JP7604337B2 - Manufacturing equipment for 3D filament assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a manufacturing device for three-dimensional filament assemblies.

High-resilience mattresses using a bonded body (filament three-dimensional bonded body) obtained by three-dimensionally fusing and bonding filaments made of thermoplastic resin have been attracting attention in recent years because of their high resilience, ease of turning over in bed, and excellent breathability. Methods disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example, are known as methods for manufacturing such filament three-dimensional bonded bodies.

According to the methods of Patent Documents 1 and 2, molten thermoplastic resin is extruded vertically downward from multiple horizontally arranged nozzles, and then a group of molten filaments (filamentary aggregate) with a diameter of about 1 mm is dropped into water, where the buoyancy of the water forms loops, and the multiple molten filaments that have formed loops are fused and bonded together in three dimensions to produce a three-dimensional filament bond. At this time, the end molten filament groups located on both sides of the thickness direction of the group of molten filaments (filamentary aggregate) (both ends in the front-to-rear direction) are received on an inclined receiving plate (chute), and then slid in the inclined direction on the surface of the receiving plate and dropped into a water tank, forming a smooth, strong, high-density surface layer.

As a method for allowing the end molten filaments to slide smoothly down the receiving plate and fall into the water tank, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which cooling water is supplied to a roughened receiving plate (chute) to form a cooling water film. In addition, Patent Document 2 describes a method in which the surface of the receiving plate (chute) is covered with a water-permeable sheet, and cooling water is supplied between the receiving plate (chute) surface and the water-permeable sheet to form a cooling water film.

Patent No. 4966438 JP 2004-218116 A

To form a three-dimensional filament bond, multiple molten filaments must be fused and bonded in a water tank (underwater). Therefore, to prevent the fusion force (fusion point strength) between the molten filaments from changing, the water temperature in the upper part of the water tank, especially the area in the water tank where the fusion bonding between the molten filaments occurs (linking zone), must be kept constant.

However, when cooling water is supplied from the top of the receiving plate, the cooling water flows down into the tank, lowering the water temperature at the top of the tank. This causes an issue in that while the water temperature is less likely to drop in the center in the front-to-back direction (center in the thickness direction) away from the receiving plate, the temperature is more likely to drop at both ends in the front-to-back direction (both ends in the thickness direction) close to the receiving plate where the cooling water flows down.

In particular, in order to form a cooling water film on the entire surface of the backing plate, it is necessary to supply more cooling water than the minimum amount of cooling water required to cool and solidify the portion near the end of the molten filament group when viewed from above (end molten filament group), which results in a large temperature drop (variation over time) and temperature unevenness (variation over position) in the linking zone.

If the temperature of the linking zone fluctuates over time or position, the fusion bonding of the molten filaments may not be performed properly, and problems such as unstable repulsion and hardness of the three-dimensional filament bond may occur. In particular, if the temperature of the linking zone is lower than the appropriate temperature, sufficient bond strength (linking strength) between the filaments may not be obtained, and when the resulting three-dimensional filament bond is used as a cushioning material, problems may occur such as the cushioning properties (repulsion and hardness) easily decreasing over the years of use.

To address these issues, it is important to reduce and stabilize the amount of cooling water flowing into the linking zone. In view of the above issues, the present invention aims to provide a manufacturing device for three-dimensional filament bond bodies that can smoothly guide the end molten filament groups into the water tank and suppress temperature drops and temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

The manufacturing device according to the present invention is a manufacturing device for a three-dimensional filament bond, which has a molten filament supplying section that discharges a group of molten filaments formed by translating a plurality of molten filaments downward, and a fusion bond forming section that fuses the molten filaments together in a water tank to form a three-dimensional filament bond, and is equipped with a receiving plate having an inclined section that receives an end molten filament group located near the end of the molten filament group as viewed from above and guides it in an inward downward inclined direction into the water tank, a water-absorbent sheet that covers the inclined section, and a cooling water storage section that stores cooling water to be supplied to the water-absorbent sheet, and is configured such that the cooling water is supplied to the water-absorbent sheet by the water-absorbent sheet sucking up the cooling water from the cooling water storage section.

This configuration makes it possible to smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the water tank and suppress temperature drops and temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

More specifically, the above configuration may be such that a plurality of the cooling water storage sections are provided below the inclined portion, and the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the plurality of cooling water storage sections.

More specifically, the above configuration may be such that each of the cooling water storage sections is arranged at a different position in the inclination direction of the inclined section, the inclined section has holes corresponding to each of the cooling water storage sections, and the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the cooling water storage sections through the holes.

More specifically, the above configuration may be such that at least one of the cooling water storage sections is configured such that the portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section is bent into a shape capable of storing the cooling water. Note that "at least one of the cooling water storage sections" here is not limited to cases in which there are multiple cooling water storage sections, but also includes the cooling water storage section in cases in which there is only one cooling water storage section.

More specifically, the above configuration may be such that the cooling water storage section is the water tank, and the water in the water tank is used as the cooling water. Also, more specifically, the configuration may be such that a portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section has a support section formed by bending toward the inside of the water tank, the outer portion of the absorbent sheet extends along the support section and comes into contact with the water in the water tank, and a cover is provided above the support section with the absorbent sheet sandwiched between them.

More specifically, the above configuration may include a water flow generating device provided below the receiving plate, which generates a water flow in the water tank to cool the filament three-dimensional combination.

The manufacturing device according to the present invention makes it possible to smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the water tank and suppress temperature drop and temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional assembly according to the present embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing apparatus taken along the line A-A' in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a nozzle portion as viewed from below. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged view of a portion within a dotted frame X shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a receiving plate and its surroundings as viewed from below. A schematic cross-sectional view of the B-B' section shown in Figure 5A. A schematic cross-sectional view of the C-C' section shown in Figure 5A. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control system for the temperature of the water inside the wall. A schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate of the manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional combined body according to the second embodiment. A schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate of the manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional combined body according to the third embodiment. A schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate of the manufacturing apparatus for a filament three-dimensional combined body according to the fourth embodiment.

Below, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. First embodiment First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 1 for a three-dimensional filament assembly according to this embodiment, in which the manufacturing apparatus 1 is shown from the viewpoint of a cross-sectional view when cut along a plane that divides the apparatus into left and right halves. Fig. 2 is an arrow view of the A-A' cross section of the manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1. Note that the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions (directions perpendicular to each other) in the description of the manufacturing apparatus 1 are as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The up-down direction is the vertical direction.

The filament three-dimensional bond manufacturing device 1 is equipped with a molten filament supply section 10 that discharges a molten filament group consisting of multiple molten filaments MF with a diameter of about 0.3 to 3.0 mm vertically downward, and a fusion bond forming section 20 that three-dimensionally entangles the molten filaments MF, fusion bonds the contact points, and then cools and solidifies them to form a filament three-dimensional bond FZ.

The molten filament supply section 10 includes a pressurized melting section 11 (extruder) and a filament discharge section 12 (die). The pressurized melting section 11 includes a material input section 13 (hopper), a screw 14, a screw motor 15 that drives the screw 14, a screw heater 16, and multiple temperature sensors (not shown). Inside the pressurized melting section 11, a cylinder 11a is formed for transporting the thermoplastic resin supplied from the material input section 13 while heating and melting it with the screw heater 16.

The screw 14 is rotatably housed within the cylinder 11a. A cylinder outlet 11b is formed at the downstream end of the cylinder 11a for discharging the thermoplastic resin toward the filament discharge section 12. The heating temperature of the screw heater 16 is controlled based on the detection signal of a temperature sensor provided in the molten filament supply section 10, for example.

The filament discharge section 12 includes a nozzle section 17, a die heater 18, and multiple temperature sensors (not shown), and has a guide channel 12a formed inside that guides the molten thermoplastic resin discharged from the cylinder discharge port 11b to the nozzle section 17.

The nozzle section 17 is a thick metal plate of approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape with multiple openings, and is located below the filament discharge section 12, which is the most downstream part of the guide channel 12a.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the nozzle section 17 as viewed from below. The nozzle section 17 is formed with a plurality of nozzle openings 17a for discharging the molten filament MF. In the example shown in Figure 3, the openings 17a are arranged in a staggered pattern in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and the distance (pitch) between adjacent openings 17 is approximately 10 mm. However, the specific shape of the openings 17 is not particularly limited.

Multiple die heaters 18 (six, 18a to 18f, in the example shown in FIG. 2) are provided in the left-right direction and heat the filament discharge section 12. The heating temperature of the die heaters 18 is controlled based on the detection signal of a temperature sensor provided in the filament discharge section 12, for example.

Examples of thermoplastic resins that can be used as materials for the filament three-dimensional bond include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide resins such as nylon 66, polyvinyl chloride resins, and polystyrene resins, as well as thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-based elastomers, PVC-based elastomers, olefin-based elastomers, urethane-based elastomers, polyester-based elastomers, nitrile-based elastomers, polyamide-based elastomers, and fluorine-based elastomers.

The thermoplastic resin supplied from the material input section 13 is heated and melted in the cylinder 11a, and is then extruded, for example, by the screw 14, and supplied as molten thermoplastic resin from the cylinder outlet 11b to the guide channel 12a of the filament outlet section 12. After that, a group of molten filaments consisting of multiple molten filaments MF is discharged so as to move downward in a linear manner from each of the multiple nozzle openings 17a of the nozzle section 17.

The fusion bond forming section 20 includes a cooling water tank 21, a receiving plate 22, a cooling water storage section 23, a conveyor 24, and a number of transport rollers 25a to 25h. The receiving plate 22 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with the axial direction being vertical, and is disposed below the nozzle section 17 so as to receive the molten filament MF discharged from the nozzle section 17. In the following description, the horizontal inner side of the receiving plate 22 may be simply referred to as the "inner side", and the horizontal outer side of the receiving plate 22 may be simply referred to as the "outer side". As shown in FIG. 4 described later, the cooling water storage section 23 is disposed below the receiving plate 22, and stores cooling water for the cooling water film formed on the upper surface of the receiving plate 22.

The cooling water tank 21 is a tank that contains water W used to cool the molten filament MF, and is capable of storing a sufficient amount of water W as shown in FIG. 1. The water W acts as a refrigerant that provides buoyancy to the molten filament MF to bend it, and then cools and solidifies it after the contact points between the molten filaments created by the bending are fused together. Inside the cooling water tank 21, a pair of conveyors 24 and multiple transport rollers 25a to 25h are arranged. The pair of conveyors 24 and the multiple transport rollers 25a to 25h are driven by a drive motor (not shown).

The molten filament MF discharged from the nozzle portion 17 has its thickness (front-rear dimension) adjusted by the receiving plate 22 and is deflected by the buoyancy of the water W in the cooling water tank 21, with each molten filament MF forming a random loop. The random loops are entangled with adjacent random loops in a three-dimensional molten state, and the contact points are fused to form a three-dimensional filament bond (filament three-dimensional bond FZ). At this time, the higher the temperature of the molten filament MF, the higher the degree of contact fusion, and the greater the repulsive force of the filament three-dimensional bond FZ obtained after cooling. In the following explanation, the area of the water W where such fusion bonding between the molten filaments MF occurs may be referred to as the linking zone.

The filament three-dimensional combined body FZ is transported by the conveyor 24 and multiple transport rollers 25a to 25h while being cooled by the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and is finally discharged outside the cooling water tank 21. In this way, the manufacturing device 1 manufactures the filament three-dimensional combined body FZ.

Next, the configuration of the receiving plate 22 and its surroundings will be described in more detail. Fig. 4 is a schematic enlarged view of the portion within the dotted line frame X shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5A is a schematic configuration diagram of the receiving plate 22 and its surroundings as viewed from below. Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the B-B' cross section shown in Fig. 5A, and Fig. 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the C-C' cross section shown in Fig. 5A.

As shown in these figures, the receiving plate 22 is formed symmetrically on the left and right and front and rear, and has inclined portions 22a on the front, rear, left and right sides that slope inward as they extend downward, and wall portions 22b on the front, rear, left and right sides that are arranged to surround the area Z that includes the linking zone in the cooling water tank 21. In addition, a water-absorbent sheet 22c is provided on the upper surface of the inclined portions 22a.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the receiving plate 22 is formed by bending a metal plate material so that the inclined portion 22a and the wall portion 22b are connected. However, the inclined portion 22a and the wall portion 22b may be formed separately, and the wall portion 22b may be formed of a material with higher thermal insulation properties than the inclined portion 22a so that the heat of the water W inside the wall portion 22b is less likely to escape to the outside. In this embodiment, the wall portion 22b is in a form that completely surrounds the front, back, left and right of the area Z, but the form of the wall portion 22b is not limited to this, and may be in a form that does not surround all or part of the left and right of the area Z, for example.

The front-to-back and left-to-right dimensions of region Z are slightly smaller than those of nozzle section 17. Also, when viewed from above, the centers of region Z and nozzle section 17 are aligned. In region Z, the molten filaments MF are fused and bonded to each other in the linking zone near the water surface WS, and then move downward while being cooled by water W.

The inner surface of each of the front, rear, left, and right wall portions 22b is a vertical surface, and the lower end of each of the front, rear, left, and right inclined portions 22a is connected to the upper end of each wall portion 22b. That is, the front inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the rear (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the front wall portion 22b. The rear inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the front (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the rear wall portion 22b. The left inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the right (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the left wall portion 22b. The right inclined portion 22a is inclined toward the left (inner side) as it proceeds downward, and its lower end is connected to the upper end of the right wall portion 22b.

Of the multiple molten filaments MF discharged from the nozzle portion 17, those that are inside the outer edge of region Z when viewed from above enter region Z directly. On the other hand, of the multiple molten filaments MF discharged from the nozzle portion 17, those that are outside the outer edge of region Z when viewed from above, i.e., the end molten filaments, come into contact with the inclined portion 22a and slide down the inclined portion 22a, being guided to region Z located inside wall portion 22b.

The expansion of the molten filament MF that has entered the region Z in all directions is restricted by the wall 22b, and the thickness (front-to-back dimension) and width (left-to-right dimension) of the resulting filament three-dimensional bond FZ are constant. The wall 22b also prevents the water W from entering the inside of the linking zone, thereby preventing a drop in temperature.

The cooling water storage section 23 is provided on the outer lower part of the inclined portion 22a and stores the cooling water CW. A part of the water-absorbent sheet 22c is provided so as to be in contact with the cooling water CW in the cooling water storage section 23. The cooling water storage section 23 is provided with a cooling water supply pipe 23p that supplies the cooling water CW.

More specifically, the cooling water storage section 23 has a first plate-shaped section 23x formed by bending the portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a outward and downward, and a second plate-shaped section 23y formed by bending the portion extending from the outer end of the first plate-shaped section 23x outward and upward, and it is possible to store the cooling water CW in the space between these plate-shaped sections 23x and 23y. In this way, the cooling water storage section 23 is formed by bending the portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a into a shape that can store the cooling water CW.

As described above, in this embodiment, the cooling water storage section 23 is arranged in an ideal position by bending a part of the plate material forming the receiving plate 22 so that it is connected to the outer end of the inclined portion 22a. Note that since the upper end of the first plate-shaped portion 23x is located higher (above) than the upper end of the second plate-shaped portion 23y, even if the cooling water CW overflows from the cooling water storage section 23, the overflowing cooling water CW will simply fall into the cooling water tank 21 outside the wall portion 22b, and there is no risk of it flowing into the inclined portion 22a.

The cooling water storage section 23 is provided adjacent to the outer end of the inclined portion 22a, and the outer end of the absorbent sheet 22c provided to cover the upper surface of the inclined portion 22a can be simply folded along the upper surface of the first plate-shaped portion 23x to bring the absorbent sheet 22c into contact with the cooling water CW in the cooling water storage section 23. The cooling water storage section 23 may be supplied with the water W in the cooling water tank 21 via the cooling water supply pipe 23p as the cooling water CW, or tap water or the like may be supplied as the cooling water CW via the cooling water supply pipe 23p.

The cooling water CW stored inside the cooling water storage section 23 is sucked up by the absorbent sheet 22c, forming a cooling water film on the surface of the absorbent sheet 22c provided on the upper surface of the inclined section 22a. This cooling water film prevents the molten filament MF from sticking to the inclined section 22a, improves the sliding of the molten filament MF on the inclined section 22a, and cools the molten filament MF. In this way, the cooling water CW is supplied to the absorbent sheet 22c covering the surface of the inclined section 22a, making it possible to supply the cooling water to the surface of the inclined section 22a.

In this embodiment, a cotton fabric with a thickness of 1 mm is used as the absorbent sheet 22c, but there are no particular limitations on the material that can be used for the absorbent sheet 22c as long as it has the ability to absorb water. Examples of materials that can be used include cloth containing cellulose fibers with hydroxyl groups or acrylate fibers with carboxylate salts, and sponge-like porous hydrophilic resins.

Methods for increasing the ability to absorb water include decreasing the contact angle of the fiber material to increase wettability, and decreasing the fiber diameter to increase the surface area (enhancing capillary action).

The absorbent sheet 22c is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less in thickness, and may be used as a single piece of fabric or multiple pieces of fabric layered together. If the absorbent sheet 22c is less than 0.5 mm thick, the amount of water in the cooling water film formed is reduced, making it easier to dry. On the other hand, if the absorbent sheet 22c is more than 5 mm thick, the surface is more likely to become uneven, making it difficult for the end molten filament group to slide smoothly. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 22a may be determined by taking into consideration the balance between the ease of sliding of the end molten filament group on the inclined portion 22a and the progress of the loop formation described above. In addition, the receiving plate 22 and the absorbent sheet 22c may be formed of a hard material such as a porous hydrophilic resin having hydrophilicity, and the receiving plate 22 and the absorbent sheet 22c may be integrated.

The temperature of the cooling water CW is preferably 1°C or higher and 35°C or lower. If the temperature of the cooling water CW is less than 1°C, it is likely to freeze if the installation temperature of the manufacturing equipment is low. On the other hand, if the temperature of the cooling water CW exceeds 35°C, it is likely to evaporate and dry out.

The hydrophilicity of the surface of the inclined portion 22a may be increased to improve adhesion between the inclined portion 22a and the water-absorbent sheet 22c. Methods for increasing hydrophilicity include coating with a cellulose-based resin, an acrylic resin having a carboxylic acid group or a carboxylate ion group, or a silicone resin having an ionic group or a hydroxyl group, or chemically modifying the surface with a silane coupling agent having an ionic group or a hydroxyl group.

If the temperature of the linking zone fluctuates, the degree of fusion bonding of the molten filaments MF will change, and there is a risk of problems with the quality of the three-dimensional filament bond FZ. In particular, if the temperature of the linking zone falls below the appropriate temperature due to the influence of cooling water CW flowing into the linking zone, sufficient bonding strength (linking strength) between the filaments MF cannot be obtained, and problems may arise in that the cushioning properties of the resulting three-dimensional filament bond FZ are easily reduced when it is used as a cushioning material.

Therefore, in the manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment, a temperature sensor 31 (detection unit) is provided to detect the temperature of the water W inside the wall portion 22b, and the temperature of the linking zone is controlled by adjusting the temperature (output adjustment) of the heater 32 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31.

As shown in FIG. 4, the temperature sensor 31 is disposed in a hole D provided in the wall portion 22b, and detects the temperature of the water W that it comes into contact with. The temperature sensor 31 is disposed at a position approximately 10 mm below the water surface WS included in the linking zone, and is capable of detecting the temperature of the water W in the linking zone inside the wall portion 22b. In the example of this embodiment, a thermocouple is used as the temperature sensor 31 (temperature detection means), but the type of the temperature sensor 31 is not limited to this, and any means that can transmit the detected temperature as a signal that can be processed by a computer or the like, such as a mechanism that digitizes the display of an alcohol thermometer, may be used.

In addition, by placing the temperature sensor 31 in the hole D, it is possible to place it outside the inner surface of the wall portion 22b, which prevents the temperature sensor 31 from interfering with the molten filament MF or the filament three-dimensional combination body FZ. In the example of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, three temperature sensors 31 are provided at intervals on the front and rear wall portions 22b, and one is provided on each of the left and right wall portions 22b.

The hole D shown in Fig. 4 has a through hole at the bottom. The width of the hole D is not limited to be constant from the opening to the bottom, and the cross-sectional area may change along the depth like a taper. The size of the hole D may be set so that the temperature sensor 31 does not protrude further inward than the inner surface of the wall portion 22b, and the cross-sectional area of the hole D is preferably about 3 to 12 ^mm2 . The specific shape of the hole D is not particularly limited, and may be an ellipse, a circle, or a rectangle.

The heater 32 is configured to generate heat using, for example, supplied power, and is arranged to cover the outer surface of the wall 22b. In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5A, the heater 32 is arranged to cover most of the front and rear walls 22b except for the vicinity of the temperature sensor 31. Also, as shown in FIG. 5C, a plurality of through holes 22x extending left and right are arranged vertically in the portion of the front and rear walls 22b covered by the heater 32. As a result, the heat of the heater 32 is transferred via the wall 22b to the water W inside the wall 22b, and is also transferred directly to the water W entering the through holes 22x from the inside. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently heat the water W inside the wall 22b including the linking zone.

By using a material with higher insulating properties than metal as the material for the receiving plate 22, it becomes possible to make it difficult for the heat of the molten filament MF and water W in contact with it to escape to the outside, and it is possible to prevent the temperature of the molten filament MF from becoming too low. In particular, by using a material with higher insulating properties for the material of the wall portion 22b placed in the water W, it is possible to minimize the escape of heat from the water W inside the wall portion 22b to the outside of the wall portion 22b, and to make it difficult for the temperature of the linking zone to drop.

To achieve this, the material of the wall portion 22b may be more insulating than the material of the inclined portion 22a, and the wall portion 22b may be covered with a plate-shaped material made of a material with high insulating properties while adopting a receiving plate 22 made entirely of metal. Note that, as a material with higher insulating properties than metal, for example, resins with high heat resistance such as polyphenylene sulfide, polyimide resin, polytetrafluoroethylene (fluororesin), polyamideimide, diallyl phthalate (allyl resin), or silicone (silicon resin) can be used. In addition, in order to make it difficult for the temperature of the linking zone to drop, the cooling water CW that has entered the inside of the wall portion 22b may be made to flow out to the outside.

The manufacturing device 1 also controls the temperature of the linking zone based on the detection information of the detection sensor 31. Therefore, the manufacturing device 1 can optimize the temperature of the linking zone to ensure that the fusion bonding of the molten filaments is performed appropriately. In this embodiment, the heater 32 is used as a mechanism for heating the linking zone, but any type of method can be used as long as it can directly or indirectly heat the linking zone. The heater 32 may also heat the linking zone directly without using the backing plate 22.

As a method for heating the linking zone, in addition to (or instead of) using the heater 32, a method of flowing steam or hot air toward the linking zone, or a method of applying electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays to the linking zone may be adopted. A cooling mechanism for cooling the linking zone may also be provided in the manufacturing apparatus 1, so that the linking zone can be cooled as a form of temperature control of the linking zone. Furthermore, the wall portion 22b buried in the water W may be shaped like a fin or provided with holes or diverticula so that more items other than the temperature sensor 31 can be installed.

Figure 6 is a block diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a control system for the temperature of the water W inside the wall portion 22b. As shown in this figure, the manufacturing apparatus 1 has a temperature control unit 30 that controls the temperature of the linking zone. The temperature control unit 30 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and calculates the optimal temperature (output) of the heater 32 based on the detection information (information on the detected temperature) of the temperature sensor 31, and sends a control signal to the heater 32 to achieve this temperature (output). The heater 32 generates heat in response to this control signal, thereby controlling the temperature of the linking zone.

As an example, the temperature control unit 30 performs feedback control of the temperature of the heater 32 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31 approaches a predetermined temperature or falls within a predetermined tolerance range. This feedback control may be PID control. Note that the temperature sensor 31 is preferably positioned so as to directly detect the temperature of the water W in the linking zone, but it may also be positioned so as to detect the temperature of the water W near the linking zone inside the wall portion 22b.

Even in this case, the temperature of the water W in the linking zone and the water W near the linking zone inside the wall portion 22b are similar, so it is possible to control the temperature of the linking zone based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 31. Furthermore, the specific arrangement of the temperature sensor 31 is not limited to the above-mentioned one, and various modifications can be made.

As described above, the manufacturing device 1 for a three-dimensional filament bond according to this embodiment includes a molten filament supply section 10 that discharges a group of molten filaments formed by translating a plurality of molten filaments downward, and a fusion bond forming section 20 that causes the molten filaments to be fusion bonded to each other in a cooling water tank 21, thereby forming a three-dimensional filament bond FZ.

Furthermore, the manufacturing device 1 includes a receiving plate 22 having an inclined portion 22a that receives the end molten filament group located near the end of the molten filament group when viewed from above and guides it in a downward inclined direction into the cooling water tank 21, a water-absorbent sheet 22c that covers the inclined portion 22a, and a cooling water storage portion 23 that stores the cooling water CW to be supplied to the water-absorbent sheet 22c, and the cooling water CW is supplied to the water-absorbent sheet 22c by the water-absorbent sheet 22c sucking up the cooling water CW from the cooling water storage portion 23. Therefore, according to the manufacturing device 1, by stably supplying the cooling water CW to the surface of the inclined portion 22a, it is possible to smoothly guide the end molten filament group into the cooling water tank 21 and suppress temperature drop and temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

In other words, if the cooling water CW supplied to the surface of the inclined portion 22a flows into the linking zone, it will be more likely to cause a temperature drop or temperature unevenness in the linking zone. However, in the manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment, the absorbent sheet 22c covering the inclined portion 22a quickly absorbs the cooling water CW when it is relatively dry, but the force of absorbing the cooling water CW weakens as the moisture content approaches saturation. Therefore, excessive cooling water CW is prevented from being supplied to the absorbent sheet 22c covering the inclined portion 22a, which prevents the cooling water CW from flowing into the linking zone, making it possible to prevent a temperature drop or temperature unevenness in the linking zone.

2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the emphasis will be placed on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of the commonalities between the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be omitted.

Figure 7 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate 22 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, five cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e are provided below the inclined portion 22a of the receiving plate 22, staggered in the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a, to store cooling water CW. The water-absorbent sheet 22c is provided so as to be in contact with the cooling water stored in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e. Each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e is individually provided with a cooling water supply pipe 23p that supplies the cooling water CW.

The five cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e are arranged below the inclined portion 22a so as to be aligned at approximately equal intervals in the direction of inclination of the inclined portion 22a. The uppermost cooling water storage section 23a is formed in approximately the same manner as the cooling water storage section 23 in the first embodiment, and has the same function.

That is, the cooling water storage section 23a has a first plate-shaped section 23x formed by bending the portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a outward and downward, and a second plate-shaped section 23y formed by bending the portion extending from the outer end of the first plate-shaped section 23x outward and upward, and it is possible to store the cooling water CW in the space between these plate-shaped sections 23x and 23y. In this way, the cooling water storage section 23a is formed by bending the portion extending from the outer end of the inclined section 22a into a shape that can store the cooling water CW.

In the inclined portion 22a, holes H corresponding to the remaining four cooling water storage portions 23b to 23e are formed. Each of the four cooling water storage portions 23b to 23e has a configuration roughly equivalent to that of the cooling water storage portion 23a in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7, and is connected to the lower edge of the corresponding hole H. Each of the four cooling water storage portions 23b to 23e has a portion (corresponding to the first plate-shaped portion 23x) that extends outwardly downward from the lower edge of the corresponding hole H, and a portion (corresponding to the second plate-shaped portion 23y) that extends outwardly upward from the end of the portion, and it is possible to store the cooling water CW in the space between these portions. Even if the cooling water CW overflows from each of the cooling water storage portions 23a to 23e, the overflowing portion will simply fall into the cooling water tank 21 outside the wall portion 22b, and there is no risk of excessive cooling water CW being supplied to the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

The absorbent sheet 22c of the second embodiment is provided with a plurality of downwardly projecting protrusions 22c1 that correspond to the respective holes H. In the absorbent sheet 22c that is provided to cover the upper surface of the inclined portion 22a, as shown in FIG. 7, the outer end portion that is bent to follow the upper surface of the first plate-shaped portion 23x contacts the cooling water CW of the cooling water storage portion 23a, and each of the plurality of protrusions 22c1 reaches each of the cooling water storage portions 23b to 23e through each hole H and contacts the cooling water CW of the corresponding cooling water storage portion.

In this way, the absorbent sheet 22c is arranged so as to be in contact with the cooling water CW in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e, which are positioned at different positions in the tilt direction of the inclined portion 22a. This allows the absorbent sheet 22c to suck up the cooling water CW in each of the cooling water storage sections 23a to 23e, making it possible to simultaneously supply the cooling water CW to different locations in the tilt direction of the inclined portion 22a. As a result, the supply capacity of the cooling water CW to the surface of the inclined portion 22a can be increased, and a more uniform cooling water film can be formed on the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

3. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the emphasis will be placed on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of the commonalities between the first embodiment and the third embodiment may be omitted.

Figure 8 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate 22 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the portion extending from the outer end of the inclined portion 22a of the receiving plate 22 is bent outward and downward toward the inside of the cooling water tank 21 to form the support portion 22s. The lower tip 22sa of the support portion 22s is in contact with the water W in the cooling water tank 21. The outer portion of the absorbent sheet 22c extends along the upper surface of the support portion 22s to the tip 22sa, and the lower tip 22ca of the absorbent sheet 22c is in contact with the water W in the cooling water tank 21. This allows the absorbent sheet 22c to suck up the water W in the cooling water tank 21.

A cover 22d is provided on the upper side of the support portion 22s with the absorbent sheet 22c sandwiched therebetween. The cover 22d covers the entire portion of the absorbent sheet 22c placed on the support portion 22s. By providing the cover 22d, evaporation of the sucked up water W is prevented, and the supply capacity of the cooling water CW to the surface of the inclined portion 22a can be increased by the capillary phenomenon. This makes it possible to form a more uniform cooling water film on the surface of the inclined portion 22a.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the cooling water tank 21 is also used in place of the cooling water storage section in the first and second embodiments, and the water W in the cooling water tank 21 is used as the cooling water CW. This makes it possible to stabilize the supply of cooling water to the surface of the inclined portion 22a without providing a cooling water supply pipe with high cooling water supply accuracy.

In this embodiment, the tip 22sa of the support portion 22s is configured to extend until it contacts the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and the water W is sucked up only by the tip 22ca of the absorbent sheet 22c, but in addition to this, the water W in the cooling water tank 21 outside the wall portion 22b (water W in the area excluding the linking zone) may be sucked up at another location as well. For example, one or more holes may be provided in the middle of the inclination direction of the inclined portion 22a, and a part of the absorbent sheet 22c may be extended through the hole until it contacts the water W in the cooling water tank 21, and the water W may be sucked up at this location as well.

4. Fourth embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the emphasis will be placed on the differences from the first embodiment, and the description of the commonalities between the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 9 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the receiving plate 22 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, a water flow generating device 34 is provided below the receiving plate 22 to generate a water flow WF in the cooling water tank 21 to cool the filament three-dimensional combination body FZ.

The water flow generating device 34 in this embodiment is a device that generates a water flow WF by rotating blades to stir the water W, and multiple water flow generating devices 34 are provided on the underside of the wall portion 22b, facing each other on the front and rear sides of the filament three-dimensional combination body FZ. Both the front and rear water flow generating devices 34 are designed to generate a water flow WF that moves forward, making it possible to effectively generate a water flow WF that penetrates the filament three-dimensional combination body FZ in the thickness direction (front-back direction).

The water flow generator 34 generates a water flow WF, which rapidly cools the filament 3D bond FZ that has passed through the linking zone. This prevents the fusion force (fusion area) of the filament 3D bond FZ from becoming excessively large, and stabilizes the repulsive force (hardness) of the filament 3D bond FZ.

Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the above-mentioned embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications that are equivalent in meaning and scope to the claims.

The present invention can be used in a manufacturing device for three-dimensional filament assemblies.

1 Manufacturing apparatus 10 Molten filament supply section 11 Pressurized melting section 11a Cylinder 11b Cylinder outlet 12 Filament outlet 12a Guide channel 13 Material input section 14 Screw 15 Screw motor 16 Screw heater 17 Nozzle section 17a Nozzle opening 18 Die heater 20 Fusion bond forming section 21 Cooling water tank 22 Receiving plate 22a Inclined section 22b Wall section 22c Water absorbent sheet 22d Cover 22s Support section 22x Through hole 23, 23a to 23e Cooling water storage section 23p Cooling water supply pipe 23x First plate-shaped section 23y Second plate-shaped section 24 Conveyor 25a to 25h Transport roller 30 Temperature control section 31 Temperature sensor 32 Heater 34 Water flow generating device CW Cooling water FZ Filament 3D bond MF Molten filament W Water in the cooling water tank WS Water surface

Claims (7)

a molten filament supply section that discharges a group of molten filaments formed by translating a plurality of molten filaments downward;
and a fusion bond forming section for forming a three-dimensional filament bond by fusion bonding the molten filaments in a water tank, comprising:
A receiving plate having an inclined portion that receives an end portion of the molten filament group as viewed from above and guides the end portion of the molten filament group into the water tank by sliding the end portion in an inward and downward inclined direction;
A water-absorbent sheet covering the inclined portion;
a cooling water storage section for storing cooling water to be supplied to the water absorbent sheet,
The manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from the cooling water reservoir, thereby supplying the cooling water to the water-absorbent sheet. A plurality of the cooling water reservoirs are provided below the inclined portion,
2. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the plurality of cooling water reservoirs. The cooling water storage sections are arranged at different positions in a tilt direction of the tilt portion,
the inclined portion has holes corresponding to the plurality of cooling water storage portions,
3. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the water-absorbent sheet sucks up the cooling water from each of the plurality of cooling water storage sections through the holes. At least one of the cooling water reservoirs is
4. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion extending from an outer end of the inclined portion is bent into a shape capable of storing the cooling water. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling water storage unit is the water tank, and the water in the water tank is used as the cooling water. a support portion formed by bending a portion extending from an outer end of the inclined portion toward the inside of the water tank;
an outer portion of the water absorbent sheet extends along the support portion and contacts the water in the water tank;
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cover provided on the upper side of the support portion with the water-absorbent sheet sandwiched therebetween. The manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a water flow generating device is provided below the receiving plate to generate a water flow in the water tank to cool the filament three-dimensional combination.