Cutting tools and cutting methods

Abstract

This disclosure provides cutting tools and cutting methods that can improve the lifespan of the cutting tools. [Solution] The cutting tool according to this disclosure is a cutting tool for cutting a reinforcing fiber material. The cutting tool according to this disclosure comprises an upper blade 11 that contacts the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above and a lower blade 12 that contacts the reinforcing fiber material 50 from below. In the cutting tool according to this disclosure, the contact positions of the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the upper blade 11 and the contact positions of the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are shifted in the left-right direction, the reinforcing fiber material is sandwiched between the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion 30 starting from either of the contact positions, and the upper blade 11 or the lower blade 12 on the other contact position side is brought into contact with the vicinity of the convex portion 30 to cut the reinforcing fiber material 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a cutting tool and a cutting method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a punching and molding method for a laminated composite material, which uses a die and a punch to punch a laminated composite material obtained by laminating a resin film on a plate material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventors have found the following problems. When cutting a reinforcing fiber material as in Patent Document 1 described above, there is a problem that the wear of the cutting tool is large, so the tool life is short.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a cutting tool and a cutting method capable of improving the tool life.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The cutting tool according to this disclosure is a cutting tool for cutting a reinforcing fiber material, an upper blade that abuts against the reinforcing fiber material from above, and a lower blade that abuts against the reinforcing fiber material from below, and includes the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the upper blade and the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade are shifted in the left-right direction, and the reinforcing fiber material is sandwiched by the upper blade and the lower blade, Starting from either contact point, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion. The upper or lower blade on the other contact position side is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material.

[0007] The cutting tool according to this disclosure cuts the reinforcing fiber material 50 by shifting the upper blade from the contact position when bending the reinforcing fiber material to near the convex portion and moving it downward (towards the negative z-axis direction). With this configuration, the upper and lower blades grip and cut the portion where the thickness of the reinforcing fiber material has thinned due to cracking caused by bending, thereby reducing the cutting load and improving the life of the cutting tool.

[0008] The reinforcing fiber material is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). With this configuration, cracks easily form from the lower blade side surface (compression side surface) of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) toward the interior of the reinforcing fiber material, thereby reducing the bending load and more effectively improving the lifespan of the cutting tool.

[0009] The cutting tool relating to this disclosure is A cutting tool for cutting reinforced fiber material, A first upper blade is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material from above, and its tip has a predetermined curvature. The reinforcing fiber material is brought into contact with the second upper blade, which has a sharp tip, It comprises a lower blade that contacts the reinforcing fiber material from below, The contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the first upper blade, and the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade are shifted in the left-right direction, so that the reinforcing fiber material is sandwiched between the first upper blade and the lower blade. Starting from the contact point between the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade, the first upper blade bends the reinforcing fiber material to form a convex portion. The second upper blade is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material.

[0010] The cutting tool according to this disclosure uses a first upper blade having a predetermined curvature at its tip to bend the reinforcing fiber material, and then cuts the reinforcing fiber material by bringing a second upper blade, which has a sharp tip, into contact with it. This configuration makes it possible to suppress the formation of scratches on the surface of the reinforcing fiber material by the first upper blade. In addition, the cutting load by the second upper blade can be further reduced. As a result, the reinforcing fiber material can be cut easily, and the lifespan of the cutting tool can be further improved.

[0011] The reinforcing fiber material may be carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). With this configuration, cracks easily form from the lower blade side surface (compression side surface) of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) toward the interior of the reinforcing fiber material, thereby reducing the bending load and more effectively improving the lifespan of the cutting tool.

[0012] The cutting method relating to this disclosure is: A cutting method for cutting a reinforced fiber material using a cutting tool equipped with an upper blade and a lower blade, The upper blade and the lower blade are shifted in the left-right direction to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material from above and below. Starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material and the upper or lower blade are in contact, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion. The upper or lower blade, located on the side of the protrusion formed on the reinforcing fiber material, is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material.

[0013] In the cutting method according to this disclosure, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut by shifting the upper blade from the contact position when bending the reinforcing fiber material to the vicinity of the convex portion and moving it downward (towards the negative z-axis direction). With this configuration, the portion where the thickness of the reinforcing fiber material has thinned due to bending is gripped and cut by the upper and lower blades, thereby reducing the cutting load and improving the life of the cutting tool. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] This disclosure provides cutting tools and cutting methods that can improve the lifespan of the cutting tools.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a cutting method using a cutting tool according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the upper blade. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the upper blade. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing a cutting method using a cutting tool according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing a cutting method using a cutting tool according to a comparative example. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram showing a cutting method using a cutting tool according to Embodiment 2.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are essential as means for solving the problems. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0017] Of course, the right-handed xyz orthogonal coordinates shown in the drawings are for convenience in explaining the positional relationship of the components. Usually, the positive direction of the z-axis is vertically upward, and the xy plane is the horizontal plane.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) <Cutting target> First, the object to be cut using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The object to be cut is a reinforced fiber material. A reinforced fiber material is a material that combines reinforcing fibers with a resin base material. A reinforced fiber material is a material in which a reinforcing fiber layer is laminated to a resin layer, or a material in which a reinforcing fiber structure is mixed with a resin structure. A typical example of a reinforced fiber material is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). The thickness of the object to be cut is not particularly limited, but a thickness of 0.3 mm or more and 1 mm or less is preferred.

[0019] <Composition of the cutting tool> Next, the configuration of the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the upper blade. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the upper blade.

[0020] Figure 1 shows the state in which the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut when the cutting tool 10 is operated, from left to right. Here, we will focus on the left side of Figure 1 and describe the configuration of the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1. As shown in the left side of Figure 1, the cutting tool 10 comprises a pair of upper blades 11 and lower blades 12.

[0021] Referring to the left diagram in Figure 1, the arrangement of the upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 in the cutting tool 10 will be explained. As shown in the left diagram in Figure 1, a predetermined distance is provided between the pair of upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 in the left-right direction (y-axis direction) of the cutting tool 10.

[0022] Specifically, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, a predetermined gap d1 is provided between the pair of upper blades 11 and lower blades 12. In other words, in the cutting tool 10, the upper blades 11 and lower blades 12 are offset from each other in the left-right direction (y-axis direction). The predetermined gap d1 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably more than half the thickness of the reinforcing fiber material 50 in the z-axis direction.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the upper blade 11 is positioned so that its tip faces the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50 on the positive z-axis side. As shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the lower blade 12 is positioned so that its tip faces the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50 on the negative z-axis side.

[0024] The upper blade 11 of the cutting tool 10 will be described with reference to the left diagram of Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3. The upper blade 11 shown in the left diagram of Figure 1 is a blade that contacts the reinforced fiber material 50 from above. The upper blade 11 shown in the left diagram of Figure 1 may have a sharp tip or a shape with a predetermined curvature.

[0025] An example of the configuration of the upper blade 11 is described below. As shown in Figure 2, the upper blade 11 is formed by radiating outwards from the central axis C1. The upper blade 11 shown in Figure 1 corresponds to the tip of the upper blade 11 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the upper blade 11 is configured to be rotatable around the central axis C1.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the upper blade 11 may be formed at a rectangular tip. The upper blade 11 shown in Figure 1 corresponds to the tip of the upper blade 11 shown in Figure 3. The upper blade 11 shown in the left diagram of Figure 1 and in Figure 3 is movable in the vertical direction (z-axis direction), as shown in Figure 3.

[0027] The lower blade 12 shown in the left diagram of Figure 1 is a blade that contacts the reinforcing fiber material 50 from below. Similar to the upper blade 11, the tip of the lower blade 12 shown in the left diagram of Figure 1 may be sharp or it may have a curved shape.

[0028] Furthermore, the lower blade 12 shown in the left diagram of Figure 1 is fixed to a base not shown in Figures 1 to 3. Also, unlike the upper blade 11, the lower blade 12 is fixed in place by contacting the reinforcing fiber material 50 from below.

[0029] <Cutting methods using cutting tools> Next, a cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1.

[0030] First, as shown in Figure 4, the upper and lower blades are offset from side to side to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material from above and below (step ST1). A detailed explanation will be given with reference to the left diagram in Figure 1.

[0031] As shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the upper blade 11 is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above (positive z-axis direction). Also, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the lower blade 12 is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50 from below (negative z-axis direction).

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the contact positions between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the upper blade 11, and the contact positions between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are offset by a predetermined distance d1 in the left-right direction (y-axis direction). Then, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is sandwiched between the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 from above and below (z-axis direction).

[0033] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion, starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade are in contact (step ST2). This will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 3.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the upper blade 11 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction). In other words, the upper blade 11 is moved toward the reinforcing fiber material 50. As a result, as shown in the center view of Figure 1, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent starting from the point where it is in contact with the lower blade 12. Also, as shown in the center view of Figure 1, a crack is formed from the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50 on the lower blade 12 side toward the interior of the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in the center view of Figure 1, a protrusion 30 is formed on the reinforcing fiber material 50. The protrusion 30 is a portion that protrudes toward the upper blade 11 when the reinforcing fiber material 50 is pushed toward the upper blade 11 by the lower blade 12 and bent toward the upper blade 11.

[0036] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the upper blade, located on the side of the protrusion formed on the reinforcing fiber material, is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material (step ST3). This will be explained in detail with reference to the left, center, and right diagrams of Figure 1.

[0037] As shown in the center diagram of Figure 1, when bending, the contact position between the upper blade 11 and the reinforcing fiber material 50 is position A1. Position A1 is the position in the left diagram of Figure 1 where the upper blade 11 is in contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50. From this state, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 1, the contact position between the upper blade 11 and the reinforcing fiber material 50 is shifted to position A2. Position A2 is the position where the upper blade 11 is in contact with the vicinity of the protrusion 30 formed on the reinforcing fiber material 50. To shift the upper blade 11 from position A1 to position A2, for example, the upper blade 11 is moved in the positive y-axis direction to bring it closer to the lower blade 12.

[0038] Then, while the upper blade 11 is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50 at position A2, the upper blade 11 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction), as shown in Figure 3. As a result, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 1. If the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 is considered one contact position, then the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the upper blade 11 becomes the other contact position, and the upper blade 11 becomes the blade on the other contact position side. If the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the upper blade 11 is considered one contact position, then the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 becomes the other contact position, and the lower blade 12 becomes the blade on the other contact position side.

[0039] As described above, in the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1, the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 are shifted in the left-right direction to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above and below. Then, starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are in contact, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion 30. Then, by shifting the upper blade 11 from the contact position A1 to the contact position A2 when bending the reinforcing fiber material 50, the upper blade 11 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction), thereby cutting the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0040] By using this configuration, as shown in the center diagram of Figure 1, cracks are created in the reinforcing fiber material 50, and the upper blade 11 is brought into contact with the surface (protrusion 30) opposite to the crack to cut, thereby reducing the cutting load. In other words, the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 grip and cut the area where the thickness of the reinforcing fiber material 50 has decreased due to the crack, thereby reducing the cutting load. Furthermore, wear of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 can also be suppressed. Thus, in the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1, the reinforcing fiber material 50 can be easily cut, and the life of the cutting tool can be improved.

[0041] In the example shown in Figure 1 above, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent starting from the point where it contacts the lower blade 12, and the upper blade 11, which is in contact with the protrusion 30, is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction) to cut. However, the method is not limited to this, and the reinforcing fiber material 50 may also be bent starting from the point where it contacts the upper blade 11, and the lower blade 12, which is in contact with the protrusion, may be moved upward (towards the positive z-axis direction) to cut.

[0042] In this case, the upper blade 11 is configured to contact the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above and to be in a fixed position. The lower blade 12 is configured to be rotatable as shown in Figure 2 or to be vertically movable as shown in Figure 3. That is, starting from the contact position of one of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12, the other of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 bends the reinforcing fiber material 50 to form a convex portion, and then the other of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 is brought into contact with the vicinity of the convex portion to cut the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0043] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 1 above, the reinforcing fiber material 50 was cut by bringing the upper blade 11 into contact with the surface opposite to the crack (protrusion 30) and moving the upper blade 11 downwards (negative z-axis direction). However, the method is not limited to this, and the upper blade 11 may also be brought into contact with the surface opposite to the crack (protrusion 30) and the upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 may be pushed together to cut the material.

[0044] In this case, the upper blade 11 will have either a rotatable configuration as shown in Figure 2 or a vertically movable configuration as shown in Figure 3. The lower blade 12 will also be variably configured to be in a fixed position while contacting the reinforcing fiber material 50 from below, or to be rotatable as shown in Figure 2 or vertically movable as shown in Figure 3.

[0045] <Cutting by rotation of the upper blade> Furthermore, in the examples shown in Figures 1 and 4 above, the upper blade 11 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction) to bend and cut the reinforcing fiber material. However, the method is not limited to this, and the reinforcing fiber material 50 may also be bent and cut by rotating the upper blade 11, as shown in Figure 2, starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are in contact. Even with this configuration, the cutting load on the reinforcing fiber material 50 can be reduced. Therefore, the reinforcing fiber material 50 can be cut easily, and the tool life can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, the method is not limited to bending or cutting the reinforcing fiber material with one of the upper blades 11 shown in Figure 2. Multiple upper blades 11 shown in Figure 2 may continuously contact the reinforcing fiber material 50 as they rotate, thereby bending or cutting the reinforcing fiber material. Even with such a configuration, the reinforcing fiber material 50 can be easily cut. As a result, the amount of wear on the upper blades 11 and lower blades 12 can be reduced, thereby improving the lifespan of the cutting tool.

[0047] <Cutting method related to the comparative example> Here, we will describe a cutting method using a cutting tool according to a comparative example. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a cutting method using a cutting tool according to a comparative example. The cutting tool according to the comparative example shown in Figure 5 has the same configuration as the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0048] As shown in the left diagram of Figure 5, in the cutting method using the blade tool of the comparative example, the upper and lower blades are offset from side to side to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material from above and below. Next, as shown in the center and right diagrams of Figure 5, the reinforcing fiber material is bent and cut starting from the point where it is in contact with the lower blade. This will be explained in detail with reference to the left, center, and right diagrams of Figure 5.

[0049] As shown in the left diagram of Figure 5, the upper blade 11 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction). As a result, as shown in the center diagram of Figure 5, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent starting from the point where it is in contact with the lower blade 12. Then, as shown in the center diagram of Figure 5, a crack is formed from the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50 on the lower blade 12 side toward the interior of the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0050] As shown in the center view of Figure 5, the upper blade 11 is moved further downward (towards the negative z-axis direction) from the state in which a crack has formed in the reinforcing fiber material 50. As a result, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut, as shown in the right view of Figure 5.

[0051] Thus, in the cutting method using the blade tool shown in the comparative example in Figure 5, the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 are offset from side to side to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above and below. Then, starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are in contact, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent and cut.

[0052] This section compares the cutting method using the blade tool according to Embodiment 1 with the cutting method using the blade tool according to the Comparative Example. In the cutting method using the blade tool according to the Comparative Example shown in Figure 5, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent until it is cut. In contrast, in the cutting method using the blade tool according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent in order to create cracks. Therefore, in the cutting method using the blade tool according to Embodiment 1, the load required to bend the reinforcing fiber material 50 can be reduced compared to the cutting method using the blade tool according to the Comparative Example. As a result, the cutting life of the blade tools of the upper blade 11 and lower blade 12 can be further improved in the cutting method using the blade tool according to Embodiment 1.

[0053] (Embodiment 2) <Composition of the cutting tool> Next, the configuration of the cutting tool according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 2. In Figure 6, the tool is equipped with an upper blade 111 and an upper blade 112. The configuration other than the upper blade 111 and upper blade 112 is the same as the configuration of the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1, so its explanation will be omitted.

[0054] As shown in the left and center diagrams of Figure 6, the upper blade 111 has a predetermined curvature at its tip. The upper blade 112 has a sharp shape at its tip. The other configurations of the upper blades 111 and 112 are the same as those of the upper blade 11 of the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1. The upper blade 111 may be referred to as the first upper blade, and the upper blade 112 as the second upper blade.

[0055] <Cutting methods using cutting tools> Referring to Figure 6, a cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 2 will be described. As shown in the left diagram of Figure 6, the upper blade 111 is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above (positive z-axis direction). Also, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 6, the lower blade 12 is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50 from below (negative z-axis direction).

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the contact positions between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the upper blade 111, and the contact positions between the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are offset by a predetermined distance d1 in the left-right direction (y-axis direction). Then, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is sandwiched between the upper blade 111 and the lower blade 12 from above and below (z-axis direction).

[0057] Next, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 6, the upper blade 111 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction). In other words, the upper blade 11 is moved toward the reinforcing fiber material 50. As a result, as shown in the center diagram of Figure 6, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is bent starting from the point where it contacts the lower blade 12. Also, as shown in the center diagram of Figure 6, a crack is formed from the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50 on the lower blade 12 side toward the interior of the reinforcing fiber material 50. Furthermore, as shown in the center diagram of Figure 6, a protrusion 30 is formed on the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0058] In this way, by bending the reinforcing fiber material 50 using the upper blade 111 whose tip has a predetermined curvature, it is possible to suppress the formation of scratches on the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0059] Next, the upper blade 111, which was in contact with the material at position A1, is replaced with the upper blade 112. Then, while the upper blade 112 is in contact with the reinforcing fiber material 50 at position A2, the upper blade 112 is moved downward (towards the negative z-axis direction). As a result, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 6.

[0060] In this way, the upper blade 112, which has a sharp tip, is brought into contact with the area (protrusion 30) where a crack has occurred and the thickness of the reinforcing fiber material 50 has decreased, and the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut. This makes it easy to cut the reinforcing fiber material 50, thus reducing the cutting load. Therefore, the life of the cutting tool can be further improved.

[0061] As described above, in the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 2, the upper blade 111 and the lower blade 12 are shifted in the left-right direction to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material 50 from above and below. Then, starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material 50 and the lower blade 12 are in contact, the upper blade 111 is used to bend the reinforcing fiber material to form a protrusion 30. Then, by changing from the upper blade 111 to the upper blade 112 at contact position A1, and moving the upper blade 112 downwards (towards the negative z-axis direction) at contact position A2, the reinforcing fiber material 50 is cut.

[0062] By adopting this configuration, the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 2 can suppress the formation of scratches on the surface of the reinforcing fiber material 50 by the upper blade 111, which has a predetermined curvature at its tip. Furthermore, the cutting load by the upper blade 112, which has a sharp tip, can be further reduced. Therefore, the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 2 can further improve the lifespan of the cutting tool.

[0063] <Cutting carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)> Here, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) easily cracks when stress is applied to the compression side. In the cutting method using the cutting tool according to Embodiment 1, the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is bent as shown in the center view of Figure 1. As a result, cracks easily form from the surface on the lower blade 12 side (the compression side surface) of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) toward the interior of the reinforcing fiber material 50.

[0064] Therefore, when the reinforcing fiber material is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), the load that bends the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 can be further reduced. Thus, when the reinforcing fiber material is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), using the cutting method with the blade according to Embodiment 1 can more effectively improve the lifespan of the blade. The same can be said for the cutting method with the blade according to Embodiment 2.

[0065] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from its intent. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 10 Cutting tools 11,111, 112 upper blade 12 Lower blade 30 Convex part 50 Reinforced fiber material

Claims

1. A cutting tool for cutting reinforced fiber material, An upper blade that contacts the reinforcing fiber material from above, It comprises a lower blade that contacts the reinforcing fiber material from below, The contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the upper blade, and the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade are shifted in the left-right direction, so that the reinforcing fiber material is sandwiched between the upper and lower blades. Starting from either of the contact points, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion. The upper or lower blade on the other contact position side is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material. Cutting tools.

2. The aforementioned reinforcing fiber material is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). The cutting tool according to claim 1.

3. A cutting tool for cutting reinforced fiber material, A first upper blade is brought into contact with the reinforcing fiber material from above, and its tip has a predetermined curvature. The reinforcing fiber material is brought into contact with the second upper blade, which has a sharp tip, It comprises a lower blade that contacts the reinforcing fiber material from below, The contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the first upper blade, and the contact position between the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade are shifted in the left-right direction, so that the reinforcing fiber material is sandwiched between the first upper blade and the lower blade. Starting from the contact point between the reinforcing fiber material and the lower blade, the first upper blade bends the reinforcing fiber material to form a convex portion. The second upper blade is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material. Cutting tools.

4. The aforementioned reinforcing fiber material is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). The cutting tool according to claim 3.

5. A cutting method for cutting a reinforced fiber material using a cutting tool equipped with an upper blade and a lower blade, The upper blade and the lower blade are shifted in the left-right direction to sandwich the reinforcing fiber material from above and below. Starting from the point where the reinforcing fiber material and the upper or lower blade are in contact, the reinforcing fiber material is bent to form a convex portion. The upper or lower blade, located on the side of the protrusion formed on the reinforcing fiber material, is brought into contact with the vicinity of the protrusion to cut the reinforcing fiber material. Cutting method.

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