JPH10305490A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet having low porosity and excellent surface smoothness with high productivity by impregnating reinforcing fiber bundle with melt thermoplastic resin, drawing it, and cooling to shape it by a pair of pressurizing belts before fixing it. SOLUTION: A reinforcing fiber bundle introducing inlet 3b is provided at a top plate 3a of an impregnating tank 3, and an outlet nozzle 3d for drawing reinforcing fiber bundle 2 impregnated with melt resin is provided at a downstream side boundary wall 3c. Further, a plurality of opening pins 5 are disposed in a zigzag manner in the tank 3. When the pins 5 are advanced while being into contact with the bundle 2, the bundle 2 is opened so that the fibers are impregnated thereamong with the resin. The impregnated bundle 4 is cooled to be shaped by a pair of pressurizing belts 6 before it is solidified immediately after it is drawn by a take-off unit 7 via the nozzle 3d to a sheet, and the sheet is wound on a winder 8. The paired belts 6 are provided above and below. Rolls 6a are disposed in parallel at upstream and downstream sides, the belts 6c are engaged with the rolls 6a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet by impregnating a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with a molten thermoplastic resin.

More specifically, after a reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated with a molten thermoplastic resin and before the impregnated fiber bundle is solidified, it is cooled and shaped with a pair of pressure belts, so that the porosity is low. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet having excellent surface smoothness and productivity.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Examples of this type of conventional device include those described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-41886 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-37694.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-41886 discloses that a plurality of fiber bundles aligned by a comb-shaped alignment unit are passed between a pair of heating and pressing belts provided with a coating film of a molten resin. There has been proposed a method of producing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet by impregnating a fiber bundle with a resin and then cooling the resin.

However, as a result of examination, the unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet obtained by this method has excellent porosity and the like, but has a large porosity and insufficient surface smoothness. Was found to be unreliable.

Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63-37694 discloses a method of producing a unidirectional reinforced resin sheet by impregnating a reinforcing fiber bundle with a molten resin and then cooling and shaping with a roll.

According to these methods, a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet having a low porosity, excellent surface smoothness, and excellent impregnation can be obtained.

[0008] However, when the take-up speed is increased, the porosity increases and the surface smoothness deteriorates, so that there is a very large restriction that the take-up speed cannot be increased.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the various disadvantages which cannot be solved by the above-mentioned prior art, to provide a unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet having a low porosity and excellent surface smoothness. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing at high productivity, that is, at a high take-off speed.

[0010]

As a result of diligent studies, after the reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated with the molten resin, before the impregnated fiber bundle is solidified, it is cooled and shaped by a pair of pressure belts. The present inventors have found that the porosity and the surface smoothness are improved not only at a take-up speed of several tens m / min, but also at a take-up speed of several tens m / min.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a reinforcing fiber bundle impregnated with a molten thermoplastic resin in an impregnation tank is impregnated with the molten thermoplastic resin while passing through an outlet nozzle. "Impregnated fiber bundle") is drawn out of the impregnation tank, and before the impregnated fiber bundle is solidified, it is a method for producing a unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet that is cooled and shaped by a pair of pressure belts. It is characterized by.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the reinforcing fiber bundle is passed through a pair of opening pins provided in the impregnation tank in a non-contact manner. Characterized by being impregnated.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an impregnation tank for impregnating a reinforcing fiber bundle with a molten thermoplastic resin, and a reinforcing fiber bundle impregnated with the molten thermoplastic resin (hereinafter referred to as an “impregnated fiber bundle”). ) Having an outlet nozzle for drawing out of the impregnating tank, and a pair of pressure belts for cooling and shaping into a sheet before the impregnated fiber bundle solidifies. It is characterized in that it is a manufacturing apparatus of a plastic resin sheet.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the third aspect, an opening pin provided in an impregnation tank for impregnating the reinforcing fiber bundle with the molten thermoplastic resin is provided in pairs. The reinforcing fiber bundle is provided at a position sandwiching the reinforcing fiber bundle from both sides and not in contact with the reinforcing fiber bundle.

In the following, each component of each of the above inventions will be described.

<Reinforcing Fiber Bundle> The reinforcing fiber bundle used in the present invention includes glass fiber, carbon fiber, metal fiber,
A wide variety of known materials such as polymer fibers can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more, and glass fibers are preferred in terms of the reinforcing effect and the availability. As a continuous glass fiber bundle which is usually manufactured and marketed for resin reinforcement, glass roving can be mentioned. Usually, the average fiber diameter is 4-30μ
m, the number of bundles of filaments is 400 to 10,000, and the tex number is 300 to 20,000 g / km. Preferably, the average fiber diameter is 9 to 23 μm and the number of bundles is 1,000 to 6,000.
From the viewpoint of the reinforcing effect, the surface is preferably subjected to some treatment for imparting or improving the interfacial adhesion to the resin.

The fiber bundle can be fed out either from the inside of the scroll, so-called inside, or from the outside of the roll, so-called outside. In the case of taking in the inside, it is preferable to use a method in which the roll is fed while being tuned and rotated in order to eliminate the twist of the fiber bundle generated at the time of feeding.

<Thermoplastic resin> The resin to be impregnated into the reinforcing fiber bundle is not particularly limited as long as it is a thermoplastic resin. Nevertheless, it is common to use crystalline resins, such as polyolefin-based resins, polyamide-based resins, and polyester-based resins for normal applications.

Among the above-mentioned crystalline thermoplastic resins, polyolefin resins are frequently used for ordinary applications from the viewpoint of properties and price. Polyolefin resins include ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-
Hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-octene, 1-decene and the like usually having about 2 to 10 carbon atoms of α-olefin, crystalline homopolymer or crystalline copolymer or these
This is a concept that includes compositions composed of two or more types. Among them, practically, polypropylene or a crystalline copolymer of propylene containing propylene as a main component and another α-olefin is rich in versatility. In the case of these polyolefin resins, from the viewpoint of the reinforcing effect, a modified polyolefin resin obtained by graft-reacting an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof with a polyolefin resin, or a polyolefin resin and this modified polyolefin resin are used. Are preferred.

For applications where higher heat resistance is desired,
Various polyamide resins and polyester resins are suitable. Examples of the polyamide resin include 6-nylon, 6,6-nylon, 12-nylon, 6,10-nylon and the like. Examples of the polyester-based resin include polyethylene terephthalate (abbreviation: PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (abbreviation: PBT).

<Melt Impregnation Method> As a method for impregnating the reinforcing fiber bundle with the molten resin, any known method can be adopted as long as good impregnating properties can be obtained. A method of impregnating a molten resin by passing a reinforcing fiber bundle through the surface of a spreader under tension (Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-3769)
4) A method of impregnating the reinforcing fiber bundle by passing the fiber bundle for non-contact between the pair of opened pins provided in the impregnating die can be adopted. This is a preferable method because there is little problem of generation of fluff during picking. The following shows an example of an apparatus for producing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet having excellent impregnation properties.

<Impregnating tank> This impregnating tank is a tank for flowing a molten resin while storing it in a predetermined amount, and is preferably equipped with a heater and capable of adjusting the temperature to a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin used. This impregnation tank is provided with the following fiber opening pin, molten resin supply mechanism, fiber bundle inlet for reinforcement, and outlet nozzle.

<Spreading Pin> As the spreading impregnating means, a member having a generally circular cross section, usually called a spreading pin, is used. In the molten resin tank, pull the fiber bundle for reinforcement while winding it in a zigzag manner on this opening pin, or make it pass between two paired opening pins in a contact or non-contact manner. Can be impregnated.

From the viewpoint of impregnation, it is preferable to use at least three or three pairs of opening pins per line.
They are arranged linearly or staggered along the path of the reinforcing fiber bundle. When the reinforcing fiber bundle is passed through the pair of opening pins in a non-contact manner, the reinforcing fiber bundle must naturally be arranged in a straight line.

The opening pin may be either freely rotating or non-rotating. The shape is generally a substantially circular cross section, but may be a shape in which the corners of a polygonal column are smoothly dropped. The thickness is usually about 5 to 50 mm when viewed as the diameter of a cylindrical pin.

The advantage of passing the reinforcing fiber bundle in a non-contact manner between the opening pin pairs is that despite the good impregnation, the reinforcing fiber bundle receives less damage, so that high-speed operation was performed. Even in this case, there is almost no fluff and continuous stable production is possible. The clearance between the pins at this time is preferably 10D to 500D (D: average fiber diameter of the single fibers constituting the reinforcing fiber bundle). If it is less than 10D, the advantage of high-speed and stable productivity is reduced, and conversely, 500D
When it exceeds, impregnating property deteriorates. When the clearance is increased, it is preferable to use a pin having a large diameter. In addition, either one having the same thickness or one having a slightly different thickness may be used.

<Molten resin supply mechanism> As the molten resin supply mechanism, an extruder is usually used. Various extruders can be used, and may be any of a single screw type, a twin screw type, and the like. The molten resin is supplied from a molten resin supply port provided in the impregnation tank. The molten resin supply port is usually provided on a top plate, a bottom plate, or an upstream boundary wall of the impregnation tank.

<Reinforcing Fiber Bundle Inlet> The reinforcing fiber bundle introducing port is usually provided on the boundary wall or top plate on the upstream side of the impregnation tank. In the case of being provided on the upstream boundary wall, it is sufficient that the shape is a slit shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing fiber bundle or those in which these are arranged.
When provided on the top plate on the upstream side, there is no risk of leakage of the molten resin. Therefore, the above shape may be used, but a mere large opening is sufficient.

<Outlet Nozzle> The shape of the outlet nozzle provided on the downstream boundary wall of the impregnation tank is generally a horizontally long slit shape which substantially matches the cross-sectional shape of the unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet to be produced. .

The horizontal length of the outlet nozzle is shaped by a pressure belt in the subsequent stage, so that the width of the outlet nozzle is usually 82% to 98% of the desired sheet width from the viewpoint of alignability and surface smoothness.
It is preferred that More preferably, it is 91% to 95%.

Further, the cross-sectional area of the outlet nozzle is determined by the desired reinforcing fiber content of the unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet and the type of base polymer or reinforcing fiber to be used. For example, polypropylene (specific gravity 0.
9) as a matrix, average single fiber diameter 17μm, number of bundles 4,
If you want to use 50 000 glass fiber rovings (specific gravity 2.6) and to make the glass fiber content of the unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet 60 wt%, the nozzle cross section is about 155 m
m ² .

<Pressing Belt> The pressing belt is paired up and down, and each is composed of at least two rolls and a metallic, usually steel belt applied to them. . Temperature adjustment by water cooling is possible,
It is preferable that the pressure or the clearance be adjustable. Pressing force is at least 60kg / cm in roll linear pressure
Those which can be applied to the extent are preferred. Further, a mechanism having a mechanism capable of adjusting the tension of the belt or a meandering correction mechanism is preferable.

There is no particular limitation on the length of the pressurized portion of the belt, that is, the length of the portion in contact with the impregnated fiber bundle.
Even if the two rolls in the belt are brought closest, the length of the parallel portion will be greater than the sum of the radii of the rolls, but this is sufficient in the present invention. When the belt has a take-up machine at the subsequent stage, the belt may be either a free-rotating one or a belt capable of rotating in synchronization with the take-up machine. Further, the pressure belt itself may also serve as the take-up machine.

[0034]

According to the manufacturing method or the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, high-quality porosity and surface smoothness are improved even at a take-up speed of several tens m / min as well as several m / min. It has become possible to obtain a unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet. That is, since the sheet of the present invention has a low porosity, the reliability as a material is extremely high. In addition, since it has excellent surface smoothness, it can be sufficiently used for applications used on the surface, and there is no fear that voids remain between layers when such sheets are laminated or when laminated with other materials. Moreover,
Since such high quality sheets can be produced at a very high take-off speed, production costs can be kept lower than ever.

[0035]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[First Embodiment of the Invention] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an apparatus for manufacturing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet (hereinafter abbreviated as “sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention”) in the course of a reinforcing fiber bundle (in the direction of forming a composite material). FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view cut along a vertical plane.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a pay-out stand, from which two or more reinforcing fiber bundles 2 are fed out in a single direction.
From the upstream side (left side in FIG. 1) of the impregnation tank 3 to the downstream side (FIG. 1).
(Right side in the middle), the impregnation tank 3
The molten resin stored therein is impregnated. This molten resin is supplied from a molten resin supply port (not shown).

More specifically, the impregnating tank 3 has a reinforcing fiber bundle inlet 3b into which the reinforcing fiber bundle 2 is introduced on the left side of the top plate 3a in FIG. An outlet nozzle 3d from which the reinforcing fiber bundle 2 impregnated with the molten resin (hereinafter referred to as “impregnated fiber bundle 4”) is formed. The impregnating tank 3 contains a plurality of opening pins 5.
Are arranged in a staggered manner, and the reinforcing fiber bundle 2 is advanced while the reinforcing fiber bundle 2 is in contact with the spreading pins 5 from the upstream side to the downstream side, thereby opening the fiber bundle 2 and opening the fiber. The molten resin is impregnated between the fibers.

Then, the impregnated fiber bundle 4 is taken out by the take-off machine 7 through the outlet nozzle 3d, and on the way, immediately after the impregnated fiber bundle 4 is drawn out from the outlet nozzle 3d, before being solidified, by the pressure belt 6. It is shaped by cooling and formed into a sheet. The sheet taken up by the take-up machine 7 is then taken up by a take-up machine 8.

The pressure belts 6 are vertically arranged in a pair. Each of the pressing belts 6 has one roll 6a disposed in parallel on the upstream side and one on the downstream side, and the belt 6c is hung on these rolls 6a. With this belt 6c, the impregnated fiber bundle 4 is sandwiched from above and below at a predetermined pressure and cooled and shaped.

[Second Embodiment of the Invention] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing fiber bundle introduction port 3b is formed in the upstream boundary wall 3e of the impregnation tank 3, and the fiber-spreading pins 5 are paired up and down from the upstream side to the downstream side. The reinforcing fiber bundle 2 is allowed to pass between these upper and lower opening pins 5 in a non-contact state. Each of the upper and lower pressure belts 6 has one large-diameter roll 6a disposed in parallel on the upstream side and one on the downstream side, and two small-diameter rolls 6b are provided between the two large-diameter rolls 6a. And a belt 6c is hung on the rolls 6a and 6b.

The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0045]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an example in which a unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet is manufactured by using the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described.

(1) Porosity Ten pieces of 50 mm × 20 mm strips were cut out from an arbitrary portion of the obtained unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet. The specific gravity was measured for each, the porosity was determined from the following formula, and the results were averaged.

Porosity = 100−ρ (Wg / ρg + Wm / ρm) ρ: Sheet specific gravity Wg: Glass fiber weight ratio Wm: Polypropylene weight ratio ρg: Glass fiber specific gravity (2.6) ρm: Polypropylene specific gravity (0.9) (2) Surface Smoothness (10-point average roughness) Regarding arbitrary 20 places of the obtained unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet, "10" was measured in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the fiber by Kosaka Laboratory 3-D surface roughness measuring instrument SE30K. The "point average roughness" was measured and the results were averaged.

Example 1 In Example 1, a unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet was manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus of Embodiment 1 shown in FIG.

Roving 2 of glass fiber as “reinforcing fiber bundle 2” [average single fiber diameter 17 μm, tex number 2,310
g / km, number of bundles 4,000] 50 impregnation tanks are arranged horizontally.
Is supplied from the reinforcing fiber bundle inlet 3b of the upstream top plate 3a and continuously withdrawn from the downstream side while passing through the impregnating tank 1, while being extruded into the impregnating tank 1 from an extruder (not shown). Is a modified polypropylene [modified maleic anhydride (MP
P), crystal melting point (DSC measurement): 160 ° C, MFR (230 ° C, 21.2N):
130g / 10min] of molten material (molten resin)
The molten resin was sufficiently impregnated between the rovings 2 opened by the opening pins 5. The opening pin 5 used had a diameter of 10 mm, and the temperature in the impregnation tank 1 was adjusted to 270 ° C. As the outlet nozzle 3d, a nozzle having a length of 0.3 mm and a width of 515 mm was used. The take-up speed was 20 m / min. The impregnated roving 4 (impregnated fiber bundle 4) drawn out from the outlet nozzle 3d is at 30 ° C.
, And formed into a sheet. The distance between the outlet nozzle 3d and the pressure portion of the pressure belt 6 was 150 mm, and the length of the pressure portion of the pressure belt 6 was 250 mm. The obtained unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet was 540 mm in width and 0.29 mm in thickness, and had a glass content of 60 wt%. The porosity and surface smoothness (10-point average roughness) of the obtained sheet were measured. These results are shown in Table 1.

Example 2 In Example 2, a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet was manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus of Embodiment 2 shown in FIG.

In the impregnating tank 1 of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, up-and-down pairs of opening pins 5 are arranged along the course of the fiber bundle 2 so that the reinforcing fiber bundle 2 can pass through it without contact. Are arranged in a straight line. The diameter of the spreading pin 5 is 10 mm, and the clearance is 0.5 mm. The pressure belt 6 had a pressure portion of 500 mm in length.

The glass fiber roving 2 [average single fiber diameter 17 μm, tex number 2,310 g / km, bundle number 4,000] as 50 “reinforcing fiber bundle 2” is arranged horizontally and upstream of the impregnation tank 3 It is supplied from the reinforcing fiber bundle inlet 3b of the boundary wall 3e, and is continuously withdrawn from the downstream side while passing through the impregnation tank 3, while being reformed into the impregnation tank 3 by an extruder (not shown). Polypropylene [modified maleic anhydride]
(M-PP), crystal melting point (DSC measurement): 160 ° C, MFR (230 ° C, 21.2
N): 130 g / 10 min], and the molten resin was sufficiently impregnated between the rovings 2 opened by the opening pins 5. Temperature in impregnation tank 3 is 270 ° C
Was adjusted. The exit nozzle 3d has a height of 0.3 mm and a width of 515
mm. The take-up speed was stable, with no trouble of fuzz generation in the impregnation tank 3, and could be increased to 33 m / min. Outlet nozzle 3d
Impregnated roving 4 (impregnated fiber bundle 4) drawn from
The sheet was cooled and shaped by a pressure belt 6 adjusted to 30 ° C., and formed into a sheet. The distance between the nozzle outlet 3d and the pressure portion of the pressure belt 6 was 150 mm. The obtained unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet is 540 mm in width and 0.29 mm in thickness,
The glass content was 60% by weight. The porosity and surface smoothness (10-point average roughness) of the obtained sheet were measured.
These results are shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1 A unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet was manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG.

Roving 2 of glass fiber as reinforcing fiber bundle 2 fed from feeding stand 1 [average single fiber diameter 17 μm, tex count 2,310 g / km, number of bundles 4,000
50), and the roving 2 is passed one by one between the teeth by the comb-shaped aligner 10 so that the entire width 51
They were drawn to 5 mm, and continuously taken from the downstream side while passing between the heating and pressing belts 11. On the other hand, an extruder (not shown) supplies modified polypropylene [modified maleic anhydride (M-PP), crystal melting point (DSC measurement): 160 ° C., MFR (230 ° C., 21.2. N): 130 g / 10 min]. The temperature of the heating and pressing belt 11 was adjusted to 270 ° C. Then, impregnated roving 4 (impregnated fiber bundle 4)
Was cooled in the cooling furnace 12. The take-up speed was 2 m / min. The obtained unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet has a width
The thickness was 530 mm, the thickness was 0.29 mm, and the glass content was 64 wt%. The porosity and surface smoothness (10-point average roughness) were measured, and both were inferior. These results are shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Example 2] Instead of the pressure belt 6, 30
Use a single nip roll adjusted to ℃, and 5m / min
A unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sheet was pulled at a pulling speed of.

The unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet thus obtained was 540 mm in width and 0.29 mm in thickness, and had a glass content of 60% by weight. The porosity and surface smoothness (10-point average roughness) of this sheet were measured, and all were inferior. These results are shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Example 3] Instead of the pressure belt 6, 30
A unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that three sets of nip rolls adjusted to ° C. were installed at intervals of 50 mm and were pulled at a pulling speed of 10 m / min.

The unidirectional reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet thus obtained was 540 mm in width and 0.29 mm in thickness, and had a glass content of 60 wt%. The porosity and surface smoothness (10-point average roughness) of this sheet were measured, and all were inferior. These results are shown in Table 1.

[0059]

[Table 1]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing one embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus of a comparative example in which the aligned fiber bundle is brought into contact with a resin coating roll.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Feeding stand 2 Roving (reinforcing fiber bundle) 3 Impregnation tank 3a Top plate 3b Reinforcing fiber bundle inlet 3c Downstream boundary wall 3d Exit nozzle 3e Upstream boundary wall 4 Impregnation roving (impregnated fiber bundle) 5 Opening pin 6 Pressure belt 6a Large-diameter roller 6b Small-diameter roller 6c Belt 7 Take-up machine 8 Winder 10 Aligner 11 Heating / pressing belt 12 Cooling path

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 26, 1998

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0018

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

<Thermoplastic resin> A thermoplastic resin to be impregnated into a reinforcing fiber bundle (also referred to as a molten resin in some cases).
Is not limited as long as it is a thermoplastic resin in a general concept . Nevertheless, it is common to use crystalline resins, such as polyolefin-based resins, polyamide-based resins, and polyester-based resins for normal applications.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Explanation of sign

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Description of Signs] 1 Feeding stand 2 Roving (reinforcing fiber bundle) 3 Impregnation tank 3a Top plate 3b Reinforcing fiber bundle inlet 3c Downstream boundary wall 3d Exit nozzle 3e Upstream boundary wall 4 Impregnation roving (impregnated fiber bundle) 5 Opening Pin 6 Pressure Belt 6a Large Diameter Roller 6b Small Diameter Roller 6c Belt 7 Pulling Machine 8 Winding Machine 10 Alignment Machine 11 Heating and Pressing Belt 12 Cooling Furnace

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Figure 2

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG. 2

[Procedure amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Figure 3

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG. 3

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI B29K 309: 08

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A reinforcing fiber bundle impregnated with a molten thermoplastic resin in an impregnation tank and impregnated with the molten thermoplastic resin while passing through an outlet nozzle. A method for producing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet, wherein the sheet is drawn out of an impregnation tank and cooled and shaped by a pair of pressure belts before the impregnated fiber bundle is solidified. 2. The unidirectional reinforcing method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated by passing the fiber bundle for non-contact between a pair of opening pins provided in the impregnating tank. A method for producing a thermoplastic resin sheet. 3. An impregnation tank for impregnating a reinforcing fiber bundle with a molten thermoplastic resin, and a reinforcing fiber bundle impregnated with the molten thermoplastic resin (hereinafter referred to as “impregnated fiber bundle”) outside the impregnating tank. A unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin, comprising: an outlet nozzle for drawing out a sheet, and a pair of pressure belts for cooling and shaping into a sheet before the impregnated fiber bundle is solidified. Sheet manufacturing equipment. 4. An opening pin provided in an impregnation tank for impregnating the reinforcing fiber bundle with the molten thermoplastic resin sandwiches the reinforcing fiber bundle from both sides in pairs, and The apparatus for producing a unidirectionally reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is provided at a position not in contact with the reinforcing fiber bundle.