Honeycomb structure and method for manufacturing the same

A method for manufacturing a honeycomb structure, comprising:

• a masking process of attaching a sheet to one end face of a formed honeycomb article comprising porous partition walls via which a plurality of cells constituting through channels for a fluid are partitioned and an outer peripheral wall positioned in the outermost periphery of the article, and making holes in the positions of the sheet superimposed on the cells in which plugged portions are to be formed;
• a first press-in process of pressing the end of the formed honeycomb article, to which the sheet is attached, into a container in which a plugging material is received, to press the plugging material into the cells via the one end face of the formed honeycomb article through the holes formed in the sheet;
• a recess portion forming process of recessing the end of the plugging material charged in the formed honeycomb article on the end face side of the formed honeycomb article to form recess portions in the plugging material of each plugged portion having bubbles formed therein;
• and
• a second press-in process of further pressing the plugging material into the cells in which the plugging material having the formed recess portions, over the plugging material having the formed recess portions in the plugging material of each plugged portion having bubbles formed therein,
• wherein each of the plugged portions having bubbles formed therein has one or two bubbles formed in the plugged portion, and each of the bubbles is positioned only in a predetermined region in the center region of the plugged portion in a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of cells extend,
• wherein the predetermined region of the plugged portion along the central axis direction thereof where the bubble is positioned is a region between the position of ⅓ of the depth of the plugged portion from the end of the plugged portion on the end face side thereof and the position of ½ of the depth of the plugged portion from the end of the plugged portion on the end face side thereof, and
• wherein each of the bubbles formed in the plugged portions has a diameter of 0.3 mm or more.

A manufacturing apparatus of a honeycomb structure, comprising:

• a first press-in device including a container for plugging in which a plugging material is received, and press-in means for pressing, into the container for plugging in which the plugging material is received, the end of a formed honeycomb article including porous partition walls via which a plurality of cells constituting through channels for a fluid are partitioned and an outer peripheral wall positioned in the outermost periphery of the article, to charge the plugging material into the cells through the end face of the formed honeycomb article;
• a second press-in device including a pressurization member having a pressurization face to further press, by the pressurization member, the plugging material into the cells over the plugging material charged in the cells of the formed honeycomb article;
• and
• a drying device which dries the plugging material charged in the formed honeycomb article,
• wherein each of the plugged portions having bubbles formed therein has one or two bubbles formed in the plugged portion, and each of the bubbles is positioned only in a predetermined region in the center region of the plugged portion in a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of cells extend,
• wherein the predetermined region of the plugged portion along the central axis direction thereof where the bubble is positioned is a region between the position of ⅓ of the depth of the plugged portion from the end of the plugged portion on the end face side thereof and the position of ½ of the depth of the plugged portion from the end of the plugged portion on the end face side thereof, and
• wherein each of the bubbles formed in the plugged portions has a diameter of 0.3 mm or more.