JP2008214785A - Fiber bundle alignment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fiber bundle alignment apparatus suitably regulating the thickness and width dimensions in the fiber bundle, inhibiting the damage on the surface of single fibers in a fiber sheet, and providing a prepreg sheet having a smooth surface and suppressed in remaining bubbles. <P>SOLUTION: This fiber bundle alignment apparatus including yarn-feeding means for feeding the fiber bundle 10, alignment means 2 for aligning the fiber bundle 10 fed from the fiber-feeding means, and winding means for winding the aligned fiber bundle 10 by the aligning means 2, comprises the alignment means 2 including a pair of thickness-regulating surfaces 22A, 23A for regulating the thickness of the fiber bundle 10 and a pair of width regulating surfaces 22B, 23B for regulating the width of the fiber bundle 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fiber bundle aligning device for aligning fiber bundles. The fiber bundle aligning device of the present invention is applied to form a fiber sheet or to form a prepreg in which the fiber sheet is embedded in a resin.

  The fiber sheet is used for various applications, and as one of them, it may be used for manufacturing a prepreg for a wiring board.

  As shown in FIG. 14, as the prepreg 9, there is one in which a fiber sheet 9A made of an organic fiber such as a resin is impregnated with a thermosetting resin 9B such as an epoxy resin (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a prepreg 9 is manufactured, for example, in the prepreg manufacturing apparatus 90 shown in FIG. In the prepreg manufacturing apparatus 90 shown in the figure, the fiber sheet 9A in the form of a roll is immersed in a resin varnish 92 held in a resin tank 91, and then heated by a heating mechanism 93 to evaporate the solvent, thereby forming a belt-like shape. A prepreg 94 is formed. The strip-shaped prepreg 94 is wound up by a winding roller 95 and then cut into a sheet having a desired size, and is used for manufacturing a wiring board or the like.

  On the other hand, as a method for forming the fiber sheet 9A, for example, as shown in FIGS. 16 (a) and 16 (b), the fiber bundle 97 from the supply mechanism 96 is passed through the alignment mechanism 98 and then wound. There is a winding method in the mechanism 99 (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  As the alignment mechanism 98, there is a configuration in which a plurality of pins 98A arranged in a staggered manner are allowed to pass. Although not shown, there is a further alignment mechanism that uses a comb (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2002-198658 A JP 2005-179829 A JP-A-2005-29912

  However, it is difficult to regulate the thickness and width of the fiber bundle 97 as desired in the alignment mechanism 98 configured to pass the plurality of pins 98A. In addition, when the fiber bundle 97 passes through the pin 98A, the single fibers 97A constituting the fiber bundle 97 move with a relatively large sliding resistance, so that the surface of the single fiber 97A is rubbed. For this reason, the surface of the single fiber 97A becomes relatively rough, or the surface of the single fiber 97A is scraped to generate lint. The yarn waste generated in this manner adheres to the single fiber 97A again. In particular, when the sliding resistance between the single fiber 97A and the pin 98A is large, the surface of the single fiber 97A is charged. In this case, lint tends to adhere.

  On the other hand, in the alignment mechanism using the comb, the single fiber is passed between the comb teeth of the comb, so that the surface of the single fiber 97A is rough as in the case of passing a plurality of pins 98A as the alignment mechanism 98. , Lint tends to be attached.

  Here, in the case of the prepreg 9 for a wiring board, wiring is patterned on the surface thereof, and an electronic component such as a semiconductor element is mounted thereon. Therefore, the surface is desired to be smooth. On the other hand, the fiber sheet 9A for manufacturing the prepreg 9 for a wiring board is usually a stack of single fibers 9A in five stages or less. Therefore, when the prepreg 9 is formed by using the fiber sheet 9A having a rough surface of the single fiber 97A and lint attached thereto, unevenness is likely to appear on the surface of the prepreg 9, and a smooth surface. There is a problem.

  In addition, when the lint adheres to the single fiber 97A, the lint may inhibit the impregnation of the resin when the fiber sheet 9A is impregnated with the resin. In that case, a portion where the resin is not sufficiently impregnated is formed around the portion where the lint is adhered, and the portion remains as bubbles. When such bubbles remain, the bubbles expand due to heating (for example, during solder reflow) when mounting the electronic component on the wiring board or heat generation when the electronic component is driven. The expansion of the bubbles causes the expansion of the wiring board, and therefore causes the peeling of the wiring and the connection stability of the electronic component. In addition, moisture may enter the bubbles, and the moisture may adversely affect the wiring and electronic components.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a prepreg sheet that appropriately regulates the thickness and width dimension of the fiber bundle and suppresses damage to the surface of the single fiber in the fiber sheet, for example, the surface is smooth and air bubbles remain. The challenge is to do so.

  In the present invention, the yarn supplying means for supplying the fiber bundle, the aligning means for aligning the fiber bundle supplied from the yarn supplying means, and the winding for winding up the fiber bundle aligned by the aligning means. A fiber bundle aligning device comprising: a thickness regulating surface that defines a thickness of the fiber bundle; and a width regulating surface that defines a width of the fiber bundle. A fiber bundle aligning device is provided.

  The alignment means includes, for example, one or more rollers formed with grooves having a rectangular cross section. One of the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface is a bottom surface of the groove, and the other of the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface is an inner surface of the groove.

  The one or more rollers include an upper roller and a lower roller, and the groove is formed in at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller. Preferably, the groove is formed in both the upper roller and the lower roller.

  The alignment means may further include a pair of side rollers. In this case, the thickness regulating surface is, for example, the outer circumferential surface of the upper roller and the lower roller, and the width regulating surface is, for example, the outer circumferential surface of the pair of side rollers.

  The upper roller, the lower roller, and the pair of side rollers may have an outer peripheral surface having a uniform diameter and a tapered surface that decreases in diameter toward the outer side in the rotation axis direction. Preferably, the tapered surfaces of the upper roller and the lower roller are in contact with the tapered surfaces of the pair of side rollers.

  The alignment means may include a pair of side guides instead of the pair of side rollers. The pair of side guides are, for example, bridged endless belts rotatably by two or more rollers. Preferably, the two or more rollers include a pressing roller for pressing the endless belt against end surfaces of the upper roller and the lower roller.

  Preferably, the upper roller and the lower roller are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed, and the peripheral speed is, for example, the same or substantially the same as the linear speed of the fiber bundle supplied by the yarn feeding means. Is done.

  When the aligning means includes the pair of side rollers, the pair of side rollers are preferably rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed as the upper roller and the lower roller.

  The fiber bundle aligning device of the present invention may further include a horizontal movement guide for moving the fiber bundle horizontally in the alignment means.

  The horizontal movement guide includes an upstream guide roller disposed on the upstream side in the movement direction of the fiber bundle with respect to the alignment means, and a downstream guide roller disposed on the downstream side in the movement direction with respect to the alignment means. The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 13, comprising:

  According to the fiber bundle aligning device of the present invention, the fiber bundle aligning device includes the aligning means having the pair of thickness restricting surfaces defining the thickness of the fiber bundle and the pair of width restricting surfaces defining the width of the fiber bundle. The thickness and width of the bundle can be appropriately regulated.

  In the present invention, if the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface are defined by the upper and lower rollers, the sliding resistance between the regulating surface and the fiber bundle can be reduced. Further, even when the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface are regulated by the upper and lower rotors and the side rollers, the sliding resistance between the regulating surface and the fiber bundle can be reduced. If the sliding resistance can be reduced in this manner, it is possible to suppress the surface of the single fiber in the fiber bundle from being roughened or the generation and adhesion of lint. As a result, according to the fiber bundle aligning device of the present invention, it is possible to provide a fiber sheet with high surface smoothness, and thus a wiring board (prepreg). Further, by suppressing the lint adhesion, it is possible to appropriately perform the resin impregnation during the production of the prepreg, so that it is possible to suppress the remaining of bubbles due to lint adhesion. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the wiring board during heating when the electronic component is mounted on the wiring board or when heat is generated during driving of the electronic component. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the separation of the wiring and to improve the connection stability of the electronic component. In addition, by suppressing the remaining of the bubbles, it is possible to reduce adverse effects on the wiring and electronic components due to the intrusion of moisture into the bubbles.

  In the fiber bundle aligning device of the present invention, if the alignment means further includes a horizontal movement guide for horizontally moving the fiber bundle, the sliding resistance between the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface and the fiber bundle Can be further reduced. Therefore, by providing the horizontal movement guide, it is possible to further suppress the damage of the single fiber in the fiber bundle and appropriately suppress the remaining of bubbles and the intrusion of moisture into the wiring board (prepreg).

  In the following, the present invention will be described as first to fifth embodiments with reference to the drawings.

  First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The fiber bundle aligning apparatus X shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is for aligning a fiber bundle 10 composed of a plurality of single fibers and winding the fiber bundle into a sheet shape. The fiber bundle manufacturing apparatus X includes a yarn feeding mechanism 1, an alignment mechanism 2, and a winding mechanism 3.

  The yarn feeding mechanism 1 includes a yarn feeding roll 11 around which a fiber bundle 10 is wound. The yarn feeding roll 11 is supported so as to be rotatable about the shaft portion 13 with respect to the slider 12. The slider 12 can be reciprocated in the directions D1 and D2 with respect to the stage 4 by a known mechanism such as a rack and pinion, and has a pair of stays 14. Each stay 14 supports the yarn supplying roll 11 at the shaft portion 13 of the yarn supplying roll 11 so as to be rotatable. Therefore, the yarn supply roll 11 can rotate with respect to the slider 12 and can move relative to the stage 4 along with the slider 12 in the directions D1 and D2.

  Here, as the fiber bundle 10, a plurality of single fibers, for example, 200 to 500 single fibers can be used. As the single fiber, it is preferable to use one having a diameter of, for example, 5 μm to 15 μm. As the fiber material constituting the single fiber, a fully aromatic polyester fiber, a fully aromatic polyamide, polybenzoxazole, or an organic fiber mainly composed of a liquid crystal polymer is preferably used. As the single fiber, a glass material (such as S glass, T glass, and M glass) having a silicon oxide content of 50% by weight or more and a calcium oxide content of 30% by weight or less, more preferably oxidized A glass material having a silicon content of 60% by weight or more and a calcium oxide content of 10% by weight or less), or carbon fibers containing carbon as a main component can also be used.

  The alignment mechanism 2 is for aligning the fiber bundle 10 of the yarn feeding mechanism 1 to a predetermined thickness and width, and includes an upper roller 20 and a lower roller 21. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 are formed by annular grooves 22 and 23 having a uniform rectangular cross section in the circumferential direction. In a state where the grooves 22 and 23 are aligned, the grooves 22 and 23 are arranged so as to be rotatable in the opposite directions while being in contact with each other.

  Each of the rollers 20 and 21 may be rotated by a single motor, but each of the rollers 20 and 21 is preferably rotated by an individual motor. Further, when each of the rollers 20 and 21 is driven individually, it is preferable to provide a torque sensor for each of the rollers 20 and 21.

  Since the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 are arranged in close contact with each other with their grooves 22 and 23 aligned, a space 24 having a rectangular cross section is formed between the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21. Is formed. The space 24 is a portion through which the fiber bundle 10 is passed, and is constituted by the bottom surfaces 22A and 23A and the inner side surfaces 22B and 23B of the grooves 22 and 23 in the rollers 20 and 21, respectively. That is, the bottom surfaces 22A and 23A of the grooves 22 and 23 constitute a thickness regulating surface, and the inner side surfaces 22B and 23B of the grooves 22 and 23 constitute a width regulating surface. The space 24 has a width dimension (width dimension in the cross section of the space 24) W of, for example, about 1 mm, and a height dimension (thickness dimension in the cross section of the space 24) H of 20 μm or more and 30 μm or less. ing. That is, the cross-sectional dimension of the space 24 is such that, for example, 200 or more and 500 or less single fibers of 5 μm or more and 15 μm or less can pass.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the rollers 20 and 21 is not clearly shown in the drawings, but is integrally movable relative to the stage 4 in the directions D1 and D2. . The movement of the rollers 20 and 21 in the directions D1 and D2 may be performed integrally with the yarn feeding roll 11 or may be performed by a mechanism different from the yarn feeding roll 11.

  The winding mechanism 3 is for winding the fiber bundle 10 aligned in the alignment mechanism 2 and includes a winding frame 30. The winding frame 30 is wound with the fiber bundles 10 arranged in parallel, and includes a pair of winding rods 31 and a rotating shaft 32. The pair of winding rods 31 are connected by a pair of connecting members 33 so as to be parallel to each other, and the winding frame 30 is formed in a rectangular shape. The rotating shaft 32 is rotatably supported by a support leg 34 fixed to the stage 4 and is rotatable by a rotational force input from a motor (not shown) of the control unit 35. for that reason. By appropriately adjusting the rotational force and rotational direction to be input to the rotary shaft 32 by the control unit 35, the rotational speed and rotational direction of the winding frame 30 can be adjusted.

  Next, the alignment operation of the fiber bundle 10 in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus X will be described.

  First, when using the fiber bundle aligning device X, the tip of the fiber bundle 10 in the yarn feeding roll 11 is placed on the winding frame 30 in the winding mechanism 3 so that the fiber bundle 10 passes through the space 24 in the alignment mechanism 2. Fix it.

  In the fiber bundle aligning device X, the control unit 35 inputs a rotational force to the rotating shaft 32 in the winding mechanism 3 to rotate the winding frame 30 and the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 in the alignment mechanism 2 are rotated. Let The rotational speed (circumferential speed) of the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 is controlled to be the same or substantially the same.

  When the take-up frame 30 is rotated, the fiber bundle 10 of the yarn feeding roll 11 passes through the space 24 between the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 and is later taken up by the take-up frame 30. Here, since the space 24 is defined by the grooves 22 and 23 having a uniform rectangular cross section, the fiber bundle 10 after passing through the space 24 has a rectangular shape in which the cross-sectional shape follows the cross-sectional shape of the space 24. To be aligned.

  On the other hand, during the winding operation of the fiber bundle 10, the rotational torque acting on each rotor 20, 21 is detected by a torque sensor provided on each roller 20, 21. This rotational torque reflects the tension acting on the fiber bundle 10 between the rollers 20 and 21, that is, when the fiber bundle 10 passes through the space 24. Therefore, by adjusting the rotational speed of the rollers 20 and 21 based on the detection result of the torque sensor, the yarn feeding speed (linear speed) from the yarn feeding roll 11 and the rotational speed of the rollers 20 and 21 ( Peripheral speed) can be the same or substantially the same. As a result, the tension acting on the fiber bundle 10 can be controlled below a certain level.

  Further, at the time of winding the fiber bundle 10, the yarn feeding roll 11, the upper roller 20, and the lower roller 21 are moved in the direction D1, for example. At this time, the moving speeds of the yarn feeding roll 11, the upper roller 20, and the lower roller 21 are set as appropriate according to the peripheral speed of the winding frame 30, and are shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). As described above, the fiber bundle 10 is wound around the winding frame 30 in a state of being parallel to each other, and is formed into a sheet shape.

  According to the fiber bundle aligning device X, the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface are defined by the grooves 22 and 23 of the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21, so that those regulating surfaces (grooves 22 and 23) and the fiber bundle 10 The sliding resistance can be made small. If the sliding resistance when aligning the fiber bundle 10 can be reduced in this way, the surface of the single fiber in the fiber bundle 10 can be prevented from being roughened, or the generation and attachment of lint.

  Further, if the rotational speed of each of the rollers 20 and 21 is adjusted based on the detection result of the torque sensor, the tension acting on the fiber bundle 10 can be controlled below a certain level. In addition, damage to the single fiber can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the fiber bundle alignment device X may further include a pair of horizontal guide rollers 40 and 41. The pair of horizontal guide rollers 40 and 41 serve as drive rollers for horizontally passing the fiber bundle 10 in the space 24 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) defined by the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 in the alignment mechanism 3. It functions.

  If such horizontal guide rollers 40 and 41 are provided to allow the fiber bundle 10 to pass horizontally in the space 24 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), the fiber bundle 10 and the space 24 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The sliding resistance between the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface (grooves 22, 23) that regulates can be reduced. As a result, since the load acting on the fiber bundle 10 can be reduced, the fiber bundle 10 can be prevented from being damaged.

  The fiber bundle 10 wound around the take-up frame 30 in the fiber bundle aligning apparatus X described above can be used for various applications including prepreg sheets. Further, the fiber bundle 10 wound around the take-up frame 30 in the fiber bundle aligning apparatus X is used for processing the prepreg sheet while being wound around the take-up frame 30 as described below. You can also

  First, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the resin sheet 5 is fixed so as to cover the surface of the fiber bundle 10 of the winding frame 30. The resin sheet 5 is obtained by forming a resin layer 51 on the surface of the release sheet 50, and the resin sheet 5 is fixed in a state where the resin layer 51 is in contact with the fiber bundle 10.

  Here, the release sheet 50 serves to hold the resin layer 51 and to improve the handleability as the resin sheet 5. The release sheet 50 is formed to have a thickness of 20 μm or more and 50 μm or less by, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). As the release sheet 50, in addition to those formed of polytetrafluoroethylene-based, polyolefin-based or polyimide-based resins, those surface-treated with Si or the like can also be used. The resin layer 51 becomes a matrix resin for embedding the fiber bundle 10 in the prepreg sheet, and is composed of an uncured thermosetting resin. The resin layer 51 is formed with a thickness of, for example, 5 μm or more and 30 μm or less. Examples of the thermosetting resin that can be used as the resin layer 51 include various resins conventionally used as matrix resins for prepreg sheets, such as epoxy resins, polyimide resins, fluororesins, phenol resins, polyphenylene ethers (PPE). ), Bismaleimide triazine (BT resin), or cyanate resin can be used.

  In this way, when the resin sheet 5 is fixed to the fiber bundle 10 (winding frame 30), the fiber layer 10 is embedded in the resin layer 51 of the resin sheet 5 because the resin layer 51 is in a semi-cured state. Is done. In addition, after fixing the resin sheet 5, the resin layer 51 may be heated to soften the resin layer 51, and the release sheet 50 is placed so that the fiber bundle 10 is appropriately embedded in the resin layer 51. The resin layer 51 may be pressed through.

  Next, the resin sheet 5 (prepreg sheet 52) in which the fiber bundle 10 is embedded is removed from the winding frame 30. The removal of the prepreg sheet 52 is performed by cutting the fiber bundle 10 using a cutting element such as a cutter at a portion where both ends of the resin sheet 5 face each other. Thus, the prepreg sheet 52 removed from the winding frame 30 is provided with winding gussets.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C, planarization processing is performed to planarize the prepreg sheet 52. This flattening process is performed by heating and pressing the prepreg sheet 52 in the dies 53 and 54 in the hot press machine. In this case, the heating temperature is, for example, 60 ° C. or more and 150 ° C. or less, and the pressing force is, for example, 1 MPa or more and 5 MPa or less.

  In addition, the prepreg sheet 52 that has undergone the planarization treatment is one in which a fiber bundle (fiber sheet) 10 in which a plurality of single fibers 56 are arranged in parallel is embedded in a matrix resin 55, and on the surface of the matrix resin 55. The release sheet 50 is joined. Such a prepreg sheet 52 can also be used as a UD prepreg sheet by peeling the release sheet 50.

  Such a UD prepreg sheet can also be used by bonding two sheets so that the single fibers are aligned in the same direction, or by bonding two sheets so that the single fibers are aligned in a direction perpendicular to each other, the orthogonal UD prepreg sheet It can also be used as

  The prepreg sheet may be formed by winding the fiber bundle 10 around the resin layer 51 after fixing the resin sheet 5 to the winding frame 30 in advance.

  As described above, the fiber bundle 10 wound around the take-up frame 30 has the surface roughness of the single fiber, or the generation / attachment of lint, which is the surface of the prepreg sheet obtained as described above. It has high smoothness. Further, by suppressing the lint adhesion on the fiber bundle 10, it is possible to suppress the remaining of bubbles due to lint adhesion in the resin impregnation at the time of manufacturing the prepreg sheet. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the wiring substrate during heating when mounting the electronic component when forming the wiring substrate using the prepreg sheet or during heat generation during driving of the electronic component. As a result, peeling of the wiring can be suppressed and connection stability of the electronic component can be improved. In addition, by suppressing the remaining of the bubbles, it is possible to reduce adverse effects on the wiring and electronic components due to the intrusion of moisture into the bubbles.

  In the fiber bundle aligning device X described above, instead of the winding frame 30 in the winding mechanism 3, as shown in FIG. 9, a cylindrical winding body 30 ′ may be used.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 10 shows another example of the alignment mechanism applied in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus X shown in FIG. This alignment mechanism 2 'includes an upper roller 20 in which an annular groove 22 having a uniform rectangular cross section is formed, and a lower roller 21' having a flat outer peripheral surface 25 'in which no groove is formed. It is.

  Also in such an alignment mechanism 2 ′, when the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 ′ are arranged in contact with each other, the inner surface (the bottom surface 22A and the inner surface 22B) of the groove 22 of the upper roller 20 and the lower roller 21 are arranged. A space 24 ′ having a rectangular cross section is formed between the outer peripheral surface 25 ′. Therefore, also in the alignment mechanism 2 ′, by passing the fiber bundle 10 through the space 24 ′, the thickness and width of the fiber bundle 10 are appropriately regulated while suppressing damage to the surface of the single fiber 10A in the fiber bundle 10. be able to.

  The same effect can be obtained when using an upper roller having a flat outer peripheral surface on which no groove is formed, and a lower roller having an annular groove having a uniform rectangular cross section. An effect can be obtained.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 11 shows another example of the alignment mechanism applied in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus X shown in FIG. The alignment mechanism 6 includes a pair of side rollers 62 and 63 in addition to the upper roller 60 and the lower roller 61.

  The upper roller 60 and the lower roller 61 have flat outer peripheral surfaces 60A and 61A, and are disposed at a predetermined distance from each other so that the rotation shafts 60B and 61B are along the horizontal direction. The upper roller 60 and the lower roller 61 are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed, and the peripheral speed is the same as or substantially the same as the linear speed of the fiber bundle 10 by detecting the rotational torque with, for example, a torque sensor. It is said that.

  The pair of side rollers 62 and 63 have flat outer peripheral surfaces 62A and 63A. These side rollers 62 and 63 are arranged so that the rotation shafts 62B and 63B are along the vertical direction in a state where the outer peripheral surfaces 62A and 63A are in contact with the end surfaces 60C and 61C of the upper roller 60 and the lower roller 61. The pair of side rollers 62 and 63 are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed as that of the upper roller 60 and the lower roller 61, and the peripheral speed is detected by, for example, a torque sensor so that the peripheral speed can be reduced. The linear velocity of 10 is the same or substantially the same.

  Also in such an alignment mechanism 6, a space 64 having a rectangular cross section is formed by the outer peripheral surfaces 60 </ b> A, 61 </ b> A, 62 </ b> A, 63 </ b> A of the upper roller 60, the lower roller 61, and the pair of side rollers 62, 63. Therefore, also in the alignment mechanism 6, by passing the fiber bundle 10 through the space 64, it is possible to appropriately regulate the thickness and width of the fiber bundle 10 while suppressing damage to the surface of the single fiber 10 </ b> A in the fiber bundle 10. it can.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 12 shows another example of the alignment mechanism applied in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus X shown in FIG. The alignment mechanism 7 includes an upper roller 70, a lower roller 71, and a pair of side rollers 72 and 73.

  The upper roller 70 and the lower roller 71 have flat outer peripheral surfaces 70A and 71A and tapered surfaces 70C and 71C whose diameters decrease toward the outer sides of the rotation shafts 70B and 71B. 71B is arranged at a certain distance from each other along the horizontal direction. The upper roller 70 and the lower roller 71 are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed, and the peripheral speed is the same as or substantially the same as the linear speed of the fiber bundle 10 by detecting the rotational torque with, for example, a torque sensor. It is said that.

  The pair of side rollers 72 and 73 have flat outer peripheral surfaces 72A and 73A and tapered surfaces 72C and 73C whose diameters become smaller toward the outer sides of the rotating shafts 72B and 73B. These side rollers 72 and 73 are arranged so that the rotation shafts 72B and 73B are along the vertical direction in a state where the tapered surfaces 72C and 73C are in contact with the tapered surfaces 70C and 71C of the upper roller 70 and the lower roller 71, respectively. The pair of side rollers 72 and 73 are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed as that of the upper roller 70 and the lower roller 71 and, for example, the rotational speed is detected by a torque sensor, so that the peripheral speed is reduced to the fiber bundle. The linear velocity of 10 is the same or substantially the same.

  In such an alignment mechanism 7 as well, a space 74 having a rectangular cross section is formed by the outer peripheral surfaces 70A, 71A, 72A, 73A of the upper roller 70, the lower roller 71, and the pair of side rollers 72, 73. Therefore, also in the alignment mechanism 7, by passing the fiber bundle 10 through the space 74, it is possible to appropriately regulate the thickness and width of the fiber bundle 10 while suppressing damage to the surface of the single fiber 10 </ b> A in the fiber bundle 10. it can.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 13 shows another example of the alignment mechanism applied in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus X shown in FIG. The alignment mechanism 8 includes an upper roller 80, a lower roller 81, and a pair of side guides 82 and 83.

  The upper roller 80 and the lower roller 81 have flat outer peripheral surfaces 80A and 81A, and are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other so that the rotation shafts 80B and 81B are along the horizontal direction. The upper roller 80 and the lower roller 81 are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed, and the peripheral speed is the same as the linear speed of the fiber bundle 10 by detecting the rotational torque with a torque sensor, for example. It is almost the same.

  The pair of side guides 82, 83 are obtained by bridging the endless belts 84, 85 so as to be rotatable by two rollers 82A, 82B, 83A, 83B and pressing rollers 82C, 83C. The pressing rollers 82C and 83C are for pressing the endless belts 84 and 85 against the end surfaces 80C and 81C of the upper roller 80 and the lower roller 81, respectively. The endless belts 84 and 85 and the pressing rollers 82C and 83C are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed as that of the upper roller 80 and the lower roller 81. The speed is the same as or substantially the same as the linear speed of the fiber bundle 10.

  In such an alignment mechanism 8 as well, a space 86 having a rectangular cross section is formed by the upper roller 80, the lower roller 81, and the outer peripheral surfaces 80A, 81A, 84A, 85A of the endless belts 84, 85. Therefore, also in the alignment mechanism 8, by passing the fiber bundle 10 through the space 86, it is possible to appropriately regulate the thickness and width of the fiber bundle 10 while suppressing damage to the surface of the single fiber 10 </ b> A in the fiber bundle 10. it can.

  Note that the pressing rollers 82C and 83C may be omitted as long as the endless belts 84 and 85 can be appropriately brought into contact with the end surfaces 80C and 81C of the upper roller 80 and the lower roller 81, respectively.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made. For example, the alignment mechanism does not need to define the space for allowing the fiber bundles to pass through only the rotating body, and may define the space by a combination of a rotating body and a non-rotating body, for example.

It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a fiber bundle alignment device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the fiber bundle alignment apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the alignment mechanism in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line of FIG. Fig.5 (a) is a perspective view which shows the state which wound the fiber bundle around the winding frame, and FIG.5 (b) is sectional drawing which follows the Vb-Vb line | wire of Fig.5 (a). It is sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 2 for demonstrating the other example of a fiber bundle alignment apparatus. FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state in which a resin sheet is fixed to the fiber bundle (winding frame) in the state of FIG. 5A, and FIG. 7B is a view of VIIb− in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the VIIb line. 8 (a) and 8 (b) are front views for explaining an operation of planarizing the prepreg sheet removed from the winding frame in the state of FIG. 7 (a). FIG. 8 (c) It is sectional drawing which expanded and showed the principal part of the state shown in FIG.8 (b). It is a perspective view for demonstrating the other example of the winding body used with the winding mechanism in the fiber bundle alignment apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 10A is a perspective view for explaining an alignment mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is an enlarged front view showing the main part of FIG. It is. FIG. 11A is a perspective view for explaining an alignment mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged front view of the main part of FIG. It is. FIG. 12A is a perspective view for explaining an alignment mechanism in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12B is an enlarged front view of the main part of FIG. It is. FIG. 13 (a) is a perspective view for explaining an alignment mechanism in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 (b) shows a part of FIG. 13 (a) in cross section. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the prepreg which made the woven fabric impregnate resin. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the apparatus for manufacturing the prepreg shown in FIG. FIG. 16A is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an apparatus for forming a fiber sheet in the prepreg shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16B is an alignment mechanism in the apparatus shown in FIG. It is the perspective view which expanded and showed the principal part for demonstrating.

Explanation of symbols

X Fiber bundle aligning device 1 Yarn feeding mechanism (yarn feeding means)
10 Fiber bundle 2, 2 ', 6, 7, 8 Alignment mechanism (alignment means)
20, 60, 70, 80 (alignment mechanism) upper roller 21, 61, 71, 81 '(alignment mechanism) lower roller 22 (upper roller) groove 22A (upper roller groove) bottom surface (thickness regulating surface)
22B Inner side (width regulating surface) (of upper roller groove)
23 (lower roller) groove 23A (lower roller groove) bottom surface (thickness regulating surface)
23B Inner side surface (width regulating surface) of lower roller groove
25 ', 61A, 71A, 81A (lower roller) outer peripheral surface (thickness regulating surface)
3 Winding mechanism (winding means)
60A, 70A, 80A (upper roller) outer peripheral surface (thickness regulating surface)
60C, 80C (upper roller) end face 61C, 81C (upper roller) end face 62, 63, 72, 73 Side roller 62A, 63A, 72A, 73A (side roller) outer peripheral face (width regulating face)
70C Taper surface (upper roller) 71C (Lower roller) taper surface 72C, 73C (Side roller) taper surface 82, 83 Side guide 82A, 82B, 83A, 83B Roller 82C, 83C Press roller 84, 85 Endless belt

Claims (14)

Yarn feeding means for supplying fiber bundles;
An aligning means for aligning the fiber bundle supplied from the yarn supplying means;
A winding means for winding the fiber bundle aligned by the alignment means;
A fiber bundle aligning device comprising:
The fiber bundle aligning apparatus, wherein the aligning means includes a thickness regulating surface that defines a thickness of the fiber bundle and a width regulating surface that defines a width of the fiber bundle. The alignment means includes one or more rollers formed with grooves having a rectangular cross section;
The one of the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface is a bottom surface of the groove, and the other of the thickness regulating surface and the width regulating surface is an inner side surface of the groove. Fiber bundle aligning device. The one or more rollers include an upper roller and a lower roller;
The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 2, wherein the groove is formed in at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller.   The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 3, wherein the groove is formed in both the upper roller and the lower roller.   The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 3, wherein the upper roller and the lower roller are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed.   The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 5, wherein peripheral speeds of the upper roller and the lower roller are the same as or substantially the same as a linear speed of the fiber bundle supplied by the yarn feeding unit. The alignment means includes an upper roller, a lower roller, and a pair of side rollers,
The thickness regulating surface is an outer peripheral surface of the upper roller and the lower roller,
The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the width regulating surface is an outer peripheral surface of the pair of side rollers. The upper roller, the lower roller and the pair of side rollers have an outer peripheral surface having a uniform diameter and a tapered surface whose diameter decreases toward the outer side in the rotation axis direction,
The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 7, wherein the tapered surfaces of the upper roller and the lower roller are in contact with the tapered surfaces of the pair of side rollers.   The fiber bundle rotating device according to claim 7, wherein the upper roller, the lower roller, and the pair of side rollers are rotated at the same or substantially the same peripheral speed.   The fiber bundle alignment according to claim 9, wherein peripheral speeds of the upper roller, the lower roller, and the pair of side rollers are the same as or substantially the same as a linear speed of the fiber bundle supplied by the yarn feeding unit. apparatus. The alignment means includes an upper roller, a lower roller, and a pair of side guides,
The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of side guides are configured such that an endless belt is rotatably bridged by two or more rollers.   The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 11, wherein two or more rollers in the pair of side guides include a pressing roller for pressing the endless belt against end surfaces of the upper roller and the lower roller.   The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 1, further comprising a horizontal movement guide for horizontally moving the fiber bundle in the alignment means.   The horizontal movement guide includes an upstream guide roller disposed upstream of the alignment unit in the movement direction of the fiber bundle, and a downstream guide roller disposed downstream of the alignment unit in the movement direction. The fiber bundle aligning device according to claim 13, comprising:

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