Fiber Spreading Booth, Fiber Mat Laying Equipment, and Sheet Molding Compound Manufacturing Equipment

Abstract

To provide a technique for preventing random orientation of short fiber bundles from being impaired in a fiber mat to be manufactured due to collision or contact of the short fiber bundles to a wall in a fiber spray booth.SOLUTION: A fiber spray booth used for a fiber mat accumulation device has a plurality of booth walls and a booth roof to be optionally provided. A dispersion roll for dispersing short fiber bundles falling from above is installed in the fiber spray booth. At least one of the plurality of booth walls is non-flat wall having an uneven inner surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates primarily to a fiber spreading booth, and more particularly to a fiber spreading booth that is preferably used when producing a fiber mat used as a fiber reinforcement in a sheet molding compound (SMC). The present invention also relates to a fiber mat deposition apparatus having a fiber distribution booth and an SMC manufacturing apparatus including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] SMC is a type of prepreg molding material, and has a structure in which a fiber mat made of short fiber bundles is impregnated with a thermosetting resin composition.

[0003] In the manufacture of SMC, it has been proposed to provide a fiber dispersion booth below the chopper, which has a dispersion roll for dispersing the reinforcing fiber bundles falling from above and a straightening plate inside that is perpendicular to its rotation axis (Patent Document 1). In the fiber spreading booth disclosed in Patent Document 1, the booth wall parallel to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll is positioned a sufficient distance away from the dispersion roll to prevent the reinforcing fiber bundles thrown off by the dispersion roll from colliding with or coming into contact with the booth wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 010084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Objectives of the present invention include providing a technique to prevent short fiber bundles from colliding with or contacting walls in a fiber distribution booth, thereby destroying the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles in the produced fiber mat. In this specification, problems that can be solved by each embodiment of the present invention may be explicitly or implicitly disclosed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Preferred embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following. [1] A fiber spreading booth for use in a fiber mat deposition device, the fiber spreading booth having a plurality of booth walls and an optional booth roof, in which a dispersing roll is installed inside to disperse short fiber bundles falling from above, and at least one of the plurality of booth walls is a non-flat wall having an uneven inner surface. [2] The fiber spraying booth described in [1], wherein the non-flat wall has a wavy horizontal cross section of the inner surface in at least a portion of the vertical direction. [3] A fiber spray booth as described in [2], wherein the non-flat wall has a horizontal cross-sectional shape of the inner surface that is the same at any height. [4] The fiber spray booth described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the inner and outer surfaces of the non-flat wall are parallel to each other. [5] The fiber spray booth according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the non-flat wall is made of a corrugated plate. [6] A fiber spraying booth according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the non-flat wall is made of a processed metal plate. [7] A fiber spraying booth according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the plurality of booth walls include two first booth walls arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll in the direction of its rotation axis, and a second booth wall arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll, and the second booth wall corresponds to the non-flat wall. [8] The fiber spreading booth described in [7], wherein the plurality of booth walls further includes a third booth wall arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll between the second booth wall and a third booth wall. [9] The fiber spraying booth according to [8], wherein the third booth wall corresponds to the non-flat wall.

[10] The fiber spraying booth according to any one of [7] to [9], wherein the two first booth walls each correspond to the non-flat wall.

[11] A fiber spreading booth used in a fiber mat deposition device, having a plurality of booth walls and an optional booth, inside which a dispersing roll is installed to disperse short fiber bundles falling from above, the fiber spreading booth having a plurality of rods each extending in the vertical direction and arranged in a row along the inner surface of at least one booth wall selected from the plurality of booth walls.

[12] The fiber spreading booth described in

[11] , wherein the plurality of booth walls include two first booth walls arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll in the direction of its rotation axis, and a second booth wall arranged to be parallel to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll, and at least a portion of the plurality of rods are arranged along the inner surface of the second booth wall.

[13] The fiber spreading booth described in

[12] , wherein the plurality of booth walls further include a third booth wall arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll between the second booth wall and a third booth wall.

[14] A fiber spreading booth as described in

[13] , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of rods are arranged along the inner surface of the third booth wall.

[15] A fiber dispersion booth described in any one of [1] to

[14] , having a straightening plate arranged therein perpendicular to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll.

[16] A fiber spraying booth as described in

[15] , wherein both sides of the baffle plate are uneven.

[17] A fiber spray booth as described in

[16] , wherein both sides of the baffle plate are parallel to each other.

[18] A fiber spraying booth as described in

[16] or

[17] , wherein the shape of the horizontal cross section of the baffle plate is the same at any height.

[19] The fiber spraying booth described in

[18] , wherein the straightening plate is a corrugated plate.

[20] A fiber spraying booth described in any one of

[16] to

[19] , wherein the straightening plate is a metal plate processed by sheet metal processing.

[21] A fiber spreading booth for use in a fiber mat deposition device, the booth having a plurality of booth walls and an optional booth roof, in which a dispersing roll is installed inside to disperse short fiber bundles falling from above, and a straightening vane is arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis of the dispersing roll, the straightening vane having uneven surfaces on both sides.

[22] A fiber spray booth as described in

[21] , wherein both sides of the baffle plate are parallel to each other.

[23] A fiber spraying booth as described in

[21] or

[22] , wherein the shape of the horizontal cross section of the baffle plate is the same at any height.

[24] A fiber spraying booth as described in

[23] , wherein the straightening plate is made of a corrugated plate.

[25] A fiber spraying booth described in any one of

[21] to

[24] , wherein the straightening plate is made of a processed metal plate.

[26] A fiber mat depositing device, comprising a fiber spray booth according to any one of [1] to

[25] , installed above a running path of a carrier film.

[27] The fiber mat depositing apparatus according to

[26] , further comprising a chopper disposed above the fiber spreading booth.

[28] An apparatus for producing a sheet molding compound, comprising a fiber mat depositing device according to

[26] or

[27] .

[29] The sheet molding compound manufacturing apparatus according to

[28] , further comprising two coaters, a mechanism for bonding two carrier films together, and an impregnation machine.

[30] A method for producing a fiber mat using the fiber mat deposition device according to

[26] or

[27] .

[31] A method for producing a sheet molding compound using the sheet molding compound production apparatus according to

[28] or

[29] . Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a technique for preventing short fiber bundles from colliding with or contacting walls in a fiber distribution booth, for example, thereby destroying the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles in the produced fiber mat. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an SMC manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a fiber mat deposition apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a fiber mat deposition apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cutaway plan view of the fiber spray booth. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a front wall made of a corrugated plate. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a front wall with an uneven inner surface, where Fig. 6(a) shows an example in which multiple protrusions are arranged vertically and horizontally on the inner surface, and Fig. 6(b) shows an example in which multiple depressions are arranged vertically and horizontally on the inner surface. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a front wall with multiple rods arranged along the inner surface, Figure 7(a) is a perspective view and Figure 7(b) is a top view. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cutaway plan view of the fiber spray booth. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cutaway plan view of the fiber spray booth. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a sheet molding compound (SMC) that is preferably used in a method for producing an SMC, which includes the following (i) to (iv). (i) The carrier film is pulled out from the roll and run so that its width direction is kept horizontal. (ii) When a direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the running direction of the carrier film is defined as a T direction, the continuous fiber bundle is chopped into short fiber bundles using a chopper equipped with a cutter roll having a rotation axis parallel to the T direction. (iii) dropping the short fiber bundles onto the carrier film to deposit a fiber mat. (iv) impregnating the fiber mat with a thermosetting resin composition.

[0010] FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of an SMC manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, an SMC manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a first coater 110, a second coater 120, a fiber mat depositing apparatus 130, and an impregnating apparatus 140. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fiber mat depositing device 130 is disposed above the traveling path of the first carrier film 41 and includes a chopper 160 , a shooter 170 and a fiber spreading booth 180 .

[0011] The chopper 160 is of a type also used in conventional SMC manufacturing equipment, and includes a cutter roll 161, a receiving roll (rubber roll) 162, and a guide roll 163, each of which is parallel to the T direction. The T direction refers to a direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the M direction. The M direction refers to a direction parallel to the running direction of the first carrier film 41.

[0012] The shooter 170 is installed below the chopper 160, and the lower end of the shooter 170 is connected to the fiber spray booth 180. The fiber spreading booth 180 consists of four booth walls and a booth roof 184 having an opening in the portion connected to the chute 170. The booth roof 184 may be omitted. A dispersing roll 190 that is rotated by a driving mechanism (not shown) is installed in the fiber spreading booth 180. The rotation axis of the dispersing roll 190 is parallel to the rotation axes of the three types of rolls provided in the chopper 160, that is, parallel to the T direction. The number of the dispersion roll 190 is not limited to one, but may be two or more. The dispersion roll 190 is preferably a pin roll, but is not limited thereto. For the form of the dispersion roll 190 other than a pin roll, reference may be made to Patent Document 1.

[0013] The four booth walls of the fiber spreading booth 180 are two side walls 181 parallel to the M direction, and a front wall 182 and a rear wall 183 each parallel to the T direction. The two side walls 181 are arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll 190 in the T direction. The front wall 182 and the rear wall 183 are arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll 190 in the M direction, with the front wall 182 on the downstream side of the dispersion roll 190 and the rear wall 183 on the upstream side of the dispersion roll 190. Either the front wall 182 or the rear wall 183 may be omitted.

[0014] The four booth walls and the booth roof of the fiber spray booth 180 are preferably made of metal plates, but are not limited to such plates. When metal plates are used, the thickness of the plates is, for example, 3 to 5 mm, and may be thinner or thicker depending on the required rigidity and strength.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the inner surface 182a of the front wall of the fiber distribution booth 180 may be an uneven surface. In this specification, when the inner surface 182a of the front wall 182 is an uneven surface, this is also referred to as "the front wall 182 is a non-flat wall." When the inner surface 182a of the front wall is an uneven surface, i.e., when the front wall 182 is a non-flat wall, the orientation of the short fiber bundles 20 that collide with or come into contact with the front wall 182 and fall inside the fiber spraying booth 180 varies depending on which part of the inner surface 182a of the front wall they collide with or come into contact with and how, so the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles 20 in the fiber mat deposited on the first carrier film 41 is not compromised. In contrast, if the inner surface of the front wall is flat, the short fiber bundles that collide with or come into contact with the front wall and fall inside the spraying booth tend to be oriented parallel to the front wall, thereby compromising the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles in the fiber mat deposited on the first carrier film.

[0016] When the front wall 182 of the fiber distribution booth is a non-flat wall, it is preferable that the horizontal cross section of the inner surface 182a has a wave shape such as a triangular wave, a sine wave, a trapezoidal wave, or a rectangular wave in at least a portion of the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 4, an inner surface 182a of the front wall has a horizontal cross section in the shape of a triangular wave.

[0017] The period and amplitude of the waves formed by the horizontal cross section of the inner surface 182a of the front wall can be optimized by trial and error depending on the waveform, and, without being limited thereto, for example, the period can be greater than or equal to 1 time and less than or equal to 2 times the length of the short fiber bundle, and the amplitude can be greater than or equal to 0.5 times and less than or equal to 1 time the length of the short fiber bundle. The length of the short fiber bundle referred to here means the dimension in the fiber direction of the short fiber bundle. For example, in the case of a strip-shaped short fiber bundle having a rectangular planar shape with the fiber direction as the longitudinal direction, the length is equal to the length of the long side of the rectangle.

[0018] Preferably, the front wall 182 is made of a processed metal plate. In the processed metal plate, one surface and the other surface are parallel concave and convex surfaces. In one example, the front wall 182 is made of a corrugated plate as shown in FIG. 5, and the shape of the horizontal cross section is the same at any height.

[0019] In another example, the front wall 182 may have a plurality of protrusions arranged vertically and horizontally on the inner surface 182a as shown in Fig. 6(a), or may have a plurality of depressions arranged vertically and horizontally on the inner surface 182a as shown in Fig. 6(b). In these examples, the front wall 182 has regions in which the horizontal cross section of the inner surface 182a is wavy and regions in which the horizontal cross section is straight, alternating along the vertical direction.

[0020] In the example of Fig. 6(a), the protrusions are closely arranged on the inner surface 182a of the front wall, but this is not limited thereto, and the protrusions may be spaced apart from each other. In other words, there may be flat portions between the protrusions. The arrangement of the protrusions is not limited to a square lattice arrangement as in the example of FIG. 6(a), but may be, for example, a triangular lattice arrangement. The shape of the protrusion is not limited to the quadrangular pyramid shown in the example of Fig. 6(a), and may be various, such as a cone, a truncated cone, a prism, a pyramid other than a quadrangular pyramid, a truncated pyramid, a sphere, etc. The shape of a cross section perpendicular to the height direction of the prism, pyramid, or truncated pyramid may be a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or any other polygon. It is preferable that all of the multiple protrusions have the same shape and dimensions as each other.

[0021] In the example of Fig. 6(b), the depressions are closely arranged on the inner surface 182a of the front wall, but this is not limited thereto, and the depressions may be spaced apart from each other. In other words, there may be flat portions between the depressions. The arrangement of the recesses is not limited to a square lattice arrangement as in the example of FIG. 6(b), but may be, for example, a triangular lattice arrangement. The shape of the depression is not limited to the quadrangular pyramid shown in the example of Fig. 6(b), and may be various, such as a cone, a truncated cone, a prism, a pyramid other than a quadrangular pyramid, a truncated pyramid, a sphere, etc. The shape of a cross section perpendicular to the height direction of the prism, pyramid, or truncated pyramid may be a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or any other polygon. It is preferable that all of the recesses have the same shape and dimensions as each other.

[0022] In another embodiment, instead of making the front wall 182 a non-flat wall, the front wall 182 may be a flat plate with multiple rods 151 extending vertically arranged in a row along its inner surface 182a, as shown in Figures 7(a) and (b). When this configuration is adopted, the short fiber bundles 20 that would have collided with or come into contact with the inner surface 182a of the front wall if the rod 151 was not present collide with or come into contact with the rod 151 and fall before colliding with or coming into contact with the inner surface 182a of the front wall. Since the orientation of the short fiber bundles 20 varies depending on the manner of collision or contact with the rod 151, the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles 20 in the fiber mat deposited on the first carrier film 41 is not lost.

[0023] The material of the rod 151 is preferably a metal or an alloy because of its high strength, but is not limited thereto. The cross-sectional shape of the rod 151 is circular in the example of FIG. 6, but is not limited thereto. The diameter of the rod 151 is, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. As long as the strength is maintained, the diameter of the rod 151 may be less than 1 mm.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 7(b), the pitch P between the rods 151 and the distance D between the inner surface 182a of the front wall and the rods 151 can be optimized by trial and error, and, without being limited thereto, for example, the pitch P can be greater than or equal to 0.5 times and less than or equal to 2 times the length of the short fiber bundle, and the distance D can be greater than or equal to 0.5 times and less than or equal to 1 time the length of the short fiber bundle. There is no particular limitation on the method for supporting the rod 151, and any suitable support can be used.

[0025] Everything said above about the front wall 182 also applies to the side walls 181 and rear wall 183, including the possibility of them being non-planar or having multiple rods arranged in rows along their inner surfaces. Between the two side walls 181, the front wall 182 and the rear wall 183, the manner in which the walls are made non-flat or the manner in which the rods are arranged along the inner surfaces may be the same or different.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a baffle plate 185 may be disposed in the fiber spreading booth 180 so as to be perpendicular to the T direction. The purpose of the baffle plate 185 is to suppress air currents generated in the fiber distribution booth 180 by the rotation of the dispersion roll, and therefore the baffle plate 185 may be called a baffle plate. The function of the baffle plate 185 may be to limit the range within which the short fiber bundles can move in the T direction within the fiber distribution booth 180 . There is no particular limitation on the installation position or the number of the current plates 185, and reference may be made to Patent Document 1.

[0027] The baffle plate 185 is preferably, but not limited to, a metal plate. For example, when a metal plate is used for the straightening plate 185, its thickness is, for example, 3 to 5 mm, and it may be thinner or thicker depending on the required rigidity and strength.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the current plate 185 may have uneven surfaces on both sides. When the surface of the straightening plate 185 is uneven, the direction of the short fiber bundles 20 that collide with or come into contact with the straightening plate 185 and fall varies depending on which part of the straightening plate 185 they collide with or come into contact with and how, so the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles 20 is not lost in the fiber mat deposited on the first carrier film 41. In contrast, if the surface of the straightening plate 185 is flat, the short fiber bundles that collide with or come into contact with the straightening plate and fall tend to be oriented parallel to the straightening plate, thereby compromising the randomness of the orientation of the short fiber bundles in the fiber mat deposited on the first carrier film.

[0029] When the surface is made uneven, it is preferable that the horizontal cross section of the surface has a wave shape such as a triangular wave, a sine wave, a trapezoidal wave, or a rectangular wave in at least a portion of the vertical direction of the current plate 185. In the example of FIG. 9, the surface of the current plate 185 has a triangular wave-shaped horizontal cross section. The period and amplitude of the waves formed by the horizontal cross section of the surface of the straightening plate 185 can be optimized by trial and error depending on the waveform, and, without being limited thereto, for example, the period can be greater than or equal to 1 time and less than or equal to 2 times the length of the short fiber bundle, and the amplitude can be greater than or equal to 0.5 times and less than or equal to 1 time the length of the short fiber bundle.

[0030] Preferably, the current plate 185 is made of a processed metal plate. In the processed metal plate, one surface and the other surface are parallel concave and convex surfaces. In one example, the straightening plate 185 is made of a corrugated plate, and the shape of its horizontal cross section is the same at any height.

[0031] The procedure for manufacturing an SMC using the SMC manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described below. First, a continuous fiber bundle 10 is drawn from a previously prepared fiber package. The continuous fiber bundle 10 is preferably made of carbon fiber, but is not limited thereto, and may be made of fibers other than carbon fiber, such as glass fiber or aramid fiber. When the continuous fiber bundle 10 is a carbon fiber bundle, the number of filaments per bundle is not limited, but may be, for example, 3,000 to 100,000. The continuous fiber bundle may be partially split in advance into a plurality of sub-bundles.

[0032] A plurality of continuous fiber bundles 10 are aligned so as to be parallel to each other, and are then fed to a chopper 160 from a direction perpendicular to the T direction, where they are cut into short fiber bundles 20. The fiber length of the short fiber bundle 20 is, for example, within a range of 10 to 60 mm, and can typically be, but is not limited to, 0.5 inch (about 1.3 cm), 1 inch (about 2.5 cm), 2 inches (about 5.1 cm), etc.

[0033] The short fiber bundles 20 are guided into a fiber dispersion booth 180 by a chute 170, and are blown in various directions by contact with the dispersion roll and by the action of the air currents generated by the rotation of the dispersion roll, and are then deposited on a first carrier film 41 to form a fiber mat 30.

[0034] In a modified example, instead of chopping the continuous fiber bundles on-site using the chopper 160 to produce short fiber bundles 20, short fiber bundles 20 that have been pre-manufactured in a separate process may be supplied to the fiber spreading booth 180 through a chute 170.

[0035] Before the fiber mat 30 is deposited, a first resin paste 51 is applied to the first carrier film 41 as it is unwound from a roll using a first coater 110 . The first resin paste 51 is a thermosetting resin composition, and its base resin is, but is not limited to, for example, vinyl ester resin (also called epoxy acrylate resin), unsaturated polyester resin, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, maleimide resin, or phenol resin. A mixed resin of vinyl ester resin and unsaturated polyester resin may be used as the base resin. The first resin paste 51 may contain, as necessary, a hardener, a polymerization inhibitor, a thickener, a reactive diluent, a low-shrinkage agent, a flame retardant, an antibacterial agent, and the like.

[0036] In a separate process, a second resin paste 52 having the same composition as the first resin paste 51 is applied onto the second carrier film 42 using a second coater 120 . The second carrier film 42 is superimposed on the first carrier film 41 having the fiber mat 30 placed on its upper surface, with the side on which the second resin paste layer 52L is formed facing down, and the laminate 60 thus formed is pressurized by the impregnation machine 140, thereby impregnating the fiber mat 30 with the first resin paste 51 and the second resin paste 52.

[0037] The impregnated fiber mat 30 is wound up on a bobbin while being sandwiched between the first carrier film 41 and the second carrier film 42. Thereafter, a process of thickening the first resin paste 51 and the second resin paste 52 that have permeated the fiber mat 30 is performed as necessary.

[0038] The finished sheet molding compound is used to mold fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) products, for example, by compression molding. A wide variety of FRP products can be manufactured using sheet molding compound, including parts for aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, automobiles, ships, and other types of transportation equipment, as well as sporting goods and leisure goods.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, each embodiment is presented as an example and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Each embodiment described in this specification can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and can be combined with features described in other embodiments within the scope of feasibility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 Continuous fiber bundle 20 Short fiber bundle 30 Fiber Mat 41 Daiichi Carrier Film 42 Second Carrier Film 51 First Resin Paste 51L First resin paste layer 52 Second resin paste 52L Second resin paste layer 60 Laminate 100 SMC manufacturing equipment 110 First Coating Machine 120 Second Coating Machine 130 Fiber mat depositing device 140 Impregnation machine 151 Rod 160 Chopper 161 Cutter Roll 162 Receiving roll (rubber roll) 163 Guide Roll 170 Shooter 180 Fiber Spray Booth 181 Side wall 182 Front wall 183 Back wall 184 Booth roof 185 Rectifier plate 190 Distributed Roll

Claims

1. A fiber spreading booth for use in a fiber mat deposition device positioned above the running path of a first carrier film, having a plurality of booth walls and an optional booth roof, inside which is installed a dispersing roll for dispersing short fiber bundles falling from above, wherein at least one of the plurality of booth walls is a non-flat wall with an uneven inner surface, and when a direction parallel to the running direction of the first carrier film is defined as an M direction and a direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the M direction is defined as a T direction, the direction of the rotation axis of the dispersing roll is parallel to the T direction, and the non-flat wall corresponds to a front wall parallel to the T direction which is downstream of the dispersing roll in the M direction.

2. The fiber distribution booth according to claim 1 , wherein the non-flat wall has an inner horizontal cross section having a wavy shape in at least a portion of the vertical direction.

3. 3. The fiber distribution booth according to claim 2, wherein the non-flat wall has a horizontal cross-sectional shape of the inner surface that is the same at any height.

4. The fiber distribution booth of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the non-flat walls have inner and outer surfaces parallel to each other.

5. The fiber spreading booth according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-flat wall is made of corrugated board.

6. The fiber spreading booth according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the non-flat wall is made of a processed metal plate.

7. The fiber spraying booth according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of booth walls include two first booth walls arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll in the direction of its rotation axis, and a second booth wall arranged to be parallel to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll, and the front wall which is the second booth wall corresponds to the non-flat wall.

8. 8. The fiber spreading booth of claim 7, wherein the plurality of booth walls further includes a third booth wall disposed between the second booth wall and the third booth wall and sandwiching the dispersion roll.

9. 9. The fiber distribution booth of claim 8, wherein the third booth wall corresponds to the non-planar wall.

10. The fiber spreading booth according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the two first booth walls each correspond to the non-flat wall.

11. A fiber spreading booth for use in a fiber mat deposition device positioned above the running path of a first carrier film, having a plurality of booth walls and an optional booth roof, inside which is installed a dispersing roll for dispersing short fiber bundles falling from above, wherein the fiber spreading booth has a plurality of rods each extending in the vertical direction and arranged in a row along the inner surface of at least one booth wall selected from the plurality of booth walls, wherein when the direction parallel to the running direction of the first carrier film is defined as the M direction and the direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the M direction is defined as the T direction, the direction of the rotation axis of the dispersing roll is parallel to the T direction, and at least a portion of the plurality of rods are arranged along the inner surface of a front wall parallel to the T direction downstream of the dispersing roll in the M direction.

12. The fiber spreading booth according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of booth walls include two first booth walls arranged to sandwich the dispersion roll in the direction of its rotation axis, and a second booth wall arranged to be parallel to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll, and at least a portion of the plurality of rods are arranged along the inner surface of the front wall, which is the second booth wall.

13. 13. The fiber spreading booth of claim 12, wherein the plurality of booth walls further includes a third booth wall disposed between the second booth wall and the third booth wall and sandwiching the dispersion roll.

14. The fiber distribution booth of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of rods are disposed along an inner surface of said third booth wall.

15. The fiber spreading booth according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a straightening plate disposed therein perpendicular to the rotation axis of the dispersion roll.

16. The fiber spreading booth according to claim 15, wherein the baffle plate has two uneven surfaces.

17. 17. The fiber distribution booth of claim 16, wherein said baffle vane has two parallel sides.

18. 18. The fiber spray booth according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the shape of the horizontal cross section of the baffle plate is the same at any height.

19. 20. The fiber spreading booth of claim 18, wherein the baffle plate is a corrugated plate.

20. The fiber spreading booth according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the straightening plate is a metal plate processed by sheet metal processing.

21. A fiber mat depositing device, comprising: a fiber spreading booth according to any one of claims 1 to 20, which is installed above a running path of a carrier film.

22. 22. The fiber mat deposition apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a chopper disposed above the fiber distribution booth.

23. 23. An apparatus for producing a sheet moulding compound, comprising a fibre mat depositing device according to claim 21 or 22.

24. 24. The sheet molding compound manufacturing apparatus of claim 23, further comprising: two coaters, a mechanism for laminating two carrier films, and an impregnation machine.

25. A method for producing a fiber mat using the fiber mat depositing device according to claim 21 or 22.

26. A method for producing a sheet molding compound using the sheet molding compound production apparatus according to claim 23 or 24.

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