FRP reinforcement forming machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a configuration for an FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) reinforcement molding apparatus that impregnates multiple reinforcing fiber bundles with thermoplastic resin to form FRP reinforcement, thereby enabling the production of FRP reinforcement with sufficient strength. [Solution] The FRP reinforcement molding apparatus comprises an impregnation device including a resin tank, an extraction device, and a twisting device. Multiple reinforcing fiber bundles enter the resin tank, are extracted from the resin tank by the extraction device, and are twisted by the twisting device. Inside the resin tank are a first guide plate, a second guide plate, and a fiber-opening structure. Each guide plate has multiple through holes arranged in a circular pattern for passing the reinforcing fiber bundles. The fiber-opening structure is provided with an inner guide section and a fiber-opening section. The reinforcing fiber bundles are guided by the inner guide section, and in the fiber-opening section, they are guided and opened at a position outside the inner guide section by a guide surface which is an outwardly convex outward arc surface. As a result, the thermoplastic resin is impregnated into the reinforcing fiber bundles, and the FRP reinforcement becomes sufficiently strong.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a FRP bar forming device for forming a FRP bar from a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles, which includes an introduction part into which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is introduced and a lead-out part from which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is led out in a converged state, and an impregnation device including a resin tank in which a thermoplastic resin is stored, and a pulling device provided on the downstream side of the resin tank, and is configured to pull each of the reinforcing fiber bundles passing through the resin tank from the resin tank by the pulling device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as a reinforcing bar (rod-shaped reinforcing material) used for reinforcing concrete, etc., FRP bars that are lighter than conventional steel bars but have very high strength and excellent durability have attracted attention. Further, as such FRP bars, those containing a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles such as carbon fiber bundles and basalt fiber bundles, and formed by impregnating the plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles with a thermoplastic resin are known.

[0003] And, as a FRP bar forming device for forming a FRP bar by impregnating a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles with a thermoplastic resin, for example, there is a device disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as "conventional device"). The conventional device includes an impregnation device including a resin tank (impregnator) in which a thermoplastic resin is stored, and a pulling device (pulling belt) provided on the downstream side of the resin tank. Further, the resin tank in the impregnation device has an introduction part (a plurality of fiber passing holes opened on the upper surface) into which a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles (reinforcing fiber materials) are introduced, and a lead-out part (a through hole communicating with a through hole of a forming die fixed to the impregnator) from which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is led out in a converged state.

[0004] In this conventional apparatus, multiple reinforcing fiber bundles are introduced into the resin tank from its inlet, and a pull-out device located downstream of the resin tank pulls the reinforcing fiber bundles out from the discharge section of the resin tank, causing the reinforcing fiber bundles to pass through the resin tank. As the reinforcing fiber bundles pass through the resin tank, they pass through the thermoplastic resin stored in the resin tank and become impregnated with the thermoplastic resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-104567 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, conventional devices include a plurality of guide members arranged at intervals in the direction of passage of the reinforcing fiber bundles within the resin tank of the impregnation device, for the purpose of sufficiently impregnating the reinforcing fiber bundles with thermoplastic resin. These plurality of guide members have through holes for the reinforcing fiber bundles to pass through, and in the case of two adjacent guide members, one guide member has a through hole formed to guide the reinforcing fiber bundle at an outward position, while the other guide member has a through hole formed to guide the reinforcing fiber bundle at an inward position (a position inside the outward position).

[0007] Therefore, in conventional devices, the reinforcing fiber bundle introduced into the resin tank is guided by the through-holes of each guide member, being pushed downward from an outer position to an inward position by one guide member, and being pushed upward from an inward position to an outward position by the other guide member. As a result, the reinforcing fiber bundle is pressed against the inner surface of each guide member through the through-holes.

[0008] In conventional devices, the through-holes that guide the reinforcing fiber bundles are formed as perfectly circular holes. Therefore, when the reinforcing fiber bundles are pressed against the inner surface of these through-holes, each reinforcing fiber bundle is compressed toward the center of the arc-shaped portion it is in contact with on the inner surface of the through-hole, resulting in a convergent state of the reinforcing fibers. As a result, it becomes difficult for the thermoplastic resin to penetrate between the reinforcing fibers within the bundles, and the thermoplastic resin does not adequately impregnate the reinforcing fiber bundles. When forming FRP reinforcement, if the thermoplastic resin is not adequately impregnated into each reinforcing fiber bundle in this way, it becomes impossible to obtain FRP reinforcement with sufficient strength.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a configuration for an FRP reinforcement molding apparatus that impregnates multiple reinforcing fiber bundles with thermoplastic resin to form FRP reinforcement, thereby enabling the production of FRP reinforcement with sufficient strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to an FRP reinforcement molding apparatus for forming FRP reinforcement from multiple reinforcing fiber bundles. The present invention is based on an FRP reinforcement molding apparatus comprising an impregnation device including a resin tank that stores thermoplastic resin and has an introduction section into which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is introduced and an output section from which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is led out in a converged state, and a drawer device provided downstream of the resin tank, wherein each of the reinforcing fiber bundles passing through the resin tank is drawn out of the resin tank by the drawer device. Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention is characterized by comprising the following twisting device and the impregnation device.

[0011] The twisting device is provided downstream of the resin tank and twists the reinforcing fiber bundles so as to twist together a plurality of the reinforcing fiber bundles in a converged state. The impregnation device comprises a first guide plate, a second guide plate, and a fiber-opening structure as follows. The first guide plate is provided inside the resin tank and is formed with a plurality of through holes arranged in a circle for allowing the plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles from the introduction section to pass through. The second guide plate is provided between the first guide plate and the discharge section and is formed with a plurality of through holes arranged in a circle for allowing the plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles to pass through. The fiber-opening structure is provided upstream of the second guide plate. The fiber-opening structure includes a fiber-opening section having an outwardly convex outward arc surface as a guide surface for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundles, and an inner guide section that guides the reinforcing fiber bundles upstream of the fiber-opening section and inward of the outward arc surface.

[0012] Furthermore, in the FRP reinforcement forming apparatus of the present invention, the fiber-opening portion in the fiber-opening structure may be composed of a fiber-opening member having the outward-facing arc surface on its outer circumferential surface.

[0013] Furthermore, the fiber-opening structure may include a fiber-collecting portion downstream of the fiber-opening portion, which has an inwardly concave inward arc surface as a guide surface for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle.

[0014] Furthermore, the impregnation device may include a guide member provided between the second guide plate and the outlet portion, which guides the reinforcing fiber bundle at a position inside all of the through holes in the second guide plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus according to the present invention, multiple reinforcing fiber bundles introduced into the resin tank of the impregnation device are first guided by passing through multiple through holes in the first guide plate. Since the multiple through holes in the first guide plate are formed in a circular arrangement, the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles are guided in a circular arrangement downstream of the first guide plate.

[0016] Next, in the open fiber structure, each reinforcing fiber bundle is guided in the inner guide section and then guided in the open fiber section. Since each reinforcing fiber bundle is guided in the inner guide section at an internal level to the guide surface in the open fiber section, each reinforcing fiber bundle is pressed against the guide surface in the open fiber section. Furthermore, because the guide surface in the open fiber section is an outwardly convex outward arc surface, each reinforcing fiber bundle is subjected to a force that causes it to spread along the arc of the guide surface, resulting in an open fiber state.

[0017] Therefore, with this FRP reinforcement molding apparatus, each reinforcing fiber bundle is opened at the open portion of its open fiber structure within the resin tank of the impregnation device. As a result, compared to conventional devices configured so that the reinforcing fibers are converged within the resin tank, the thermoplastic resin impregnation of each reinforcing fiber bundle is sufficiently carried out. Consequently, FRP reinforcement with sufficient strength can be obtained. In addition, the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a twisting device downstream of the resin tank, so that the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles drawn out of the resin tank in a converged state are twisted (twisted together). As a result, the roundness and fiber volume content of the FRP reinforcement are increased, and as a result, FRP reinforcement with higher strength can be obtained.

[0018] Furthermore, as described above, if multiple reinforcing fiber bundles are twisted (hereinafter simply referred to as "twisting") downstream of the resin tank, the effects of this twisting will propagate through the outlet section into the resin tank. If the effects of this twisting then propagate to the open fiber structure, each reinforcing fiber bundle will be subjected to a force in the twisting direction (the direction in which multiple reinforcing fiber bundles are aligned) on the open fiber section of the open fiber structure, resulting in insufficient opening. This may prevent sufficient impregnation of each reinforcing fiber bundle with thermoplastic resin.

[0019] In contrast, in the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus of the present invention, a second guide plate is provided downstream of the open fiber structure, that is, between the outlet section and the open fiber structure, with a plurality of through holes formed therein (arranged in a circular pattern) to correspond to a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles guided (circularly) by the first guide plate. The plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles that have passed through the open fiber structure are guided by passing through the plurality of through holes in the second guide plate. As a result of guiding each reinforcing fiber bundle through the through holes in the second guide plate in this manner, the displacement of each reinforcing fiber bundle in the direction of twisting due to the aforementioned twisting is restricted by the through holes, and the effect of the twisting is prevented from spreading to the open fiber structure (upstream of the second guide plate). Consequently, in the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus, insufficient opening of each reinforcing fiber bundle in the open fiber structure (open fiber section) is avoided, and sufficient impregnation of each reinforcing fiber bundle with thermoplastic resin is more reliably achieved.

[0020] Furthermore, by constructing the fiber-opening portion in the fiber-opening structure with a fiber-opening member having an outward-facing arc surface on its outer circumferential surface, the fiber-opening portion can be realized more easily.

[0021] In more detail, when constructing the fiber opening portion to have an outward-facing arc surface, it is possible to, for example, form a curved elongated hole (through hole) in the fiber opening portion. In that case, the outward-convex portion of the inner circumferential surface of the curved elongated hole becomes the outward-facing arc surface, but in order to construct the fiber opening portion in that way, it is necessary to perform processing on the member to form such a curved elongated hole.

[0022] On the other hand, if a fiber-opening member (for example, a ring-shaped or disk-shaped member) having an outward arc surface on the outer peripheral surface (the outer peripheral surface is an arc surface) is adopted as the fiber-opening part, it is not necessary to perform the above-described processing on the member, so the fiber-opening part can be realized more easily.

[0023] Further, by configuring the fiber-opening structure such that the fiber-collecting part having an inward arc surface that is concave inward is included on the downstream side of the fiber-opening part as a guide surface for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle, sufficient impregnation of the thermoplastic resin into each of the above-described reinforcing fiber bundles can be performed more effectively.

[0024] Specifically, when the fiber-opening structure is configured to include the above-described fiber-collecting part on the downstream side of the fiber-opening part, in that fiber-opening structure, each reinforcing fiber bundle that has been fiber-opened in the fiber-opening part is guided by the inward arc surface of the fiber-collecting part on the downstream side of the fiber-opening part. As a result, each reinforcing fiber bundle is narrowed along the arc of the inward arc surface, and as a result, the reinforcing fibers are in a converged state (a state in which each reinforcing fiber bundle is fiber-collected). And according to such a configuration, the thermoplastic resin between the reinforcing fibers in each reinforcing fiber bundle in the fiber-opened state in the fiber-opening part moves in multiple directions as it is fiber-collected. Thereby, in each reinforcing fiber bundle, the thermoplastic resin spreads throughout the entire reinforcing fiber bundle, and as a result, sufficient impregnation of the thermoplastic resin into each reinforcing fiber bundle is performed more effectively.

[0025] Further, by configuring the impregnation device to include a guide member provided between the second guide plate and the lead-out part and guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle at a position inside all the through-holes in the second guide plate, each reinforcing fiber bundle is guided in a state close to the center of the above-described twisting by the guide member. As a result, the roundness and fiber volume content ratio of the FRP bar become higher, and as a result, an FRP bar with higher strength can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] Below, an embodiment (example) of the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on Figures 1 to 6.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the FRP muscle molding apparatus 1 includes an impregnation apparatus 2 into which reinforcing fiber bundles 7 are introduced and which are impregnated with thermoplastic resin, and a withdrawal apparatus 3 provided downstream of the impregnation apparatus 2 in the path of the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 and configured to pull out (trigger) the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 from the impregnation apparatus 2.

[0029] The reinforcing fiber bundles 7 are supplied to the FRP muscle forming apparatus 1 (impregnation apparatus 2) from a supply device 4 located upstream in the aforementioned path. The supply device 4 is configured to accommodate multiple material rolls 4a formed by winding the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 into a roll shape. Therefore, multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 drawn out (supplied) from the supply device 4 are introduced into the impregnation apparatus 2 of the FRP muscle forming apparatus 1.

[0030] Furthermore, in the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1, the impregnation apparatus 2 includes a resin tank 11 in which thermoplastic resin is stored in order to impregnate the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 with the thermoplastic resin as described above. The resin tank 11 also has an introduction section 11a into which each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is introduced, and an exit section 11b into which each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is led out in a converged state. Each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 introduced into the resin tank 11 from the introduction section 11a passes through the thermoplastic resin stored in the resin tank 11 as it moves forward due to the pulling action of the extraction device 3 provided on the downstream side, and is led out from the exit section 11b. As a result, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is drawn out of the resin tank 11 in a state in which it has been impregnated with thermoplastic resin.

[0031] Furthermore, a cooling device 5 is provided between the resin tank 11 and the drawing device 3 to cool the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 (which are impregnated with thermoplastic resin). Therefore, the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 that are drawn out in a converged state from the outlet section 11b of the resin tank 11 are cooled in the cooling device 5 and molded into an FRP reinforcement 8. The cooling device 5 is, for example, a water-cooled type, which mainly consists of a water tank through which the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 pass.

[0032] In the present invention, the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 described above is equipped with a twisting device 6 located downstream of the resin tank 11 of the impregnation device 2, which twists the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 so as to twist together a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles 7 in a converged state.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the impregnation device 2 includes a first guide plate 21 that guides a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles 7 from the introduction section 11a to be arranged in a circular pattern within the resin tank 11, a second guide plate 22 that guides a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles 7 to be arranged in a circular pattern between the first guide plate 21 and the discharge section 11b, and a fiber opening structure 31 upstream of the second guide plate 22 for opening each reinforcing fiber bundle 7.

[0034] Furthermore, the fiber-opening structure 31 includes a fiber-opening portion 33 having a guide surface 33b for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 so that the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is in an open state, and an inner guide portion 32 that guides the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 upstream of the fiber-opening portion 33 at a position inside the guide surface 33b.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fiber opening section 33 is composed of a fiber opening member 33a having a guide surface 33b on its outer circumferential surface. In addition, in this embodiment, the fiber opening structure 31 includes a fiber gathering section 34 downstream of the fiber opening section 33, which has a guide surface 34b for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 so that the reinforcing fibers of the reinforcing fiber bundle 7, which have been opened in the fiber opening section 33, converge. Moreover, in this embodiment, the impregnation device 2 is provided with a guide member 41 between the second guide plate 22 and the discharge section 11b, which guides the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 at a position inside the guide position of the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 on the second guide plate 22.

[0036] The configuration of the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 is as follows:

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the resin tank 11 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped and has a hollow casing. The resin tank 11 is positioned so that the direction of its long side on its upper surface coincides with the direction of the travel path (direction of travel).

[0038] Furthermore, the resin tank 11 is equipped with a supply nozzle 19 for supplying the thermoplastic resin 9 to be stored inside. Specifically, the resin tank 11 has a mounting hole 12a drilled in its upstream end wall (front wall) 12 in the direction of travel, through which the supply nozzle 19 is attached. The supply nozzle 19 is then fitted into the mounting hole 12a and attached to the front wall 12. The supply nozzle 19 is connected to an extruder (not shown) that supplies the thermoplastic resin 9. As a result, the thermoplastic resin 9 from the extruder is supplied into the resin tank 11 via the supply nozzle 19 and stored inside the resin tank 11.

[0039] Furthermore, the resin tank 11 has an opening 13a in its upper wall 13 that functions as the introduction section 11a described above. The opening 13a is located at the upstream end in the direction of travel, is rectangular in shape across the width of the resin tank 11, and is sized to allow multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 from the supply device 4 to be introduced.

[0040] Furthermore, the resin tank 11 includes an introduction frame 18 composed of four wall sections 18a to 18d erected to surround its opening 13a (introduction section 11a). Of the wall sections 18a to 18d that make up the introduction frame 18, the front side wall section 18a on the front wall 12 is formed to be lower in height than the other wall sections 18b, 18c, and 18d. As a result, when thermoplastic resin 9 is supplied into the resin tank 11 and overflows from the space inside the resin tank 11, the thermoplastic resin 9 overflows from the front side wall section 18a of the introduction frame 18.

[0041] Furthermore, a cylindrical outlet member 17, which functions as the aforementioned outlet section 11b, is attached to the downstream end wall (rear wall) 14 of the resin tank 11 in the direction of travel. A through hole 14a is drilled in the rear wall 14, which penetrates the rear wall 14 and is sized to accommodate the outlet member 17.

[0042] Furthermore, the outlet member 17 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape having an outlet hole (outlet hole) 17a that penetrates in the axial direction. In addition, the outlet hole 17a of the outlet member 17 has an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the FRP reinforcement 8 at the outlet side portion 17b, while the inlet 17c is formed to be larger in diameter and is tapered from the inlet 17c to continue to the outlet side portion 17b. The outlet member 17 is then attached to the resin tank 11 by being fitted into the through hole 14a of the rear wall 14. However, in this attached state, the outlet side of the outlet member 17 is facing the downstream side, and the outlet side portion 17b is positioned outside the resin tank 11.

[0043] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the resin tank 11 configured as described above is provided with the first guide plate 21, the second guide plate 22, the fiber-opening structure 31, and the guide member 41, as previously mentioned. In this embodiment, the first guide plate 21 and the second guide plate 22 are formed as components with generally the same shape. The first guide plate 21 and the second guide plate 22 are both plate-shaped and rectangular in shape.

[0044] The first guide plate 21 is positioned close to the downstream edge of the introduction section 11a (opening 13a) in the direction of travel, and is oriented so that its thickness direction coincides with the direction of travel. The second guide plate 22 is positioned downstream of the first guide plate 21 in the direction of travel, and is oriented in the same direction as the first guide plate 21. Each guide plate 21 and 22 has approximately the same dimensions in the long-side direction as the distance between the side walls 15, 15 of the resin tank 11, and approximately the same dimensions in the short-side direction as the distance between the upper wall 13 and the lower wall 16 of the resin tank 11. Therefore, when each guide plate 21 and 22 is installed as described above, its side edges are in contact with the upper wall 13, the lower wall 16 and the side walls 15, 15 of the resin tank 11.

[0045] Furthermore, each guide plate 21, 22 has multiple through holes 21a, 22a for guiding (allowing through) multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7. In each guide plate 21, 22, the multiple through holes 21a, 22a are formed in a circular arrangement.

[0046] More specifically, in the illustrated example, each guide plate 21, 22 has 40 through holes 21a, 22a formed in rows that form a nearly perfect circle with the center of the guide plate 21, 22 as the center. However, these 40 through holes 21a, 22a are formed in groups of 20, with their positions differing in the radial direction of the circle. That is, 20 through holes 21a, 22a are formed in rows as described above, and the remaining 20 through holes 21a, 22a are formed in rows similarly on the outer side in the radial direction. In other words, 20 through holes 21a, 22a are formed in two rows, with their positions differing in the radial direction, in the manner described above.

[0047] Furthermore, by forming the 40 through-holes 21a and 22a in such a manner, with their positions differing in the radial direction, each guide plate 21 and 22 has more through-holes of a desired size for passing the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 compared to the case where they are formed in a single row.

[0048] Furthermore, the through holes 21a and 22a (inner through holes 21b and 22b) in the inner row and the through holes 21a and 22a (outer through holes 21c and 22c) in the outer row are formed with a circumferential offset to prevent the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 from being guided to the same position in the circumferential direction. The positions of each through hole 21a and 22a are such that the line connecting the center of each through hole 21a and 22a in one row to the center of the circle is exactly halfway between the two lines connecting the centers of two adjacent through holes 21a and 22a in the other row to the center of the circle. As a result, the circumferential position of the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 guided by each through hole 21a and 22a in one row is between the two reinforcing fiber bundles 7 guided by two adjacent through holes 21a and 22a in the other row.

[0049] Furthermore, each guide plate 21, 22 has, in addition to the aforementioned multiple through holes 21a, 22a, a large-diameter central hole 21d, 22d formed to penetrate inside the inner through holes 21b, 22b, with its outer circumference near the inner through holes. Therefore, each guide plate 21, 22 is configured to allow the passage of the thermoplastic resin 9 through its central holes 21d, 22d as well.

[0050] Furthermore, regarding the two guide plates 21 and 22 configured as described above, the first guide plate 21 is provided such that its side edges that abut against the lower wall 16 and both side walls 15, 15 of the resin tank 11 are fixed. In this embodiment, the second guide plate 22 is provided such that its mounting position relative to the resin tank 11 can be changed in the direction of travel (any of multiple mounting positions can be selected), although this will be described in detail later.

[0051] Regarding the fiber-opening structure 31, in this embodiment, the fiber-opening portion 33 in the fiber-opening structure 31 is composed of a fiber-opening member 33a having a guide surface 33b on its outer surface, as described above. In this embodiment, the inner guide portion 32 is also composed of a member (hereinafter referred to as "inner guide member 32a") having a guide surface 32b for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle 7, similar to the fiber-opening portion 33. Furthermore, the fiber-collecting portion 34 is also composed of a member (hereinafter referred to as "fiber-collecting member 34a") having a guide surface 34b.

[0052] In this embodiment, the fiber-opening member 33a, the inner guide member 32a, and the fiber-collecting member 34a are the same member, which is ring-shaped and substantially circular (hereinafter simply referred to as "ring member 37"). However, in the ring member 37 used as the fiber-opening member 33a, as described above, its outer circumferential surface, which is an outwardly convex arc surface (outward arc surface), functions as a guide surface 33b. On the other hand, in the ring member 37 used as the inner guide member 32a and the fiber-collecting member 34a, its inner circumferential surface, which is an inwardly concave arc surface (inward arc surface), functions as guide surfaces 32b and 34b.

[0053] The ring member 37, which serves as the fiber opening member 33a, inner guide member 32a, and fiber gathering member 34a, is installed between the first guide plate 21 and the second guide plate 22, with its center aligned with the center of the guide plates 21 and 22 when viewed in the direction of travel, and is arranged in the order of inner guide member 32a, fiber opening member 33a, and fiber gathering member 34a from upstream to downstream in the direction of travel. As shown in Figure 4, when installed as described above, the ring member 37 is sized such that, when viewed in the direction opposite to the direction of travel, its inner periphery is located inside the inner through hole 21b of the first guide plate 21, and the radial outer end of the inner through hole 21b is located on its outer periphery.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, another fiber-opening section 35, a fiber-opening member 35a (ring member 37), is provided downstream of the fiber-collecting member 34a (between the fiber-collecting member 34a and the second guide plate 22). That is, the fiber-opening structure 31 comprises two fiber-opening sections 33 and 35 (fiber-opening members 33a and 35a). The downstream fiber-opening member 35a also has a guide surface 35b on its outer circumferential surface. Thus, in the fiber-opening structure 31 of this embodiment, the ring member 37 provided between the two fiber-opening members 33a and 35a functions as a fiber-collecting member 34a for the upstream fiber-opening member 33a and functions as an inner guide member 36a for the downstream fiber-opening member 35a. In other words, the ring member 37 serves as both a fiber-collecting member 34a and an inner guide member 36a.

[0055] The ring members 37, which will serve as the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a, the inner guide member 32a, and the fiber-collecting member 34a, are attached to the resin tank 11 by means of support columns 39 fixed to the ring members 37 being fitted into the upper wall 13 and the lower wall 16 of the resin tank 11.

[0056] More specifically, a pair of support columns 39, 39 are attached to the outer surface of the ring member 37. The support columns 39 are cylindrical in shape and have a length slightly greater than the distance between the upper wall 13 and the lower wall 16 of the resin tank 11. Furthermore, each support column 39 has small-diameter portions 39a at both ends, which are smaller in diameter than the rest of the column, and the distance between these small-diameter portions 39a, 39a is approximately the same as the distance between the upper wall 13 and the lower wall 16. The pair of support columns 39, 39 are parallel to each other and are fixed to the ring member 37 by welding or the like at approximately their middle section, in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the ring member 37.

[0057] On the other hand, the resin tank 11 has insertion holes 13h and 16h drilled in its upper wall 13 and lower wall 16, into which a pair of support columns 39, 39 fixed to the ring member 37 are inserted. The insertion holes 13h and 16h are bottomed holes and are formed to open to the inner surface of the resin tank 11. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the insertion holes 13h and 16h is formed to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 39a of the support column 39. The ring member 37 is then attached to the resin tank 11 by fitting the small diameter portions 39a of each support column 39 fixed to the ring member 37 into the insertion holes 13h and 16h in the upper wall 13 and lower wall 16 of the resin tank 11.

[0058] Then, with the fiber-opening members 33a, 35a, inner guide member 32a, and fiber-collecting member 34a attached in this manner, a fiber-opening structure 31 in which these members 32a, 35a, 33a, and 34a are installed in the aforementioned arrangement is provided inside the resin tank 11.

[0059] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the guide member 41 is a ring-shaped and nearly circular member, similar to the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a. The ring-shaped guide member 41 is installed downstream of the second guide plate 22, similar to the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a, so that its center coincides with the center of the second guide plate 22 when viewed in the direction of travel. The guide member 41 also has a pair of support columns 42, 42 fixed to its outer surface, and is attached to the resin tank 11 by fitting these support columns 42, 42 into the upper wall 13 and lower wall 16 of the resin tank 11.

[0060] Furthermore, as described above, the guide member 41 is a member that guides the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 at a position inside the guide position for the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in the second guide plate 22. Therefore, in the state in which it is installed as described above, the guide member 41 is formed to a size such that it guides the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 at a position inside all the through holes 22a (the inner through hole 22b and the outer through hole 22c) in the second guide plate 22 (the inner circumferential surface 41b that guides the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is located on the inside).

[0061] Furthermore, the guide member 41 is provided with the aim of increasing the roundness and fiber volume content of the FRP reinforcement 8 in order to obtain a higher strength FRP reinforcement 8. Therefore, the guide member 41 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the fiber-opening members 33a, 35a, etc. More specifically, in this embodiment, when the guide member 41 is installed as described above, it is formed to such a size that its outer peripheral edge 41c is located inside the inner through-hole 22b of the second guide plate 22 when viewed in the direction of travel.

[0062] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the impregnation device 2 consisting of the above-described components, in this embodiment, the impregnation device 2 is configured such that the mounting positions of the second guide plate 22, each ring member 37 in the opening fiber structure 31 (inner guide member 32a, opening fiber members 33a, 35a, and fiber collection member 34a), and guide member 41 to the resin tank 11 can be changed in the direction of travel. Details are as follows.

[0063] First, in this embodiment, the second guide plate 22 is attached to the resin tank 11 by insertion holes 13h and 16h, which are also used for attaching the ring member 37.

[0064] More specifically, the second guide plate 22 has a pair of mounting pins 22j fixed to its upper and lower ends, spaced apart in the direction of its long side. The mounting pins 22j are cylindrical members with the same diameter as the small-diameter portion 39a of the support column 39 fixed to the ring member 37. Each mounting pin 22j is attached to one end face of the second guide plate 22, protruding from either the upper or lower edge. The spacing of the mounting pins 22j in the direction of its long side is approximately the same as the spacing of the pair of support columns 39, 39 fixed to the ring member 37, and is also approximately the same as the spacing of the pair of insertion holes 13h, 16h formed in the resin tank 11 (upper wall 13, lower wall 16). The second guide plate 22 is attached to the resin tank 11 such that each mounting pin 22j is inserted into the insertion holes 13h, 16h in the resin tank 11.

[0065] As described above, in the resin tank 11, each ring member 37 (inner guide member 32a, fiber opening members 33a, 35a, fiber gathering member 34a) and the second guide plate 22 are attached by being fitted into the insertion holes 13h and 16h, respectively. For each ring member 37, the small diameter portions 39a at both ends of the pair of support columns 39, 39 are used, and for the second guide plate 22, the insertion holes 13h and 16h are used by being fitted into the insertion holes 13h and 16h, respectively. For each ring member 37, the insertion holes 13h and 16h for attaching each member (ring member 37, second guide plate 22) are arranged in sets of four (two on the upper wall 13 + two on the lower wall 16). Furthermore, the number of sets of insertion holes 13h and 16h in the resin tank 11 is greater than the total number of ring members 37 and second guide plates 22 (nine in the illustrated example).

[0066] As a result, in the resin tank 11, the mounting positions of each ring member 37 and the second guide plate 22 to the resin tank 11 can be selected in the direction of travel. By selecting these positions, the mounting positions of each ring member 37 and the second guide plate 22 to the resin tank 11 can be changed. To enable this change in mounting positions, the resin tank 11 is configured such that the top wall 13 can be attached to and detached from its front wall 12, rear wall 14 and both side walls 15, 15.

[0067] Furthermore, the guide member 41 also has multiple sets (two sets in the illustrated example) of insertion holes 13j and 16j into which its support column 42 is inserted in the direction of travel. As a result, the mounting position of the guide member 41 to the resin tank 11 can be changed (selected) in the direction of travel, similar to the ring member 37 and the second guide plate 22.

[0068] Furthermore, regarding the positions of each component provided as described above (ring members 37 such as fiber-opening members 33a, 35a, the second guide plate 22, and the guide member 41), the positional relationship between the downstreammost ring member 37 and the second guide plate 22 in the direction of travel in the fiber-opening structure 31 is set such that a desired guide state (fiber opening or fiber gathering) is achieved on the ring member 37, based on the radial guide position relationship between the ring member 37 and the second guide plate 22. In addition, the position of the guide member 41 is set such that the roundness and fiber volume content of the FRP reinforcement 8 are at a desired level, based on the radial guide position by the guide member 41 and its positional relationship with the lead-out section 11b.

[0069] Next, regarding the extraction device 3 provided downstream of the impregnation device 2 as described above, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the extraction device 3 in this embodiment is configured to include a gripping device 51 for gripping the FRP reinforcement 8 and a drive device 53 for driving the gripping device 51 to move back and forth in the direction of travel.

[0070] The gripping device 51 comprises a pair of gripping bodies 51a and 51e arranged to sandwich the aforementioned travel path from above and below, and a gripping body driving device 51r for driving the gripping body 51e. Each of the pair of gripping bodies 51a and 51e is made up of a block-shaped member that forms a substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

[0071] Of the pair of gripping bodies 51a and 51e, the upper gripping body (upper gripping body) 51a is fixedly positioned. In this embodiment, the upper gripping body 51a has a semi-circular groove 51b on its lower surface that is sized to accommodate approximately the upper half of the FRP reinforcement bar 8. Furthermore, the upper gripping body 51a is positioned such that the groove 51b is directly above the path of movement, and that, in the vertical direction, the inner surface of the groove 51b slides against the FRP reinforcement bar 8 when it is present on the path of movement. As a result, at the positions of the gripping bodies 51a and 51e, approximately the upper half of the FRP reinforcement bar 8 is contained within the groove 51b of the upper gripping body 51a, and its position is restricted in the width direction.

[0072] Furthermore, the lower gripping body (lower gripping body) 51e is positioned so as to coincide with the upper gripping body 51a in a plan view. In addition, the lower gripping body 51e is supported by the gripping body drive device 51r. In this embodiment, the gripping body drive device 51r uses an air cylinder 51s as the driving means. The lower gripping body 51e is attached to the tip of the piston rod 51t of the air cylinder 51s.

[0073] As a result, when the piston rod 51t of the air cylinder 51s in the gripping body drive device 51r is retracted, the lower gripping body 51e is positioned at a position (standby position) that is separated downward from the advancement path (the FRP reinforcement 8 located on the advancement path), as shown in Figures 5 and 6. When the piston rod 51t is extended, it is positioned (gripping position) in which it can grip the FRP reinforcement 8 located on the advancement path in cooperation with the upper gripping body 51a. However, this gripping position is set such that, as described later, when the gripping device 51 is driven to move forward and backward, a gripping force acts on the FRP reinforcement 8 that minimizes relative movement between the FRP reinforcement 8 and both gripping bodies 51a and 51e, and does not cause excessive deformation of the FRP reinforcement 8.

[0074] In the gripping device 51 configured in this way, with the FRP reinforcement 8 positioned along the advancement path, the lower gripping body 51e is driven to advance from the standby position to the gripping position by the gripping body drive device 51r, so that the FRP reinforcement 8 is gripped by both gripping bodies 51a and 51e.

[0075] The drive unit 53 is configured to include a drive mechanism 54 for driving the gripping device 51 forward and backward in the direction of travel, and a support bracket 55 for supporting the gripping device 51 on the drive mechanism 54. The drawer device 3 has a base support base 57, and the drive mechanism 54 is mounted on the support base 57.

[0076] More specifically, the drive mechanism 54 in this embodiment is composed of a so-called ball screw mechanism 54. A pair of support bodies 54a and 54b are provided on the support base 57, spaced apart in the direction of travel, for the ball screw mechanism 54. The screw shaft 54c of the ball screw mechanism 54 is rotatably supported at both ends by the pair of support bodies 54a and 54b, in an orientation parallel to the direction of travel.

[0077] Furthermore, a servo motor 54d, which serves as a drive source, is connected to one end of its screw shaft 54c. The servo motor 54d is mounted on a support 54a that supports the aforementioned end of the screw shaft 54c.

[0078] Furthermore, a base member 54e is connected to the screw shaft 54c, which is driven to move forward and backward in the direction of travel as the screw shaft 54c is rotated in forward and reverse directions by the servo motor 54d. Specifically, the base member 54e is made of a plate-shaped member whose end face is rectangular. In addition, a through hole 54f is formed in the base member 54e, penetrating in the direction of the short side of its end face.

[0079] Furthermore, a pair of rails 58, 58 are provided on the support base 57, oriented parallel to the direction of travel (the axial direction of the screw shaft 54c). These rails 58, 58 are positioned between the two support members 54a, 54b. The base member 54e is positioned so as to be displaceable only in the direction of travel, guided by the rails 58, 58. With the base member 54e positioned on the rails 58 in this manner, the screw shaft 54c passes through the through hole 54f of the base member 54e. A nut 54j is screwed onto the screw shaft 54c. The nut 54j is then fitted into the through hole 54f of the base member 54e, thereby fixing it to the base member 54e and connecting the base member 54e and the screw shaft 54c via the nut 54j. As a result, the drive mechanism (ball screw mechanism) 54 rotates the screw shaft 54c in forward and reverse directions using a servo motor 54d, thereby driving the base member 54e to move forward and backward in the aforementioned direction of travel.

[0080] Furthermore, the support bracket 55 mainly consists of an L-shaped portion 55a when viewed from the side, with reinforcing ribs 55b provided on the inside of the L-shaped portion 55a. The support bracket 55 is fixed to the base member 54e by resting on a portion 55c on one end of the main portion 55a that is on the side of the bend. However, the support bracket 55 is positioned such that the outer surface of the portion 55d on the other end that is on the side of the bend faces upstream in the direction of travel.

[0081] Furthermore, the gripping device 51 is attached to the outer surface of the other end portion 55d of the support bracket 55. By attaching the gripping device 51 to the other end portion 55d of the support bracket 55, the gripping device 51 is supported on the drive mechanism 54 by the support bracket 55. In other words, the support bracket 55 serves as a component for supporting the gripping device 51 on the drive mechanism 54.

[0082] In the drive device 53 described above, the servo motor 54d in the drive mechanism 54 is controlled to reciprocate between two predetermined positions. As a result, the gripping device 51 is driven to move forward and backward along the direction of travel. Regarding the two positions in which the base member 54e is reciprocated, if the upstream position of the reciprocating motion is considered the side where the forward motion begins, then in the illustrated example, the forward motion limit is set to a position where the base member 54e is close to the downstream support 54b, and the return motion limit is set to a position where the base member 54e is close to the upstream support 54a.

[0083] As described above, the base member 54e is driven back and forth between the two positions in the drive unit 53, causing the gripping device 51 to move back and forth between a position corresponding to the return limit of the base member 54e (extended position) and a position corresponding to the forward limit (retracted position). Furthermore, the gripping device 51 is controlled such that when it is in the extended position, the lower gripping body 51e is driven to move forward from the standby position to the gripping position to grip the FRP reinforcement 8 located on the travel path, and when it reaches the retracted position, the lower gripping body 51e is driven to move backward from the gripping position to the standby position to release the grip on the FRP reinforcement 8.

[0084] As the gripping device 51 moves forward, the FRP reinforcement 8 is pulled by the gripping device 51 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of travel. When the FRP reinforcement 8 reaches the retracted position through its forward movement, the gripping device 51 releases its grip on the FRP reinforcement 8 and the retraction drive of the gripping device 51 begins, so that the gripping device 51 moves toward the forward position without interfering with the FRP reinforcement 8. Then, when the FRP reinforcement 8 reaches the forward position through its retraction, the gripping device 51 grips the FRP reinforcement 8 again and the forward movement drive of the gripping device 51 begins. As this series of operations is repeated, with each operation the FRP reinforcement 8 is pulled by the amount of the forward movement of the gripping device 51, and consequently the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 connected to the FRP reinforcement 8 is also pulled toward the downstream side.

[0085] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the extraction device 3 also serves as a twisting device 6 for twisting the reinforced fiber bundle 7 as described above. More specifically, in the extraction device 3, the gripping device 51 is attached to the support bracket 55 of the drive device 53 via a rotary drive device 61 that rotates the gripping device 51. The rotary drive device 61 is configured to include a housing 62 attached to the support bracket 55, a rotating shaft 63 rotatably supported in relation to the housing 62, a mounting plate 64 attached to the rotating shaft 63 and to which the gripping device 51 is attached, and a servo motor 65 as a drive source.

[0086] Regarding each component of the rotary drive device 61, the housing 62 is enclosure-shaped and configured to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The housing 62 is attached to the outer surface of the other end portion 55d of the support bracket 55 at one of its sides (mounting surface).

[0087] Furthermore, the rotating shaft 63 is mostly housed within the housing 62, with a portion (one end) protruding from the side of the housing 62 opposite to the mounting surface. Therefore, the housing 62 has a through hole 62a that allows for the protrusion (through) of the rotating shaft 63. The rotating shaft 63 is rotatably supported within the housing 62 via a bearing (not shown). The rotating shaft 63 is positioned such that, when the housing 62 is attached to the support bracket 55, its axis substantially coincides with the center of the FRP reinforcement 8 located on the aforementioned path.

[0088] Furthermore, the mounting plate 64 is formed in the shape of a disc. The mounting plate 64 is attached to the end face of one end of the rotating shaft 63 that protrudes from the housing 62, such that its center coincides with the axis of the rotating shaft 63 when viewed in the direction of travel.

[0089] The servo motor 65 is mounted on the side of the housing 62 perpendicular to the mounting surface, with the axis of its output shaft 65a perpendicular to the axis of the rotation shaft 63, and with its output shaft 65a facing the rotation shaft 63. Therefore, the servo motor 65 is installed with its output shaft 65a inserted into the housing 62. The servo motor 65 is connected to the rotation shaft 63 via a bevel gear (not shown) at its output shaft 65a.

[0090] Furthermore, a gripping device 51 is attached to the mounting plate 64 of the rotary drive device 61, on the end face opposite to the side of the rotation axis 63. Specifically, in the gripping device 51, the upper gripping body 51a is attached to the mounting plate 64 by being fixed to the aforementioned end face of the mounting plate 64. The upper gripping body 51a is fixed to the mounting plate 64 at a position such that, when viewed in the direction of travel, the center of the arc of the groove 51b in the upper gripping body 51a coincides with the center of the mounting plate 64. The lower gripping body 51e is attached to the mounting plate 64 via the air cylinder 51s of the gripping body drive device 51r, which is fixed to the aforementioned end face of the mounting plate 64. The air cylinder 51s is attached to the mounting plate 64 using an L-shaped bracket 66. The bracket 66 is attached to the end face of the mounting plate 64, and the air cylinder 51s is fixed in place by being placed on the bracket 66.

[0091] Then, by being attached to the mounting plate 64 of the rotary drive unit 61 in this manner, the gripping device 51 is attached to the support bracket 55 (drive unit 53) to which the rotary drive unit 61 is attached, via the rotary drive unit 61. And, because the gripping device 51 is attached to the rotary drive unit 61 in this manner (attached to the support bracket 55 via the rotary drive unit 61), as the rotation shaft 63 of the rotary drive unit 61 is rotated by the servo motor 65, the gripping device 51 is rotated around the center of the mounting plate 64 (the arc center of the groove 51b in the upper gripping body 51a, which is the axis of the rotation shaft 63 in the rotary drive unit 61) as its center of rotation.

[0092] Furthermore, the mounting plate 64, rotating shaft 63, housing 62, and support bracket 55 of the rotary drive device 61 are formed with through holes 64h, 63h, 62h, and 55h that penetrate in the direction of travel in order to allow the FRP reinforcement 8 to pass through. Each of these through holes 64h, 63h, 62h, and 55h is formed at a position such that its center coincides with the center of the mounting plate 64 when viewed in the direction of travel. In addition, each of these through holes 64h, 63h, 62h, and 55h is formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the FRP reinforcement 8.

[0093] Furthermore, because through holes 64h, 63h, 62h, and 55h are formed in each component in this manner, the drawing device 3 (twisting device 6) has through holes 3h that penetrate in the direction of travel along the travel path. In addition, the center of the insertion hole 3h coincides with the arc center of the groove 51b in the upper gripping body 51a when viewed in the direction of travel, and is continuous with the groove 51b. Then, during molding, the FRP reinforcement 8 is inserted through the insertion hole 3h.

[0094] Furthermore, the rotational drive of the gripping device 51 by the rotary drive device 61 is performed for the duration that the gripping device 51 is gripping the FRP reinforcement 8. In other words, the drive of the servo motor 65 is controlled so that the gripping device 51 is rotationally driven for the duration of that period. As the gripping device 51 is rotationally driven while gripping the FRP reinforcement 8, rotation is imparted to the FRP reinforcement 8. In addition, in the extraction device 3, gripping by the gripping device 51 is performed for the duration that the gripping device 51 is advanced, so the FRP reinforcement 8 is pulled downstream in the direction of travel and is rotated at the same time. As the FRP reinforcement 8 is pulled and rotated in this manner, the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is pulled and twisted in the impregnation device 2 upstream of the extraction device 3.

[0095] In the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 described above, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 introduced into the resin tank 11 of the impregnation apparatus 2 is led out of the resin tank 11 via the first guide plate 21, the open fiber structure 31, the second guide plate 22, and the guide member 41 within the resin tank 11. Within the resin tank 11, the introduced reinforcing fiber bundles 7 are first guided by the first guide plate 21 so as to pass through the multiple through holes 21a (the inner through holes 21b and the outer through holes 21c) in the first guide plate 21. As described above, the multiple through holes 21a in the first guide plate 21 are formed in a manner that forms an approximate circle with the center of the first guide plate 21 as the center, so the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 are guided on the circumference of the first guide plate 21 with the center as the center.

[0096] Furthermore, the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 introduced from the introduction section 11a formed in the upper wall 13 of the resin tank 11 are bent at the first guide plate 21 (through hole 21a) and directed toward the fiber-opening structure 31 provided downstream of the first guide plate 21 in the direction of travel. As a result, when each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is pulled by the pull-out device 3 provided downstream of the resin tank 11 as described above, the bending (direction) of the guide acts as pull-out resistance. Moreover, within the resin tank 11, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided by being bent in the radial direction of the ring member 37, etc., in the fiber-opening structure 31, as described later. As a result, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided within the resin tank 11 with a predetermined tension applied.

[0097] Next, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 that has passed through the first guide plate 21 as described above is guided by an inner guide member 32a, an opening member 33a, a fiber gathering member 34a (inner guide member 36a), and an opening member 35a in an opening fiber structure 31 provided downstream thereof. Specifically, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is first guided by the inner guide surface 32b of the inner guide member 32a located furthest upstream, and then guided by the outer guide surface 33b of the adjacent opening member 33a. Next, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided by the inner guide surface 34b of the fiber gathering member 34a, and then guided by the outer guide surface 35b of the opening member 35a located furthest downstream. Note that these members (inner guide member 32a, each opening member 33a, 35a, and fiber gathering member 34a) are the same ring member 37 as described above, and the outer and inner diameters of each member are the same. Therefore, the guide surfaces 32b and 34b of the inner guide member 32a and the fiber-collecting member 34a are located inward with respect to the radial direction compared to the guide surfaces 33b and 35b of the upstream and downstream fiber-opening members 33a and 35a.

[0098] As a result, with respect to both fiber-opening members 33a and 35a, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided from a position radially inward from the guide surfaces 33b and 35b of the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a toward the guide surfaces 33b and 35b, and becomes wrapped around the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a (guide surfaces 33b and 35b). Furthermore, as described above, a predetermined tension is applied to each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in the resin tank 11, so each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is pressed against the guide surfaces 33b and 35b of the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a. In addition, since the guide surfaces 33b and 35b of each fiber-opening member 33a and 35a are outward-facing arc surfaces (outwardly convex arc surfaces), each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is subjected to a force that causes it to spread along the arc of its guide surface 33b and 35b. As a result, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 becomes open. As a result of opening each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in this manner, the thermoplastic resin 9 is sufficiently impregnated into each reinforcing fiber bundle 7.

[0099] Furthermore, regarding the guidance of each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in the fiber-collecting member 34a, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided toward the guide surface 34b of the fiber-collecting member 34a from a position radially outward from the guide surface 34b of the fiber-collecting member 34a, and becomes wrapped around the fiber-collecting member 34a (guide surface 34b). Then, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is pressed against the guide surface 34b of the fiber-collecting member 34a. In addition, since the guide surface 34b of the fiber-collecting member 34a is an inwardly curved surface (an inwardly concave curved surface), each reinforcing fiber bundle 7, which has been opened in the upstream fiber-opening member 33a of the two fiber-opening members 33a and 35a as described above, is subjected to a force that narrows it along the arc of the guide surface 34b of the fiber-collecting member 34a. As a result, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 becomes a fiber-collected state. As a result, the thermoplastic resin 9 between the reinforcing fibers in the opened reinforcing fiber bundle 7 moves in multiple directions as the fibers are gathered. Consequently, the thermoplastic resin 9 spreads throughout each reinforcing fiber bundle 7, and the sufficient impregnation of each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 with the thermoplastic resin 9 becomes more effective.

[0100] Furthermore, in the fiber-opening structure 31 that guides each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 as described above, the inner guide member 32a, each fiber-opening member 33a, 35a, and fiber-collecting member 34a are all made of the same ring member 37 as previously mentioned. As a result, the fiber-opening structure 31 is easy to manufacture and also cost-effective. The multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 that have passed through the fiber-opening structure 31 are then drawn out of the resin tank 11 via the outlet section 11b (outlet hole 17a) and twisted (twisted together) by a twisting device 6 provided downstream in order to form FRP reinforcement 8. However, within the resin tank 11, a second guide plate 22 is provided between the fiber-opening structure 31 and the outlet section 11b, and each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided by being inserted into multiple through holes 22a in the second guide plate 22. As a result, the displacement of each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in the twisting direction due to twisting by the twisting device 6 is restricted by the second guide plate 22 (through hole 22a), preventing the effects of the twisting from spreading to the open fiber structure 31.

[0101] Furthermore, between the second guide plate 22 and the outlet section 11b, a guide member 41 is provided, as described above, such that its outer peripheral edge 41c is located inside the inner through-hole 22b of the second guide plate 22 when viewed in the direction of travel, and each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided by the inner circumferential surface 41b of the guide member 41. As a result, each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided to a position closer to the center of the twist of the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 that are twisted together by the twisting device 6, and then guided toward the outlet section 11b.

[0102] Furthermore, with the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, the opening and gathering of fibers by the opening fiber structure 31 ensures that the thermoplastic resin 9 is impregnated into each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 sufficiently and more effectively. In addition, by twisting together multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 that have been sufficiently impregnated with thermoplastic resin 9 using a twisting device 6, the FRP reinforcement 8 is formed. Moreover, during the twisting process, the guide member 41 guides each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 to a position close to the center of the twist before they are twisted, thereby enabling the production of an FRP reinforcement 8 with high roundness, high fiber volume content, and sufficient strength. Even with such twisting, the displacement of each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in the twisting direction is restricted by the second guide plate 22 located downstream of the opening fiber structure 31, so that the opening and gathering of fibers (impregnation of thermoplastic resin 9) in the opening fiber structure 31 is not impaired.

[0103] Furthermore, in the impregnation device 2 described above, as previously stated, the mounting positions of each ring member 37 (inner guide member 32a, each opening member 33a, 35a, and fiber gathering member 34a) in the opening fiber structure 31, the second guide plate 22, and the guide member 41 with respect to the resin tank 11 can be changed in the direction of travel. By changing the mounting position, the bending state (degree of pressure applied) of the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 with respect to each member is changed. Therefore, with the configuration of the impregnation device 2, even if the type of reinforcing fiber bundles 7 used (strength of the reinforcing fibers, etc.) or the strength required for the FRP reinforcement 8 to be manufactured (impregnation state of thermoplastic resin 9 with respect to each reinforcing fiber bundle 7) is changed, the device can accommodate these changes.

[0104] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment of the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 described above (the above example), but can also be implemented in other embodiments (modified versions) such as (1) to (13) below.

[0105] (1) In the above embodiment, the fiber-opening portions 33 and 35 are composed of fiber-opening members 33a and 35a which are provided independently of the inner guide portion 32 (inner guide member 32a), etc. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, ring-shaped members are used as the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a. However, in the present invention, even if the fiber-opening portions 33 and 35 are composed of the above-described fiber-opening members 33a and 35a, the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a are not limited to ring-shaped members, but may also be disc-shaped members. In addition, when ring-shaped members or disc-shaped members are used as the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a, the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a are not limited to those formed so that their outer circumferential surface is substantially circular, but may also be formed so that their outer circumferential surface is elliptical or other shape, as long as there are continuously outward-facing arc surfaces (outwardly convex arc surfaces) that function as guide surfaces on the outer circumferential surface.

[0106] Furthermore, the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a are not limited to those having an outward-facing arc surface on their outer surface, such as a ring-shaped member or a disc-shaped member. Specifically, the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a may be rectangular plate-shaped members similar to the guide plates 21 and 22, with multiple through-holes formed around their center at equal intervals, for example, to guide (pass through) the reinforcing fiber bundle 7, and the inner surface of each through-hole on the central side (inner side) is formed to be an outward-facing convex arc surface.

[0107] Each of the through-holes may be formed to be provided for each of the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7, or it may be formed to be a common hole for two or more reinforcing fiber bundles 7. When the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a are configured in this way, the central (inner) surface of each through-hole becomes an outward-facing arc surface. In this configuration, each through-hole may be formed so that the outward-facing arc surface on its inner circumferential surface lies on the circumference of a nearly perfect circle centered on the central point, or it may be formed so that it lies on the circumference of a circle such as an ellipse centered on the central point.

[0108] (2) In the above embodiment, the inner guide portion 32 is composed of an inner guide member 32a which is provided independently of the fiber opening portion 33 (fiber opening member 33a), etc. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the inner guide member 32a is a ring-shaped member which is the same as the fiber opening member 33a and has the same size (outer diameter and inner diameter). However, in the present invention, even if the inner guide portion 32 is composed of an inner guide member 32a as described above, and the inner guide member 32a is composed of a ring-shaped member which is the same as the fiber opening member 33a, its size may be different from that of the fiber opening member 33a. For example, in the above embodiment, a ring-shaped member which is smaller in diameter than the fiber opening members 33a and 35a is used as the guide member 41, but the ring-shaped member which is used as the guide member 41 may also be used as the inner guide member.

[0109] Furthermore, the inner guide member 32a is not limited to a ring-shaped member, but may also be a plate-shaped member with through holes formed therein for guiding (allowing the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 to pass through). If the inner guide member 32a is made of such a plate-shaped member, for example, it may be made of a rectangular plate material similar to the guide plate described above. In addition, the inner guide member 32a may have its through holes formed as a single hole common to multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7 centered on the center of the plate material. Alternatively, the inner guide member 32a may have multiple through holes formed around its center, for example, arranged at equal intervals. However, if the inner guide member 32a has multiple through holes, each through hole may be formed to be provided for each of the multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7, or it may be formed to be a common hole for two or more reinforcing fiber bundles 7.

[0110] Incidentally, when the inner guide member 32a is configured in this manner, the position of the surface that guides the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 in the through-hole with respect to the center (the inner diameter of the through-hole if the through-hole is a single hole common to multiple reinforcing fiber bundles 7, or the outer portion of the inner circumferential surface of each through-hole with respect to the center if multiple through-holes are formed as described above) is, of course, located inside the outward arcuate surface of the fiber-opening portion 33 (fiber-opening member 33a). Furthermore, when the inner guide member 32a is made of a plate-shaped member with multiple through-holes formed therein as described above, the inner guide member 32a may also serve as the first guide plate 21. Specifically, the first guide plate 21 in the above embodiment may be omitted, and the inner guide member 32a may be placed in its place so that the inner guide member 32a also functions as the first guide plate 21.

[0111] (3) In the above embodiment, the opening fiber structure 31 includes a fiber gathering section 34, and furthermore, the fiber gathering section 34 is composed of a fiber gathering member 34a that is provided independently of the opening fiber sections 33 and 35 (opening fiber members 33a and 35a). In addition, in the above embodiment, the fiber gathering member 34a is a ring-shaped member, the same as the opening fiber members 33a and 35a, and has the same size (outer diameter and inner diameter), similar to the inner guide member 32a. However, in the present invention, even when the opening fiber structure 31 includes a fiber gathering section 34, and the fiber gathering section 34 is composed of a fiber gathering member 34a as described above, it is not limited to being configured as in the above embodiment, similar to the inner guide member 32a.

[0112] Specifically, even if the fiber-collecting member 34a is composed of a ring-shaped member similar to the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a, the fiber-collecting member 34a may be of a different (smaller) size than the fiber-opening members 33a and 35a. Furthermore, the fiber-collecting member 34a is not limited to a ring-shaped member, but may be a plate-shaped member with one or more through holes, in the same form as when the inner guide member 32a described above is composed of a plate-shaped member. When the fiber-collecting member 34a is composed of such a plate-shaped member, if there is a single through hole, the inner circumferential surface of the through hole becomes an inwardly curved surface, and if multiple through holes are formed, the outer portion of the plate material relative to the center on the inner circumferential surface of each through hole becomes an inwardly curved surface.

[0113] (4) In the above embodiment, the fiber-opening structure 31 is configured such that one fiber-collecting member 34a (fiber-collecting section 34) is provided between two fiber-opening members 33a, 35a (fiber-opening sections 33, 35). However, the fiber-opening structure of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which the fiber-collecting section 34 and the fiber-opening sections 33, 35 are provided in such numbers. For example, the fiber-opening structure may be configured such that, compared to the configuration of the above embodiment, the most downstream fiber-opening section 35 is omitted, and there is one fiber-opening section 33 and one fiber-collecting section 34. Alternatively, compared to the configuration of the above embodiment, a fiber-collecting section may be provided further downstream of the most downstream fiber-opening section 35, and the fiber-opening structure may be configured such that there are two fiber-opening sections and two fiber-collecting sections.

[0114] (5) In the impregnation device 2 of the above embodiment, four ring members 37 are provided arranged in the direction of travel, and each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 is guided to each ring member 37 as described above, so that the upstreammost ring member 37 functions only as an inner guide portion 32, the second upstream and the downstreammost ring members (even-numbered ring members) 37 function only as fiber opening portions 33 and 35, and the ring member 37 located between the fiber opening portions 33 and 35 also serves as a fiber gathering portion 34 and an inner guide member 36a (inner guide portion). However, even if the impregnation device 2 has the same configuration as the above embodiment, it is not limited to the ring members 37 functioning as described above.

[0115] Specifically, first, the first guide plate 21 provided on the upstream side of the ring member 37 is formed such that the inner through-hole 21b of its multiple through-holes 21a is positioned to guide the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 inside the outer circumferential surface of the ring member 37. Then, the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 that passes through the outer through-hole 21c of the first guide plate 21 is guided by each ring member 37 in the same manner as in the above embodiment. In this case, each ring member 37 will function in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0116] On the other hand, the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 that passes through the inner through hole 21b is guided by the ring members 37 in the opposite manner to the above, starting from the upstream side, then the outer, then the inner, then the outer, then the inner. In this case, the outermost ring member 37 functions as a fiber opening section. The first guide plate 21 (the inner through hole 21b) located upstream of the inner guide section also functions as its inner guide section. Furthermore, for the second and subsequent ring members 37 from the upstream side, the odd-numbered ring members 37 function as fiber opening sections, and the even-numbered ring members 37 function as fiber gathering sections. In addition, among the ring members 37 that function as fiber gathering sections, the ring members 37 on the downstream side of which there is another ring member 37 also function as an inner guide section.

[0117] Thus, by configuring the first guide plate 21 as described above, and guiding the reinforcing fiber bundles 7 passed through each through-hole 21a in the two manner described above, for example, the upstreammost ring member 37 will serve as both an inner guide and a fiber opening section. The remaining ring members 37 will serve as both fiber opening sections and fiber gathering sections. In other words, even if the configuration of the fiber opening structure 31 itself is the same as in the above embodiment, it is not limited to making each ring member 37 function as in the above embodiment, but it is also possible to give it multiple functions.

[0118] (6) Furthermore, as described above, when the inner guide portion 32, the fiber opening portion 33, 35, and the fiber gathering portion 34 are composed of the inner guide member 32a, the fiber opening member 33a, 35a, and the fiber gathering member 34a, respectively, each of these members can also be a plate-shaped member (plate material) as described above. In that case, each of the plate materials can be made to have multiple functions by, for example, forming multiple through holes in the fiber opening member described above, and further forming a single hole in the center of the inner guide member (fiber gathering member) described above.

[0119] More specifically, in the case where the same number of plate materials (4) as the ring member 37 in the above embodiment are provided, each plate material is configured in that manner, and the inner through-hole 21b of the plurality of through-holes 21a in the first guide plate 21 is formed in the position described in (5) above. Furthermore, the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 that passes through the outer through-hole 21c in the first guide plate 21 is guided by each plate material in the order of the single hole, the through-hole, the single hole, and the through-hole from the upstream side. On the other hand, the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 that passes through the inner through-hole 21b is guided by each plate material in the order of the through-hole, the single hole, the through-hole, and the single hole from the upstream side.

[0120] As a result, the upstreammost plate material serves as both an inner guide section and a fiber opening section. Furthermore, the first guide plate 21 (the inner through-hole 21b) functions as the inner guide section for the fiber opening section. In addition, the remaining plate materials serve as both fiber opening sections and fiber gathering sections. Among the plate materials that also serve as fiber gathering sections, the plate material on the downstream side also functions as an inner guide section.

[0121] (7) Furthermore, the inner guide portion 32, the fiber opening portion 33, 35, and the fiber gathering portion 34 described above are all composed of independent members (inner guide member 32a, fiber opening member 33a, 35a, and fiber gathering member 34a) for each of the multiple (all) reinforcing fiber bundles 7. However, the inner guide portion 32, the fiber opening portion 33, 35, and the fiber gathering portion 34 are not limited to being composed of such independent members. For example, the fiber opening structure 31 may be provided with a spiral coil-shaped member (coil member) in place of the multiple ring members in the above embodiment. The outer and inner diameters of the coil member are the same as those of the ring members in the above embodiment. By configuring the fiber opening structure 31 in this way, each part of the coil member may replace the ring members in the above embodiment.

[0122] (8) In the above embodiment, the impregnation device 2 is configured such that the mounting positions of the inner guide member 32a, fiber opening members 33a, 35a, and fiber collecting member 34a, which are made up of ring members 37, with respect to the resin tank 11 can be changed in the direction of travel. In the above embodiment, the impregnation device 2 is configured so that the mounting positions of each member can be changed by changing the insertion holes 13h, 16h into which the support columns 39 fixed to each member are inserted to other insertion holes 13h, 16h. However, the configuration for changing the mounting positions of each member in the impregnation device 2 is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the following configuration is also conceivable.

[0123] First, the impregnation device is configured such that support members for supporting each of the aforementioned members (support columns 39) are provided inside the resin tank 11. The support members are made of, for example, plate material, and two sets are provided, one upper and one lower, corresponding to each pair of support columns 39, 39 attached to each of the aforementioned members. Furthermore, each support member has a length that extends over the area in which each of the aforementioned members is provided, so as to be common to all of the aforementioned members. In addition, each support member is provided at a position spaced apart from the upper wall 13 and the lower wall 16 of the resin tank 11 by support legs or the like. Moreover, each support member has an elongated hole formed along its longitudinal direction (the direction of travel) through which the support column 39 is inserted.

[0124] Furthermore, each of the support columns 39 of the aforementioned members shall have dimensions that are slightly longer than the distance between the pair of upper and lower support members (so that the end protrudes when inserted into the elongated holes of each support member). In addition, each of the support columns 39 shall have a male thread on its end, which a nut shall be screwed onto. In this configuration, each of the aforementioned members shall be attached to the resin tank 11 by inserting the pair of support columns 39, 39 into the corresponding elongated holes of the support members, screwing a nut onto the male thread at the end, and tightening the nut to fix the position. When changing the position of each of the aforementioned members, the position shall be changed by loosening the nut and moving each of the support columns 39 along the elongated hole.

[0125] Furthermore, in the impregnation device 2, if the type of reinforcing fiber bundle 7 used and the required strength of the FRP reinforcement 8 to be manufactured are not changed, the configuration for changing the mounting position of each of the aforementioned members can be omitted.

[0126] (9) The above description assumes that the open fiber structure 31 is equipped with a fiber gathering section 34 (fiber gathering member 34a). However, in the open fiber structure 31 of the present invention, if the opening action of the open fiber section 33 (fiber opening member 33a) is sufficient to impregnate the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 with the thermoplastic resin 9 to the extent necessary, the fiber gathering section 34 can be omitted. In that case, the open fiber structure 31 is configured such that only one open fiber section 33 is provided downstream of the inner guide section 32.

[0127] (10) Regarding the multiple through holes 21a, 22a in each guide plate 21, 22 (first guide plate 21, second guide plate 22) for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle 7, the through holes 21a, 22a are not limited to round holes as shown in the figure, but may also be elongated holes, arc-shaped holes, etc. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the through holes 21a, 22a are formed in the guide plates 21, 22 in a manner that forms a nearly perfect circle. However, in each guide plate 21, 22 of the present invention, the multiple through holes 21a, 22a are not limited to being formed in this manner, but may also be formed in a manner that forms an ellipse, etc. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the through holes 21a, 22a are formed in the guide plates 21, 22 in a manner that is different in position in the radial direction. However, in each of the guide plates 21 and 22 of the present invention, the multiple through holes 21a and 22a are not limited to being formed in this manner; they may be formed in a single row or in three or more rows.

[0128] Furthermore, with respect to the second guide plate 22, in the above embodiment, the impregnation device 2 is configured such that the mounting position of the second guide plate 22 with respect to the resin tank 11 can be changed in the direction of travel, using the same configuration as the configuration for changing the mounting position of each of the members in the open fiber structure 31. However, the configuration for changing the mounting position of the second guide plate 22 is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and can be modified in the same way as the configuration for changing the mounting position of each of the members in (8) above. Also, the configuration for changing the mounting position of the second guide plate 22 can be omitted.

[0129] (11) In the above embodiment, the guide member 41 is a ring-shaped and substantially circular member, similar to the inner guide member 32a and the fiber-collecting member 34a described above. However, even if the guide member 41 is a ring-shaped member, it is not limited to being substantially circular, but may also be elliptical or otherwise. Furthermore, the guide member 41 is not limited to a ring-shaped member, but may also be made of a plate-shaped member, similar to the inner guide member 32a and the fiber-collecting member 34a. Specifically, the guide member 41 may be made of a plate-shaped member having a single through-hole, with an inner diameter formed inside the through-hole 22a through which the reinforcing fiber bundle 7 passes in the second guide plate 22, to guide the reinforcing fiber bundle 7.

[0130] Furthermore, the guide member 41 can also be modified in the same way as the other members in the fiber-opening structure 31 described above, and its mounting position in the impregnation device 2 can be changed, and it can also be omitted.

[0131] Furthermore, in the impregnation apparatus 2 of the present invention, the guide member 41 can be omitted. Specifically, the guide member 41 can be omitted if the roundness and fiber volume content of the FRP reinforcement 8 manufactured without the guide member 41 are within the desired range. It is also possible to give the second guide plate 22 the function of a guide member 41 by forming all the through holes 22a in the second guide plate 22 to be located inside the guide surface of the downstream fiber opening or fiber gathering section in the fiber opening structure 31.

[0132] (12) In the above embodiment, the pulling device 3 also serves as the twisting device 6, and the pulling device 3 is configured to drive the gripping device 51, which is gripping the FRP reinforcement 8, to extend, and to rotate the gripping device 51 during the period of extension. However, even if the pulling device 3 also serves as the twisting device 6, it is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, the device that serves as both the pulling device 3 and the twisting device 6 may be configured to rotate a pair of rollers that are provided to sandwich the FRP reinforcement so that their axial directions intersect each other, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-69315.

[0133] Furthermore, the pulling device 3 and the twisting device 6 are not limited to the pulling device 3 being provided to also function as the twisting device 6 as described above, but may be provided independently. For example, the rotary drive device 61 may be omitted from the device configured as the pulling device 3 (twisting device 6) in the above embodiment, and the gripping device 51 may be configured to be directly supported by the support bracket 55 of the drive device 53, and this configuration may be provided as the pulling device 3. Then, a twisting device configured in the same way as the twisting configuration in the pulling device 3 of the above embodiment may be provided as a separate twisting device from the pulling device. In this case, the twisting device will be provided upstream of the pulling device. Also, in this case, the pulling operation by the pulling device and the twisting operation by the twisting device will be performed alternately (not simultaneously).

[0134] Furthermore, a device consisting of a pair of rollers may be provided downstream of the device configured to twist the FRP reinforcement (reinforcement fiber bundle) using the aforementioned pair of rollers, as a device for pulling out the FRP reinforcement. In this case, the device with the pair of rollers upstream corresponds to the twisting device, and the device with the pair of rollers downstream corresponds to the pulling-out device.

[0135] (13) In the above embodiment, the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 is configured such that the resin tank 11 has an introduction section 11a formed in its upper wall 13, and each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 from the supply device 4 is introduced into the resin tank 11 from above. However, the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 that the present invention is based on is not limited to such a configuration. For example, first, the resin tank 11 is configured such that the introduction frame 18 has a closed opening at the top. That is, the resin tank 11 is configured such that the introduction frame 18 has an opening towards the supply device 4 only at the top of the front wall portion 18a. Then, the FRP reinforcement molding apparatus 1 may be configured such that each reinforcing fiber bundle 7 from the supply device 4 is guided toward the resin tank 11 at a height position within the range of the opening in the resin tank 11 (introduction frame 18) and introduced into the resin tank 11. In this configuration, the opening in the introduction frame 18 of the resin tank 11 becomes the introduction section 11a.

[0136] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 1 FRP myoplasty device 2 Impregnation device 3. Drawer device 3h insertion hole 4 Feeding device 4a Material Roll 5 Cooling device 6 Twisting device 7 Reinforcement fiber bundles 8 FRP muscles 9 Thermoplastic resin 11 Resin tank 11a Introduction 11b Derivation part 12 End wall (front wall) 12a Mounting hole 13 Upper wall 13a opening 13h, 13j insertion hole 14 End wall (rear wall) 14a Through hole 15 Side wall 16 Lower wall 16h, 16j insertion hole 17 Lead-off member 17a Outlet hole 17b Outlet side portion 17c Inlet 18. Introductory slots 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d wall section 18a Front wall section 19. Supply nozzle 21. First guide plate 21a Through hole 21b Inner through hole 21c Outer through hole 21d central hole 22. Second guide plate 22a Through hole 22b Inner through hole 22c Outer through hole 22d center hole 22j mounting pin 31 Spreading structure 32 Inner guide section 32a Inner guide member 32b Guide surface 33 Spreading section 33a Open fiber member 33b Guide surface (outward-facing arc surface) 34 Fiber collection section 34a Fiber collection member 34b Guide surface (inward-facing arc surface) 35 Opening section 35a Open fiber member 35b Guide surface (outward-facing arc surface) 36a Inner guide member 37 Ring component 39 Post 39a Small diameter section 41 Guide member 41b Inner surface 41c Outer edge 42 Post 51 Gripping device 51a Grip body (upper grip body) 51b Groove 51e Grip body (lower grip body) 51r gripper drive device 51s Air Cylinder 51t Piston Rod 53 Drive unit 54 Ball screw mechanism 54a, 54b Support 54c screw shaft 54d Servo motor 54e Base member 54f through hole 54j nut 55 Support bracket 55a L-shaped section 55b Rib 55c One end portion 55d The other end portion 55h through hole 57 Support stand 58 rails 61 Rotary drive device 62 Housing 62a through hole 62h through hole 63 Rotation axis 63h through hole 64 Mounting plate 64h through hole 65 Servo motors 65a Output shaft 66 brackets

Claims

1. An FRP reinforcement molding apparatus for forming FRP reinforcement from multiple reinforcing fiber bundles, comprising an impregnation device including a resin tank in which thermoplastic resin is stored and which has an introduction section into which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is introduced and an exit section into which each of the reinforcing fiber bundles is led out in a converged state, and an extraction device provided downstream of the resin tank, wherein each of the reinforcing fiber bundles passing through the resin tank is extracted from the resin tank by the extraction device, A twisting device is provided downstream of the resin tank for twisting the reinforcing fiber bundles so as to twist together a plurality of the reinforcing fiber bundles in a converged state. The impregnation apparatus comprises a first guide plate provided in the resin tank, the first guide plate having a plurality of through holes arranged in a circular pattern for passing a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles from the introduction section; a second guide plate provided between the first guide plate and the discharge section, the second guide plate having a plurality of through holes arranged in a circular pattern for passing a plurality of reinforcing fiber bundles; and a fiber opening structure provided upstream of the second guide plate, the fiber opening structure including a fiber opening section having an outwardly convex outward arc surface as a guide surface for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundles, and an inner guide section that guides the reinforcing fiber bundles upstream of the fiber opening section at a position inside the outward arc surface. An FRP muscle forming apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. In the aforementioned fiber-opening structure, the fiber-opening portion is composed of a fiber-opening member having the outward-facing arc surface on its outer circumferential surface. The FRP muscle forming apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The fiber-opening structure includes a fiber-collecting portion downstream of the fiber-opening portion, which has an inwardly concave inward arc surface as a guide surface for guiding the reinforcing fiber bundle. The FRP reinforcement molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The impregnation apparatus includes a guide member provided between the second guide plate and the discharge portion, which guides the reinforcing fiber bundle at a position inside all of the through holes in the second guide plate. The FRP reinforcement molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

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