Apparatus for manufacturing slurry-impregnated sheet

Abstract

Provided is a slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing device capable of manufacturing a slurry-impregnated sheet having a uniform slurry impregnation amount with good productivity. This apparatus for manufacturing a slurry-impregnated sheet obtained by impregnating a fiber sheet or a porous sheet with a slurry obtained by dispersing particles in a solvent is provided with: a transport device that transports the fiber sheet or the porous sheet; the coating device is used for metering and coating the slurry on the fiber sheet or the porous sheet; and an impregnation device which is located on the downstream side of the coating device in the sheet conveyance direction, applies an external force to the fiber sheet or the porous sheet, and impregnates the particles into the fiber sheet or the porous sheet, the coating device having a die.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet. Background Art

[0002] Fiber-reinforced composite materials (FRP) made by reinforcing a matrix resin containing a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin with reinforcing fibers are used in various fields such as aviation and aerospace materials, automotive materials, industrial materials, pressure vessels, building materials, shells, medical uses, sports uses, etc. FRP is an intermediate substrate obtained by impregnating a matrix resin into a reinforcing fiber bundle, and stacking and molding it. When a thermosetting resin is used in the matrix resin, it is further thermally cured to manufacture a component obtained from FRP. Among the above uses, most of them are flat or bent materials. As the intermediate substrate of FRP, two-dimensional sheets are widely used from the perspective of stacking efficiency and moldability when making components.

[0003] As a two-dimensional sheet-like intermediate substrate, a prepreg obtained by impregnating a matrix resin in a sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle in which reinforcing fibers are arranged unidirectionally is used. The hot melt method, which is one of the methods for manufacturing prepreg, is a method in which the matrix resin is melted, applied to a release paper, and sandwiched between the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle to make a laminated structure, and then the matrix resin is impregnated into the sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle using heat and pressure. This method has the problem of many steps, the inability to increase the production speed, and the high cost.

[0004] Also known as a method for producing a prepreg other than the hot melt method is a slurry impregnation method in which a sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated with a slurry obtained by powdering a resin and dispersing it in a solvent, and then the solvent is removed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-255927 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] In Patent Document 1, a reinforcing fiber sheet with adjusted wire bundle width is impregnated in a slurry obtained by dispersing thermoplastic resin powder in an organic solvent such as alcohol, and after the resin powder is attached to the sheet, it is heated to dry the organic solvent, and then heated at a high temperature to melt the thermoplastic resin, and the reinforcing fiber sheet is integrated to manufacture a prepreg blank with excellent uniformity. However, there are twists and interweavings in the fibers constituting the wire bundle, so it is difficult to control the wire bundle width to be constant. In addition, the unit area weight of the resin particles attached to the reinforcing fiber sheet varies not only according to the width of the wire bundle, but also according to the conveying tension of the wire bundle, the fiber opening state, and the particle concentration of the slurry tank, so it is actually difficult to accurately control the unit area weight of the resin particles attached to the reinforcing fiber sheet. Furthermore, when the fiber sheet has a thickness, it is difficult to impregnate the resin into the inside of the fiber sheet.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet capable of producing a slurry-impregnated sheet having a uniform slurry impregnation amount with good productivity.

[0011] Means for solving problems

[0012] Regarding the first slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing device of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned problems, the slurry-impregnated sheet is obtained by impregnating a fiber sheet or a porous sheet with a slurry obtained by dispersing particles in a solvent, and the manufacturing device comprises: a conveying device, which conveys the fiber sheet or the porous sheet; a coating device, which meteredly applies the slurry to the fiber sheet or the porous sheet; and an impregnation device, which is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the sheet compared to the coating device and applies an external force to the fiber sheet or the porous sheet so that the particles are impregnated into the interior of the fiber sheet or the porous sheet, and the coating device has a die head.

[0013] In addition, in the above invention, regarding the manufacturing device of the first slurry-impregnated sheet of the present invention, the die head has: a slurry supply flow path, which supplies the slurry; a manifold, which is connected to the slurry supply flow path and widens the slurry in the width direction of the fiber sheet or porous sheet; and a slit, which is connected to the manifold and sprays the supplied slurry evenly in the width direction, and the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit is a downward direction with an angle of less than 45° to the vertical direction.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above invention, regarding the first slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the angle formed by the bottom surface of the manifold and the vertical direction is 45° or less.

[0015] Regarding the manufacturing device of the second slurry-impregnated sheet of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned problem, the slurry-impregnated sheet is obtained by impregnating a fiber sheet or a porous sheet with a slurry obtained by dispersing particles in a solvent, and the manufacturing device comprises: a conveying device, which conveys the fiber sheet or the porous sheet; a coating device, which meteredly coats the slurry on the fiber sheet or the porous sheet; and an impregnation device, which is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the fiber sheet or the porous sheet compared to the coating device, and applies an external force to the fiber sheet or the porous sheet so that the particles are impregnated into the fiber sheet Inside the fiber sheet or porous sheet, in the sheet conveying path from the outlet of the coating device to the outlet of the impregnation device, the angle formed by an imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction at the outlet of the coating device and the center of the sheet width direction at the inlet of the impregnation device and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by an imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction at the inlet of the impregnation device and the center of the sheet width direction at the outlet and the horizontal direction are greater than 30° and less than 90°, and the fiber sheet or porous sheet is conveyed downwardly or obliquely downwardly in the impregnation device along the vertical direction.

[0016] In addition, in the above invention, regarding the manufacturing device of the second slurry-impregnated sheet involved in the present invention, it has a drying device, which is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the fiber sheet or porous sheet compared with the impregnation device and dries at least a portion of the solvent contained in the slurry. In the conveying path of the sheet from the impregnation device to the drying device, the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet of the impregnation device and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying device and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying device and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction are 30° or more and 90° or less, and the fiber sheet or porous sheet is conveyed downward or obliquely downward in the drying device in the vertical direction.

[0017] In addition, in the above invention, regarding the manufacturing device of the second slurry-impregnated sheet involved in the present invention, it has a direction-changing roller and a second drying device, the direction-changing roller is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the fiber sheet or porous sheet of the drying device, and makes the angle between the conveying direction of the fiber sheet or porous sheet and the horizontal direction less than 30°, and the second drying device is located on the downstream side of the direction-changing roller in the conveying direction of the fiber sheet or porous sheet, and dries the residual solvent in the fiber sheet or porous sheet.

[0018] In the above invention, regarding the second slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the coating apparatus may have the features of the coating apparatus according to the first slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus.

[0019] Regarding the manufacturing device of the third slurry-impregnated sheet of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned problem, the slurry-impregnated sheet is obtained by impregnating a fiber sheet or a porous sheet with a slurry obtained by dispersing particles in a solvent, and the manufacturing device comprises: a conveying device, which independently conveys multiple pieces of the fiber sheets or porous sheets; a coating device, which independently and quantitatively coats the slurry on multiple pieces of the fiber sheets or porous sheets; and a stacking device, which is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the fiber sheets compared to the coating device, and stacks multiple pieces of the fiber sheets or porous sheets to form a slurry-impregnated sheet.

[0020] In addition, in the above invention, regarding the manufacturing device of the third slurry-impregnated sheet involved in the present invention, the stacking device applies external force to multiple pieces of the fiber sheets or porous sheets to stack the multiple pieces of the fiber sheets or porous sheets, and at the same time, impregnates the particles into the interior of the fiber sheets or porous sheets.

[0021] Furthermore, in the above invention, the third slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes a fiber opening device located upstream of the coating device in the conveying direction of the fiber sheet.

[0022] In the above invention, regarding the third slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the coating apparatus may have the features of the coating apparatus according to the first slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus.

[0023] Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to the first slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing device of the present invention, the slurry with controlled concentration can be uniformly applied to the fiber sheet or the like in the width direction using the die head, so that the slurry-impregnated sheet with uniform slurry impregnation in the fiber sheet or the like can be manufactured with good productivity. Furthermore, since the flow direction of the slurry is downward and the bottom surface of the manifold is inclined, even if the resin particles are precipitated inside the die head, they can be quickly ejected from the slit, and the resin particles will not accumulate inside the die head and clog the slit. As a result, the slurry-impregnated sheet can be manufactured stably for a long time.

[0025] In addition, according to the second slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a slurry-impregnated sheet with a uniform amount of slurry impregnated into a fiber sheet, etc., with good productivity. In addition, by conveying the fiber sheet, etc. downward at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent the slurry from dripping from the fiber sheet, etc. when an external force is applied to the fiber sheet, etc. to impregnate the fiber sheet, etc. with particles, and it is also possible to improve the coating metering property of the slurry and the yield of the particles.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the third slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, a slurry-impregnated sheet having a uniform amount of slurry impregnated into a fiber sheet etc. can be manufactured with good productivity. In addition, when manufacturing a slurry-impregnated sheet having a thickness, a slurry-impregnated sheet having the slurry impregnated inside can be obtained simply by changing the number of stacked fiber sheets. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 To express Figure 1 Figure 2 is a diagram of the die structure used in the manufacturing device.

[0029] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus of a slurry-impregnated sheet according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0032] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0033] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0034] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Modification 4 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0035] [ Fig. 9 ] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet not included in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] [ Fig.10 ] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet not included in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] [ Fig.11 ] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] [ Fig.12 ] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0039] [ Fig.13 ] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 3 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Below, while referring to the attached Figure 1 The manufacturing apparatus of the slurry-impregnated sheet according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0041] [Implementation Method 1]

[0042] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the manufacturing device 100 of the slurry impregnated sheet 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing device 100 of the slurry impregnated sheet 1 of the present invention comprises: a winding device 10, which winds out the fiber sheet 1a; a conveying device 20, which conveys the fiber sheet 1a and the slurry impregnated sheet 1; a coating device 30, which meteredly applies the slurry to the fiber sheet 1a; an impregnation device 40, which is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the sheet compared to the coating device 30, and applies an external force to the fiber sheet 1a coated with the slurry so that the particles are impregnated into the fiber sheet 1a; and a winding device 60, which winds the slurry impregnated sheet 1.

[0043] <Fiber Sheet>

[0044] The fiber sheet 1a may be a UD substrate in which fibers are arranged in a unidirectional manner to form a sheet, or a fiber fabric in which fibers are arranged in multiple directions. When mechanical properties are prioritized, a UD substrate can be preferably used. On the other hand, when making a complex-shaped FRP, a fabric with excellent shape-forming properties and shape-following properties can be preferably used.

[0045] In this embodiment, the fiber sheet 1a is used as an example for explanation, but the manufacturing device 100 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to this embodiment 1 can also be used when the slurry is impregnated into a porous sheet. As the porous sheet, nonwoven fabric or paper, mesh, sponge, foam rubber, etc. can be exemplified, and the material thereof is irrelevant as long as it is a material impregnated with slurry.

[0046] Examples of the fibers constituting the fiber sheet 1a include carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal fibers, metal oxide fibers, metal nitride fibers, organic fibers (aramid fibers, polybenzoxazole fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyethylene fibers, etc.), etc. When the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 is used for FRP, carbon fibers are preferably used from the viewpoint of mechanical properties and lightness of FRP.

[0047] The UD substrate used as the fiber sheet 1a refers to a material in which a plurality of fibers are arranged in a single direction on a surface, and the plurality of fibers do not necessarily have to be interwoven and integrated. The slurry-impregnated sheet 1 manufactured by the manufacturing device 100 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 of the present embodiment 1 is obtained in the form of a sheet impregnated with slurry after the slurry is applied, so for convenience, the material in the fiber arrangement state and not integrated is also referred to as a fiber sheet. Here, the thickness and width of the fiber sheet 1a are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose and use. In the case of carbon fiber, a material in which about 1,000 to 1,000,000 single fibers are assembled in a strip shape is usually called a "tow", and the tow can be arranged to obtain a fiber sheet, or the tow can be stacked in the thickness direction. It should be noted that when the aspect ratio of the fiber sheet 1a defined by its width / thickness is 10 or more, it is easy to handle, so it is preferred.

[0048] The method for forming the fiber sheet 1a can use a known method without particular limitation. From the viewpoint of process efficiency and uniform arrangement, the following method is preferred: forming a fiber bundle in which single fibers are pre-arranged, and further arranging the fiber bundle to form the fiber sheet 1a. For example, in the case of carbon fiber, a "tow" as a ribbon-shaped fiber bundle is wound on a bobbin, but a ribbon-shaped fiber bundle pulled out therefrom can be arranged to obtain a fiber sheet 1a as a UD substrate. In addition, in the process of forming the fiber sheet 1a, it is preferred to use a fiber arrangement mechanism and a fiber opening device, which are used to neatly arrange the fiber bundles pulled out from the bobbin hung on the bobbin frame, and eliminate the undesired overlap or folding of the fiber bundles of the fiber sheet 1a, and the gaps between the fiber bundles. As the fiber arrangement mechanism, a known roller, a comb-type arrangement device, etc. can be used. As the fiber opening device, for example, the fiber opening devices described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-163223, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-225222, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-225183, etc. can be used. It should be noted that it is preferable to provide a tension control mechanism to the creel when pulling out the fiber. As the tension control mechanism, a known tension control mechanism can be used, and a brake mechanism can be mentioned. In addition, the tension can also be controlled by adjusting the yarn guide, etc.

[0049] In addition, the fiber fabric as the fiber sheet 1a is a fabric in which the fibers are arranged multiaxially or randomly to form a sheet. Specifically, in addition to woven fabrics or knitted fabrics, sheets in which fibers are arranged multiaxially in two dimensions, sheets in which fibers are randomly oriented, such as non-woven fabrics or pads, papers, etc., can also be cited. In this case, the reinforcing fibers can also be made into sheets by methods such as imparting an adhesive, interweaving, welding, and fusing. As woven fabrics, in addition to basic weaving structures such as plain, twill, and satin, wrinkle-free woven fabrics, twill (bias) structures, interwoven weaving, multiaxial woven fabrics, multilayer woven fabrics, etc. can be used. Regarding the woven fabric formed by combining a twill structure with a UD substrate, not only the deformation of the woven fabric during the stretching process in the coating and impregnation process is suppressed by the UD structure, but also the quasi-isotropy brought by the twill structure is a preferred method. In addition, multilayer woven fabrics have the advantage of being able to design the structure and characteristics of the upper surface / lower surface of the woven fabric or the inside of the woven fabric separately. Regarding the knitted fabric, warp knitting is preferred in consideration of the shape stability during the coating and impregnation steps, but a braided tape which is a tubular knitted fabric can also be used.

[0050] <Slurry>

[0051] The slurry used in the first embodiment can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose of application. For example, when applied to the production of a sheet-like prepreg, a mixture or suspension of a pelletized matrix resin and a dispersion medium can be exemplified.

[0052] As the matrix resin, a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, a photocurable resin, or the like can be used.

[0053] As thermoplastic resin, it is possible to use a polymer having a bond selected from carbon-carbon bond, amide bond, imide bond, ester bond, ether bond, carbonate bond, carbamate bond, urea bond, thioether bond, sulfone bond, imidazole bond, and carbonyl bond in the main chain. Specifically, polyacrylate, polyolefin, polyamide (PA), aromatic polyamide, polyester, polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyimide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyamideimide (PAI), etc. can be exemplified. In the field of heat resistance required for aircraft use, preferably PPS, PES, PI, PEI, PSU, PEEK, PEKK, PAEK, etc. On the other hand, in industrial applications, automotive applications, etc., polyolefins such as polypropylene (PP), PA, polyester, PPS, etc. are preferred in order to improve molding efficiency. These thermoplastic resins may be polymers, and oligomers and monomers may also be used in order to achieve low viscosity and low temperature coating. Of course, these thermoplastic resins may also be copolymerized according to the purpose, and various thermoplastic resins may also be mixed and used in the form of polymer mixtures and alloys.

[0054] As thermosetting resins, epoxy resins, maleimide resins, polyimide resins, resins with acetylene terminals, resins with vinyl terminals, resins with allyl terminals, resins with nadic acid terminals, and resins with cyanate terminals can be cited. These thermosetting resins can usually be used in combination with a curing agent or a curing catalyst. In addition, these thermosetting resins can also be appropriately mixed and used.

[0055] In addition, as the matrix resin, it is also preferred to use a mixture of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. A mixture of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin obtains better results than when a thermosetting resin is used alone. The reason is that thermosetting resins generally have the disadvantage of being brittle, but can be low-pressure molded using an autoclave, while thermoplastic resins generally have the advantage of being strong and tough, but are difficult to low-pressure mold using an autoclave. Due to such contradictory characteristics, a balance of physical properties and moldability can be obtained by mixing a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. In the case of mixed use, it is preferred to contain more than 50% by mass of a thermosetting resin from the viewpoint of mechanical properties.

[0056] Regarding the particles, from the viewpoint of adhesion and handling properties to the fiber sheet 1a, particles with a particle size of 0.1 μm to 1 mm can be used. Considering the handling properties of the particles and adhesion to the resin, particles with a particle size of 1 μm to 50 μm can be preferably used.

[0057] Examples of the dispersion medium of the slurry include organic solvents such as alcohols, glycols, ketones, and halogenated hydrocarbons, and water. A mixture of an organic solvent and water can also be used. Examples of alcohols include methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol; examples of glycols include methyl cellosolve and ethyl cellosolve; examples of ketones include acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; and examples of halogenated hydrocarbons include dichloromethane and dichloroethane.

[0058] The ratio of the particles in the slurry is preferably from 1 mass % to 50 mass %, more preferably from 1 mass % to 30 mass %.

[0059] Various additives can be added to the slurry as needed. In particular, a surfactant is generally used as an additive for preventing particle aggregation and ensuring the fluidity of the slurry. Specific examples include anionic surfactants such as fatty acid salts represented by sodium oleate, sulfonates such as alkyl sodium sulfonates, dialkyl sodium sulfosuccinates, dialkyl diphenyl ether sodium disulfonates, alkyl benzene sodium sulfonates, and alkyl naphthalene sodium sulfonates, and sulfate esters such as alkyl sodium sulfates, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sodium sulfates, and polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ether sodium sulfates. Examples of nonionic surfactants include ethylene oxide-added alkylphenyl ethers, alkyl ethers, sorbitan ester ethers, polyoxypropylene ethers, fatty acid diethanolamides, polyoxyethylene monostearate, polyoxyethylene glycol distearate, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate of polyol fatty acid ester systems. Examples of cationic surfactants include alkyl trimethyl ammonium chloride and dialkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. Various natural or synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, water-soluble cellulose ethers, casein, polyethylene oxide, and polyacrylamide that act as protective colloids may be used alone or in combination as dispersants.

[0060] In addition, metal particles and inorganic particles may be added to the slurry. Examples of the metal particles and inorganic particles include silver, copper, gold, aluminum, nickel, iron, silicon dioxide, and ceramics. The average particle size of the metal particles and inorganic particles is preferably in the range of 1 to 50 μm, more preferably in the range of 7 to 40 μm, and further preferably in the range of 10 to 30 μm.

[0061] <Roll-out device>

[0062] The unwinding device 10 unwinds the fiber sheet 1a. Instead of the unwinding device 10, a plurality of creels for unwinding the fiber bundles and an arranging device for arranging the unwinding fiber bundles in one direction to obtain the fiber sheet 1a may be used.

[0063] <Conveying device>

[0064] The conveying device 20 conveys the fiber sheet 1a and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 in which the fiber sheet 1a is impregnated with slurry. The conveying device 20 includes a conveying roller 21 and a conveying roller 22. In the present embodiment, the conveying direction of the fiber sheet 1a is changed from downward to rightward on the paper surface by the conveying roller 22, but the following structure may be used: the conveying roller 22 is not provided, the winding device 60 is provided at the lower part of the impregnation device 30, and the fiber sheet 1a is wound by the winding device 60. The conveying roller 21 and the conveying roller 22 can use known rollers.

[0065] <Coating device>

[0066] The coating device 30 includes a die head 31, a metering pump (not shown), and a slurry tank. The coating device 30 meteredly applies the slurry to the fiber sheet 1a. The coating device 30 can control the amount of slurry applied to the fiber sheet 1a by the metering pump, so that a uniform amount of particles can be applied in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the fiber sheet 1a.

[0067] Examples of the metering pump used include a diaphragm pump, a syringe pump, a screw pump, and a serpentine pump.

[0068] Figure 2 To express Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a die head 31 used in a manufacturing device 100 of the present invention. The die head 31 has: a slurry supply flow path (not shown) that supplies slurry; a manifold 32 that is connected to the slurry supply flow path and expands the slurry in the width direction of the fiber sheet 1a (a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction); and a slit 33 that is connected to the manifold 32 and uniformly ejects the supplied slurry in the width direction. The coating device 30 can uniformly apply the slurry from the slit 33 of the die head 31 along the width direction of the fiber sheet 1a.

[0069] Figure 2 In the coating device 30 shown, the die head 31 is configured so that the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit 33 becomes a vertical downward direction, but the die head 31 can be set so that the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit 33 becomes a downward direction with an angle of less than 45° to the vertical direction.

[0070] In addition, it is preferable that the angle θ formed by the bottom surface of the manifold 32 of the die head 31 and the vertical direction is 45° or less. Thus, when the slurry is supplied from the manifold 32 to the slit 33, even if the particles in the slurry are precipitated, the particles are quickly ejected from the slit 33. As a result, it is possible to suppress the precipitated particles from being retained in the manifold 32, and the slurry can be stably supplied for a long time without clogging the slit 33.

[0071] The interval d between the slits 33 is preferably at least twice the average particle size of the particles. This prevents the slits 33 from being clogged with particles and controls the amount of coating on the fiber sheet 1a.

[0072] Figure 2 In the embodiment, the die head 31 is close to the fiber sheet 1a and directly applies the slurry, but the slurry may be applied indirectly via a roller, a slope, or the like.

[0073] It should be noted that when the production of the slurry-impregnated sheet is temporarily stopped, it is preferred to separate the die head 31 from the fiber sheet 1a and continue to supply the slurry to the die head 31. In this way, the slurry circulates inside the die head 31, and it is possible to prevent excessive precipitation of particles and clogging of the slit 33. At this time, it is preferred to recover and reuse the slurry ejected from the die head 31.

[0074] <Impregnation device>

[0075] The impregnation device 40 includes a roller 41, a roller 42, a roller 43, and a roller 44. The rollers 41, 42, 43, and 44 are arranged so that the fiber sheet 1a coated with the slurry moves in an S shape. In the present embodiment, the rollers 41, 42, 43, and 44 are arranged in an S shape, but as long as the slurry can be impregnated, the contact length between the sheet and the rollers can be adjusted in a U shape or a V shape. The rollers 41, 42, 43, and 44 can rotate as free rollers or supply rollers, or can be fixed rods. Alternatively, the impregnation device can be composed of one or more clamping rollers to further apply pressure to the fiber sheet 1a for impregnation. In addition, when the impregnation pressure of the slurry is increased to further increase the impregnation degree, relative contact rollers can be added. Furthermore, as described in International Publication No. 2015 / 076981 Figure 4 As described above, the impregnation efficiency can also be improved by configuring a conveyor belt relative to the roller configured in an S shape. In addition, the impregnation device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-154330 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-22868 can also be used. As the impregnation device, as long as it can apply external force to the fiber sheet 1a coated with the slurry so that the particles are impregnated into the inside of the sheet, a structure other than the above can also be used, such as using an air knife.

[0076] <Other institutions>

[0077] The manufacturing apparatus 100 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to the first embodiment may further include a drying apparatus and a melting apparatus after the impregnation apparatus 40 . Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 100A for a slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] The drying device 51 and the melting device 52 can use various means such as air heating, infrared heating, far infrared heating, laser heating, contact heating, and heat medium heating (steam, etc.). Figure 3 In the example of , it is preferred that heating be performed in two stages, namely, a drying device 51 and a melting device 52, and the melting temperature be higher than the drying temperature.

[0079] The manufacturing apparatus 100 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 may include a release sheet supply device. The release sheet supply device may be arranged so that the supplied release sheet and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 are stacked on each other by the conveying rollers 22 .

[0080] As described above, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the slurry-impregnated sheet according to the first embodiment, a slurry-impregnated sheet in which a fiber sheet is uniformly impregnated with particles such as a resin can be manufactured with good productivity.

[0081] [Implementation Method 2]

[0082] Figure 4 The present invention is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing device 200 for a slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing device 200 for a slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention comprises: a winding device 210 for winding out a fiber sheet 1a; a conveying device 220 for conveying the fiber sheet 1a and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1; a coating device 230 for metering and coating the fiber sheet 1a with slurry; an impregnation device 240 located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the fiber sheet 1a compared to the coating device 230, and applying an external force to the fiber sheet 1a to impregnate particles into the fiber sheet 1a; a drying device 250 located on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the fiber sheet 1a compared to the impregnation device 240, and drying at least a part of the solvent contained in the slurry; and a winding device 260 for winding the slurry-impregnated sheet 1.

[0083] In the conveying path of the sheet from the impregnation device 240 to the drying device 250, the impregnation device 240 and the drying device 250 are arranged so that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line BC connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet B of the impregnation device 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C and the horizontal direction is 30° or more and 90° or less. It is preferable to arrange so that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line CD connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C of the impregnation device 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying device 250 and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line DE connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying device 250 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet E and the horizontal direction are 30° or more and 90° or less. Here, the inlet B of the impregnation device 240 refers to the position where the external force is first applied to the fiber sheet 1a for the impregnation of particles, and the outlet C of the impregnation device 240 refers to the position where the external force is finally applied to the fiber sheet 1a for the impregnation of particles. It should be noted that the impregnation device 240 is between the coating device 230 and the drying device 250 and is a device for applying an external force to the fiber sheet 1a. Figure 4 Although the conveying roller 222 also applies external force to the fiber sheet 1a, it is not included in the impregnation device 240. The inlet D of the drying device 250 is the position where heat, infrared rays, etc. are applied to the fiber sheet 1a for drying the solvent, and the outlet E of the drying device 250 is the position where heat, infrared rays, etc. are applied to the fiber sheet 1a for drying the solvent.

[0084] The impregnation device 240 has the effect of impregnating the fiber sheet 1a with particles by applying an external force to the fiber sheet 1a, but at the same time, the slurry seeps out from the surface of the fiber sheet 1a. Figure 4In the embodiment, the impregnation device 240 and the drying device 250 are arranged in such a manner that the angle between the fiber sheet 1a from the inlet B of the impregnation device 240 to the outlet E of the drying device 250 and the horizontal direction is 30° or more and 90° or less, so that the slurry that has seeped onto the surface of the fiber sheet 1a stays on the surface of the fiber sheet 1a and does not drip due to gravity. Furthermore, the slurry passes through the drying device 250 while staying on the fiber sheet 1a, so that the solvent is dried, and thus the dripping of the slurry can be prevented even in the process (transport roller 222, etc.) on the downstream side compared to the drying device 250. As a result, the entire amount of particles applied by the coating device 230 remains in the slurry-impregnated sheet 1, so that not only the control of the unit area weight of the slurry in the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 becomes easy, but also the yield of the particles is improved. It should be noted that, from the viewpoint of conveying the slurry exuded from the impregnation device 240 while it is retained on the surface of the fiber sheet 1a, it is preferred that the direction of gravity be consistent with the conveying direction of the fiber sheet 1a, that is, the devices are arranged so that the fiber sheet 1a is conveyed vertically downward or obliquely downward in the impregnation device 240 and the drying device 250. Here, obliquely downward means downward than the horizontal direction, and preferably the angle with the vertical direction is 60° or less.

[0085] exist Figure 4 In the manufacturing device 200 for the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 shown, the impregnation device 240 and the drying device 250 are arranged in such a manner that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line BC connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet B of the impregnation device 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line DE connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying device 250 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet E and the horizontal direction are both approximately 90°. If the angle is greater than 30° and less than 90°, the slurry can be prevented from dripping from the slurry-impregnated sheet 1.

[0086] It should be noted that from the viewpoint of preventing the slurry from dripping from the fiber sheet 1a or the slurry-impregnated sheet 1, it is preferred that in the conveying path of the sheet from the coating device 230 to the impregnation device 240, the angle formed by the imaginary straight line AB connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet A of the coating device 230 and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet B of the impregnation device 240 and the horizontal direction is also greater than 30° and less than 90°.

[0087] <Fiber Sheet>

[0088] The fiber sheet 1a used in the second embodiment can be made of the same kind of material as the fiber sheet 1a used in the first embodiment.

[0089] <Slurry>

[0090] The slurry used in the second embodiment can be the same as the slurry used in the slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.

[0091] <Roll-out device>

[0092] The unwinding device 210 unwinds the fiber sheet 1a. Instead of the unwinding device 210, a plurality of creels for unwinding the fiber bundles and an arranging device for arranging the unwinding fiber bundles in one direction to obtain the fiber sheet 1a may be used.

[0093] <Conveying device>

[0094] The conveying device 220 conveys the fiber sheet 1a and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 in which the fiber sheet 1a is impregnated with slurry. The conveying device 220 includes a conveying roller 221 and a conveying roller 222. In the second embodiment, the conveying direction of the fiber sheet 1a is changed from downward to rightward on the paper by the conveying roller 222, but the following structure may be used: the conveying roller 222 is not provided, the winding device 260 is provided at the lower part of the impregnation device 240, and the fiber sheet 1a is wound by the winding device 260. The conveying roller 221 and the conveying roller 222 can use known rollers.

[0095] <Coating device>

[0096] The coating device 230 applies the slurry to the fiber sheet 1a by metering. The coating device 230 may be any device capable of applying the slurry to the fiber sheet 1a by metering, and a die coater, a roll coater, a knife coater, a spray coater, a bar coater, or the like may be used. Figure 4 In the embodiment, a die coater is used as the coating device 230. The coating device 230 includes a die head 231, a metering pump (not shown), and a slurry tank. The coating device 230 can control the amount of slurry applied to the fiber sheet 1a by the metering pump, so that a uniform amount of particles can be applied in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the fiber sheet 1a.

[0097] Examples of the metering pump used include a diaphragm pump, a syringe pump, a screw pump, and a serpentine pump.

[0098] The die head 231 has: a slurry supply passage (not shown) for supplying slurry; a manifold 232 that is connected to the slurry supply passage and expands the slurry in the width direction of the fiber sheet 1a (a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction); and a slit 233 that is connected to the manifold 232 and uniformly ejects the supplied slurry in the width direction. The coating device 230 can uniformly coat the slurry from the slit 233 of the die head 231 along the width direction of the fiber sheet 1a. Figure 4 In the embodiment, the die head 231 is close to the fiber sheet 1a and directly applies the slurry, but the slurry may be applied indirectly via a roller, a slope, or the like.

[0099] In the coating device 230, the die head 231 is arranged such that the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit 233 is vertically downward, but the die head 231 may be arranged as long as the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit 233 is downward at an angle of 45° or less with respect to the vertical direction. By making the flow direction of the slurry vertically downward, when the slurry is supplied from the manifold 232 to the slit 233, even if the particles in the slurry precipitate, the particles will be quickly ejected from the slit 233. As a result, it is possible to suppress the precipitated particles from staying in the manifold 232, and the slurry can be stably supplied for a long time without clogging the slit 233.

[0100] In addition, the interval of the slit 233 is preferably 2 times or more the average particle diameter of the particles. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the particles from clogging the slit 233 and control the coating amount on the fiber sheet 1a.

[0101] In addition to the above, the coating device 230 may further include the features of the coating device 30 included in the manufacturing device 100 of the slurry-impregnated sheet of Embodiment 1.

[0102] <Impregnation device>

[0103] The impregnation device 240 includes a roller 241, a roller 242, a roller 243, a roller 244, and a roller 245. The roller 241, the roller 242, the roller 243, the roller 244, and the roller 245 are arranged such that the fiber sheet 1a coated with the slurry travels in an S shape. By conveying the fiber sheet 1a coated with the slurry between the roller 241, the roller 242, the roller 243, the roller 244, and the roller 245, the particles in the slurry are impregnated into the fiber sheet 1a. In the present embodiment, the roller 241, the roller 242, the roller 243, the roller 244, and the roller 245 are arranged in an S shape, but as long as the slurry can be impregnated, the contact length between the sheet and the roller can be adjusted to be in a U shape or a V shape. The roller 241, the roller 242, the roller 243, the roller 244, and the roller 245 may rotate as free rollers or supply rollers, or may be fixed rods. Alternatively, the impregnation device may be composed of one or more pinch rollers, and pressure may be further applied to the fiber sheet 1a for impregnation. In addition, when the impregnation pressure of the slurry is increased to further increase the impregnation degree, a relative contact roller may be added. Further, as described in International Publication No. 2015 / 076981 Figure 4 It is also possible to improve the impregnation efficiency by arranging a conveyor belt opposite to the rollers arranged in an S shape. In addition, it is also possible to impregnate the particles into the fiber sheet 1a by passing a plurality of fiber sheets 1a coated with the slurry between the pressure knives (Japanese: ごき刃) provided with an ultrasonic generating device as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-154330.

[0104] <Drying device>

[0105] The drying device 250 dries at least a portion of the solvent contained in the slurry impregnated in the slurry-impregnated sheet 1. As the drying device 250, various means such as air heating, infrared heating, far infrared heating, laser heating, contact heating, and heat medium heating (steam, etc.) can be used. The purpose of the drying device 250 is to prevent the slurry from dripping from the slurry-impregnated sheet 1, and it is sufficient as long as it has the ability to dry at least a portion of the solvent contained in the slurry.

[0106] Figure 4 The embodiment of FIG. 1 shows an example in which the entire amount of solvent is dried using the drying device 250. Figure 5 As shown, the first drying device 250A may be used to dry only a portion of the solvent, and the second drying device 251 disposed between the conveying roller 222 and the winding device 260 may be used to dry the remaining solvent. In this case, the first drying device 250A only needs to dry the solvent to the extent that the slurry does not drip when the direction of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 is changed by the conveying roller 222. In this way, the drying distance of the first drying device 250A can be suppressed to a minimum, and the overall height of the slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing device 200A can be suppressed to a lower level. Generally, it is more preferred when the manufacturing equipment extends in the horizontal direction rather than in the height direction because the equipment cost is cheaper. In particular, when the conveying speed of the slurry-impregnated sheet is high, the drying distance of the drying device 250 becomes longer. Therefore, from the perspective of reducing costs, it is preferred as follows Figure 5 The drying device is divided into two stages as shown. The drying methods of the first drying device 250A and the second drying device 251 may be the same as that of the drying device 250 or may be different.

[0107] Figure 6The schematic diagram of the manufacturing apparatus 200B of the slurry impregnated sheet material according to the second modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the manufacturing apparatus 200B, the impregnation apparatus 240B and the drying apparatus 250 are arranged in such a manner that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line BC connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet B of the impregnation apparatus 240B and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C and the horizontal direction, the angle formed by the imaginary straight line CD connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C of the impregnation apparatus 240B and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying apparatus 250 and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line DE connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying apparatus 250 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet E and the horizontal direction are approximately 30°. In addition, the impregnation device 240B and the drying device 250 are arranged so that the angle between the imaginary straight line AB connecting the center of the outlet A of the coating device 230 in the sheet width direction and the center of the inlet B of the impregnation device 240B in the sheet width direction and the horizontal direction is also approximately 30 degrees. In the manufacturing device 200B, since the angle between the conveyance path of the fiber sheet 1a from the inlet B of the impregnation device 240B to the outlet E of the drying device 250 and the horizontal direction is 30 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less, the slurry exuded from the fiber sheet 1a in the impregnation device 240B flows along the fiber sheet 1a and stays on the surface of the fiber sheet 1a, thereby preventing the slurry from dripping from the slurry-impregnated sheet 1.

[0108] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 200C for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to a third modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the manufacturing apparatus 200C, the rollers 241, 242, 243, 244, and 245 constituting the impregnation device 240C are arranged so as to be separated from each other on the left and right sides so that the contact length with the fiber sheet 1a becomes longer. With such roller arrangement, the angle between the rollers 241 and 242, between the rollers 242 and 243, between the rollers 243 and 244, and between the rollers 244 and 245, the fiber sheet 1a and the horizontal direction are less than 30°. However, the distance between the rollers is still short. Therefore, even if the contact length between the fiber sheet 1a and the rollers is increased as in the manufacturing device 200C and there is a portion where the fiber sheet 1a is transported at an angle of less than 30° with the horizontal direction, if the imaginary straight lines BC, CD, and DE respectively connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet B of the impregnation device 240C, the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C of the impregnation device 240C, the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying device 250, and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet E of the drying device 250 are connected to the horizontal direction at an angle of less than 30°, the angles formed by the imaginary straight lines BC, CD, and DE respectively connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet B of the impregnation device 240C, the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet C of the impregnation device 240C, the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet D of the drying device 250, and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet E of the drying device 250 are as follows: Figure 7 As shown in the figure, if the angle is approximately 90°, that is, 30° or more and 90° or less, the slurry can be prevented from dripping from the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 .

[0109] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 200D for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to a fourth variation of the second embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing apparatus 200D includes a coating and impregnation apparatus 230D having a press die 231D capable of performing metered coating and impregnation of the slurry onto the fiber sheet 1a, instead of the coating apparatus 230 and the impregnation apparatus 240 of the manufacturing apparatus 200 of the second embodiment.

[0110] The coating and impregnation device 230 includes a pressing die 231D, a guide roller 234, and a guide roller 235. As the structure of the pressing die 231D, for example, a die having a scraper edge and a rear edge described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-34663 can be used. Regarding the coating and impregnation device 230D, the fiber sheet 1a is installed between the guide roller 234 and the guide roller 235 in a state that it can be bent in the thickness direction, and the scraper edge 236 and the protruding surface of the rear edge 237 of the pressing die 231D are relatively arranged so as to press against the surface of the fiber sheet 1a, and the slurry is sprayed from the slit 233. In the coating and impregnation device 230D, the slurry is metered and coated on the fiber sheet 1a at the portion of the slit 233, and then the particles are impregnated into the inside of the fiber sheet 1a by the pressing pressure (external force) generated between the scraper edge 236 on the downstream side of the conveying direction compared with the slit 233 and the fiber sheet 1a. In this way, even if the coating device 230 and the impregnation device 240 are integrated to form a coating and impregnation device 230D, the effect of the present invention can be exerted as long as the impregnation is performed downstream in the conveying direction of the coating section.

[0111] In addition, in the coating and impregnation device 230D, the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the coating and impregnation device 230D and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction, the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet of the coating and impregnation device 230D and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying device 250 and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying device 250 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction are as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the angle is approximately 90°, that is, 30° to 90°, so that the slurry can be prevented from dripping from the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 .

[0112] Fig. 92 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 200E for a slurry-impregnated sheet material not included in the embodiment of the present invention. In the manufacturing apparatus 200E, the impregnation apparatus 240 is arranged so that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the impregnation apparatus 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction is approximately 90°, and the drying apparatus 250 is arranged so that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet of the impregnation apparatus 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying apparatus 250 and the horizontal direction and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying apparatus 250 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction are approximately 0°. In this arrangement, before the solvent is dried from the slurry-impregnated sheet material 1 in the drying apparatus 250, the slurry drips from the fiber sheet material 1a in the roller 245 located at the bottom of the impregnation apparatus 240 and the drying apparatus 250, and the weight per unit area of ​​the slurry cannot be controlled.

[0113] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 200F for a slurry-impregnated sheet not included in an embodiment of the present invention. In the manufacturing apparatus 200F, the impregnation apparatus 240 and the drying apparatus 250 are arranged so that the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the impregnation apparatus 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction, the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet of the impregnation apparatus 240 and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying apparatus 250 and the horizontal direction are approximately 90 degrees, and the fiber sheet 1a is conveyed upward in the impregnation apparatus 240 and the drying apparatus 250 in the vertical direction. Fig.10 In the embodiment, the slurry that has seeped out of the impregnation device 240 onto the surface of the fiber sheet 1a drips to the outside of the fiber sheet 1a via the coating device 230 and the conveying roller 221 due to the action of gravity.

[0114] <Other institutions>

[0115] In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 200, 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D of the slurry impregnated sheet 1 according to the second embodiment may further include a melting device after the drying device 250 or the second drying device 251. The melting device may use various means such as air heating, infrared heating, far infrared heating, laser heating, contact heating, and heat medium heating (steam, etc.). The melting temperature is preferably higher than the heating temperature.

[0116] As described above, according to the slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment, a high-quality slurry-impregnated sheet in which a fiber sheet is uniformly impregnated with particles such as a resin can be manufactured with good productivity.

[0117] [Implementation method 3]

[0118] Fig.11 Schematic diagram of a manufacturing device 300 of a slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The manufacturing device 300 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 of the present invention comprises: a winding device 310 for winding out fiber sheets 1a to 1c; a conveying device 320 for conveying fiber sheets 1a to 1c and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1; a coating device 330 for metering and coating slurry on the fiber sheets 1a to 1c; a stacking device 340, which is located on the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction compared with the coating device 330 and stacks a plurality of fiber sheets 1a to 1c coated with slurry to form a slurry-impregnated sheet 1; and a winding device 350 for winding the slurry-impregnated sheet 1. It should be noted that in Embodiment 3, an apparatus for stacking three fiber sheets 1a to 1c is used as an example for description, but it is not limited to this, and any apparatus can be used as long as it is an apparatus for stacking two or more fiber sheets to obtain a slurry-impregnated sheet.

[0119] <Fiber Sheet>

[0120] As the fiber sheets 1a to 1c, the same fiber sheets as those used in the slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment can be used.

[0121] <Slurry>

[0122] The slurry used in the present invention can be the same slurry as the slurry used in the slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.

[0123] In the third embodiment, the purpose is to impregnate the three fiber sheets 1a to 1c with slurry of the same composition, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, slurries of different compositions may be applied to the fiber sheet 1b to be the inner layer and the fiber sheets 1a and 1c to be the outer layers and stacked to produce a slurry-impregnated sheet. Thus, for example, by configuring conductive particles or low-melting-point resin particles with excellent adhesiveness only on the surface of the slurry-impregnated sheet, a slurry-impregnated sheet with better functionality can be produced.

[0124] <Roll-out device>

[0125] The unwinding device 310 unwinds the fiber sheets 1a to 1c. In the third embodiment, the three fiber sheets 1a to 1c are unwinded by the unwinding device 310A, the unwinding device 310B, and the unwinding device 310C, respectively. Instead of the unwinding device 310, a plurality of creels for unwinding the fiber bundles and an arranging device for arranging the unwinding fiber bundles in one direction to obtain the fiber sheets 1a to 1c may be used.

[0126] <Conveying device>

[0127] The conveying device 320 conveys the fiber sheets 1a to 1c and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 in which the fiber sheets 1a to 1c are impregnated with slurry. The conveying device 320 includes a conveying roller 321A, a conveying roller 321B, and a conveying roller 321C for conveying the three fiber sheets 1a to 1c, respectively, and a conveying roller 322 for conveying the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 formed by stacking the fiber sheets 1a to 1c. In the present embodiment, the conveying direction of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 is changed from downward to rightward on the paper by the conveying roller 322, but the following structure may be used: the conveying roller 322 is not arranged, the winding device 350 is arranged at the lower part of the stacking device 340, and the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 is wound by the winding device 350. The conveying rollers 321A to 321C and the conveying roller 322 can use known rollers.

[0128] <Coating device>

[0129] The coating device 330 measures and applies the slurry to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c. In the third embodiment, the coating device 330A, the coating device 330B, and the coating device 330C measure and apply the slurry to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c, respectively. As the coating device 330, any coating device that can measure and apply the slurry to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c can be used, and a die coater, a roll coater, a knife coater, a spray coater, a rod coater, etc. can be used. Fig.11 In the embodiment, a die coater is used as the coating device 330. The coating device 330A, the coating device 330B, and the coating device 330C each have a die head 331, a metering pump (not shown), and a slurry tank. The coating device 330A, the coating device 330B, and the coating device 330C can control the amount of slurry applied to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c by the metering pump, so that a uniform amount of particles can be applied in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the fiber sheet 1a.

[0130] Examples of the metering pump used include a diaphragm pump, a syringe pump, a screw pump, and a serpentine pump.

[0131] The die head 331 has: a slurry supply passage (not shown) for supplying slurry; a manifold 332 that is connected to the slurry supply passage and expands the slurry in the width direction (orthogonal to the conveying direction) of the fiber sheets 1a to 1c; and a slit 333 that is connected to the manifold 332 and uniformly ejects the supplied slurry in the width direction. The coating devices 330A, 330B, and 330C can uniformly apply the slurry from the slit 333 of the die head 331 in the width direction of the fiber sheets 1a to 1c. Fig.11 In the embodiment, the die head 331 is close to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c and directly applies the slurry, but the slurry may be applied indirectly via a roller, an inclined surface, or the like.

[0132] Fig.11 In the coating apparatus 330A, the coating apparatus 330B, and the coating apparatus 330C shown, the die head 331 is arranged so that the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit 333 becomes a vertical downward direction, but the die head 331 can be arranged so that the flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit 333 becomes a downward direction with an angle of 45° or less with respect to the vertical direction. By making the flow direction of the slurry a vertical direction, when the slurry is supplied from the manifold 332 to the slit 333, even if the particles in the slurry are precipitated, the particles are quickly ejected from the slit 333. As a result, it is possible to suppress the precipitated particles from being retained in the manifold 332, and the slurry can be stably supplied for a long time without clogging the slit 333.

[0133] In addition, the interval of the slits 333 is preferably at least twice the average particle size of the particles. This prevents the slits 333 from being clogged with particles and controls the amount of coating on the fiber sheets 1a to 1c.

[0134] In addition to the above, the coating device 330 may have the features possessed by the coating device 30 according to the slurry-impregnated sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.

[0135] <Laminating device>

[0136] The impregnation device 340 includes a roller 341, a roller 342, a roller 343, a roller 344, and a roller 345. The rollers 341, 342, 343, 344, and 345 are arranged so that the fiber sheets 1a to 1c coated with the slurry travel in an S shape. The three fiber sheets 1a to 1c coated with the slurry are stacked by being conveyed between the rollers 341, 342, 343, 344, and 345. In addition, the fiber sheets 1a to 1c coated with the slurry are conveyed between the rollers 341, 342, 343, 344, and 345, so that the particles in the coating material are impregnated into the inside of the fiber sheets 1a to 1c. In the present embodiment 3, rollers 341, 342, 343, 344, and 345 are arranged in an S-shape, but as long as the fiber sheets 1a to 1c can be stacked and impregnated with the slurry, the contact length between the sheets and the rollers can be adjusted in a U-shape or a V-shape. Rollers 341, 342, 343, 344, and 345 can rotate as free rollers or supply rollers, or as fixed rods. Alternatively, a stacking device can be formed by more than one clamping roller to further apply pressure to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c for stacking and impregnation. In addition, in the case of increasing the impregnation pressure of the slurry to further increase the impregnation degree, relative contact rollers can be added. Furthermore, as described in International Publication No. 2015 / 076981 Figure 4 As described, the impregnation efficiency can also be improved by arranging a conveyor belt opposite to the roller arranged in an S shape. In addition, the fiber sheets 1a to 1c coated with slurry can be stacked and the particles can be impregnated by passing a plurality of fiber sheets 1a to 1c between press knives equipped with an ultrasonic generator as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-154330.

[0137] In the third embodiment, the stacking device 340 is used to simultaneously stack the fiber sheets 1a to 1c and impregnate the fiber sheets 1a to 1c with particles, but the invention is not limited to this. The individual fiber sheets 1a to 1c may be impregnated by the rollers, etc., and then a plurality of fiber sheets 1a to 1c impregnated with slurry may be stacked to produce a slurry-impregnated sheet.

[0138] <Other institutions>

[0139] The manufacturing apparatus 300 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to the third embodiment may further include a fiber opening device before the coating device 330 . Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus 300A for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0140] In the manufacturing device 300A of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1, the fiber sheets 1a to 1c unwound from the unwinding device 310A, the unwinding device 310B, and the unwinding device 310C are opened by the fiber opening device 360A, the fiber opening device 360B, and the fiber opening device 360C, respectively. In particular, when the fiber sheets 1a to 1c are UD substrates in which a plurality of fiber bundles (tows) are arranged in one direction along the surface, gaps may be generated between adjacent tows by dividing the plurality of tows into multiple layers, but by opening the fiber sheets 1a to 1c, the gaps in the fiber sheets 1a to 1c can be eliminated, and the slurry can be applied and impregnated to the fiber sheets 1a to 1c more uniformly. There is no particular limitation on the method of opening and widening the fiber sheets 1a to 1c, and examples thereof include a method of mechanically imparting vibrations and a method of expanding the fibers by air flow. As a method of mechanically imparting vibration, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-528606, there is a method of contacting fiber sheets 1a to 1c with a vibrating roller. As the vibration direction, if the traveling direction of the fiber sheets 1a to 1c is taken as the X-axis, it is preferred to impart vibration in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction) and the Z-axis direction (vertical direction), and it is also preferred to use a horizontal vibration roller and a vertical vibration roller in combination. In addition, if a plurality of protrusions are provided on the surface of the vibration roller, the friction of the reinforcing fibers on the roller can be suppressed, and thus it is preferred. As a method using air flow, for example, the method described in SEN-I GAKKAISHI (Journal of the Japanese Fiber Society), vol. 64, P-262-267 (2008) can be used.

[0141] Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 300 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to the third embodiment may include a drying apparatus and a melting apparatus after the laminating apparatus 340 . Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus 300B for producing a slurry-impregnated sheet 1 according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0142] The drying device 371 and the melting device 372 can use various means such as air heating, infrared heating, far infrared heating, laser heating, contact heating, and heat medium heating (steam, etc.). Fig.13 In the example, it is preferred that heating is performed in two stages, namely, the drying device 371 and the melting device 372, and the melting temperature is higher than the heating temperature.

[0143] In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 300 of the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 may include a release sheet supply device. The release sheet supply device may be arranged so that the supplied release sheet is stacked on the slurry-impregnated sheet 1 via the conveying rollers 322 .

[0144] As described above, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the slurry impregnated sheet material involved in the present embodiment 3, a slurry impregnated sheet material obtained by uniformly impregnating a fiber sheet material with particles such as resin can be manufactured with good productivity. In addition, even when manufacturing a slurry impregnated sheet material having a thickness, a slurry impregnated sheet material in which particles are impregnated inside can be obtained simply by changing the number of stacked sheets.

[0145] Industrial Applicability

[0146] The present invention is useful in the production of FRP for use in aviation and aerospace applications, structural materials for automobiles, trains, ships, etc., interior materials, pressure vessels, industrial materials, sports materials, medical equipment, civil engineering and construction applications, and the like.

[0147] Description of Reference Numerals

[0148] 1Slurry impregnated sheet

[0149] 1a, 1b, 1c Fiber sheet

[0150] 10, 210, 310, 310A, 310B, 310C unwinding device

[0151] 20, 220, 320 conveying device

[0152] 21, 22, 221, 222, 321, 322 conveyor rollers

[0153] 30, 230, 330, 330A, 330B, 330C coating devices

[0154] 31, 231, 331 die heads

[0155] 32, 232, 332 manifold

[0156] 33, 233, 333 slits

[0157] 40, 240, 240B, 240C impregnation device

[0158] Roller 41, 42, 43, 44, 241, 252, 243, 244, 245, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345

[0159] 51, 250, 371 drying device

[0160] 52, 372 melting device

[0161] 60, 260, 350 winding devices

[0162] 100, 100A, 200, 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D, 200E, 200F, 300, 300A, 300B manufacturing device

[0163] 230D coating and impregnation device

[0164] 234, 235 guide roller

[0165] 236 Scraper Edge

[0166] 237 Back Edge

[0167] 250A No.1 drying device

[0168] 251 Second drying device

[0169] A Coating device outlet

[0170] B Inlet of the impregnation device

[0171] C. Outlet of the impregnation device

[0172] D Drying device inlet

[0173] E Drying device outlet

[0174] 340 stacking device

[0175] 360, 360A, 360B, 360C fiber opening device

Claims

1. A manufacturing device for a slurry-impregnated sheet, wherein the slurry-impregnated sheet is obtained by impregnating a fiber sheet or a porous sheet with a slurry obtained by dispersing particles in a solvent, the manufacturing device comprising: A conveying device for conveying the fiber sheet or porous sheet; A coating device for coating the slurry on the fiber sheet or porous sheet in a metered manner; and an impregnation device, which is located downstream of the coating device in the conveying direction of the sheet, and applies an external force to the fiber sheet or porous sheet to impregnate the particles into the fiber sheet or porous sheet, The coating device has a die head.

2. The manufacturing device for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to claim 1, wherein: The die head has: a slurry supply flow path for supplying the slurry; a manifold that communicates with the slurry supply passage and expands the slurry in the width direction of the fiber sheet or porous sheet; and a slit which is connected to the manifold and sprays the supplied slurry uniformly in the width direction, The flow direction of the slurry passing through the slit is a downward direction with an angle of 45° or less with respect to the vertical direction.

3. The manufacturing device for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to claim 2, wherein: The angle formed between the bottom surface of the manifold and the vertical direction is less than 45°.

4. The manufacturing apparatus for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to claim 1, wherein: In the conveying path of the sheet from the outlet of the coating device to the outlet of the impregnation device, The angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet of the coating device and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the impregnation device and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the impregnation device and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction are 30° or more and 90° or less, The fiber sheet or porous sheet is conveyed vertically downward or obliquely downward in the impregnation device.

5. The manufacturing apparatus of the slurry-impregnated sheet according to claim 4, comprising a drying device, the drying device being located downstream of the impregnation device in the conveying direction of the fiber sheet or the porous sheet and drying at least a part of the solvent contained in the slurry, In the conveying path of the sheet from the impregnation device to the drying device, The angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet of the impregnation device and the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying device and the horizontal direction, and the angle formed by the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the sheet width direction of the inlet of the drying device and the center of the sheet width direction of the outlet and the horizontal direction are 30° or more and 90° or less, The fibrous sheet or porous sheet is conveyed vertically downward or obliquely downward in the drying device.

6. The manufacturing apparatus for a slurry-impregnated sheet according to claim 1, wherein: The conveying device conveys the plurality of fiber sheets or the plurality of porous sheets independently. The coating device independently measures and coats the slurry on the plurality of fiber sheets or the plurality of porous sheets. The manufacturing apparatus includes a stacking device located downstream of the coating device in the conveying direction of the fiber sheet and stacking a plurality of the fiber sheets or a plurality of the porous sheets to form a slurry-impregnated sheet.

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