JP4779360B2 - Shredding equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a shredding device, and more particularly to a shredding device for shredding paper to be discarded.

As the information society evolves to a high degree, various image forming apparatuses (printers) become widespread, and there is a concern about the problem of inadvertent diffusion of confidential documents. In addition, as the opportunities for handling confidential documents increase, awareness of the risk of information leakage has increased. From such a background, when a confidential document is discarded, it is generally performed to shred the confidential document with a shredder in order to prevent information leakage or protect privacy. Yes.
In addition, in order to effectively use paper resources due to increased awareness of environmental issues, for example, cushioning materials for packing products and raw materials for recycled paper, without incineration disposal of paper fragments (sliced products) resulting from shredding processing As being reused.

Some shredders incorporate an electric motor (electric motor) as a drive source for shredding processing. That is, when a sensor provided at the insertion port detects that a document to be shredded has been input into the insertion port, the motor is automatically operated to rotate the rotary blade. When the rotary blade rotates, the document at the slot is drawn into the shredder and the document shredding process is started. Then, when it is determined that the shredding process has been completed for all documents input to the input port, the motor automatically stops and the rotation of the rotary blade stops.
An air cooling fan is provided in order to suppress a temperature rise inside the shredder due to heat generated by the motor. Further, the paper piece obtained by the shredding process is discharged to a waste box that is installed in advance, and when the waste box is full of paper pieces, the paper piece is collected from the waste box.

  Here, a shredder has been proposed in which the shredded paper pieces are compressed into a lump and then transferred to a waste box (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses a transfer structure in which a piece of paper that has been shredded in the vertical direction is smoothly put into a waste box by transferring it from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction.

JP-A-6-306787 (pages 3 to 4, FIG. 1)

  When the transfer structure for transferring from the vertical direction to the vertical direction according to Patent Document 1 is adopted, it is necessary to install the waste box at a certain distance from the shredder, and a space for the separation is required. Therefore, a large space for installing the conventional shredder is required.

Moreover, in the conventional shredder, since the piece of paper discharged to the waste box is exposed, there is a possibility that the periphery of the shredder is scattered by the piece of paper due to, for example, air from an air conditioner or a window. Moreover, since the waste box itself is exposed, it is not preferable in appearance. Such a problem can be solved by adopting a configuration in which the waste box is installed inside the shredder.
However, in the transfer structure described above, if the waste box is installed inside, the outer shape of the shredder becomes large. For example, when a shredder is installed near an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, or when a design that does not select an installation location in an office is considered, there is a demand for a compact shredder. However, when the conventional transfer structure is adopted, it becomes difficult to realize a compact shredder.

The present invention has been made to solve the technical problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a shredding device that can easily realize a space saving of an installation place. is there.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shredding device having a transfer structure capable of installing a litter box inside the device.

For this purpose, the shredding device to which the present invention is applied includes a processing means for shredding the input paper into shredded pieces, a duct for transferring shredded pieces by the processing means, and a duct The duct is connected to an arc-shaped path portion that changes the transfer direction of the crushed pieces from the processing means, and one end portion of the pass section, and the crushed piece transfer direction. There is obtained a curved portion that is curved to face the vicinity of the other end of Rutotomoni the path portion deviates from the direction toward the other end of the path section. Here, the “curved portion that curves in a curved manner” can be a curved portion that has a certain target point (the other end portion of the pass portion) and deviates from the target point.

Here, if the downstream end of the duct is located above the box, it is preferable in that the pieces can be stably stacked in the box. Particularly when the lump of chips is discharged from the downstream end, the scattered chips when the lump collapses at the discharge port can be dropped into the box at a wide angle. Furthermore, by providing the downstream end above the box, a lump of chips long in the transfer direction can be divided into an appropriate length by its own weight. The chip remaining at the downstream end can be dropped into the box.
In addition, it is preferable that the upstream end of the duct is located so as to be displaced from the substantially central portion on the upper surface of the apparatus, since it is possible to further reduce the space.

From another point of view, the shredding device to which the present invention is applied has a central axis extending with a substantially constant radius of curvature, and is used for transporting a shredded piece formed by shredding the input paper. Including a duct and a box from which the crushed pieces transferred by the duct are discharged, and the duct is connected to a substantially U-turn path portion having a central axis located in substantially the same plane, and one end of the substantially U-turn path portion, it is obtained by a curved portion having a central axis which is curved to face the vicinity of the other end of Rutotomoni the substantially U-turn path portion deviated from substantially the same plane. The “curved portion having a central axis that is curved out of substantially the same plane” as used herein means that at least a part of the central axis of the curved portion is not located in the substantially same plane. it can. In addition, “center axis located in substantially the same plane” in other words, “providing the center axis in substantially the same plane” means that the center axis of the substantially U-turn path portion of the duct is linearly provided on the same plane, It can be said that it refers to a case where the angle is formed in a spiral shape. And when providing linearly on the same plane, it is excellent at the point which can be accommodated in the limited space inside an apparatus. Further, in the case where the angle is formed in a spiral shape, the lump of chips in which the radius of curvature of the curved portion becomes resistance can be smoothly transferred to the box.

Here, the duct is characterized in that the substantially U-turn path portion and the curved portion are integrally formed, or are composed of a plurality of members so that the joint between the members does not hinder the transfer of the crushed pieces. It is preferable in that clogging of crushed pieces and chips can be reduced. That is, in the case of integral molding, since the duct is formed by a single member, it is possible to reduce clogging of fragments and chips by eliminating seams. Moreover, even when a duct is constituted by a plurality of members, clogging of crushed pieces and chips can be reduced by preventing the joints between the members from interfering with the transfer of the crushed pieces.
Further, if the inner surface of the duct is formed in a concavo-convex shape, the contact area with the crushed pieces due to the concavo-convex shape can be reduced, which is excellent in that clogging of the crushed pieces can be reduced. Further, if the inner surface of the duct has a plurality of grooves extending in the transfer direction, it is excellent in that clogging of the crushed pieces can be reduced by reducing the contact area with the crushed pieces by the grooves. Furthermore, if the inner diameter of the duct shredded piece downstream in the transfer direction is larger than the inner diameter of the shredded piece upstream in the transport direction, clogging of the shredded piece due to the expansion of the duct inner diameter can be reduced. Is excellent.

From another point of view, the shredding device to which the present invention is applied includes a processing means for shredding the input paper into shredded pieces, and a duct for transferring shredded pieces by the processing means. , and a box fragments that are transported by a duct is discharged, duct, have a spiral-shaped portion which had been more an arcuate path portion for changing the transfer direction of the fragments, and the upstream end of the transport direction The downstream ends are located in the vicinity of each other .
Here, if the cross-sectional shape of the duct is substantially circular, it is excellent in that a paper jam in the duct can be prevented.

  According to the present invention, for example, even when a waste box is installed inside, the apparatus can be made compact.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a used paper processing apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a used paper processing apparatus) according to the present embodiment. The used paper processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes an upper surface part 1 constituting the upper part of the apparatus, and a loading unit 11 provided on the upper surface part 1 into which used paper to be discarded (paper to be shredded) is input. . Further, the used paper processing apparatus performs processing (such as shredding processing) of used paper that has been input into the input unit 11 of the upper surface 1 and temporarily stores processed used paper (hereinafter also referred to as chips) inside. 2 is provided. Further, the used paper processing apparatus includes an operation display unit 5 on the upper surface unit 1 for displaying instructions to the user regarding used paper processing and the like as well as giving instructions for used paper processing and the like in the main body unit 2. Yes. Further, the used paper processing apparatus is provided in the opening / closing door 25 that can be opened and closed when discharging the chip accommodated in the main body 2 to the outside of the apparatus, and is accommodated in the main body 2. A window 25a through which the amount of chips can be visually recognized and a caster 26 for enabling movement of the main body 2 are provided. A member 25b that transmits light is fitted in the window 25a.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the inside of the used paper processing apparatus. As shown in the figure, the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus includes a crushing unit 3 that crushes the used waste paper into chips, and a compression that compresses the chips formed by the crushing unit 3 into chunks. Unit 4 is provided. The main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus includes a duct 21 as a transfer unit that transfers the lump of chips formed by the compression unit 4 and a box 22 as a storage unit that stores the lump of chips transferred by the duct 21. And.
Further, the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus includes a fan 23 for forcibly forming an air flow inside the apparatus, a control unit 6 for controlling operations of the crushing unit 3 and the compression unit 4 (each unit), an external And a main power switch (main switch) 24 for a user to perform an ON / OFF operation for power supply from the power source. In addition, power supply from the outside is performed through a breaker 24a with an inlet.

  The crushing unit 3 includes a first rotating blade row 31A including a first rotating shaft 31A and a second rotating shaft 31B that are substantially parallel to each other, and a plurality of rotating blades 33A attached to the first rotating shaft 31A. The second rotary blade row 32B composed of a plurality of rotary blades 33B attached to the second rotary shaft 31B and the rotary blade 33A adjacent to each other in the first rotary blade row 32A, and the used paper as the first The first pressing member 34A for pressing against the rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B are positioned between the adjacent rotary blades 33B, and the second paper for pressing the used paper against the second rotary blade row 32B. 2 pressing members 34B, and a crushing motor 36 as a drive source for the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B. Each rotary blade 33A, 33B is a circular plate-like member, and a plurality of blades extending outward are formed on the peripheral surface thereof.

Each of the rotary blades 33A and 33B constituting the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B is along the axial direction (perpendicular to the paper surface) of the first rotary shaft 31A and the second rotary shaft 31B. Are arranged at predetermined intervals. The mutual positional relationship between the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B is such that the rotary blade of one rotary blade row is located between adjacent rotary blades of the other rotary blade row. It is like that. That is, the rotary blade 33A of the first rotary blade row 32A and the rotary blade 33B of the second rotary blade row 32B are arranged so as to be staggered with respect to the axial directions of the first rotary shaft 31A and the second rotary shaft 31B. Has been. The mutual positional relationship between the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B is such that the rotary blades of one rotary blade row enter between adjacent rotary blades of the other rotary blade row. It has become.
A meshing portion 35 that is an overlapping region is formed by the rotating blades 33A and 33B that are alternately arranged and intruded.

The crushing motor 36 is controlled by the control unit 6. The driving force generated by the crushing motor 36 is transmitted to the first rotating shaft 31A and the second rotating shaft 31B via a drive transmission system (for example, a driving belt) (not shown). When the driving force is transmitted to the first rotary shaft 31A and the second rotary shaft 31B, the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B rotate.
Here, the rotation direction of the first rotary blade row 32A and the rotation direction of the second rotary blade row 32B are opposite to each other. That is, one rotating blade row rotates clockwise, and the other rotating blade row rotates counterclockwise. Specifically, normally (at the time of forward rotation), as shown in FIG. 2, the first rotary blade row 32A rotates in the clockwise direction, and the second rotary blade row 32B rotates in the counterclockwise direction. Thereby, the meshing side 35a of the meshing portion 35 is positioned below the position of the rotation shafts 31A and 31B, and the counter meshing side 35b of the meshing portion 35 is positioned above the positions of the rotation shafts 31A and 31B. Further, the crushing motor 36 can be reversed in the forward and reverse directions, and can rotate the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B in the direction opposite to the arrow direction in FIG. is there. In that case, the meshing side 35a and the non-meshing side 35b of the meshing portion 35 are in opposite positions.
Further, the rotation speed (circumferential speed) of the first rotary blade row 32A and the rotation speed of the second rotary blade row 32B are different from each other. That is, the first rotating blade row 32A located on the used paper input side rotates slowly (low speed), and the second rotating blade row 32B located on the side opposite to the used paper input side rotates fast (high speed). As the speed difference, for example, a double value can be adopted.

A compression unit 4 is provided below the crushing unit 3. The compression unit 4 includes a hopper 41 that receives chips falling from the crushing unit 3, a cylindrical member 42 to which chips received by the hopper 41 are continuously supplied, and a cylindrical member 42 that is rotatable. The screw 43 arranged and a compression motor 44 as a drive source of the screw 43 are provided.
The screw 43 is configured by attaching a helical screw piece 43b to the rotating shaft 43a so as to extend along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 43a supported in the cylindrical member 42. That is, the screw 43 moves in one direction to move (push out) the chips continuously supplied from the hopper 41 into the cylindrical member 42. The lower end portion 42b of the cylindrical member 42 has a diaphragm shape with an aperture diameter narrower than that of the upper end portion 42a. With this drawing shape, the chip can be compressed at the lower end portion 42b into a lump of chips.
The compression motor 44 is controlled by the control unit 6. The driving force generated by the compression motor 44 is transmitted to the screw 43 through a drive transmission system (not shown). The screw 43 rotates in a direction to push the chip downward.
Here, the range in the circumferential direction of the screw piece 43b is set to be 360 degrees or less around the rotation shaft 43a so that the tip can smoothly advance in the cylindrical member 42 by the pressing force of the screw 43. Further, in order to prevent a co-rotation phenomenon in which the lump of the chip rotates in the same manner as the screw 43 rotates and does not move forward, a plurality of small protrusions (not shown) extending in the length direction are formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical member 42. The part is formed over the entire circumference.

Subsequent to the compression unit 4, a duct 21 and a box 22 are provided in the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus. The duct 21 is connected to the downstream end 42 c of the cylindrical member 42 of the compression unit 4. And the special drive source for transferring the lump of chips in the duct 21 is not necessarily required. That is, the lump of chips in the duct 21 is transferred using the pressing force of the screw 43 of the compression unit 4.
The box 22 is arranged to receive a lump of chips that have been transported through the duct 21 and discharged from the duct 21. The box 22 can be removed from the main body 2 by opening the door 25.

  Various sensors (detection units) are attached to the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus. That is, in the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus, a paper sensor (paper sensor) 90 that detects that used paper has been input into the input unit 11 and chips that have fallen from the crushing unit 3 are contained in the hopper 41 of the compression unit 4. A hopper full detection sensor 92 for detecting that the battery is full is attached. Further, in the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus, the box set sensor 94 for detecting that the box 22 is set inside the main body 2 and the chip in the box 22 have reached a position almost full. A near full sensor 96 for detecting the door and a door sensor (door interlock switch) 98 for detecting that the door 25 is closed and locked are attached. The detection results of these various sensors 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 are output to the control unit 6.

Here, when the main power switch 24 of the main body 2 of the used paper processing apparatus is operated from OFF to ON, a predetermined initialization process is started by the control unit 6 that detects the operation (initialized state). Thereafter, the status of the used paper processing apparatus is managed by the control unit 6, and the status of the used paper processing apparatus is displayed on the operation display unit 5.
As the state of the used paper processing apparatus, there are a stopped state, a standby (standby) state, a processing state, a power saving state, an error occurrence state, and a system error state in addition to the above-described initialized state. Hereinafter, each state will be briefly described.
That is, when the predetermined initialization process is completed, the used paper processing apparatus is stopped. When a start switch (not shown) is pressed in the stop state, the state shifts to a standby state. When the paper sensor 90 detects that the used paper has been input to the input unit 11, the process shifts to the processing state, and the crushing unit 3 is activated to start the processing of the used paper (the shredding process) (auto start). When the waste paper processing is completed, the processing state returns to the standby state (auto stop).

If the operation is not performed even after a predetermined time has passed since the transition to the stop state, the state shifts to the power saving state to save power and waits for a start button (not shown) to be pressed.
When the door sensor 98 detects that the opening / closing door 25 has been opened in the processing state, an error occurs, and the processing of used paper is immediately stopped. Note that an emergency stop button (push button switch) 51 constituting a part of the operation display unit 5 of the used paper processing apparatus is provided on the upper surface portion 1, and when the emergency stop button 51 is pressed in the processing state, It is forcibly stopped and an error occurs. When the control unit 6 determines that a paper jam has occurred, a predetermined paper jam process is performed.
Further, for example, when it becomes a situation that cannot be dealt with unless customer service is called such that the paper jam cannot be cleared even by a predetermined paper jam processing, a system error state occurs.

Here, as other states of the used paper processing apparatus, there are an administrator mode for users including the user and a maintenance DIAG mode for maintenance of the used paper processing apparatus.
Further, when a start button (not shown) is kept pressed for a predetermined time in the standby state, the mode shifts to the manual mode. In this manual mode, waste paper processing is continued while a start button (not shown) is pressed. The fan 23 is operated as necessary by the control unit 6.

Next, specific processing contents of the used paper processing apparatus will be described. When the paper sensor 98 detects that waste paper has been input into the input unit 11 in the standby state, the crushing motor 36 and the compression motor 44 are operated according to instructions from the control unit 6.
Since the used waste paper is pressed against the first rotary blade row 32A (low speed side) by the first pressing member 34A, it is caught by the rotary blade 33A of the first rotary blade row 32A. For this reason, when the first rotary blade row 32A and the second rotary blade row 32B of the crushing unit 3 rotate, the used paper hooked on the rotary blade 32A of the first rotary blade row 32A becomes the first rotary blade row. While being wound around 32A, it is drawn into the inside one by one. Then, the waste paper hooked on the first rotary blade row 32A at the meshing portion 35 is peeled off and crushed by the second rotary blade row 32B.
The fine waste paper becomes chips and falls to the compression unit 4 that performs the next process (compression process). Large waste paper is crushed again by the meshing portion 35, and the waste paper that has not been finely crushed still repeats the passage of the meshing portion 35 until it becomes fine. In this manner, the used paper processing apparatus first cuts the used used paper into chips by cutting the input used paper at a speed difference between the first rotating blade row 32A and the second rotating blade row 32B (chopping processing).
Note that almost all used paper wound around the first rotary blade row 32A is peeled off by the second rotary blade row 32B and moved to the second rotary blade row 32B. For this reason, the rotary blade 33A of the first rotary blade row 32A is always exposed without being filled with waste paper, and the function of the first rotary blade row 32A to hook the waste paper is maintained.

  Chips formed by crushing waste paper by the crushing unit 3 fall into the hopper 41 of the compression unit 4 and enter the cylindrical member 42 from the upper end portion 42 a of the cylindrical member 42. In the cylindrical member 42, the chip is pushed toward the lower end portion 42 b of the cylindrical member 42 by the screw 43 rotating by the driving force of the compression motor 44. On the other hand, since the lower end portion 42 b of the cylindrical member 42 has a diaphragm shape, the chip receives a predetermined resistance force when passing through the cylindrical member 42. In this way, the chip is compressed by the pressing force of the screw 43 in the cylindrical member 42, and is eventually pushed out from the cylindrical member 42 as a lump of chips.

The lump of chips formed by the compression unit 4 is transferred through the duct 21 by the pressing force of the screw 43. Since the downstream end 21 a of the duct 21 is located above the box 22, the chip lump is discharged into the box 22 when pushed out of the duct 21.
Chips in the box 22 are opened and opened from the main body 2 together with the box 22 and collected. Note that the recovered chips can be easily recycled because the paper fibers are not cut. In addition, since the collected chip is a waste paper that is irregularly and irregularly crushed, high confidentiality can be maintained.

Next, the positional relationship among the compression unit 4, the duct 21, and the box 22 in the used paper processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the inside of the used paper processing apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 2, the downstream end 42 c of the compression unit 4 is located on the rear side of the apparatus in the apparatus front-rear direction A. As shown in FIG. 3, the downstream end 42 c of the compression unit 4 is located on the left side of the apparatus in the apparatus left-right direction B.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the box 22 is housed inside the apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, the box 22 is located on the front side of the apparatus which is opposite to the downstream end 42 c of the compression unit 4 in the apparatus front-rear direction A. As shown in FIG. 3, the box 22 is located closer to the center in the apparatus left-right direction B.
Further, the downstream end 21a of the duct 21 is located near the center of the apparatus front-rear direction A as shown in FIG. 2, and is located on the right side of the apparatus in the apparatus left-right direction B as shown in FIG.

Next, the duct 21 of the compression unit 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.
4-6 is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the shape of the duct 21 of the compression unit 4, FIG. 4 is the front view of the duct 21, FIG. 5 is the left view of the duct 21, FIG. It is a right view.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the duct 21 includes a substantially semicircular substantially U-turn path portion 71 that changes the transfer direction of the lump of chips from the lower side to the upper side. The substantially U-turn path portion 71 has an upstream end portion 71b connected to the downstream end 42c of the compression unit 4 and a downstream end portion 71a that is an end portion on the opposite side of the other end portion 71b. Further, the duct 21 is connected to the one end portion 71 a of the substantially U-turn path portion 71, and the arcuate curved portion 72 that is curved with the crushing piece moving direction deviating from the direction toward the other end portion 71 b of the U-turn path portion 71. I have.
In other words, the duct 21 includes a substantially U-turn path portion 71 having a central axis 71c extending with a substantially constant curvature radius ρ and positioned in the same plane, and a central shaft 72a extending with a substantially constant curvature radius ρ and a substantially U-turn path portion. 71 and a curved portion 72 that is curved out of the same plane.
As will be described later, the substantially U-turn path portion 71 and the curved portion 72 of the duct 21 are integrally formed. Thereby, the seam in the inner surface of the duct 21 can be eliminated, and clogging can be further reduced. Further, when the duct 21 is constituted by a plurality of members, the duct 21 is connected so that the diameter of the duct 21 increases from the other end 71b (or one end 71a) of the U-turn path portion 71 to the downstream end 21a of the duct 21. As a result, the step of the seam does not become a resistance to transporting the waste paper, and the lump of chips can be transported smoothly.

As the substantially constant radius of curvature ρ here, an arbitrary value of 117.5 mm or more can be adopted. That is, the larger the value of the radius of curvature ρ of the duct 21 is, the easier it is to transfer the lump of chips (there is less clogging). On the other hand, the larger the value of the radius of curvature ρ of the duct 21 is, the larger the device is. And increase the installation area. Conversely, a smaller value of the radius of curvature ρ of the duct 21 can contribute to space saving. On the other hand, if the value of the radius of curvature ρ of the duct 21 is decreased, the lump of chips becomes difficult to transfer, It becomes easy to clog. Thus, through various experiments and considerations, it has been found that if the value of the radius of curvature ρ is 117.5 mm or more, clogging of the chip lump can be effectively suppressed. Therefore, for example, if the curvature radius ρ is set to 118 mm, space saving can be realized while suppressing clogging of the lump of chips.
Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, the duct 21 is provided with the flange part 74 with a mounting hole. The material of the duct 21 can be polyethylene.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the cross-sectional shape of the duct 21 is substantially circular. For this reason, when the lump of chips formed by the compression unit 4 passes through the substantially U-turn path portion 71 and the curved portion 72, the tip is brought into contact with (in contact with) the inner peripheral surface of the duct 21 at the contact surface (contact region). It is easy to move while being fine-tuned according to all directions of 360 ° that the mass of the object wants to move, and is transported with the minimum necessary frictional resistance.
This will be further described. For example, when the cross-sectional shape of the duct 21 is formed of corners and surfaces such as squares and rectangles, the portion where the lump of chips contacts the duct 21 is limited. For example, in a square cross section, a strong force is applied to one of the four sides. It is not possible to determine which direction the cylindrical chip lump compacted with various chips bends in the duct 21, which may cause clogging in the duct 21. In particular, in the case where the vicinity of the discharge port is configured to be curved, strong resistance is applied and paper jamming is very likely to occur. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the duct 21 is substantially circular to prevent a paper jam.

In the duct 21 formed in this way, a substantially U-turn path portion 71 and a curved portion 72 are integrally formed by blow molding. That is, the duct 21 is formed by blow molding in which a tube-shaped parison melted by an extruder (not shown) is sandwiched between molds and air is blown into the mold. This blow molding is also called a hollow molding method and has a feature that containers and bottles can be efficiently molded.
Blow molding is a well-known and commonly used technique. The production process of blow molding will be briefly described below. First, a granular polymer material called pellets is melted and kneaded with an extruder screw (melt plasticization / extrusion process). The polymer material melted and kneaded with a screw is extruded from a double cylindrical die as a cylindrical polymer melt called a parison (parison forming process). Thereafter, the parison is sandwiched between molds and compressed air is blown into the mold, and the expanded parison comes into contact with the mold wall surface to form a molded product (expansion process / cooling solidification process). Finally, the parison that has completed expansion is cooled by a temperature-controlled mold, and the solidified molded product is opened and taken out (cooling / removal process). In addition, the shape required as a product is finally finished by cutting or other processing methods.

Here, the inner surface shape of the duct 21 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the inner surface shape of the downstream end 21 a of the duct 21.
As shown in FIG. 7, a semicircular ridge portion (saddle portion) 73 is formed on the inner surface of the duct 21. The protrusion 73 is provided along the transfer direction (longitudinal direction) and is provided over the entire inner surface. The protrusion 73 reduces the contact area between the chip lump and the inner surface of the duct 21. For this reason, the lump of chips can reduce the resistance force accompanying the transfer in the duct 21 and can suppress clogging of the lump of chips.
The protrusion 73 can be provided over the entire length of the duct 21 and can be provided only at a location where the resistance force is partially increased. For example, in a place where the radius of curvature ρ is smaller than that of other portions, the resistance force when the chip lump is transferred becomes relatively large. Therefore, by providing the protrusion 73 at such a place, the resistance can be reduced, and the clogging of the lump of chips can be reduced.

In addition, it is thought that sufficient effect is acquired even if the height h of the semicircle in the protrusion 73 is about 1 mm or about 5 mm. Moreover, although the protrusion part 73 is provided in this Embodiment, the form will not be ask | required if it is a shape which can reduce the contact area of the lump of a chip | tip and the inner surface of the duct 21. FIG. For example, it is also conceivable to form a groove or an uneven shape. It is also conceivable to form the duct 21 with such a material that reduces the friction coefficient μ together with the protrusion 73. As the coefficient of friction, for example, a value of μ = 0.8 or less is considered preferable.
In addition, when the thickness of the duct 21 is extremely reduced as the duct 21 becomes lighter and more complicated, the wall surface of the duct 21 swells outward at the location where the lump of chips to be transferred is located for transfer. The accompanying resistance may increase. However, even in such a case, it is considered that if the protrusions 73 are provided on the inner surface of the duct 21, the slip of the lump of chips is improved.

The duct 21 is formed so that the inner diameter of the duct 21 is larger at the downstream end 21a than at the upstream end (that is, the other end 71b of the substantially U-turn path portion 71). Specifically, the inner diameter of the duct 21 may be formed so as to increase in diameter as it goes downstream. In addition, a step portion (not shown) is provided in the longitudinal middle portion of the duct 21 to increase the diameter. It is also conceivable to form it.
In addition, it is thought that the effect will arise if the internal diameter of the downstream end 21a of the duct 21 is expanded about 5-6 mm, for example, from the internal diameter of an upstream end (substantially the other end part 71b of the U-turn path part 71).

Here, although the downstream end 21a of the duct 21 in this Embodiment is comprised so that the discharge surface 21b may face downward, it can also be comprised so that it may face in another direction. In other words, it is conceivable to configure the discharge surface 21b of the downstream end 21a of the duct 21 to be substantially horizontal, or to configure the discharge surface 21b to be upward.
When the discharge surface 21b is configured to face downward, even when the chip mass discharged from the downstream end 21a of the duct 21 remains connected to the chip mass in the duct 21, the leading portion of the chip mass is Since it goes in the direction in which the box 22 is located, it can be expected to be discharged into the box 22.
Further, if the discharge surface 21 b is configured to face upward, the chip lump discharged from the downstream end 21 a of the duct 21 can be easily separated from the chip lump in the duct 21. For this reason, for example, while the box 22 filled with the lump of chips is taken out from the used paper processing apparatus, the lump of chips falls off the downstream end 21a of the duct 21 and the inside of the apparatus is broken. Can be expected to be resolved.

Although the duct 21 provided with the substantially U-turn path part 71 and the curved part 72 was demonstrated, the shape of ducts other than this, for example, the shape shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 is employable.
FIG. 8 is a front view of a duct according to another embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a left side view of the duct according to another embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the duct 91 includes a spiral-shaped portion 92 in which a plurality of arc-shaped path portions that change the transfer direction of the lump of chips are connected, and a straight portion 93. The spiral-shaped portion 92 has an upstream end 92a and a downstream end 92b. The spiral-shaped portion 92 is formed so that the central axis 92c has substantially the same radius of curvature. As shown in FIG. 9, the central axis 92c of the spiral-shaped portion 92 has a loop shape so that the position of the end portion 92b is displaced from the position of the end portion 92a by approximately the diameter of the duct 91. Further, at least a part of the end portion 92b is provided so as to enter above the box 22. Further, the downstream end of the end portion 92b has an end face shape that is cut obliquely with respect to the central axis 92c.
A straight line portion 93 is located on the upstream side of the spiral-shaped portion 92. The linear portion 93 has an upstream other end portion 93b connected to the downstream end 42c of the compression unit 4 and a downstream end portion 93a that is an end portion on the opposite side of the other end portion 93b. One end portion 93 a of the linear portion 93 is integrally coupled to the end portion 92 a of the spiral-shaped portion 92. That is, in the duct 91, the spiral-shaped portion 92 and the straight portion 93 are integrally formed.
Note that the duct 91 includes the spiral-shaped portion 92 and the straight portion 93, but it is also conceivable that the duct 91 is formed only by the spiral-shaped portion 92 without the straight portion 93. That is, the upstream end 92 a of the spiral-shaped portion 92 is connected to the downstream end 42 c of the compression unit 4.

Here, in the duct 91, the downstream end of the duct 91 is provided above the box 22 via an arc-shaped path portion that changes the chip transfer direction, and the chip lump is transferred toward the downstream end. It is provided to be done. For this reason, when the lump of chips passes through the arc-shaped path portion, a crack is generated in a portion where the lump of chips is easily divided, and the lump of chips is also arc-shaped and smoothly transferred to the downstream end. It becomes like this. Further, the lump of chips transferred to the downstream end of the duct 91 is transferred from the subsequent lump of chips, and thus protrudes from the downstream end. Since the protruding lump of chips extends in a substantially horizontal direction, the cracked portion where the chip lump has started to be divided is divided by its own weight and is stored in the box 22 as a small lump.
The reason for this configuration is to solve the following problems. That is, in the case of a used paper processing apparatus that compresses paper after crushing the paper, the paper piece is compressed with a strong force of, for example, 15 kg / cm ² , and the compressed paper lump is a cylinder of 100 mmφ and has a length of 300 mm or more. Since it weighs about 1 kg, it eliminates the problem that if the paper is discharged directly from the outlet toward the box, a lump of paper extends into the box and cannot be discharged any more, resulting in a paper jam. Because.

Next, means for detecting whether or not the box 22 is installed inside the apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 10 is a left side view schematically showing the inside of the used paper processing apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 10, an abutting portion 81 is provided behind the box 22 in the apparatus longitudinal direction A. The abutment portion 81 has an abutment surface 81a on which one side surface 22a of the box 22 abuts and is positioned when the box 22 is installed in the apparatus. Further, the upper surface 81 b of the contact portion 81 is located on the upper side in the height direction of the box 22. The upper surface 81 b of the contact portion 81 is located above the placement surface 27 of the box 22. A micro switch 82 (precision snap action switch, sensitive switch) as a box set sensor 94 is attached to the upper surface 81 b of such a contact portion 81.
The micro switch 82 is used for detecting the position of the object, and the micro switch 82 operates when one side surface 22a of the box 22 contacts the contact surface 81a. Since the detection result of the micro switch 82 is output to the control unit 6, the control unit 6 can detect whether or not the box 22 is installed at a predetermined position based on the detection result of the micro switch 82. Then, the control unit 6 performs control so that the shredding process is not started without the box 22 being detected.

That is, in the present embodiment, since the box 22 is installed inside the apparatus, it is not known whether the box 22 is installed inside the apparatus when the door 25 is closed. Therefore, it is confirmed whether the box 22 is installed in the interior by opening the opening / closing door 25 or through the window 25a of the opening / closing door 25.
However, if the box 22 is not installed at a predetermined position for some reason such as carelessness of the user, and if the waste paper processing apparatus executes shredding processing, the chips accumulate inside, and the chip A large amount of work is required at the time of collection.
Therefore, unless the box 22 is detected by the micro switch 82, the control unit 6 performs control so that the shredding process is not started even when waste paper is input to the input unit 11 in the standby state. This avoids unnecessary work when collecting chips.
In addition, since the upper surface 81b of the contact portion 81 to which the microswitch 82 is attached is located above the mounting surface 27 of the box 22, even if chips accumulate on the mounting surface 27 of the box 22, erroneous detection is performed. Can be prevented.
When the one side surface 22 a of the box 22 comes into contact with the contact portion 81, the chip lump transferred by the duct 21 is positioned so as to fall toward the center of the bottom surface of the box 22.

Here, although the micro switch 82 is used in the present embodiment, other types of sensors can be used. That is, any sensor can be used as long as it can detect whether the box 22 is installed at a place where the box 22 should be installed.
If the box 22 is not installed at a place where it should be installed, the fact is displayed on a UI (User Interface) (not shown) of the operation display unit 5 and the apparatus cannot start shredding processing. It is also possible to notify the user.
Furthermore, when the box 22 is not detected by the micro switch 82 and the user instructs the waste paper processing device to start shredding processing, for example, a buzzer may be sounded to issue a warning.
Of course, it is also conceivable that the user can select not to display on the UI or not to sound a warning sound.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the position of the downstream end 42c of the compression unit 4 is provided closer to the rear of the apparatus and closer to the left of the apparatus when viewed from the front. The duct 21 connected to the downstream end 42c of the compression unit 4 extends in the right direction of the apparatus when viewed from the front while changing the transfer direction of the lump of chips from the lower side to the upper side, and from there to the front side of the apparatus. It is changing. A box 22 is located on the front side of the duct 21.
Since such an internal arrangement is adopted, the transfer path for transferring the lump of chips from the downstream end 42c of the compression unit 4 to the box 22 can be configured in a compact manner. Therefore, even when the box 22 is arranged inside the apparatus, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus.
Further, the downstream end 21 a of the duct 21 is arranged so that the lump of chips transferred by the duct 21 falls toward the center of the bottom surface of the box 22. Therefore, since the lump of chips is dropped (dropped) at the center of the box 22, the lump of chips in the box 22 can be stably stacked.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the used paper processing apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the inside of the used paper processing apparatus. It is a front view which shows roughly the inside of the used paper processing apparatus. It is a front view of a duct. It is a left view of a duct. It is a right view of a duct. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the inner surface shape of the downstream end of a duct. It is a front view of the duct of other embodiment. It is a left view of the duct of other embodiment. It is a left view which shows roughly the inside of the used paper processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

21, 91 ... duct, 21a ... downstream end, 22 ... box, 71 ... substantially U-turn path part, 71a ... one end part, 71b ... other end part, 71c, 72a ... central axis, 72 ... curved part, 73 ... ridge part 92: Spiral shape part

Claims (10)

Processing means to shred the input paper into shredded pieces,
A duct for transferring crushed pieces by the processing means;
A box from which the fragments transferred by the duct are discharged,
The duct is
An arc-shaped path portion that changes the transfer direction of the crushed pieces from the processing means;
Connected to one end portion of the path unit, the transport direction of the crushed pieces and a curved portion that is curved to face the vicinity of the other end of Rutotomoni the path portion deviates from the direction toward the other end of the path portion A shredding device characterized by that.   The shredding device according to claim 1, wherein a downstream end of the duct is located above the box.   The shredding device according to claim 1, wherein an upstream end of the duct is shifted from a substantially central portion on the upper surface of the device. A duct for transferring a crushed piece formed by chopping the input paper and extending the central axis with a substantially constant radius of curvature;
A box from which the fragments transferred by the duct are discharged,
The duct is
A substantially U-turn path portion having a central axis located in substantially the same plane;
Further comprising a curved portion having a central axis which is curved so as to connect to one end of the substantially U-turn path portion, toward the vicinity of the other end of Rutotomoni the substantially U-turn path portion deviated from the substantially same plane A shredding device characterized by the above. In the duct, the substantially U-turn path portion and the curved portion are integrally formed,
Alternatively, the shredding device according to claim 4, wherein the shredding device is composed of a plurality of members so that a seam between the members does not hinder the transfer of the crushed pieces.   The shredding device according to claim 4, wherein an inner surface of the duct is formed in an uneven shape.   The shredding device according to claim 4, wherein an inner surface of the duct has a plurality of grooves extending in a transfer direction.   The shredding device according to claim 4, wherein an inner diameter of the duct shredded piece downstream in the transfer direction is larger than an inner diameter of the shredded piece upstream in the transfer direction. Processing means to shred the input paper into shredded pieces,
A duct for transferring crushed pieces by the processing means;
A box from which the fragments transferred by the duct are discharged,
The duct, shredding, characterized in that have a helically shaped portion which had been more an arcuate path portion for changing the transfer direction of the fragments, the upstream and downstream ends of the transport direction is positioned near one another Processing equipment.   10. The shredding device according to claim 9, wherein the duct has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape.

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