POWDER SUPPLY CONTAINER

Description

The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2024-166014, filed September 25, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a powder supply container.

2. Related Art

In the related art, a powder supply container that supplies powder such as a material, an additive, or the like to a manufacturing apparatus has been known. For example, JP-A-2000-61282 discloses a mixing device for mixing powder and granular material and discharging them.

However, in the device disclosed in JP-A-2000-61282, there is a possibility that it is difficult to carry the device filled with powder. Specifically, in a relatively small manufacturing apparatus, an operation may be performed in which a powder supply container is manually filled with powder, and then the powder supply container is carried and mounted on a manufacturing apparatus. In such an operation, a problem such as leakage of the powder may occur. The following disclosure has been devised to solve the above-described problem.

SUMMARY

A powder supply container includes: a first cylindrical portion having a central axis and including a first opening portion formed in a bottom surface of the first cylindrical portion; a second cylindrical portion arranged to overlap an inner side of the first cylindrical portion in a state of being rotatable about the central axis; and a lid portion detachably attached to a side, facing the bottom surface of the first cylindrical portion, of the second cylindrical portion and including a second opening portion, when the second cylindrical portion is rotated relative to the first cylindrical portion, the second opening portion is rotated relative to the first opening portion, whereby the first opening portion is switched between an open state and a closed state, an inner surface of the first cylindrical portion is provided with a projection, and a guide rib for guiding the projection is provided on an outer surface of the second cylindrical portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powder supply container according to an embodiment, illustrating its external appearance.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the powder supply container, illustrating its configuration.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first cylindrical portion, illustrating its configuration.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a projection, illustrating its shape.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lid portion and a second cylindrical portion, illustrating their configurations.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the second cylindrical portion, illustrating its configuration.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the second cylindrical portion, illustrating its configuration.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the powder supply container with the first cylindrical portion shown as transparent.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing the position of a projection in the initial state of the powder supply container.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the position of the projection in an open state of the powder supply container.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the powder supply container is mounted on a powder supply mechanism.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus to which the powder supply container is applied.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the following embodiment, a powder supply container 200 which is applied to a sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheets from a material such as paper pieces will be exemplified and described with reference to the drawings. The powder supply container 200 supplies powder such as an additive to the sheet manufacturing apparatus mentioned above.

In the following FIGS. 1 to 11, an F axis is shown as an imaginary axis, the direction indicated by the arrow is defined as a +F direction, and the direction opposite to the +F direction is defined as a -F direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the powder supply container 200 has a substantially cylindrical appearance, and the cross sections perpendicular to the F-axis are substantially circular. In the powder supply container 200 having a substantially cylindrical shape, a height direction of the cylinder is along the F-axis. The inside of the powder supply container 200 is filled with powder such as particulate material or granules. The powder supply container 200 is sealed in a state where the powder supply container 200 contains powder, and can be carried or stored in this state.

The powder supply container 200 includes a first cylindrical portion 210, a second cylindrical portion 220, and a lid portion 230, which are assembled together. In the powder supply container 200, the first cylindrical portion 210, the lid portion 230, and the second cylindrical portion 220 are arranged in this order from the +F direction toward the -F direction. A part of the second cylindrical portion 220 in the +F direction and the lid portion 230 are inserted into the first cylindrical portion 210, and overlap the first cylindrical portion 210.

The first cylindrical portion 210 has a central axis CA parallel to the F-axis. The powder supply container 200 has a substantially rotationally symmetric shape with respect to the central axis CA.

A first opening portion 213 is formed in a bottom surface 211 of the first cylindrical portion 210 in the +F direction. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the first opening portion 213 is closed by the lid portion 230 and the inside of the powder supply container 200 is sealed.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the powder supply container 200 can be disassembled into the first cylindrical portion 210, the lid portion 230, and the second cylindrical portion 220. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 are assembled together.

The first cylindrical portion 210 has a cutout portion 215 and a protruding portion 217 in addition to the first opening portion 213 described above.

The first opening portion 213 extends through the bottom surface 211 and communicates with the inside and the outside of the first cylindrical portion 210. The powder stored in the powder supply container 200 is supplied through the first opening portion 213 and a second opening portion 233 of the lid portion 230. When viewed from the +F direction, the first opening portion 213 has a fan shape, and the arc of the first opening portion 213 extends along the outer periphery of the circular bottom surface 211.

The cutout portion 215 is disposed at the edge of the first cylindrical portion 210 in the -F direction so as to correspond to a second engaging portion 229 provided in the second cylindrical portion 220. The cutout portion 215 is a relief cut for the second engaging portion 229 when the powder supply container 200 is assembled. When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the second engaging portion 229 is exposed to the outside of the powder supply container 200 through the cutout portion 215.

The protruding portion 217 is fitted into a recessed portion 235 of the lid portion 230 to position the lid portion 230 relative to the first cylindrical portion 210. The protruding portion 217 is on the surface facing in the -F direction, which is the surface opposite to the bottom surface 211, and protrudes in the -F direction. In the powder supply container 200, the protruding portion 217 and the recessed portion 235 are provided at positions overlapping the central axis CA when viewed from the +F direction. When the protruding portion 217 is fitted into the recessed portion 235, the first cylindrical portion 210 can rotate about the central axis CA relative to the lid portion 230.

The lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 form an internal space for the powder supply container 200 to store powder. Each of the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 is a substantially cylindrical member. In a state where the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 also have a substantially rotationally symmetrical shape with respect to the central axis CA. The lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 are inserted into the first cylindrical portion 210 from the -F direction, and thus the powder supply container 200 is assembled.

The lid portion 230 is disposed at the end portion of the second cylindrical portion 220 in the +F direction and on the side facing the bottom surface 211 of the first cylindrical portion 210. In the substantially cylindrical lid portion 230, the center of the cylinder is parallel to the F axis. The lid portion 230 includes a bottom surface 231.

The bottom surface 231 includes the second opening portion 233 and the recessed portion 235. The bottom surface 231 is a surface of the lid portion 230 facing the +F direction. When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the bottom surface 231 faces the +F direction and faces the surface of the first cylindrical portion 210 opposite to the bottom surface 211.

The second opening portion 233 extends through the bottom surface 231 and communicates with the inside and the outside of the lid portion 230. The second opening portion 233 allows the above-mentioned internal space formed by the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 to communicate with the outside. When viewed from the +F direction, the shape of the second opening portion 233 is substantially a fan shape, and is similar to the shape of the first opening portion 213. The arc of the second opening portion 233 is along the outer circumference of the circular bottom surface 231.

In a state where the powder supply container 200 is assembled, when the second cylindrical portion 220 is rotated about the central axis CA relative to the first cylindrical portion 210, the lid portion 230 also rotates together with the second cylindrical portion 220. When the lid portion 230 rotates, the second opening portion 233 rotates relative to the first opening portion 213. When viewed from the +F direction, the internal space of the powder supply container 200 is open in a state where the first opening portion 213 and the second opening portion 233 are aligned, and the internal space is closed in a state where they are not aligned. That is, when the second opening portion 233 is rotated and moved relative to the first opening portion 213, the first opening portion 213 is switched between an open state and a closed state.

Specifically, in a state where the powder supply container 200 is carried or stored, that is, in a state where the powder supply container 200 does not supply powder, the position of the second opening portion 233 and the position of the first opening portion 213 are not aligned. In this state, the inside of the powder supply container 200, which is the internal space mentioned above, is sealed. When the powder supply container 200 is attached to a powder supply mechanism (described later) to supply powder, the second opening portion 233 is aligned with the first opening portion 213 to open the inside of the powder supply container 200.

The second cylindrical portion 220 is disposed on the -F direction side of the lid portion 230. When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the second cylindrical portion 220, together with the lid portion 230, is held by the first cylindrical portion 210 so as to be rotatable about the central axis CA. The second cylindrical portion 220 includes guide ribs 221, a locking portion 228, and a second engagement portion 229. The second cylindrical portion 220 also includes an engaged portion that engages with a first engagement portion (described later) of the first cylindrical portion 210.

The guide ribs 221 guide a projection 212 of the first cylindrical portion 210 on occasions such as when the powder supply container 200 is assembled and when the first cylindrical portion 210 is rotated. The guide ribs 221 are provided on an outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220, that is, in a region corresponding to a side surface of the substantially cylindrical second cylindrical portion 220. The guide ribs 221 and the projection will be described in detail later.

When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the locking portion 228 comes into contact with an end portion of the first cylindrical portion 210 in the -F direction. The positions of the first cylindrical portion 210 and the set of the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 in the direction parallel to the F axis are defined by the locking portion 228, the recessed portion 235 of the lid portion 230, and the like. The locking portion 228 is an eaves-shaped portion protruding in the directions orthogonal to the central axis CA. The locking portion 228 is substantially ring-shaped when viewed from the +F direction, and has a shape adapted to an end portion of the first cylindrical portion 210 in the -F direction.

The second engaging portion 229 engages with the powder supply mechanism when the powder supply container 200 is attached to the powder supply mechanism described below. The second engaging portion 229 is exposed to the outside of the powder supply container 200 through the cutout portion 215 of the first cylindrical portion 210. Although not illustrated, the engaged portion of the second cylindrical portion 220 is provided at a position line-symmetrical to the second engaging portion 229 with respect to the central axis CA.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first cylindrical portion 210 includes the projection 212 and the first engagement portion 219. The first engagement portion 219 is provided at a position line-symmetrical relative to the cutout portion 215 with respect to the central axis CA. The first engagement portion 219 and the above-described engaged portion of the first cylindrical portion 210 are engaged with each other, and thus the first cylindrical portion 210, the lid portion 230, and the second cylindrical portion 220 are assembled.

The projection 212 is provided on an inner surface, that is, an inner side surface, of the first cylindrical portion 210. Specifically, the projection 212 is located in the vicinity of the cutout portion 215 in the +F direction and projects from the inner side surface of the first cylindrical portion 210 toward the central axis CA. When the powder supply container 200 is assembled or when the first cylindrical portion 210 rotates relative to the second cylindrical portion 220, the projection 212 is guided by the guide ribs 221 of the second cylindrical portion 220.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 can be disassembled. The lid portion 230 is detachably attached to the second cylindrical portion 220. To fill the powder supply container 200 with powder, the lid portion 230 is removed from the second cylindrical portion 220.

An outer thread 227 is disposed on the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220 near the end portion in the +F direction. The lid portion 230 includes an inner thread (not illustrated) on its inner surface near the end portion in the -F direction. To attach the lid portion 230 to the second cylindrical portion 220, the lid portion 230 is placed on the distal end of the second cylindrical portion 220 in the +F direction, and is then rotated clockwise when viewed from the +F direction. As a result, the outer thread 227 and the inner thread are screwed together, and the lid portion 230 is attached to the second cylindrical portion 220. When the lid portion 230 is removed from the second cylindrical portion 220, the lid portion 230 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction mentioned above relative to the second cylindrical portion 220.

On the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220, the guide ribs 221 and a slit portion 224 are disposed at approximately intermediate positions in the direction parallel to the F axis. The guide ribs 221 include a first guide rib 221a and a second guide rib 221b.

The first guide rib 221a guides the projection 212 of the first cylindrical portion 210 when the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 are inserted into the first cylindrical portion 210. The first guide rib 221a is formed on the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220 so as to extend in a spiral shape.

The first guide rib 221a is provided to extend entirely around the outer surface. When viewed from the direction orthogonal to the F-axis, in the first guide rib 221a, a region corresponding to the second engaging portion 229 is furthest in the -F direction, and a region opposite to the above-mentioned region with respect to the central axis CA is furthest in the +F direction. That is, when the +F direction is defined as a height direction, the region corresponding to the second engaging portion 229 is lowest, and the region opposite to this region is highest. In this manner, the first guide rib 221a is inclined. The first guide rib 221a protrudes from the outer surface and has a sufficient shape to come into contact and guide the projection 212.

When the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 are inserted into the first cylindrical portion 210, the first guide rib 221a guides the projection 212 so that the second cylindrical portion 220 is assembled at a predetermined position in the first cylindrical portion 210. Specifically, the projection 212 slides being in contact with the first guide rib 221a, and is guided to the lowest region by the inclination. At this time, the arrangement of the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 relative to the first cylindrical portion 210 is determined in the rotational direction about the central axis CA. Thus, the powder supply container 200 can be easily and appropriately assembled.

The slit portion 224 is a cutout provided in the first guide rib 221a. The first guide rib 221a is divided by the slit portion 224 and is continuous in the region other than the slit portion 224. The slit portion 224 is disposed in a region of the first guide rib 221a corresponding to the second engagement portion 229, that is, in the lowest region mentioned above. The slit portion 224 allows the projection 212 to pass therethrough parallel to the F axis. The above-described predetermined position of the first cylindrical portion 210 on the second cylindrical portion 220 is a position at which the projection 212 can pass through the slit portion 224.

When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the projection 212 is guided to the lowest region by the first guide rib 221a and then moves in the -F direction through the slit portion 224. Then, the end portion of the first cylindrical portion 210 in the -F direction comes into contact with the locking portion 228. Thus, the assembly of the powder supply container 200 is completed. After the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the projection 212 is disengaged from the first guide rib 221a and comes to a position corresponding to the second guide rib 221b. When disassembling the powder supply container 200, the projection 212 is passed through the slit portion 224, and the first cylindrical portion 210 is moved in the +F direction relative to the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220, in a manner opposite to the above-described procedure.

The second guide rib 221b guides the projection 212 in a state where the first cylindrical portion 210 and the set of the lid portion 230 and the second cylindrical portion 220 are assembled. Specifically, the second guide rib 221b guides the first cylindrical portion 210 such that the first cylindrical portion 210 rotates about the central axis CA relative to the second cylindrical portion 220 with the interposition of the projection 212. The second guide rib 221b is disposed on the -F direction side of the first guide rib 221a on the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220. The second guide rib 221b is formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction about the central axis CA.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second guide rib 221b includes an upper rib 221b1 and a lower rib 221b2. In addition, stopper portions 225a and 225b are disposed on the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220 and at the positions corresponding to the second guide rib 221b.

The upper rib 221b1 and the lower rib 221b2 correspond to an end portion in the +F direction and an end portion in the -F direction of the projection 212. In the direction parallel to the F-axis, the distance between the upper rib 221b1 and the lower rib 221b2 is larger than the dimension of the projection 212. The projection 212 can move between the upper rib 221b1 and the lower rib 221b2 along the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 220. In other words, the first cylindrical portion 210 rotates about the central axis CA with the projection 212 guided by the upper rib 221b1 and the lower rib 221b2.

The stopper portions 225a and 225b restrict the movement of the projection 212 in the second guide rib 221b, in other words, restrict the rotation of the first cylindrical portion 210 about the central axis CA to a certain range. The certain range is a range in which the open state and the closed state of the first opening portion 213 are switched. Although the range is not particularly limited, it is a range from 80° to 120° as the rotation angle about the central axis CA.

The stopper portion 225a is disposed adjacent to the slit portion 224 in the -F direction. When the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the projection 212 passes through the slit portion 224 and comes into contact with the stopper portion 225a.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the initial state when the powder supply container 200 is assembled, the first opening portion 213 of the first cylindrical portion 210 and the second opening portion 233 of the lid portion 230 are not aligned. That is, in the initial state, the first opening portion 213 is closed, and the inside of the powder supply container 200 is sealed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent leakage of the powder during carriage, storage, handling, and the like. Since the powder supply container 200 is sealed in the initial state when the powder supply container 200 is assembled, leakage of the powder due to carelessness is suppressed in an operation such as charging powder.

When the first cylindrical portion 210 is rotated clockwise as viewed from the +F direction relative to the second cylindrical portion 220 from the initial state, the first opening portion 213 and the second opening portion 233 are aligned. As a result, the first opening portion 213 is opened, and the powder supply container 200 is in an open state in which the inside is opened. In the open state, the powder can be supplied from the powder supply container 200. As described above, the transition from the initial state to the open state proceeds by the projection 212 being guided by the second guide rib 221b.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the projection 212 of the first cylindrical portion 210 is located in the -F direction in the slit portion 224 in the initial state of the powder supply container 200, and is in contact with the stopper portion 225a. At this time, as described above, the inside of the powder supply container 200 is sealed. In order to change the state of the powder supply container 200 from the initial state to the open state, the first cylindrical portion 210 is rotated relative to the second cylindrical portion 220 so that the projection 212 moves in the direction of the white arrow. At this time, the projection 212 is guided by the upper rib 221b1 and the lower rib 221b2.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, to transition from the initial state to the open state, the projection 212 is moved as indicated by the white arrow and brought into contact with the stopper portion 225b. At this time, since the open state is achieved when the projection 212 comes into contact with the stopper portion 225b, the opened state can be easily grasped.

In a state other than the initial state, including the open state, the movement of the projection 212 in the +F direction is restricted by the upper rib 221b1. Therefore, the first cylindrical portion 210 cannot be moved in the +F direction relative to the second cylindrical portion 220. That is, in a state other than the initial state, the first cylindrical portion 210 cannot be removed from the powder supply container 200, and the first cylindrical portion 210 is prevented from unintentionally coming off. To return from the opened state to the initial state, the projection 212 is moved in the direction opposite to the white arrow and brought into contact with the stopper portion 225a.

Next, a powder supply mechanism 300 for applying the powder supply container 200 to the sheet manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 11. In the following description, FIGS. 9 and 10 will also be referred to.

The powder supply mechanism 300 illustrated in FIG. 11 is included in a sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 to be described later. The powder supply mechanism 300 supplies powder from the powder supply container 200 to a channel, which will be described later, included in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The powder supply mechanism 300 includes a mounting portion 311, a supply portion 322, and a valve (not illustrated). The mounting portion 311 has a substantially circular cross section orthogonal to the F axis, and the powder supply container 200 can be inserted into the circle of the cross section.

The operator fills the powder supply container 200 with powder so that the powder supply container 200 is in the initial state, and then inserts the powder supply container 200 into the mounting portion 311 such that the bottom surface 211 of the first cylindrical portion 210 enters first. At this time, the powder in the powder supply container 200 is not supplied to the powder supply mechanism 300.

Next, the operator rotates the second cylindrical portion 220 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the -F direction until the rotation of the second cylindrical portion 220 stops, that is, the projection 212 is brought into contact with the stopper portion 225b. At this time, the first cylindrical portion 210 is held by the powder supply mechanism 300. As a result, the powder supply container 200 is opened, and the powder can be supplied into the powder supply mechanism 300.

The powder supplied from the powder supply container 200 moves in the powder supply mechanism 300 along a path indicated by the broken line arrows, and the flow rate is adjusted by the above-mentioned valve at a certain point in the path. The powder is supplied from the supply portion 322 to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 at a predetermined flow rate.

When the powder supply container 200 that has finished supplying the powder is removed from the powder supply mechanism 300, the operator rotates the second cylindrical portion 220 in the direction opposite to the above-described direction to bring the projection 212 into contact with the stopper portion 225a. As a result, the powder supply container 200 returns to the initial state, and can be removed from the mounting portion 311. The powder supply container 200 can be used repeatedly.

Next, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 to which the powder supply container 200 can be applied will be described with reference to FIG. 12. In FIG. 12, X-, Y-, and Z-axes are indicated as coordinate axes orthogonal to one another, the direction indicated by each arrow is a + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is a - direction. FIG. 12 illustrates a state where the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is installed on a horizontal surface. The Z-axis is along a vertical direction, a +Z direction is also referred to as upward, and a -Z direction is also referred to as downward. The -Z direction is a direction in which gravity acts. For convenience of illustration, the size of each member is different from the actual size.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures sheets P3 from paper pieces such as used paper by a dry process. The sheet manufacturing apparatus to which the powder supply container 200 is applied is not limited to being of a dry type, and may be of a wet type. In the present specification, the dry process refers to a process performed in air, such as the atmosphere, rather than a process performed in a liquid.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first unit group 101, a second unit group 102, and a third unit group 103. The first unit group 101, the second unit group 102, and the third unit group 103 are supported by a frame (not illustrated).

In FIG. 12, directions in which paper pieces C, the sheets P3, slit pieces S, unnecessary scraps, and the like move are indicated by white arrows. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the side in a transport direction of the paper pieces C, a web W, the sheets P3, and the like may be referred to as downstream, and the side in the direction opposite to the transport direction may be referred to as upstream. In the following description, a collection of a plurality of paper pieces C is also simply referred to as the paper pieces C.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures sheets P3 from paper pieces C. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the first unit group 101, the third unit group 103, and the second unit group 102 are arranged from the -Y direction toward the +Y direction in side view from the -X direction.

Paper pieces C are transported from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 through a pipe 21 passing through the inside of the third unit group 103. Then, the paper pieces C are formed into fibers by being subjected to defibration or the like in the second unit group 102, and is then formed into a mixture containing a binder or the like. The mixture is transported to the third unit group 103 via a pipe 24. The mixture is formed into a strip-shaped sheet P1 after being formed into a web W by the third unit group 103. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut into sheets P3 in the first unit group 101.

The first unit group 101 includes a raw-material supply device 13, a measurement unit 15, a merging portion 17, and the pipe 21. In the first unit group 101, these components are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream. In addition, the first unit group 101 also includes a first cutting unit 81, a second cutting unit 82, a tray 91, and a shredding unit 95. The first cutting unit 81 and the second cutting unit 82 cut the strip-shaped sheet P1 into sheets P3 having a predetermined shape. Furthermore, the first unit group 101 includes a water supply unit 67. The water supply unit 67 is a water storage tank. The water supply unit 67 supplies water for humidification to each of a first humidification unit 65 and a second humidification unit 66 (to be described later) through a water supply pipe (not illustrated).

The raw-material supply device 13 stores paper pieces C, which are the raw material for sheets P3, and supplies the paper pieces C to a downstream process. The raw-material supply device 13 includes a raw-material supply port 131, a storage unit 132, and a discharge portion 140.

Paper pieces C are charged through the raw-material supply port 131 into the storage unit 132. The paper pieces C contain fibers such as cellulose, and are, for example, shredded waste paper. Inside the storage unit 132, humidified air is supplied from the second humidification unit 66 included in the third unit group 103.

The paper pieces C are temporarily stored in the storage unit 132 and then transported to the measurement unit 15 via the discharge portion 140. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 may include a shredder located upstream of the storage unit 132 and configured to shred paper pieces C and the like.

The measurement unit 15 includes a sensor 15a and a supply mechanism (not illustrated). The sensor 15a measures the mass of paper pieces C. The supply mechanism supplies the paper pieces C weighed by the sensor 15a to the downstream merging portion 17. That is, every time the measurement unit 15 weighs out a predetermined mass of paper pieces C with the sensor 15a, the supply mechanism supplies it to the downstream merging portion 17.

The sensor 15a may be either a digital or analog weighing mechanism. More specifically, the sensor 15a may be a physical sensor such as a load cell, a spring balance, a balance scale, or the like. In the present embodiment, the sensor 15a is a load cell. The predetermined mass of paper pieces C weighed by the sensor 15a is, for example, about several grams to several tens of grams.

A known technique such as a feeder configured to open and close can be used as the supply mechanism. The supply mechanism may be configured to be included in the sensor 15a.

The weighing and supplying processes of paper pieces C by the measurement unit 15 are batch processing. That is, the paper pieces C are intermittently supplied from the measurement unit 15 to the merging portion 17. The measurement unit 15 may include a plurality of combinations of the sensor units 15a and the supply mechanisms, and may improve the efficiency of weighing and supply by operating the plurality of sensor units 15a sequentially with time intervals. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes two sensor units 15a each of which is provided with a supply mechanism. With this configuration, paper pieces C are transported alternately from the two sets of sensors 15a and supply mechanisms to the merging portion 17.

In the merging portion 17, shredded pieces of slit pieces S supplied from the shredding unit 95 are added to and mixed with the paper pieces C supplied from the measurement unit 15. The slit pieces S and the shredding unit 95 will be described later. The paper pieces C mixed with the above-described shredded pieces flow through the merging portion 17 into the pipe 21.

The pipe 21 transports paper pieces C from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 by using a suction airflow generated by a downstream defibrating unit 30.

The second unit group 102 includes the defibrating unit 30, which is a dry defibrating machine, a separation unit 31, a pipe 23, a mixing unit 33, and the pipe 24. In the second unit group 102, these components are disposed in this order from upstream to downstream. In addition, the second unit group 102 also includes a pipe 25 connected to the separation unit 31, a collection unit 35, a compressor 38, and a power supply unit 39.

The paper pieces C transported through the pipe 21 flow into the defibrating unit 30. The defibrating unit 30 defibrates the paper pieces C supplied from the measurement unit 15 into fibers in a dry process. A known defibrating mechanism can be used as the defibrating unit 30.

The defibrating unit 30 has, for example, the following configuration. The defibrating unit 30 includes a stator and a rotor. The stator has a substantially cylindrical inner surface. The rotor is installed inside the stator and rotates along the inner surface of the stator. Small pieces of the paper pieces C are caught between the inner surface of the stator and the rotor, and is defibrated by a shearing force generated therebetween. This process defibrates entangled fibers included in the paper pieces C. The paper pieces C are processed into fibers and transported to the separation unit 31.

The separation unit 31 separates the defibrated fibers. Specifically, the separation unit 31 removes the components unnecessary for manufacturing the sheets P3, contained in the fibers. To be specific, the separation unit 31 separates relatively short fibers from relatively long fibers. Since relatively short fibers can degrade the strength of the sheets P3, they are separated by the separation unit 31. In addition, the separation unit 31 also separates and removes coloring materials, additives, and the like contained in the paper pieces C. A known technique such as a disk mesh method can be used in the separation unit 31.

Humidified air is supplied to the inside of the separation unit 31 from the second humidification unit 66 in the third unit group 103.

Relatively short fibers and the like are removed from the defibrated fibers, and the resultant fibers are transported to the mixing unit 33 through the pipe 23 by an airflow generated by a blower (not illustrated) disposed at the distal end of an airflow pipe 32. The unnecessary components such as relatively short fibers and coloring materials are discharged to the collection unit 35 via the pipe 25.

The mixing unit 33 mixes a powder additive such as a binder with the fibers in air to form a mixture. The mixing unit 33 includes the powder supply mechanism 300. The powder supply mechanism 300 includes a built-in hopper in addition to the supply portion 322 and the valve described above. The powder supply container 200 is mounted on the powder supply mechanism 300. Although not illustrated, the mixing unit 33 includes a channel through which the fibers are transported and a fan, in addition to the powder supply mechanism 300.

The hopper communicates with the channel for the fibers via the supply portion 322. The valve is provided in the supply portion 322 between the hopper and the channel. The hopper sends the binder powder, which is supplied from the powder supply container 200, into the channel. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, starch is adopted as the binder for the fibers. The valve adjusts the flow rate, that is, the mass of the binder supplied from the hopper to the channel. As a result, the mixing ratio between the fibers and the binder is adjusted.

The mixing unit 33 may include a similar configuration for supplying a coloring material, an additive, or the like, in addition to the powder supply container 200 and the powder supply mechanism 300 that supply the binder. That is, the powder supply container 200 may be used for an additive or a coloring material other than the binder.

The fan of the mixing unit 33 forms a mixture by mixing the binder and the like with the fibers in air while transporting the fibers downstream using a generated airflow. The mixture flows from the mixing unit 33 into the pipe 24.

The collection unit 35 includes a filter (not illustrated). The filter filters out unnecessary components such as relatively short fibers transported through the pipe 25 by the airflow.

The compressor 38 generates compressed air. In the above filter, clogging may occur due to fine particles or the like in the unnecessary components. The compressed air generated by the compressor 38 can be blown onto the filter to blow off adhering particles and clean the filter.

The power supply unit 39 includes a control unit 5 and a power supply device (not illustrated) that supplies electric power to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The power supply unit 39 distributes electric power, which is supplied from the outside, to each component in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The control unit 5 is electrically connected to each component in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 and controls the operation of these components in an integrated manner.

The third unit group 103 deposits and compresses the mixture containing fibers to form the strip-shaped sheet P1, which is recycled paper. The third unit group 103 includes a deposition unit 50, a first transport unit 61, a second transport unit 62, the first humidification unit 65, the second humidification unit 66, a drainage unit 68, and a forming unit 70.

In the third unit group 103, the deposition unit 50, the first transport unit 61, the second transport unit 62, the first humidification unit 65, and the forming unit 70 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream. The second humidification unit 66 is located below the first humidification unit 65.

The deposition unit 50 deposits the mixture containing the separated fibers in air to form a web W. The deposition unit 50 includes a drum member 53, a blade member 55 installed inside the drum member 53, a housing 51 that houses the drum member 53, and a suction unit 59. The mixture is taken into the drum member 53 through the pipe 24.

The first transport unit 61 is disposed below the deposition unit 50. The first transport unit 61 includes a mesh belt 61a and five tension rollers (not illustrated) around which the mesh belt 61a is stretched. The suction unit 59 faces the drum member 53 with the mesh belt 61a interposed therebetween in a direction along the Z-axis.

The blade member 55 is located inside the drum member 53 and is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated). The drum member 53 is a semicylindrical sieve. The drum member 53 has a mesh having the function of a sieve on a side surface facing downward. The drum member 53 allows particles such as fibers and the mixture smaller than the mesh openings of the sieve to pass therethrough from the inside to the outside.

The mixture is discharged to the outside of the drum member 53 while being stirred by the rotating blade member 55 in the drum member 53. Humidified air is supplied to the inside of the drum member 53 from the second humidification unit 66.

The suction unit 59 is disposed below the drum member 53. The suction unit 59 sucks the air in the housing 51 through a plurality of holes of the mesh belt 61a. The plurality of holes of the mesh belt 61a allow air to pass therethrough, and it is difficult for fibers, binders, or the like contained in the mixture to pass therethrough. With this configuration, the mixture discharged to the outside of the drum member 53 is sucked downward together with air. The suction unit 59 is a known suction device such as a blower.

The mixture is dispersed in the air inside the housing 51, and is then deposited onto an upper surface of the mesh belt 61a by gravity and the suction by the suction unit 59 to form a web W.

The mesh belt 61a is an endless belt and is stretched around the five tension rollers. The mesh belt 61a is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 12 by the rotation of the tension rollers. Thus, the mixture is continuously deposited onto the mesh belt 61a to form the web W. The web W includes a relatively large amount of air and is soft and swollen. The first transport unit 61 transports the formed web W downstream by the rotation of the mesh belt 61a.

The second transport unit 62 is located downstream of the first transport unit 61 and transports the web W, in place of the first transport unit 61. The second transport unit 62 peels the web W from the upper surface of the mesh belt 61a and transports the web W toward the forming unit 70. The second transport unit 62 is located above the transport path of the web W and slightly upstream of the return start point of the mesh belt 61a. The +Y direction side of the second transport unit 62 and the -Y direction side of the mesh belt 61a partially overlap each other in the vertical direction.

The second transport unit 62 includes a transport belt, a plurality of rollers, and a suction mechanism (not illustrated). The transport belt is provided with a plurality of holes through which air passes. The transport belt is stretched around the plurality of rollers and is rotated by the rotation of the rollers.

The second transport unit 62 causes an upper surface of the web W to be attracted and attached to a lower surface of the transport belt by a negative pressure generated by the suction mechanism. When the transport belt rotates in this state, the web W attached to the transport belt by suction is transported downstream.

The first humidification unit 65 moistens the web W containing the fibers deposited by the deposition unit 50 of the third unit group 103. Specifically, the first humidification unit 65 is, for example, a mist humidifier, and supplies mist M to the web W, which is being transported by the second transport unit 62, from below to moisten the web W. The first humidification unit 65 is disposed below the second transport unit 62 and faces the web W, which is being transported by the second transport unit 62, in the Z-axis direction. For example, a known humidification device such as an ultrasonic humidification device can be used as the first humidification unit 65.

Moistening the web W with the mist M improves a function of the starch as the binder, and improves the strength of the sheets P3. In addition, since the web W is moistened from below, droplets derived from the mist are prevented from falling onto the web W. In addition, since the web W is moistened from the side opposite to the contact surface between the transport belt and the web W, sticking of the web W to the transport belt is reduced. The second transport unit 62 transports the web W to the forming unit 70.

The forming unit 70 includes processing rollers 71 and 72. The processing rollers 71 and 72 compress the web W containing the fibers and form the web W into a strip-shaped sheet P1. The processing rollers 71 and 72 form a pair, and each includes a built-in electric heater that has the function of raising the temperature of the corresponding roller surface.

The processing rollers 71 and 72 are members each having a substantially cylindrical shape. The rotating shaft of the processing roller 71 and the rotating shaft of the processing roller 72 are parallel to the X-axis. The processing roller 71 is disposed substantially over the transport path of the web W, and the processing roller 72 is disposed substantially under the transport path. The processing rollers 71 and 72 are disposed with a gap between the side surfaces thereof. The size of the gap is set in accordance with the thickness of the sheet P3 to be manufactured.

The processing rollers 71 and 72 are rotationally driven by a stepping motor (not illustrated). The web W is fed downstream, while being pinched between the processing roller 71 and the processing roller 72 and heated and pressed. That is, the web W continuously passes through the forming unit 70 and is press-formed while being heated. By using the processing rollers 71 and 72 as a pair of forming members, the web W can be efficiently heated and pressed.

When the web W, which contains a large amount of air and is soft, passes through the forming unit 70, the amount of air in the web W decreases and the fibers therein are bound together by the binder. In this way, the web W is formed into the sheet P1 having a strip shape. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is transported to the first unit group 101 by transport rollers (not illustrated).

The second humidification unit 66 is located below the first humidification unit 65. A known evaporative humidification device can be used as the second humidification unit 66. Examples of evaporative humidification devices include one that generates humidified air by blowing air to a moistened non-woven fabric or the like to evaporate moisture.

The second humidification unit 66 humidifies a predetermined region of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The predetermined region refers to one or more of the storage unit 132, the separation unit 31, and the inside of the drum member 53 of the deposition unit 50. Specifically, humidified air is supplied from the second humidification unit 66 to the regions mentioned above through a plurality of pipes (not illustrated). In each of the above-described components, the humidified air decreases the electrostatic charge of the paper pieces C, the fibers, and the like, thereby suppressing adhesion of the paper pieces C, the fibers, and the like to the members due to static electricity.

The drainage unit 68 is a drainage tank. The drainage unit 68 collects and stores waste water after being used in the first humidification unit 65, the second humidification unit 66, and the like. The drainage unit 68 can be detached from the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 as necessary to discard the collected water.

The strip-shaped sheet P1 transported to the first unit group 101 reaches the first cutting unit 81. The first cutting unit 81 cuts the strip-shaped sheet P1 in a direction intersecting the transport direction, for example, in the X-axis direction. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut into cut sheets P2 by the first cutting unit 81. The cut sheets P2 are transported from the first cutting unit 81 to the second cutting unit 82.

The second cutting unit 82 cuts the cut sheet P2 in the transport direction, for example, in the Y-axis direction. To be specific, the second cutting unit 82 cuts portions near both X-axis edges of the cut sheet P2. As a result, the cut sheet P2 is formed into the sheet P3 having a predetermined shape such as A4 size or A3 size, for example.

When the cut sheet P2 is cut into the sheet P3 in the second cutting unit 82, scrap slit pieces S are produced. The slit pieces S are transported substantially in the -Y direction and reach the shredding unit 95 which is a shredder. The shredding unit 95 shreds the slit pieces S into shredded pieces, and the shredded pieces are supplied to the merging portion 17. A mechanism for weighing the shredded pieces of the slit pieces S and supplying them to the merging portion 17 may be disposed between the shredding unit 95 and the merging portion 17.

The sheets P3 are transported substantially upward and are stacked on the tray 91. The sheets P3 are thus manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The sheets P3 can be used as a substitute for, for example, copy paper or the like.

According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

It is easy to carry the powder supply container 200 with powder filled therein. Specifically, since the inside of the powder supply container 200 is closed, the powder is prevented from leaking when the powder supply container 200 is carried with powder filled therein. It is possible to provide the powder supply container 200 that is easy to carry in a state where the powder supply container 200 is filled with powder.

By removing the lid portion 230 from the second cylindrical portion 220, powder can be easily charged. In addition, it is possible to easily supply powder to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 by opening the first opening portion 213.

Since the guide ribs 221 guide the projection 212, the first cylindrical portion 210 is appropriately positioned and moved relative to the second cylindrical portion 220. Thus, it is possible to reliably switch between the initial state and the open state.

The powder supply container 200 is first assembled in the initial state. Therefore, when powder is charged and the first cylindrical portion 210 is attached, leakage of the powder is suppressed. In addition, since the first cylindrical portion 210 cannot be removed in the opened state, it is possible to prevent the first cylindrical portion 210 from being erroneously removed.