Fiber bundle joining method and fiber bundle joining device

Abstract

To stably join a plurality of ribbon-shaped fiber bundles when the bundles are twisted and then joined together.SOLUTION: There is provided a fiber bundle joining method, comprising the steps of: arranging a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) on a plurality of guide rollers 61 in which rotation axes are extended along upper-below direction; arranging fiber bundles F1, F3 and F5 at an interval D in the left-right direction on a first arrangement roller 63 that is disposed downstream of the plurality of guide rollers 61 in a traveling direction and has a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction; arranging the fiber bundles F1, F3 and F5 at a joining roller 65 that is disposed downstream of the first arrangement roller 63 in the traveling direction and has a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction while maintaining the interval D; and arranging fiber bundles F2 and F4 on the joining roller 65 so as to fill the interval D at the joining roller 65.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for joining a plurality of ribbon-shaped fiber bundles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a filament winding device that simultaneously winds a plurality of ribbon-shaped fiber bundles around a liner. In this filament winding device, a plurality of fiber bundles unwound from a plurality of bobbins are transported to the liner in a lined-up state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-084355 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When arranging multiple ribbon-shaped fiber bundles, the multiple fiber bundles are joined together so that they are aligned without forming gaps between adjacent fiber bundles. Consider the case where each fiber bundle is twisted between two rollers whose rotation axes extend in different directions. If multiple twisted fiber bundles are joined together, it is difficult to control the arrangement of the multiple fiber bundles. As a result, the amount of overlap between adjacent fiber bundles varies. This can result in uneven overall widths of the multiple fiber bundles after joining, or yarn breakage, which creates gaps between adjacent fiber bundles.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a joining method and a fiber bundle joining device that can stably join a plurality of ribbon-shaped fiber bundles when the bundles are twisted and then joined. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A fiber bundle joining method of a first invention is a joining method for arranging and joining a plurality of traveling ribbon-shaped fiber bundles in a first direction, the joining method comprising the steps of: arranging the plurality of fiber bundles on a plurality of guide rollers whose rotation axes are parallel to a predetermined imaginary plane parallel to the first direction and extending in a direction intersecting the first direction; arranging a plurality of first fiber bundles, which are at least two fiber bundles of the plurality of fiber bundles, in the first direction on a first arrangement roller that is arranged downstream of the plurality of guide rollers in the traveling direction of the plurality of fiber bundles and has a rotation axis extending along the first direction; arranging the plurality of first fiber bundles on a joining roller that is arranged downstream of the first arrangement roller in the traveling direction and has a rotation axis extending along the first direction, while maintaining the interval; and arranging at least one second fiber bundle belonging to the fiber bundles excluding the plurality of first fiber bundles on the joining roller so as to fill the interval at the joining roller.

[0007] In the present invention, each fiber bundle is twisted between a guide roller whose rotation axis extends in a direction intersecting the first direction and a merging roller whose rotation axis extends along the first direction. The multiple first fiber bundles are aligned on a first arranging roller before being aligned on the merging roller. By arranging the multiple first fiber bundles on the first arranging roller, their width directions are aligned in the first direction. Since the multiple first fiber bundles are aligned at intervals, they do not interfere with each other, and the spacing between the multiple first fiber bundles is less likely to vary. The multiple first fiber bundles are then merged with at least one second fiber bundle at the merging roller, which makes it easier to control the arrangement of the multiple fiber bundles compared to merging multiple fiber bundles simultaneously. Therefore, when multiple ribbon-shaped fiber bundles are twisted and then merged, they can be merged stably.

[0008] In the fiber bundle joining method of the second invention, in the first invention, each of the gaps is filled with one of the second fiber bundles, and the gap is narrower than the width of the second fiber bundle filling the gap.

[0009] In the present invention, the first fiber bundle and the second fiber bundle can be joined so as to overlap each other, making it difficult for yarn breakage to occur.

[0010] A fiber bundle joining method according to a third aspect of the present invention is the method according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the second fiber bundle is placed on top of the first fiber bundle at the joining roller.

[0011] In the present invention, the second fiber bundle is arranged on top of a plurality of first fiber bundles that have been arranged on the first arranging roller and then on the merging roller with reduced spacing variation, making it easy to control the amount of overlap between the first fiber bundle and the second fiber bundle.

[0012] In the fiber bundle joining method of the fourth invention, in any one of the first to third inventions, the fiber bundles located at both ends in the arrangement direction of the plurality of fiber bundles when they are joined are both the first fiber bundles.

[0013] The overall width of the multiple fiber bundles after joining is determined by the positions of the two fiber bundles located at both ends in the arrangement direction when the fiber bundles join. In the present invention, the first fiber bundle, which determines the overall width of the multiple fiber bundles after joining, is arranged on the first arranging roller and then on the joining roller, so its position can be easily controlled. Therefore, the overall width of the multiple fiber bundles after joining can be stabilized.

[0014] A fiber bundle merging method of the fifth invention is the method of any one of the first to fourth inventions, and includes a step of arranging the plurality of second fiber bundles at intervals in the first direction on a second arrangement roller that is disposed between the plurality of guide rollers and the merging roller in the running direction and has a rotation axis that extends along the first direction.

[0015] In the present invention, the second fiber bundles are aligned on the second arranging roller so that their width directions are aligned in the first direction. Since the second fiber bundles are aligned at intervals, adjacent second fiber bundles do not interfere with each other, and the spacing between the second fiber bundles is less likely to vary. By merging the first fiber bundles and the second fiber bundles, which have already been aligned, on the merging roller, the arrangement of the fiber bundles can be more easily controlled. Therefore, the ribbon-shaped fiber bundles can be more stably merged.

[0016] A fiber bundle joining method of a sixth invention is any of the first to fifth inventions, further comprising a step of widening at least one of the plurality of first fiber bundles and the at least one second fiber bundle by a widening mechanism that is disposed between the plurality of guide rollers and the joining roller and is capable of widening the fiber bundle.

[0017] In the present invention, yarn breakage can be suppressed by expanding the width of the fiber bundles using the width expanding mechanism before merging the bundles.

[0018] A fiber bundle joining device of a seventh invention is a fiber bundle joining device that aligns and joins a plurality of traveling ribbon-shaped fiber bundles in a first direction, the fiber bundle joining device including: a plurality of guide rollers whose rotation axes are parallel to a predetermined imaginary plane parallel to the first direction and extend in a direction intersecting the first direction and capable of guiding the plurality of fiber bundles; a first arrangement roller that is arranged downstream of the plurality of guide rollers in the traveling direction of the plurality of fiber bundles and whose rotation axis extends along the first direction; a second arrangement roller that is arranged downstream of the plurality of guide rollers in the traveling direction and whose rotation axis extends along the first direction; and a merging roller that is arranged downstream of the arranging roller and the second arranging roller and has a rotation axis extending along the first direction, wherein the first arranging roller has a plurality of first fiber bundles, which are at least two fiber bundles of the plurality of fiber bundles, arranged at intervals in the first direction, and the second arranging roller has a plurality of second fiber bundles belonging to fiber bundles other than the plurality of first fiber bundles, arranged at intervals in the second direction, and the merging roller has the plurality of first fiber bundles sent from the first arranging roller arranged while maintaining the intervals, and the plurality of second fiber bundles sent from the second arranging roller are arranged so as to fill the intervals.

[0019] In the present invention, each fiber bundle is twisted between a guide roller whose rotation axis extends in a direction intersecting the first direction and a merging roller whose rotation axis extends along the first direction. The multiple first fiber bundles are arranged on a first arranging roller before being arranged on the merging roller. By arranging the multiple first fiber bundles on the first arranging roller, the orientation of the multiple first fiber bundles in the width direction is aligned in the first direction. At this time, the multiple first fiber bundles are arranged at intervals, so adjacent first fiber bundles do not interfere with each other, and the spacing between the multiple first fiber bundles is less likely to vary. Furthermore, by arranging the multiple second fiber bundles on the second arranging roller, the orientation of the multiple second fiber bundles in the width direction is aligned in the first direction. At this time, the multiple second fiber bundles are arranged at intervals, so adjacent second fiber bundles do not interfere with each other, and the spacing between the multiple second fiber bundles is less likely to vary. In this way, by joining a plurality of first fiber bundles and a plurality of second fiber bundles, which have been arranged in advance, using a joining roller, the arrangement state of the plurality of fiber bundles can be easily controlled. Therefore, when joining a plurality of ribbon-shaped fiber bundles after twisting them, they can be joined stably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a filament winding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the creel stand and pre-processing section. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the filament winding device. [Figure 4] 1(a) and 1(b) are front views of the helical winding unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fiber bundle joining device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the fiber bundle joining device. [Figure 7] 10(a) and 10(b) are perspective views of the vicinity of the merging roller. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a modified example of the fiber bundle joining device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] (filament winding device) An embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a filament winding device 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a creel stand 3 and a pre-processing unit 4, which will be described later. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the filament winding device 1. For convenience of explanation, the directions shown in FIG. 1 (front-rear direction and left-right direction) are defined. The front-rear direction and left-right direction are directions parallel to the horizontal direction. The front-rear direction and left-right direction are perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the up-down direction. The up-down direction is the vertical direction in which gravity acts.

[0022] The filament winding apparatus 1 is a multi-fiber winding apparatus that simultaneously winds multiple fiber bundles F (see FIG. 2) around a liner L. The filament winding apparatus 1 includes a winding device 2, multiple creel stands 3, and multiple pre-processing sections 4. The filament winding apparatus 1 is configured generally symmetrically overall. The winding device 2 is a device for winding the fiber bundles F around a cylindrical liner L. The fiber bundles F are, for example, fiber materials such as carbon fibers impregnated with a thermosetting or thermoplastic synthetic resin. The fiber bundles F have a flat ribbon shape. The shape of the liner L can vary depending on the final product. For example, if the final product is a pressure tank, a liner L having dome portions on both sides of the cylindrical portion is used, as shown in FIG. 1. The liner L can be made of high-strength aluminum, metal, resin, or the like. After the fiber bundles F are wound around the liner L, a thermal curing process such as baking or a cooling process can be performed to obtain a final product such as a high-strength pressure tank.

[0023] Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the fiber bundle F will be simply referred to as the longitudinal direction. The direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and defining the width of the fiber bundle F will be referred to as the width direction of the fiber bundle F, or simply as the width direction. For ease of explanation, the direction in which the center of the fiber bundle F runs in the width direction will be referred to as the running direction of the fiber bundle F, or simply as the running direction. In real space, the specific direction of the width direction can change depending on the position of the fiber bundle F in the running direction. The width direction changes when the running fiber bundle F is twisted by some means.

[0024] The creel stands 3 are arranged, for example, on both sides of the winding device 2 in the left-right direction. The creel stands 3 are arranged, for example, near the rear end of the winding device 2 in the front-rear direction. Each creel stand 3 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame 11 extending in the front-rear direction. The frame 11 is provided with, for example, one or more bobbin holder groups 12. The bobbin holder groups 12 are provided, for example, corresponding to each of the nozzle units 53 of the helical winding unit 50 described below. Each bobbin holder group 12 has, for example, a plurality of bobbin holders 13 (five in this embodiment) lined up in the front-rear direction. Each bobbin holder 13 has, for example, a shaft extending in the left-right direction. Each bobbin holder 13 rotatably supports a bobbin 14 around which a fiber bundle is wound. In this embodiment, for example, nine bobbin holder groups 12 are provided, and five bobbins 14 are attached to each of the bobbin holder groups (i.e., a total of 45 bobbins 14 are arranged). Five fiber bundles are supplied collectively from five bobbins 14 belonging to each bobbin holder group 12. The fiber bundles supplied from the creel stand 3 are wound around a liner L by a helical winding unit 50. Although two creel stands 3 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of creel stands 3 is not limited to this. In addition, to avoid complication of the drawing, only one of the multiple bobbin holder groups 12 is shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the creel stand 3 is provided with a bobbin unwinding device 15. The bobbin unwinding device 15 is configured to assist in the unwinding of the fiber bundles F (fiber bundles F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) from the bobbins 14 (bobbins 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the fiber bundle F immediately after being unwound from each bobbin 14 will also be referred to as a unit fiber bundle Fu.

[0026] The plurality of pre-treatment sections 4 are configured to perform predetermined pre-treatments on the plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu and the fiber bundles FI described below. The plurality of pre-treatment sections 4 are arranged, for example, between the corresponding creel stands 3 and helical winding units 50 (described below) in the running direction of the fiber bundles.

[0027] 2, each pre-treatment section 4 has a fiber bundle joining device 16 and a fiber bundle feeding device 17. The fiber bundle joining device 16 is configured to arrange and join a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) in the width direction to form a single wide fiber bundle F (hereinafter referred to as fiber bundle FI). The fiber bundle feeding device 17 is configured to send the fiber bundle FI downstream in the traveling direction while twisting it by, for example, approximately 90 degrees.

[0028] (Wrapping device) A more specific configuration of the winding device 2 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the winding device 2 includes a base 20, a support unit 30 (a first support unit 31 and a second support unit 32), a hoop winding unit 40, and a helical winding unit 50.

[0029] The base 20 supports the support unit 30, the hoop winding unit 40, and the helical winding unit 50. A plurality of rails 21 extending in the front-rear direction are installed on the upper surface of the base 20. The support unit 30 and the hoop winding unit 40 are movable in the front-rear direction along the rails 21. On the other hand, the helical winding unit 50 is, for example, fixed in position relative to the base 20. As shown in FIG. 1 , the first support unit 31, the hoop winding unit 40, the helical winding unit 50, and the second support unit 32 are arranged in this order from front to rear.

[0030] The support unit 30 has a first support unit 31 and a second support unit 32. As shown in FIG. 1, the first support unit 31 is disposed forward of the hoop winding unit 40. The second support unit 32 is disposed rearward of the helical winding unit 50. The support unit 30 supports the liner L rotatably about its axis via a support shaft 33 extending in the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the liner L. The support unit 30 has a movement motor 34 and a rotation motor 35 (see FIG. 3). The movement motor 34 moves the support unit 30 (the first support unit 31 and the second support unit 32) in the front-rear direction along the rail 21. The rotation motor 35 rotates the support shaft 33 to rotate the liner L about its axis. The operation of the movement motor 34 and the rotation motor 35 is controlled by a control device 5.

[0031] The hoop winding unit 40 performs hoop winding on the circumferential surface of the liner L. Hoop winding is a winding method in which a fiber bundle is wound in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the liner L. As shown in FIG. 1 , the hoop winding unit 40 has, for example, a main body 41, a rotating member 42, and multiple (five in this embodiment) bobbin holders 43. The main body 41 is movable in the front-rear direction along the rail 21. The rotating member 42 is an annular member having a passage hole 44 formed therein through which the liner L can pass. The rotating member 42 is supported by the main body 41 in a state in which it can rotate around the axis of the liner L. The multiple bobbin holders 43 are attached to the rotating member 42 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each bobbin holder 43 has a rotation shaft extending in the front-rear direction and rotatably supports a bobbin (not shown) around which a fiber bundle is wound.

[0032] The hoop winding unit 40 has a movement motor 46 and a rotation motor 47 (see FIG. 3). The movement motor 46 moves the main body 41 back and forth along the rail 21. The rotation motor 47 rotates the rotation member 42 around the axis of the liner L. The operations of the movement motor 46 and the rotation motor 47 are controlled by the control device 5. When performing hoop winding, the control device 5 rotates the rotation member 42 while moving the main body 41 back and forth along the rail 21. As a result, fiber bundles are pulled out from each bobbin rotating around the liner L, and multiple fiber bundles are simultaneously hoop-wound around the circumferential surface of the liner L.

[0033] The helical winding unit 50 performs helical winding on the circumferential surface of the liner L. Helical winding is a winding method in which a plurality of fiber bundles F (more specifically, a plurality of fiber bundles FI) are wound in a direction generally parallel to the axial direction of the liner L. The helical winding unit 50 has, for example, a main body 51, a frame member 52, and a plurality of (nine in this embodiment) nozzle units 53. The main body 51 is fixed to, for example, the base 20. The frame member 52 is an annular member having a passage hole 54 formed therein, through which the liner L can pass. The frame member 52 is supported by the main body 51. The plurality of nozzle units 53 are arranged radially around the axis of the liner L. Each nozzle unit 53 is attached to the frame member 52.

[0034] 4(a) and 4(b) are front views of the helical winding unit 50. In detail, FIG. 4(a) illustrates a state in which the fiber bundle FI is being wound around the cylindrical portion of the liner L. FIG. 4(b) illustrates a state in which the fiber bundle FI is being wound around the dome portion of the liner L. The nozzle unit 53 has a guide body 55 that guides the fiber bundle FI into the liner L. The guide body 55 extends in the radial direction of the liner L (hereinafter simply referred to as the radial direction) and is configured to be movable in the radial direction and rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the radial direction. Guide rollers 56 are arranged on the radial outside of each nozzle unit 53. Five fiber bundles F unwound from each bobbin holder group 12 of the creel stand 3 are introduced into one of the guide bodies 55 via the guide roller 56 and supplied to the liner L from the tip of the guide body 55.

[0035] The helical winding unit 50 has a guide movement motor 57 and a guide rotation motor 58 (see FIG. 3). The guide movement motor 57 moves each of the guide bodies 55 in the radial direction all at once. The guide rotation motor 58 rotates each of the guide bodies 55 in the radial direction all at once. The operation of the guide movement motor 57 and the guide rotation motor 58 is controlled by the control device 5. When performing helical winding, the control device 5 passes the liner L through the passage hole 54 while slowly rotating it around the axis. At the same time, the control device 5 rotates the guide bodies 55 of each nozzle unit 53 appropriately around the rotation axis while moving them appropriately in the radial direction. As a result, the fiber bundle FI is appropriately pulled out from the tip of the guide body 55 of each nozzle unit 53, and a total of nine fiber bundles FI are simultaneously helically wound around the circumferential surface of the liner L.

[0036] (Fiber bundle joining device) Next, a more specific configuration of the fiber bundle joining device 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the fiber bundle joining device 16. Fig. 6 is a side view of the fiber bundle joining device 16. Figs. 7(a) and 7(b) are perspective views of the vicinity of the joining roller 65. In detail, Fig. 7(a) shows only some of the fiber bundles (fiber bundles F1, F3, F5), and Fig. 7(b) shows all of the fiber bundles (fiber bundles F1 to F5).

[0037] The filament winding apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of fiber bundle joining devices 16 (nine in this embodiment) corresponding to the plurality of bobbin holder groups 12, respectively. Here, the configuration of one fiber bundle joining device 16 will be described. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the fiber bundle joining device 16 includes a plurality of guide rollers 61, a first arrangement roller 63, a second arrangement roller 64, and a joining roller 65. Note that in Figs. 5 to 7, illustrations of support members that support the first arrangement roller 63, the second arrangement roller 64, and the joining roller 65 are omitted.

[0038] A plurality of guide rollers 61 (five in this embodiment) are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) supplied from the plurality of bobbins 14 belonging to one bobbin holder group 12. The guide rollers 61 guide the unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) supplied from each bobbin 14. In the following description, when the five guide rollers 61 are to be distinguished from one another, the one that guides the fiber bundle F1 will be referred to as guide roller 61a, the one that guides the fiber bundle F2 will be referred to as guide roller 61b, the one that guides the fiber bundle F3 will be referred to as guide roller 61c, the one that guides the fiber bundle F4 will be referred to as guide roller 61d, and the one that guides the fiber bundle F5 will be referred to as guide roller 61e.

[0039] The rotation axis of each guide roller 61 extends along the vertical direction. The unit fiber bundle Fu guided by the guide rollers 61 is oriented such that the width direction is along the vertical direction. As shown in Fig. 5, the five guide rollers 61 are arranged in a straight line from the front right to the rear left in the order of guide roller 61a, guide roller 61b, guide roller 61c, guide roller 61d, and guide roller 61e. However, the arrangement of the multiple guide rollers 61 is not limited to this, and they may be arranged in a V-shape, for example.

[0040] Each guide roller 61 comes into contact with the unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) fed from the rear side of the guide roller 61. Each guide roller 61 comes into contact with the unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) at a portion of its side surface facing left. The multiple unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) supplied to the fiber bundle joining device 16 are guided by the five guide rollers 61 and are arranged at equal intervals from right to left in the order of fiber bundles F1, F2, F3, F4, F5. The unit fiber bundles Fu run in the front-to-rear direction downstream of the guide rollers 61.

[0041] The first arrangement roller 63 is disposed forward of the five guide rollers 61. The rotation axis of the first arrangement roller 63 extends in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 6, three fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are arranged on the first arrangement roller 63. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the three fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are arranged on the first arrangement roller 63 at a distance D in the left-right direction. The distance D is narrower than the width W of each unit fiber bundle Fu. In this embodiment, the fiber bundles F1 to F5 have the same width. The fiber bundles F1 to F5 preferably have the same width, but may have different widths. The unit fiber bundles Fu on the first arrangement roller 63 are oriented such that their width direction is along the left-right direction. The first arrangement roller 63 contacts the unit fiber bundles Fu at the downward-facing portions of its side surfaces. The fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are twisted 90 degrees between each guide roller 61 and the first arrangement roller 63.

[0042] The second arrangement roller 64 is disposed forward of the five guide rollers 61. The rotation axis of the second arrangement roller 64 extends along the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 6, two fiber bundles F2 and F4 are arranged on the second arrangement roller 64. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the two fiber bundles F2 and F4 are arranged on the second arrangement roller 64 with a gap therebetween in the left-right direction. The unit fiber bundle Fu on the second arrangement roller 64 is oriented such that its width direction is along the left-right direction. The second arrangement roller 64 contacts the unit fiber bundle Fu at a portion of its side surface facing downward. The fiber bundles F2 and F4 are twisted 90 degrees between each guide roller 61 and the second arrangement roller 64.

[0043] The first arrangement roller 63 and the second arrangement roller 64 are arranged in a position where their side surfaces face each other. The second arrangement roller 64 is arranged rearward of the first arrangement roller 63. As shown in Fig. 6, the second arrangement roller 64 is arranged above the first arrangement roller 63. The portion of the first arrangement roller 63 that comes into contact with the unit fiber bundles Fu is located below the portion of the second arrangement roller 64 that comes into contact with the unit fiber bundles Fu.

[0044] The joining roller 65 is disposed forward of the first arrangement roller 63 and the second arrangement roller 64. The joining roller 65 has a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The joining roller 65 is disposed at a position facing the side surfaces of the first arrangement roller 63 and the second arrangement roller 64. As shown in FIG. 7( a), the joining roller 65 aligns the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 fed from the first arrangement roller 63 while maintaining a gap D. As shown in FIG. 7( b), the joining roller 65 is disposed so that the fiber bundles F2 and F4 fed from the second arrangement roller 64 fill the gap D. More specifically, the fiber bundle F2 fills the gap D between the fiber bundles F1 and F3. The fiber bundle F4 fills the gap D between the fiber bundles F3 and F5. That is, each gap D is filled by one unit fiber bundle Fu. The fiber bundles F2 and F4 sent from the second arranging roller 64 are arranged at the joining roller 65 on top of the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 sent from the first arranging roller 63. In this way, the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 sent from the first arranging roller 63 and the fiber bundles F2 and F4 sent from the second arranging roller 64 join at the joining roller 65 to form a single fiber bundle FI.

[0045] (Method of joining fiber bundles) A method for joining a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) supplied from a plurality of bobbins 14 belonging to one bobbin holder group 12 in the fiber bundle joining device 16 as described above will be described. First, the fiber bundles F1 to F5 are respectively arranged on the plurality of guide rollers 61. This allows the positions of the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 relative to the first arranging roller 63 and the positions of the fiber bundles F2 and F4 relative to the second arranging roller 64 to be determined. Next, the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are arranged on the first arranging roller 63 with a gap D in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are arranged on the second arranging roller 64 with a gap D in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are arranged on the joining roller 65 while maintaining the gap D. Furthermore, the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are arranged on the joining roller 65 so as to fill the gap D above the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5.

[0046] (Features of the embodiment) As described above, the fiber bundle confluence method of this embodiment includes the steps of: arranging a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) on a plurality of guide rollers 61 whose rotation axes extend in the up-down direction; arranging the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 at a distance D in the left-right direction on the first arrangement roller 63, which is arranged downstream of the plurality of guide rollers 61 in the running direction and whose rotation axis extends in the left-right direction; arranging the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 at the confluence roller 65, which is arranged downstream of the first arrangement roller 63 in the running direction and whose rotation axis extends in the left-right direction, while maintaining the distance D; and arranging the fiber bundles F2 and F4 on the confluence roller 65 so as to fill the distance D at the confluence roller 65.

[0047] According to this configuration, the fiber bundles F1 to F5 are twisted between the guide roller 61, whose rotation axis extends in the vertical direction, and the joining roller 65, whose rotation axis extends in the left-right direction. The fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are arranged on the first arrangement roller 63 before being arranged on the joining roller 65. By being arranged on the first arrangement roller 63, the width directions of the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are aligned in the left-right direction. At this time, the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 are arranged with a distance D between them, so that adjacent fiber bundles do not interfere with each other, and variations in the distance D between the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 and the fiber bundle width W are unlikely to occur. Then, by joining the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 with the fiber bundles F2 and F4 at the joining roller 65, the arrangement of the fiber bundles F1 to F5 can be more easily controlled than when all five fiber bundles F1 to F5 are joined at the same time. Therefore, when the ribbon-shaped fiber bundles F1 to F5 are twisted and then joined together, they can be joined together stably.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above-described method for joining fiber bundles, each gap D is filled with one unit fiber bundle Fu, and the gap D is narrower than the width W of one unit fiber bundle Fu. In this embodiment, the width W of each unit fiber bundle Fu is equal, but if the widths W of the unit fiber bundles Fu are not equal, the gap D is narrower than the width W of the unit fiber bundle Fu that fills the gap D. In this configuration, the fiber bundles F2 and F4, which are arranged to fill the gap D at the joining roller 65, join so as to overlap the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5. Therefore, yarn splitting is less likely to occur in the fiber bundle FI after joining.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-described method for joining fiber bundles, the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are arranged above the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 at the joining roller 65. In this configuration, the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are arranged above the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5, which have been arranged with the variation in the interval D suppressed by being arranged at the first arranging roller 63 and then at the joining roller 65. Therefore, it is easy to control the amount of overlap between the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 and the fiber bundles F2 and F4.

[0050] Additionally, in the above-described method for joining fiber bundles, the unit fiber bundles Fu located at both ends in the arrangement direction of the plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu when joined are fiber bundles F1 and F5. The width of the fiber bundle FI, i.e., the overall width of the plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu after joining, is determined by the positions of the two unit fiber bundles Fu located at both ends in the arrangement direction when joined. In this configuration, the fiber bundles F1 and F5 that determine the width of the fiber bundle FI are arranged on the first arranging roller 63 and then on the joining roller 65, making it easy to control their positions. Therefore, the width of the fiber bundle FI can be stabilized.

[0051] Furthermore, the above-described fiber bundle merging method includes a step of arranging the fiber bundles F2 and F4 at a spaced interval in the left-right direction on a second arranging roller 64, which is disposed between the guide rollers 61 and the merging roller 65 in the running direction and whose rotation axis extends in the left-right direction. According to this configuration, the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are aligned on the second arranging roller 64, so that their width directions are aligned in the left-right direction. Since the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are aligned at a spaced interval, adjacent fiber bundles do not interfere with each other, and the spacing and width W of the fiber bundles F2 and F4 are less likely to vary. By merging the pre-aligned fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 with the fiber bundles F2 and F4 at the merging roller 65 in this way, the arrangement of the multiple fiber bundles F1 to F5 can be more easily controlled. Therefore, the ribbon-shaped multiple fiber bundles F1 to F5 can be more stably merged.

[0052] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0053] For example, the fiber bundle joining device 16 of the above-described embodiment may include width-widening mechanisms 66a and 66b as shown in FIG. 8. The width-widening mechanism 66a is disposed between the first arrangement roller 63 and the joining roller 65 and widens the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 traveling between the first arrangement roller 63 and the joining roller 65. The width-widening mechanism 66b is disposed between the second arrangement roller 64 and the joining roller 65 and widens the fiber bundles F2 and F4 traveling between the second arrangement roller 64 and the joining roller 65. The width-widening mechanisms 66a and 66b may be drum-shaped widening rollers whose centers are curved convexly along the axial direction, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-199198. Alternatively, the fiber bundles may be widened by air ejected from the circumferential surface of a cylindrical member, as in the widening shaft disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-553. In this way, by using the widening mechanisms 66a and 66b to widen the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 and the fiber bundles F2 and F4 before joining them, it is possible to suppress yarn breakage in the fiber bundle FI after joining.

[0054] It is noted that only one of the width increasing mechanisms 66a and 66b may be provided. The width increasing mechanisms 66a and 66b may be disposed between the plurality of guide rollers 61 and the merging roller 65. That is, the width increasing mechanism 66a may be disposed between the plurality of guide rollers 61 and the first arrangement roller 63. The width increasing mechanism 66b may be disposed between the plurality of guide rollers 61 and the second arrangement roller 64.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the rotation axis of the guide roller 61 extends along the vertical direction, but this is not limiting. The direction in which the rotation axis of the guide roller 61 extends may be parallel to a predetermined imaginary plane S (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) that is parallel to the horizontal direction (first direction of the present invention), which is the direction in which the unit fiber bundles Fu are arranged in the joined fiber bundle FI, and may be a direction that intersects with the horizontal direction. The imaginary plane S shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. That is, the direction in which the rotation axis of the guide roller 61 extends may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction, as long as it is parallel to the imaginary plane S and intersects with the horizontal direction. In this case, the twist degree of the unit fiber bundles Fu between the guide roller 61 and the joining roller 65 (more specifically, the first arrangement roller 63 or the second arrangement roller 64) is not 90 degrees. The imaginary plane S may also be inclined with respect to the vertical direction, as long as it is a plane parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the rotation axes of the multiple guide rollers 61 extend in the same direction has been described, but this is not limiting. The directions in which the rotation axes of the multiple guide rollers 61 extend may be different from one another as long as they are parallel to the same imaginary plane S and intersect with the left-right direction.

[0057] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu (fiber bundles F1 to F5) are arranged one by one on each of a plurality of guide rollers 61, but this is not limiting. A plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu may be arranged on one guide roller 61.

[0058] Additionally, in the above embodiment, the case where five fiber bundles F1 to F5 are joined together has been described, but the number of fiber bundles to be joined is not limited to this, as long as at least three fiber bundles are joined together.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first arrangement rollers 63 and the second arrangement rollers 64 are provided between the plurality of guide rollers 61 and the merging roller 65, but this is not limiting. Only one of the first arrangement rollers 63 and the second arrangement rollers 64 may be provided. When only one of the first arrangement rollers 63 and the second arrangement rollers 64 is provided, it is preferable to provide the first arrangement roller 63 for the following two reasons. Aspect 1) The fiber bundles F2 and F4 sent by the second arranging roller 64 are arranged above the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 at the joining roller 65, and therefore have less effect on the arrangement of the fiber bundles than the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5. Aspect 2) The first arranging roller 63 is a roller that sends the fiber bundles F1 and F5, which determine the width of the fiber bundle F1 after joining, to the joining roller 65.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu are divided into fiber bundles F1, F3, F5 and fiber bundles F2, F4 and then merged, but this is not limiting. That is, a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu may be divided into three or more and then merged. For example, when a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu are divided into three, they may be divided into a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu that are arranged on the first arranging roller 63 and then fed to the merging roller 65, a plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu that are arranged on the second arranging roller 64 and then fed to the merging roller 65, and one or more plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu that are fed to the merging roller 65 without passing through an arranging roller. Furthermore, three arranging rollers may be disposed between the plurality of guide rollers 61 and the merging roller 65, and all of the unit fiber bundles Fu may be arranged on any of the arranging rollers and then fed to the merging roller 65.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case has been described where the interval D between the fiber bundles F1, F3, and F5 arranged on the first arranging roller 63 is narrower than the width W of one unit fiber bundle Fu filling the interval D, but the present invention is not limited to this. The interval D may be equal to or greater than the width W of the unit fiber bundle Fu. When the interval D is greater than the width W of the unit fiber bundle Fu, for example, the plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu may be divided into three or more and merged, and the interval D may be filled by unit fiber bundles Fu other than the plurality of unit fiber bundles Fu that are arranged on the first arranging roller 63 and then fed to the merging roller 65.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a method for joining multiple fiber bundles in a filament winding device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to textile machines other than filament winding devices that handle multiple traveling ribbon-shaped fiber bundles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 16 Fiber bundle joining device 61 Guide roller 63 First array roller 64 Second array roller 65 Merging Roller 66a Widening mechanism 66b Widening mechanism F1, F3, F5 fiber bundles (first fiber bundle) F2, F4 fiber bundle (second fiber bundle)

Claims

1. A merging method for arranging and merging a plurality of traveling ribbon-shaped fiber bundles in a first direction, a step of arranging the plurality of fiber bundles on a plurality of guide rollers whose rotation axes are parallel to a predetermined imaginary plane parallel to the first direction and extend in a direction intersecting the first direction; a step of arranging a plurality of first fiber bundles, which are at least two fiber bundles among the plurality of fiber bundles, at intervals in the first direction on a first arrangement roller that is disposed downstream of the plurality of guide rollers in the running direction of the plurality of fiber bundles and has a rotation axis extending along the first direction; a step of arranging the plurality of first fiber bundles at a merging roller that is disposed downstream of the first arranging roller in the running direction and has a rotation axis extending along the first direction, while maintaining the intervals; and arranging at least one second fiber bundle belonging to the fiber bundles excluding the plurality of first fiber bundles on the merging roller so as to fill the gap at the merging roller.

2. Each of the spaces is filled with one of the second fiber bundles, The method for joining fiber bundles according to claim 1 , wherein the gap is narrower than the width of the second fiber bundle that fills the gap.

3. The method for joining fiber bundles according to claim 1 , wherein the second fiber bundle is placed on top of the first fiber bundle at the joining roller.

4. The method for joining fiber bundles according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber bundles located at both ends of the plurality of fiber bundles in the arrangement direction when the plurality of fiber bundles are joined are both the first fiber bundles.

5. the at least one second fiber bundle is a plurality of fibers, 2. The fiber bundle merging method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of arranging the plurality of second fiber bundles at intervals in the first direction on a second arrangement roller that is disposed between the plurality of guide rollers and the merging roller in the running direction and has a rotation axis extending in the first direction.

6. The fiber bundle joining method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a step of expanding at least one of the plurality of first fiber bundles and the at least one second fiber bundle by a widening mechanism that is disposed between the plurality of guide rollers and the joining roller and is capable of widening the fiber bundle.

7. A fiber bundle joining device that arranges and joins a plurality of traveling ribbon-shaped fiber bundles in a first direction, a plurality of guide rollers whose rotation axes are parallel to a predetermined imaginary plane parallel to the first direction and extend in a direction intersecting the first direction, and which can guide each of the plurality of fiber bundles; a first arrangement roller that is disposed downstream of the plurality of guide rollers in the running direction of the plurality of fiber bundles and has a rotation axis that extends in the first direction; a second array roller disposed downstream of the plurality of guide rollers in the traveling direction and having a rotation axis extending in the first direction; a merging roller that is disposed downstream of the first arrangement roller and the second arrangement roller in the traveling direction and has a rotation axis extending in the first direction, The first arranging roller arranges a plurality of first fiber bundles, which are at least two fiber bundles among the plurality of fiber bundles, at intervals in the first direction, The second arranging roller arranges a plurality of second fiber bundles belonging to the fiber bundles other than the plurality of first fiber bundles at intervals in the second direction, The merging roller is a fiber bundle merging device in which the plurality of first fiber bundles fed from the first arranging roller are arranged while maintaining the intervals, and the plurality of second fiber bundles fed from the second arranging roller are arranged so as to fill the intervals.

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