SHEET MANUFACTURING APPARATUS

Description

The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2024-166009, filed Sep. 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 sheet manufacturing apparatus.

2. Related Art

JP-A-2008-224877 describes an existing known apparatus including a mechanism for supplying powder such as material or an additive. For example, JP-A-2008-224877 discloses an image forming apparatus including a toner bottle for supplying toner.

However, the apparatus described in JP-A-2008-224877 has a problem in that the structure tends to be complicated and it is difficult to reduce the amount of toner left unsupplied. Specifically, the toner bottle tends to have a complicated structure because the toner bottle includes a built-in motor. Further, since the toner bottle is disposed substantially horizontally, it is sometimes difficult to completely supply the toner in the toner storage space even though the screw rotates. In other words, there is a need for a sheet manufacturing apparatus in which the amount of powder left unsupplied is reduced with a simple configuration.

SUMMARY

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a supply unit configured to supply powder; a mixing unit configured to mix fibers and the supplied powder to form a mixture; a deposition unit configured to deposit the mixture to form a web; and a forming unit configured to compress the web to form a sheet, the supply unit includes a cylindrical container configured to store the powder, a holding unit including a cylindrical inner wall into which the cylindrical container can be inserted and a pressing roller located in the inner wall and configured to be in contact with the cylindrical container, and a driving unit including a drive roller, when the cylindrical container is inserted into the holding unit, the pressing roller and the drive roller hold the cylindrical container, when the drive roller rotates, the cylindrical container rotates, and the powder is supplied from the cylindrical container, a surface of the drive roller is provided with a plurality of first protrusions, an outer surface of the cylindrical container is provided with a plurality of second protrusions, and the plurality of first protrusions are engaged with the plurality of second protrusions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a supply unit.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a holding unit and its periphery.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the holding unit and its periphery.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the holding unit and its periphery.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cylindrical container.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cylindrical container with its opening open.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cylindrical container inserted into the holding unit.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cylindrical container inserted into the holding unit.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a sensor unit.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the function of the sensor unit.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cylindrical container.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a holding unit and its periphery.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment

In the following embodiment, a sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 that manufactures sheets from paper pieces will be shown as an example and described with reference to the drawings. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided with a supply unit that supplies a binder which is powder.

In each of the following drawings, an F-axis and XYZ-axes orthogonal to one another are shown as necessary. The direction indicated by each arrow is defined as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is defined as the − direction. The Z-axis is parallel to the vertical direction, and the −Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. The +Z direction is sometimes referred to as the upward direction, and the −Z direction is sometimes referred to as the downward direction. The F-axis intersects the Z-axis, which is the vertical direction, and the Y-axis and is orthogonal to the X-axis. 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 waste paper by a dry process. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is not limited to dry processes and may be one used in a wet process. 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. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has 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. 1, the directions in which paper pieces C, sheets P3, slit pieces S, unnecessary scraps, and the like move are indicated by the white arrows. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the side in the transport direction of paper pieces C, a web W, sheets P3, and the like is sometimes referred to as “downstream”, and the side in the direction opposite to the transport direction is sometimes referred to as “upstream”.

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 via a pipe 21 crossing an inside of the third unit group 103. Then, the paper pieces C are subjected to defibration or the like to become fibers in the second unit group 102, and are 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 the strip-shaped sheet P1 after being formed into the web W by the third unit group 103. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut into sheets P3 in the first unit group 101. In the following description, aggregates of a plurality of fibers are also simply referred to as fibers.

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 of the 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. Specifically, every time the measurement unit 15 weighs out a specified mass of paper pieces C with the sensor 15a, the supply mechanism supplies it to the downstream merging portion 17.

Both digital and analog weighing mechanisms can be used as the sensor 15a. Specific examples of the sensor 15a include a physical sensor such as a load cell, a spring scale, and a balance. In the present embodiment, a load cell is used as the sensor 15a. The specific mass of paper pieces C weighed by the sensor 15a is, for example, approximately 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 included in the sensor 15a.

The weighing and supplying processes of paper pieces C by the measurement unit 15 are batch processing. Specifically, the supply of paper pieces C from the measurement unit 15 to the merging portion 17 is performed intermittently. The measurement unit 15 may include a plurality of combinations of the sensors 15a and the supply mechanisms, and the plurality of sensors 15a may be operated at different timings to improve the weighing and supply efficiency. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes two sensors 15a each provided with a supply mechanism. Thus, paper pieces C are alternately transported 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 units 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 from 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 supply unit 200, a mixing unit 33, and the pipe 24. In the second unit group 102, these components are arranged 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 units 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 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 supply unit 200 supplies a binder composed of powder to the mixing unit 33. The mixing unit 33 mixes fibers and the binder supplied from the supply unit 200 in air to form a mixture. The binder binds the fibers to one another in a forming unit 70 described later. In this embodiment, starch is used as the binder.

Note that the powder supplied to the mixing unit 33 by the supply unit 200 is not limited to a binder, and may be another additive such as a coloring material. In addition, the above-described powder may be a mixture of a binder and other additives. Furthermore, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 may include a plurality of supply units 200. Details of the supply unit 200 will be described later.

Although not illustrated, the mixing unit 33 includes a flow path and a fan. The flow path of the mixing unit 33 communicates with the upstream pipe 23 and the downstream pipe 24. The supply unit 200 is connected to an intermediate point of the flow path of the mixing unit 33.

In the mixing unit 33, fibers flow into the flow path from the pipe 23. The fan of the mixing unit 33 generates an airflow in the flow path. The fibers are transported downstream in the flow path by the airflow of the fan. At this time, the binder, which is powder supplied from the supply unit 200 into the flow path, is mixed into the fibers. The fibers are mixed with the binder by the airflow mentioned above while being transported in the flow path and form a mixture. The mixture flows from the mixing unit 33 into the pipe 24.

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 the 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 fibers subjected to the separation, in air to form a web W. The deposition unit 50 includes a drum member 53, a blade member 55 disposed 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 inside of the drum member 53 from 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 provided 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 causes particles such as fibers and mixtures smaller than a mesh size 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 from the second humidification unit 66 to the inside of the drum member 53.

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 included 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 in the housing 51 and is then deposited on an upper surface of the mesh belt 61a due to 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. 1 by the rotation of the tension rollers. As a result, the mixture is continuously deposited on the mesh belt 61a, and the web W is formed. The web W contains 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 with each other in the vertical direction.

The second transport unit 62 includes a transport belt, a plurality of rollers, and a suction mechanism, which are 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 rotations 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 applied to the first humidification unit 65.

Moistening the web W with the mist M promotes 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 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 is soft and contains a large amount of air, 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.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the supply unit 200 includes a housing 201, a cylindrical container 210, a holding unit 220, a driving unit 230, and a supply pipe 240. The supply unit 200 feeds the binder, which is a powder stored in the cylindrical container 210, into the housing 201 and supplies the binder through the supply pipe 240 to the mixing unit 33. The cylindrical container 210 is detachable from the main body of the supply unit 200, specifically, from the holding unit 220.

FIG. 2 shows the cylindrical container 210 attached to the holding unit 220. In FIG. 2, the movement path of the binder supplied from the cylindrical container 210 to the mixing unit 33 is indicated by the broken line arrows. In the supply unit 200, the cylindrical container 210, the holding unit 220, the housing 201, and the supply pipe 240 are arranged along the movement path of the binder.

The holding unit 220 protrudes from the housing 201 in the +F direction. The holding unit 220 includes an inner wall 221, a first pressing roller 228a, and a second pressing roller 228b, and holds the cylindrical container 210. The inner wall 221 has a cylindrical shape and is inclined to be parallel to the F-axis. The shape of the inner wall 221 is adapted to the shape of the cylindrical container 210. The cylindrical container 210 can be inserted into the inner wall 221.

The cylindrical container 210 stores a binder (not illustrated) and can be transferred with the binder stored. The cylindrical container 210 has a substantially cylindrical shape and has a central axis CA which is an imaginary axis parallel to the F-axis. In the cylindrical container 210, the cross sections orthogonal to the central axis CA are substantially circular.

When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221 of the holding unit 220, the central axis CA intersects the vertical direction, which is the Z-axis. In this state, the binder can be supplied from the cylindrical container 210 to the inside of the housing 201 through the holding unit 220. When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the holding unit 220, the central axis CA is inclined upward in the +Y direction. Hence, gravity acts so that the binder can be supplied from the cylindrical container 210 to the inside of the housing 201. The supply of the binder is promoted by gravity. Details of the holding unit 220 and the cylindrical container 210 will be described later.

The driving unit 230 includes a drive motor 231, a shaft member 233, and a drive roller 235. The drive motor 231 is disposed at an end portion of the housing 201 in the −Y direction. The drive motor 231 rotates the shaft member 233 and the drive roller 235 via a plurality of gears or the like (not illustrated) and in turn rotates also the cylindrical container 210 via the drive roller 235.

The shaft member 233 is a substantially rod-shaped member. The shaft member 233 is disposed parallel to the Y-axis inside the housing 201. Although not illustrated, a flap member is attached to the shaft member 233. The flap member rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft member 233, and stirs and moves the binder supplied into the housing 201. Thus, the binder moves downward in the housing 201 and is transported into the supply pipe 240 via a transportation mechanism (not illustrated).

The rotation of the drive motor 231 is transmitted through the shaft member 233 via a plurality of gears or the like (not illustrated) to the drive roller 235. The drive roller 235 is a substantially cylindrical member, and the central axis of the cylinder is parallel to the F-axis. In the drive roller 235, a portion corresponding to the side surface of the cylinder is exposed from the inner wall 221.

When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221, the portion of the drive roller 235 corresponding to the side surface mentioned above is in contact with the cylindrical container 210. In this state, the drive roller 235, the first pressing roller 228a, and the second pressing roller 228b hold the cylindrical container 210. In this state, when the drive motor 231 operates, the drive roller 235 rotates, and the rotation of the drive roller 235 rotates the cylindrical container 210 inserted into the holding unit 220 about the central axis CA. The cylindrical container 210 supplies the binder to the inside of the housing 201 while rotating in the holding unit 220. The drive roller 235 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the holding unit 220, the angle at which the central axis CA intersects the vertical direction is preferably 15 degrees or more and 75 degrees or less. Since the angle is 15 degrees or more, the supply remainder of the binder is further reduced. Since the angle is 75 degrees or less, the binder is gradually supplied. Hence, local densification of the binder is prevented inside the housing 201, and a state where the density is relatively low is maintained. In this embodiment, the angle mentioned above is set to about 70 degrees.

The binder supplied from the cylindrical container 210 is transported from the upper side to the lower side in the housing 201. Then, the binder is transported in the −Y direction by a transportation mechanism (not illustrated) located in the lower portion of the inside of the housing 201 and reaches the supply pipe 240.

The supply pipe 240 is a substantially cylindrical member, and the length direction of the cylinder is parallel to the Y-axis. The inside of the supply pipe 240 communicates with the inside of the lower portion of the housing 201. Although not illustrated, an end portion of the supply pipe 240 in the −Y direction is connected to the mixing unit 33. The binder is transported in the supply pipe 240 in the −Y direction by the transportation mechanism mentioned above. Then, the binder is supplied, near an end portion of the supply pipe 240 in the −Y direction, downward to the mixing unit 33.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the holding unit 220 includes a bottom portion 222, an opening portion 223, a support portion 225, a roller holding member 226, biasing mechanisms 227, and a sensor unit 229 in addition to the components mentioned above. FIG. 3 shows the holding unit 220 with the cylindrical container 210 removed.

The bottom portion 222 and the opening portion 223 are provided on the end portion side of the inner wall 221 in the −F direction. Each of the bottom portion 222 and the opening portion 223 has a substantially semicircular shape when viewed from the +F direction. The combined shape of the bottom portion 222 and the opening portion 223 is circular. The opening portion 223 is located below the bottom portion 222. The bottom portion 222 closes a part of the end portion of the inner wall 221 in the −F direction. The opening portion 223 is provided with, for example, a mesh or a perforated member. The binder passes through the opening portion 223 via the member mentioned above and moves from the cylindrical container 210 to the inside of the housing 201.

The support portion 225 is a portion corresponding to an outer shell of the holding unit 220. The support portion 225 is disposed outside and substantially above the inner wall 221. An upper end portion, in other words, one end, of each biasing mechanism 227 is fixed to the support portion 225. The support portion 225 supports the roller holding member 226 with the biasing mechanisms 227 interposed therebetween. The support portion 225 is formed of a relatively strong material such as a metal or an engineering plastic.

The roller holding member 226 is disposed approximately at the 12 o'clock position on the inner wall 221 when viewed from the +F direction. The roller holding member 226 holds the first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b. A lower end portion, in other words, the other end, of each biasing mechanism 227 is fixed to the roller holding member 226. The roller holding member 226 is supported by the support portion 225 via the biasing mechanisms 227.

The biasing mechanisms 227 bias the first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b such that these rollers protrude substantially downward from the inner wall 221. The biasing mechanisms 227 are disposed between the support portion 225 and the roller holding member 226. The biasing mechanisms 227 bias the roller holding member 226 substantially downward, in other words, toward the inside of the inner wall 221, with respect to the support portion 225.

Due to the biasing of the biasing mechanisms 227, the first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b held by the roller holding member 226 slightly protrude inward from the inner wall 221. In addition, the cylindrical container 210 is sufficiently held in the holding unit 220 by the biasing of the biasing mechanisms 227. Furthermore, the cylindrical container 210 can be easily attached to and detached from the holding unit 220.

The biasing mechanisms 227 are not particularly limited as long as they can bias the roller holding member 226 in the direction mentioned above. Known biasing members can be used as the biasing mechanisms 227. In the present embodiment, coil springs are used as the biasing mechanisms 227. Although not illustrated, the support portion 225 is provided with a stopper member for restricting the amount of protrusion of the roller holding member 226 from the inner wall 221.

The sensor unit 229 is fixed to the support portion 225 and disposed between the support portion 225 and the roller holding member 226. As will be described in detail later, the sensor unit 229 detects insertion of the cylindrical container 210 into the inner wall 221.

The drive roller 235 is rotationally driven by the above-mentioned drive motor 231 of the driving unit 230 via the shaft member 233, the plurality of gears (not illustrated), a shaft member 234, and the like.

A part of the side surface of the drive roller 235 parallel to the F-axis protrudes from the inner wall 221 as described above. Hence, when the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221 of the holding unit 220, the side surface mentioned above and the side surface of the cylindrical container 210 come into contact with each other. When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221, and the drive roller 235 rotates, the rotation of the drive roller 235 is transmitted to the cylindrical container 210. Thus, the cylindrical container 210 rotates about the central axis CA.

The drive roller 235 includes a tapered portion 235a. The tapered portion 235a is formed at an end portion of the drive roller 235 in the +F direction. The tapered portion 235a has a shape in which as it extends in the +F direction, the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the F-axis of the drive roller 235 gradually decreases. Hence, when the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221, the cylindrical container 210 easily moves up onto the drive roller 235. Thus, when the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221, the insertion operation can be smoothly performed.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b are substantially cylindrical, and the central axis of each cylinder is parallel to the F-axis. The first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b are provided at upper portions of the inner wall 221. The first pressing roller 228a is disposed in the −X direction with respect to the second pressing roller 228b.

The first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b are so-called driven rollers and are rotatable about their respective central axes. The first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b can come into contact with the cylindrical container 210, in the inner wall 221.

When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221, the drive roller 235, the first pressing roller 228a, and the second pressing roller 228b come into contact with the cylindrical container 210, and the cylindrical container 210 is held apart from the inner wall 221. When the drive roller 235 rotates, the cylindrical container 210 is driven by the rotation of the drive roller 235 and rotates while remaining apart from the inner wall 221. In this state, the first pressing roller 228a and the second pressing roller 228b rotate following the rotation of the cylindrical container 210.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the inner wall 221 has a cylindrical shape with a portion cut off. As described above, a part of the drive roller 235 slightly protrudes inward from the inner wall 221.

A punching metal member 223a is disposed at the opening portion 223. Each hole of the punching metal member 223a allows the binder to pass therethrough. The punching metal member 223a is not particularly limited as long as the binding material can pass therethrough, and may be replaced with, for example, a mesh member.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the cylindrical container 210 has a substantially cylindrical appearance. The cross sections orthogonal to the central axis CA of the cylindrical container 210 are substantially circular. As mentioned above, the central axis CA is parallel to the F-axis. The cylindrical container 210 has a storage chamber 216 therein. A binder is loaded and stored in the storage chamber 216. The cylindrical container 210 can be sealed in a state of storing a binder and can also be transferred or stored in the sealed state.

The cylindrical container 210 includes a first lid portion 211, a first cylindrical portion 212, a second lid portion 213, a second cylindrical portion 214, and a shutter member 215, which are assembled together. In the cylindrical container 210, the first lid portion 211, the first cylindrical portion 212, the second cylindrical portion 214, and the second lid portion 213 are arranged in this order from the −F direction to the +F direction. The second cylindrical portion 214 is disposed inside the first cylindrical portion 212 and is partially exposed to the outside. The shutter member 215 is disposed on the inner side of the end face of the first lid portion 211 in the −F direction.

The first lid portion 211 includes an opening 211a. The opening 211a is located on the end face of the first lid portion 211 in the −F direction. The opening 211a has a substantially semicircular shape when viewed from the −F direction and communicates with the storage chamber 216 and the outside of the cylindrical container 210. FIG. 6 shows the opening 211a closed by the shutter member 215.

The shutter member 215 is a substantially semicircular member when viewed from the −F direction and has a shape sufficient for closing the opening 211a. The shutter member 215 is attached to the end face of the first lid portion 211 in the −F direction and is rotatable about the central axis CA.

Although not illustrated, the second cylindrical portion 214 has an inner thread, and the second lid portion 213 has an outer thread to be screwed into the inner thread. The second cylindrical portion 214 and the second lid portion 213 are assembled by screwing inside the cylindrical container 210. The second lid portion 213 can be removed from the cylindrical container 210 by holding the second cylindrical portion 214 and turning the second lid portion 213 counterclockwise when viewed from the +F direction. In the state where the second lid portion 213 is removed, the storage chamber 216 can be loaded with a binder.

The first cylindrical portion 212 and the second cylindrical portion 214 are fitted to each other so as to be relatively rotatable about the central axis CA. The first cylindrical portion 212 and the first lid portion 211 are fitted and fixed to each other.

The shutter member 215 is disposed on the inner side of the first lid portion 211 and configured to come into contact with the second cylindrical portion 214. When the second cylindrical portion 214 rotates together with the second lid portion 213, the shutter member 215 also rotates in conjunction therewith. As described above, when the first cylindrical portion 212 is held and fixed, and the second lid portion 213 is rotated about the central axis CA, the shutter member 215 rotates relative to the first lid portion 211. Thus, the opening and closing of the opening 211a are switched. FIG. 7 shows a state where the shutter member 215 is rotated, the opening 211a is opened, and the storage chamber 216 is exposed.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221 of the holding unit 220 such that the end surface side of the first lid portion 211 enters first. In this process, in order to prevent the binder from leaking from the cylindrical container 210, the opening 211a is closed by the shutter member 215.

When the cylindrical container 210 is attached to the holding unit 220, a part of the upper portion of the first cylindrical portion 212 and the second lid portion 213 are exposed, and the other portions of the cylindrical container 210 enter the holding unit 220 and are hidden. In this state, the exposed upper region of the first cylindrical portion 212 is held by one hand, and the other hand rotates the second lid portion 213 about the central axis CA. Hence, although not illustrated, the shutter member 215 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the second lid portion 213 and the second cylindrical portion 214. Thus, the opening 211a is opened, and the binder in the storage chamber 216 is ready to be supplied.

After the opening 211a is opened, the supply of the binder from the cylindrical container 210 is performed while the cylindrical container 210 is being rotated about the central axis CA by the drive roller 235. The rotation of the drive roller 235 may be started by an instruction of an operator of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 or may be automatically started according to a detection result of the sensor unit 229 which will be described later.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the cylindrical container 210 is attached to the holding unit 220, the first lid portion 211 is held by the drive roller 235, the first pressing roller 228a, and the second pressing roller 228b. In this state, since the first lid portion 211 is apart from the inner wall 221, the rotation of the cylindrical container 210 is not hindered.

When the cylindrical container 210 is attached to the holding unit 220, the central axis CA is inclined with respect to the Y-axis direction which is the horizontal direction. Specifically, the cylindrical container 210 is oriented with the opening 211a side lower and the second lid portion 213 side higher. Hence, the binder (not illustrated) in the storage chamber 216 is likely to gather on the opening 211a side, and the amount of residual binder in the storage chamber 216 is reduced.

In addition, since the cylindrical container 210 is driven and rotated by the drive roller 235, uneven distribution of the binder in the storage chamber 216 is reduced, and the binder is stirred. Thus, the binder is in a relatively low-density state, and the amount of residual binder in the storage chamber 216 is further reduced.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, in a state where the cylindrical container 210 is removed from the holding unit 220, the roller holding member 226 slightly protrudes in the direction of the white arrow, in other words, inward from the inner wall 221 due to the biasing of the biasing mechanisms 227. A slope (not illustrated) is provided on the +F direction side of the roller holding member 226. When the cylindrical container 210 is inserted into the inner wall 221, the insertion is smoothly performed due to the slope.

The sensor unit 229 detects attachment and detachment of the cylindrical container 210 to and from the holding unit 220. The sensor unit 229 is a photosensor and includes a light emitting unit 229a and a light receiving unit 229b. The light emitting unit 229a and the light receiving unit 229b are arranged to face each other in the F-axis direction. An optical path is formed between the light emitting unit 229a and the light receiving unit 229b.

The roller holding member 226 has a protruding portion 226a. The protruding portion 226a is disposed so as to be associated with the optical path between the light emitting unit 229a and the light receiving unit 229b. In the state where the cylindrical container 210 is not present in the holding unit 220, the protruding portion 226a does not block the optical path.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, when the cylindrical container 210 is attached to the holding unit 220, the roller holding member 226 comes into contact with the first lid portion 211. In this state, the roller holding member 226 is pushed by the first lid portion 211 and is displaced and pushed back in the direction of the white arrow against the biasing force of the biasing mechanisms 227.

As a result of the displacement of the roller holding member 226, the protruding portion 226a relatively deeply enters between the light emitting unit 229a and the light receiving unit 229b, blocking the optical path. The blocked optical path causes the sensor unit 229 to detect the attachment of the cylindrical container 210 to the roller holding member 226.

Thus, the sensor unit 229 can detect the presence or absence of the cylindrical container 210 in the holding unit 220. The sensor unit 229 is not limited to the configuration and mechanism described above as long as the insertion of the cylindrical container 210 into the inner wall 221 can be detected.

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

The supply remainder of a binder which is powder can be reduced with a simple configuration. More specifically, the cylindrical container 210 is rotationally driven by the drive roller 235. Therefore, the cylindrical container 210 and the supply unit 200 can have a simple configuration as compared with a configuration in which a container for powder contains a motor. In addition, since the cylindrical container 210 rotates in an inclined position relative to the vertical direction, the supply of the binder is promoted by gravity, and the binder is unlikely to remain in the cylindrical container 210. Hence, it is possible to provide a sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 with a simple configuration that reduces the supply remainder of a binder.

Since the cylindrical container 210 is supported at three points, that is, the drive roller 235, the first pressing roller 228a, and the second pressing roller 228b, the cylindrical container 210 is sufficiently held by the holding unit 220. In addition, it is possible to rotate the cylindrical container 210 with the deviation of the central axis CA suppressed. Since the cylindrical container 210 is rotated, the binder is gradually supplied, and local densification of aggregates of the binder and binder scattering can be reduced.

Example

An example which is a specific configuration example of the supply unit 200 in the above-described embodiment will be described.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present example includes a cylindrical container 310 instead of the cylindrical container 210. The cylindrical container 310 includes a first lid portion 311 instead of the first lid portion 211, and includes an opening 311a instead of the opening 211a. In the present example, two drive rollers 335 are disposed in the inner wall 221 instead of the drive roller 235. The other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, a plurality of second protrusions 317 are provided on the outer surface of the cylindrical container 310 in the present example. Specifically, the plurality of second protrusions 317 are arranged in a gear shape along the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the first lid portion 311 of the cylindrical container 310. Each of the second protrusions 317 has a shape elongated in the F-axis direction, and extends in the +F direction from substantially the center of the first lid portion 311 in the F-axis direction.

The second cylindrical portion 214 is disposed inside the first cylindrical portion 212 and the first lid portion 311, and is rotatable relative to the first cylindrical portion 212 and the first lid portion 311. The second cylindrical portion 214 corresponds to an inner cylinder, and the first cylindrical portion 212 corresponds to an outer cylinder.

In the present example, the opening 311a provided in the first lid portion 311 is substantially fan-shaped when viewed from the −F direction, and communicates with the storage chamber 216 and the outside of the cylindrical container 310. The opening 311a corresponds to a first opening portion of the outer cylinder.

The shutter member 215 has a shape sufficient for closing the opening 311a. That is, a region of the end surface of the second cylindrical portion 214 in the −F direction, which is not closed by the shutter member 215, functions as an opening portion of the second cylindrical portion 214. The opening portion of the second cylindrical portion 214 corresponds to a second opening portion of the inner cylinder.

The shutter member 215 is disposed on the inner side of the first lid portion 311 and configured to come into contact with the second cylindrical portion 214. When the second cylindrical portion 214 rotates together with the second lid portion 213, the shutter member 215 also rotates in conjunction therewith. As described above, when the first lid portion 311 is held and fixed, and the second lid portion 213 is rotated around the central axis CA, the shutter member 215 rotates relative to the first lid portion 311. Thus, the opening and closing of the opening 311a are switched. In other words, the opening 311a is opened and closed by the second cylindrical portion 214 rotating relative to the first lid portion 311.

As illustrated in FIG. 13, in each drive roller 335 in the present example, a plurality of first protrusions 336 are arranged in a gear shape along the circumferential direction on the surface that comes into contact with the cylindrical container 310.

When the cylindrical container 310 is inserted into the inner wall 221, the plurality of first protrusions 336 arranged on the surface of each drive roller 335 are engaged with the plurality of second protrusions 317 arranged on the outer surface of the cylindrical container 310. In this state, the drive rollers 335, together with the first pressing roller 228a, and the second pressing roller 228b, hold the cylindrical container 310.

In a state where the drive motor 231 is stopped, the drive rollers 335 cannot rotate. Therefore, when the user performs an operation of rotating the second lid portion 213 of the cylindrical container 310 while the drive motor 231 is stopped, the first lid portion 311 does not rotate, and only the second cylindrical portion 214 rotates. That is, to open or close the opening 311a of the cylindrical container 310, the user needs only to hold and rotate the second lid portion 213. Hence, the second cylindrical portion 214 can be rotated with one hand, and the usability of the opening and closing operation of the cylindrical container 310 is improved.

When the drive motor 231 operates, the drive rollers 335 rotate. At this time, since the plurality of first protrusions 336 of the cylindrical container 310 inserted into the holding unit 220 are engaged with the pluralities of second protrusions 317 of the drive rollers 335, the cylindrical container 310 rotates around the central axis CA. The cylindrical container 310 supplies the binder to the inside of the housing 201 while rotating in the holding unit 220.