JP4697174B2 - Guide roller and fiber bundle arrangement device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a guide roller and a fiber bundle arrangement device that guide a fiber bundle by bringing a fiber bundle without twisting into contact with a guide circumferential surface of a guide roller.

  Among fiber reinforced composite materials that are widely used as lightweight structural materials, those that use three-dimensional fabrics (three-dimensional fiber structures) as reinforcing materials have very high strength and are partly used as structural materials for aircraft and the like. in use. As a method for producing a three-dimensional fiber structure used for the reinforcing material of such a fiber reinforced composite material, a laminated fiber bundle group in which at least biaxial orientation is obtained by laminating a plurality of fiber bundle layers in which fiber bundles are arranged in a folded shape. There is a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional fiber structure in which the laminated fiber bundle group is formed and bonded with thickness direction yarns arranged in a direction orthogonal to each fiber bundle layer. In Patent Document 1, a fiber bundle is fed out from a guide pipe moved along an array surface, the fiber bundle is flat between pins arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the flat surface of the fiber bundle is an array surface. There is disclosed a fiber bundle arraying device that forms a fiber bundle layer by arranging in a folded manner along the line.

The fiber bundle delivered from the fiber bundle supply source is guided to the guide pipe in contact with the guide peripheral surfaces of the plurality of guide rollers. A part of the plurality of guide rollers is driven by a motor, and the guide roller driven by the motor has a peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface higher than a moving speed of the fiber bundle (that is, a moving speed of the guide pipe). So that it is rotated. This is to smoothly transfer the fiber bundle.
JP 2007-16347 A

  However, when the peripheral speed of the guide roller driven by the motor is high, an accompanying airflow is generated around the guide peripheral surface of the guide roller, and the single fiber of the fiber bundle is wound around the guide peripheral surface of the guide roller by the accompanying airflow. It may be. Even if a single fiber is cut, once the single fiber is wound around the guide roller, the other single fiber is also drawn and wound around the guide roller, and as a result, the fiber bundle is wound around the guide roller. . As a result, the fiber bundle cannot be supplied to the guide pipe.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent a fiber bundle having no twist from being wound around a guide roller.

The present invention is directed to a guide roller that guides the fiber bundle by bringing an untwisted fiber bundle into contact with the guide circumferential surface of the guide roller. The invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the guide roller is formed by rotation of the guide roller. It has an air flow path which introduces air from the side of the guide roller by centrifugal force and blows it out of the guide peripheral surface of the guide roller.

  When the guide roller rotates, air is introduced from the side surface into the air flow path and blown out from the guide peripheral surface. The air flow blown out of the guide peripheral surface prevents the cut single fiber from being wound around the guide roller.

In a preferred example, the guide roller is the air before Symbol in the air flow path with the outlet of feed move to the outside of the guide peripheral surface.
When the guide roller rotates, the air in the air flow path is blown out from the circumferential surface of the guide by centrifugal force, and the winding of the single fiber around the guide roller is prevented.

  In a preferred example, the guide peripheral surface is formed by annularly arranging a plurality of contact bars around the rotation axis of the guide roller, and the outlet is a gap between adjacent contact bars. .

When the guide roller rotates, the air between the adjacent contact bars blows out to the outside by centrifugal force, and the single fiber is prevented from being wound around the guide roller.
In a preferred example, the contact bar includes a descending surface that becomes a descending slope that approaches the rotational axis as it goes in the rotational direction of the guide roller.

  Such a descending surface releases air outward from the circumferential surface of the guide as the guide roller rotates. The air discharged outward from the guide peripheral surface prevents the single fiber from being wound around the guide roller.

  In a preferred example, the guide roller includes a cylindrical portion that surrounds a rotation axis thereof, the cylinder of the cylindrical portion is open to a side surface of the guide roller, and the guide circumferential surface is formed of the cylindrical portion. It is an outer peripheral surface, and the outlet is a passage that penetrates the cylindrical portion from the peripheral surface of the guide and reaches the cylinder.

When the guide roller rotates, the air in the passage is blown out to the outside of the guide peripheral surface by centrifugal force, and the winding of the single fiber around the guide roller is prevented.
In a preferred example, the guide roller includes a fan that actively takes air into the air flow path from the side surface by rotation of the guide roller.

  When the air is transferred from the side surface into the air flow path through the fan by the rotation of the guide roller, the air in the air flow path is pushed out of the peripheral surface of the guide, preventing the single fiber from being wound around the guide roller. Is done.

In a preferred example, the guide roller can be driven to rotate.
In a preferred example, the guide roller can be driven at a speed at which the peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface is larger than the transfer speed of the fiber bundle.

A guide roller that is driven so that the peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface is larger than the transfer speed of the fiber bundle is particularly suitable as an application target of the present invention.
In a preferred example, the fiber bundle arranging device includes the guide roller and arranges the fiber bundles fed from the bobbin in a flat state.

  The present invention has an excellent effect that a fiber bundle having no twist can be prevented from being wound around the guide roller.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a fiber bundle arranging device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1A shows the entire fiber bundle arranging device 10.
As shown in FIG. 2A, a pair of linear sliders 12 and 13 are provided on a rectangular base 11 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the base 11 (hereinafter referred to as the X-axis direction). The linear slider 12 includes a ball screw mechanism (not shown) and a moving body 121 that is moved in the X-axis direction by the ball screw mechanism. The linear slider 13 is moved by the ball screw mechanism (not shown) and moved in the X-axis direction by the ball screw mechanism. And a body 131. The ball screw mechanisms of the linear sliders 12 and 13 are driven in synchronization, and the moving bodies 121 and 131 move in the X-axis direction in synchronization.

  On the moving bodies 121 and 131, the linear slider 14 is constructed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction (hereinafter referred to as the Y-axis direction). When the linear sliders 12 and 13 are operated, the linear slider 14 translates in the X-axis direction. The linear slider 14 includes a ball screw mechanism (not shown) and a moving body 141 that is moved in the Y-axis direction by the ball screw mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the moving body 141 is provided with a support frame 15. A motor 16 capable of forward / reverse rotation is fixed to the support frame 15. The screw shaft 161 is an output shaft of the motor 16, and the screw shaft 161 is directed in the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the Z-axis direction). A nut portion 18 is screwed to the screw shaft 161, and a support plate 17 is fixed to the nut portion 18. When the screw shaft 161 rotates, the support plate 17 moves in the Z-axis direction.

  A bracket 19 is fixed to the upper portion of the support frame 15, and a support shaft 20 is rotatably supported by the bracket 19 so as to extend in the Z-axis direction. A support plate 21 is fixed to the support shaft 20, and a motor 22 and a bobbin holder 23 are supported on the support plate 21. A bobbin 24 made of a fiber bundle F is mounted on the bobbin holder 23, and the bobbin 24 is rotated in the direction of feeding the fiber bundle F by the operation of the motor 22 (the direction indicated by the arrow R in FIG. 1A). The fiber bundle F is formed by bundling a large number of single fibers into a flat shape without twisting.

  A support 33 is erected on the support plate 21, and a pair of guide rollers 34 and 35 and a motor 36 are attached to the upper part of the support 33. The guide rollers 34 and 35 are actively rotated by the operation of the motor 36. A tension roller 37 is disposed below the guide rollers 34 and 35 so as to be movable up and down. A guide roller 38 is attached to the lower portion of the column 33 so as to be freely rotatable. The fiber bundle F fed out from the bobbin 24 is guided below the support plate 21 by the guide rollers 34 and 35, the tension roller 37, and the guide roller 38. An appropriate tension is applied to the fiber bundle F by a tension applying mechanism including the tension roller 37.

  A motor 25 is fixed to the support plate 17. An output shaft 251 of the motor 25 is oriented in the Z-axis direction, and a support bracket 26 is fixed to the output shaft 251. When the motor 16 operates, the motor 25 and the support bracket 26 move in the Z-axis direction. The support bracket 26 rotates about the output shaft 251 by the operation of the motor 25. A connecting bar 27 is erected on the support bracket 26 in the Z-axis direction. The connecting bar 27 is provided so as to pass through a hole formed in the support plate 21 and engage with the support plate 21. When the support bracket 26 moves in the Z-axis direction, the connecting bar 27 moves in the Z-axis direction. However, when the motor 25 operates, the support bracket 26, the connecting bar 27, and the support plate 21 are integrated with the output shaft 251 as a center. Rotate.

  An array head 28 is attached to the lower part of the support bracket 26 immediately below the output shaft 251. The arrangement head 28 includes a guide pipe 29 for feeding out the fiber bundle F. As shown in FIG. 3B, the guide hole 291 in the guide pipe 29 has a flat shape, and the guide pipe 29 feeds the fiber bundle F out of the guide hole 291 in a flat state.

  Guide rollers 30 and 31 and a motor 32 are attached to the support bracket 26. The guide roller 30 is actively driven to rotate in the direction of arrow Q by the motor 32, and the guide roller 31 rotates freely. The fiber bundle F guided through the guide roller 38 is guided into the guide pipe 29 through the guide rollers 31 and 30.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, a frame 39 is installed on the base 11. The frame 39 is formed in a rectangular shape, and pins 40 are arranged on the upper surface of the frame 39 along the periphery of the frame 39 with a predetermined pitch (for example, a pitch of several mm). The guide pipe 29 is disposed at an appropriate height position by the operation of the motor 16, and in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, or the bias direction by a combination of the operation of the linear sliders 12 and 13 and the operation of the linear slider 14. Moved. When the guide pipe 29 is moved in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, or the bias direction, the fiber bundle F guided in the guide pipe 29 is pulled out from the guide pipe 29 while being hooked by the pins 40. FIG. 3A shows an example in which the fiber bundles F are arranged while the fiber bundles F are hooked on the pins 40.

  The guide pipe 29 is a flat surface of the fiber bundle F fed out from the guide pipe 29 except when the guide pipe 29 is moved around the pin 40 so as to be reversed and the fiber bundle F is hooked on the pin 40. Is adjusted by the operation of the motor 25 so as to face the moving direction of the guide pipe 29. The arrangement state of the support plate 21 shown by a solid line in FIG. 2A is a state in which the flat surface of the fiber bundle F fed out from the guide pipe 29 faces the X-axis direction, and is shown by a chain line in FIG. The arrangement state of the support plate 21 is a state in which the flat surface of the fiber bundle F fed out from the guide pipe 29 faces the Y-axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the support shafts 341 and 351 of the guide rollers 34 and 35 are rotatably supported by the support column 33 via bearings 41 and 42, and the support shafts 341 and 351 have driven gears. 342 and 352 are fixed. The driven gear 342 meshes with the drive gear 361 of the motor 36, and the driven gears 342 and 352 mesh with the transmission gear 43. When the drive gear 361 of the motor 36 is rotated, the guide rollers 34 and 35 are rotated in the same direction [the direction indicated by the arrow P in FIG.

Since the guide rollers 34 and 35 and the guide roller 30 have the same configuration, only the configuration of the guide roller 34 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the guide roller 34 includes a cylindrical portion 44 fitted and fixed to the support shaft 341, flanges 45 and 46 integrally formed at both ends of the cylindrical portion 44, flange 45, And a plurality of columnar contact bars 47 installed between 46. As shown in FIG. 1C, the flanges 45 and 46 are provided with a plurality of through holes 451 and 461, respectively. The plurality of contact bars 47 are arranged in an annular shape so as to be parallel to the rotation axis 340 of the guide roller 34 and at the same distance from the rotation axis 340. The distance between adjacent contact bars 47 is the same. The fiber bundle F is wound around the guide roller 34 so as to contact a part of the plurality of contact bars 47. The plurality of contact bars 47 form a guide circumferential surface S that contacts the fiber bundle F around the rotation axis 340.

In the following, the action associated with the rotation of the guide roller 34 will be described, but the action associated with the rotation of the guide rollers 35 and 30 is the same as that of the guide roller 34.
As the fiber bundle arranging device 10 starts operating, the guide roller 34 is rotated in the direction of arrow P. The peripheral speed of the contact bar 47 forming the guide peripheral surface S of the guide roller 34 is set to be larger than the moving speed of the guide pipe 29 (that is, the transfer speed of the fiber bundle F) (for example, the fiber bundle F 1.5 times the transfer speed). The fiber bundle F wound around the guide roller 34 so as to come into contact with the plurality of contact bars 47 is transferred so as to pull out the fiber bundle F wound around the bobbin 24 as the guide roller 34 rotates. . As the contact bar 47 circulates, the air in the gap K (shown in FIG. 1C) between the adjacent contact bars 47 is centered on the rotation axis 340 due to centrifugal force or the blowing action of the contact bar 47. It is transferred (released) to the outside in the radial direction. The air blowing action of the contact bar 47 is caused by the advance of the peripheral area E of the contact bar 47 (shown in FIG. 1C) on the forward side of the contact bar 47 and on the outer side in the radial direction around the rotation axis 340. It is assumed that the material is transferred (released) to the outside in the radial direction around the rotation axis 340. The circumferential surface region E is a descending surface that becomes a descending slope that approaches the rotational axis 340 as it goes in the direction of rotation of the guide roller 34 (the direction of the arrow P).

  As the air in the gap K between the adjacent contact bars 47 is transferred to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S, the air flows from the side surfaces 343 and 344 (shown in FIG. It is introduced into the gap N between the flanges 45 and 46 and the inside N of the guide circumferential surface S (illustrated in FIG. 1C) via 461. That is, as the guide roller 34 rotates, the air N inside the guide circumferential surface S is sent out to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S.

  An accompanying airflow is generated around the guide circumferential surface S of the guide roller 34, and the accompanying airflow tries to wind the single fiber of the fiber bundle F about to move away from the contact bar 47 around the guide roller 34. The flow of air sent from the inside N of the guide circumferential surface S to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S prevents this winding.

  The passage openings 451 and 461 and the inside N of the guide circumferential surface S constitute an air flow path that introduces air from the side surfaces 343 and 344 of the guide roller 34 by the rotation of the guide roller 34 and blows it out of the guide circumferential surface S. . The gap K between the adjacent contact bars 47 is a blowout port for transferring air from the inside N of the guide circumferential surface S to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S.

In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The airflow blown from the inside N of the guide circumferential surface S to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S prevents the single fiber from being wound around the guide roller 34. As a result, winding of the fiber bundle F around the guide roller 34 is avoided, and the fiber bundle F is stably supplied to the guide roller 34.

  (2) Since the gap K extends from one flange 45 to the other flange 46, the entire width of the fiber bundle F wound around the guide peripheral surface S extends from the inside N of the guide peripheral surface S to the guide peripheral surface S. It is exposed to the air flow that blows out. Therefore, winding of the fiber bundle F around the guide roller 34 is reliably avoided.

  (3) The configuration in which the plurality of contact bars 47 are arranged in an annular shape is simple in forming a blowout opening [gap K] for transferring the air inside the guide peripheral surface S to the outside of the guide peripheral surface S. . The smaller the gap K, the higher the air transfer effect by centrifugal force.

  (4) The peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface S of the guide roller 34 is set to be larger than the transfer speed of the fiber bundle F. When the transfer speed of the fiber bundle F guided in contact with the guide peripheral surface S is smaller than the peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface S, the single fiber that is going away from the guide peripheral surface S is The guide roller 34 is particularly easily caught by the accompanying airflow generated around the guide peripheral surface S rotating at a peripheral speed higher than the transfer speed.

The guide roller 34 that is driven so that the peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface S is larger than the transfer speed of the fiber bundle F is particularly suitable as an application target of the present invention.
Next, a second embodiment of FIG. 4 will be described. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the flat contact bar 47A forms the guide circumferential surface S. The contact bar 47A is provided with a flat descending surface 471 on the forward side of the contact bar 47A that becomes a descending slope that approaches the rotation axis 340 as it goes in the rotation direction of the guide roller 34A (direction of arrow P). The descending surface 471 releases air inside the guide circumferential surface S to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S as the guide roller 34A rotates.

In the second embodiment, the same effect as the items (1) and (2) in the first embodiment can be obtained.
Next, a third embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B will be described. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the guide roller 34B includes a cylindrical portion 48 that surrounds the rotation axis 340, and a cylinder interior 481 of the cylindrical portion 48 is open to a side surface 343 of the guide roller 34B. As shown in FIG. 5A, the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 48 is a guide peripheral surface Sb, and the plurality of passages 49 rotate from the guide peripheral surface Sb so as to pass through the cylinder portion 48 and reach the in-cylinder 481. A radial direction centering on the axis 340 is provided. Along with the rotation of the guide roller 34B, the air in the passage 49 is released to the outside of the guide peripheral surface Sb by centrifugal force, and accordingly, the air flows into the cylinder 481 from the side surface 343 of the guide roller 34B. The in-cylinder 481 and the passage 49 constitute an air flow path that introduces air from the side surface 343 of the guide roller 34B by the rotation of the guide roller 34B and blows it out of the guide peripheral surface Sb.

In the third embodiment, the same effect as the item (1) in the first embodiment can be obtained.
Next, a fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B will be described. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the third embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, a slit 50 is formed on the outer peripheral surface between the flanges 45 and 46 of the guide roller 34 </ b> C so as to extend in the direction of the rotation axis 340. As shown in FIG. 6B, a plurality of introduction passages 51 are provided in the guide roller 34C so as to penetrate from one side surface 343 to the other side surface 344 of the guide roller 34C. The introduction passage 51 communicates with the bottom of the slit 50 via a radial passage 52 centered on the rotation axis 340. Along with the rotation of the guide roller 34C, the air in the slit 50 and the air in the passage 52 are discharged to the outside of the guide peripheral surface Sc by centrifugal force, and along with this, air is introduced from the side surfaces 343 and 344 of the guide roller 34C. 51 flows into. The introduction passage 51, the passage 52, and the slit 50 constitute an air flow path that introduces air from the side surfaces 343 and 344 of the guide roller 34C by the rotation of the guide roller 34C and blows it out of the guide circumferential surface Sc. The passage 52 and the slit 50 are outlets that transfer air to the outside of the guide circumferential surface Sc by a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the guide roller 34C.

  The air flowing out from the passage 52 into the slit 50 blows out to the outside of the guide peripheral surface Sc while spreading to some extent in the length direction of the slit 50, and the entire width of the fiber bundle F wound around the guide peripheral surface S is the guide peripheral surface. It is exposed to the air flow that blows out of S.

In the fourth embodiment, the same effect as the items (1) and (2) in the first embodiment can be obtained.
Next, a fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B will be described. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the first embodiment.

  The guide roller 34D includes a pair of flanges 45D and 46D, a plurality of contact bars 47 provided between the flanges 45D and 46D, and a fan 53 fitted and fixed to the flange 45D and the support shaft 341. Yes. As the guide roller 34D rotates, the fan 53 sends air from the side surface 343 of the flange 45D to the inside N of the guide circumferential surface S. As a result, the air inside the guide circumferential surface S blows out from the gap K between the adjacent contact bars 47 to the outside of the guide circumferential surface S.

In the fifth embodiment, the same effect as the item (1) in the first embodiment can be obtained.
In the present invention, the following embodiments are also possible.
An air channel may be formed by disposing an air tube from the side surface of the guide roller toward the guide circumferential surface in the guide roller. In this case, one port of the air tube opened on the side surface side of the guide roller may be positioned closer to the rotation axis of the guide roller than the other port of the air tube opened on the guide circumferential surface side. If it does in this way, the air in a guide tube will be discharge | released outside the guide surrounding surface by the centrifugal force accompanying rotation of a guide roller.

  In the second embodiment, a plurality of contact bars 47A may be arranged radially so as to extend along the radial direction centered on the rotation axis 340. In this case, with the rotation of the guide roller 34A, the air between the adjacent contact bars 47 is released to the outside of the guide peripheral surface S by centrifugal force.

The present invention may be applied to guide rollers that are not rotationally driven by a motor (guide rollers 31 and 38 in the illustrated example).
The technical idea that can be grasped from the above-described embodiment will be described below.

  [1] The guide roller according to claim 2, wherein the outlet is a plurality of slits provided on an outer peripheral surface of the guide roller so as to extend in the direction of the rotation axis.

1A is a side view of a fiber bundle arranging device 10 according to a first embodiment. (B) is a partial expanded sectional view. (C) is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG.1 (b). (A) is a partially omitted plan sectional view of the fiber bundle arranging device 10. (B) is a partial enlarged plan sectional view. (A) is a perspective view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the fiber bundle F. FIG. (B) is the partial expansion perspective view of a guide pipe. The partial expanded sectional view which shows 2nd Embodiment. A 3rd embodiment is shown and (a) is a partial expanded sectional view. (B) is the BB sectional drawing of Fig.5 (a). A 4th embodiment is shown and (a) is a partial expanded sectional view. (B) is CC sectional view taken on the line of Fig.6 (a). A 5th embodiment is shown and (a) is a partial expanded sectional view. (B) is the DD sectional view taken on the line of Fig.7 (a).

Explanation of symbols

  10: Fiber bundle array device. 24 ... Bobbin. 34, 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D ... guide rollers. 340 ... rotation axis. 343, 344 ... Side. 47, 47A ... contact bar. 471 ... Down surface. 48 ... Cylinder part. 481 ... In the cylinder. 49, 51 ... passages constituting the air flow path. 53 ... Fan. S, Sb, Sc: Guide peripheral surface. F ... Fiber bundle. K: A gap as an outlet. E: A peripheral surface area as a descending surface. P, Q: arrows indicating the direction of rotation.

Claims (9)

In the guide roller that guides the fiber bundle by bringing a fiber bundle that is not twisted into contact with the guide peripheral surface of the guide roller,
The guide roller has an air flow path that introduces air from a side surface of the guide roller by a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the guide roller and blows it out of the guide peripheral surface of the guide roller. The guide rollers before Symbol guide roller of claim 1, the air in the air passage and a blow-out port for sending move to the outside of the guide peripheral surface.   3. The guide peripheral surface is formed by annularly arranging a plurality of contact bars around a rotation axis of the guide roller, and the outlet is a gap between the adjacent contact bars. Guide roller.   The guide peripheral surface is formed by annularly arranging a plurality of contact bars around the rotation axis of the guide roller, and the contact bar approaches the rotation axis as it goes in the rotation direction of the guide roller. The guide roller according to claim 1, further comprising a descending surface that becomes a descending slope.   The guide roller includes a cylindrical portion that surrounds the rotation axis thereof, the cylinder of the cylindrical portion opens to a side surface of the guide roller, and the guide peripheral surface is an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion; The guide roller according to claim 2, wherein the blowout port is a passage that penetrates the cylindrical portion from the circumferential surface of the guide and reaches the cylinder.   The guide roller according to claim 1, wherein the guide roller includes a fan that actively takes air from the side surface into the air flow path by rotation of the guide roller.   The guide roller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the guide roller is rotatable.   The guide roller according to claim 7, wherein the guide roller can be driven at a peripheral speed of the guide peripheral surface larger than a transfer speed of the fiber bundle.   A fiber bundle arranging device comprising the guide roller according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and arranging fiber bundles fed out from bobbins in a flat state.

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