JP2008254195A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced composite material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing technique of a fiber-reinforced composite material high in fiber volume content Vf and uniform in in-plane distribution in a VaRTM (Vacuum assisted Resin Transfer Molding) for forming a composite material by impregnating a fibrous base material with a liquid resin using atmospheric pressure difference to cure the impregnated base material. <P>SOLUTION: The manufacturing apparatus 90 of the fiber-reinforced composite material is equipped with a mold 32 on which the fibrous base material 31 is placed in an airtight state, a first hermetically sealed container 10 which houses the liquid resin L under a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure and has an injection pipe 13 connected to the vicinity of the fibrous base material 31, a second hermetically sealed container 20 having a suction pipe 23 connected to the vicinity of the fibrous base material 31, an open valve 11 for opening the first hermetically sealed container 10 to the atmosphere to produce atmospheric pressure difference ΔP, a communication pipe 40 having a switching valve 41 for changing over the maintenance/elimination of the atmospheric pressure difference ΔP and a vacuum pump 50 connected to the second hermetically sealed container 20 to evacuate the container 20 and also evacuating the first hermetically sealed container 10 through the communication pipe 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention belongs to a technical field related to VaRTM (Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding) technology in which a fibrous base material is impregnated with a liquid resin using a pressure difference and cured to form a composite material.

With reference to FIG. 7, a basic description will be given of molding of a fiber-reinforced composite material by VaRTM technology.
Fig.7 (a) is a figure which shows the longitudinal cross-section of the conventional manufacturing apparatus by VaRTM technique. As shown in the figure, a fibrous base material 31 (glass fiber, carbon fiber fabric, etc.) is placed on a mold 32. Further, the fibrous base material 31 is covered with a sealing sheet 33 and the peripheral edge of the sealing sheet 33 is sealed with a sealing material 35 to keep the fibrous base material 31 in an airtight state. Then, the fibrous base material 31 is vacuum sucked by the vacuum pump 50, and then the liquid resin L pressed at the atmospheric pressure P ₀ is injected while being decompressed by the pressure reducing valve 52 to impregnate the fibrous base material 31. After that, the liquid resin L impregnated in the fibrous base material 31 is cured by normal temperature or light, heat treatment, or the like to become a fiber-reinforced composite material.

FIGS. 7B to 7E show the pressure P in the system and the resin impregnation amount in the fibrous base material (hereinafter referred to as the resin amount) in the process of impregnating the fibrous base material 31 with the liquid resin L. It is a figure explaining distribution.
FIG. 7B shows the pressure distribution in the system when the pressure reducing valve 52 is completely closed, and shows the vacuum pressure P ₁ reached by the vacuum pump 50 from the vacuum pump 50 to the pressure reducing valve 52. , first from the pressure reducing valve 52 (left side in the drawing) indicates the atmospheric pressure P _0.
FIG. 7C shows the pressure distribution and resin amount distribution in the system with the pressure reducing valve 52 slightly opened. The amount of opening of the pressure reducing valve 52 from the pressure reducing valve 52 to the edge of the fibrous base material 31 is shown. A differential pressure ΔP _c proportional to The pressure P is distributed in an inclined manner inside the fibrous base material 31. Then, the liquid resin L flows in the fibrous base material 31 from the left to the right in the figure, and in a state where the impregnation has almost reached equilibrium, the resin amount is also distributed in a gradient corresponding to the pressure P.

FIG. 7D shows a pressure distribution and a resin amount distribution in the system in a state where the pressure reducing valve 52 is further opened to obtain a differential pressure ΔP _d (> ΔP _c ). Here, since the interface of the liquid resin L impregnated in the fibrous base material 31 is pushed up while maintaining the inclination in the state of FIG. 7C, the inclination of the resin amount distribution does not change much.
Therefore, there is an unavoidable problem that the resin amount distribution is inclined along the direction in which the liquid resin L flows.

As a first conventional technique for solving such a problem, a plurality of grooves are formed at equal intervals on one surface of the sealing sheet 33 that is in close contact with the fibrous base material 31, and the liquid resin L is caused to flow in the grooves, thereby producing fibers. A technique for impregnating the liquid resin L from the main surface side of the base material 31 is known (for example, Patent Document 1).
Further, as a second technique, an injection rod configured by arranging a plurality of injection holes for injecting the liquid resin L in a row, and a suction rod configured by arranging a plurality of suction holes for sucking the liquid resin L in a row alternately A technique is known in which the liquid resin L is impregnated in parallel with the main surface of the fibrous base material 31 (for example, Patent Document 2).
And as a 3rd technique, after impregnating the liquid base material 31 with the liquid resin L, the technique of attracting | sucking an upstream part among the impregnated liquid resin L is known (for example, patent document 3).
JP-A-10-504001 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-501880 JP 2004-284120 A

However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since a desired effect cannot be obtained unless the position of the suction hole for sucking the liquid resin L is optimized, the design freedom is small, and a special sealing sheet is used. Therefore, high cost is inevitable.
Further, with the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, the problem that the fiber volume content Vf distribution is inclined between adjacent injection holes and suction holes cannot be solved. Here, the fiber volume content Vf indicates the ratio of the fiber and the resin contained in the composite material, and is represented by Vf = fiber volume / (fiber volume + resin volume + impurity volume).
And even if the technique of patent document 3 is solved, even if the problem of distribution of Vf is eliminated, since a composite material with low Vf is obtained, another problem newly arises.
An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material having a high fiber volume content Vf and a uniform in-plane distribution, and a method for manufacturing the same.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material obtained by curing a liquid resin impregnated in a fibrous base material using a pressure difference. A mold for placing the fibrous base material in an airtight state with a sealing sheet that contacts one side of the porous base material and covers the opposite surface, and accommodates the liquid resin at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and extends from the liquid resin A first sealed container in which an injection tube is connected in the vicinity of the fibrous base material, a second sealed container in which a suction pipe extending from the inside at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is connected in the vicinity of the fibrous base material, and the first A release valve that raises the pressure of the sealed container by opening to the atmosphere and generates the pressure difference with the second sealed container, and the pressure difference is eliminated after the liquid resin is impregnated into the fibrous base material. The pressure inside the first sealed container is reduced Characterized by boosting the internal serial second sealed container.
By configuring the invention in this manner, the injected liquid resin flows in one direction along the surface of the fibrous base material from the first sealed container toward the second sealed container due to the generated pressure difference. And, when the impregnation of the liquid resin into the fibrous base material reaches an equilibrium state, the fiber volume content Vf is unevenly distributed upstream rather than downstream, but the pressure difference is eliminated. Since the liquid resin flows in the opposite direction by reducing the pressure inside the first sealed container and increasing the pressure inside the second sealed container, the non-uniformity of the distribution of Vf can be corrected.
Furthermore, since the defoaming in the apparatus of the liquid resin before impregnating the fibrous base material is possible, bubbles taken into the fibrous base material are reduced to the limit.

Next, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the fiber reinforced composite material manufacturing apparatus according to the first aspect, the inside of the first sealed container and the second sealed container is communicated and the maintenance / elimination of the pressure difference is switched. A communication pipe having a switching valve is provided.
By configuring the invention in this way, the configuration in which the pressure inside the first sealed container is reduced and the inside of the second sealed container is increased in the direction in which the pressure difference is eliminated is simplified.

Next, the invention of claim 3 is the fiber reinforced composite material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is connected to the second sealed container to decompress the inside thereof, and the first sealed container of the first sealed container is connected through the communication pipe. A vacuum pump for reducing the pressure inside is also provided.
By configuring the invention in this way, the invention can be achieved by one decompression means.

Next, the invention of claim 7 is a method for producing a fiber reinforced composite material obtained by curing a liquid resin impregnated in a fibrous base material using a pressure difference, and is covered with a sealing sheet and placed on a mold. A suction step for sucking the fibrous base material in an airtight state, a pressure reduction step for reducing the liquid resin to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure in synchronization with the suction step, and a pressure increase for the liquid resin that has been set to a low pressure A pressure difference process for generating the pressure difference between the fibrous base material and an impregnation that injects the liquid resin into the fibrous base material and sucks the liquid resin that has passed through the fibrous base material to promote the impregnation. And the step of depressurizing the liquid resin injected into the fibrous base material to flow in the reverse direction, pressurizing the liquid resin that has passed through the fibrous base material to flow in the reverse direction, and impregnating the liquid resin Correcting a non-uniformity of the distribution of And butterflies.
Further, the invention of claim 8 is the method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 7, wherein the step-down / step-up in the correction step is executed in synchronism so as to eliminate the pressure difference (ΔP). It is characterized by.
By configuring the invention in this way, the non-uniformity of the distribution of the volume content Vf of the liquid resin impregnated in the fibrous base fiber is corrected.

According to the inventions of claims 1 to 3, 7 and 8, in VaRTM technology in which a fiber material is impregnated with a liquid resin and cured using a pressure difference to form a composite material, An apparatus and a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material having a high volume content Vf and a uniform in-plane distribution can be provided.
According to the fourth to sixth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the injection speed and injection position of the liquid resin by appropriately adjusting the size and arrangement of the rods, and mixing of bubbles in the fiber reinforced composite material can be achieved. It is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for a high-quality fiber-reinforced composite material with a small amount.

With reference to drawings, the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on this invention is demonstrated.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a bird's-eye view showing a first embodiment of an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to the present invention. Fig.2 (a) is sectional drawing which shows the longitudinal cross-section of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on 1st Embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, a fiber-reinforced composite material manufacturing apparatus 90 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “manufacturing apparatus 90”) includes a first sealed container 10, a second sealed container 20, and a composite material section. 30, a communication pipe 40, and a vacuum pump 50.
By configuring the manufacturing apparatus 90 in this way, the liquid pressure difference L (ΔP ₂ , ΔP ₃ ) generated between the first sealed container 10 and the second sealed container 20 is used for the liquid resin L in the composite material portion 30. Then, the liquid resin L can be thermoset by light, room temperature or a heating device (not shown) to produce a fiber reinforced composite material.

The 1st sealed container 10 can hold | maintain the pressure value, when the atmospheric pressure is interrupted | blocked and the inside is set to arbitrary pressure values.
And the 1st sealed container 10 can accommodate now the container 12 with which the liquid resin L is filled. When the first sealed container 10 is set to a vacuum pressure and the liquid resin L is accommodated therein, the liquid resin L can be defoamed in the apparatus.

  Further, the injection tube 13 whose tip is connected to the injection hole 14 on the composite material part 30 side passes through the wall surface of the first sealed container 10 and is held so that the opposite end of the injection tube 13 is immersed in the liquid resin L. Has been. As a result, the defoamed liquid resin L is injected into the composite material part 30 without being exposed to air at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, bubbles taken into the composite material part 30 can be reduced to the limit.

Further, an opening valve 11 is provided on the wall surface of the first sealed container 10, and the opening valve 11 opens the first sealed container 10 set to an arbitrary pressure value to the atmosphere, so that the atmospheric pressure P ₀ is reached. It functions to return. Further, by appropriately adjusting the opening amount (throttle amount) of the open valve 11 while performing a pressure reducing operation by the vacuum pump 50 described later, the vacuum pump 50 reaches between the ultimate vacuum P ₁ and the atmospheric pressure P _0. It is possible to set the first sealed container 10 to any pressure value.
As described above, by appropriately adjusting the release valve 11, the first sealed container 10 set at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure P ₀ (the ultimate vacuum P ₁ ) is boosted and optionally between the second sealed container 20. Pressure difference (ΔP; where 0 <ΔP ₂ , ΔP ₃ <P ₀ −P ₁ ).

  The basic structure of the second sealed container 20 is the same as that of the first sealed container 10. The release valve 21 installed in the second sealed container 20 opens the inside to the atmosphere, but is not actively used for adjusting the atmospheric pressure as described above. This is used as a leak valve of the pump 50, or when a trap 22 described later disposed inside is taken in and out.

Further, a suction tube 23 whose tip is connected to a suction hole 24 located opposite to the injection hole 14 and the composite material portion 30 passes through the wall surface of the second sealed container 20. The opposite end of the suction tube 23 is located in or on the trap 22.
The trap 22 collects the liquid resin L that has passed through the inside of the fibrous base material 31, flows through the suction pipe 23, and is discharged into the second sealed container 20.
When the internal pressure of the second sealed container 20 is increased, the liquid resin L collected in the trap 22 or collected in the suction pipe 23 is moved from the second sealed container 20 toward the first sealed container 10. The suction tube 23 flows in the reverse direction.

The second sealing container 20, connection tube 51, the vacuum pump 50 is connected via an on-off valve 52, the inside is reduced to the ultimate vacuum P ₁ of the vacuum pump 50. In addition, the vacuum pump 50 depressurizes the second sealed container 20 and also depressurizes the inside of the first sealed container 10 through the communication pipe 40 described later.

The communication pipe 40 communicates with the inside of the first sealed container 10 and the second sealed container 20 so that the gas goes to each other. Then, the switching valve 41 provided in the midway path of the communication pipe 40 has a pressure difference (ΔP ₂ , ΔP ₃₎ generated in the first sealed container 10 and the second sealed container 20 corresponding to the closing / opening operation. ) Is maintained / resolved.
That is, when the switching valve 41 operates from “closed” to “open”, the inside of the first sealed container 10 is lowered in the direction in which the pressure difference (ΔP ₂ , ΔP ₃ is eliminated), and the inside of the second sealed container 20 is The pressure of the first sealed container 10 and the second sealed container 20 becomes both pressure P ₄ (P ₁ <P ₄ <P ₀ ).

As shown in FIG. 2A, the composite material part 30 includes a fibrous base material 31, a mold 32, a sealing sheet 33, a release sheet 34, a sealing material 35, a diffusion medium 36, and the like. Consists of
By configuring the composite material portion 30 in this way, the liquid resin L injected from the injection tube 13 and sucked from the suction tube 23 flows and impregnates so as to reach the entire fibrous base material 31. become.

The fibrous base material 31 has a high affinity with the liquid resin L to be impregnated, and it is desirable that the fibers are woven so that the flow resistance becomes small in the direction in which the liquid resin L flows.
In the vicinity of the fibrous base material 31, the tip of the injection tube 13 for injecting the liquid resin L and the tip of the suction tube 23 for sucking the liquid resin L are arranged.

In addition, the material of the fiber which comprises this fibrous base material 31 does not have limitation, A metal, ceramics, polymer | macromolecule, glass, a plant can be employ | adopted suitably. The fibrous base material 31 is not limited to being composed of fibers as long as the liquid resin L flows through the inside due to a pressure difference, and may be composed of, for example, a porous body. Good.
Furthermore, the shape of the fibrous base material 31 is not limited to a flat plate shape as illustrated, but is an arbitrary shape. Further, the positions of the tips of the injection tube 13 and the suction tube 23 to be arranged are not limited to the arrangement in which both ends of the fibrous base material 31 are sandwiched as shown, but the inside of the fibrous base material 31 in general. The liquid resin L is appropriately changed so as to be distributed.

The molding die 32 is in contact with one side of the fibrous base material 31 and holds and places the fibrous base material 31 in an airtight state together with a sealing sheet 33 that covers the opposite surface of the fibrous base material 31.
The fibrous base material 31 placed in an airtight state is sucked by the suction pipe 23 and is pressed against the forming die 32 by the atmospheric pressure P ₀ , and the shape of one side of the fiber reinforced composite material is reduced. Will be granted.

Closing sheet 33, on the opposite side to the mold 32 side of the fibrous base material 31, by being pressed by the atmospheric pressure P _0, as appropriate, elastic deformation and plastic deformation, intended to close contact without gaps on the opposite surface is there. Thus, the sealing sheet 33 gives a shape to the surface opposite to the mold 32 side of the fiber reinforced composite material.

The diffusion medium 36 is a mesh-like material disposed between the sealing sheet 33 and the fibrous base material 31, and the liquid resin L is filled from the main surface side of the fibrous base material 31 through the space. It is what you want to do.
The release sheet 34 is sandwiched between the fibrous base material 31 and the diffusion medium 36, and is formed by curing the impregnated liquid resin L and preventing the diffusion medium 36 from adhering thereto. It facilitates peeling from the fiber-reinforced composite material. Further, the release sheet 34 is permeable to the liquid resin L so that the liquid resin L can freely move between the diffusion medium 36 and the fibrous base material 31.

The sealing material 35 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the fibrous base material 31 (see FIG. 1), and is in close contact with the forming die 32 and the sealing sheet 33 to achieve an airtight state.
The sealing material 35 is provided with an injection hole 14 to which the tip of the injection tube 13 is connected, and a suction hole 24 to which the tip of the suction tube 23 is connected.
By the way, the positions where the injection holes 14 and the suction holes 24 are provided are not limited to the sealing material 35, and the mold 32 or the sealing sheet 33 may be provided with perforations.

  Next, with reference to FIG.2 (b)-(e), embodiment of the manufacturing method of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on this invention is described.

First, the open valves 11 and 21 of the first sealed container 10 and the second sealed container 20 shown in FIG. 1 are “closed”, and the switching valve 41 of the communication pipe 40 and the open / close valve of the connection pipe 51 of the vacuum pump 50 are shown. When 52 is set to “open” and the vacuum pump 50 is operated, the fibrous base material 31 (see FIG. 2A) is sucked (suction process). Further, in synchronization with this suction process, the first sealed container 10 is set to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure together with the liquid resin L, and the liquid resin L is degassed (decompression process).
In the suction process and the decompression process, as shown in FIG. 2B, all the systems of the manufacturing apparatus 90 reach the ultimate vacuum P ₁ of the vacuum pump 50.

Next, when the switching valve 41 of the communication pipe 40 is “closed” and the opening amount of the open valve 11 of the first sealed container 10 is set to “small open”, as shown in FIG. The liquid resin L that has been set to (vacuum degree P ₁ ) is increased in pressure to generate an atmospheric pressure difference ΔP ₂ with the fibrous base material 31. In addition, a pressure distribution with a gradient represented by ΔP ₂ / x is generated inside the fibrous base material 31 (atmospheric pressure difference process).
When the liquid resin L flows under the pressure difference ΔP ₂ and passes through the inside of the fibrous base material 31 and reaches an almost equilibrium state, the Vf liquid resin L having a distribution corresponding to the pressure distribution is obtained. Will be impregnated.

Next, since the flow resistance of the resin gradually increases and the flow rate becomes slower, the amount of opening of the release valve 11 of the first sealed container 10 is adjusted to “middle open” so as to obtain a predetermined flow rate, and FIG. as shown (d), the pressure difference increases until the [Delta] P _3. Then, Vf rises without much changing the slope of the distribution. Thus, by increasing the opening amount of the release valve 11 stepwise, the liquid resin L can be injected into the fibrous base material 31 with a high Vf value while keeping the slope of the Vf distribution small. Furthermore, the liquid resin L that has passed through the fibrous base material 31 is actively sucked by the suction pipe 23, thereby promoting impregnation with a low distribution and a high Vf value (impregnation step).
In order to prevent voids and resin loss, it is effective to slow down the flow rate of the resin, but in the method of the present invention, since the differential pressure between the two tanks is used, the flow rate can be controlled easily and reliably.

Next, after the resin has spread over the entire surface, the release valve 11 is set to “closed” and the switching valve 41 of the communication pipe 40 is set to “open” after reaching an equilibrium state. Then, since the gas moves from the first sealed container 10 to the second sealed vessel 20, as shown in FIG. 2 (e), the internal pressure of the first sealed container 10 lowers from atmospheric P ₀ to P _4, The liquid resin L injected into the fibrous base material 31 flows in the reverse direction through the injection tube 13 and is returned to the container 12. Then, since the internal pressure of the second sealed container 20 is increased from P ₁ to P ₄ , the liquid resin L collected in the trap 22 is pushed up, passes through the fibrous base material 31 once, and is in the liquid state in the suction pipe 23. The resin L again flows in the opposite direction toward the fibrous base material 31.
Thereby, the distribution of the Vf value in the fibrous base material 31 is eliminated, and the nonuniformity of the distribution of the liquid resin L to be impregnated is corrected (correcting step).
In this correction process, the pressure reduction of the first sealed container 10 and the pressure increase of the second sealed container 20 are performed so that the pressure difference ΔP is synchronously eliminated by switching the switching valve 41 as illustrated. However, it may be performed separately using separate pressure adjusting means.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a top view showing a second embodiment of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the (XX) cutting section in FIG. 3 of the apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to the second embodiment.
3 that are the same as or correspond to those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description is omitted by using the already described contents.

  In the fiber reinforced composite material manufacturing apparatus 90 ′ according to the second embodiment, the injection tube 13 and the suction tube 23 are connected to the fibrous base material 31 via the injection rod 15 and the suction rod 25 provided at the respective tips. Is different from the manufacturing apparatus 90 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 1) in that it is connected in the vicinity.

The injection rod 15 is provided with a conduit 16 along its longitudinal direction so that the leading end is connected to the injection tube 13 and the tip is sealed, and the fiber base 31 is branched from the conduit 16 in a substantially vertical direction. Are provided with a plurality of injection holes 17, 17.
The suction rod 25 is provided with a conduit 26 extending in the longitudinal direction so that the leading end is connected to the suction tube 23 and the tip is sealed, and the fiber base 31 is branched from the conduit 26 in a substantially vertical direction. Are provided with a plurality of suction holes 27, 27.

  The injection rod 15 and the suction rod 25 are alternately arranged on the main surface of the fibrous base material 31 in parallel with each other. And liquid resin L is inject | poured with respect to the main surface of the fiber base material 31 from the injection holes 17, 17 ..., passes through the inside of the fiber base material 31, as shown by the arrow in FIG. , 27...

By constructing the manufacturing apparatus 90 'as in the second embodiment, the impregnation with the liquid resin L having a high Vf value is performed in a short time with a low distribution even for the fibrous base material 31 having a large area. can do.
Further, since the liquid resin L leaves the first sealed container 10 and the bubbles generated inside the liquid resin L during the movement of the injection tube 13 are trapped in the conduit 16, the bubbles are trapped in the fibrous base material. The liquid 31 having high Vf value is impregnated without being mixed into the material 31.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, another embodiment of an injection rod and a suction rod (in the case where both are not particularly distinguished will be simply referred to as “rod”) will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the rod 60 </ b> A includes a conduit 61, an outer cover member 62, and a release sheet 63.

The conduit 61 forms a space in which the liquid resin flows in the longitudinal direction and has a structure in which the liquid resin leaks from the side surface. For example, the conduit 61 has a structure such as a coil wire, a three-dimensional net-like shape mat, and a side surface. It is conceivable to apply a cylindrical member provided with a large number of perforations.
The jacket member 62 is formed of a diffusion medium that can freely change its shape, such as a mesh, a nonwoven fabric, or a three-dimensional net-like shape mat. The outer cover member 62 covers the entire outer surface of the conduit 61 and is joined at both ends to The leg part 64 which protrudes from an outer surface is formed.
At both ends of the leg portion 64, both ends of the jacket member 62 are opened in opposite directions and are in close contact with the release sheet 63.
The release sheet 63 is in contact with the diffusion medium 36 or the release sheet 34 on the fibrous base material 31 on the surface opposite to the surface where the legs 64 are in close contact.

  As described above, the configuration of the rod 60 </ b> A defines the flow path of the liquid resin along the longitudinal direction of the conduit 61 and impregnates the fibrous base material 31 with the liquid resin via the legs 64. It has become.

5B, 5C, and 5D are cross-sectional views showing still another embodiment of the injection rod 15 and the suction rod 25 (see FIG. 3).
The rod 60A shown in FIG. 5A is shown above the fibrous base material 31. The rods 60B and 60C shown in FIGS. The structure provided below is shown. Further, the rod 60D shown in FIG. 5 (d) shows a structure in which the fibrous base material 31 has a vertical surface and is provided on the side thereof. Thereby, even if the fibrous base material 31 is in any direction, even if it has a complicated shape, it can be provided. Furthermore, by installing suction rods 60B and 60C on the opposite surface of the fibrous base material 31 provided with the injection rod 60A, it becomes possible to impregnate the fibrous base material 31 in the thickness direction with the liquid resin. .

Further, in the rod 60B shown in FIG. 5 (b), the leg portion 64 has a J-shaped cross section, and in the rod 60D shown in FIG. 5 (d), the leg portion 64 has an L-shaped cross section. Thus, separation between the gas extruded from the fibrous base material 31 and the gas generated from the resin and the liquid resin that has passed through the fibrous base material 31 is performed in the conduit 61, the jacket member 62, and the release sheet 63. The effect of being promoted and the effect of preventing the gas in the suction rods 60 </ b> B and 60 </ b> D from flowing back to the fibrous base material 31 when the resin flows backward in the correction step (see the description in paragraph 0031).
And also in the suction rod 60C shown in FIG. 5 (c), the gas generated from the resin extruded from the fibrous base material 31 and the resin by having the conduit 61 having a c-shaped cross section opening downward. And the liquid resin that has passed through the fibrous base material 31 can be separated in the conduit 61.

6A to 6D are cross-sectional views showing an embodiment of a clip for fixing the rods 15 and 25 shown in FIG. 5, and a broken line shows a shape of the clip at the time of attachment or removal, and a solid line. Indicates the shape of the clip when the rod is fixed.
These clips 71, 72, 73, 74 hold the rods 15, 25 and are stably disposed on the fibrous base material 31.

The clip 71 in FIG. 6A is manufactured by processing a plate material having elasticity, and when being attached to or detached from the rod 60, the clip 71 is expanded and elastically deformed as indicated by a broken line. Further, it is fixed to the rod 60 by its restoring force.
The clip 72 shown in FIG. 6B is composed of a pair of members that rotate relative to each other about the hinge portion. When the clip 72 is attached to or removed from the rod 60, the clip 72 resists the biasing force of the hinge. Then, it is expanded as shown by a broken line, and is fixed to the rod 60 by its restoring force.

The clip 73 shown in FIG. 6C has a rectangular cross section made of a flexible member. When the clip 73 is attached to or detached from the rod 60, the clip 73 resists the elastic force of the member and expands like a broken line. And is fixed to the rod 60 by its restoring force.
The clip 74 in FIG. 6 (d) has a circular cross section made of a flexible member, and when attached to or removed from the rod 60, the clip 74 is pushed and expanded as shown by a broken line against the elastic force of the member. And is fixed to the rod 60 by its restoring force.

In the above description, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and in particular, the composite material portions 30 and 30 ′ can be used as long as they are applied to a normal VaRTM method. It can be adopted as appropriate.
Moreover, if it has the structure which can carry out pressure reduction control of the 1st sealed container 10 and the 2nd sealed container 20, respectively, it can be said that the communicating pipe 40 is not an essential structure for this invention.

It is a bird's-eye view which shows 1st Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on this invention. (A) shows the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (b)-(e) is a figure explaining embodiment of the manufacturing method of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on this invention. It is. It is a top view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the (XX) cutting part in FIG. 3 of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced composite material which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the other Example of an injection | pouring rod and a suction rod, (b) (c) is sectional drawing which shows the further another Example of a suction rod. (A)-(d) is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the clip which fixes the injection | pouring rod and suction rod which are shown by FIG. 5, Comprising: A broken line shows the shape of the clip at the time of attachment or removal, A continuous line is The shape of the clip when fixed is shown. (A) shows the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the conventional fiber reinforced composite material manufacturing apparatus by VaRTM technology, (b)-(e) is a figure explaining the basic forming process of the fiber reinforced composite material by VaRTM technology. .

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 1st sealed container 11 Opening valve 13 Injection pipe 14, 17 Injection hole 15 Injection rod 16, 26 Conduit 17 Injection hole 20 2nd sealed container 23 Suction pipe 24, 27 Suction hole 25 Suction rod 31 Fiber base material 32 Mold 33 Sealing sheet 35 Sealing material 40 Communication pipe 41 Switching valve 50 Vacuum pump 62 Cover member 64 Leg 90, 90 'Production equipment L Liquid resin P ₀ Atmospheric pressure P ₁ Vacuum pressure ΔP, ΔP ₂ , ΔP ₃ pressure Vf Fiber Volume content

Claims (8)

In an apparatus for producing a fiber reinforced composite material obtained by curing a liquid resin impregnated into a fibrous base material using a pressure difference,
A mold for placing the fibrous base material in an airtight state with a sealing sheet that contacts one side of the fibrous base material and covers the opposite surface; and
A first sealed container containing the liquid resin at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and an injection tube extending from the liquid resin connected to the vicinity of the fibrous base material;
A second sealed container in which a suction pipe extending from the inside at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is connected in the vicinity of the fibrous base material;
An open valve for increasing the pressure of the first sealed container by opening to the atmosphere and generating the pressure difference with the second sealed container;
A fiber-reinforced composite material characterized in that, after the liquid resin is impregnated into the fibrous base material, the inside of the first sealed container is depressurized and the inside of the second sealed container is pressurized in a direction in which the pressure difference is eliminated. Manufacturing equipment.   2. The fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 1, further comprising a communication pipe having a switching valve that communicates the insides of the first sealed container and the second sealed container and switches between maintaining and eliminating the pressure difference. apparatus.   3. The fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 2, further comprising a vacuum pump that is connected to the second sealed container and depressurizes the interior thereof, and also decompresses the interior of the first sealed container through the communication pipe. apparatus. An injection rod provided with a conduit for injecting the liquid resin to the main surface of the fibrous base material provided at the tip of the injection tube;
The suction rod provided with the conduit | pipe which is provided in the front-end | tip of the said suction pipe, and attracts | sucks the said liquid resin from the main surface of the said fiber base material is provided. An apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to item 1.   The injection rod and the suction rod include an outer cover member that covers the outer surface of the conduit and that has both ends joined to form a leg portion that protrudes from the outer surface, and the gas extruded from the fibrous base material and The apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 4, having a structure for preventing gas generated from the resin from being mixed into the fibrous base material after the resin is injected.   6. The apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 4, wherein the injection rod and the suction rod are respectively provided on main surfaces on opposite sides of the fibrous base material. In the method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material obtained by curing a liquid resin impregnated into a fibrous base material using a pressure difference,
A suction step of sucking a fibrous base material that is covered with a sealing sheet and placed in a mold and in an airtight state;
A pressure reducing step for making the liquid resin lower than atmospheric pressure in synchronization with the suction step;
A pressure difference step of increasing the pressure of the liquid resin at a low pressure to generate the pressure difference with the fibrous base material;
An impregnation step of injecting the liquid resin into a fibrous base material and sucking the liquid resin that has passed through the fibrous base material to promote the impregnation;
The liquid resin injected into the fibrous base material is depressurized to flow in the reverse direction, the liquid resin that has passed through the fibrous base material is pressurized to flow in the reverse direction, and the distribution of the liquid resin to be impregnated And a correction step for correcting the non-uniformity.   The method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 7, wherein the step-down / step-up in the correcting step is performed in synchronism so as to eliminate the pressure difference.

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