TOW OPENING DEVICE, FIBER SHEET MANUFACTURING DEVICE USING SAME, AND FIBER SHEET MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

A tow opening device (9) is provided with the following: a cylindrical body part (21) having formed therein a conveyance path (R) for conveying a long fiber tow (60); an adding part (23) for adding particulate matter (65) to the tow (60); and a conveyance part (24) for taking in the tow (60) which has passed through the conveyance path (R) of the body part (21) and then conveying the tow towards the downstream side of the conveyance direction of the tow (60). The conveyance path (R) includes an opening chamber (R2, R3) in which the tow (60) is opened using a gas. At a position which is more on the upstream side of the conveyance direction of the tow (60) than the conveyance part (24), the adding part (23) is provided so as to add the particulate matter (65) in at least one of unevenly distributed regions, which are unevenly distributed in a direction orthogonal to the tow (60) conveyance direction on the upper surface of the tow (60) which was opened in the opening chamber (R2, R3).