7, 8, 23, 54, 66, 66A... Tube, 9... Hopper, 10... Feeding section, 12... Coarse crushing section, 14... Coarse crushing blade, 20... Disentanglement section, 27... First collection Dust part, 28... First collection blower, 30... Solid feeder (second material placement part), 31... Hopper, 32... Rotary valve, 33... Rotor, 34... Drive motor, 35... Discharge port, 40... Sorting part , 41... Drum part 42... Introduction port 43... Housing part 45... First web forming part 46... Mesh belt 47... Tension roller 48... Suction part 49... Rotating body 49a... Base part 49b Projection 50 Mixing section 52 Additive supply section 52a Additive cartridge 52b Additive extraction section 52c Additive input section 56 Mixing blower 60 Deposition section 60A Deposition section (Third material placement portion), 61... Drum portion (dispersing portion), 61A... Drum portion, 62, 62A... Inlet, 63, 63A... Housing portion, 67... Second dust collecting part, 67A... Third dust collecting part Part 68... Second collection blower 68A... Third collection blower 70... Second web forming part (web forming part) 72... Mesh belt (accumulating part) 74... Tension roller 76, 76A... Suction mechanism 78 Humidity control unit 79 Conveying unit 79a Mesh belt 79b Roller 79c Suction mechanism 80 Sheet forming unit 82 Pressure unit 84 Heating unit 85 Calendar roller 86 heating roller 90 cutting section 92 first cutting section 94 second cutting section 96 discharge section 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D sheet manufacturing apparatus 101 defibration processing section DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102... Manufacturing department, 110... Control apparatus, 310, 320... Processing roller (press processing part), 311, 321... Roller, 312, 322... Projection, 315, 325... Roller, 400... Manufacturing department, 500... Printing department, 600... Heating unit, AD1 to AD3... Additive, MA... Raw material, MX1... Mixture (first material), MX2... Mixture (second material), P... Solid material (second material), S, S1, S2, S3, S4...sheet, W1...first web (web), W2...second web (web), W3...third web (web).

Claims (7)

a web forming unit that forms a web based on a first material that is a mixture containing fibers and resin;
a second material placement unit that places a second material containing solids larger than particles of the resin contained in the first material so as to be superimposed on the web formed by the web forming unit;
a third material placement unit that places a third material on the web on which the second material is placed by the second material placement unit;
a sheet forming unit for manufacturing a sheet by processing the web on which the third material is placed in the third material placement unit;
The sheet forming unit includes processing rollers that impart an uneven shape to the web by sandwiching and applying pressure to the web . The processing rollers include a pair of rollers, one of which has projections on the surface thereof. be
By pressing the web with the processing rollers and partially compressing the web with a high density by the protrusions , a pocket-shaped section is formed in the sheet, and the second section accommodated in the section is formed. 2. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing said sheet in which no material is transferred to said other said portion. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet forming section heats the web to manufacture the sheet. 3 . The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second material placement unit places the second material, which is a material other than the fibers and the resin contained in the first material, over the web. The web forming unit comprises a dispersing unit that disperses the first material in the air, and a depositing unit that deposits the first material dispersed by the dispersing unit to form the web,
The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second material placing section places the second material on top of the web deposited on the depositing section. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a printing section that prints on the sheet manufactured by the sheet forming section. 6. The sheet forming unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the web; and a heating unit that heats the web pressurized by the pressurizing unit in a non-pressurized state. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to item 1. a web forming step of forming a web based on a first material that is a mixture containing fibers and resin;
a second material placing step of placing a second material containing solids larger than particles of the resin contained in the first material over the web formed in the web forming step;
a third material placement step of placing a third material on the web on which the second material has been placed in the second material placement step;
A processing roller that imparts an uneven shape to the web by sandwiching the web and applying pressure to the web on which the third material is disposed in the third material disposing step, and a pair of rollers in the processing roller. A sheet forming step of manufacturing a sheet by processing with a sheet forming unit having projections on one surface ;
including
In the sheet forming step, the web is sandwiched between the processing rollers and pressurized, and the protrusions partially compress the web to a high density to impart an uneven shape to the web, thereby dividing the web into pockets. A method for manufacturing a sheet, wherein the sheet is formed on the sheet, and the second material contained in the portion does not move to the other portion.

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