Apparatus and method for manufacturing tow prepreg

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399114-B2
Application number	US-201615291889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus applies resin to an original tow of reinforcing fibers. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus includes an oiling roller, a scraper, a resin reservoir, a tube pump, and a controller. The oiling roller is supplied with resin while rotating at a predetermined rotation speed. The scraper adjusts the shape of the resin supplied onto the oiling roller. The resin reservoir supplies resin to the oiling roller. The tube pump discharges resin to the resin reservoir. The controller controls the tube pump so that the amount of resin held in the resin reservoir remains constant and controls the rotation speed of the oiling roller so that a resin content of a wound tow prepreg becomes equal to a target resin content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus that applies resin to an original tow of reinforcing fibers, the tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus comprising:
an oiling roller supplied with resin while rotating at a predetermined rotation speed;
a scraper that adjusts the shape of the resin supplied onto the oiling roller;
a resin reservoir that supplies resin to the oiling roller;
a tube pump that discharges resin to the resin reservoir; and
a controller that executes in parallel a resin discharge control in which the tube pump is controlled so that the amount of resin supplied from the resin reservoir remains constant and an oiling roller rotation speed control in which the rotation speed of the oiling roller is controlled so that a resin content of a wound tow prepreg becomes equal to a target resin content, wherein
the controller feedback-controls the rotation speed of the oiling roller in accordance with the resin content of the wound tow prepreg and the target resin content so that the amount of resin supplied from the oiling roller to the original tow converges the resin content of the wound tow prepreg on the target resin content.

2. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid level sensor that detects a liquid level in the resin reservoir, wherein the controller controls a drive amount of the tube pump in accordance with liquid level information output from the liquid level sensor so that a liquid level height in the resin reservoir is held at a constant value.

3. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first weight scale that detects the weight of the resin discharged from the tube pump; and
a second weight scale that detects the weight of resin that falls from the oiling roller, wherein
the controller calculates the amount of resin applied to the wound tow prepreg from an output value of the first weight scale and an output value of the second weight scale, and
the controller calculates the resin content of the wound tow prepreg from a winding length of the tow prepreg and the amount of resin applied to the wound tow prepreg.

4. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the resin reservoir is a box-shaped member and includes side walls that contact the oiling roller, and
the resin reservoir supplies the oiling roller with resin from a groove formed by the side walls and a portion of a bottom surface of the resin reservoir.

5. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the bottom surface of the resin reservoir includes parallel portions located between the side walls, and
a lateral width between the side walls is narrowed in a stepped manner.

6. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a third weight scale that detects the weight of resin that falls from a travel path of the tow prepreg at a downstream side of the oiling roller,
wherein the controller calculates the amount of resin applied to the wound tow prepreg from output values of the first weight scale, the second weight scale, and the third weight scale.

7. A tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus that applies resin to an original tow of reinforcing fibers, the tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus comprising:
an oiling roller supplied with resin while rotating at a predetermined rotation speed;
a scraper that adjusts the shape of the resin supplied onto the oiling roller;
a resin reservoir that supplies resin to the oiling roller;
a tube pump that discharges resin to the resin reservoir; and
a controller that controls the tube pump so that the amount of resin supplied from the resin reservoir remains constant and controls the rotation speed of the oiling roller so that a resin content of a wound tow prepreg becomes equal to a target resin content;
further comprising:
a first weight scale that detects the weight of the resin discharged from the tube pump; and
a second weight scale that detects the weight of resin that falls from the oiling roller, wherein
the controller calculates the amount of resin applied to the wound tow prepreg from an output value of the first weight scale and an output value of the second weight scale, and
the controller calculates the resin content of the wound tow prepreg from a winding length of the tow prepreg and the amount of resin applied to the wound tow prepreg.

8. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a liquid level sensor that detects a liquid level in the resin reservoir, wherein the controller controls a drive amount of the tube pump in accordance with liquid level information output from the liquid level sensor so that a liquid level height in the resin reservoir is held at a constant value.

9. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller feedback-controls the rotation speed of the oiling roller in accordance with the resin content of the wound tow prepreg and the target resin content so that the amount of resin supplied from the oiling roller to the original tow converges the resin content of the wound tow prepreg on the target resin content.

10. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the resin reservoir is a box-shaped member and includes side walls that contact the oiling roller, and
the resin reservoir supplies the oiling roller with resin from a groove formed by the side walls and a portion of a bottom surface of the resin reservoir.

11. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the bottom surface of the resin reservoir includes parallel portions located between the side walls, and
a lateral width between the side walls is narrowed in a stepped manner.

12. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a third weight scale that detects the weight of resin that falls from a travel path of the tow prepreg at a downstream side of the oiling roller,
wherein the controller calculates the amount of resin applied to the wound tow prepreg from output values of the first weight scale, the second weight scale, and the third weight scale.

Assignees

• Mizuno Kk
• Mizuno Technics Corp
• Mizuon Technics Corp

Inventors

• Iwata Mototaka
• Utsumi Akiyoshi

Classifications

• B05C1/08

  using a roller {or other rotating member which contacts the work along a generating line} · CPC title

• B05C11/10

  Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B05D1/28 Primary

  performed by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. brushes, pads, rollers · CPC title

• B29C70/00

  Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts · CPC title

• B29B15/122 Primary

  with a matrix in liquid form, e.g. as melt, solution or latex · CPC title