Method of producing reinforcing fiber sheet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016001464-A1
Application number	US-201414769148-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 16, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method produces a reinforcing fiber sheet in which a plurality of bundles of reinforcing fibers lined up into one direction to form a plane are adhered to one another through a binder in an amount far smaller than that of the bundles. This method includes step (a) of placing a plurality of reinforcing fibers each having any length at any position on a flat plate, and fixing the reinforcing fibers onto the flat plate, step (b) of placing a binder onto the reinforcing fibers to be adhered onto the fibers, and step (c) of separating the reinforcing fibers from the flat plate.

First claim

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A method of producing a reinforcing fiber sheet in which a plurality of bundles of reinforcing fibers lined up into one direction to form a plane are adhered to one another through a binder, comprising steps (a) and (b):
(a) placing a plurality of bundles of reinforcing fibers each having a predetermined length at a predetermined position on a flat plate, and fixing the bundles of reinforcing fibers onto the flat plate, and (b) placing a binder onto the bundles of reinforcing fibers to be adhered onto the bundles.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the binder comprises a material having a stretchability of 150% or more.

17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the binder comprises fibers lined up into one direction.

18 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the binder is a nonwoven fabric comprising short fibers and/or continuous fibers.

19 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the binder is supplied in a melt-blown manner in which a resin is jetted out through pores to the atmosphere.

20 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the binder is a film.

21 . The method according to claim 18 , comprising forming a plurality of cuts in the nonwoven fabric or the film.

22 . The method according to claim 15 , comprising forming a plurality of cuts in the reinforcing fiber sheet.

23 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in step (a), the flat plate is a flat region of a belt conveyer.

24 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in step (a), electrostatic chucking force is used to attain the fixing of the bundles of reinforcing fibers onto the flat plate.

25 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in step (a), chucking force based on air absorption is used to attain the fixing of the bundles of reinforcing fibers onto the flat plate.

26 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in step (a), water is frozen to attain the fixing of the bundles of reinforcing fibers onto the flat plate.

27 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising, after step (b), step (c) of separating the reinforcing fiber sheet from the flat plate by any one of cancellation of electrostatic chucking, peeling-off, and heat-melting.

28 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in the adhesion of the binder onto the bundles of reinforcing fibers, a plurality of positions selected at will are caused to undergo point-adhesion.

Assignees

• Toray Industries
• Toray Industries

Inventors

• Suzuki Tamotsu
• Noguchi Yasumoto

Classifications

• B29B11/06

  by moulding the material · CPC title

• B29C70/382

  Automated fiber placement [AFP] · CPC title

• B32B2250/20

  All layers being fibrous or filamentary · CPC title

• B29B11/16 Primary

  comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)} · CPC title

• B32B5/022

  Non-woven fabric · CPC title