IP Library › Granted Patent US 12692655
Granted Patent B2
US 12692655 · App. 18/749,773 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Sheet manufacturing apparatus

Inventors: Goshiro Isozaki (Shiojiri, JP); Toshizo Nishi (Azumino, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
D21F7/003D21F1/0018D21F1/34D21F7/008D21F7/06D21F9/00D21H23/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692655
App. No.
18/749,773
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus includes: a defibrating unit that defibrates a material to turn it into fibers; a fiber piling-up unit that piles up the fibers to form a second web; a pressing portion that presses the second web to turn it into a sheet; and a humidifying mechanism that supplies humidified air to the fiber piling-up unit. The fiber piling-up unit includes a rotating portion that stirs the fibers supplied from the defibrating unit, a case in which the rotating portion is housed, and a mesh belt that is provided under the case and transports the second web in a transportation direction. The second web is formed on the mesh belt by piling up the fibers on the mesh belt. The humidifying mechanism includes a downstream-side nozzle that is provided downstream of the fiber piling-up unit in the transportation direction and supplies the humidified air to the fiber piling-up unit.

Claims (15)

1 . A sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a defibrating unit that defibrates a material to turn the material into fibers;

a fiber piling-up unit that piles up the fibers to form a web, the fiber piling-up unit including

a rotating portion that stirs the fibers supplied from the defibrating unit,

a case in which the rotating portion is housed, and

a transportation belt that is provided under the case and transports the web in a transportation direction that is perpendicular to an axial direction of the rotation portion, the web being formed on the transportation belt by piling up the fibers on the transportation belt;

a pressing unit that presses the web to turn the web into a sheet;

a humidifying mechanism including a nozzle that is provided downstream of the case in the transportation direction and supplies humidified air to the fiber piling-up unit, the nozzle including an opening portion having a rectangular shape, a length of the opening portion in the transportation direction being less than a length of the opening portion in a direction intersecting with the transportation direction; and

a seal roller provided adjacent to a sidewall of the case downstream of the case in the transportation direction and configured to hold the web in place, the seal roller being disposed between the nozzle and the transportation belt in a direction that is perpendicular to the transportation direction and to the axial direction of the rotation portion,

the opening portion of the nozzle facing the seal roller.

2 . The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the nozzle is disposed adjacent to the sidewall of the case downstream of the case in the transportation direction.

3 . The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical sensor that measures a thickness of the web, wherein

the optical sensor is disposed above the seal roller downstream of the nozzle in the transportation direction.