Method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced member and molding die

Abstract

To provide a fiber-reinforced member capable of ensuring strength by surface layer reinforcement, a manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member capable of enhancing productivity, and a mold used therefor.SOLUTION: A fiber-reinforced member 1 has a resin body portion 2 made of a resin material 20, and a surface layer 3 laid along a surface shape of the resin body portion 2. The surface layer 3 has a fiber base material 31 made of reinforcing fibers 311, and a resin material 32 integrally connected to the resin material 20 of the resin body portion 2 and filling a gap between the reinforcing fibers 311. The fiber-reinforced member 1 is manufactured through the steps of: holding the fiber base material 31 while sequentially pressing a part thereof against an inner wall surface of a mold 4 using a plurality of pressing pieces 41 to shape the fiber base material 31; injecting the resin material 20 into the mold 4 to impregnate the gap between the reinforcing fibers 311 with the resin material 20; and pouring the resin material 20 into a space formed between the respective pressing pieces 41 and the fiber base material 31 by releasing of the holding, to form a whole shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention , fiber The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced member and a molding die. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, fiber-reinforced members made of a resin material with reinforcing fibers blended therein have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a resin gear molded using a molding material in which reinforcing fibers are blended with a base resin.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a resin gear that is formed by heating a mat in which reinforcing fibers are bound with a thermoplastic resin, and then sandwiching the heated mat between a toothed roll and a silicone roll to form a preform with a toothed shape, and then supplying a resin containing reinforcing fibers to this preform, which is then compressed and heated in a mold to form a resin gear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-218994 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-280617 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The conventional technology has the following problem. Specifically, according to the technology of Patent Document 1, a fiber-reinforced member is produced using a molding material in which reinforcing fibers are blended with a base resin. Therefore, with the technology of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to focus on strengthening the surface layer of the fiber-reinforced member. For example, with the technology of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to produce a gear in which the surface layer, which is subjected to high loads during use, is strengthened.

[0006] Furthermore, according to the technology of Patent Document 2, a fiber-reinforced component having a surface layer containing reinforcing fibers is produced by separately molding a preform containing reinforcing fibers and combining it with a resin part. Therefore, with the technology of Patent Document 2, it is difficult to ensure high adhesion between the surface layer containing reinforcing fibers and the resin part, and the surface layer peels off under high loads during use, making it difficult to ensure strength. Furthermore, the technology of Patent Document 2 requires a process for producing the surface layer and the internal resin part, and a process for combining them, making it difficult to improve productivity.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a fiber-reinforced member capable of ensuring strength by reinforcing the surface layer. A method for producing The present invention also aims to provide a method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced member, which can improve productivity, and a molding die suitable for use in manufacturing the fiber-reinforced member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention one The aspect is a first step of sequentially pressing a portion of a fiber substrate (31) composed of reinforcing fibers (311) against an inner wall surface of a molding die (4) with a plurality of pressers (41) to shape and hold the fiber substrate into a shape that conforms to the inner wall surface; a second step of injecting a resin material into the molding die while holding the fiber base material, thereby impregnating the resin material into gaps between the reinforcing fibers in the fiber base material; and a third step of releasing the presser bar from holding the fiber base material, and pouring the resin material into a space formed between the presser bar and the fiber base material by the release of the presser bar, thereby forming an overall shape. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member.

[0010] The present invention Other The aspect is Fiber reinforced section Material A molding die (4) used in manufacturing, a plurality of presser members (41) each having one end disposed within a cavity (42) of the molding die (4); and a sequential pressing mechanism (43) connected to the other end portions of the plurality of presser bars, capable of sequentially advancing the plurality of presser bars in a direction toward the inner wall surface of the molding die, and capable of retracting the plurality of presser bars from the advanced state. It is in the molding die (4). [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member includes the above steps. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member, the shaping of the fiber substrate composed of reinforcing fibers and the formation of the overall shape of the fiber-reinforced member can be performed simultaneously in the same molding die, thereby molding the fiber-reinforced member. Therefore, the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member can improve the productivity of the fiber-reinforced member compared to the conventional technology in which preforms are molded separately and then combined in a mold.

[0013] The molding die has the above-mentioned configuration. Therefore, according to the molding die, by using a sequential pressing mechanism and sequentially advancing the multiple pressers in a direction toward the inner wall surface of the molding die, the multiple pressers sequentially press the fiber substrate against the inner wall surface of the molding die, and the fiber substrate can be shaped and held in a shape that conforms to the inner wall surface. Furthermore, according to the molding die, by using a sequential pressing mechanism and retracting the multiple pressers that are in an advanced state, the hold of the fiber substrate by the pressers can be released, and a space can be formed within the molding die by releasing the hold. Therefore, the molding die is suitable for the production of the fiber-reinforced member. method It can be suitably used for the following.

[0014] In addition, the symbols in parentheses in the claims and the means for solving the problems indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a fiber-reinforced member according to a first embodiment, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Ib-Ib in (a). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the rectangular area in FIG. 1(a). [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the fiber-reinforced member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the orientation of reinforcing fibers contained in the surface layer, in which (a) is a diagram illustrating the circumferential contour direction of the resin main body, which is one of the orientation directions of the reinforcing fibers, (b) is a diagram schematically illustrating a cross-sectional view taken along line Vb-Vb in (a), and (c) is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the orientation degree of the reinforcing fibers. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the first and second steps in the manufacturing method of a fiber-reinforced member according to embodiment 2, in which (a) is a diagram showing a top view of the fiber substrate placed in the cavity of a molding die, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIb-VIb in (a), and (c) is an enlarged view of the rectangular area in (a). [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining the first and second steps in the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member according to embodiment 2, in which (a) is a diagram from above showing the state in which the sequential pressing of the fiber substrate by the multiple pressers is completed and a portion of the fiber substrate is being held by the multiple pressers, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb in (a), and (c) is an enlarged view of the rectangular area in (a). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the third step in the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member according to the second embodiment, in which (a) is a diagram viewed from above showing the state in which the presser has released its hold on the fiber substrate and retracted (core-back state), (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIb-VIIIb in (a), and (c) is an enlarged view of the rectangular area in (a). [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic flow of the manufacturing method of a fiber-reinforced member according to embodiment 2, in which (a) shows the introduction of a fiber substrate into a molding die, (b) shows the shaping and holding of the fiber substrate by the advancement of a clamp, (c) shows the impregnation of the fiber substrate with resin material by the injection of resin material, and (d) shows the flow of the resin material into the space formed by the retreating clamp. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the order in which multiple pressers are used to sequentially press down a portion of the fiber substrate from one end to the other end in the first step of the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member according to embodiment 2. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the order in which multiple pressers are used to sequentially press down a portion of a fiber substrate from the middle of the fiber substrate toward both ends of the fiber substrate in the first step of the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member according to embodiment 2. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the main parts of the molding die according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing an example of the operation of the sequential pressing mechanism in the molding die according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] (Embodiment 1) The fiber-reinforced member of embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In this embodiment, the fiber-reinforced member 1 is configured as a gear (cogwheel), but the fiber-reinforced member 1 is not limited to gears and can be applied to various fiber-reinforced members. Also The gear illustrated in FIG. 1 is specifically a throttle gear in a vehicle such as an automobile, and does not rotate 360 ​​degrees, but the type of gear is not particularly limited. Moreover, the first embodiment is a reference embodiment.

[0017] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment has a resin main body 2 and a surface layer 3. The resin main body 2 is made of a resin material 20. Examples of the resin material 20 that can be used include various thermoplastic resins and curable resins such as thermosetting resins. In this embodiment, various known resin materials that are used for resin gears (resin gears) can be used as appropriate. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyamide resin (including nylon resin), polyphenylene sulfide resin, and polybutylene terephthalate resin. Examples of the thermosetting resin include epoxy resin and phenol resin. In this embodiment, the resin material 20 can specifically be phenol resin.

[0018] The fiber reinforced member 1 can be configured to have protrusions 21 on the surface of the resin main body 2. In this embodiment, the fiber reinforced member 1 is illustrated as a gear, and therefore the resin main body 2 is formed in a gear shape having teeth 211 as the protrusions 21 on its outer periphery, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and other figures. Furthermore, the resin main body 2 has thin-walled portions 22 that are thinner than the thickness (tooth width) of the teeth 211, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and other figures. The resin main body 2 is formed with a shaft hole 23 through which a shaft is inserted.

[0019] The surface layer 3 is formed to conform to the surface shape of the resin body 2. In this embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and other figures, the surface layer 3 is formed on the surface of the tooth portion 211 so as to conform to the surface shape of the tooth portion 211 formed on the outer periphery of the resin body 2. Here, the surface layer 3 has a fiber base material 31 and a resin material 32, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0020] The fiber base material 31 constituting the surface layer 3 is arranged along the surface shape of the resin body 2. In this embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and other figures, the fiber base material 31 is arranged along the surface shape of the teeth 211 formed on the outer periphery of the resin body 2. As illustrated in Fig. 4 and other figures, the fiber base material 31 is composed of reinforcing fibers 311 for reinforcing the surface layer 3.

[0021] The reinforcing fibers 311 can be any of various fibers, such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers, and metal fibers made of aluminum or iron. In this embodiment, the reinforcing fibers 311 can be specifically carbon fibers. This configuration provides wear resistance to the surface of the surface layer 3 due to the self-lubricating properties of carbon fibers. Therefore, this configuration provides a fiber-reinforced member 1 suitable for gears. In this embodiment, the resin material 20 constituting the resin main body 2 may or may not contain reinforcing fibers. Examples of reinforcing fibers used in the resin main body 2 include those similar to the reinforcing fibers 311. However, since the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment allows for the surface layer 3 to be reinforced primarily, inexpensive glass fibers and the like can be suitably used when reinforcing fibers are used in the resin main body 2. Furthermore, when the resin main body 2 does not contain reinforcing fibers, the amount of fiber used can be reduced compared to when the resin main body 2 contains reinforcing fibers and the surface layer 3 contains reinforcing fibers 311.

[0022] On the other hand, the resin material 32 constituting the surface layer 3 is integrally connected to the resin material 20 of the resin main body 2, as exemplified in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the resin material 32 constituting the surface layer 3 and the resin material 20 constituting the resin main body 2 are made of the same material from the viewpoints of the bondability and strength between the surface layer 3 and the resin main body 2. The resin material 32 of the surface layer 3 fills the gaps between the reinforcing fibers 311 of the fiber base material 31. In other words, the resin material 32 of the surface layer 3 can be said to be impregnated into the gaps between the reinforcing fibers 311 of the fiber base material 31.

[0023] The fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment has a resin main body 2 made of a resin material 20 and a surface layer 3 made of a fiber base material 31 composed of reinforcing fibers 311. Therefore, in the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the surface layer 3 is primarily reinforced by the reinforcing fibers 311. Furthermore, the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment has a resin material 32 that is integrally connected to the resin material 20 of the resin main body 2 and fills gaps between the reinforcing fibers 311 of the fiber base material 31. Therefore, the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment has high adhesion between the resin main body 2 and the surface layer 3, and the surface layer 3 is less likely to peel off from the resin main body 2. Therefore, the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment can ensure strength by reinforcing the surface layer.

[0024] In the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the fiber base material 31 can be composed of a nonwoven fabric base material. This configuration makes it possible to use reinforcing fibers 311 that are longer than the short fibers typically blended into injection molding resins. Furthermore, when arranging the fiber base material 31 along the surface shape of the resin main body 2, it becomes relatively easy to align the orientation of the reinforcing fibers 311 of the nonwoven fabric base material. Therefore, this configuration makes it possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced member 1 in which the reinforcing fibers 311 in the surface layer 3 can be easily oriented in a specific direction.

[0025] In the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the reinforcing fibers 311 may be unoriented or oriented along a specific direction. The reinforcing fibers 311 may preferably be configured to be oriented along the contour direction Y of the circumferential direction of the resin main body 2. This configuration makes it easier to suppress peeling of the surface layer 3 even when a high load is applied during use. Note that FIGS. 3 to 5(a) show an example in which the reinforcing fibers 311 are oriented along the contour direction Y of the circumferential direction of the resin main body 2 formed in a gear shape having teeth 211 on the outer periphery. This configuration has the advantage of suppressing deformation of the teeth 211 due to the orientation along the contour direction Y, i.e., improving rigidity in the load direction when the gear is used.

[0026] In the fiber reinforced member 1 of the present embodiment, when the reinforcing fibers 311 are oriented in a specific direction such as the circumferential contour line direction Y in the resin main body portion 2, the orientation parameter fp of the reinforcing fibers 311 can be configured to satisfy 0.5 < fp ≦ 1. According to this configuration, since the number of reinforcing fibers 311 oriented in the specific direction increases, it becomes easier to suppress peeling of the surface layer 3 even when a high load is applied during use. Further, when the resin main body portion 2 is formed in a gear shape having a tooth portion 211 on the outer peripheral portion, there are advantages such as that the deformation of the tooth portion 211 can be suppressed by improving the rigidity along the contour line direction Y, that is, with respect to the load direction during gear use.

[0027] The orientation parameter fp can be measured as follows. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5(a), a case will be described in which the reinforcing fibers 311 are oriented in the contour direction Y, which is the circumferential direction of the resin main body 2. As illustrated in FIG. 5(b), a cross section of the surface layer 3 viewed from the direction of the arrow Vb-Vb in FIG. 5(a) (a cross section perpendicular to the contour direction Y of the surface layer 3) shows the cross sections of the multiple reinforcing fibers 311 constituting the fiber substrate 31. When the number of all reinforcing fibers 311 in the observed cross section of the surface layer 3 is n and the angle between the contour direction Y and the reinforcing fibers 311 is θ, the orientation parameter fp can be calculated using the formula Σcosθ / n. The number n of all reinforcing fibers 311 and the angle θ between the contour direction Y and the reinforcing fibers 311 can be calculated from the ratio of the minor axis to the major axis of the reinforcing fiber cross section obtained by microscopic observation of the cross section of the surface layer 3, or can be measured by X-ray CT observation. In the formula for calculating the orientation parameter fp, cos θ indicates the degree of orientation of the reinforcing fibers 311 with respect to the contour direction Y. As illustrated in column A of FIG. 5(c), for example, when the angle θ between the contour direction Y and the reinforcing fibers 311 is 0°, the degree of orientation of the reinforcing fibers 311 is cos 0°. Also, as illustrated in column B of FIG. 5(c), for example, when the angle θ between the contour direction Y and the reinforcing fibers 311 is 60°, the degree of orientation of the reinforcing fibers 311 is cos 60°. The reinforcing fibers 311 generally have a cylindrical shape, and when the fiber direction is perpendicular to the observed cross section (angle θ = 0°), the cross section is observed as a perfect circle. Furthermore, when the reinforcing fibers 311 are at a predetermined angle with respect to the observed cross section, the cross section is observed as an ellipse. From these facts, the angle θ of the reinforcing fibers 311 can be calculated by comparing the major axis of the fiber cross section observed in the cross section with that when perpendicular (perfect circle). Specifically, for example, when a reinforcing fiber 311 with a diameter R is inclined at an angle θ, the cross section becomes elliptical, and when the minor axis is R and the major axis is D, the inclination of the reinforcing fiber is sinθ=R / D, and θ=sin -1 R / D. In the case where the reinforcing fibers 311 are oriented in a specific direction other than the contour line direction Y, the orientation parameter can be measured in the same manner as above.

[0028] From the viewpoint of improving the strength of the fiber-reinforced member 1, the orientation parameter fp can be set to preferably 0.55 or more, more preferably 0.6 or more, even more preferably 0.7 or more, and even more preferably 0.75 or more.

[0029] In the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the fiber length of the reinforcing fibers 311 can be, for example, 1 mm or more. This configuration makes it easier to make the fiber length of the reinforcing fibers 311 constituting the fiber base material 31 longer than the short fibers blended into the injection molding resin. Therefore, this configuration makes it possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced member 1 in which the reinforcing fibers 311 in the surface layer 3 are easily oriented in a specific direction. From the viewpoint of improving rigidity in the load direction, the fiber length of the reinforcing fibers 311 can be preferably 1.5 mm or more, more preferably 3 mm or more, even more preferably 5 mm or more, and even more preferably 6 mm or more. Furthermore, the fiber length of the reinforcing fibers 311 can be, for example, 12 mm or less.

[0030] The fiber length of the reinforcing fibers 311 can be measured by observing the cross section of the surface layer 3 with a microscope or by X-ray CT.

[0031] (Embodiment 2) The method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 11. Note that, among the symbols used in the second and subsequent embodiments, the same symbols as those used in the previous embodiments represent the same components as those in the previous embodiments, unless otherwise specified.

[0032] 6 to 11, the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member of this embodiment includes a first step, a second step, and a third step. In the method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member of this embodiment, the first step, the second step, and the third step are performed in the same molding die. Note that this embodiment will be described using an example of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member 1 including a gear in which the surface layer 3 of the tooth portion 211 is reinforced with reinforcing fibers 311, as exemplified in embodiment 1.

[0033] The first step is a step of sequentially pressing a part of the fiber base material 31 made of reinforcing fibers 311 against the inner wall surface of the molding die 4 with a plurality of pressers 41, thereby shaping and holding the fiber base material 31 into a shape that conforms to the inner wall surface. This will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 11.

[0034] In this embodiment, the molding die 4 has a plurality of presser pieces 41. One side end of each presser piece 41 is arranged within a cavity 42 of the molding die 4. The cavity 42 is configured as a space in which a gear shape can be imparted. A resin material 20 in a fluid state is injected into the cavity 42. The cavity 42 is provided with a plurality of tooth-forming spaces 421, which are spaces for forming the tooth portions 211. Each presser piece 41 has a step portion 411 at one side end for pressing a portion of the unshaped fiber base material 31 arranged within the cavity 42 against the inner wall surface of the tooth-forming space 421.

[0035] Each presser bar 41 is configured to be able to advance toward the inner wall surface of the tooth-forming space 421 and to be able to retreat from the advanced state. The molding die 4 is configured such that, when the presser bar 41 is advanced, a portion of the fiber base material 31 is drawn into the corresponding tooth-forming space 421 by the step portion 411, and the portion of the fiber base material 31 is held in a sandwiched state between the step portion 411 and the inner wall surface of the tooth-forming space 421. Furthermore, the molding die 4 is configured such that, when the presser bar 41 releases its hold on the fiber base material 31 and retreats, the tooth-forming space 421 is formed between the fiber base material 31 shaped by the pressing of the presser bar 41 and the step portion 411 of the presser bar 41. In this embodiment, specifically, the presser bar 41 is configured to press down the entire lower half of the fiber base material 31 arranged in an upright state within the cavity 42 (a state in which one side end surface of the fiber base material 31 is facing downward). Although not shown, the presser 41 may also be configured to press down on a portion of the lower half of the fiber base material 31 that is arranged upright in the cavity 42, for example.

[0036] In this embodiment, the molding die 4 is configured to allow the multiple presser pins 41 to be sequentially advanced in a direction toward the inner wall surface of the teeth-forming space 421. In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , the molding die 4 is configured to allow the multiple presser pins 41 to be sequentially pressed down on a portion of the fiber base material 31, for example, the entire lower half of the fiber base material 31 as described above, from one end side of the fiber base material 31 toward the other end side. Specifically, FIG. 10 illustrates an example configuration in which the first to seventh presser pins 41 are sequentially advanced from one end side of the fiber base material 31 toward the other end side, pressing the fiber base material 31 against the inner wall surface of the teeth-forming space 421. As another example, as illustrated in FIG. 11 , the molding die 4 may be configured to allow the multiple presser pins 41 to be sequentially pressed down on a portion of the fiber base material 31, for example, the entire lower half of the fiber base material 31 as described above, from the middle portion of the fiber base material 31 toward both ends of the fiber base material 31. 11 specifically shows a configuration example in which the first to fourth presser bars 41 are sequentially advanced from the longitudinal center of the fiber base material 31 toward both end sides of the fiber base material 31 to press the fiber base material 31 against the inner wall surface of the tooth-forming space 421. As can be seen from FIGS. 10 and 11 , the operation of sequentially pressing a portion of the fiber base material 31 with multiple presser bars 41 from the middle of the fiber base material 31 toward both end sides of the fiber base material 31 can shorten the time required to shape the fiber base material 31, compared to the operation of sequentially pressing a portion of the fiber base material 31 with multiple presser bars 41 from one end side of the fiber base material 31 toward the other end side of the fiber base material 31.

[0037] Specifically, in the first step, the following procedure can be performed using the molding die 4 described above. As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9(a), the fiber base material 31 is placed in the space between the retracted presser pins 41 and each tooth-forming space 421, with one side end face of the fiber base material 31 facing downwards. Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 7, 9(b), 10, and 11, each presser pin 41 is sequentially advanced toward the inner wall surface of the corresponding tooth-forming space 421, and the fiber base material 31 is shaped to conform to the inner wall surface of the tooth-forming space 421. Simultaneously with the shaping, a portion of the fiber base material 31 (in this embodiment, the lower half of the fiber base material 31) is sandwiched and held between the step portion 411 of each presser pin 41 and the inner wall surface of each tooth-forming space 421.

[0038] The second step is a step of injecting the resin material 20 into the molding die 4 while holding the fiber base material 31, and impregnating the resin material 20 into at least the gaps between the reinforcing fibers 311 in the fiber base material 31. This will be described with reference to Figure 7, 9(b) and 9(c).

[0039] In this embodiment, the resin material 20 injected into the molding die 4 is in a fluid state. The resin material 20 may adhere to the outer surface of the fiber base material 31 in addition to the gaps between the reinforcing fibers 311 in the fiber base material 31.

[0040] Specifically, in the second step, the following procedure can be performed using the molding die 4 described above. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9(b), after the first step, a portion of the fiber base material 31 (in this embodiment, the lower half of the fiber base material 31) is sandwiched and held between the step portion 411 of each presser bar 41 and the inner wall surface of each tooth-forming space 421. With the fiber base material 31 held in this state, as illustrated in FIG. 9(c), a molten resin material 20, for example, is injected into the cavity 42 of the molding die 4 through a resin injection port (not shown) of the molding die 4. The injected resin material 20 flows through the cavity 42 and reaches the fiber base material 31. In this embodiment, the upper half of the fiber base material 31 comes into contact with the injected resin material 20. The resin material 20 then penetrates into the gaps between the reinforcing fibers 311 in the fiber base material 31 through the portions of the fiber base material 31 that are not held by the presser bar 41.

[0041] The third step is a step of releasing the presser bar 41 from the fiber base material 31, allowing the resin material 20 to flow into the space formed between the presser bar 41 and the fiber base material 31 by the release of the presser bar 41, and forming the overall shape. This will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9(d).

[0042] In this embodiment, the fiber base material 31 can be released from the presser bars 41 by retracting the plurality of presser bars that are in an advanced state. At this time, the plurality of presser bars 41 that are in an advanced state may be retracted sequentially, or all of the presser bars 41 may be retracted at once.

[0043] Specifically, in the third step, the following procedure can be performed using the molding die 4 described above. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9(d), when the presser bar 41 releases the fiber base material 31 from its hold, a space is formed in the cavity 42 between the presser bar 41 and the fiber base material 31 due to the movement of the presser bar 41. The resin material 20 flows into this space. As a result, the resin material 20 spreads throughout the remaining space in the cavity 42, and the overall shape of the fiber-reinforced member 1 is formed. At this time, the presser bar 41 can release the fiber base material 31 from its hold before the resin material 20 injected into the molding die 4 hardens.

[0044] Thereafter, the resin material 20 in the molding die 4 is hardened, and the fiber-reinforced member 1 is demolded from the molding die 4. In this manner, the fiber-reinforced member 1 is obtained. Note that if the resin material 20 constituting the resin main body 2 in the fiber-reinforced member 1 is to be different from the resin material 32 constituting the surface layer 3, this can be achieved by changing the type of resin material used in the second and third steps.

[0045] The method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment has the above steps. Therefore, according to the method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the shaping of the fiber base material 31 composed of the reinforcing fibers 311 and the formation of the overall shape of the fiber-reinforced member 1 can be carried out simultaneously in the same molding die 4, thereby molding the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment. Therefore, the method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced member of this embodiment can improve the productivity of the fiber-reinforced member 1 compared to the conventional technology in which preforms are molded separately and then combined in a mold.

[0046] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the fiber base material 31 is sequentially pressed against the inner wall surface of the molding die 4 by multiple pressers 41. This prevents excessive load from being applied to the fiber base material 31, thereby preventing breakage of the fiber base material 31, compared to when the fiber base material 31 is pressed against the inner wall surface of the molding die 4 by multiple pressers 41 at once. Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the resin material 20 is injected into the molding die 4 while a portion of the fiber base material 31 is held by the presser 41. This prevents displacement of the fiber base material 31 due to the flow of the injected resin material 20, compared to when the resin material 20 is injected into the molding die 4 without holding the fiber base material 31. Therefore, the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment makes it difficult for gaps to form between the inner wall surface of the molding die 4 and the fiber base material 31, preventing the resin material 20 from entering such gaps. As a result, a fiber-reinforced member 1 can be obtained in which curling of the fiber base material 31 is prevented. Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment, the resin material 20 is injected into the molding die 4 while a portion of the fiber base material 31 is held by the clamp 41, so that the fiber base material 31 can be prevented from returning to its original flat shape before shaping.

[0047] For other configurations and effects, the descriptions of the first and third embodiments can be referred to.

[0048] (Embodiment 3) The molding die of the third embodiment will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. In this embodiment, Figs. 6 to 11 used in the description of the second embodiment can be referred to as needed. As illustrated in Fig. 12, the molding die 4 of this embodiment is used to manufacture the fiber-reinforced member 1. Specifically, the molding die 4 of this embodiment can be suitably used in the manufacturing method of the fiber-reinforced member of the second embodiment.

[0049] The molding die 4 has a plurality of presser pieces 41. Note that Figures 12 and 13 only show the first presser piece 41 shown in Figures 10 and 11, and presser pieces 41 with other numbers are omitted. Also, in Figures 12 and 13, the numbers of the presser pieces 41 are only shown up to number three, which does not match the number of presser pieces 41 in Figures 10 and 11, but this is simply because they were omitted for convenience of creating the drawings. One end of each presser piece 41 is located within the cavity 42 of the molding die 4. On the other hand, the other end of each presser piece 41 is located outside the cavity 42 of the molding die 4.

[0050] The molding die 4 has a sequential pressing mechanism 43. The sequential pressing mechanism 43 is connected to the other end of the multiple presser bars 41, and is configured to be able to sequentially advance the multiple presser bars 41 in a direction toward the inner wall surface of the molding die 4, and to be able to retract the multiple presser bars 41 from the advanced state.

[0051] In this embodiment, the sequential presser mechanism 43 specifically includes a cam portion 431 that converts vertical movement into forward and backward movement of the presser bar 41, and a drive portion 432 that drives the cam portion 431 in the vertical direction, as illustrated in FIG. 12 . The cam portion 431 includes a plurality of guide portions 431b each having a groove 431a formed therein that guides the other end of the presser bar 41. The cam portion 431 includes a base plate 431c on one side of which the same number of guide portions 431b as the number of presser bars 41 are erected at predetermined intervals. The other end of the presser bar 41 includes an engagement portion 412 that is movable along the groove 431a of the guide portion 431b. The groove 431a of each guide portion 431b extends in the vertical direction and includes a bent portion 431d midway. The bent portions 431d of the grooves 431a in the guide portions 431b are offset from one another so that the presser bars 41 move forward and backward sequentially. That is, in this embodiment, the timing at which the presser bars 41 move forward and backward is adjusted by changing the phase of the guide portions 431b of the cam portion 431. The drive portion 432 is connected to the cam portion 431. An air cylinder, for example, can be used as the drive portion 432.

[0052] The operation of the sequential presser mechanism 43 will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . Assume that the cam portion 431, which is in the position shown in FIG. 13( a), is driven by the drive portion 432 to move upward to the position shown in FIG. 13( b). In this case, when the other end of the first presser bar 41 is guided by the groove 431 a of the first guide portion 431 b and passes downward over the bent portion 431 d, the presser bar 41 moves forward as indicated by the rightward arrow in FIG. 13( b). Also, assume that the cam portion 431, which is in the position shown in FIG. 13( b), is driven by the drive portion 432 to move downward to the position shown in FIG. 13( c). In this case, when the other end of the first presser bar 41 is guided by the groove 431 a of the first guide portion 431 b and passes upward over the bent portion 431 d, the presser bar 41 moves backward as indicated by the leftward arrow in FIG. 13( c). The second presser bar 41 (not shown), the third presser bar (not shown), etc. can also be moved forward and backward in response to the vertical movement of the cam portion 431, basically in the same manner as the first presser bar 41. In this case, because the bent portions 431d of the grooves 431a are offset from each other in the guide portions 431b, each presser bar 41 can be moved forward and backward sequentially. In this embodiment, the sequential presser bar 43 can be configured to sequentially advance and retreat each presser bar 41 from one end of the fiber substrate 31 toward the other end, as illustrated in FIG. 10 . Alternatively, the sequential presser bar 43 can be configured to sequentially advance and retreat each presser bar 41 from the middle of the fiber substrate 31 toward both ends of the fiber substrate 31, as illustrated in FIG. 11 . The latter configuration allows multiple presser bars 41 to press down on the fiber substrate 31, thereby shaping and holding the fiber substrate 31, in a shorter time than the former configuration. The molding die 4 may be configured so that the presser elements 41 are retracted at once, or so that the presser elements 41 are retracted sequentially.

[0053] According to the molding die 4 of this embodiment, the sequential pressing mechanism 43 is used to sequentially advance the multiple presser pins 41 toward the inner wall surface of the molding die 4, thereby sequentially pressing the fiber base material 31 against the inner wall surface of the molding die 4 with the multiple presser pins 41, thereby shaping and holding the fiber base material 31 to a shape that conforms to the inner wall surface. Furthermore, according to the molding die 4 of this embodiment, the sequential pressing mechanism 43 is used to retract the multiple presser pins 41 that are in an advanced state, thereby releasing the presser pins 41 from their hold on the fiber base material 31, and this release of hold can form a space within the molding die 4. Furthermore, the molding die 4 of this embodiment has the advantage that the sequential pressing mechanism 43, which operates the multiple presser pins 41, is located outside the cavity 42 of the molding die 4, making it easier to avoid interference between the presser pins 41. Therefore, the molding die 4 of this embodiment can be suitably used for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced member 1 of this embodiment.

[0054] For other configurations and effects, the descriptions of the first and second embodiments can be referred to.

[0055] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the configurations shown in the embodiments can be combined in any manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Fiber-reinforced member 2 Resin body 20 Resin materials 3 Surface layer 31 Fiber substrate 311 Reinforced Fiber 32 Resin materials 4. Molding mold 41 Clamp 42 Cavity 43 Sequential pressing mechanism

Claims

1. A first step of sequentially pressing a portion of a fiber substrate (31) composed of reinforcing fibers (311) against an inner wall surface of a molding die (4) with a plurality of pressers (41) to hold the fiber substrate while shaping it into a shape that conforms to the inner wall surface; A second step of injecting a resin material into the molding die while holding the fiber base material, thereby impregnating the resin material into gaps between the reinforcing fibers in the fiber base material; and a third step of releasing the presser bar from holding the fiber base material, and pouring the resin material into a space formed between the presser bar and the fiber base material by the release of the presser bar, thereby forming an overall shape. A method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced member.

2. A portion of the fiber substrate is successively pressed down by a plurality of the pressers from one end side to the other end side of the fiber substrate, or A portion of the fiber base material is successively pressed down by the plurality of pressers from a middle portion of the fiber base material toward both end portions of the fiber base material. The method for producing a fiber-reinforced member according to claim 1 .

3. The release of the fiber base material from the presser is performed before the resin material injected into the molding die hardens. The method for producing a fiber-reinforced member according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A molding die (4) used to manufacture a fiber-reinforced member, a plurality of pressers (41) each having one end disposed in a cavity (42) of a molding die (4); and a sequential pressing mechanism (43) connected to the other end portions of the plurality of presser bars, capable of sequentially advancing the plurality of presser bars in a direction toward the inner wall surface of the molding die, and capable of retracting the plurality of presser bars from the advanced state. Mould (4).

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