Sports equipment and methods for manufacturing sports equipment

Abstract

We provide sports equipment made of FRP that is less prone to uneven coloring and loss of color vibrancy. [Solution] A tubular body having a main body 1A formed from fiber-reinforced prepreg 10 and a decorative layer 20 formed on the surface of the reinforcing fiber resin layer located on the outermost layer of the main body 1A, in which decorative particles 22 are dispersed, wherein the decorative layer 20 is formed by including decorative particles 22 in cellulose 25.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to sporting goods represented by fishing tackles, golf club shafts and the like, and more particularly, to various sporting goods formed of a prepreg obtained by impregnating reinforcing fibers with a synthetic resin, and a method for manufacturing such sporting goods.

Background Art

[0002] As the above-mentioned sporting goods, it is known to form tubular bodies such as fishing rods and golf club shafts with prepreg (FRP). For the purpose of improving the appearance of such a tubular body, it is known to arrange decorative particles (pigment) on the surface layer side, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Further, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose that thin-walled decorative particles are used on the surface layer side in a prepreg tubular body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-mentioned known art, if the particle diameter of the decorative particles mixed on the surface layer side is made smaller than the diameter of the reinforcing fibers like a pigment, the decorative particles may deeply penetrate into the interior through the gaps between the reinforcing fibers due to the convection of the resin during molding. Alternatively, before thermal processing, the resin may flow out together with the convection of the resin at the winding end portion of a tightening tape wound for shape retention. As described above, when the particle diameter of the decorative particles is small, color unevenness and deterioration of color development are caused.

[0005] On the other hand, if the particle size of the decorative particles is made larger than the diameter of the reinforcing fibers, it becomes more difficult for them to penetrate the gaps between the reinforcing fibers, but the decorative particles may not be uniformly arranged, which can cause uneven coloring or a decrease in color development. Furthermore, in tubular bodies formed from FRP, if the tightening tape that is spirally wrapped around the body to maintain its shape is removed, the shape of the tightening tape is transferred to the surface, creating an uneven surface. The areas between the ridges created by such uneven surfaces can cause uneven arrangement of the decorative particles in the decorative layer during heat molding when the decorative layer is placed on the surface side (causing the decorative particles to bend or to be unable to align properly, resulting in gaps between the decorative particles). In other words, whether small or large decorative particles are used as the decorative layer, it can cause uneven coloring and a decrease in color development, resulting in a degraded appearance.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide sports equipment made of FRP that is less prone to uneven coloring and deterioration of color, and a method for manufacturing such sports equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The sports equipment according to the present invention comprises a main body formed from a fiber-reinforced prepreg, and a decorative layer formed on the surface of a reinforced fiber resin layer located on the outermost layer of the main body, wherein decorative particles are dispersed, and the decorative layer is formed by including decorative particles in cellulose.

[0008] In the sports equipment with the above-described configuration, the decorative layer formed on the surface portion contains decorative particles embedded in cellulose and is embedded in the outer surface of the reinforcing resin layer of the prepreg. As a property of the cellulose itself, it forms a thin film while holding the dispersed decorative particles in an entangled state. Therefore, when heat is applied to the fiber-reinforced prepreg to form the sports equipment, the decorative particles are evenly dispersed while being held in the cellulose on the surface side. For this reason, even if there are irregularities on the surface, color unevenness and a decrease in color development are less likely to occur.

[0009] Furthermore, the sports equipment described above can be manufactured by spraying a decorative layer onto the surface of the fiber-reinforced prepreg that constitutes the main body, using an organic solvent containing cellulose with dispersed decorative particles, and then heat-molding the main body after the organic solvent in the sprayed decorative layer has evaporated. In this way, when the spray is applied to the fiber-reinforced prepreg, the decorative particles are evenly held within a thin film of cellulose on its surface, resulting in sports equipment that is less prone to color unevenness or reduced color development. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, sports equipment made of FRP that is less prone to color unevenness and deterioration of color development, and a method for manufacturing the same can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of a tubular body made of FRP, which is an example of a sporting goods product. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a tubular body manufactured by the manufacturing method shown. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional FRP tubular body, showing a state where large decorative particles are arranged as a decorative layer and the fastening tape has been removed. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the FRP tubular body of this embodiment, with the tightening tape removed. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates a manufacturing method for a tubular body, showing a schematic diagram in which decorative particles and an organic solvent containing cellulose are sprayed onto the surface. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows the state of the tubular body after the sprayed organic solvent has evaporated. [Figure 7] Figure 6 shows a tubular body with a decorative film wrapped in a tightening tape. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes embodiments of the sporting goods according to the present invention. The sports equipment according to the present invention is made of FRP material, and in the following embodiments of sports equipment, tubular bodies such as fishing rods, golf club shafts, and ski poles will be used as examples. Here, the term tubular body (also called a rod-shaped body) includes hollow bodies, solid bodies, and combinations of these.

[0013] As described later, in the case of FRP tubular bodies, after winding a prepreg sheet around a core, a shape-retaining tightening tape is sometimes wound spirally around it, and after heat treatment, the tightening tape is peeled off. When this peeling process is performed, the decorative particles that make up the decorative layer may not be neatly arranged in the areas of the continuously formed uneven surface (peeling marks) in the axial direction, which can cause problems such as uneven coloring and reduced color development. In particular, if the height difference is 40 μm or less, the uneven coloring and reduced color development can make it appear as if there are streaks, resulting in an appearance that resembles a defective product (if the height difference is high, it can be recognized as a step, making it easier to perceive that the uneven coloring and reduced color development are occurring in the step). Furthermore, in FRP fishing tackle as well, height differences of 40 μm or less may be intentionally molded on the surface, or such height differences may occur due to manufacturing tolerances, and in such cases, the appearance of streaks may also make it look like a defective product. In the following embodiment, a tubular body having a decorative layer of fine particles (decorative particles) formed on its surface is characterized by a configuration that makes it difficult for uneven coloring or a decrease in color development to occur in areas where an uneven surface is formed when the fastening tape is peeled off.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body 1A of the tubular body 1 in this embodiment is formed by winding a sheet-like fiber-reinforced prepreg (hereinafter simply referred to as prepreg) 10, which is made by impregnating known reinforcing fibers with synthetic resin, around a core metal 50 (also referred to as a mandrel).

[0015] As the reinforcing fibers constituting the prepreg 10, carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers and the like are used, and as the synthetic resin that is the matrix resin, a transparent or translucent thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin, phenol resin, polyester resin and the like is used. In this case, a thermoplastic resin such as polyamide may be used as the matrix resin.

[0016] A plurality of the prepregs 10 having different configurations may be wound around the core metal 50, and the number of laminated layers of the formed tubular body is not limited. Further, the prepreg may be wound so as to form a plurality of layers over the entire circumference, or may be wound so as to partially form a plurality of layers (the overlapping margin of the edges of the prepreg is not limited). When winding the plurality of prepregs, the alignment direction of the reinforcing fibers can be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the prepregs.

[0017] As described above, the prepreg 10 wound around the core metal 50 is spirally wrapped with a tightening tape 60 so as to maintain its shape retention, and is heat-treated in this state to cure the synthetic resin, and after core removal, the tightening tape is removed, whereby the tubular body 1 shown in Figure 2 is molded.

[0018] Here, with reference to Figure 3, a configuration in which large decorative particles are dispersed on the surface layer side of the tubular body to form a decorative layer will be described. In Figure 3, the portion denoted by reference numeral 11 indicates the reinforcing fibers of the prepreg aligned in the circumferential direction, and the portion denoted by reference numeral 12 indicates the mixed decorative particles. This example also shows a state that does not contain cellulose.

[0019] The decorative layer shown in Figure 3 is obtained by spraying a solvent mixed with decorative particles 12 onto the outer surface of the wound prepreg, volatilizing the solvent, and attaching the decorative particles 12 to the outer surface of the prepreg forming the outermost layer. Then, the tightening tape 60 is wound in this state, and after heat treatment, the tightening tape is removed, resulting in a cross-sectional structure as shown in Figure 3.

[0020] The aforementioned fastening tape 60 is made of, for example, polypropylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, or a combination of these resins, with a thickness of approximately 10 μm to 40 μm and a width of approximately 5 mm to 20 mm. When the fastening tape 60 is spirally wound around the prepreg 10 and then removed after heat treatment, the peeled-off area will have a gently sloping surface 14 corresponding to the flat inner surface of the fastening tape and an uneven surface (stepped portion) 15 corresponding to the side edge of the fastening tape, which are continuously formed in the axial direction. In this case, the height (height difference) H of the uneven surface 15 formed on the surface of the tubular body is approximately equal to the thickness of the fastening tape 60, which is 40 μm or less, and at least 10 μm or more.

[0021] As described above, the decorative particles 12 are arranged on the surface side, but on the uneven surface 15 as described above, it becomes difficult for the decorative particles 12 to be neatly arranged along its shape. In particular, on the inclined surfaces 15a of the uneven surface 15 (surfaces between the ridges, including vertical surfaces), the decorative particles 12 tend to be arranged irregularly, such as in a vertical direction or bent. As a result, in the region of the uneven surface 15, insufficient reflection from the decorative particles 12 is obtained, diffuse reflection becomes more likely, etc., leading to problems such as uneven color and reduced color development. In particular, on the inclined surfaces 15a between the ridges at both ends of the uneven surface, the uneven color and reduced color development appear as streaky lines.

[0022] In this case, if small-diameter particles such as organic pigments are used for the decorative particles 12, they are prone to getting stuck between the reinforcing fibers 11 during firing or flowing out due to the resin flow, resulting in reduced color development and uneven coloring in the molded product. Also, as shown in Figure 3, if large decorative particles (approximately 3 μm to 200 μm) are used, the decorative particles are difficult to arrange neatly, especially in the area of ​​the uneven surface 15, resulting in similar problems.

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the FRP tubular body 1 of this embodiment, showing the state after the aforementioned tightening tape has been removed.

[0024] A decorative layer 20 is formed on the surface of the fiber-reinforced resin layer located in the outermost layer of the main body 1A formed by the prepreg 10, and the decorative layer 20 is formed by dispersing decorative particles 22 in cellulose 25.

[0025] The aforementioned cellulose (including nanocellulose) possesses the properties of a linear polymer formed by the polymerization of glucose molecules, and is also called fibrin. Due to its own properties, cellulose 25 forms a thin film, and the surface of this film has the property of entangling even large decorative particles 12 (approximately 3 μm to 200 μm in size; see Figure 3) and / or small decorative particles 22 such as organic pigments (fine particles with a particle diameter of approximately 0.05 to 1.0 μm; see Figure 4). For this reason, as shown in Figure 4, when cellulose 25 containing small decorative particles 22 is formed on the surface side of the FRP body, the decorative particles 22 become entangled with the cellulose 25, thereby suppressing the leakage of decorative particles 22 or their penetration between the reinforcing fibers 11 (suppressing a decrease in color development).

[0026] Specifically, if wide decorative particles 12 are used, their average thickness should be at least 0.05 μm, and their width should be set to a dimension (approximately 3 μm to 200 μm, as mentioned above) that allows the average width to span across adjacent reinforcing fibers without encroaching on the spaces between the reinforcing fibers that make up the prepreg (which varies depending on the prepreg). The average thickness of the decorative particle 12 is the average value of the thickness of both ends and the center of the decorative particle 12, and the average width is the average value of the difference in dimensions between the reinforcing fibers.

[0027] Furthermore, if minute decorative particles 22 are used, it is preferable that their particle size be less than or equal to the fiber diameter (approximately 5-8 μm) of the reinforcing fibers 11 that constitute the prepreg. This is because, like pigments, even if decorative particles smaller than the fiber diameter are used, the pigment is held in place by the cellulose 25, and even if resin flow occurs during heat treatment, it will not penetrate between the fibers and will not easily leak out. In other words, the density of decorative particles is increased, resulting in better color development.

[0028] As the decorative particles 22, it is preferable to use brightly colored and lightweight organic pigments, and as mentioned above, pigments with a particle size of about 0.05 to 1.0 μm, more preferably 0.05 to 0.5 μm, can be used. That is, even with such minute particle sizes, they are held in the thin film-like cellulose 25 described above, making it difficult for them to get between fibers or leak out. Furthermore, the decorative particles 22 that are entangled in the cellulose 25 can be arranged almost uniformly along the uneven surface 15 (especially the inclined surface 15a) created by the tightening tape described above, so that the decrease in the amount of reflected light is suppressed, and uneven coloring and dullness are less likely to occur. Furthermore, the pigment used as the decorative particle 22 is not limited to organic pigments, but may also be inorganic pigments such as pearl pigments, dyes, or mixtures thereof.

[0029] The decorative particles 22 are preferably available in a variety of colors and / or have lustrous properties. For example, they can be formed from synthetic resin materials, synthetic resins coated with metal, metal materials, glass materials, ceramic materials, natural minerals, etc. They may also be transparent. For example, transparent metal thin film chips, thin film resin chips with a glass flake multilayer structure, hologram chips, etc., can be used. It is preferable that they have both lustrous properties and transparency. Furthermore, the shape of the decorative particles 22 is not limited and may be rounded or partially pointed.

[0030] Next, the method for manufacturing the tubular body 1 described above will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 7. In this embodiment, the decorative layer 20 on the surface side of the prepreg 10 is formed by spraying it with a spray 70. The spray 70 contains an organic solvent 27 containing cellulose 25 in which decorative particles 22 are dispersed. It is preferable to use small-diameter decorative particles 22, and in this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, decorative particles 22 of organic pigment are dispersed with a particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 μm.

[0031] In this case, the cellulose has a functional group (for example, a nitro group) that is easily dispersed in an organic solvent, thereby making it possible to obtain an organic solvent 27 in which the decorative particles 22 and cellulose 25 are dissolved.

[0032] When an organic solvent 27 containing such minute decorative particles 22 is applied to the surface of the prepreg 10 by spray 70, the solvent (acetone, toluene, xylene, alcohols) evaporates and a decorative layer 20 is formed (see Figure 6). In this state, as described above, a thin film is formed in the decorative layer 20 due to the properties of the cellulose 25 itself, and the decorative particles 22 are held in an entangled state within this thin film.

[0033] Then, after the organic solvent 27 of the sprayed decorative layer 20 has evaporated, the prepreg 10 is wrapped with a tightening tape 60 to maintain its shape, and the main body 1A is heat-molded in that state. After the molding is complete, the tightening tape 60 is removed to obtain a tubular body 1 with a decorative layer 20 of about 2 to 40 μm thick formed on its surface. In this heating process, although convection of the matrix resin occurs, the decorative particles 22 are in the form of a temporary coating film, so even if the particle size is small, they are less likely to be caught in the resin convection.

[0034] Even if the surface of the completed decorative layer 20 has irregularities 15, the decorative particles 22 are less likely to scatter or get stuck between the reinforcing fibers, thus reducing the decrease in reflected light. In addition, because the decorative particle group is evenly arranged along the surface and the inclined surface 15a of the irregularities 15, diffuse reflection is less likely to occur, and dullness and other issues are less likely to develop.

[0035] In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which a decorative layer (a decorative layer containing decorative particles in cellulose) 20, in which decorative particles are dispersed, is formed on the surface side of a tubular FRP body as shown in Figure 2, as a sporting goods item. However, it is possible to apply this to sporting goods other than tubular bodies (especially fishing tackle). For example, it can be applied to fishing line guides, reel seats, reel bodies, etc., which are formed by laminating prepregs.

[0036] Such sports equipment can be manufactured by laminating prepregs, spraying a solvent containing decorative particles and cellulose onto the surface using spray 70, allowing the solvent to evaporate, and then heating under pressure. In this case, the pressurizing method can be a press using a mold, a depressurization by vacuuming, or internal pressure molding.

[0037] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways. In the embodiments described above, the decorative layer 20 was left exposed, but a clear coating (protective layer) or coating film may be formed as needed. Such a clear coating or coating film only needs to cover the decorative layer 20 to the extent that it is visible. Furthermore, the particle size of the decorative particles can be modified as appropriate; for example, it may be composed of decorative particles with particle sizes other than 0.05 to 1.0 μm, or decorative particles of such particle sizes may be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1. Tubular body 1A Main Unit 10 Fiber-reinforced prepregs 12,22 Decorative particles 15 Uneven surface 20 Decorative layers 25 Cellulose 27 Solvents 50 Mandrel 60 Tightening Tapes 70 sprays

Claims

1. The main body is formed from fiber-reinforced prepreg, A decorative layer is formed on the surface portion of the reinforcing fiber resin layer located in the outermost layer of the main body, and decorative particles are dispersed therein. In sporting goods that have, The aforementioned decorative layer is formed by incorporating decorative particles into cellulose, in a sporting goods.

2. The sporting goods according to claim 1, wherein the particle diameter of the decorative particles is less than or equal to the fiber diameter of the reinforcing fibers constituting the fiber-reinforced prepreg.

3. The sports product according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose has functional groups that are easily dispersed in an organic solvent.

4. The sporting goods according to claim 1, wherein the decorative particles are organic pigments having a particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 μm.

5. The sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein the main body is a tubular body formed by winding the fiber-reinforced prepreg.

6. The sporting goods according to claim 5, wherein the surface of the tubular body has an uneven surface obtained by peeling off the tightening tape that is wound around the prepreg during firing.

7. The sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein the main body is a laminate formed by laminating the fiber-reinforced prepreg.

8. The main body is formed from fiber-reinforced prepreg, A decorative layer is formed on the surface portion of the reinforcing fiber resin layer located in the outermost layer of the main body, and decorative particles are dispersed therein. In a method for manufacturing sporting goods having, A decorative layer is formed on the surface of the fiber-reinforced prepreg by spraying an organic solvent containing cellulose in which the decorative particles are dispersed. A method for manufacturing sporting goods, comprising heating and molding the main body after the organic solvent in the sprayed decorative layer has evaporated.

9. The method for manufacturing sporting goods according to claim 8, wherein the decorative particles are organic pigments having a particle size of 0.05 to 1.0 μm.

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