FRP tubular body and method for manufacturing FRP tubular body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11427939-B2
Application number	US-201917261338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A FRP tubular body includes a tubular fiber structure formed by winding a reinforced fiber sheet made of fabric. The reinforced fiber sheet includes first reinforced fiber bundles arranged such that a yarn main axis direction extends in a circumferential direction of the fiber structure and second reinforced fiber bundles arranged such that a yarn main axis direction extends in an axial direction of the fiber structure. The reinforced fiber sheet includes a starting end, a finishing end, and a general portion located between the starting end and the finishing end. The general portion includes the first reinforced fiber bundles and the second reinforced fiber bundles. At least one of the starting end or the finishing end is a decreased portion that is smaller than the general portion in an amount of reinforced fibers per unit length in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A FRP tubular body, comprising:
a tubular fiber structure formed by winding a reinforced fiber sheet made of fabric, the fiber structure being combined with matrix resin, wherein
the reinforced fiber sheet includes first reinforced fiber bundles arranged such that a yarn main axis direction of the first reinforced fiber bundles extends in a circumferential direction of the fiber structure and second reinforced fiber bundles arranged such that a yarn main axis direction of the second reinforced fiber bundles extends in an axial direction of the fiber structure, the first reinforced fiber bundles and the second reinforced fiber bundles being bundles of reinforced fibers,
the reinforced fiber sheet includes a starting end where winding is started in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure, the starting end extending in the axial direction of the fiber structure, a finishing end where winding is finished in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure, the finishing end extending in the axial direction of the fiber structure, and a general portion located between the starting end and the finishing end and connected to the starting end and the finishing end by the reinforced fibers,
the general portion includes the first reinforced fiber bundles and the second reinforced fiber bundles, and
at least one of the starting end or the finishing end is a decreased portion that is smaller than the general portion in an amount of the reinforced fibers per unit length in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure.

2. The FRP tubular body according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforced fiber sheet further includes first auxiliary yarns arranged so as to be adjacent to the first reinforced fiber bundles in the axial direction of the fiber structure and second auxiliary yarns arranged so as to be adjacent to the second reinforced fiber bundles in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure,
the general portion further includes the first auxiliary yarns and the second auxiliary yarns in addition to the first reinforced fiber bundles and the second reinforced fiber bundles, and
at least one of the starting end or the finishing end is smaller than the general portion in a total number of the first reinforced fiber bundles, the first auxiliary yarns, the second reinforced fiber bundles, and the second auxiliary yarns per unit length in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure.

3. The FRP tubular body according to claim 2 , wherein the decreased portion includes the second reinforced fiber bundles and the first auxiliary yarns.

4. The FRP tubular body according to claim 3 , wherein
an arrangement pitch size of adjacent ones of the second reinforced fiber bundles in the decreased portion is greater than or equal to an arrangement pitch size of the second reinforced fiber bundle and the second auxiliary yarn adjacent to each other in the general portion, and
the arrangement pitch size of the adjacent ones of the second reinforced fiber bundles in the decreased portion decreases as the general portion becomes closer in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure.

5. The FRP tubular body according to claim 2 , wherein the decreased portion includes the second reinforced fiber bundles, the first auxiliary yarns, and the second auxiliary yarns.

6. The FRP tubular body according to claim 2 , wherein the decreased portion includes the first reinforced fiber bundles and the second auxiliary yarns.

7. The FRP tubular body according to claim 6 , wherein
the decreased portion includes a first decreased portion and a second decreased portion, the first decreased portion being located closer to an extremity of the decreased portion in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure, the second decreased portion being located closer to the general portion in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure, and
the second decreased portion is larger than the first decreased portion in the number of the first reinforced fiber bundles per unit length in the circumferential direction of the fiber structure.

8. The FRP tubular body according to claim 2 , wherein the decreased portion includes the first reinforced fiber bundles, the first auxiliary yarns, and the second auxiliary yarns.

9. The FRP tubular body according to claim 1 , wherein
the decreased portion is shaped using blended yarns of reinforced fibers and thermoplastic fibers for at least one of the first reinforced fiber bundles or the second reinforced fiber bundles, and
the decreased portion includes cured resin formed from the thermoplastic fibers that have been melted and cured.

10. The FRP tubular body according to claim 1 , wherein
in the fiber structure, the reinforced fiber sheet is wound onto an outer circumferential surface of a liner, having a cylindrical body, in a circumferential direction of the liner and an outer side of the liner is covered by the reinforced fiber sheet, and
the FRP tubular body is a pressure vessel.

11. A method for manufacturing a FRP tubular body, wherein
the FRP tubular body includes a fiber structure having a tubular wound member and a reinforced fiber sheet that covers an outer side of the wound member, the reinforced fiber sheet being made of fabric,
the fiber structure includes first reinforced fiber bundles and second reinforced fiber bundles, the first reinforced fiber bundles being bundles of reinforced fibers arranged on the wound member such that a yarn main axis direction of the first reinforced fiber bundles extends in a circumferential direction of the wound member, the second reinforced fiber bundles being bundles of reinforced fibers and forming the fabric together with the first reinforced fiber bundles,
the method comprising:
stretching the first reinforced fiber bundles in a state of being arranged in an axial direction of the wound member;
inserting the second reinforced fiber bundles in the axial direction of the wound member into sheds created between adjacent ones of the first reinforced fiber bundles in the axial direction of the wound member;
pushing the second reinforced fiber bundles toward the wound member through a beat-up motion to weave the fabric of the first reinforced fiber bundles and the second reinforced fiber bundles; and
rotating the wound member about a central axis of the wound member to wind the woven fabric onto the wound member,

wherein the reinforced fiber sheet includes a starting end where winding onto the wound member is started in the circumferential direction of the wound member, the starting end extending in the axial direction of the wound member, a finishing end where winding onto the wound member is finished in the circumferential direction of the wound member, the finishing end extending in the axial direction of the wound member, and a general portion located between the starting end and the finishing end and connected to the starting end and the finishing end by the reinforced fibers,
the method further comprising:
weaving the general portion using, as warp yarns, the first reinforced fiber bundles arranged on the wound member such that the yarn main axis direction of the first reinforced fiber bundles extends in the circumferential direction of the wound member and using, as weft yarns, the second reinforced fiber bundles arranged on the wound member such that a yarn main axis direction of the second reinforced fiber bundles extends in the axial direction of the wound member; and
weaving at least one of the starting end or the finishing end as a decreased portion that is smaller than the general portion in an amount of the reinforced fibers per unit length in the ci

Assignees

• Toyota Jidoshokki Kk

Inventors

• Kamiya Ryuta
• FUKUI Hayato

Classifications

• F17C2201/056

  Small (<1 m3) · CPC title

• F17C2203/0663

  in form of fibers or filaments · CPC title

• B29L2031/7156

  Pressure vessels · CPC title

• F17C2203/0665

  radially wound · CPC title

• F17C2203/0604

  Liners · CPC title