Resin impregnation apparatus and method for producing a resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber using the same

Abstract

Resin impregnation device comprising: a resin supply unit that supplies resin (10) having a certain viscosity downwards; a film forming unit (200) provided on a lower side of the resin supply unit, which is configured to form the resin (10) supplied from the resin supply unit into a film shape while the resin (10) passes between two rollers (230, 240) spaced from each other; a fiber supply unit (300) that unwinds a reinforcing fiber (20) and brings the reinforcing fiber (20) into contact with the film-shaped resin (10) so that the reinforcing fiber (20) is impregnated with the resin (10), and winds up the reinforcing fiber (20) impregnated with the resin (10); and a measuring unit (400) which measures a height of the level of a liquid surface of the resin (10) contained in the film forming unit (200); characterized in that a supply part of the resin supply unit, which supplies resin (10), is provided with a valve (131) for controlling a supply rate of the resin (10), and the two rollers (230, 240) of the film forming unit (200) are arranged so that a distance (d) between them is adjustable, wherein the control unit (500), which a) controlling the feed rate of the resin (10) by comparing the height of the liquid surface level of the resin (10) measured by the measuring unit (400) with a preset value and by controlling an opening ratio of the valve (131) according to a comparison result, or b) controlling a discharge rate of the film-shaped resin (10) by adjusting the distance (d) between the two rollers (230, 240).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTechnical FieldThe present invention relates to a resin impregnating apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1 for a fiber winding method by which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with resin by forming it into a film-shaped resin and contacting it with the reinforcing fiber, whereby impregnation and interfacial adhesion between the resin and the reinforcing fiber can be improved, and a method for producing a resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber.Description of the Prior ArtReferring to FIGS. 1 and 2, control of the resin content is based on a drum, wherein a reinforcing fiber 20 passes over a drum 1 coated with a resin 10 to be impregnated with the resin 10, and dipping a fiber, wherein the reinforcing fiber 20 passes through a container 2 in which resin 10 is placed to be impregnated with the resin 10.In the case of the variant of the drum, it is difficult to control the resin portion 10 impregnated into the reinforcing fiber 20 when it is used for a long period of time due to the gelation of the resin 10. In the case of the variant of dipping the fiber, a reinforcing fiber which is not impregnated with resin is formed when the reinforcing fiber 20 passes through the container 2 without being dipped therein, whereby it is difficult to control the resin portion 10 with which the reinforcing fiber 20 is impregnated.Such difficulty in controlling the amount of the resin 10 impregnated into the reinforcing fiber 20 may result in uneven impregnation of the resin 10, thereby causing deterioration in the quality of the manufactured products, such as the occurrence of an area of too much resin, generation of voids, exfoliation of resin, and so on.Further, the two apparatuses set forth above have a problem that when the resin 10 flows, loss of the raw material occurs, resulting in an increase in industrial waste. Further, by using a full-open container 2 for containing the resin, a large amount of volatile organics (VOC) such as acetone, toluene, benzene and the like is produced from the resin 10.A resin impregnation device of the generic type is known from DE 11 2005 003 640 B4. Further resin impregnation apparatuses are disclosed in DE 695 00 664 T2, DE 691 02 377 T2 and KR 10 2015 080 461 A. Further examples of previously known resin impregnation devices can be found in JP H08 132 537 A and EP 2 756 944 A1, which discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1 and thus forms the basis for the two-part holder of independent claim 1.SUMMARYAn object of the present invention is to provide a resin impregnation apparatus for a fiber winding method and a method for producing a resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber using the same, in which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with resin by forming it into a film-shaped resin and contacting it with the reinforcing fiber, whereby the impregnation and interfacial adhesion between the resin and the reinforcing fiber can be improved.This object is achieved by a resin impregnation device having the features of claim 1 and / or by a method having the features of claim 11. Further embodiments can be found in the dependent claims.The resin supply unit may include: a chamber part containing the resin in an internal space thereof and having an outlet at a lower portion; a mixing part having, at a first end, a flow path communicating with the outlet of the chamber part so that the resin moves downward, and a screw installed in the flow path; and the supply part communicating with a second end of the mixing part and supplying the resin to the film forming unit.The chamber portion may be provided so that a high pressure is formed in the interior thereof to remove bubbles and trapped air and volatile components contained in the resin, and the mixing portion may be provided so that the determined viscosity of the resin from which the bubbles are removed is maintained by the operation of the screw.The film forming unit may include: a receiving part provided at a lower side of the resin supply unit, an opening opening opening upward, and a receiving space communicating with the opening so that the resin supplied from the resin supply unit is received by the receiving part, the receiving part being open at one side to discharge the resin; a first roller provided at a side of the receiving part to divide the receiving part; and a second roller provided above the first roller at a location spaced apart from the first roller so that the film-shaped resin is discharged therefrom.A rotating shaft of the first roller may be disposed to be parallel to the bottom surface and perpendicular to the direction of gravity, respectively, and a rotating shaft of the second roller may be disposed to be parallel to the rotating shaft of the first roller, wherein the rotating shaft of the second roller may be movable up and down so that a distance between the first and second rollers may be adjusted, and wherein the resin passing between the first and second rollers may be formed into a film-shaped resin having a thickness corresponding to the distance between the first and second rollers.When the level of a liquid surface of the resin contained in the receiving part reaches a height of a gap defined by the distance of the first and second rollers, the film-shaped resin can be discharged from the first and second rollers rotating in opposite directions.The first and second rollers may be provided with a heating means so that the determined viscosity of the resin passing between the first and second rollers spaced apart from each other can be maintained.The fiber supply unit may include: a plurality of bobbins on which the reinforcing fiber is wound; an unwinding roller that unwinds the reinforcing fiber from the bobbins and is provided adjacent to the two rollers of the film forming unit such that the unwinding roller brings the film-shaped resin supplied from the film forming unit into contact with the reinforcing fiber unwound from the bobbins; and a winding roller that is spaced apart from the unwinding roller on a front side of the unwinding roller in a direction in which the resin is discharged and winds the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber.The fiber supply unit may further include: a compression roller spaced apart from an upper side of the supply roller, the compression roller rotating in the same direction as the winding roller and compressing the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber while the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber passes between the supply roller and the compression roller.The two rollers of the film forming unit may include a first roller and a second roller provided above the first roller at a position spaced apart from the first roller, and rotating shafts of the first roller, the second roller, the unwinding roller, the winding roller, and the compression roller may be arranged to be parallel to each other, the unwinding roller may rotate in the same direction as the first roller and may be arranged adjacent to a front side of the first roller in the direction in which the resin is discharged, so that the film-shaped resin supplied from the first and second rollers is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber passing over the unwinding roller.The supply roll and the winding roll may be provided with a heating means so that the predetermined viscosity of the film-shaped resin passing over the supply roll and the winding roll is maintained.A curing agent may be added to the resin in supplying the resin and mixed into the resin so that the curing agent is dispersed in the resin, thereby maintaining the specific viscosity of the resin.In supplying the resin, the viscosity of the resin may be adjusted to a range of 2000 to 3000 cps.According to the resin impregnating apparatus having the claimed structure, since the reinforcing fiber is impregnated with the film-shaped resin having high interfacial adhesion by bringing it into contact with the reinforcing fiber, it is possible to improve the impregnation of the reinforcing fiber with the resin and thus improve the quality of the produced products. Further, it is possible to minimize the generation of excess resin and thus minimize device contamination and volatile organics generation (VOC).BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFeatures and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a resin impregnating apparatus of the prior art; FIG. 2 is a view showing a resin impregnation apparatus of the related art; FIG. 3 is a view showing a resin impregnation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a view showing bobbins, an unwinding roller, and a compression roller according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a view showing two rollers, the supply roller and the compression roller according to an embodiment of the present invention; andDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONEmbodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts.One aspect of the present invention provides a system for manufacturing a resin substrate having reinforcing fibers or fibers (or a fiber matrix) impregnated with resin.As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, resin 10 passes through a gap between a first roller 230 and a second roller 240 to form a resin layer (film). When the first roller operates, the resin layer that has passed through the gap moves downward along the outer periphery of the first roller 230 in the form of a film having a regulated thickness d. According to embodiments, the thickness (d) of the resin layer is regulated by the gap between the first and second rollers 230, 240. In contrast, the system of FIG. 2 does not provide a resin layer of a controlled thickness. Instead, in FIG. 2, the fiber 20 is immersed in the resin container 20.Thereafter, the resin layer is separated from the first roller 230 and transported to (via) the fiber 20 (fiber layer). On the other hand, in the system of Fig. 1, the resin 10 transferred from the container 2 by the drum 1 (roller) remains on the drum 1 until it meets the fiber. According to embodiments, in a steady state of the resin substrate manufacturing process (resin impregnation process), the speed of the resin layer before and after being transported to the fiber 20 (in the movement along the circumference of the first roll 230 and the movement along the circumference of the supply roll 320) remains constant (substantially constant, for example, with no change of more than 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10%).According to embodiments, the first roll 230 for transporting the resin layer and the unwinding roll 320 for transporting the fiber have the same diameter and operate at the same rotational speed, so that the speed of the resin layer remains the same along the outer circumference of the first roll 230 and along the outer circumference of the unwinding roll 320.According to embodiments, in a steady state of the resin substrate manufacturing method, the resin layer does not pass through the nip between the first roll 230 (for supplying the resin layer) and the unwinding roll 320 (for supplying the fiber 20). Rather, the fiber 20 and the resin laid over the fiber 20 pass in combination through a nip between the compression roll 340 and the supply roll 320. The gap between the compression roller 340 and the unwinding roller 320 is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the fiber 20 and the regulated thickness d of the resin layer (film) for promoting impregnation of the fiber 20 with the resin 10.Referring to FIG. 3, a resin impregnation apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention includes: a resin supply unit that supplies resin 10 having a certain viscosity downward; a film forming unit 200 provided at a lower side of the resin supply unit, configured to form the resin 10 supplied from the resin supply unit into a film shape while the resin 10 passes between two rollers 210 spaced apart from each other; and a fiber supply unit 300 that unwinds a reinforcing fiber 20 and brings the reinforcing fiber 20 into contact with the film-shaped resin 10 so that the reinforcing fiber 20 is impregnated with the resin 20 and winds the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20.The resin supply unit serves to supply the resin 10 having a certain viscosity downward. Here, the determined viscosity may be a viscosity at which, when the liquid resin 10 passes between the two rollers 210 spaced apart from each other by a distance d, the resin 10 can be formed into a film-shaped resin 10 having a thickness equal to the thickness d and maintained in the film shape.The resin 10 may be made of a thermosetting resin such as polyurethane (PU), phenol resin, epoxy resin, and so forth, and the resin 10 may have a specific viscosity in a range of 2000 to 3000 cps. The resin 10 may contain the thermosetting resin as a main component, and a curing agent may be added.The film forming unit 200 is provided at the lower side of the resin supply unit, and serves to receive the resin 10 having a certain viscosity from the resin supply unit to form the resin 10 into the film-shaped resin 10 and discharge the film-shaped resin 10. More specifically, the film forming unit 200 temporarily contains the resin 10 supplied from the resin supply unit, and brings the resin 10 into the film-shaped resin 10 while the resin 10 passes through the two rollers 210. Subsequently, the film forming unit 200 discharges the film-shaped resin 10 to the fiber supplying unit 300 described later.The film forming unit 200 may be provided with an opening at a position opposite to an outlet through which the resin 10 is discharged from the resin supply unit 100, so that the resin 10 having the certain viscosity supplied from the resin supply unit is received from the film forming unit 200 through the opening. Further, the two rollers 210 of the film forming unit 200 are spaced apart from each other so that the film-shaped resin 10 is discharged therefrom. In other words, the film forming unit 200 may be open at two sides.The fiber supply unit 300 is constructed of a plurality of rolls, with a first roll unwinding the reinforcing fiber 20 and a second roll winding the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20. The first roller that unwinds the reinforcing fiber 20 may be disposed adjacent to the two rollers 210 of the film forming unit 200 so that the film-shaped resin 10 discharged from the film forming unit 200 may be brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20.The film-shaped resin 10 comes into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20 while the reinforcing fiber 20 is unwound from the fiber supply unit 300 and wound up, and thus the reinforcing fiber 20 is impregnated with the resin 10, after which the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20 is wound up on the second roll of the fiber supply unit 300. Here, the reinforcing fiber 20 may be composed of fibers selected from carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, and / or a neutral fiber, and is not limited thereto.The resin supply unit may be configured so as to control a supply rate of the resin 10 supplied through the outlet thereof. For example, the control may be such that it falls within a range of 20 to 100 g / s.Thus, it can be considered that according to the resin impregnation apparatus of the present invention, as compared with a conventional resin impregnation apparatus, the quality of the manufactured products can be improved and impurities of the apparatus and generation of volatile organics (VOC) due to the generation of excess resin 10 can be reduced. The reason is that the reinforcing fiber 20 is brought into contact with the film-shaped resin 10 having a certain viscosity in a manner that the reinforcing fiber 20 is impregnated with the resin 10.The resin supply unit may include: a chamber part 110 containing the resin 10 and having an outlet at a lower portion; a mixing part 120 having, at a first end, a flow path communicating with the outlet of the chamber part 110 so that the resin 10 moves downward and a screw installed in the flow path; and a supply part communicating with a second end of the mixing part 120 and supplying the resin 10 to the film forming unit 200.The chamber part 110 contains the resin 10 and has the outlet at the lower portion. The mixing part 120 is provided with the flow path communicating with the outlet of the chamber part 110 and the scroll installed in the flow path. At this time, the resin 10 discharged through the outlet of the chamber part 110 moves downward via the flow path. According to this method, the hardening agent which can be added to the resin 10 is uniformly dispersed in the resin 10 according to the work of the screw, so that the predetermined viscosity of the resin 10 can be maintained.The supply part communicates with the flow path and serves to supply the resin 10 to the film forming unit 200. The supply part may be provided with a valve 131, so that the supply rate of the resin 10 to the film forming unit 200 can be controlled.The chamber part 110 may be provided so that a high pressure is formed in the internal space thereof and bubbles contained in the resin 10 are removed. The mixing part 120 may be provided so that the specific viscosity of the bubble-removed resin 10 is maintained by the work of the screw.Consequently, the chamber part 110 is provided so that a high pressure atmosphere is formed therein, whereby bubbles contained in the resin 10 can be removed in the chamber part 110. Thus, it is possible to improve the quality of manufactured products. The mixing part 120 allows the hardening agent added to the resin 10 to be dispersed in the resin 10, so that the specific viscosity of the resin 10 can be maintained.The film forming unit 200 may include: a receiving part 220 provided at a lower side of the resin supply unit and having an opening opening opening upward, and a receiving space communicating with the opening such that the resin 10 supplied from the resin supply unit is received by the receiving part 220, the receiving part 220 being open at one side to discharge the resin 10; a first roller 230 provided on the receiving part 220 side to divide the receiving part; and a second roller 240 provided above the first roller 230 at a location spaced apart from the first roller 230 such that the film-shaped resin 10 is discharged therefrom.The accommodating part 220 may be provided in a container shape in which the resin 10 supplied from the resin supply unit is temporarily contained in the accommodating space formed therein. In a case where the accommodating part 220 is provided at the lower side of the resin supply unit and the resin supply unit includes the chamber part 110, the mixing part 120, and the supply part as described above, the opening of the accommodating part 110 may be disposed directly below the outlet through which the resin is supplied from the supply part 130 to the resin supply unit.Further, the receiving part 220 is provided with the first roller 230 on the side thereof so that the receiving space of the receiving part 220 is divided. Further, the second roller 240 is provided above the first roller 230 at a position spaced from the first roller 230 to define a gap through which the film-shaped resin 10 is discharged. The resin 10 contained in the accommodating part 220 is put into the film-shaped resin 10 while passing between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 spaced apart from each other, and then the film-shaped resin 10 is discharged.A rotating shaft 231 of the first roller 230 may be disposed to be parallel to the bottom surface and a rotating shaft 241 of the second roller 240 may be disposed to be parallel to the rotating shaft 231 of the first roller 230, the rotating shaft 241 of the second roller 240 may be movable up and down so that a distance d between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 is adjustable, and the resin 10 passing between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 spaced from each other may be formed into the film-shaped resin 10 having a thickness corresponding to the thickness d between the first and second rollers 230 and 240.The rotation shaft 231 of the first roller 230 provided on the side of the receiving part 220 is disposed to be parallel to the bottom surface. The rotating shaft 241 of the second roller 240 is disposed above the rotating shaft 231 of the first roller 230 so as to be parallel to the rotating shaft 231 of the first roller 230.Here, the second rotating shaft 241 of the second roller 240 has rails on both sides, whereby it is movable up and down along the rails. Since the thickness of the resin 10 passing between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 spaced apart from each other corresponds to the distance d between the first and second rollers 230 and 240, the distance d can be varied according to the upward and downward movement of the rotating shaft 241 of the second roller 240, and thus the thickness of the film-shaped resin 10 can be varied.When the level of a liquid surface of the resin 10 contained in the receiving part 220 reaches a height of the gap defined by the distance d between the first and second rollers 230 and 240, the film-shaped resin 10 can be discharged from the first and second rollers 230 and 240 rotating in opposite directions.When the level of the liquid surface of the resin 10 supplied from the resin supply unit 100 through the opening of the film forming unit 200 and contained in the accommodation space of the accommodation part 220 reaches the height of the gap defined by the distance between the first and second rollers 230 and 240, the first and second rollers 230 and 240 rotate in a manner that the resin 10 passing between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 spaced apart from each other can be discharged in the form of the film-shaped resin 10. At the same time, the first and second rollers 230 and 240 rotate in opposite directions so that the film-shaped resin 10 can be discharged.The first and second rollers 230 and 240 may be provided with a heating means so that the determined viscosity of the resin 10 passing between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 spaced apart from each other is maintained.The first and second rollers 230 and 240 have a heat generation function, thereby heating them to a certain temperature, so that heat generated in the first and second rollers 230 and 240 is transferred to the resin 10 passing between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 spaced apart from each other. Consequently, the determined viscosity of the resin 10 and interfacial adhesion can be maintained without curing. Thus, the reinforcing fiber 20 that is unwound by the fiber supply unit 300 can be impregnated efficiently with the resin 10 by bringing it into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20.Referring to FIG. 4, the fiber supply unit 300 may include: a plurality of bobbins (creels) 310 on which the reinforcing fiber 20 is wound; an unwinding roller 320 that unwinds the reinforcing fiber 20 from the bobbins 310 and is provided adjacent to the two rollers 210 of the film forming unit 200 such that the unwinding roller 320 brings the film-shaped resin 10 supplied from the film forming unit 200 into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20 unwound from the bobbins 310; and a winding roller 330 that is spaced apart from the unwinding roller 320 on a front side of the unwinding roller 320 in a direction in which the resin 10 is discharged, thereby winding the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20.A reinforcing fiber 20 is wound on each bobbin 310, and a plurality of bobbins 310 are provided so that the plurality of bobbins 310 supply a plurality of threads of reinforcing fibers 20. The supply reel 320 is provided on an upper surface of the bobbins 310, and unwinds the reinforcing fibers 20 from the bobbins 310. Here, the supply roller 320 is provided adjacent to the two rollers 210 of the film forming unit 200 so that the film-shaped resin 10 discharged from the two rollers 210 is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20 passing over the supply roller 320.When the film forming unit 200 includes the first and second rollers 230 and 240, the supply roller 320 may be provided adjacent to the first roller 230 to face the first roller 230 on a front side of the first roller 230 in the direction in which the resin 10 is discharged. Thus, the film-shaped resin 10 passing through the distance d between the first and second rollers 230 and 240 can be brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20 passing over the unwinding roller 320.The winding roller 330 is provided to be spaced apart from the winding roller 320 on the front side of the winding roller 320 in the direction in which the resin 10 is discharged, so that the reinforcing fiber 20 impregnated with the resin 10 while passing over the winding roller 320 can be wound on the winding roller 330.An arranging unit 30 may be provided between the supply roller 320 and the winding roller 330 so that an orientation of the reinforcing fiber 20 impregnated with the resin 10 can be adjusted.The fiber supply unit 300 may further include a compression roller 340 spaced apart from an upper side of the unwinding roller 320, wherein the compression roller 340 rotates in the same direction as the winding roller 330 and compresses the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20 while the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20 passes between the unwinding roller 320 and the compression roller 340.The compression roller 340 is spaced apart from the upper side of the supply roller 320 and compresses the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20 while the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20 passes between the supply roller 320 and the compression roller 340, whereby the impregnation of the resin 10 into the reinforcing fiber 20 can be increased, and thus the quality of the manufactured products can be improved.Rotating shafts 321 and 341 of the supply roller 320 and the compression roller 340 may be arranged to be parallel to each other, and the supply roller 320 and the compression roller 340 may rotate in the same direction so that the reinforcing fiber 20 may be compressed as it moves forward.Referring to FIG. 5, the two rollers 210 of the film forming unit 200 may include the first roller 230 and the second roller 240 provided above the first roller 230 at a location spaced apart from the first roller 230, and rotating shafts of the first roller 230, the second roller 240, the supply roller 320, the winding roller 330, and the compression roller 340 may be arranged to be parallel to each other, the supply roller 320 rotates in the same direction as the first roller 230 and is disposed adjacent to the front side of the first roller 230 in the direction in which the resin 10 is discharged, so that the film-shaped resin 10 discharged from the first and second rollers 230 and 240 may be brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20 passing over the supply roller 320.The resin 10 contained in the film forming unit 200 is discharged in the form of a film-shaped resin 10 by the first roller 230 and the second roller 240 provided above the first roller 230 at a position spaced apart from the first roller 230. Here, rotating shafts of the first reel 230, the second reel 240, the supply reel 320, and the winding reel 330 are arranged to be parallel to each other, and the supply reel 320 is arranged adjacent to the front side of the first reel 230 in the direction in which the resin 10 is discharged. Consequently, the resin 10 discharged in the form of a film-shaped resin 10 can be brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber 20 passing over the supply reel 320, and thus can be impregnated into the reinforcing fiber 20.The supply roller 320 and the winding roller 330 may be provided with a heating means so that the specific viscosity of the film-shaped resin 10 passing over the supply roller 320 and the winding roller 330 can be maintained.The supply roller 320 and the winding roller 330 may have a heat generating function, thereby heating them to a certain temperature. Heat of the supply roller 320 and the winding roller 330 is transferred to the resin 10 that is in the process of impregnating into the reinforcing fiber 20 while passing over the supply roller 320 and the winding roller 330. Thus, the determined viscosity of the resin 10 can be maintained without curing.Referring to FIG. 3, the supply part of the resin supply unit supplying the resin 10 may be provided with a valve 131 for controlling the supply rate of the resin 10, and the two rollers 210 of the film forming unit 200 may be configured so that a distance therebetween is adjustable.The resin impregnation apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention may further include: a measurement unit 400 that measures a height of the liquid surface level of the resin 10 included in the film forming unit 200; a control unit 500 that controls the supply rate of the resin 10 by comparing the height of the liquid surface level of the resin 10 measured by the measurement unit 400 with a preset value and by controlling an opening ratio of the valve according to a comparison result; or controls a discharge rate of the film-shaped resin 10 by adjusting the distance d between the two rollers 210 spaced apart from each other.As set forth above, a desired amount of the resin 10 contained in the film forming unit 200 can be maintained, whereby the generation of the excess resin 10 can be minimized.The film forming unit 200 is provided with the measurement unit 400 that measures the height of the level of the liquid surface of the resin 10 contained in the film forming unit 200 using a float.The control unit 500 is for controlling the feed rate of the resin 10 by comparing the height of the liquid surface level of the resin 10 measured by the measuring unit 400 with the preset value and controlling the opening ratio of the valve provided at the feed part of the resin feed unit or controlling the discharge rate of the film-shaped resin 10 by adjusting the distance d between the two rollers 210 spaced from each other.Here, the preset value is a value that can be set freely and can indicate a height of a level of the liquid surface of the resin 10 to a degree at which the resin 10 does not overflow.The amount of the resin 10 temporarily contained in the film forming unit 200 can be determined by subtracting the amount of the resin 10 discharged in the form of the film-shaped resin 10 from the amount of the resin 10 supplied per unit time.For example, when a measured value is larger than the preset value, the valve is closed to decrease the supply rate of the resin 10, or the distance d between the two rollers 210 is increased to increase the discharge rate of the film-shaped resin 10.On the other hand, when the measured value is smaller than the preset value, the valve is opened to increase the supply rate of the resin 10, or the distance d between the two rollers 210 is decreased to decrease the discharge rate of the film-shaped resin 10.A method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber according to embodiments of the present invention includes: supplying a resin 10 having a certain viscosity; forming the resin 10 into a film-shaped resin by passing the resin 10 between two rollers 210; and impregnating a reinforcing fiber 20 with the resin 10 by unwinding the reinforcing fiber 20 and contacting the reinforcing fiber 20 with the film-shaped resin 10, winding the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20, and controlling the opening ratio of the valve 131 to control the inflow rate.A hardening agent may be added to the resin 10 and mixed with the resin 10 when the resin 10 is supplied so that the hardening agent is dispersed in the resin, whereby the specific viscosity of the resin 10 can be maintained.In supplying the resin 10, the viscosity of the resin 10 may be adjusted to a range of 2000 to 3000 cps.When supplying the resin 10, the resin 10 having the predetermined viscosity is supplied. Here, the determined viscosity may be a viscosity at which, when the liquid resin 10 passes between the two rollers 210 spaced apart from each other by a distance d, the resin 10 can be formed into the film-shaped resin 10 having a thickness equal to the distance d and maintained in the film shape. The resin 10 may be made of a thermosetting resin such as polyurethane (PU), a phenol resin, an epoxy resin, and so forth, and the specific viscosity of the resin 10 may be in a range of 2000 to 3000 cps.When forming the resin 10 into the film-shaped resin, the resin 10 having the predetermined viscosity is formed into the film-shaped resin 10 while passing between the two rollers 210 spaced apart from each other. When impregnating the reinforcing fiber 20 with the resin 10, the reinforcing fiber 20 is unrolled and brought into contact with the film-shaped resin 10 in a manner to be impregnated with the resin 10, and the thus obtained resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber 20 is wound up.Here, the reinforcing fiber 20 may be composed of fibers selected from carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, and / or a neutral fiber, and is not limited thereto.

Claims

A resin impregnation apparatus comprising: a resin supply unit that supplies resin (10) having a certain viscosity downward; a film forming unit (200) provided on a lower side of the resin supply unit, configured to form the resin (10) supplied from the resin supply unit into a film shape while the resin (10) passes between two rollers (230, 240) spaced apart from each other; a fiber supply unit (300) that unwinds a reinforcing fiber (20) and brings the reinforcing fiber (20) into contact with the film-shaped resin (10) so that the reinforcing fiber (20) is impregnated with the resin (10) and winds the reinforcing fiber (20) impregnated with the resin (10); and a measurement unit (400) that measures a height of the level of a liquid surface of the resin (10) contained in the film forming unit (200); characterized in that a supplying part of the resin supplying unit supplying resin (10) is provided with a valve (131) for controlling a supply rate of the resin (10), and the two rollers (230, 240) of the film forming unit (200) are arranged so that a distance (d) therebetween is adjustable, wherein the control unit (500) which controls a) the supply rate of the resin (10) by comparing the height of the level of the liquid surface of the resin (10) measured by the measuring unit (400) with a preset value and by controlling an opening ratio of the valve (131) according to a comparison result, or b) a discharge rate of the film-shaped resin (10) by adjusting the distance (d) between the two rollers (230, 240).The resin impregnation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resin supply unit includes: a chamber part (110) containing the resin (10) in an inner space thereof and having an outlet at a lower portion; a mixing part (120) having, at a first end, a flow path communicating with the outlet of the chamber part (110) so that the resin (10) moves downward and a screw installed in the flow path; and the supply part communicating with a second end of the mixing part (120) and supplying the resin (10) to the film forming unit (200).The resin impregnation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the chamber part (110) is provided so that a high pressure is formed in the interior thereof to remove bubbles present in the resin (10), and the mixing part (120) is provided so that the determined viscosity of the resin (10) from which bubbles are removed is maintained by the work of the screw.The resin impregnation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the film forming unit (200) includes: a receiving part (220) provided on a lower side of the resin supply unit, an opening opening that opens upward, and a receiving space that communicates with the opening, such that the resin (10) supplied from the resin supply unit is received by the receiving part (220), the receiving part (220) being open on a side to discharge the resin (10); a first roller (230) provided on a side of the receiving part (220) to divide the receiving part (220); and a second roller (240) provided above the first roller (230) at a location spaced apart from the first roller (230), such that a film-shaped resin (10) is discharged therefrom.The resin impregnation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a rotating shaft (231) of the first roller (230) is disposed in a direction perpendicular to gravity, and a rotating shaft (241) of the second roller (240) is disposed to be parallel to the rotating shaft (231) of the first roller (230), wherein the rotating shaft (241) of the second roller (240) is movable up and down such that the distance (d) between the first (230) and second rollers (240) is adjustable, and the resin (10) passing between the first (230) and second (240) rollers is formed into a film-shaped resin (10) having a thickness corresponding to the distance (d) between the first (230) and second (240) rollers.The resin impregnation apparatus according to any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the first (230) and second (240) rollers are provided with a heating means so that the determined viscosity of the resin (10) passing between the first (230) and second (240) rollers is maintained.The resin impregnation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber supply unit (300) comprises: a plurality of bobbins (310) on which the reinforcing fiber (20) is wound; an unwinding roller (320) that unwinds the reinforcing fiber (20) from the bobbins (310) and is provided adjacent to the two rollers (230, 240) of the film forming unit (200), so that the unwinding roller (320) brings the film-shaped resin (10) supplied from the film forming unit (200) into contact with the reinforcing fiber (20) unwound from the bobbins (310); and a winding roll (330) spaced apart from the winding roll (320) on a front side of the winding roll (320) in a direction in which the resin (10) is discharged and winding the reinforcing fiber (20) impregnated with the resin (10).The resin impregnation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fiber supply unit comprises: a compression roller (340) spaced apart from an upper side of the unwinding roller (320), wherein the compression roller (340) rotates in the same direction as the winding roller (330), and compresses the reinforcing fiber (20) impregnated with resin (10) while the reinforcing fiber (20) impregnated with resin (10) passes between the unwinding roller (320) and the compression roller (340).The resin impregnation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the two rollers (230, 240) of the film forming unit (200) include a first roller (230) and a second roller (240) provided above the first roller (230) at a position spaced apart from the first roller (230), and rotating shafts of the first roller (230), the second roller (240), the unwinding roller (320), the winding roller (330), and the compression roller (340) are arranged to be parallel to each other, the unwinding roller (320) rotating in the same direction as the first roller (230) and being arranged adjacent to a front side of the first roller (230) in the direction in which the resin (10) is discharged, so that the film-shaped resin (10) supplied from the first (230) and the second roller (240) is supplied, contacting the reinforcing fiber (20) that passes over the supply roll (320).The resin impregnation apparatus according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein the supply roller (320) and the winding roller (330) are provided with a heating means so that the determined viscosity of the film-shaped resin passing over the supply roller (320) and the winding roller (330) is maintained.A method for producing a resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber using a resin impregnating apparatus according to any preceding claim, the method comprising: supplying the resin (10) having a certain viscosity; forming the resin (10) into the film-shaped resin (10) by passing the resin (10) between the two rollers (230, 240); and impregnating the reinforcing fiber (20) with the resin (10) by unwinding the reinforcing fiber (20) and bringing the reinforcing fiber (20) into contact with the film-shaped resin (10), winding the reinforcing fiber (20) impregnated with the resin (10), and controlling the opening ratio of the valve (131) to control the supply rate of the resin (10).The method of claim 11, wherein, in supplying the resin (10), a curing agent is added to the resin (10) and mixed with the resin (10) so that the curing agent is dispersed in the resin (10), thereby maintaining the determined viscosity of the resin (10).The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the viscosity of the resin (10) is adjusted to a range of 2000 to 3000 cps upon supplying the resin (10).

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