Filament winding device and filament winding method

Abstract

To reduce variations in position and width of tow prepregs extending from a conveying roller to a core material.SOLUTION: A filament winding device includes a conveying part having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged and configured to convey a tow prepreg T along circumferential surfaces of the conveying rollers, and a winding part that winds the conveyed tow prepreg T around a core material. The winding part includes a rotation drive part that rotates the core material in a circumferential direction, a linear drive part that moves the core material linearly along an axial direction, and a turning drive part that turns the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg T extending from a rearmost conveying roller located closest to the core material to the core material extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filament winding device and a filament winding method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method for manufacturing a preform for molding an FRP pipe using a filament winding method. It describes helically winding a flat yarn made of a reinforcing multifilament yarn onto a core material of a flexible tube placed on a mandrel. It also describes setting the winding angle relative to the axial direction of the core material to ±30°. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-267401 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 15, when helically winding the tow prepreg T as a flat yarn made of reinforcing multifilament yarn around a core material 70, the core material 70 is first positioned so that the axial direction S2 of the core material 70 is parallel to the axial direction S1 (also referred to as the X direction) of the roller 23 that transports the tow prepreg T. Then, the tow prepreg T is stretched in a direction (also referred to as the Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 of the roller 23 and wound around the core material 70.

[0005] As shown in FIG. 16, the core material 70 can be further rotated in the circumferential direction while moving the core material 70 linearly in the X direction indicated by the arrow a, thereby helically winding the tow prepreg on the surface of the core material 70.

[0006] However, when the core material 70 is moved linearly in the direction indicated by arrow a in FIG. 16 , the direction of the tow prepreg T extending from the roller 23 to the core material 70 (see arrow b) is inclined relative to the Y direction. When the extending direction of the tow prepreg T is inclined relative to the Y direction, the position and width of the tow prepreg T extending from the roller 23 tend to vary greatly. When the position and width variations become large, it can be difficult to helically wind the tow prepreg T without gaps, as shown in FIG. 16 . That is, due to the variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg T, gaps can occur between the helically wound tow prepreg T. If the tow prepreg T were helically wound with a slight overlap to prevent gaps, the amount of tow prepreg T would increase by the amount of overlap, resulting in increased production costs and weight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The filament winding apparatus of aspect 1 is a filament winding apparatus including a conveying section in which a plurality of conveying rollers are arranged and a tow prepreg is conveyed along the circumferential surfaces of the conveying rollers, and a winding section in which the conveyed tow prepreg is wound around a core material, wherein the winding section has a rotation drive section that rotates the core material in the circumferential direction, a linear drive section that moves the core material linearly along the axial direction, and a turning drive section that turns the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller that is located closest to the core material to the core material extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller.

[0008] According to this configuration, the filament winding device has a turning drive unit, so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material can be wound while being stretched in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller, thereby reducing variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg extending from the conveying roller to the core material.

[0009] In a second aspect of the filament winding device of the first aspect, the linear drive unit reciprocates the core material along the axial direction, and the pivot drive unit pivots the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material maintains an extension state perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller when the core material reciprocates. This configuration allows the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller even when the core material reciprocates. Therefore, even when the core material reciprocates, variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material can be reduced.

[0010] A third aspect of the filament winding apparatus of the first or second aspect includes a plurality of conveying sections that individually convey a plurality of tow prepregs, and the winding section simultaneously winds the plurality of tow prepregs conveyed by the plurality of conveying sections around the core material. This configuration allows the tow prepregs extending from the rearmost conveying rollers of the plurality of conveying sections to the core material to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying rollers. This allows the plurality of tow prepregs to be simultaneously wound around the core material, while minimizing variations in the position and width of the tow prepregs extending from the rearmost conveying rollers.

[0011] A filament winding method of aspect 4 is a filament winding method using a filament winding apparatus, the filament winding apparatus including a conveying section having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged thereon and conveying the tow prepreg along the circumferential surfaces of the conveying rollers, and a winding section that wraps the conveyed tow prepreg around a core material, the winding section having a rotation drive section that rotates the core material in the circumferential direction, a linear drive section that moves the core material linearly along the axial direction, and a swivel drive section that rotates the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller that is positioned closest to the core material to the core material extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller.

[0012] According to this configuration, the tow prepreg can be wound around the core material with reduced variations in position and width extending from the conveying roller to the core material. In a fifth aspect of the filament winding method of the fourth aspect, the linear drive unit is capable of reciprocating the core material along the axial direction, and the pivot drive unit pivots the axial direction of the core material as the core material reciprocates so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material maintains a state of extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller. With this configuration, even as the core material reciprocates, the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material can be wound around the core material with reduced variation in position and width.

[0013] In a sixth aspect of the filament winding method of the fourth or fifth aspect, the filament winding apparatus includes a plurality of conveying units that individually convey a plurality of tow prepregs, and the winding unit simultaneously winds the plurality of tow prepregs conveyed by the plurality of conveying units around the core material. This configuration allows the plurality of tow prepregs to be simultaneously wound around the core material, and also allows the tow prepregs to be wound with reduced variation in position and width extending from each rearmost conveying roller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg extending from the transport roller to the core material are reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a filament winding device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the start of winding the tow prepreg around one end of the core material. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the completed winding of the tow prepreg around the other end of the core material. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the process of changing the winding direction of the tow prepreg from the other end side to one end side of the core material. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the start of winding the tow prepreg around one end of the core material. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a laser dimension measuring machine. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows measurement data of the position and width dimension immediately before winding of the tow prepreg in the filament winding method using the filament winding device of this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows measurement data of the position and width dimension immediately before winding of the tow prepreg in a filament winding method using a conventional filament winding device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the winding of the tow prepreg around the other end of the core material at a winding angle closer to the axial direction of the core material. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the process of winding the tow prepreg around one end of the core material after completing the winding around the other end of the core material. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a tow prepreg wound in the manner shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of tow prepregs wound simultaneously around the other end of the core material. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a plurality of tow prepregs are simultaneously wound around the other end of a core material, and then wound around one end of the core material. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a tow prepreg wound in the manner shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a filament winding method using a conventional filament winding device immediately after winding begins. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the completion of winding the tow prepreg around one end of the core material in a filament winding method using a conventional filament winding device.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a filament winding apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as "FW apparatus") embodying the present invention will be described based on FIG. 1.

[0017] <FW Apparatus> As shown in FIG. 1, the FW apparatus 1 of the first embodiment includes a pay - out unit 10, a conveyance unit 20, a winding unit 30, a control unit 40, a detection unit (L1 to L5), and an input unit 50.

[0018] The FW apparatus 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing a molded body made of a fiber - reinforced resin (hereinafter also simply referred to as "molded body") using a tow prepreg T in which a reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated with resin. The material of the fiber - reinforced resin constituting the molded body is not particularly limited, and the resin and reinforcing fibers constituting the fiber - reinforced resin can be appropriately selected from conventionally known ones. For example, as the resin constituting the fiber - reinforced resin, thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin, polyester resin, and phenolic resin can be mentioned. Further, as the reinforcing fibers constituting the fiber - reinforced resin, carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers, etc. can be mentioned.

[0019] Hereinafter, each component of the FW apparatus 1 will be described. (Pay - out Unit) The pay - out unit 10 has a bobbin 11. The tow prepreg T in which a reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated with resin is wound around the bobbin 11. The tow prepreg T is payed out from the bobbin 11 and conveyed in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1. That is, in FIG. 1, the left side is the upstream side of the FW apparatus 1 and the right side is the downstream side of the FW apparatus 1.

[0020] (Conveyance Unit) The conveying section 20 has a plurality of conveying rollers. The conveying section 20 has, from the upstream side, a tension roller 21, a drive roller 22, a tension roller 21, and an axial roller 23. The tension roller 21 is a roller for applying a predetermined tension to the tow prepreg T to unwind the tow prepreg T from the bobbin 11. A plurality of drive rollers 22 are provided, and are rollers for conveying the tow prepreg T along its circumferential surface. In this embodiment, six drive rollers 22 are provided. The axial rollers 23 are rollers for applying an appropriate pressure to the tow prepreg T to convey it while maintaining its fiber width. The axial roller 23 is located closest to the winding section 30 among the conveying rollers, and is therefore also referred to as the rearmost conveying roller.

[0021] The drive rollers 22 have a rotation torque drive unit 24. The rotation torque drive unit 24 is controlled by a control unit 40, which will be described later. In this embodiment, six drive rollers 22 can be driven by one rotation torque drive unit 24.

[0022] (Wrapping part) The winding section 30 has a mandrel 31 as a core material. The mandrel 31 is a cylindrical hollow or solid body having the size of the molded body to be manufactured, and is formed to have, for example, an outer diameter of 90 cm and a length of 100 cm.

[0023] The winding unit 30 has a rotation drive unit 32, a linear drive unit 33, and a turning drive unit . (Control unit) The control unit 40 has a drive roller control unit, a feed speed control unit, a tension roller control unit, an axial roller control unit, a rotation speed control unit, a linear speed control unit, and a turning angle control unit.

[0024] The drive roller control unit is connected to the rotation torque drive unit 24 of the conveyance unit 20. The drive roller control unit drives the rotation torque drive unit 24 to control the rotation torque of the drive roller 22.

[0025] The feed speed control unit is connected to the bobbin 11 of the unwinding unit 10 and controls the unwinding speed of the tow prepreg T. The tension roller control unit is connected to the tension roller 21 of the conveying unit 20, and adjusts the rotation torque and height of the tension roller 21 to control the tension applied to the tow prepreg T unwound from the bobbin 11.

[0026] The Ikuchi roller control unit is connected to the Ikuchi roller 23 and adjusts the height of the Ikuchi roller 23 to control the pressure with which the tow prepreg T is pressed against the circumferential surface of the Ikuchi roller 23. By adjusting the height of the Ikuchi roller 23, the tow prepreg T conveyed from the drive roller 22 is pressed against the circumferential surface of the Ikuchi roller 23, thereby maintaining the fiber width of the tow prepreg T.

[0027] The rotation speed control section drives the rotation drive section 32 of the winding section 30 to control the rotation speed of the mandrel 31 . The linear speed control section drives the linear drive section 33 of the winding section 30 to control the linear speed of the mandrel 31. The linear drive section 33 is capable of moving the mandrel 31 back and forth along the axial direction.

[0028] The turning angle control section drives the turning drive section 34 of the winding section 30 to control the turning angle of the mandrel 31 . (Detection unit) The detection units (L1 to L5) have non-contact laser dimension measuring devices provided in the transport unit 20.

[0029] 1, the laser dimension measuring machines are arranged at five locations before and after the tension roller 21 and the tension roller 23 in the conveying section 20. The laser dimension measuring machines measure the position and width of the tow prepreg T in the conveying section 20.

[0030] (Input section) The input unit 50 inputs the set values during the driving of the FW device 1 to the control unit 40. Examples of the set values include the feeding speed of the bobbin 11, the rotational torque or height of the tension roller 21, the height of the eye roller 23, the target value of the tension applied to the tow prepreg T downstream of the eye roller 23, etc. Further, the rotational speed, straight movement speed, turning angle, etc. of the mandrel 31 are also included. Based on these input values and the map stored in the control unit 40, a rotational torque signal SR1 is output from the driving roller control unit to the rotational torque driving unit 24 of the conveying unit 20, and the rotational torque of the driving roller 22 is set to the initial value.

[0031] <Method for manufacturing a molded body> The method for manufacturing a molded body includes a fiber opening step of opening the fiber bundle of reinforcing fibers in a so-called dry state before being impregnated with resin, and a resin coating step of impregnating the opened reinforcing fibers with resin to obtain a tow prepreg T. The fiber opening step may be omitted, and the tow prepreg T may be obtained by impregnating the non-opened reinforcing fibers with resin. Further, it has a filament winding step of obtaining an intermediate by conveying the tow prepreg T with the FW device 1 and winding it around the mandrel 31, and a lapping step of winding a lapping tape around the circumferential surface of the intermediate. Furthermore, it has a molding step of heating the intermediate around which the lapping tape is wound to obtain a molded body. The fiber opening step, resin coating step, lapping step, and molding step can be performed by conventionally known methods.

[0032] <Filament winding step by FW device> As shown in FIG. 2, when the filament winding process is performed by the FW device 1, the tow prepreg T is extended from the rearmost conveying roller 23 in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 (X direction) of the axial roller 23. The axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 is rotated so that the extending direction (arrow B) of the tow prepreg T is aligned with the forward winding angle α of the tow prepreg T around the mandrel 31. Specifically, the rotation driver 34 is driven based on a signal SR2 (see FIG. 1) sent from the rotation angle control unit to the rotation driver 34. The mandrel 31 is then rotated in the axial direction S2 around the rotation center P1 of the mandrel 31. The leading end of the tow prepreg T is then wound around one end (the left end in FIG. 2) of the mandrel 31 in the axial direction S2.

[0033] 2, when the mandrel 31 is viewed from above, the position where the axis of the mandrel 31 and the center of the tow prepreg T in the width direction overlap is designated as P2. The tow prepreg T is wound around the mandrel 31 at the position P2.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, while maintaining the rotation angle of the mandrel 31, the mandrel 31 is rotated in the circumferential direction using the rotation drive unit 32. Specifically, the rotation drive unit 32 is driven based on a signal SR2 (see FIG. 1) sent from the rotation speed control unit to the rotation drive unit 32. Furthermore, the mandrel 31 is moved linearly along the axial direction (arrow C) using the linear drive unit 33. Specifically, the linear drive unit 33 is driven based on a signal SR2 (see FIG. 1) sent from the linear speed control unit to the linear drive unit 33. At this time, the mandrel 31 is moved linearly so that the direction (arrow B) of the tow prepreg T extending from the axial roller 23 is maintained in the Y direction. The tow prepreg T is wound up to the other end of the mandrel 31 in the axial direction S2 (the end on the right side in FIG. 3). This is also referred to as forward winding. In the winding on the outward side, the tow prepregs T adjacent to each other in the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 are wound without any gaps between them.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 4, after the forward winding, while the tow prepreg T is kept stretched in the Y direction, the mandrel 31 is rotated around the rotation center P1 as a starting point so that the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 is aligned with the X direction. At this time, with the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 aligned with the X direction, the mandrel 31 is rotated approximately one more time in the circumferential direction using the rotation drive unit 32 to wind the tow prepreg T. This is also called midpoint winding.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, after winding the tow prepreg T at the midpoint, the mandrel 31 is rotated while keeping the tow prepreg T stretched in the Y direction so that the stretching direction of the tow prepreg T (arrow B) is aligned with the winding angle β of the tow prepreg T on the return path relative to the mandrel 31.

[0037] While maintaining the rotation angle of the mandrel 31, the rotation driver 32 rotates the mandrel 31 in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the linear driver 33 moves the mandrel 31 linearly along the axial direction S2 (arrow D). The mandrel 31 is moved linearly so that the direction of the tow prepreg T extending from the axial roller 23 (arrow B) is maintained in the Y direction. The tow prepreg T is wound up to one end of the mandrel 31 in the axial direction S2 (the end on the left side in FIG. 5). This is also referred to as return winding. During the return winding, the adjacent tow prepreg pieces T in the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 are wound without any gaps between them.

[0038] As described above, in the filament winding process using the FW apparatus 1, the linear drive unit 33 can reciprocate the mandrel 31 along the axial direction S2. Furthermore, the pivot drive unit 34 pivots the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 as the mandrel 31 reciprocates, so that the tow prepreg T extending from the axial roller 23 to the mandrel 31 maintains a state of extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction S1 of the axial roller 23. Note that the phrase "maintaining a state of extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction S1 of the axial roller 23" does not necessarily mean that the extension direction of the tow prepreg T is perfectly maintained in the Y direction. For example, it is acceptable for the mandrel 31 to deviate slightly from the Y direction when it is pivoted.

[0039] <Action and effect> The operation of the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, a known laser dimension measuring device was used to measure the position and width of the tow prepreg T extending from the eye-cut roller 23 to the mandrel 31 at a detection point L5 located downstream of the eye-cut roller 23. For comparison, a known laser dimension measuring device was also used to measure the position and width of the tow prepreg T at a detection point L5 located downstream of the eye-cut roller 23 in a conventional filament winding apparatus shown in Fig. 16.

[0040] The tow prepreg T used was a tow prepreg T impregnated with an epoxy resin content of 30% by mass relative to the carbon fiber bundle. The conveying speed of the tow prepreg T, i.e., the yarn speed, was 4.86 m / min.

[0041] Measurements using the laser dimension measuring machine were performed by placing a light-emitting element 61 and a light-receiving element 62 on either side of the tow prepreg T along the axial direction S1 (X direction) of the laser beam measuring roller 23. The light-receiving element 62 detected the diffused reflected light of the laser irradiated onto the tow prepreg T from the light-emitting element 61, thereby measuring the shortest distance (position) from the light-emitting element 61 to the tow prepreg T and the width of the tow prepreg T. Measurements were performed at 1-second intervals, for 25 seconds in the first embodiment and for 23 seconds in the prior art. The results are shown in Table 1 and Figures 7 and 8.

[0042] [Table 1] As shown in Table 1 and Fig. 7, in the FW device 1 of the first embodiment, the shortest distance (position) from the light emitting element 61 to the tow prepreg T was approximately 601 µm on average. The width of the tow prepreg T was approximately 10,291 µm on average. The standard deviation of the shortest distance (position) was 315.07, and the standard deviation of the width was 145.91.

[0043] In contrast, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 8, in the conventional FW device, the shortest distance (position) from the light-emitting element 61 to the tow prepreg T was approximately 2814 μm on average. The width of the tow prepreg T was approximately 8651 μm on average. The standard deviation of the shortest distance (position) was 489.57, and the standard deviation of the width was 451.49.

[0044] Here, the absolute values ​​of the shortest distance (position) and width of the tow prepreg T differ depending on the tow prepreg T measured, so the absolute values ​​cannot be simply compared. In the first embodiment, the standard deviations for both the shortest distance (position) and width were smaller than those of the conventional technology. Therefore, it was confirmed that the FW device 1 of the first embodiment had smaller variations in both the shortest distance (position) from the light emitting element 61 to the tow prepreg T and the width of the tow prepreg T than the FW device of the conventional technology.

[0045] In the first embodiment, there was no significant difference between the position and width values ​​of the tow prepreg T measured at each of the detection sections (L1 to L5) using a known laser dimension measuring device.

[0046] The effects of the first embodiment will be described. (1-1) The FW device 1 has a turning drive unit 34, which allows the tow prepreg T extending from the guide roller 23 to the mandrel 31 to be wound while stretched in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 (X direction) of the guide roller 23. This reduces variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg T extending from the guide roller 23 to the mandrel 31. Furthermore, since variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg T wound around the mandrel 31 can be reduced, it becomes easier to helically wind the tow prepreg T without gaps. Even if the tow prepregs T are helically wound with a slight overlap so as to prevent gaps between them, the overlap can be reduced, thereby suppressing increases in production cost and weight. Furthermore, the surface of the molded product can be made smoother, resulting in a better appearance. Furthermore, by eliminating gaps between the tow prepregs T and reducing overlaps between the tow prepregs T, the strength of the molded article can be improved.

[0047] (1-2) The linear driving unit 33 can reciprocate the mandrel 31 along the axial direction S2. When the mandrel 31 reciprocates, the turning driving unit 34 turns the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 so that the tow prepreg T extending from the axial roller 23 to the mandrel 31 maintains a state of extending in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 of the axial roller 23.

[0048] Therefore, even when winding is performed by reciprocating the mandrel 31, variations in the position and width of the tow prepreg T extending from the aikuchi roller 23 to the mandrel 31 can be reduced.

[0049] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the FW device 1 embodying the present invention will be described below. The following mainly describes the configuration that differs from the FW device 1 of the first embodiment, and a description of the same configuration will be omitted.

[0050] The FW device 1 has a plurality of unwinding units 10 and a plurality of conveying units 20. That is, the FW device 1 has a plurality of bobbins 11. The FW device 1 is configured so that a plurality of tow prepregs T unwound from the plurality of bobbins 11 can be individually conveyed by the plurality of conveying units 20. Furthermore, the FW device 1 is configured so that the plurality of tow prepregs T conveyed by the plurality of conveying units 20 can be simultaneously wound around a mandrel 31 in the winding unit 30. Specifically, the FW device 1 is configured so that a plurality of tow prepregs T can be simultaneously wound at different positions along the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31. The FW device 1 is a so-called multi-axis controlled FW device 1.

[0051] The FW device 1 has a turning drive unit 34 that turns the axial direction S2 of the mandrel 31 so that the multiple tow prepregs T extending from each axial roller 23 to the mandrel 31 extend in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 of the axial roller 23.

[0052] The FW device 1 also has a linear drive unit 33 that reciprocates the mandrel 31 along the axial direction S2. When the mandrel 31 reciprocates, the pivot drive unit 34 pivots the mandrel 31 about the axial direction S2 so that the tow prepregs T extending from each of the axial rollers 23 to the mandrel 31 maintain a state in which they extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction S1 of each of the axial rollers 23.

[0053] As described above, in the FW device 1 of the second embodiment, multiple tow prepregs T extending from each of the axial rollers 23 to the mandrel 31 can be wound while being stretched in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 (X direction) of each of the axial rollers 23.

[0054] <Action and effect> The operation of the second embodiment will be described. 9, for example, when the winding angle α of the tow prepreg T1 on the outward side around the mandrel 31 is relatively small, gaps may be formed between adjacent tow prepregs T1 when the tow prepregs T1 are helically wound. In other words, there may be areas on the surface of the mandrel 31 that are not covered by the tow prepreg T1.

[0055] 10, when the winding angle α of the tow prepreg T2 on the return side is the same as that on the forward side, even if further winding on the return side is performed, gaps may be formed between adjacent tow prepregs T2. Therefore, it is necessary to repeatedly wind the tow prepreg T on the return side and the forward side to wind the tow prepreg T around the surface of the mandrel 31 without any gaps.

[0056] 11 is a schematic diagram of the surface of the mandrel 31 when, from the left in the upper row, "outgoing winding," "outgoing + homeward winding," and "outgoing + homeward + outgoing winding" are performed. The lower row is a schematic diagram of the cross section of the tow prepreg T as viewed along the axial direction (arrow E) of the outgoing tow prepreg T1 during each winding in the upper row.

[0057] As shown in Figure 11, when the winding of the outgoing and return routes is repeated, the return-side tow prepregs T2 are sandwiched between the outgoing tow prepregs T1. Similarly, the outgoing tow prepregs T1 are sandwiched between the return-side tow prepregs T2. In such areas where the outgoing tow prepregs T1 and the return-side tow prepregs T2 are alternately sandwiched, unevenness is likely to form on the surface of the molded product.

[0058] 12, the FW apparatus 1 of the second embodiment can simultaneously wind a plurality of tow prepregs T1 (1 to 4) around a mandrel 31. Even if the winding angle α of the tow prepregs T1 is relatively small, the outward winding can be performed without leaving any gaps between adjacent tow prepregs T1.

[0059] 13, in the return winding, multiple tow prepregs T2 (1 to 4) can be simultaneously wound around the mandrel 31. The winding can be performed without leaving any gaps between adjacent tow prepregs T2.

[0060] As shown in Figure 14, even if winding on the outgoing side and the returning side are repeated, the tow prepreg T1 on the outgoing side and the tow prepreg T2 on the returning side are not sandwiched alternately. This makes the surface of the molded body smoother, improving the appearance. Furthermore, the strength of the molded body can be improved.

[0061] Furthermore, similar to the FW apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the multiple tow prepregs T can be wound while stretched in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the axial direction S1 (X direction) of each of the rollers 23. This reduces variations in the position and width of the tow prepregs T wound around the mandrel 31.

[0062] The effects of the second embodiment will be described. (2-1) The system is provided with a plurality of conveying units 20 that individually convey a plurality of tow prepregs T, and the winding unit 30 simultaneously winds the plurality of tow prepregs T conveyed by the plurality of conveying units 20 around the mandrel 31.

[0063] Therefore, even if the winding angle α of the tow prepreg T is relatively small, the outward winding can be performed without leaving any gaps between adjacent tow prepregs T.

[0064] (2-2) By simultaneously winding a plurality of tow prepregs T around the mandrel 31, the time required to produce a molded body can be shortened, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0065] <Example of change> The first embodiment and the second embodiment (hereinafter collectively referred to as the present embodiment) can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modifications can be implemented in combination with each other within the scope of no technical contradiction.

[0066] In the FW device 1 of this embodiment, the detection units (L1 to L5) are arranged in five locations, but the number of detection units is not limited to five. Furthermore, the locations of the detection units are not limited to those of this embodiment. Furthermore, the detection units may be omitted. In other words, the FW device 1 does not need to have a laser dimension measuring device. Furthermore, the detection units may have a measuring device other than a laser dimension measuring device. Examples of measuring devices other than a laser dimension measuring device include contact-type tension detection sensors provided on the eye roller 23, etc.

[0067] In the filament winding method of this embodiment, the winding is performed in the order of winding on the outward side, winding at the midpoint, and winding on the return side, but the winding order can be selected as appropriate. For example, the winding may be performed in the order of winding on the return side, winding at the midpoint, and winding on the outward side. Also, winding at the midpoint may be omitted.

[0068] The surface of the mandrel 31 serving as the core material may be covered with another material. For example, it may be covered with a flexible tube or the like. The mandrel 31 covered with a flexible tube or the like is also included in the core material of this embodiment.

[0069] In this embodiment, the winding unit 30 has a rotation drive unit 32, a linear drive unit 33, and a turning drive unit 34. The rotation drive unit 32, the linear drive unit 33, and the turning drive unit 34 fix the position of the guide roller 23 and control the rotation, linear movement, and turning of the mandrel 31 by operating the mandrel 31, but this is not limited to this. The winding unit 30 may fix at least one of the rotation, linear movement, and turning of the mandrel 31 and operate the guide roller 23 to control at least one of the rotation, linear movement, and turning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] T...tow prepreg, 1...filament winding device, 10...unwinding section, 11...bobbin, 20...conveying section, 21...tension roller, 22...drive roller, 23...winding roller, 30...winding section, 31...mandrel (core material), 32...rotation drive section, 33...linear drive section, 34...turning drive section, 40...control section, 50...input section, L1 to L5...detection sections.

Claims

1. a conveying section including a plurality of conveying rollers arranged therein and conveying the tow prepreg along the peripheral surfaces thereof; a winding unit that winds the conveyed tow prepreg around a core material, The winding unit includes a rotation drive unit that rotates the core material in a circumferential direction; a linear driving unit that moves the core material linearly along an axial direction; a rotation drive unit that rotates the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller, which is located closest to the core material among the conveying rollers, to the core material extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller.

2. the linear driving unit is capable of reciprocating the core material along an axial direction, 2. The filament winding device according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting drive unit pivots the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material maintains a state in which it extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller when the core material moves back and forth.

3. a plurality of conveying sections for individually conveying a plurality of tow prepregs; The filament winding device according to claim 1 , wherein the winding section simultaneously winds the plurality of tow prepregs transported by the plurality of transport sections around the core material.

4. A filament winding method using a filament winding device, comprising: The filament winding device includes: a conveying section having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged thereon to convey the tow prepreg along the circumferential surfaces of the conveying rollers; and a winding section winding the conveyed tow prepreg around a core material, The winding unit rotates the core material in a circumferential direction using a rotation drive unit, and moves the core material linearly along an axial direction using a linear drive unit, The filament winding method further comprises rotating the axial direction of the core material in the rotating drive unit so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller, which is located closest to the core material among the conveying rollers, to the core material extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller.

5. the linear driving unit is capable of reciprocating the core material along an axial direction, 5. The filament winding method according to claim 4, wherein the pivoting drive unit pivots the axial direction of the core material so that the tow prepreg extending from the rearmost conveying roller to the core material maintains a state in which it extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rearmost conveying roller when the core material moves back and forth.

6. The filament winding device includes: a plurality of conveying sections for individually conveying a plurality of tow prepregs; The filament winding method according to claim 4 , wherein the winding section simultaneously winds the plurality of tow prepregs transported by the plurality of transport sections around the core material.

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