US 12,109,767 B2
FRP continuous molding apparatus and FRP continuous molding method
Yu Shigenari, Tokyo (JP); Takashi Harada, Tokyo (JP); and Toyoharu Akimoto, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to IHI AEROSPACE CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/296,599
Filed by IHI AEROSPACE CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 8, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/009487
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/136926, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-247643 (JP), filed on Dec. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0001630 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 70/52 (2006.01); B29K 101/12 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 70/528 (2013.01) [B29C 70/526 (2013.01); B29K 2101/12 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) continuous molding apparatus that continuously molds an FRP from a plurality of layered sheets, each layered sheet including a plurality of prepreg sheets layered over each other, each prepreg sheet including thermoplastic resin and reinforcement fibers having a fiber orientation, the layered sheets including at least one prepreg sheet having a fiber orientation in a feeding direction and at least one prepreg sheet having a fiber orientation in a direction different from the feeding direction, the FRP continuous molding apparatus comprising:
a plurality of sheet feeding devices, each including a body on which a respective layered sheet is wound, the plurality of sheet feeding devices continuously feeding out, from the bodies, the plurality of layered sheets in the feeding direction;
a layering device including a pair of members that sandwich, between the pair of members, the plurality of the layered sheets fed from the plurality of sheet feeding devices to layer the plurality of the layered sheets over each other, and thereby form a sheet layered body;
a shaping mechanism that molds the sheet layered body into an FRP while the sheet layered body is being transferred in the feeding direction, the FRP having a cross section that is a target shape; and
a heating device that heats the sheet layered body before or during molding of the sheet layered body performed by the shaping mechanism, or before and during the molding,
wherein the sheet layered body includes the reinforcement fibers of the at least one prepreg sheet having a fiber orientation in the feeding direction,
the shaping mechanism includes a mold apparatus including a plurality of dies, the plurality of dies sandwiching the sheet layered body between the plurality of dies in a thickness direction of the sheet layered body, and compress the sheet layered body in the thickness direction,
a die included in the plurality of dies includes an inner surface by which an end surface of the sheet layered body in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the sheet layered body is restricted when viewed in the feeding direction, or the mold apparatus includes a restriction member by which an end surface of the sheet layered body in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the sheet layered body is restricted when viewed in the feeding direction, and
in a sectional plane perpendicular to the feeding direction, the mold apparatus restricts an entire outer periphery of the sheet layered body by the plurality of dies, or the plurality of dies and the restriction member.