US 11,814,762 B2
Fiber structure manufacturing apparatus, fiber structure manufacturing method, and fiber structure
Toshiaki Yamagami, Nagano (JP); and Yoichi Miyasaka, Nagano (JP)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/335,209.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-096685 (JP), filed on Jun. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0381144 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. D04H 1/60 (2006.01); D01B 9/00 (2006.01); D21F 11/10 (2006.01); D21F 11/14 (2006.01); B29C 70/12 (2006.01); B29C 70/06 (2006.01); B29C 70/86 (2006.01); B29B 15/08 (2006.01); B29B 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC D04H 1/60 (2013.01) [B29B 13/02 (2013.01); B29B 15/08 (2013.01); B29C 70/06 (2013.01); B29C 70/12 (2013.01); B29C 70/86 (2013.01); D01B 9/00 (2013.01); D21F 11/10 (2013.01); D21F 11/14 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fiber structure manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
a defibration unit that includes a rotating rotor and a stator, the defibration unit pulverizing and defibrating a fiber raw material that contains fibers;
a transportation unit connected to the defibration unit, the transportation unit transporting a defibrated material after defibration by the defibration unit;
a melting-material mixing unit connected to the transportation unit, the melting-material mixing unit mixing a melting material into the defibrated material transported by the transportation unit;
a fibrous web forming unit that includes a forming drum that is connected to the melting-material mixing unit, the fibrous web forming unit forming a fibrous web by causing a mixture of the defibrated material and the melting material to be accumulated;
a belt disposed so as to face the forming drum, the belt transporting the fibrous web;
a sheet supplying roller supplying a shape retainer sheet on the belt or to the fibrous web, the sheet supplying roller being disposed upstream relative to the belt in a transport direction of the shape retainer sheet, or downstream relative to the belt in a transport direction of the fibrous web;
a heating-and-pressing mechanism disposed downstream relative to the sheet supplying roller in the transport direction of the shape retainer sheet, the heating-and-pressing mechanism forming a fiber structure by heating and pressing the fibrous web after the shape retainer sheet is supplied; and
a nap raiser disposed, in the transport direction of the shape retainer sheet, between the sheet supplying roller and the belt, or the sheet supplying roller and the heating-and-pressing mechanism, the nap raiser raising nap on a surface of the shape retainer sheet, is the surface being to be in contact with the fibrous web.