Fiber transport apparatus and fiber transport method
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsKoji Motohashi, Makoto Sato, Takashi Abe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a case that accommodates raw material pieces including fibers, a rotator that rotates inside the case to stir the raw material pieces, a stirring motor that rotates the rotator, a transport apparatus that transports the raw material pieces through a transport path coupled to a side wall of the case, and a control apparatus that controls rotation states of the rotator and the transport apparatus, in which the transport apparatus includes a discharge pipe that rotates on a central axis along the transport path, and a transport motor that rotates the discharge pipe.
Claims8
A fiber transport apparatus comprising:
- a case that accommodates fiber pieces containing fibers;
- a stirring portion that rotates inside the case to stir the fiber pieces, the stirring portion including a rotating portion that forms a part of a bottom surface of the case, and a blade erected on the rotating portion;
- a first driving portion that rotates the stirring portion;
- a transport apparatus that transports the fiber pieces through a transport path coupled to a side surface of the case;
- and
- a control portion that controls rotation states of the stirring portion and the transport apparatus,
- the transport apparatus including a rotator that rotates on an axis along the transport path, and a second driving portion that rotates the rotator, and
- the transport path being coupled to the case at an overlapping position at which the transport path partially overlaps the blade in a height direction of the case as viewed in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the height direction, the height direction being along an axial direction of the stirring portion.
A fiber transport method of controlling a fiber transport apparatus including
- a case that accommodates fiber pieces containing fibers,
- a stirring portion that rotates inside the case to stir the fiber pieces, the stirring portion including a rotating portion that forms a part of a bottom surface of the case, and a blade erected on the rotating portion,
- a first driving portion that rotates the stirring portion,
- a transport apparatus that transports the fiber pieces through a transport path coupled to a side surface of the case, and
- a control portion that controls the stirring portion and the transport apparatus,
- the transport apparatus including a rotator that rotates on an axis along the transport path and a second driving portion that rotates the rotator, and
- the transport path being coupled to the case at an overlapping position at which the transport path partially overlaps the blade in a height direction of the case as viewed in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the height direction, the height direction being along an axial direction of the stirring portion, the method comprising:
- causing the control portion to control the first driving portion and the second driving portion, adjusting a rotation state of each of the stirring portion and the rotator, and controlling a transport amount of the fiber pieces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.