Direction-changing device and glass fiber manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

This suppresses the occurrence of strand entanglement with the direction-changing device. [Solution] The direction-changing device 5 comprises a roller section 7 that rotates to change the direction of travel of a strand ST made of glass fiber GF, and a support section 8 that supports the roller section 7. The roller section 7 comprises an outer peripheral surface 10 and a plurality of protrusions 11 that protrude from the outer peripheral surface 10 and contact the strand ST. The protrusions 11 are configured to extend along the axial direction of the roller section 7.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for changing the traveling direction of a glass strand composed of glass fibers and an apparatus for manufacturing glass fibers.

Background Art

[0002] As is well known, glass strands are widely used as reinforcing materials for GRC (Glassfiber Reinforced Concrete) and are known as an effective means for compensating for the brittleness of cement and improving tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength.

[0003] As a method for manufacturing GRC, for example, a method is known in which glass chopped strands (hereinafter simply referred to as "chopped strands"), obtained by cutting glass strands (hereinafter simply referred to as "strands") into a mortar composed of pre-mixed cement, aggregate, water, admixtures, etc., are mixed and then formed into a predetermined shape.

[0004] Strands can be obtained by applying a sizing agent to glass fibers obtained by drawing molten glass from a bushing having hundreds to thousands of nozzles using an applicator and then gathering these by a gathering shoe. The obtained strands are cut to a predetermined length and used as chopped strands.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing chopped strands using the direct method. In this manufacturing method, chopped strands are manufactured by directly cutting the strands by a cutting roller while conveying the strands formed by a gathering shoe (gathering roller) in a predetermined direction by a guide roller and a feed roller (see the upper left column of the third page and FIG. 1 of the same document).

[0006] The guide roller functions as a direction-changing device located below the gathering shoe, changing the direction of the strand's movement from vertical to towards the guide roller. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-164838 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In methods such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, where strands are transported by guide rollers, the strands sometimes become entangled in the guide rollers. When such entanglement occurs, the strands are cut before reaching the feed rollers, interrupting the production of chopped strands. Therefore, it was necessary to periodically replace the guide rollers to prevent strand entanglement.

[0009] If the guide rollers are replaced frequently, the manufacturing efficiency of chopped strands decreases, so it is necessary to reduce the frequency of strands wrapping around the guide rollers.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its technical objective is to suppress the occurrence of strand entanglement with the direction-changing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (1) The present invention is for solving the above problems and is a device for changing the direction of travel of a strand made of glass fiber, comprising a roller portion that rotates to change the direction of travel of the strand, and a support portion that supports the roller portion, wherein the roller portion comprises an outer peripheral surface and a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface and contact the strand, and the protrusions are configured to extend along the axial direction of the roller portion.

[0012] With this configuration, multiple protrusions are formed on the outer surface of the roller portion, and the strand is supported by these protrusions, thereby minimizing the contact area of ​​the strand with the roller portion.

[0013] A sizing agent is applied to the strand, and when the sizing agent adheres to the roller and hardens (gums up), the strand becomes difficult to detach from the roller, causing it to wrap around the roller. In this invention, the contact area of ​​the strand with the roller is made smaller than in conventional methods, thereby reducing the amount of sizing agent that adheres to the contact area. This effectively suppresses the occurrence of strand wrapping around the roller.

[0014] Furthermore, since the protrusions are configured to extend in the axial direction of the roller, it is possible to change the direction of travel of multiple strands simultaneously. However, if multiple island-shaped protrusions are formed, strands tend to get stuck in the gaps between adjacent protrusions. In that case, there is a risk of problems such as the sizing agent easily adhering to the roller, or strands getting caught on the protrusions and cutting, or becoming entangled with the roller. Therefore, it is preferable that the protrusions are configured to extend in the axial direction of the roller.

[0015] (2) In the direction-changing device described in (1) above, the outer circumferential surface may be circular in shape, and the protrusion may have an arc-shaped contour in a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the roller portion.

[0016] With this configuration, the convex portion having an arc-shaped contour easily achieves a suitable contact area with the strand, enabling appropriate contact and separation from the strand. This effectively suppresses the strand from wrapping around the roller portion. Furthermore, since the convex portion having an arc-shaped contour has a structure that is less likely to damage the strand, it is possible to prevent the glass fibers contained in the strand from being cut by the convex portion.

[0017] (3) In the direction-changing device described in (2) above, when the radius of the outer surface of the roller portion in the cross-section is R and the height of the protrusion is H, the value of the ratio H / R may be 0.05 or more and 0.07 or less.

[0018] With this configuration, by defining the height of the protrusion to be within the above range, the wrapping of the strand around the roller can be effectively suppressed.

[0019] (4) In the device for changing the direction of travel as described in (2) above, when the radius of the outer surface relating to the roller portion in the cross-section is R, and the arc length in the region where one of the protrusions is formed on the outer surface is L, the value of the ratio L / R may be 0.05 or more and 0.15 or less.

[0020] With this configuration, by defining the size (arc length L) of the circumferential protrusion on the outer surface of the roller portion to be within the above range, the strand wrapping around the roller portion can be effectively suppressed.

[0021] (5) In the device for changing the direction of travel as described in (2) above, when the radius of the outer surface relating to the roller portion in the cross-section is R and the arc length in the region on the outer surface where the protrusion is not formed is W, the value of the ratio W / R may be 0.002 or more and 0.15 or less.

[0022] According to such a configuration, the above-mentioned arc length W corresponds to the size of the groove portion formed between the convex portions. The groove portion can accommodate the sizing agent adhered to the strands. By defining the arc length W within the above range, the amount of the sizing agent adhering to the convex portions can be suitably reduced. Thereby, the winding of the strands around the roller portion can be effectively suppressed.

[0023] (6) In the traveling direction changing device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, the roller portion may be made of a thermosetting resin.

[0024] (7) In the traveling direction changing device according to any one of (1) to (6) above, a holder portion for holding at least one end portion of the support portion may be further provided. According to such a configuration, the support portion can be reliably supported by the holder portion.

[0025] (8) In the traveling direction changing device according to (7) above, the holder portion may hold only one end portion of the support portion.

[0026] (9) The present invention is for solving the above problems, and includes a bushing for drawing out a plurality of glass fibers, an applicator for applying a sizing agent to the plurality of glass fibers, a gathering shoe for gathering the plurality of glass fibers to form a strand, a traveling direction changing device according to any one of (1) to (8) above, and a cutting device for cutting the strand.

[0027] According to such a configuration, by providing the traveling direction changing device according to the present invention, the manufacturing apparatus of glass fibers can effectively suppress the occurrence of winding of the strands around the roller portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0028] According to the present invention, the occurrence of winding of the strands around the traveling direction changing device can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a chopped strand manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the device for changing the direction of travel, as indicated by the line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the device for changing the direction of travel, as shown by the line of sight of arrow III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the roller section of a device for changing the direction of travel. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing another example of a device for changing the direction of travel. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 5 show one embodiment of a chopped strand manufacturing apparatus including a direction-changing device according to the present invention.

[0031] The manufacturing equipment for chopped strands employs a so-called direct method. That is, the manufacturing equipment produces chopped strands by directly cutting strands, which are bundles of multiple glass fibers, without winding them up.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a bushing 2, an applicator 3, a gathering shoe 4, a direction-changing device 5, and a cutting device 6.

[0033] Bushing 2 is for forming glass fibers GF from molten glass supplied from a feeder (not shown). Bushing 2 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) for forming the glass fibers GF. The plurality of nozzles are regularly arranged along the longitudinal and transverse directions at the bottom of bushing 2.

[0034] Applicator 3 is for applying the sizing agent to the glass fibers GF. Applicator 3 is configured as a roller that applies the sizing agent to multiple glass fibers GF descending from the nozzle of bushing 2. The sizing agent includes a coupling agent, as well as a binding agent, lubricant, antistatic agent, defoamer, etc.

[0035] The gathering shoe 4 is positioned below the applicator 3. The gathering shoe 4 is for gathering multiple glass fibers GF supplied by the bushing 2 to form a strand ST. In this embodiment, multiple gathering shoes 4 are arranged at intervals, allowing multiple strand STs to be formed from the glass fibers GF.

[0036] The direction-changing device 5 is located below the gathering shoe 4. The direction-changing device 5 is for changing the transport direction of the strand ST formed by the gathering shoe 4. The direction-changing device 5 guides the strand ST, which is transported vertically, to the lateral direction.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the direction-changing device 5 comprises a roller section 7, a support section 8, and a holder section 9.

[0038] The roller section 7 contacts multiple strands ST and changes the direction of travel of each strand ST. The multiple strands ST are in contact with the roller section 7 at regular intervals in the axial direction X of the roller section 7. The roller section 7 is made of a thermosetting resin such as bakelite, but is not limited to this and may be made of metal or other materials.

[0039] The roller portion 7 comprises an outer circumferential surface 10 and a plurality of protrusions 11 that protrude from the outer circumferential surface 10 and contact the strand ST.

[0040] The outer surface 10 is configured in a circular shape, and its diameter is preferably 50 mm or more and 300 mm or less.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the protrusion 11 is a linear portion extending along the axial direction X of the roller portion 7. The protrusion 11 is formed along the entire length of the roller portion 7 from one end to the other in the axial direction X. However, the length of the protrusion 11 in the axial direction X may be shorter than the total length of the roller portion 7.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, the multiple protrusions 11 are formed on the outer surface 10 at regular intervals D in the circumferential direction. The interval (pitch) D of the protrusions 11 is preferably 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less. If the pitch D is within the above range, the protrusions 11 can make appropriate contact with and separate from the strand ST. This effectively suppresses the wrapping of the strand ST around the roller.

[0043] The convex portion 11 has an arc-shaped contour 11a in a cross-section when the roller portion 7 is cut along the radial direction Y perpendicular to the axial direction X of the roller portion 7 (see Figures 3 and 4). The radius of curvature of the contour 11a is preferably 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The contour 11a is configured as a semicircle in cross-sectional view, but is not limited to this configuration.

[0044] Between two adjacent protrusions 11 in the circumferential direction of the roller portion 7, a groove 12 is formed with the outer circumferential surface 10 as its bottom surface.

[0045] In the cross-section shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4, when the radius of the outer circumferential surface 10 relating to the roller portion 7 is R and the height of the protrusion 11 is H, the value of the ratio H / R is preferably 0.05 or more and 0.07 or less. The height H of the protrusion 11 is the distance from the outer circumferential surface 10 to the top of the protrusion 11 in the radial direction Y of the roller portion 7. The height H of the protrusion is preferably 4 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, when L is the arc length in the region 10a where one protrusion 11 is formed on the outer circumferential surface 10, the ratio L / R is preferably 0.05 or more and 0.15 or less. The arc length L of this region 10a is preferably 1 mm or more and 50 mm or less. This region 10a is composed of a virtual line (virtual arc) drawn to connect the region 10b where no protrusion 11 is formed on the outer circumferential surface 10. The arc length L of this region 10a corresponds to the width of the base of the protrusion 11 in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface 10 (circumferential width).

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, when W is the arc length in the region 10b on the outer circumferential surface 10 where the protrusion 11 is not formed, the ratio W / R is preferably 0.002 or more and 0.15 or less. This arc length W is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 15 mm or less. This arc length W corresponds to the width (groove width) in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface 10 as the bottom surface of the groove 12.

[0048] The support portion 8 is configured as a shaft that supports the roller portion 7. The support portion 8 is configured to penetrate the center of the roller portion 7 in the axial direction X. One end of the support portion 8 protrudes from one end of the roller portion 7 in the axial direction X, and the other end of the support portion 8 protrudes from the other end of the roller portion 7 in the axial direction X. The support portion 8 is integrally fixed to the roller portion 7 and is configured to rotate together with the roller portion 7. In this embodiment, one end of the support portion 8 is configured to protrude from one end of the roller portion 7 in the axial direction X, but the configuration is not limited to this, and it may be configured not to protrude from one end of the roller portion 7 in the axial direction X.

[0049] The holder portion 9 holds only one end of the support portion 8. This allows the roller portion 7 to be attached to and detached from the other end of the support portion 8, making it easier to replace the roller portion 7. The holder portion 9 includes a bearing portion that rotatably supports the end of the support portion 8. The holder portion 9 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The support portion 8 held by the holder portion 9 is configured to rotate freely without being rotated by a drive device.

[0050] As shown in Figure 1, the cutting device 6 includes a cutting roller 13 for cutting the strand ST, a guide roller 14 for guiding the strand ST to the cutting roller 13, and a pressing roller 15 that guides the strand ST to the cutting roller 13 together with the guide roller 14.

[0051] The cutting roller 13 has a plurality of cutting blades 16 on its outer circumference. The cutting blades 16 are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumference of the cutting roller 13.

[0052] The guide roller 14 is positioned adjacent to the cutting roller 13. A layer of resin, such as urethane resin, is formed on the outer surface of the guide roller 14. The diameter of the guide roller 14 is larger than the diameter of the press roller 15. The guide roller 14 is configured to rotate around its central axis. The guide roller 14 is rotationally driven by a drive device (not shown).

[0053] The retaining roller 15, together with the guide roller 14, holds the strand ST in place and feeds it toward the cutting roller 13. The retaining roller 15 is positioned above the cutting roller 13. The retaining roller 15 is configured to rotate together with the guide roller 14 without being rotated by a drive device. However, the retaining roller 15 may be rotated by a drive device.

[0054] The following describes a method for manufacturing chopped strands using the manufacturing apparatus 1 with the above configuration.

[0055] In this method, first, multiple glass fibers GF are formed simultaneously by extruding molten glass downward from the nozzle of the bushing 2 (forming step). Each glass fiber GF drawn out from the nozzle moves downward from the bushing 2 and comes into contact with the applicator 3. The applicator 3 rotates and uniformly applies a sizing agent to all the glass fibers GF (coating step).

[0056] The glass fibers GF coated with the sizing agent move downward and come into contact with the gathering shoe 4. Each of the multiple gathering shoes 4 forms a single strand ST by gathering multiple glass fibers GF (gathering process). The gathering shoe 4 guides the strand ST downward.

[0057] Subsequently, the strand ST comes into contact with the roller section 7 of the direction-changing device 5. The direction-changing device 5 applies a predetermined tension to the strand ST and changes the direction of the strand ST from vertical to horizontal (direction-changing process). As a result, the strand ST is transported to the cutting device 6 located to the side of the direction-changing device 5.

[0058] The cutting device 6 feeds the strand ST to the cutting roller 13 while it is sandwiched between the guide roller 14 and the pressing roller 15. In other words, the guide roller 14 and the pressing roller 15 function as devices that pull the strand ST along the transport path of the strand ST from the gathering shoe 4 to the cutting device 6.

[0059] The cutting roller 13 cuts the strand ST by sandwiching it between the cutting blade 16 and the guide roller 14 (cutting process). This forms a chopped strand CST of a predetermined length.

[0060] According to the chopped strand CST (glass fiber GF) manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment described above, a plurality of protrusions 11 are formed on the outer circumferential surface 10 of the roller portion 7 of the direction of travel changing device 5, and these protrusions 11 are brought into contact with the strand ST, thereby making the contact area of ​​the strand ST with the roller portion 7 as small as possible.

[0061] During the bundling process, a bundling agent is applied to the strand ST, and the bundling agent adheres to the roller section 7, making it difficult for the strand ST to detach from the roller section 7, which can cause the strand ST to become entangled.

[0062] In this embodiment, by reducing the contact area of ​​the strand ST with the roller portion 7 compared to conventional methods, the amount of sizing agent adhering to the contact portion can be reduced. This effectively suppresses the occurrence of the strand ST wrapping around the roller portion 7.

[0063] In this embodiment, by setting the protrusions 11 to a predetermined height H and forming grooves 12 between two adjacent protrusions 11, the sizing agent adhering to the strand ST can be contained in the grooves 12. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of strand ST entanglement caused by the sizing agent remaining attached to the protrusions 11.

[0064] In particular, in the direct method, the distance between the bushing 2 and the direction-changing device 5 is short, and the relatively high-temperature strand ST comes into contact with the roller section 7, making it easy for the sizing agent to gummy up on the surface of the roller section 7. Therefore, it is easy to enjoy the benefits of adopting the structure of the roller section 7 in this embodiment.

[0065] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiments, nor is it limited to the effects described above. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0066] In the above embodiment, a direction-changing device 5 having a holder portion 9 that holds only one end of the support portion 8 was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the direction-changing device 5 may include a first holder portion 9a that holds one end of the support portion 8 and a second holder portion 9b that holds the other end of the support portion 8. In other words, in the present invention, the holder portion 9(9a,9b) only needs to hold at least one end of the support portion 8. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1. Chopped Strand Manufacturing Apparatus 2 Bushings 3 Applicators 4 Gathering Shoes 5. Direction change device 6 Cutting device 7. Roller section 8 Support part 9. Holder section 10 Outer surface of the roller section 10a Region on the outer surface of the roller portion where a protrusion is formed 10b Region on the outer surface of the roller portion where no protrusions are formed. 11. Protrusions on the roller section 11a Arc-shaped contour GF glass fiber ST Strand

Claims

1. A device for changing the direction of travel of a strand made of glass fiber, comprising a roller section that rotates to change the direction of travel of the strand, and a support section that supports the roller section, The roller portion comprises an outer circumferential surface and a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the outer circumferential surface and contact the strand, The device for changing the direction of travel is characterized in that the protrusion is configured to extend along the axial direction of the roller portion.

2. The outer surface is configured in a circular shape, The device for changing the direction of travel according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion has an arc-shaped contour in a cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the roller portion.

3. The device for changing the direction of travel according to claim 2, wherein, in the cross-section, when the radius of the outer surface relating to the roller portion is R and the height of the protrusion is H, the value of the ratio H / R is 0.05 or more and 0.07 or less.

4. The device for changing the direction of travel according to claim 2, wherein, in the cross-section, when the radius of the outer circumferential surface relating to the roller portion is R, and the arc length in the region where one of the protrusions is formed on the outer circumferential surface is L, the value of the ratio L / R is 0.05 or more and 0.15 or less.

5. The device for changing the direction of travel according to claim 2, wherein, in the cross-section, when the radius of the outer circumferential surface relating to the roller portion is R and the arc length in the region on the outer circumferential surface where the convex portion is not formed is W, the value of the ratio W / R is 0.002 or more and 0.15 or less.

6. The glass strand direction changing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the roller portion is made of a thermosetting resin.

7. The device for changing the direction of travel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a holder portion for holding at least one end of the support portion.

8. The device for changing the direction of travel according to claim 7, wherein the holder portion holds only one end of the support portion.

9. A glass fiber manufacturing apparatus comprising: a bushing for drawing out a plurality of glass fibers; an applicator for applying a sizing agent to the plurality of glass fibers; a gathering shoe for gathering the plurality of glass fibers to form a strand; a device for changing the direction of travel according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and a cutting device for cutting the strand.

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