Composite stringer and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A method for producing a composite stringer (2) comprising: a step for supplying a soft or melted resin (1) on the outer circumferential surface of a die wheel (10); and a step for supplying at least one sheet material (9) on the outer circumferential surface of the die wheel (10) simultaneously with the supply of the resin (1) on the outer circumferential surface of the die wheel (10). In order for the composite stringer (2) to have a surface state or appearance that corresponds to the at least one sheet material (9) on both sides of the boundary between a tape part (3) and a fastening part (4), the at least one sheet material (9) is supplied on the outer circumferential surface of the die wheel (10) in such a form that the material at least partially overlaps each of a first and a second molding zone (10a, 10b), and crosses the boundary between the first and second molding zones (10a, 10b). The first molding zone (10a) is adapted to mold the fastening part (4), which comprises at least a plurality of fastening elements (5). The second molding zone (10b) is adapted to mold or form the tape part (3).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to composite stringers and methods of making same. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses the use of extrusion molding as an alternative to injection molding to manufacture a fastening device. The document addresses the inflexibility and / or weakness of the fastening part when extrusion molding is used, and employs a relief groove to solve this problem. Furthermore, FIG. 23 of the document discloses the fixing of an auxiliary tape to the tape part of the fastening device. Paragraph 0047 of the document discloses a method of fixing the auxiliary tape, "such as a process of insert extrusion, co-extrusion, welding, gluing, sewing or another chemical or mechanical bonding method."

[0003] Patent document 2 discloses a different type of fastening device from Patent document 1 (specifically, a hook-and-loop fastener, which conveys a sheet material (e.g., nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, polyurethane foam, plastic film, paper)) onto the surface of a roller in addition to a resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 039388 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3673811 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of Fig. 23 of Patent Document 1, a sheet material is selectively provided on the tape portion of the composite stringer, taking into consideration the effect on molding of the fastening element and / or fastening portion. However, in this case, a difference occurs in the characteristics of the composite stringer (e.g., one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of appearance, surface condition, flexibility, and mechanical strength) on one side and the other side of the boundary between the fastening portion and the tape portion. Thus, the inventors of the present application have found a new problem inherent in the conventional method of selectively providing a sheet material on the tape portion of a composite stringer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A method for manufacturing a composite stringer according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a composite stringer including at least a tape portion and a fastening portion, providing a soft or molten resin onto an outer peripheral surface of a die wheel, the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel including first and second molding zones adjacent in a width direction of the die wheel and extending in a circumferential direction of the die wheel, the first molding zone being adapted for molding a fastening portion including at least a plurality of fastening elements, and the second molding zone being adapted for molding or forming a tape portion; The method includes a step of simultaneously supplying resin onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel and supplying at least one sheet material onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel, wherein the sheet material is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel in a manner that at least partially overlaps each of the first and second forming zones and straddles the boundary between the first and second forming zones, so that the composite stringer has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material on both sides of the boundary between the tape portion and the fastening portion.

[0007] In some embodiments, the resin and the sheet material are supplied to a gap between a pair of die wheels including the die wheel as a first die wheel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface of a second die wheel of the pair of die wheels includes a third forming zone adapted to form the fastening portion together with the first forming zone of the first die wheel.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sheet material comprises a porous material that allows the resin to permeate or penetrate through the at least one sheet material, allowing movement of the resin between the first forming zone and the third forming zone.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sheet material has a width equal to or greater than the combined width of the first and second forming zones.

[0011] In some embodiments, the resin and sheet material are dispensed onto the outer periphery of the die wheel such that the texture of the sheet material is visible on one or both sides or at the front and back sides of the composite stringer.

[0012] In some embodiments, resin and sheet material are supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel so that (i) a first region of the sheet material is at least partially encompassed in the resin layer of the tape portion, or the first region of the sheet material is impregnated with the resin of the tape portion, or the first region of the sheet material is laminated to the resin layer of the tape portion, and (ii) a second region of the sheet material or the torn pieces of the sheet material is at least partially encompassed in the resin portion of the fastening portion, or the second region of the sheet material or the torn pieces of the sheet material are impregnated with the resin of the fastening portion, or the second region of the sheet material or the torn pieces of the sheet material are laminated to the resin portion of the fastening portion.

[0013] In some embodiments, the composite stringer has a pair of side edges extending along its length, and the resin and sheet material are delivered onto the outer circumferential surface of the die wheel such that at least one of the pair of side edges has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel includes a first zone including a first shaping zone and a second shaping zone, and a second zone including an additional first shaping zone having a shaping surface with the same configuration as the first shaping zone and an additional second shaping zone having a shaping surface with the same configuration as the second shaping zone. The method for manufacturing a composite stringer further includes a step of separating the first composite stringer formed in the first zone from the second composite stringer formed in the second zone.

[0015] A composite stringer according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises a tape portion, a fastening portion, and at least one sheet material, the tape portion, fastening portion, and sheet material each extending in the longitudinal direction of the composite stringer, the tape portion and the fastening portion being arranged adjacent to each other, a sheet material being included in each of the tape portion and the fastening portion, and the composite stringer having a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material on both sides of the boundary between the tape portion and the fastening portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first region of the sheet material is at least partially encompassed in the resin layer of the tape portion, or the first region of the sheet material is impregnated with the resin of the tape portion, or the first region of the sheet material is laminated to the resin layer of the tape portion.

[0017] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the second region of the sheet material or the torn pieces of the sheet material are included in the resin part of the fastening part, or the second region of the sheet material or the torn pieces of the sheet material are impregnated with the resin of the fastening part, or the second region of the sheet material or the torn pieces of the sheet material are laminated to the resin part of the fastening part.

[0018] In some embodiments, a portion of the second region of the sheet material is located at a side edge of the fastening portion distal from the tape portion.

[0019] In some embodiments, the fastenings include portions of the sheet material or torn pieces of the sheet material and / or the texture of the sheet material is visible on one or both sides of the front or back of the composite stringer, or on its sides.

[0020] In some embodiments, the fastening portion includes a groove portion extending along the longitudinal direction in a manner forming a convex portion on one tape surface side of the tape portion, and a row of fastening elements arranged on a bottom surface of the groove along the longitudinal direction with gaps formed between adjacent fastening elements, and each fastening element includes a stem portion standing from the bottom surface of the groove along the thickness direction of the tape portion, and an engaging protrusion protruding longitudinally from the stem portion. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, differences in the properties of the composite stringer (e.g., one or more properties selected from the group consisting of appearance, surface condition, flexibility, and mechanical strength) on one side and the other side of the boundary between the fastening portion and the tape portion are suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of composite stringers in a separated state, with a first side of one composite stringer shown and a second side of the other composite stringer shown, according to one embodiment of the disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of interlocking composite stringers. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a composite stringer in a width direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a composite stringer. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the engaged state of each fastening portion (fastening element) of a pair of composite stringers, and also shows a slider used for this engagement and disengagement. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a manufacturing apparatus for a composite stringer. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an apparatus for manufacturing a composite stringer. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a primary molded product produced by the production apparatus. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a primary molded product in its width direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the outer circumferential surfaces of a first die wheel and a second wheel. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is another schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the outer circumferential surfaces of the first die wheel and the second wheel. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the circumferential direction showing the structure of the outer circumferential surfaces of a first die wheel and a second wheel. [Figure 13] 4 is a schematic partial front view of a second surface of the primary molded product. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a schematic process diagram showing division of a primary molded product. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic process diagram showing the division of a primary molded article to obtain a pair of composite stringers. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a variation of a manufacturing apparatus for a composite stringer. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a variation of a manufacturing apparatus for a composite stringer. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a variation of a manufacturing apparatus for a composite stringer. [Figure 19] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams showing variations in cross-sectional configuration of a composite stringer. [Figure 20] 1 is a photograph of a first side of a composite stringer according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] 1 is a photograph of a second side of a composite stringer according to an embodiment. [Figure 22] 1 is a photograph showing a slide fastener including a combination of a pair of composite stringers according to an embodiment. [Figure 23] 18 is a schematic view showing a primary molded product 8 according to another example manufactured following the method shown in FIG. 17. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Various embodiments and features will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 23. Those skilled in the art can combine the embodiments and / or features without the need for excessive explanation, and can also understand the synergistic effects of such combinations. In principle, overlapping explanations between embodiments will be omitted. The reference drawings are primarily intended to describe the invention, and are simplified for the convenience of drawing. Each feature is not only effective for the composite stringer and its manufacturing method disclosed in this application, but is understood as a universal feature that is also applicable to various other composite stringers and their manufacturing methods not disclosed in this specification.

[0024] In this specification, directions can be defined based on the center line AX of the fastening device 100 (see FIG. 2). For a clearer explanation, a direction coinciding with or parallel to the center line AX can be defined as the front-rear direction, a direction perpendicular to the center line AX and parallel to the width direction of the fastening device 100 can be defined as the left-right direction, and a direction perpendicular to these directions can be defined as the up-down direction. Directions defined differently from these directions can also be taken into consideration. For example, the front-rear direction and the longitudinal direction can be interchangeable. The left-right direction and the width direction can be interchangeable. The up-down direction and the thickness direction can be interchangeable.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fastening device 100 has a pair of composite stringers 2 and an optional slider 200 (see Fig. 5). The fastening device 100 is a long product that extends in a longitudinal direction D1 with a predetermined width W1 with the composite stringers 2 partially overlapping and connected to each other. The fastening device 100 is flexible in this state and can bend and flex along its center line AX. Each composite stringer 2 is a long part that extends in a longitudinal direction D1 with a predetermined width W2. The composite stringers 2 are flexible and therefore can bend and flex in the width direction (the direction of the double-headed arrow labeled W1 in Fig. 2) and the longitudinal direction D1 (the direction of the double-headed arrow labeled D1 in Figs. 1 and 2).

[0026] The fastening device 100 is attached to an article such as clothing, a bag, a shoe, a suitcase, etc., to enable opening and closing of the article. Specifically, the composite stringers 2 of the fastening device 100 are fixed to different parts of the article, and different parts of the article can be connected and disconnected based on connection and disconnection of the composite stringers 2. The composite stringers 2 can be fixed to parts of the article by any method (e.g., sewing, bonding, welding, or a combination thereof). Note that the fastening device 100 may include a slider 200 for smooth connection and disconnection of the composite stringers 2, but this is optional. The composite stringers 2 can be connected and disconnected by manual operation without using the slider 200.

[0027] Each composite stringer 2 includes a tape portion 3 and a fastening portion 4, each of which extends long in the front-rear direction and is disposed adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 each have a predetermined width W3, W4, and typically, W3>W4 is satisfied. Since the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 extend continuously in the front-rear direction, a combination of an extruder and a die wheel molding can be utilized for molding the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4, which can increase production efficiency and simultaneously promote cost reduction compared to a slide fastener in which individual resin elements are formed by injection molding. In the type of slide fastener in which resin elements are formed by injection molding, the manufacturing process of the fastener tape and the process of injecting elements into the fastener tape are generally performed separately, and both cannot be manufactured at the same time.

[0028] Each composite stringer 2 has a first side edge 71 and a second side edge 72 opposite to the first side edge 71 in the width direction, and further has a first side edge 71a in the vicinity of the first side edge 71 and a second side edge 72a in the vicinity of the second side edge 72. The first side edge 71a coincides with the side edge of the fastening portion 4 distal from the tape portion 3. The second side edge 72a coincides with the side edge of the tape portion 3 distal from the fastening portion 4. In the fastening device 100, the first side edge 71 of the left composite stringer 2 is overlapped in the vertical direction with the right composite stringer 2, and similarly, the first side edge 71 of the right composite stringer 2 is overlapped in the vertical direction with the left composite stringer 2.

[0029] Each composite stringer 2 has a first surface 73m as one side and a second surface 73n as the other side. Each composite stringer 2 is a composite part of a sheet material 9 (shown by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4) and resin, and has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material 9. In particular, the composite stringer 2 has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material 9 on both sides of the boundary between the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4. This prevents a difference in the characteristics of the composite stringer (e.g., one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of appearance, surface condition, flexibility, and mechanical strength) from occurring on one side and the other side of the boundary between the fastening portion and the tape portion. The surface condition and appearance of the composite stringer 2 can be observed based on the pattern, unevenness, reflectance, etc. of the surface. The surface condition and appearance of the composite stringer 2 can be observed on one or both sides of the front and back of the composite stringer 2, i.e., on the above-mentioned first surface 73m and / or second surface 72n. Additionally or alternatively, the surface condition and appearance of the composite stringer 2 may be observable on a side of the composite stringer 2. It should be noted that the composite stringer 2 typically has four sides defining its outline, two of which extend parallel to the length of the composite stringer 2 and the remaining two of which extend parallel to the width of the composite stringer 2, but this should not be considered as being limited thereto.

[0030] The tape portion 3 has a first tape surface 3a on the first surface 73m side of the composite stringer 2 and a second tape surface 3b on the second surface 73n side of the composite stringer 2, and the thickness of the tape portion 3 is determined by the first tape surface 3a and the second tape surface 3b. The fastening portion 4 includes a plurality of fastening elements 5 arranged at a predetermined pitch in the front-rear direction on the first surface 73m side of the composite stringer 2, and a gap 6 is formed between the fastening elements 5 adjacent in the front-rear direction. For the purpose of suppressing the movement of a fluid (e.g., water) through a gap that may occur in the fastening portion 4 when the left and right composite stringers 2 are engaged, and / or for the purpose of achieving a required engagement strength, two or more rows 4a, 4b of the fastening elements 5 can be provided in the fastening portion 4, but this is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, a single row of the fastening elements 5 is provided in the fastening portion 4.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fastening portion 4 has a groove portion 7 recessed from the first tape surface 3a in a depth direction that coincides with the thickness direction of the tape portion 3. The groove portion 7 opens at the first surface 73m and forms a protrusion 41 protruding from the second tape surface 3b at the second surface 73n. The groove portion 7 and the protrusion 41 each extend in the front-rear direction. Each fastening element 5 is provided on the bottom surface of the groove portion 7 and / or is partially housed in the groove portion 7. By arranging the fastening elements 5 in the groove portion 7, the thickness of the fastening portion 4 can be reduced when the composite stringers 2 are connected to each other.

[0032] The groove 7 has side walls 7p, 7q arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart in the left-right direction (width direction), and a bottom plate 7g connecting the side walls 7p, 7q. The side walls 7p, 7q extend in the depth direction of the groove 7 to determine the depth of the groove 7. The side walls 7p, 7q are provided at both ends of the bottom plate 7g in the left-right direction. The lower end (also called one end) of the side wall 7p is connected to the end of the bottom plate 7g, and the upper end (also called the other end) of the side wall 7p is connected to the end of the tape portion 3. The lower end of the side wall 7q is connected to the end of the bottom plate 7g, and the upper end of the side wall 7q is a free end on the opening side of the groove 7. The upper ends of the side walls 7p and the side wall 7q can be located at the same height as the first tape surface 3a. It is also possible to provide the fastening elements 5 on the same plane as the first tape surface 3a of the tape portion 3 without providing the grooves 7, in which case a flat surface can be obtained without forming the convex portions 41. When multiple rows 4a, 4b of fastening elements 5 are provided, the grooves 7 may include partitions 7j to prevent erroneous engagement of the fastening elements 5 of each row 4a, 4b and / or to suppress fluid movement when the composite stringer 2 is in an engaged state.

[0033] The groove 7 has a bottom surface 7a and side wall surfaces 7b, 7c extending from both ends of the bottom surface 7a in the width direction on the first surface 73m and / or first tape surface 3a side. The fastening element 5 is disposed between the side wall surfaces 7b, 7c. The groove 7 is provided so as to form a protrusion 41 on the second surface 73n and / or second tape surface 3b side. The protrusion 41 has a main surface 41a and side wall surfaces 41b, 41c extending from both ends of the main surface 41a in the width direction. The above-mentioned bottom plate 7g has (or is defined by) the bottom surface 7a and the main surface 41a, the side wall plate 7p has (or is defined by) the side wall surface 7b and the side wall surface 41b, and the side wall plate 7q has (or is defined by) the side wall surface 7c and the side wall surface 41c.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, each fastening element 5 includes a stem portion 5a extending along the thickness direction of the tape portion 3 (i.e., a direction perpendicular to the first and second tape surfaces 3a, 3b) and an engagement protrusion 5b protruding from the stem portion 5a in the longitudinal direction D1 (i.e., forward or backward). The gaps 6 between adjacent fastening elements 5 are adapted to receive the mating fastening element 5, and are shaped to have a space for receiving the stem portion and a space for receiving the engagement protrusion. Note that the protruding direction of the engagement protrusion 5b of the fastening elements 5 may be changed for each row 4a, 4b of the fastening elements 5.

[0035] 5, the engagement protrusion 5b of the upper composite stringer 2 protrudes rearward (in the direction in which the composite stringers 2 are released from engagement) from the stem portion 5a along the center line AX, and the front side of the stem portion 5a forms a smooth slope with no engagement protrusion. On the other hand, the engagement protrusion 5b of the lower composite stringer 2 protrudes frontward (in the direction in which the composite stringers 2 are engaged) from the stem portion 5a along the center line AX, and the rear side of the stem portion 5a forms a smooth slope with no engagement protrusion.

[0036] When the fastening element 5 is provided on the bottom surface of the groove 7, the stem portion 5a is provided so as to rise from the bottom surface, and the engaging protrusion 5b extends from the stem portion 5a (for example, its tip portion) along the bottom surface. The engaging protrusion 5b is provided at a position farther away from the bottom surface of the groove 7 than the tape portion 3. A recess is formed between the engaging protrusion 5b and the bottom surface of the groove 7, into which the engaging protrusion 5b of the mating fastening element 5 is fitted. The fastening element 5 is provided with a gap from the side wall surfaces 7b, 7c of the groove 7, which allows the fastening element 5 to be easily deformed.

[0037] The above-mentioned convex portion 41 may have a clearance groove 42 formed at the second surface 73n of the composite stringer 2 at the same pitch interval as the stem portion 5a of the fastening element 5. The clearance groove 42 is located on the center line CX of the stem portion 5a of the fastening element 5, and is recessed along the center line CX in the same direction as the protruding direction of the stem portion 5a. The pitch interval of the stem portion 5a is equal to the interval between the center lines CX set in each stem portion 5a. When the clearance groove 42 is formed in the convex portion 41 in this way, the deformability of the fastening element 5 is improved, and smooth engagement between the fastening elements 5 is promoted. In addition, the fastening portion 4 is easily curved in the front-rear direction. The number of the clearance grooves 42 is preferably equal to the number of the fastening elements 5, but this is not necessarily limited. The depth of the clearance groove 42 can be adjusted arbitrarily. In some cases, the undercut groove 42 is positioned such that the bottom surface 42a of the undercut groove 42 is closer to the plane PL3 (see FIG. 3) on which the tape portion 3 is placed than the bottom surface 7a of the groove portion 7. The undercut groove 42 may have a depth that penetrates the bottom plate 7g of the groove portion 7 and reaches the base of the stem portion 5a.

[0038] The composite stringers 2 are connected to each other with the fastening portions 4 of the composite stringers 2 overlapped. For example, the left and right composite stringers 2 are overlapped at their fastening portions 4, and the upper and lower fastening portions 4 are engaged with each other by a pinching force applied by a finger or a slider. As shown in FIG. 5, the fastening element 5 of the right (second) composite stringer 2 alternately enters the gap 6 between the fastening elements 5 of the left (first) composite stringer 2 and the fastening element 5 of the left (first) composite stringer 2 alternately enters the gap 6 between the fastening elements 5 of the right (second) composite stringer 2, and the fastening portions 4 are engaged with each other along the longitudinal direction D1 based on the engagement of these fastening elements 5. The disengagement of the fastening portions 4 and the disengagement of the fastening elements 5 are understood in a similar manner.

[0039] When the slider 200 is used, the slider 200 has a first blade 201, a second blade 202, and a connecting post 203 disposed therebetween. For example, a passage for one of the left and right composite stringers 2 is defined between the first blade 201 and the connecting post 203. A passage for the other of the left and right composite stringers 2 is defined between the second blade 202 and the connecting post 203. The first blade 201 and the connecting post 203 are connected by a side wall plate (not shown) on the side that does not interfere with the tape portion 3 of the composite stringer 2. The same applies to the second blade 202 and the connecting post 203. Typically, the slider 200 has an S-shaped cross section.

[0040] In this embodiment, the composite stringer 2 includes at least one sheet material 9. In particular, the sheet material 9 is included in each of the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 of the composite stringer 2 (for example, the sheet material 9 is provided across the boundary between the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 so as to be in this state). Furthermore, the composite stringer 2 has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material 9 on both sides of the boundary between the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4. This prevents a difference in the characteristics of the composite stringer (for example, one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of appearance, surface condition, flexibility, and mechanical strength) on one side and the other side of the boundary between the fastening portion and the tape portion. If the sheet material 9 is made of a non-resin material, the composite stringer 2 can be easily sewn to an article such as clothing or a bag, and the cost and labor associated with, for example, attaching a sheet to prevent cracking can be avoided. Alternatively, when the composite stringer 2 is attached to an article by welding, it is possible to select a type of sheet material 9 that is easy to weld depending on the material of the article.

[0041] In the field of composite stringers manufactured based on a combination of resin extrusion and die wheels, those skilled in the art have selectively arranged sheet material 9 relative to tape portion 3, taking into consideration conventional practices and the effect on the molding of fastening portion 4 (as is currently done in Patent Document 1). In such conventional methods, particularly in the form in which the surface of composite stringer 2 is modified by sheet material 9, only the surface of tape portion 3 is selectively modified by sheet material 9, resulting in differences in appearance or surface condition between tape portion 3 and fastening portion 4. Additionally, this results in differences in flexibility and mechanical strength. According to the present disclosure, such differences are reduced or eliminated.

[0042] The inclusion of the sheet material 9 in each of the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 can be implemented in various ways. The manner in which the sheet material 9 is included in the tape portion 3 and the manner in which the sheet material 9 is included in the fastening portion 4 are not necessarily the same, and may be different. This is because the sheet material 9 may be locally deflected or broken when it comes into contact with the die wheel during molding of the fastening portion using a die wheel. Typically, in the tape portion 3, the resin layer of the tape portion 3 and the sheet material 9 are in an inclusion relationship, an impregnation relationship, or a layered relationship, and similarly, in the fastening portion 4, the resin portion of the fastening portion 4 and the sheet material 9 are in an inclusion relationship, an impregnation relationship, or a layered relationship (in an exemplary embodiment, the sheet material 9 is broken in the fastening portion 4). The resin layer or resin portion described here means a portion made of a resin of a raw material other than the sheet material 9 of the composite stringer 2 (i.e., a resin derived from an extruder).

[0043] In some cases, the sheet material 9 is encapsulated in the resin in the tape portion 3 and / or the fastening portion 4, and the sheet material 9 is not directly exposed on the first and second surfaces 73m, 73n of the composite stringer 2. For example, the resin penetrates and penetrates the sheet material 9, so that the sheet material 9 is embedded in the resin. The surface state of the composite stringer 2 may change as the sheet material 9 is encapsulated in the resin in the composite stringer 2. For example, when the sheet material 9 is a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, or a mixture of these, the resin penetrates into the structure of the sheet material 9 (e.g., gaps that may occur between threads such as warp threads, weft threads, and knitting threads), so that the surface state of the composite stringer 2 differs from that in the absence of the sheet material 9, and a pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 (e.g., a woven pattern, a knitted pattern, or a combination of these) is visible. It is also possible that such a pattern is not observed on one or both of the front and back surfaces of the composite stringer 2, but is observed on the side of the composite stringer 2.

[0044] In some cases, the sheet material 9 is impregnated with resin at the tape portion 3 and / or the fastening portion 4. This means that the two are integrated by the penetration of the resin into the structure of the sheet material 9 (e.g., gaps that may occur between threads such as warp threads, weft threads, and knitting threads). In this case, the surface condition and appearance of the composite stringer 2 will almost match the surface condition and appearance of the sheet material 9, but may differ due to the influence of the resin contained in the sheet material 9. Note that impregnation of the sheet material 9 with resin has the advantage of imparting waterproofing to the tape portion 3.

[0045] In some cases, the sheet material 9 and the resin layer are in a laminated relationship in the tape portion 3, and / or the sheet material 9 and the resin portion are in a laminated relationship in the fastening portion 4. The sheet material 9 is exposed on at least one side of the composite stringer 2, and the surface state and appearance of the composite stringer 2 substantially match the surface state and appearance of the sheet material 9. On the other side of the composite stringer 2, the surface state and appearance of the composite stringer 2 is the resin surface of the resin layer or resin portion. A pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 may also be observable on this resin surface. The composite stringer 2 may also be configured such that the resin layer is sandwiched between two sheets of material 9 so that the sheet material 9 is exposed on both sides of the composite stringer 2.

[0046] The form in which the sheet material 9 is included in the fastening portion 4 also varies. In the groove portion 7, it is not essential that the sheet material 9 or its broken fragments (e.g., tissue fibers (single fibers, fiber bundles, etc.)) is included in all of the bottom plate 7g, the side wall plates 7p, 7q, and the partition wall 7j, but it may be included in any one or any combination of them. It is not essential that the sheet material 9 or its broken fragments is included in all fastening elements 5 of the fastening portion 4, but it may be included in any one or two or more fastening elements 5. It is also envisaged that the sheet material 9 is selectively present only in the groove portion 7, or selectively present only in the fastening elements 5.

[0047] As can be seen from Figure 3, individual sheet materials 9 included in different fastening elements 5 (fastening elements 5 adjacent in the left-right direction in Figure 3) may be located on the same plane or in the vicinity thereof. When the fastening portion 4 is formed, gaps may be formed between the fastening elements 5, causing the sheet material 9 to break. However, these broken pieces are originally different parts of the same sheet material 9, and may be located on the same plane or in the vicinity thereof even after molding. Of course, depending on the extrusion pressure and extrusion speed of the resin or the rotation speed of the die wheel, it is also possible that broken pieces may exist at completely different heights even in adjacent fastening elements 5.

[0048] The sheet material 9 is preferably made of a porous material (i.e., a material having resin permeability or permeability) that allows the resin to penetrate into the sheet material 9 or pass through the sheet material 9. However, even if the sheet material 9 does not have such resin permeability or permeability, the sheet material 9 can be given resin permeability by providing an array of holes in the sheet material 9. The sheet material 9 may be a resin sheet for heat sealing, a foam layer, or paper, in addition to the above-mentioned woven fabric, knitted fabric, or a mixture thereof. The number of sheet materials 9 included in the composite stringer 2 is not limited to one, and may be two or more. The sheet material 9 is not limited to a single-layer sheet, and may be a multi-layer sheet. For example, the sheet material 9 is a multi-layer sheet in which a coating film is applied to a woven fabric.

[0049] Hereinafter, a manufacturing device and a manufacturing method of the composite stringer 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 15. The manufacturing device of the composite stringer 2 includes a first die wheel 10, a second die wheel 20, an extruder 90, a guide bar 51, and a guide roll 30. The first die wheel 10 is fixed to a rotating shaft of a motor (not shown) and rotates counterclockwise around the rotating shaft. The second die wheel 20 is fixed to a rotating shaft of a motor (not shown) and rotates clockwise around the rotating shaft (i.e., in the opposite direction to the rotating direction of the first die wheel). As a result, the material (especially the resin) supplied to the gap between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20 can be pressed between the two wheels. The minimum gap set between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20 can be set so that the tape portion 3 of the composite stringer 2 has a predetermined thickness. That is, the tape portion 3 can have a thickness substantially equal to the minimum gap set between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20. In order to appropriately position the second die wheel 20 relative to the first die wheel 10, a control mechanism for controlling the position of the rotation axis of the second die wheel 20 relative to the first die wheel 10 may be employed.

[0050] The extruder 90 supplies resin onto the outer peripheral surface 11 of the first die wheel 10 (here, the gap between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20). The extruder 90 has a screw (not shown) and extrudes the resin 1 from an outlet 91 (typically toward the ground in the vertical direction) in response to the rotation of the screw. The resin 1 can be extruded as a resin layer of a predetermined width (a width equal to or greater than the total width of a first and second molding zone described below). The resin 1 is formed as a roughly layered resin portion in a predetermined range (for example, a range having an angle range of 150 to 210°) of the outer peripheral surface 11 in the circumferential direction of the first die wheel 10.

[0051] At the same time that the resin 1 is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface 11 of the first die wheel 10 (here, the gap between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20), a sheet material 9 is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface 11 of the first die wheel 10 (here, the gap between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20). The resin 1 and the sheet material 9 are supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the first die wheel 10 in an overlapping manner, and as a result, a composite stringer 2 is formed. The sheet material 9 has a width equal to or greater than a multiple of the combined width of the first and second forming zones described below.

[0052] Whether the sheet material 9 and the resin 1 are in an inclusion relationship, an impregnation relationship, or a layered relationship may depend on the material of the sheet material 9, the amount of resin supplied per unit time, the cavity structure of the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20, and the like. In some cases, in the primary molded product 8 (as well as the composite stringer 2 contained therein), the first region of the sheet material 9 may be at least partially included by the resin layer of the tape portion 3, or the first region of the sheet material 9 may be impregnated with the resin of the tape portion 3, or the first region of the sheet material 9 may be layered on the resin layer of the tape portion 3. At least a part of the second region of the sheet material 9 or a broken piece of the sheet material 9 may be included in the resin portion of the fastening portion 4, or at least a part of the second region of the sheet material 9 or a broken piece of the sheet material 9 may be impregnated with the resin of the fastening portion 4, or the second region of the sheet material 9 or a broken piece of the sheet material 9 may be layered on the resin portion of the fastening portion 4. The second region of the sheet material 9 may be a region directly adjacent to the first region of the sheet material 9. A portion of the second region of the sheet material 9 is located at the side edge of the fastening portion 4 distal to the tape portion 3, and it may be possible to observe that a portion of the second region of the sheet material 9 is exposed at that side edge (e.g., the side end surface) or that a pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 appears.

[0053] The manufacturing device for the composite stringer 2 manufactures a primary molded product 8 consisting of one composite stringer 2, or manufactures a primary molded product 8 including a plurality of composite stringers 2. In the case shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a primary molded product 8 is manufactured in which the composite stringers 2 are connected in the width direction. In this primary molded product 8, the tape portion 3, the fastening portion 4, the connecting portion 83, the fastening portion 4, and the tape portion 3 are arranged in this order in the width direction. Two composite stringers 2 are obtained by cutting the connecting portion 83 in the primary molded product 8 or by cutting at the connecting portion 83. The two fastening portions 4 are positioned in the width center of the first and second die wheels 10 and 20, and molding defects (e.g., sink marks) of the fastening elements 5 are suppressed compared to a case in which the fastening portions 4 are provided at the ends of the primary molded product 8 in the width direction.

[0054] The sheet material 9 can be provided over the entire width of the primary molded product 8. This avoids the burden of individually supplying the sheet material 9 for each composite stringer 2, and improves the manufacturing efficiency of the composite stringer 2. The primary molded product 8 has a first side edge 81 and a second side edge 82 in the width direction, and the width is defined therebetween.

[0055] 10 to 12. The outer peripheral surface 11 of the first die wheel 10 includes first and second molding zones 10a, 10b adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first die wheel 10 and extending in the circumferential direction of the first die wheel 10. The width direction of the first die wheel 10 is a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the first die wheel 10. The first molding zone 10a is adapted for molding the fastening portion 4 (in short, it is shaped to have a molding surface that (at least partially) defines the molding cavity of the fastening element 5), and the second molding zone 10b is adapted for molding or forming the tape portion 3 (in short, it is shaped to have a molding surface that (at least partially) defines the molding cavity of the tape portion (or has a flat surface parallel to the rotation axis of the first die wheel 10)). The outer peripheral surface 21 of the second die wheel 20 includes a third forming zone 20c adapted to form the fastening portion 4 together with the first forming zone 10a of the first die wheel 10 (in short, shaped to have a forming surface that (at least partially) defines a forming cavity of the protruding portion 41). The outer peripheral surface 21 of the second die wheel 20 includes a fourth forming zone 20d adapted to form the tape portion 3 together with the second forming zone 10b of the first die wheel 10 (in short, shaped to have a forming surface that (at least partially) defines a forming cavity of the tape portion (or to have a flat surface parallel to the rotation axis of the second die wheel 20)).

[0056] The first forming zone 10a is provided with a forming space S5 adapted for forming the individual fastening elements 5. The first forming zone 10a is also provided with a forming space S7j adapted for forming the partitions 7j. The third forming zone 20c is provided with a forming space S41 adapted for forming the protrusions 41. The third forming zone 20c may be provided with protrusions 22 for forming the relief grooves 42. The second forming zone 10b and the fourth forming zone 20d face each other to define a forming space S3 for forming the tape portion 3. The second forming zone 10b and / or the fourth forming zone 20d may also be provided with a concave cavity for increasing the thickness of the tape portion 3.

[0057] In addition, a set of first to fourth molding zones 10a, 10b, 20c, 20d is provided on both sides of a molding space S83 for molding the joint portion 83 of the primary molded product 8, but only one set is shown in Figures 10 and 11 for convenience of illustration. In other words, the outer peripheral surface 11 of the first die wheel 10 includes a first zone including the first molding zone 10a and the second molding zone 10b, and a second zone including an additional first molding zone having a molding surface with the same configuration as the first molding zone 10a and an additional second molding zone having a molding surface with the same configuration as the second molding zone 10b. The first molding zone 10a and the additional first molding zone are spatially communicated via the molding space S83. The outer peripheral surface 21 of the second die wheel 20 is provided with an additional third molding zone having a molding surface with the same configuration as the third molding zone, and an additional fourth molding zone having a molding surface with the same configuration as the fourth molding zone, which are adapted to mold the fastening part and the tape part together with the additional first and second molding zones of the first die wheel 10. The resin 1 is filled between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20 (the space defined by the first to fourth molding zones, the space defined by the additional first to fourth molding zones, and the molding space S83), and then hardened by air cooling, water cooling, or the like. In this way, the resin 1 is molded into a shape corresponding to these molding zones.

[0058] In this embodiment, the sheet material 9 is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface 11 of the first die wheel 10 (for example, the gap between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20) in a manner that at least partially overlaps each of the first and second forming zones 10a, 10b and straddles the boundary between the first and second forming zones 10a, 10b. As a result, the surface of the composite stringer 2 is modified not only in the tape portion 3 but also in the fastening portion 4, and the difference in appearance or surface condition between the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 is reduced. As the fastening portion 4 also contains the sheet material 9, the difference in flexibility and / or mechanical strength between the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4 can also be reduced. When the second die wheel 20 is used, the sheet material 9 is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface 11 of the second die wheel 20 (for example, the gap between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20) in a manner that also overlaps the third and fourth forming zones 20c, 20d.

[0059] The primary molded product 8 has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material 9 (see, for example, FIG. 13). In FIG. 13, the sheet material 9 is a woven fabric, and a weave pattern corresponding to the warp and weft appears on one or both sides of the primary molded product 8. Although the figure shows only one side of the primary molded product 8, a pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 appears on the other side. The same can be understood when the sheet material 9 is a knitted fabric. When the sheet material 9 is not supplied, the composite stringer 2 has only a resin surface. By including the sheet material 9 in the composite stringer 2, the surface condition or appearance of the composite stringer 2 can be changed. In particular, the sheet material 9 is included in both the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4. In FIG. 13, a pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 is not shown in the convex portion 41, but a pattern similar to that of the tape portion 3 may appear, or broken pieces of the sheet material 9 may be mixed in. 13, even if no pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 appears on the surface of the protrusions 41, a pattern corresponding to the sheet material 9 may appear between adjacent protrusions 41. As a result, the composite stringer 2 can have a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material 9 on at least one side (preferably both sides) of the boundary between the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4. If the sheet material 9 has resin permeability or transparency, the resin 1 can permeate and penetrate the sheet material 9, and the fastening elements 5 or protrusions 41 can be formed as intended.

[0060] When the primary molded product 8 includes a single composite stringer 2, the primary molded product 8 can be cut to a desired length to obtain a composite stringer 2 of a desired length. When the primary molded product 8 includes a plurality of composite stringers 2, as can be seen from Figs. 14 and 15, the cutting tool 60 can be used to remove the joint portion 83 or to form a cutting line at the joint portion 83, and the composite stringer 2 can be obtained individually from the primary molded product 8. The cutting tool 60 may be disposed on the second surface side of the primary molded product 8. The sheet material 9 may be exposed at the end surface (along the longitudinal direction or width direction) of the composite stringer 2 by cutting the primary molded product 8 as described above. When a cutting line is formed at the joint portion 83, a part of the joint portion 83 connected to the side wall plate 7q remains as one side edge portion of the composite stringer 2. The two composite stringers 2 obtained by the cutting method shown in Figs. 14 and 15 are stacked vertically so that the fastening elements 5 of each composite stringer 2 face each other to form the fastening device 100.

[0061] As can be seen from the above description, the method of manufacturing a composite stringer disclosed in this specification includes (i) a step in which an extruder extrudes a soft or molten resin toward the outer peripheral surface of a die wheel to supply the resin onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel, and (ii) a step in which at least one sheet material is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel simultaneously with the supply of the resin onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel. When the die wheels are used as a pair, the resin and the sheet material are supplied into the gap between them. In either case, the sheet material is supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel in a manner that at least partially overlaps each of the first and second forming zones and straddles the boundary between the first and second forming zones. As a result, the composite stringer can have a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material on both sides of the boundary between the tape portion and the fastening portion on at least one side of the composite stringer.

[0062] The supply pressure, supply amount per unit time, viscosity, temperature, etc. of the resin 1 can be appropriately set by a person skilled in the art. The conveying speed of the sheet material 9, the tension applied to the sheet material 9, etc. can also be appropriately set by a person skilled in the art. The rotation speed of the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20, the distance between them, etc. can also be appropriately set by a person skilled in the art. The conveying speed of the sheet material 9 does not need to be the same as the extrusion speed of the resin 1 by the extruder, and in some cases, it may be faster than that. The primary molded product 8 may be cooled by air cooling, water cooling, etc. vertically below the first die wheel 10. This avoids or suppresses deformation of the primary molded product 8 when it leaves the first die wheel 10.

[0063] Unlike FIG. 7, the sheet material 9 can be supplied from the first die wheel 10 side as shown in FIG. 16. A sheet material 9 having resin permeability or transparency is used. The resin 1 can flow into each molding space of the first molding zone 10a and the second molding zone 10b through the sheet material 9. As shown in FIG. 17, the first and second sheet materials 9 can be supplied individually from the first die wheel 10 side and the second die wheel 20 side. Two sheet materials 9 can be introduced into one composite stringer 2 corresponding to the front and back of the composite stringer 2. This allows the surface texture on both the front and back sides of the composite stringer 2 to be closer to the texture of the sheet material 9. In this case, the resin can permeate and penetrate each sheet material 9 to form a resin layer between the sheet materials 9 (a three-layer structure of a sheet material impregnated with resin, a resin layer, and another sheet material impregnated with resin can be formed in the tape portion 3). As shown in FIG. 18, the discharge port of an extruder 90 may be disposed so as to face the outer circumferential surface 11 of the first die wheel 10, and the sheet material 9 may be supplied between the first die wheel 10 and the discharge port of the extruder 90.

[0064] Further explanation will be given for confirmation. In FIG. 3, the sheet material 9 is illustrated as if it is embedded in the resin layer and resin portion in the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4. However, as illustrated in FIG. 19, when the sheet material 9 is thick, the sheet material 9 may be impregnated with resin in the tape portion 3 (or a resin layer 78 may be embedded in the sheet material 9) and the sheet material 9 may be impregnated with resin in the fastening portion 4 (or a resin portion 79 may be embedded in the sheet material 9). When the sheet material 9 is pressed between the first die wheel 10 and the second die wheel 20 and breaks, the broken pieces of the sheet material 9 may be mixed into the resin portion of the fastening portion 4 (for example, the fastening element 5, the groove portion 7, or the protrusion 41). Advantageously, the resin portion of the fastening portion 4 may have an appearance similar to that of the tape portion 3.

[0065] Example 1 The primary molded product 8 shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 was manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 17. Next, the primary molded product was cut as shown in FIG. 14 to obtain individual composite stringers, which were then cut to the desired length. A knitted fabric was used as the sheet material. The first tape surface of the composite stringer thus obtained had a pattern corresponding to the knitted fabric as shown in FIG. 20. Similarly, the second tape surface of the composite stringer had a pattern corresponding to the knitted fabric as shown in FIG. 21, and further, raised naps derived from the fibers of the knitted fabric also appeared. In particular, a pattern corresponding to the knitted fabric can be observed in both the tape portion and the fastening portion. A pattern corresponding to the knitted fabric can also be observed in the side edge portion of the fastening portion of the composite stringer. A pattern corresponding to the knitted fabric can also be observed in the bottom surface and side wall surface of the groove portion between the fastening elements in the longitudinal direction. Fibers derived from the knitted fabric can be observed in the convex portion (particularly its main surface). Any one or any combination of these observation results can be understood as an independent feature derived from the manufacturing method according to the present disclosure (without the need for combination with other features of the present disclosure).

[0066] 22 is a photograph of a fastening device in which a slider is attached to a pair of composite stringers. The composite stringer 2 has a texture equivalent to that of the sheet material 9, rather than an inorganic resin surface, in both the tape portion 3 and the fastening portion 4.

[0067] FIG. 23 shows an embodiment in which four sheet materials 9 are included in the primary molded product 8 following the method shown in FIG. 17. In this embodiment, each of the sheet materials 9a to 9d includes a woven and / or knitted structure, and has different appearances on the front and back. When used as a fastening device 100, one composite stringer 2 is used reversed with respect to the other. In this embodiment, each composite stringer 2 used as a pair includes sheet materials 9 in a reversed relationship so that the difference in appearance between the front and back of the sheet material 9 does not cause a difference in appearance between the left and right composite stringers 2 of the fastening part 4. For example, the sheet material 9d is reversed with respect to the sheet material 9a. When the primary molded product 8 in FIG. 23 is cut into the left and right composite stringers 2 and combined, the sheet material 9d is reversed and the lower surface of the sheet material 9d becomes the upper surface. As a result, the difference in appearance between the left and right composite stringers 2 in the fastening device 100 is reduced. In addition to or instead of the inverted relationship between the sheet materials 9a and 9d, the sheet material 9c may be inverted with respect to the sheet material 9b. Also, instead of inverting the sheet material 9 on the front and back of the primary molded product 8, the primary molded product 8 may be molded so that the protruding directions of the engaging projections 5b are reversed between one fastening portion 4 and the other fastening portion 4.

[0068] In light of the above teachings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to each embodiment. The reference signs in the claims are for reference only and should not be used to limit the scope of the claims. The boundary between the fastening part and the tape part includes both a boundary line or a boundary area (e.g., other functional areas). [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 2: Composite stringer 3: Tape section 3a: First tape surface 3b: Second tape surface 4: Fastening section 5: Fastening element 5a: Stem part 5b: Engagement protrusion 6: Gap 7: Groove 7a: Bottom 9: Sheet material 10: First die wheel 10a: First forming zone 10b: Second forming zone 11:Outer surface 12: Outer surface 20: Second die wheel 20c: 3rd forming zone 21: Outer surface 22: Protrusion 41: Convex 78: Resin layer 79: Resin part

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a composite stringer (2) including at least a tape portion (3) and a fastening portion (4), comprising the steps of: A process of supplying soft or molten resin (1) onto an outer peripheral surface of a die wheel (10), the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10) including first and second molding zones (10a, 10b) adjacent to each other in a width direction of the die wheel (10) and extending in a circumferential direction of the die wheel (10), the first molding zone (10a) being adapted for molding the fastening portion (4) including at least a plurality of fastening elements (5), and the second molding zone (10b) being adapted for molding or forming the tape portion (3); a step of simultaneously supplying the resin (1) onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10) and supplying at least one sheet material (9) onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10), and supplying the sheet material (9) onto the outer circumferential surface of the die wheel (10) in such a manner that the sheet material (9) at least partially overlaps each of the first and second forming zones (10a, 10b) and straddles the boundary between the first and second forming zones (10a, 10b) so that the composite stringer (2) has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material (9) on both sides of the boundary between the tape portion (3) and the fastening portion (4), the resin (1) penetrates and passes through the sheet material (9) in an area extending over at least both of the first and second molding zones (10a, 10b) on the outer circumferential surface of the die wheel (10).

2. The method for manufacturing a composite stringer according to claim 1, wherein the resin (1) and the sheet material (9) are supplied to a gap between a pair of die wheels (10, 20) including the die wheel (10) as a first die wheel (10).

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein an outer circumferential surface of a second die wheel (20) of the pair of die wheels (10, 20) includes a third forming zone (20c) adapted to form the fastening portion (4) together with the first forming zone (10a) of the first die wheel (10).

4. 4. The method for manufacturing a composite stringer as described in claim 3, wherein the sheet material (9) has a porous material that allows the resin (1) to penetrate or permeate through the at least one sheet material (9), and movement of the resin (1) between the first forming zone (10a) and the third forming zone (20c) is permitted.

5. A method for manufacturing a composite stringer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet material (9) has a width equal to or greater than the combined width of the first and second shaping zones (10a, 10b).

6. 6. A method for manufacturing a composite stringer as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the resin (1) and the sheet material (9) are supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10) so that (i) a first region of the sheet material (9) is embedded in the resin layer (78) of the tape portion (3), and (ii) broken pieces of the second region of the sheet material (9) are embedded in the resin portion (79) of the fastening portion (4).

7. A method for producing a composite stringer as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sheet material (9) is a knitted fabric, comprising the steps of: the resin (1) and the sheet material (9) are supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10) so that nap originating from the fibers of the knitted fabric embedded in the resin layer (78) of the tape portion (3) appears on the surface of the tape portion (3).

8. The composite stringer (2) has a pair of side edges (71 a, 72 a) extending along its longitudinal direction, 8. A method for manufacturing a composite stringer as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the resin (1) and the sheet material (9) are supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10) so that at least one of the pair of side edge portions (71 a, 72 a) has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material (9).

9. 9. A method for manufacturing a composite stringer (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the die wheel (10) includes a first zone including the first forming zone (10a) and the second forming zone (10b), and a second zone including an additional first forming zone having a forming surface with the same configuration as the first forming zone (10a) and an additional second forming zone having a forming surface with the same configuration as the second forming zone (10b), The method for manufacturing a composite stringer further comprises a step of separating a first composite stringer (2) formed in the first zone from a second composite stringer (2) formed in the second zone.

10. A composite stringer (2) comprising a tape portion (3), a fastening portion (4), and at least one sheet material (9), the tape portion (3), the fastening portion (4), and the sheet material (9) each extending in a longitudinal direction of the composite stringer (2), and the tape portion (3) and the fastening portion (4) being disposed adjacent to each other, The sheet material (9) is included in each of the tape portion (3) and the fastening portion (4), The composite stringer (2) has a surface condition or appearance corresponding to the sheet material (9) on both sides of the interface between the tape portion (3) and the fastening portion (4); The first region of the sheet material (9) is embedded in the resin layer (78) of the tape portion (3); the second region of the sheet material (9) is embedded in the resin portion (79) of the fastening portion (4) in an at least partially broken state.

11. A composite stringer as described in Claim 10, wherein the sheet material (9) is a knitted fabric, and the surface of the tape portion (3) has a raised surface derived from the fibers of the knitted fabric.

12. 12. A composite stringer according to claim 10 or 11, wherein a part of the second region of the sheet material (9) is located at a side edge of the fastening portion (4) distal from the tape portion (3).

13. The fastening portion (4) includes a torn piece of the sheet material (9), 13. A composite stringer as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the texture of the sheet material (9) is visible on both the front and back sides of the composite stringer (2).

14. 14. The composite stringer according to claim 10, wherein the fastening portion (4) includes a groove portion (7) extending along the longitudinal direction in a manner that forms a convex portion (41) on one tape surface side of the tape portion (3), and a row of fastening elements (5) arranged on a bottom surface of the groove portion (7) along the longitudinal direction with a gap (6) formed between adjacent fastening elements (5), and each fastening element (5) includes a stem portion (5a) standing from the bottom surface of the groove portion (7) along the thickness direction of the tape portion (3), and an engagement protrusion (5b) protruding from the stem portion (5a) in the longitudinal direction.

Images