JPS61258737A - Manufacture of core member for steering wheel made of fiber-reinforced plastic - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize uniforming of products and improve yield as well as durability by a method wherein the core member of steering wheel is formed by reeling, thereafter, the main shaft is moved toward a boss metal after releasing the fixing of reeling jig for ring from the main shaft. CONSTITUTION:The reeling jig 8 is completed by fixing the arced sections 8b, 8c, 8d to the base 8a of the jig 8, thereafter, the jig is fixed to the arbitrary place 9b of the main shaft 9. Next, the boss metal 3 is fixed to the tip end 9a of the main shaft 9 and continuous long fibers F, into which resin is impregnated, is supplied as shown by an arrow sign B in the diagram while the main shaft 9 is rotated into a direction A to form the core member of the steering wheel. Before curing the resin, the fixing of the jig 8 is released from the main shaft 9 and, thereafter, the main shaft 9 is moved to the arrow sign direction C. The long fibers F on not only the section of spoke but also the whole of the core member are tightened, the volumetric content of the resin is uniformed as a whole of the core member and twisting of the fibers themselves is removed. The reeling jig 8 is fixed again to the main shaft 9 under this condition and they are left as they are until the resin impregnated into the fibers is cured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a core material for a steering wheel made of fiber-reinforced resin, particularly for manufacturing a core material that improves the shape and strength of the spokes of a steering wheel. It is about the method.

(Prior art) In recent years, steering wheels that are mainly attached to vehicles such as automobiles and small vessels such as motorports have been reduced in weight.
In order to increase the strength, m-fiber reinforced resin (hereinafter referred to as FRP-Fib)
In practical use, a core material made by winding and laminating reinforced plastics (reinforced plastics) is surface-treated with a surface material such as leather or leather. The above-mentioned FRP is made by impregnating a continuous fiber bundle such as glass fiber or carbon fiber with a synthetic resin such as polyester resin or epoxy resin, winding it around a predetermined mold, laminating it, and curing the synthetic resin. be.

Conventionally, as an example of the above-mentioned FRP snap steering wheel core manufacturing method, as shown in Fig. 4, synthetic resin such as polyester resin or epoxy resin is made into continuous long fibers such as glass fibers or carbon fibers. The core material 1 is formed by impregnating it and winding it into the shape of a steering wheel.

As an example of the above-mentioned winding method, first, a continuous long fiber F impregnated with synthetic resin is placed in a winding jig in which a groove portion corresponding to the shape of the ring portion 2 of the steering wheel core material 1 is formed.
is continuously supplied to form the ring part 2.Next, the long edge IsF is bent and supplied in the direction of the boss metal fitting 3 disposed on the central axis of the ring part 2 to form the ring part 2 between the pins 4a and 4a. 5a.

5d to form a spoke part 6a, and the outer periphery of the boss metal fitting 3 is wound around the spoke part 6a, and the pin 5a,
5a and between the pins 4a, 4a, the ring part 2 is wound around the ring part 2, and a pin 4b that is different from the above-mentioned one.

4b and between the pins 5b, 5b, the spoke part 8b is wound around the outer periphery of the boss metal fitting 3, and the spoke part 8b is formed between the pins 5b, 5b again.
The ring portion 2 is wound around the pins 4b, 4b. In the same manner as above, pins 4c and 4
By forming spoke portions 6c between c and pins 5c and 5c and repeating the above feeding operation, continuous long fibers F
The steering wheel core material 1 is formed by the following steps. After this, before the synthetic resin impregnated into the long fibers F hardens,
Both ends of the spoke part 6, that is, the ring part 2 and the boss part 3
The vicinity of the joint with the metal ring 7.7 is tightened.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the above-described conventional FRP snap steering wheel core manufacturing method had the following problems.

First, the ring part 2 is wound up while its outer circumference is regulated by the groove formed in the winding jig, so that the long Fli fiber F
The volume content (V'') of the synthetic resin impregnated with the resin, the stress characteristics after curing, the shape and dimensions, etc., are formed to be constant, but the spoke portion 6 is not wound along the winding jig, but is wound along the long edge mF. By changing the supply direction of the impregnated resin, the volume content (Vf) of the impregnated resin differs because it is formed so as to be stretched between the groove of the winding jig and the boss metal fitting. There are problems in that the spoke parts Ba, 8b, and Bc are deformed into different shapes, have different dimensions, and exhibit different stress characteristics in response to external forces.

Additionally, due to the above-mentioned problems, the steering wheel core material is deformed and cannot be manufactured into a product, resulting in poor product yield, and even if the steering wheel core material can be manufactured into a product, the stress characteristics are weakened and it becomes easily damaged. had.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and stably maintains the volume content (vr) of the resin impregnated into the fibers laminated in the spoke parts, the stress characteristics after curing, the shape and dimensions, etc. The purpose of this process is to make the steering wheel core material homogeneous as a product, thereby improving product yield and durability.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin steering wheel core material according to the present invention to achieve the above object is characterized by a ring portion winding jig and a boss metal fitting fixed to the main shaft. In the method of manufacturing a steering wheel core material by winding a continuous length m of resin impregnation *, after the steering wheel core material is wound and formed, the fixation of the ring part winding jig is released from the main shaft, and then the main shaft is This is due to the fact that it was moved towards the boss metal fitting.

(Function) Since the steering wheel core material is manufactured as described above, before the resin impregnated into the continuous length tam hardens,
A certain tension force is applied to the fiber bundles that constitute the spoke portions that bridge the ring portion and the boss portion. Further, by applying tension to the fiber bundle in the spoke portion, the twist that has occurred in the spoke portion immediately after winding is removed, and the directionality of the fibers is forcibly aligned.

As it works as described above, the fiber bundles at the spoke part are aligned before the resin impregnated into the fibers hardens, and the volume content (Vf) of the resin impregnated into the fiber per unit is increased by applying the same tension force. By keeping constant, it is possible to stabilize the stress characteristics, shape, dimensions, etc. of the core material after it is manufactured into a product.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin steering wheel core material according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 are for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a side view showing the moving state of the main shaft of a winding device used in the method for manufacturing a steering wheel core material; Figures 2 and 3 are a rear view and a side view showing the process of winding resin-impregnated continuous filaments using the same device;
Components that are the same as those in the figures are designated by the same reference numerals.

In each figure, the ring portion winding jig 8 has a disk-shaped base 8.
It is formed by assembling circular arc parts 8b, 8c, and 8d to a disc-shaped base 8a, and a main shaft 9 passes through the center of the disc-shaped base 8a.
The base 8a of the jig 8 is fixed to an arbitrary location 9b near the tip 9a. The winding jig 8 has each part 8a to 8.
d is assembled, a fiber winding space 8A having a substantially circular cross section is formed, and the resin-impregnated continuous long fibers F are wound and laminated in this space 8A. Moreover, since one gap 8B of circular arc parts 8b to 8d is formed on the back side of the winding jig 8, when the layers are stacked while being guided to this gap 8B, the spokes of the steering wheel core material 1 A section 6 is formed.

A boss metal fitting 3 is fixed to the tip end 9a of the main shaft 9, which serves as a boss to be attached to the vehicle body after the core material 1 is completed. The boss fitting 3 is a cylindrical member with a U-shaped groove formed on the outer peripheral surface, and resin-impregnated continuous long fibers F are wound and laminated in this U-shaped groove as well. Also, code 5
is a guide pin implanted on the back surface of the jig base 8a, and is attached to the boss metal fitting 32 and the winding jig 8. The main shaft 9 constitutes a winding device 10 for a steering wheel core material.

A process of manufacturing a steering wheel core material by the method of the present invention using the winding device 10 having the above configuration will be described.

First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ring part winding jig 8 is
The winding jig 8 is fixed by fixing the arc parts 8b to 8d to the base 8a of the
After completing this, it is fixed to an arbitrary location 9b of the main shaft 9 using a fixing means (not shown).

Next, the boss fitting 3 is fixed to the tip 9a of the main shaft 9, and the continuous long fibers F impregnated with resin are supplied as shown by arrow B, and when the main shaft 9 is rotated in the direction of arrow A, the long fibers F are wound up one after another to form the steering wheel core 1.

After the above-mentioned winding operation is completed, and before the resin impregnated into the long fibers F hardens, first, as shown in FIG. ) and then move the main shaft 9 in the direction of arrow C, the length m1
aF is given tension at the spoke parts ea, 8b, and Elc, and accordingly, the ring part 2. The outer circumferential portion 3a of the boss metal fitting 3 is also tightened to make the volume content (vr) of the resin uniform throughout the core material 1. Further, by pulling the fibers in the direction of arrow C, even if the fibers are twisted together, this state can be untwisted, and the spoke portion 6 can be tightened in the direction of the central axis.

Next, with the main shaft 9 moved, the winding jig 8 and the main shaft 9 are fixed again using a fixing means (not shown), and left until the resin impregnated into the fibers hardens, so that the material and shape are uniform. This makes it possible to create an FRP steering wheel core material with stable stress characteristics.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin steering wheel core material according to the present invention provides the following effects.

First, the fixing means between the main shaft of the winding device and the ring winding jig is made releasable, and after winding up the FRP on the winding device,
Since the fixing means is released and the main shaft is moved in the direction of the boss fitting, uniform tension is applied to the continuous fibers that make up the spoke part before the resin hardens, and the volume content (vr) of the resin increases. can be stabilized.

In addition, since the steering wheel core material is hardened while this tension is applied, the stress characteristics of the core material, especially on the spokes, can be made constant, improving durability, and the core material as a whole can be used as a product. It is possible to achieve homogenization and improve yield.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the moving state of the main shaft of a winding device used in an embodiment of the method of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show the process of winding resin-impregnated continuous filaments using the same device. They are a rear view and a side view. Moreover, FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a conventional method for manufacturing a steering wheel made of FRP. 1...Fiber-reinforced resin steering wheel, 2...
・Ring part, 3... Boss metal fitting, 6... Spoke part,
8... Ring part winding jig, 9... Main shaft, lO...
Winding device, F...Resin impregnation continuous length am. Patent applicant: Toyota Motor Corporation (and 1 other person) Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 ;-na

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A ring part winding jig is fixed to the main shaft, a boss metal fitting is fixed to the tip of the main spindle, and the continuous long fibers impregnated with resin are rolled into the winding jig and the boss metal fitting by rotating the main shaft. In a method of manufacturing a steering wheel core material consisting of a ring part, a spoke part, and a boss part by winding, after the steering wheel core material is wound and formed, the fixation of the ring part winding jig is released from the main shaft. A method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin steering wheel core material, characterized in that the main shaft is moved in the direction of the boss metal fitting.