US 11,890,789 B2
Web forming apparatus and molded body manufacturing apparatus
Hisashi Koike, Nagano (JP); Satomi Yoshioka, Nagano (JP); and Akio Ito, Nagano (JP)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/807,150.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-101394 (JP), filed on Jun. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0402175 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 43/34 (2006.01); B29C 43/24 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 43/34 (2013.01) [B29C 43/24 (2013.01); B29C 2043/3466 (2013.01); B29C 2793/009 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A web forming apparatus, comprising:
a supplying unit that supplies powder;
a drum portion that has an accommodating chamber configured to accommodate fibers, and accommodate the powder supplied from the supplying unit; and
a web forming unit that forms a web by letting a mixture containing the fibers and the powder falling from the drum portion accumulate,
the supplying unit including a storing chamber for storing the powder, and a roller that has an outer circumferential surface, the storing chamber having a bottom surface with a through hole, a part of the through hole being an outlet portion via which the powder goes out of the storing chamber toward the drum unit, the roller being disposed in the through hole as viewed in a vertical direction, one part of the roller being disposed within the storing chamber, a different part of the roller being disposed vertically below the through hole in the vertical direction, the roller being configured to roll and thereby cause the powder clinging to the outer circumferential surface to move from the storing chamber toward the drum portion,
the drum portion having through holes formed in a peripheral surface demarcating the accommodating chamber, the powder being configured to pass through the through holes, and
the outlet portion being provided vertically over the peripheral surface of the drum portion, and the supplying unit supplying the powder to the accommodating chamber through the through holes by letting the powder fall from the outlet portion.