Patent Application
20250171962
The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2023-200480, filed Nov. 28, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a sheet manufacturing apparatus.
In the related art, an apparatus that manufactures a sheet using fibers obtained by defibrating waste paper or the like in the air has been known. For example, WO 2018/043030 discloses a sheet manufacturing apparatus that optimizes the process or timing of stopping the operation of each unit when operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus is stopped.
However, in the apparatus described in WO 2018/043030, there is a possibility that it takes time to restart the apparatus after a jam occurs. In detail, in the apparatus, a plurality of mechanisms responsible for respective processes including defibration, accumulation, and sheet formation are linked with each other. Although the process or timing of stopping each mechanism is optimized, when a jam occurs, the operation may be immediately stopped to prevent damage to each mechanism. In this case, since a material, such as a defibrated material of which the remaining amount is unknown, or a work-in-progress is present in each mechanism, it is difficult to stabilize the quality of the sheet to be manufactured when the apparatus is restarted in this state. In addition, a specialized maintenance worker may need to take a countermeasure to restart the apparatus. The following disclosure has been devised to solve the above-described problems.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a sheet manufacturing apparatus including a sheet forming unit that forms a sheet by accumulating a material containing fibers and then compressing the material and a transport unit including a plurality of transport rollers arranged in a transport direction of the sheet to transport the sheet. The transport unit includes an upstream transport unit including a first transport roller group including some of the plurality of transport rollers, a downstream transport unit including a second transport roller group including, among the plurality of transport rollers, a plurality of transport rollers installed downstream of the first transport roller group in the transport direction, and an abnormality detection sensor that detects an abnormality in transport of the sheet in the transport unit. The upstream transport unit includes an opening mechanism that performs an opening operation when the abnormality detection sensor detects the abnormality.
In the following embodiment, as an example of a sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure, a sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 that recycles waste paper or the like into sheets in a dry manner is provided. Hereinafter, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to the sheet manufacturing apparatus of a dry type, and may be of a wet type. In the present specification, the term “dry type” refers to recycling performed in the air such as the atmosphere instead of being performed in a liquid.
In each of the following drawings, X-, Y-, and Z-axes are assigned as coordinate axes orthogonal to each other, a direction indicated by each arrow is a +direction, and a direction opposite to the +direction is a − direction. The Z-axis is a virtual axis in a vertical direction, a +Z direction is up or upward, and a −Z direction is down or downward. The −Z direction is a direction in which gravity acts. In addition, in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, a leading side in a transport direction of a material, a web, a sheet, or the like is downstream, and a trailing side in the transport direction is upstream. For convenience of illustration, the size of each member is different from the actual size.
As illustrated in
The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures the sheet P3 from the paper pieces C such as waste paper. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, in a side view seen in a −X direction, the first unit group 101, the third unit group 103, and the second unit group 102 are disposed from a −Y direction toward a +Y direction.
The paper pieces C are transported from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 via a pipe 21 that crosses the inside of the third unit group 103. Then, the paper pieces C are defibrated into fibers by the second unit group 102, and then the fibers are formed into a mixture containing a binder and the like. The mixture is transported to the third unit group 103 via a pipe 24. The mixture is formed into a web W by the third unit group 103, and then the web W is formed into a strip-shaped sheet P1. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut by the first unit group 101 to become the sheets P3.
The first unit group 101 includes a raw material supply device 13, a measuring unit 15, a merging unit 17, and the pipe 21. In the first unit group 101, these configurations are disposed in order from upstream toward downstream. In addition, the first unit group 101 also includes a downstream transport unit 82 of a transport unit 80, a tray 191, and a shredding unit 913.
The downstream transport unit 82 includes a first cutting unit 832 and a second cutting unit 834. The first cutting unit 832 cuts the strip-shaped sheet P1 into cut sheets P2. The second cutting unit 834 cuts the cut sheet P2 into the sheets P3 having a predetermined shape. The first cutting unit 832 and the second cutting unit 834 are an example of a cutter of the present disclosure.
In addition, 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 humidifying unit 65 and a second humidifying unit 66 to be described later through a water supply pipe (not illustrated).
The raw material supply device 13 stores the paper pieces C that are a raw material for the sheets P3 and supplies the paper pieces C downstream. The raw material supply device 13 includes a raw material inlet 131, a storage portion 132, and a discharge portion 140.
The paper pieces C are charged into the storage portion 132 from the raw material inlet 131. The paper pieces C contain fibers such as cellulose and are, for example, shredded waste paper. Humidified air is supplied to the inside of the storage portion 132 from the second humidifying unit 66 provided in the third unit group 103.
The paper pieces C are temporarily stored in the storage portion 132 and then are transported to the measuring unit 15 via the discharge portion 140. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 may include a shredder, which shreds the paper pieces C and the like, upstream of the storage portion 132.
The measuring unit 15 includes a sensor unit 15a and a supply mechanism (not illustrated). The sensor unit 15a measures the mass of the paper pieces C. The supply mechanism supplies the paper pieces C, which are weighed by the sensor unit 15a, to the downstream merging unit 17. That is, the measuring unit 15 weighs the paper pieces C by a predetermined mass using the sensor unit 15a and supplies the paper pieces C to the downstream merging unit 17 using the supply mechanism.
Either a digital weighing mechanism or an analog weighing mechanism can be applied to the sensor unit 15a. Specifically, examples of the sensor unit 15a include a physical sensor such as a load cell, a spring scale, a balance, and the like. In the present embodiment, a load cell is applied as the sensor unit 15a. The predetermined mass by which the sensor unit 15a weighs the paper pieces C is, for example, approximately several grams to several tens of grams.
A known technique such as an openable/closable feeder can be applied to the supply mechanism. The supply mechanism may be included in the sensor unit 15a.
The weighing and supplying of the paper pieces C in the measuring unit 15 is a batch process. That is, the supply of the paper pieces C from the measuring unit 15 to the merging unit 17 is performed intermittently. The measuring 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 supplying by operating the plurality of sensor units 15a in a staggered manner. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes two sensor units 15a and the supply mechanisms attached to the respective sensor units 15a. Accordingly, two sets each including the sensor unit 15a and the supply mechanism alternately transport the paper pieces C to the merging unit 17.
In the merging unit 17, the shredded pieces of the slit pieces S supplied from the shredding unit 913 are merged and mixed with the paper pieces C supplied from the measuring unit 15. The slit pieces S and the shredding unit 913 will be described later. The paper pieces C mixed with the shredded pieces flow into the pipe 21 from the merging unit 17.
The pipe 21 transports the paper pieces C from the first unit group 101 to the second unit group 102 using a suction airflow generated by a downstream defibrating unit 31.
The second unit group 102 includes the defibrating unit 31 that is a dry type defibrator, a separating unit 32, a pipe 23, a mixing unit 33, and the pipe 24. In the second unit group 102, these configurations are disposed in order from upstream toward downstream. In addition, the second unit group 102 also includes a pipe 25 connected to the separating unit 32, a recovery 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 31. The defibrating unit 31 defibrates the paper pieces C, which are supplied from the measuring unit 15, into fibers in a dry manner. A known defibrating mechanism can be applied to the defibrating unit 31.
The defibrating unit 31 has, for example, the following configuration. The defibrating unit 31 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. The small pieces of the paper pieces C are pinched between the inner surface of the stator and the rotor, and are defibrated by a shearing force generated therebetween. Accordingly, regarding the paper pieces C, entangled fibers contained in the paper pieces are disentangled. The paper pieces C are formed into fibers, and the fibers are transported to the separating unit 32.
The separating unit 32 sorts the defibrated fibers. In detail, the separating unit 32 removes components contained in the fibers, which are unnecessary for the manufacture of the sheets P3. Specifically, the separating unit 32 sorts relatively long fibers from relatively short fibers. Since the relatively short fibers may cause a decrease in the strength of the sheets P3, such fibers are sorted by the separating unit 32. In addition, the separating unit 32 also sorts and removes colorants, additives, or the like contained in the paper pieces C. A known technique such as a disk mesh method can be applied to the separating unit 32.
Humidified air is supplied to the inside of the separating unit 32 from the second humidifying unit 66 of the third unit group 103.
Relatively short fibers and the like are removed from the defibrated fibers, and the defibrated fibers are transported to the mixing unit 33 via the pipe 23. Unnecessary components such as relatively short fibers or colorants are discharged to the recovery unit 35 via the pipe 25.
The mixing unit 33 forms a mixture by mixing the defibrated material with a binder and the like in the air. Although not illustrated in the figure, the mixing unit 33 includes a channel through which the defibrated material is transported, a fan, a hopper, a supply pipe, and a valve.
The hopper communicates with the channel for the defibrated material via the supply pipe. The valve is provided in the supply pipe between the hopper and the channel. The hopper supplies a binder such as starch into the channel. The valve adjusts the mass of the binder supplied from the hopper to the channel. Accordingly, the mixing ratio of the fibers and the binder is adjusted.
The mixing unit 33 may include a similar configuration for supplying a colorant, an additive, or the like, in addition to the above-described configurations for supplying the binder.
The fan of the mixing unit 33 forms a mixture by mixing the defibrated material containing the fibers with the binder and the like in the air while transporting the defibrated material downstream using a generated airflow. The mixture flows into the pipe 24 from the mixing unit 33.
The recovery unit 35 includes a filter (not illustrated). The filter filters unnecessary components such as relatively short fibers transported through the pipe 25 by the airflow.
The compressor 38 generates compressed air. The filter may be clogged with fine particles or the like among the unnecessary components. The filter can be cleaned by blowing the compressed air, which is generated by the compressor 38, onto the filter to blow off adhering particles.
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 configuration of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.
Although not illustrated in the figure, the control unit 5 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage unit including a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and the like. Various programs for controlling the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 are stored in the storage unit. The control unit 5 may include dedicated hardware (application specific integrated circuit: ASIC) that executes at least some of various processes. That is, the control unit 5 may be configured as one or more processors that operate in accordance with a computer program (software), one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as ASICs, or a circuit including a combination thereof.
The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU to perform processes. The memory, that is, computer-readable media include any medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.
The control unit 5 is electrically connected to respective configurations such as a sheet forming unit 70 and the transport unit 80 to be described later, and a sheet sensor 850 and a movable unit 811 (not illustrated) and integrally controls the operation of these configurations. Particularly, when a jam of the cut sheet P2 or the like occurs in a transport path, the control unit 5 instructs each configuration to take a countermeasure. Details of the countermeasure will be described later.
The third unit group 103 forms the strip-shaped sheet P1 by accumulating and compressing the mixture that is a material containing fibers. The third unit group 103 includes an accumulating unit 50, a first transport unit 61, a second transport unit 62, the first humidifying unit 65, the second humidifying unit 66, a drainage unit 68, the sheet forming unit 70, an upstream transport unit 81 of the transport unit 80, and a sheet retraction portion to be described later.
In the third unit group 103, the accumulating unit 50, the first transport unit 61, the second transport unit 62, the first humidifying unit 65, the sheet forming unit 70, and the upstream transport unit 81 are disposed in order from upstream toward downstream. The second humidifying unit 66 is disposed below the first humidifying unit 65.
The accumulating unit 50 accumulates the mixture containing the sorted fibers in the air to generate the web W. The accumulating unit 50 includes a drum member 53; a blade member 55 installed inside the drum member 53; a housing 51 that accommodates 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 accumulating unit 50. The first transport unit 61 includes a mesh belt 61a and five tension rollers (not illustrated) for tensioning the mesh belt 61a. 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 disposed inside the drum member 53 and is rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated). The drum member 53 is a semi-columnar sieve. A net having the function of a sieve is provided on a side surface of the drum member 53, the side surface facing downward. The drum member 53 allows particles such as the fibers or mixture, which are smaller than the mesh opening size of the sieve, to pass through the mesh openings 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 inside the drum member 53. Humidified air is supplied to the inside of the drum member 53 from the second humidifying unit 66.
The suction unit 59 is disposed below the drum member 53. The suction unit 59 suctions air inside the housing 51 via a plurality of holes of the mesh belt 61a. The plurality of holes of the mesh belt 61a allow air to pass therethrough, but make it difficult for the fibers, the binder, or the like contained in the mixture to pass therethrough. Accordingly, the mixture discharged to the outside of the drum member 53 is suctioned downward together with the 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 accumulated on an upper surface of the mesh belt 61a due to gravity and the suction by the suction unit 59 to form the web W.
The mesh belt 61a is an endless belt and is tensioned by the five tension rollers. The mesh belt 61a is rotated counterclockwise in
The second transport unit 62 transports the web W downstream of the first transport unit 61 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 sheet forming unit 70. The second transport unit 62 is disposed above the transport path of the web W and slightly upstream of a starting point on the return side of the mesh belt 61a. The +Y direction of the second transport unit 62 and the −Y direction of the mesh belt 61a partially overlap each other in a vertical direction.
The second transport unit 62 includes a transport belt, a plurality of rollers, and a suction mechanism that are not illustrated. The transport belt is provided with a plurality of holes through which air passes. The transport belt is tensioned by the plurality of rollers, and is rotated by the rotation of the rollers.
The second transport unit 62 attracts an upper surface of the web W onto a lower surface of the transport belt using negative pressure generated by the suction mechanism. As the transport belt rotates in this state, the web W is attracted to the transport belt and is transported downstream.
The first humidifying unit 65 humidifies the web W containing fibers accumulated by the accumulating unit 50 of the third unit group 103. In detail, the first humidifying unit 65 is, for example, a mist humidifier, and humidifies the web W, which is transported by the second transport unit 62, by supplying mist M to the web W from below. The first humidifying unit 65 is disposed below the second transport unit 62 and faces the web W, which is transported by the second transport unit 62, in the direction along the Z-axis. For example, a known humidifying device, such as a humidifying device of an ultrasonic type can be applied as the first humidifying unit 65.
By humidifying the web W with the mist M, the function of starch as a binder is promoted, and the strength of the sheets P3 is improved. In addition, since the web W is humidified from below, droplets derived from the mist are prevented from falling onto the web W. Further, since the web W is humidified from a side opposite to a 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 sheet forming unit 70.
The sheet forming unit 70 forms the web W by accumulating the mixture that is a material containing fibers, and then forms the strip-shaped sheet P1 by compressing the web W. The sheet forming unit 70 includes processing rollers 71 and 72. The processing rollers 71 and 72 form a pair, and each of the processing rollers 71 and 72 includes a built-in electric heater, and has the function of increasing the temperature of the surface of the roller.
Each of the processing rollers 71 and 72 is a substantially columnar member. A rotating shaft of the processing roller 71 and a rotating shaft of the processing roller 72 are disposed along the X-axis. The processing roller 71 is disposed substantially above the transport path of the web W, and the processing roller 72 is disposed substantially below the transport path.
The processing rollers 71 and 72 are rotationally driven by a stepping motor (not illustrated). The web W is sent downstream while being pinched between the processing roller 71 and the processing roller 72 and being heated and pressurized. Namely, the web W continuously passes through the sheet forming unit 70 and is press-formed while being heated. The web W can be efficiently heated and pressurized by using the processing rollers 71 and 72 as a pair of forming members.
As the web W passes through the sheet forming unit 70, the amount of air contained in the web W is reduced from a state where the web W contains a relatively large amount of air and is soft, and the fibers are bound to each other by the binder to form the strip-shaped sheet P1. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is transported to the first unit group 101 by the upstream transport unit 81.
The second humidifying unit 66 is disposed below the first humidifying unit 65. A known evaporative humidifying device can be applied as the second humidifying unit 66. Examples of the evaporative humidifying device include a humidifying device that generates humidified air by blowing air onto a wet non-woven fabric or the like to evaporate moisture.
The second humidifying unit 66 humidifies a predetermined region of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The predetermined region is one or more of the storage portion 132, the separating unit 32, and the inside of the drum member 53 of the accumulating unit 50. Specifically, the humidified air is supplied from the second humidifying unit 66 to the above-described regions via a plurality of pipes (not illustrated). In each of the above-described configurations, the humidified air suppresses the electrostatic charge of the paper pieces C, fibers, or the like, and suppresses adhesion of the paper pieces C, fibers, or the like to members caused by static electricity.
The drainage unit 68 is a drainage tank. The drainage unit 68 collects and stores waste moisture that is used in the first humidifying unit 65, the second humidifying unit 66, and the like. The drainage unit 68 is detachable from the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 if necessary, and the accumulated water can be discarded.
The strip-shaped sheet P1 transported to the first unit group 101 reaches the first cutting unit 832 via a transport roller pair 821 (to be described later) of the downstream transport unit 82. The first cutting unit 832 cuts the strip-shaped sheet P1 in a direction intersecting the transport direction, for example, in a direction along the X-axis. The strip-shaped sheet P1 is cut into the cut sheets P2 by the first cutting unit 832. The cut sheets P2 are transported from the first cutting unit 832 to the second cutting unit 834.
The second cutting unit 834 cuts the cut sheet P2 in the transport direction, for example, in a direction along the Y-axis. In detail, the second cutting unit 834 cuts vicinities of edges on both sides of the cut sheet P2 in the direction along the X-axis. The size of the sheet P3 to be manufactured can be adjusted by the first cutting unit 832 and the second cutting unit 834. Accordingly, the cut sheet P2 becomes the sheet P3 having a predetermined shape, for example, an A4 size or an A3 size.
When the cut sheet P2 is cut into the sheets P3 by the second cutting unit 834, the slit pieces S that are scraps are generated. The slit pieces S are transported substantially in the −Y direction and reach the shredding unit 913 that is a shredder. The shredding unit 913 shreds the slit pieces S into shredded pieces, and the shredded pieces are supplied to the merging unit 17. A mechanism for weighing and supplying the shredded pieces of the slit pieces S to the merging unit 17 may be installed between the shredding unit 913 and the merging unit 17.
The sheets P3 are transported substantially upward and are stacked in the tray 191. As described above, the sheets P3 are manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1. The sheets P3 can be applied, for example, as a substitute for copy paper or the like.
As illustrated in
In the transport unit 80, the transport roller pair 813, the transport roller pair 815, the transport roller pair 821, the first cutting unit 832, the transport roller pair 823, the sheet sensor 850, and the second cutting unit 834 are disposed in order from the sheet forming unit 70 toward downstream.
The upstream transport unit 81 includes the movable unit 811 and a first transport roller group 810 including some of the plurality of transport rollers. The first transport roller group 810 includes the transport roller pairs 813 and 815. The transport roller pair 813 is composed of a pair of an upper roller 813a and a lower roller 813b. The transport roller pair 815 is composed of a pair of an upper roller 815a and a lower roller 815b.
Since the strip-shaped sheet P1 is pinched and transported between the upper roller 813a and the lower roller 813b and between the upper roller 815a and the lower roller 815b, transportability is improved. The transport roller pair 815 is an example of a first transport roller of the present disclosure.
The movable unit 811 is provided in the opening mechanism to be described later. Details of the movable unit 811 and the opening mechanism will be described later.
The downstream transport unit 82 includes a second transport roller group 820 including, among the plurality of transport rollers, a plurality of transport rollers installed downstream of the first transport roller group 810 in the transport direction. The second transport roller group 820 includes the transport roller pairs 821 and 823.
The sheet sensor 850 is an example of an abnormality detection sensor of the present disclosure and detects an abnormality in transport of the cut sheet P2 in the transport unit 80. In detail, the sheet sensor 850 is disposed above the transport path of the cut sheet P2 between the transport roller pair 823 and the second cutting unit 834 and faces, in an up-down direction, the cut sheet P2 transported along the transport path.
The sheet sensor 850 is, for example, an optical sensor, measures reflected light of light emitted by the sheet sensor 850, and transmits a detection result to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 determines whether the cut sheet P2 is present from the reflectance of the reflected light to the illuminated light. A reflective member that reflects light emitted by the sheet sensor 850 may be installed on the transport path, which the sheet sensor 850 faces, of the cut sheet P2.
During operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, when the cut sheet P2 is not transported to a position between the transport roller pair 823 and the second cutting unit 834, it is estimated that a jam has occurred upstream. That is, the occurrence of a jam indicates an abnormality in the transport of the cut sheet P2 or the strip-shaped sheet P1, and a countermeasure needs to be taken. In the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, the opening mechanism to be described later performs an opening operation to take a countermeasure against a jam.
The disposition of the sheet sensor 850 is not limited to the above-described disposition. The sheet sensor 850 may be installed at one or more locations along the transport path of the strip-shaped sheet P1 and the transport path of the sheet P3, in addition to the transport path of the cut sheet P2.
Although not illustrated in the figure, the plurality of transport rollers are also disposed downstream of the second cutting unit 834 and transport the sheet P3 to the tray 191. The slit pieces S are transported to the shredding unit 913 by a slit piece transport roller group 911.
As illustrated in
The opening mechanism includes the movable unit 811, the rotating shaft 812, the operating shaft 814, the hook member 816, the pin member 818, a biasing member (not illustrated), a solenoid member (not illustrated), and the like. Here, in
The movable unit 811 is a three-dimensional member having a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed in the −X direction. The upper rollers 813a and 815a are disposed on a side corresponding to a lower base of the movable unit 811 in the −Z direction. On the lower base, the upper roller 813a is located at an end portion in the +Y direction, and the upper roller 815a is located at an end portion in the −Y direction. The upper roller 815a is installed in the movable unit 811. The upper roller 813a overlaps the movable unit 811, but is independent of the movable unit 811.
The rotating shaft 812 is installed in the vicinity of an end portion in the +Y direction on an upper base of the movable unit 811 in the +Z direction. The rotating shaft 812 rotatably supports the movable unit 811 with the rotating shaft 812 as a fulcrum. Although not illustrated in the figure, the rotating shaft 812 is supported by the frame, which supports the third unit group 103, via a support member or the like.
The biasing member is attached in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 812. The biasing member is, for example, a torsion spring, and always biases the movable unit 811 to rotate clockwise.
The operating shaft 814, the hook member 816, the pin member 818, and the solenoid member perform an operation that triggers the opening operation of the movable unit 811. The operating shaft 814 and the hook member 816 are installed in the movable unit 811 substantially in the −Y direction of the rotating shaft 812. The pin member 818 is not installed in the movable unit 811, but is supported by the frame via a support member or the like at a position corresponding to a tip of the hook member 816 in the −Z direction.
The operating shaft 814 rotatably supports the hook member 816. In detail, the operating shaft 814 supports a rear end of the hook member 816 in the +Z direction. The operating shaft 814 is connected to the solenoid member and is rotated clockwise by the solenoid member.
The hook member 816 has a shape in which a tip of the hook member 816 in the −Z direction is bent in a hook shape. In the normal state, the tip of the hook member 816 is hooked on the pin member 818. Accordingly, in the movable unit 811, the normal state is maintained against the biasing of the biasing member.
In the displacement from the normal state to the open state, the movable unit 811 rotates around the rotating shaft 812 as the opening operation. In detail, first, the operating shaft 814 is rotated clockwise by the solenoid member, and the tip of the hook member 816 is disengaged from the pin member 818. Next, the movable unit 811 is rotated clockwise around the rotating shaft 812 by the biasing of the biasing member. The rotation is stopped in a certain range by a stopper member (not illustrated), and the movable unit 811 takes a posture indicated by a broken line in
The upstream transport unit 81 can be manually returned from the open state to the normal state. Specifically, the end portion of the movable unit 811 in the −Y direction in the open state is pushed downward. As a result, the tip of the hook member 816 is hooked and locked on the pin member 818, and the normal state is achieved.
In the open state, the −Y direction side of the movable unit 811 is lifted substantially in the +Z direction. Accordingly, a space connected to the transport path is created in the +Z direction and the −Y direction of a region where the upper roller 815a is disposed in the normal state. The space is a sheet retraction portion EZ. In
As illustrated in
In step S1, the sheet sensor 850 performs an operation of detecting the cut sheet P2. Step S1 is always performed in a normal operation state where the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures the sheet P3. The detection result of the sheet sensor 850 is transmitted to the control unit 5. Then, the process proceeds to step S2.
In step S2, the control unit 5 determines whether an abnormality occurs in the transport of the sheet based on the detection result of the sheet sensor 850. Specifically, the control unit 5 estimates whether the cut sheet P2 is present on the transport path by comparing the detection result with a reflectance when there is no cut sheet P2 or a reflectance when there is the cut sheet P2, which is stored in the control unit 5. The control unit 5 determines that a jam has occurred, when there is no cut sheet P2, and determines that no jam has occurred, when there is the cut sheet P2.
When no jam has occurred, the process returns to the previous stage of step S1. When the sheet sensor 850 detects an abnormality, that is, when a jam occurs, the process proceeds to step S3.
In step S3, the control unit 5 instructs each configuration of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 to start a shutdown operation. At this time, each configuration does not stop operating all at once, but stops operating sequentially. Specifically, the supply of the mixture that is a material is stopped in the accumulating unit 50 upstream of the sheet forming unit 70. In addition, the formation of the strip-shaped sheet P1 from the mixture and the web W remaining on the transport path from the accumulating unit 50 to inside the sheet forming unit 70 is continued in the sheet forming unit 70.
In addition, in the transport unit 80, the operation of transport of the strip-shaped sheet P1 and the cut sheet P2 by the second transport roller group 820 is stopped, and the operation of transport of the sheet P3 is continued. Accordingly, since the material or the web W is consumed between the accumulating unit 50 and the sheet forming unit 70, the remaining material that is a work-in-progress can be reduced, and labor required to restart the apparatus can be saved. Then, the process proceeds to step S4.
In step S4, the control unit 5 instructs the upstream transport unit 81 to perform an opening operation. Specifically, according to an instruction from the control unit 5, the solenoid member of the opening mechanism rotates the operating shaft 814 to disengage the tip of the hook member 816 from the pin member 818. Accordingly, the movable unit 811 is lifted, and the upstream transport unit 81 is set to an open state. Then, the process proceeds to step S5.
In step S5, the control unit 5 instructs the downstream transport unit 82 to stop operating. Accordingly, the second transport roller group 820, the first cutting unit 832, the second cutting unit 834, and the like stop operating. Step S5 may be performed simultaneously with step S4.
Even during this time, the formation of the strip-shaped sheet P1 is continued in the sheet forming unit 70. In the open state, the strip-shaped sheet P1 formed by the sheet forming unit 70 deviates from the transport path and moves to the sheet retraction portion EZ.
Specifically, as illustrated in
Accordingly, the strip-shaped sheet P1 does not advance beyond the transport roller pair 821 and rises to the sheet retraction portion EZ above the lower roller 815b. As the strip-shaped sheet P1 moves to the sheet retraction portion EZ, the material or the web W remaining in the sheet forming unit 70 and the like is consumed. In addition, since the transport of the strip-shaped sheet P1 or the cut sheet P2 to the location where the jam occurs is stopped, the situation of the jam can be prevented from becoming worse. Then, the process proceeds to step S6.
Returning to
According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
The restart of the apparatus after a jam occurs can be facilitated. Since the opening mechanism performs an opening operation in response to an abnormality in the transport of the sheet, the time or labor required for jam recovery is reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 that can facilitate restarting the apparatus after a jam occurs.
When a jam occurs and the operation of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 is stopped, it is possible to continue, for a while, the operation while moving the strip-shaped sheet P1 to the sheet retraction portion EZ. Accordingly, the remaining material or work-in-progress is consumed and reduced upstream of the transport unit 80. As a result, it is possible to further facilitate jam recovery and the restart of the apparatus.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-200480 | Nov 2023 | JP | national |
