Pressurizing and curing device for prepreg

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of composite materials, in particular to a prepreg pressurizing and curing device which comprises a female die and a pressurizing assembly, the female die comprises a barrel and two annular protrusions, the barrel is of a cylindrical structure, the inner diameter of the barrel is matched with the outer diameter of a target tubular part, and the two annular protrusions are arranged on the barrel. The two annular protrusions are arranged on the inner wall of the barrel body and are close to the two ends of the barrel body respectively in the axial direction of the barrel body. The pressurizing assembly is used for pressurizing the prepreg laid in the female die. By means of the design, the two annular protrusions arranged at the two ends of the cylinder body can play a limiting role when prepreg is laid, deflection is avoided in the laying and pasting process, in addition, resin can be prevented from overflowing in the pressurizing process, and the preparation success rate of the tubular part is increased.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of composite materials, and in particular to a pressurized curing device for prepreg. BACKGROUND

[0002] Tubular composite parts are widely used in the fields of aerospace, ship, automobile, etc. The tubular composite parts are made by laying prepreg in a negative mold and pressurized curing by air bag.

[0003] However, when the current negative mold is used for pressurized curing of the prepreg, the resin in the prepreg will flow out of the negative mold under the action of pressure, and the prepreg is prone to skewing during laying, which affects the quality of the final product. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a pressurized curing device for prepreg, which improves the success rate of preparation.

[0005] According to some embodiments, the present application provides a pressurized curing device for prepreg, which comprises:

[0006] a negative mold, the negative mold comprising a cylinder and two annular protrusions, the cylinder being a cylindrical structure, the inner diameter of the cylinder matching the outer diameter of the target tubular part, the two annular protrusions being arranged on the inner wall of the cylinder and being close to the two ends of the cylinder in the axial direction of the cylinder;

[0007] a pressurizing assembly for pressurizing the prepreg laid in the negative mold.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the thickness of the annular protrusion is slightly greater than the thickness of the target tubular part.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressurizing assembly comprises an air bag, an air cylinder and a pipeline,

[0010] wherein the air cylinder and the air bag are in communication through the pipeline, the air bag after inflation is a cylindrical structure and clamps the prepreg between the cylinder and the air bag to pressurize the prepreg, and the height of the air bag after inflation is greater than the height of the cylinder.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the outer surface of the air bag after inflation is a smooth curved surface, a release layer is laid on the outer surface of the air bag, and the release layer is located between the prepreg and the air bag.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressurizing assembly further comprises a pressure reducing valve, a stop valve and a pressure gauge, the pressure reducing valve, the pressure gauge and the stop valve are sequentially arranged on the pipeline according to the flow direction of the gas, the pressure gauge is used to display the gas pressure of the inflation, the pressure reducing valve is used to adjust the gas pressure according to the display of the pressure gauge, and the stop valve is used to stop the inflation.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressurizing and curing device for the prepreg further comprises an explosion-proof structure, the explosion-proof structure is a cylindrical structure, the explosion-proof structure comprises a shell and a cover, the shell and the cover are detachably connected, and the shell is used to place the female mold.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional area of the shell is slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the female mold, so as to limit the female mold.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, a first through hole is formed in the cover, the diameter of the first through hole is matched with the diameter of the pipeline, and the first through hole is used for the pipeline to pass through.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressurizing and curing device for the prepreg further comprises a heating box, and the heating box is used to accommodate the explosion-proof structure to heat the prepreg.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, a second through hole is formed in the heating box, the diameter of the second through hole is matched with the diameter of the pipeline, and the second through hole is used for the pipeline to pass through.

[0018] The pressurizing and curing device for the prepreg provided by the present application can achieve the following beneficial technical effects:

[0019] The pressurizing and curing device for the prepreg provided by the present application comprises a female mold, the female mold comprises a cylinder and annular protrusions arranged at both ends of the cylinder, the two annular protrusions can limit the prepreg laid on the inner wall of the cylinder to avoid skewing, and can prevent the resin in the prepreg from flowing out when the prepreg is pressurized by the pressurizing assembly, thereby improving the success rate of preparation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to represent similar elements. The drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, not all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

[0021] Figure 1is a structural schematic diagram of a pressurized curing device for a prepreg according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 is an internal schematic diagram of an explosion-proof structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a cover according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a female mold according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Reference signs:

[0026] 100, female mold; 110, barrel; 120, annular protrusion;

[0027] 210, air bag; 2110, air nozzle; 220, gas cylinder; 230, pipeline; 240, pressure reducing valve; 250, pressure gauge; 260, stop valve;

[0028] 300, explosion-proof structure; 310, shell; 3110, fourth through hole; 320, cover; 3210, first through hole; 3220, third through hole; 330, fastener;

[0029] 400, heating box; 410, second through hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other in any manner without conflict.

[0031] Tubular composite parts are widely used in the fields of aerospace, ships, and automobiles. The tubular composite parts are made by laying prepreg in a female mold and pressurized curing through an air bag. However, when laying the prepreg in the female mold, the prepreg is prone to be skewed. In addition, after the prepreg is laid, the resin in the prepreg flows out of the female mold under the action of pressure when the prepreg is pressurized and cured, which affects the quality of the target tubular part and causes waste of production cost.

[0032] To solve the above problems, the application provides a pressurized curing device for prepreg, which comprises a female mold including a cylinder body and two annular protrusions arranged at two ends of the cylinder body.

[0033] The pressurized curing device for prepreg provided by the application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0034] An exemplary embodiment of the application provides a pressurized curing device for prepreg, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 4 The pressurized curing device for prepreg comprises a female mold 100, which comprises a cylinder body 110 and two annular protrusions 120, wherein the cylinder body 110 is in a cylindrical structure, and the inner diameter of the cylinder body 110 is matched with the outer diameter of a target tubular part in size, where the size matching means that the inner diameter of the cylinder body 110 is equal to the outer diameter of the target tubular part, or the inner diameter of the cylinder body 110 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the target tubular part.

[0035] The two annular protrusions 120 are arranged on the inner wall of the cylinder body 110 and close to the two ends in the axial direction of the cylinder body 110, that is, Figure 4 the two ends in the y-axis direction, and the two outer sides of the annular protrusions 120 in the y-axis direction are flush with the two end faces of the cylinder body 110. In this embodiment, the free end of the annular protrusion 120, that is, the face close to the axis direction of the cylinder body 110, is a plane, and in other embodiments, to avoid that the sharp corners are too sharp to scratch the prepreg or scratch the operator, the face can be arranged as an arc face.

[0036] The pressurized curing device for prepreg further comprises a pressurizing assembly for pressurizing the prepreg arranged in the female mold 100 to complete the curing.

[0037] The use process of the pressurized curing device for prepreg in this embodiment is as follows: the rectangular prepreg is arranged on the inner wall of the cylinder body 110, the two sides of the prepreg in the y-axis direction are respectively abutted on the side walls of the two annular protrusions 120, and the prepreg is just connected end to end in the cylinder body 110, and after the arrangement is completed, the pressurizing assembly is used for pressurizing.

[0038] In this embodiment, by arranging the female mold 100 including the cylinder body 110 and the two annular protrusions 120 arranged at the two ends of the cylinder body 110, the two annular protrusions 120 can not only limit the prepreg arranged on the inner wall of the cylinder body 110 to avoid skewing, but also can prevent the resin in the prepreg from flowing out when the pressurizing assembly is used to pressurize the arranged prepreg, thereby improving the success rate of preparation.

[0039] In some embodiments, asFigure 4 As shown, the thickness of the annular protrusion 120 is slightly greater than the thickness of the target tubular member. With such design, the annular protrusion 120 can sufficiently limit the pre-impregnated material, and the resin in molten state will not flow out of the negative mold 100 during the pressurizing process, thus preventing the resin from flowing out of the negative mold 100 and hindering the operator from laying the pre-impregnated material.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the pressurizing assembly includes a gas bag 210, a gas cylinder 220, and a pipeline 230. The gas cylinder 220 is in communication with the gas bag 210 through the pipeline 230, and the gas cylinder 220 is used to inflate the gas bag 210. The inflated gas bag 210 has a cylindrical structure. The gas bag 210 is inserted through the barrel 110 and inflated. The inflated gas bag 210 can clamp the pre-impregnated material between the barrel 110 and the gas bag 210, and pressurize the pre-impregnated material. The height of the inflated gas bag 210 is greater than the height of the barrel 110.

[0041] In this embodiment, the inflated gas bag 210 has a cylindrical structure, and the height of the inflated gas bag 210 is greater than the height of the barrel 110. The inflated gas bag 210 can fully contact each position of the pre-impregnated material to sufficiently pressurize the pre-impregnated material, thereby ensuring the pressurizing effect.

[0042] It should be noted that the shapes of the negative mold 100 and the gas bag 210 can be set according to the target shape of the target tubular member. Since the target tubular member in this embodiment has a cylindrical structure, the barrel 110 of the negative mold 100 has a cylindrical structure, and the inflated gas bag 210 has a cylindrical structure. In other embodiments, if the target tubular member has a square tube structure with a square cross section, the barrel 110 of the negative mold 100 correspondingly has a square tube structure, and the inflated gas bag 210 correspondingly has a cuboid structure. Those skilled in the art can adjust according to actual needs, which are all within the protection scope of the present application, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] In some embodiments, the gas in the gas cylinder 220 is an inert gas, such as nitrogen, neon, argon, etc. The inert gas has high chemical stability and is not flammable or explosive, which can prevent oxidation and deterioration of substances and improve the safety of pressurized curing. In addition, the pressure of the gas in the gas cylinder 220 is greater than 4 MPa, which can ensure the smooth progress of the pressurizing process.

[0044] In some embodiments, continuing to refer to Figure 3, the outer surface of the inflated air bag 210 is a smooth curved surface to ensure that the pressure received by each position of the prepreg is uniform; a release layer is laid on the outer surface of the air bag 210, the release layer is located between the prepreg and the air bag 210, and the material of the release layer is, for example, a polytetrafluoroethylene film; the release layer facilitates the separation of the tubular part and the air bag 210 after curing, that is, facilitates demolding.

[0045] The release layer in the embodiment is set as follows: first, the air bag 210 is inflated for the first time using the gas cylinder 220, the cross-sectional diameter of the air bag 210 after the first inflation is smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the annular protrusion 120, then the release layer is laid on the surface of the air bag 210, the release layer completely covers the side surface of the air bag 210, the air bag 210 covered with the release layer is placed in the negative mold 100 in which the prepreg has been laid, and the air bag 210 is inflated for the second time to complete the pressure curing process.

[0046] In some embodiments, with continued reference to Figure 1 The pressure assembly further includes a pressure reducing valve 240, a shut-off valve 260, and a pressure gauge 250, the pressure reducing valve 240, the pressure gauge 250, and the shut-off valve 260 are sequentially arranged on the pipeline 230 in the flow direction of the gas, the pressure gauge 250 can display the inflation pressure in real time, the pressure reducing valve 240 can adjust the inflation pressure according to the reading of the pressure gauge 250, and the shut-off valve 260 is used to close the pipeline 230 and stop inflation.

[0047] The adjustable pressure is realized by setting the pressure gauge 250 and the pressure reducing valve 240, and the pressure requirements of different curing processes are met; the maximum value of the range of the pressure gauge 250 is 1.5-3 times the internal pressure of the air bag 210, which ensures the accuracy of the reading.

[0048] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 The pressure curing device of the prepreg further includes an explosion-proof structure 300, the explosion-proof structure 300 is a cylindrical structure, the explosion-proof structure 300 includes a shell 310 and a cover 320, a plurality of fourth through holes 3110 are formed in the upper end surface of the shell 310, a plurality of third through holes 3220 are formed in the cover 320, a fastener 330 passes through the third through holes 3220 and the fourth through holes 3110 to realize the detachable connection of the shell 310 and the cover 320, and the fastener 330 is, for example, a bolt; the shell 310 is used to place the negative mold 100.

[0049] Since the air bag 210 has the possibility of explosion during inflation, the simple and convenient explosion-proof structure 300 in the embodiment is set to ensure the safety of the operator.

[0050] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2As shown, the cross-sectional area of the shell 310 is slightly larger than that of the female mold 100, the cross-sectional area refers to the area of the section perpendicular to the axis of the shell 310 and the female mold 100, and thus designed, the female mold 100 can be fixed in the shell 310 when the female mold 100 is placed in the shell 310, and the female mold 100 is limited in the vertical direction, avoiding the female mold 100 from shaking during the process of inflating the air bag 210, thereby avoiding affecting the quality of the finished product, that is, the target tubular part.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3 As shown, the cover 320 is provided with a first through hole 3210, and the diameter of the first through hole 3210 is matched with the diameter of the pipeline 230, and here the matching means that the first through hole 3210 can just pass through the pipeline 230, that is, the diameter of the first through hole 3210 is slightly larger than the diameter of the pipeline 230.

[0052] In another embodiment, referring to Figure 1 The air bag 210 is provided with an air nozzle 2110, and the pipeline 230 communicates with the air bag 210 through the air nozzle 2110, and at this time the diameter of the first through hole 3210 is matched with the diameter of the air nozzle 2110, so that the air nozzle 2110 can pass through the first through hole 3210.

[0053] The first through hole 3210 matched with the pipeline 230 or the air nozzle 2110 can fix the pipeline 230 and the air nozzle 2110, prevent the pipeline 230 from shaking during inflation, and indirectly ensure the stable pressurization of the air bag 210.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1 As shown, the pressurized curing device of the prepreg further comprises a heating box 400 for heating the prepreg. The heating box 400 is, for example, a blast oven or a far-infrared electric heating air drying box, etc., which can be selected by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation. The prepreg is cured under the heating of the heating box 400 and the pressurization of the air bag 210, and the heating temperature of the heating box 400 can be adjusted according to the actual needs to meet the temperature requirements of different curing processes.

[0055] It should be noted that since the air bag 210 is placed in the female mold 100, and then placed in the shell 310 of the explosion-proof structure 300, the shell 310 and the cover 320 are fixed, and then the explosion-proof structure 300 is placed in the heating box 400, therefore, the temperature resistance level of the pipeline 230, the air bag 210 and the explosion-proof structure 300 needs to be above the temperature required for the curing of the target tubular part, specifically, the explosion-proof structure 300 needs to have high structural strength and good heat conduction effect, for example, aluminum alloy of metal material, in addition, the high temperature resistance degree of the material of the air bag 210 also needs to be above 200℃, for example, silicone or rubber, etc., and the pipeline 230 can be selected from metal material or rubber material, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, a second through hole 410 is formed on the heating box 400, the diameter of the second through hole 410 is matched with the diameter of the pipe 230, the second through hole 410 is used for the pipe 230 to pass through, and the pipe 230 is limited.

[0057] The process of curing using the above-mentioned pressurized curing device of prepreg is as follows:

[0058] Step one: laying of the prepreg. The rectangular prepreg is laid on the inner wall of the cylinder 110, the two edges of the prepreg respectively abut against the side walls of the two annular protrusions 120, and the prepreg is just connected end to end in the cylinder 110.

[0059] Step two: placement of the air bag 210. The stop valve 260 is opened, the air bag 210 is first inflated using the gas cylinder 220, the cross-sectional diameter of the air bag 210 after the first inflation is smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the annular protrusion 120, then the release layer is laid on the surface of the air bag 210, the release layer completely covers the side surface of the air bag 210, and the air bag 210 covered with the release layer is placed in the negative mold 100 in which the prepreg has been laid.

[0060] Step three: installation of the explosion-proof structure 300. The air bag 210 and the negative mold 100 are jointly placed in the shell 310 of the explosion-proof structure 300, the cover 320 and the shell 310 are fixedly connected by using the fastener 330, and the pipe 230 extends out of the first through hole 3210 of the cover 320.

[0061] Step four: curing. The explosion-proof structure 300 containing the air bag 210 and the negative mold 100 is placed in the heating box 400, the heating temperature of the heating box 400 is adjusted as needed, the stop valve 260 is opened, the air pressure is adjusted to the target air pressure by adjusting the pressure reducing valve 240 according to the reading of the pressure gauge 250, and the curing of the prepreg is completed.

[0062] Step five: demolding. The heating box 400 and the gas cylinder 220 are closed, the air bag 210 is deflated, the demolding is completed, and the tubular part is prepared.

[0063] The pressurized curing device of prepreg provided in the application has the following advantages. The negative mold 100 includes the cylinder 110 and the annular protrusions 120 arranged at both ends of the cylinder 110, the two annular protrusions 120 can limit the prepreg laid on the inner wall of the cylinder 110 to avoid skewing, can prevent the resin in the prepreg from flowing out when the laid prepreg is pressurized using the pressurizing assembly, improve the success rate of preparation, and realize uniform pressurization of the prepreg, thereby accurately meeting the requirements of different curing processes on pressure and temperature.

[0064] The above-described content can be implemented alone or in various combinations, and these variations are within the scope of the present application.

[0065] It should be noted that, in the description of the present application, the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0066] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features referred to. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0067] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0068] In the description of the present application, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present application, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in the present application and the features of the different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limiting the present application, and those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, replacements and variations to the above-described embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A pressurized curing apparatus for a prepreg, characterized by, The application relates to a pre-impregnated material pressure curing device. The application relates to a pre-impregnated material pressure curing device. The thickness of the annular protrusion is slightly greater than the thickness of the target tubular member.

2. A pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure assembly comprises a gas bag, a gas cylinder and a pipeline, 3. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 1, wherein The gas cylinder and the gas bag are communicated through the pipeline, the inflated gas bag is in a cylindrical structure and clamps the pre-impregnated material between the cylinder and the gas bag to pressurize the pre-impregnated material, and the height of the inflated gas bag is greater than the height of the cylinder. The outer surface of the inflated gas bag is a smooth curved surface, a release layer is arranged on the outer surface of the gas bag, and the release layer is located between the pre-impregnated material and the gas bag.

4. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 3, wherein The pressure assembly further comprises a pressure reducing valve, a stop valve and a pressure gauge, the pressure reducing valve, the pressure gauge and the stop valve are sequentially arranged on the pipeline according to the flow direction of the gas, the pressure gauge is used for displaying the gas pressure, the pressure reducing valve is used for adjusting the gas pressure according to the display of the pressure gauge, and the stop valve is used for stopping inflation.

5. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 3, wherein The pre-impregnated material pressure curing device further comprises an explosion-proof structure, the explosion-proof structure is in a cylindrical structure, the explosion-proof structure comprises a shell and a cover, the shell and the cover are detachably connected, and the shell is used for placing the female die.

6. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 3, wherein The cross-sectional area of the shell is slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of the female die, so that the female die is limited.

7. A pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 6, wherein A first through hole is arranged on the cover, the diameter of the first through hole is matched with the diameter of the pipeline, and the first through hole is used for passing the pipeline.

8. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 6, wherein The pre-impregnated material pressure curing device further comprises a heating box, and the heating box is used for accommodating the explosion-proof structure to heat the pre-impregnated material.

9. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg as claimed in claim 6, wherein A second through hole is arranged on the heating box, the diameter of the second through hole is matched with the diameter of the pipeline, and the second through hole is used for passing the pipeline.

10. The pressurized curing apparatus for prepreg according to claim 9, wherein ​

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