IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,008,707
Granted Patent B2
US 11,008,707 · App. 16/117,538 · Granted May 18, 2021

Sheet manufacturing apparatus, sheet manufacturing system, control method of a sheet manufacturing apparatus, and sheet manufacturing method

Inventors: Kaneo Yoda (Okaya, JP); Yoshiyuki Nagai (Shiojiri, JP); Yuki Oguchi (Okaya, JP); Shigeo Fujita (Matsumoto, JP); Akira Arai (Suwa-gun, JP); Kazuhiro Ichikawa (Okaya, JP); Teruaki Oguchi (Suwa, JP); Seiichi Taniguchi (Higashichikuma-gun, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
D21F9/046B27N3/00D04H1/60D21F5/00D21F7/00D21F9/00D21F11/06D21H21/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,008,707
App. No.
16/117,538
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is technology improving the efficiency (productivity) of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. A sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures sheets S by heating with heaters 81 and 82 a mixture (second web W 2 ) of resin and fiber produced by defibrating feedstock MA. The heaters 81 and 82 each have a first roller 171 , a second roller 172 that holds the second web W 2 with the first roller 171 , and a moving mechanism 190 . The moving mechanism 190 can switch the first roller 171 and second roller 172 to a position holding the second web W 2 , and a first roller 171 and second roller 172 are separated and do not hold the second web W 2 . The heaters 81 and 82 are configured as units that can removably installed to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100.

Claims (37)

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for making a sheet and comprising:

a heater configured to heat a mixture of a binder and fiber produced by defibrating feedstock, wherein:

the heater is a single, discrete unit that can be removed from the sheet manufacturing apparatus; and

the heater has a first storage that readably stores first information.

2. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , wherein:

the heater is configured with:

a first roller,

a second roller, which is disposed to hold the mixture between the first roller and the second roller, and

a moving mechanism, which is configured to switch between (i) a position in which the mixture is held between the first roller and the second roller, and (ii) a position where the first roller and the second roller are separated and not holding the mixture therebetween.

3. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , wherein:

the heater is configured as a removably installable unit and includes a first heater and a second heater, which is configured to heat the mixture under a different condition than the first heater.

4. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 3 , wherein:

the different condition is a heating condition of the mixture, a compression condition of the mixture, or a material of a first roller or a second roller of the heater.

5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 3 , wherein:

the first heater and the second heater are disposed to a conveyance path of the mixture in an upstream and downstream relationship; and

the mixture is heated by at least one of the first heater and the second heater.

6. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , wherein:

the first information includes a cumulative total of sequentially added products of an operating time of the heater and an operating temperature of the heater; and

the cumulative total includes (i) a warning value, which warns that a state in which the heater cannot be used appropriately is approaching, and (ii) a usable limit value, which is a maximum value at which the heater can be used appropriately.

7. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 6 , further comprising:

a controller, the controller (i) calculating a new product each time the heater operates, (ii) calculating a new total adding the new product to a previous total, (iii) storing the new total in the first storage, and (iv) when the new total exceeds the warning value, prompting replacement of the heater.

8. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 6 , further comprising:

a controller, the controller (i) calculating a new product each time the heater operates, (ii) calculating a new total adding the new product to a previous total, (iii) storing the new total in the first storage, and (iv) when the new total exceeds the warning value, turning the heater off.

9. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , further comprising:

a binder supply device individually storing different types of binders; and

a second storage disposed to the binder supply device and storing second information readably, wherein

the second information includes at least one of a type of binder and a heating temperature linked to the type of binder.

10. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 9 , further comprising:

a controller, the controller determining the heating temperature of the heater based on the first information, the second information, and input information including a type of feedstock, a type of sheet, and sheet production speed, wherein:

the heater includes a first heater and a second heater, which is configured to heat the mixture under a different condition than the first heater, and

the controller is configured to cause the sheet manufacturing apparatus to heat the mixture using the first heater, or the second heater, or the first heater and the second heater.

11. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for making a sheet and comprising:

a heater configured to heat a mixture of a binder and fiber produced by defibrating feedstock, wherein:

the heater is a single, discrete unit that can be removed from the sheet manufacturing apparatus;

the heater is configured as a removably installable unit and includes a first heater and a second heater, which is configured to heat the mixture under a different condition than the first heater;

the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises (i) a first path where the mixture is heated by the first heater while being conveyed and (ii) a second path where the mixture is heated by the second heater while being conveyed; and

the first path and the second path are selectable.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2018
From: YODA, KANEO; NAGAI, YOSHIYUKI; OGUCHI, YUKI; FUJITA, SHIGEO; ARAI, AKIRA; ICHIKAWA, KAZUHIRO; OGUCHI, TERUAKI; TANIGUCHI, SEIICHI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046755/0812 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-166556 · Aug 31, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190062996A1 · Feb 28, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,398,514