Equipment for manufacturing fiber structure, method for manufacturing fiber structure, and fiber structure

Abstract

Equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure in the present disclosure includes: a defibrator configured to pulverize and defibrate a fiber material containing fibers; a transport pipe through which a defibrated material defibrated by the defibrator is transported; a melting-material mixing section configured to mix a melting material into the defibrated material transported through the transport pipe; a fibrous-web forming machine configured to accumulate the defibrated material in which the melting material is mixed and form a fibrous web; a sheet supply section configured to supply a shape-maintaining sheet to the fibrous web; and a heating-and-compression mechanism configured to compress the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web between planar plates and heat the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web to a temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which the melting material softens.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure, the equipment comprising:
 a defibrating section configured to pulverize and defibrate a fiber material containing fibers;   a transport section through which a defibrated material defibrated by the defibrating section is transported;   a melting-material mixing section configured to mix a melting material into the defibrated material transported through the transport section;   a fibrous-web forming section configured to accumulate the defibrated material in which the melting material is mixed and form a fibrous web;   a sheet supply section configured to supply a shape-maintaining sheet to the fibrous web; and   a heating-and-compression mechanism configured to compress the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web between planar plates and heat the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web to a temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which the melting material softens.   
     
     
         2 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sheet supply section supplies the shape-maintaining sheet to a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the fibrous web.   
     
     
         3 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the melting material is melting-resin fibers, and   the melting-resin fibers have a fiber fineness of 0.5 dtex or more and 2.0 dtex or less.   
     
     
         4 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the melting material is resin particles, and   the resin particles have a volume average particle diameter of 4 μm or more and 20 μm or less.   
     
     
         5 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 1 , the equipment further comprising
 a functional-material mixing section configured to mix a functional material into the defibrated material.   
     
     
         6 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the functional material is a fire-retardant material.   
     
     
         7 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fibrous-web forming section includes
 a dispersion member configured to disperse the defibrated material, 
 a mesh belt on which the dispersed defibrated material is accumulated, the mesh belt being configured to transport the accumulated defibrated material, and 
 a suction member configured to suction the dispersed defibrated material via the mesh belt. 
   
     
     
         8 . The equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 1 , the equipment further comprising
 a liquid atomizer configured to atomize a liquid onto the fibrous web transported by a mesh belt.   
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing a fiber structure, the method comprising:
 pulverizing and defibrating a fiber material containing fibers;   transporting a defibrated material through a transport section;   mixing a melting material into the defibrated material transported through the transport section;   accumulating the defibrated material in which the melting material is mixed and forming a fibrous web;   supplying a shape-maintaining sheet to the fibrous web; and   compressing and heating the fibrous web to which the shape-maintaining sheet is supplied and melting the melting material.   
     
     
         10 . The method for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the supplying of the shape-maintaining sheet includes supplying the shape-maintaining sheet to a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the fibrous web.   
     
     
         11 . A method for manufacturing a fiber structure, the method comprising:
 pulverizing and defibrating a fiber material containing fibers;   transporting a defibrated material through a transport section;   mixing a melting material into the defibrated material transported through the transport section;   napping a surface of a first shape-maintaining sheet;   accumulating, on the surface of the first shape-maintaining sheet, the defibrated material in which the melting material is mixed and forming a fibrous web;   supplying a second shape-maintaining sheet on an opposite side of the fibrous web from a side on which the first shape-maintaining sheet is disposed; and   compressing and heating the fibrous web disposed between the first shape-maintaining sheet and the second shape-maintaining sheet and melting the melting material.   
     
     
         12 . The method for manufacturing a fiber structure according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the mixing of the melting material includes mixing, as the melting material, melting-resin fibers having a fiber fineness of 0.5 dtex or more and 2.0 dtex or less into the transported defibrated material.   
     
     
         13 . A fiber structure manufactured by the method according to  claim 9 .