Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-09
2001-06-26
Aftergut, Jeff H. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S166000, C118S124000, C425S114000, C427S434400, C427S434600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06251206
ABSTRACT:
INDUSTRIAL FIELD OF APPLICATION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation for producing a thermoplastic resin composite (or composite material) reinforced with long fibers (continuous fibers) which are substantially unidirectionally aligned, by passing a reinforcing fiber bundle through an impregnation zone of the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation while bringing the fiber bundle into contact with the surface of opening pins arranged within the impregnation zone to thus subject the fiber bundle to opening (or to open (loose) the fiber bundle) simultaneously with permeation of a molten resin into spaces formed between the opened bodies obtained from the reinforcing fiber bundle, as well as a method for opening and resin-impregnation of the reinforcing fiber bundle. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation which is provided with an auxiliary pin annexed to the opening pin and placed in a specific position in which the auxiliary pin does not come in contact with the continuous fiber bundle, as well as a method for opening and resin-impregnation of the reinforcing fiber bundle.
PRIOR ART
There has already been proposed a method for impregnation which comprises the steps of passing, under the application of a tensile force, reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in a band-like pattern through the surface of a spreader while bringing them into contact with the surface and making a thermoplastic polymer (having a melt viscosity of less than 100 Ns/m
2
) present within a nip zone formed between the reinforcing fiber bundle and the spreader (Japanese Patent Publication No. 63(1988)-37694).
There has also been proposed a method comprising the step of winding and hooking reinforcing fiber bundles on several rods in a zigzag pattern upon impregnation thereof with a molten resin, wherein the angle of the winding and hooking is specified (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3(1991)-183531).
Moreover, there has been proposed an impregnation method comprising the steps of putting, side by side, or spreading reinforcing fiber bundles in a web-like pattern (identical to a band-like pattern), then coating the bundles with a molten resin and passing them through a zig-zag specific barrier zone in an opening and resin-impregnation apparatus while bringing the bundles into contact with the barriers to thus permeate the molten resin into the space formed between the resulting opened bodies (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 63(1988)-264326).
The foregoing various methods would permit, for the resent, the production of a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin composite material having excellent resin-impregnation characteristics. However, these methods are still insufficient in the resin-impregnation characteristics when the resulting composite material is pulled out at a high speed. For improving the resin-impregnation characteristics, there have been proposed countermeasures such as increasing the numbers of auxiliary pins and/or barrier zones or setting of the angle of winding and hooking reinforcing fiber bundles at a high level (or increasing of the curvature thereof), but it has been clear that these countermeasures conversely suffer from a problem of easy formation of fluff due to fiber-breakage of the reinforcing fiber bundles.
This would be attributable to the fact that the tension applied to the reinforcing fiber bundle is extremely high and, as a result, individual single fibers constituting the fiber bundle are greatly damaged. This is a quite serious problem since the fluff grows if it is left to stand as it is, soon leads to breakage of the whole fiber bundle, and ultimately this makes the apparatus inoperable.
THE PROBLEMS THAT THE INVENTION IS TO SOLVE
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation and a method for opening and resin-impregnation of a reinforcing fiber bundle which can eliminate the foregoing various problems associated with the conventional techniques difficult (which are to solve) which can not only considerably improve the resin-impregnation characteristics of a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin composite material (hereinafter referred to as “the composite (material) of the present invention”), but also permit continuous operation over a long period of time while ensuring high and stable productivity, even when the composite material is pulled out or taken off at a high speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventors of this invention have conducted intensive studies to accomplish the foregoing object of the invention, and have found that it is quite effective for the achievement of the object of the present invention to place, within the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation, at least one opening pin, which is disposed in a plane (usually a vertical plane) including the course or path of the reinforcing fiber bundle, in a zigzag (staggered) arrangement. An auxiliary pin is placed in a position so that it opposes the opening pin through the reinforcing fiber bundle and does not come in contact with the reinforcing fiber bundle. The present invention has been completed by conducting further investigations based on the finding.
That is, the present invention relates to an apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation in which an auxiliary pin, disposed in addition to (or annexed to) at least one opening pin, is placed in a position where it opposes the opening pin through the reinforcing fiber bundles and does not come in contact with the reinforcing fiber bundles at all. Further, the present invention relates to a method for opening and resin-impregnation which comprises the steps of passing the fiber bundle through a combined system of at least one opening pin and an auxiliary pin, in which the fiber bundle moves between the auxiliary pin disposed in a position free of any contact with the reinforcing fiber bundle and an opening pin placed in a position wherein it comes in contact with the fiber bundle.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a schematic cross sectional view showing a first embodiment of the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a schematic cross sectional view showing a second embodiment of the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to the present invention.
FIG. 3
is a schematic cross sectional view showing a third embodiment of the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to the present invention.
FIG. 4
is a schematic cross sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to the present invention.
FIG. 5
is a schematic cross sectional view showing the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to a comparative embodiment.
FIG. 6
is a schematic cross sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to the present invention.
FIGS.
7
(A) and
7
B(B) are a schematic view, fragmentarily enlarged, for illustrating preferred relative positions of the opening pins, the auxiliary pins and the reinforcing fiber bundles in the apparatus for opening and resin-impregnation according to the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4549920 (1985-10-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 4559262 (1985-12-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 4883625 (1989-11-01), Glemet et al.
patent: 4957422 (1990-09-01), Glemet et al.
patent: 5019450 (1991-05-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 5213889 (1993-05-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 5268050 (1993-12-01), Azari
patent: 5529652 (1996-06-01), Asai et al.
patent: 63-37694 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 63-264326 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 3-183531 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 5-50432 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 97/19805 (1997-06-01), None
Saito Koichi
Yonaiyama Rikio
Aftergut Jeff H.
Chisso Corporation
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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