Method for manufacturing a cellulose product, cellulose product forming apparatus and cellulose product

1. A method for manufacturing a cellulose product having a non-flat shape, comprising the steps:

dry forming a cellulose blank in a dry forming unit;

arranging the cellulose blank in a forming mould comprising at least two openable and closable negative forming surfaces or parts and a flexible membrane constituting a seal and pressure chamber for a pressure media or fluid;

heating the cellulose blank to a forming temperature in the range of 100° C. to 200° C.; and

pressing the cellulose blank in the forming mould with a forming pressure of at least 1 MPa via the pressure media or fluid.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the cellulose blank is formed into a cellulose product in the form of a hollow bottle.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the forming pressure is in the range of 1 MPa to 100 MPa.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming mould is heated before pressing the cellulose blank.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the dry forming unit comprises a separating unit, a forming wire and a compacting unit, the method further comprising the steps:

separating cellulose into detached cellulose fibres in the separating unit;

arranging the cellulose fibres onto the forming wire by the cellulose fibres being air-laid onto the forming wire to form the cellulose blank; and

compacting the cellulose fibres in the compacting unit to form the cellulose blank.

6. A cellulose product forming apparatus for manufacturing a cellulose product having a non-flat shape, the cellulose product forming apparatus comprising:

a dry forming unit for forming a cellulose blank;

a forming mould comprising at least two openable and closable negative forming surfaces or parts and a flexible membrane constituting a seal and a pressure chamber for a pressure media or fluid for forming the cellulose product;

wherein the cellulose product forming apparatus comprises a fluid control device for the pressure media or fluid being an actuator configured to compress the fluid or a fluid flow control device configured to control and allow pressurized fluid to enter the pressure chamber having the flexible membrane as a portion of a wall thereof.

7. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the apparatus comprises the fluid or the fluid being air taken from the surrounding atmosphere.

8. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the dry forming unit comprises:

a separating unit configured to separate cellulose into detached cellulose fibres;

a forming wire onto which the cellulose fibres are air-laid to form the cellulose blank; and

a compacting unit for compacting the cellulose fibres to form the cellulose blank.

9. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the forming mould is heated by a heating unit.

10. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 6 , comprising an application unit configured to apply sizing agents or other substances to the cellulose fibres.

11. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the dry forming unit is configured to form the cellulose blank as a continuous cellulose web.

12. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a feeding unit configured to feed the continuous cellulose web intermittently to the forming mould.

13. A cellulose product forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the forming mould is configured to form the cellulose blank into a cellulose product in the form of a hollow bottle.

14. A cellulose product being a hollow bottle with compressed air-laid cellulose fibres.

15. A cellulose product according to claim 14 , wherein the cellulose product comprises at least 90 weight percent cellulose fibres.