US 12,172,341 B2
Method of producing thermoplastic resin-impregnated sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle
Masayuki Koshi, Nagoya (JP); Shoma Ishida, Nagoya (JP); and Yoshihiro Naruse, Nagoya (JP)
Assigned to Toray Industries, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/267,975
Filed by Toray Industries, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 20, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/032396
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/040122, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-155450 (JP), filed on Aug. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0213690 A1, Jul. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. B29B 15/12 (2006.01); B29B 15/14 (2006.01); B29C 70/20 (2006.01); B29C 70/50 (2006.01); B29C 70/68 (2006.01); C08J 5/24 (2006.01); B29K 101/12 (2006.01); B29K 105/08 (2006.01); C08J 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC B29B 15/125 (2013.01) [B29B 15/12 (2013.01); B29B 15/122 (2013.01); B29B 15/14 (2013.01); B29C 70/20 (2013.01); B29C 70/506 (2013.01); B29C 70/68 (2013.01); C08J 5/24 (2013.01); B29K 2101/12 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0872 (2013.01); C08J 5/04 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing a thermoplastic resin-impregnated sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, wherein reinforcing fibers made of a continuous fiber are impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, comprising:
an application step of applying the thermoplastic resin to a sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle consisting of unidirectionally disposed reinforcing fibers made of the continuous fiber and passing through an application section retaining the thermoplastic resin to make a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin;
a further impregnating step of further impregnating, in a further impregnation device, the applied thermoplastic resin into the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin, wherein the further impregnation device is distinct from the application section and comprises at least one impregnation bar; and
a shaping step of shaping the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin to be solidified by cooling, wherein
the thermoplastic resin is applied to the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin passing vertically downward through the application section in the application step, and
the thermoplastic resin is heated to a temperature of a melting point+30° C. or more to have a viscosity of 5 to 200 Pa·s in the application step and the further impregnation step,
wherein the application section comprises a liquid retainer section and a narrowed section that communicate with each other, the liquid retainer section comprising opposing wall surfaces defining a section area that continuously decreases along a travelling direction of the sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, the narrowed section has a slit-shaped cross section of which area is smaller than that of a top face of the liquid retainer section,
wherein width L [mm] of liquid retainer section at a bottom in a reinforcing fiber disposition direction and width W [mm] of the sheet-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle below the narrowed section satisfy L≤W+10 [mm].