Gathering shoe, device for producing glass fiber, and method for producing glass fiber

Abstract

In a gathering shoe (13), a wall section (17) constituting a bundling section (16) includes a first wall section (19), a second wall section (20), and an intermediate wall section (21) between the first wall section (19) and the second wall section (20). The bundling section (16) includes: a first bundling section (16a) that is positioned between the first wall section (19) and the intermediate wall section (21) and bundles a first glass filament group (GH1); and a second bundling section (16b) that is positioned between the second wall section (20) and the intermediate wall section (21) and bundles a second glass filament group (GH2). The intermediate wall section (21) has a base wall section (22) in which the wall thickness becomes thinner toward the tip, and a protruding wall section (23) that protrudes from the tip (T1) of the base wall section (22). The protruding wall section (23) is one of a protruding wall section (23) protruding at a constant wall thickness and a protruding wall section protruding such that the change in the wall thickness thereof is smaller than that of the base wall section (22).

Description

Gathering shoe, glass fiber manufacturing device, and glass fiber manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a gathering shoe, a glass fiber manufacturing apparatus, and a glass fiber manufacturing method.

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a gathering shoe is known that gathers a plurality of glass filament groups obtained by dividing a glass filament group drawn out from a bushing. The gathering shoe has a plurality of gathering portions through which each of the plurality of glass filament groups passes. By gathering the plurality of glass filament groups by the gathering shoe, a plurality of glass strands are obtained.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-084349

[0004] When the gathering shoe has a first converging section for converging the first group of glass filaments and a second converging section adjacent to the first converging section for converging the second group of glass filaments as described above, the following phenomenon may occur: The second group of glass filaments passing through the second converging section moves to the first converging section, and the first group of glass filaments and the second group of glass filaments are converged into a single group of glass filaments. As a result, the desired number of glass strands may not be obtained.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a gathering shoe, a glass fiber manufacturing apparatus, and a glass fiber manufacturing method that make it possible to stably obtain a desired number of glass strands.

[0006] Aspects of a gathering shoe, a glass fiber manufacturing apparatus, and a glass fiber manufacturing method that solve the above problems will be described below. A gathering shoe according to aspect 1 is a gathering shoe used for obtaining a plurality of glass strands, the gathering shoe comprising a plurality of converging portions that converging a plurality of glass filament groups obtained by dividing a glass filament group pulled out from a bushing, the gathering shoe having wall portions that constitute the converging portions and a support portion on which the wall portions are provided, the wall portions having a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and an intermediate wall portion between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, the converging portion including a first converging portion located between the first wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and converging the first glass filament group, and a second converging portion located between the second wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and converging the second glass filament group, the intermediate wall portion having a base wall portion whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion that protrudes from the tip of the base wall portion, the protruding wall portion being either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a smaller change in wall thickness than the base wall portion.

[0007] According to this configuration, the second glass filaments that have moved along the base wall portion of the intermediate wall portion to the tip of the base wall portion come into contact with the protruding wall portion of the intermediate wall portion, thereby preventing the second glass filaments from slipping out of the second focusing portion and moving over the intermediate wall portion to the first focusing portion.

[0008] In a gathering shoe according to aspect 2, the intermediate wall portion may be configured from a plurality of components, including a first component and a second component that configure the base wall portion of the intermediate wall portion, and a third component that is disposed between the first and second components and configures the protruding wall portion. This configuration allows the first, second, and third components to be individually replaced, thereby making it possible to easily maintain the performance of the gathering shoe.

[0009] The gathering shoe of Aspect 3 may further include a fixing member that detachably fixes the plurality of components to the support portion in the manner described above. This configuration allows each of the first component, the second component, and the third component to be easily attached and detached.

[0010] In a gathering shoe of Aspect 4, in accordance with Aspect 3, the plurality of components may have through holes through which the support parts are inserted, and the fixing member may be fixed to the support parts so as to sandwich the plurality of components. With this configuration, the plurality of components can be easily fixed to the support parts.

[0011] In the gathering shoe of Aspect 5, in any one of Aspects 1 to 4, the support portion may be formed of a shaft-shaped member, and the intermediate wall portion may have a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the axis of the support portion. This configuration makes it possible to increase the strength of the intermediate wall portion, for example.

[0012] In the gathering shoe of Aspect 6, in any one of Aspects 1 to 5, the first wall portion has a base wall portion whose thickness decreases toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion protruding from the tip of the base wall portion, and the protruding wall portion of the first wall portion may be either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the first group of glass filaments from detaching from the first collecting portion.

[0013] In the gathering shoe of Aspect 7, in any one of Aspects 1 to 6, the second wall portion has a base wall portion whose thickness decreases toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion protruding from the tip of the base wall portion, and the protruding wall portion of the second wall portion may be either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the second group of glass filaments from detaching from the second collecting portion.

[0014] A glass fiber manufacturing apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing glass fibers, comprising: a bushing; and a gathering shoe for obtaining a plurality of glass strands by dividing a group of glass filaments drawn out from the bushing by a plurality of converging portions, wherein the gathering shoe has a wall portion constituting the converging portion and a support portion on which the wall portion is provided, the wall portion having a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and an intermediate wall portion between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the converging portion has a support portion on which the first wall portion is provided. and the intermediate wall portion and concentrating the first group of glass filaments; and a second concentrating portion located between the second wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and concentrating the second group of glass filaments, wherein the intermediate wall portion has a base wall portion whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion protruding from the tip of the base wall portion, and the protruding wall portion may be either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion.

[0015] A method for producing glass fibers according to aspect 9 includes a drawing step of drawing a glass filament group from a bushing, and a gathering step of gathering a plurality of glass filament groups obtained by dividing the glass filament group using a gathering shoe, wherein the gathering shoe has a wall portion constituting a gathering section that gathers the plurality of glass filament groups, and a support portion on which the wall portion is provided, and the wall portion has a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and an intermediate wall portion between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the gathering section is a first converging portion located between the first wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and converging a first group of glass filaments; and a second converging portion located between the second wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and converging a second group of glass filaments, wherein the intermediate wall portion has a base wall portion whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion protruding from the tip of the base wall portion, and the protruding wall portion may be either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion.

[0016] The present invention exhibits the effect of making it possible to stably obtain a desired number of glass strands.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a glass fiber manufacturing apparatus in an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view showing a gathering shoe. Fig. 3 is a top view showing an enlarged view of a main part of the gathering shoe. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the gathering shoe. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the gathering shoe. Fig. 6 is a top view showing an enlarged view of a main part of a gathering shoe of a modified example. Fig. 7 is a top view showing an enlarged view of a main part of a gathering shoe of a reference example.

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of a gathering shoe, a glass fiber manufacturing apparatus, and a glass fiber manufacturing method will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings, for the sake of convenience, some of the configuration may be shown exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ from the actual ratios. In the drawings, the X-axis of the XYZ axes represents the horizontal direction, the Y-axis represents the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X-axis, and the Z-axis represents the vertical direction (upward) perpendicular to the XY plane. First, an overview of the glass fiber manufacturing apparatus will be described.

[0019] <Overall Configuration of Glass Fiber Manufacturing Apparatus> As shown in Fig. 1, the glass fiber manufacturing apparatus includes a bushing 11, an applicator 12, a gathering shoe 13, a traverse 14, and a collet 15. The glass fiber manufacturing apparatus produces a cake C formed by winding a plurality of glass strands GS.

[0020] The bushing 11 forms the molten glass MG into a fibrous form. The bushing 11 produces a large number of glass filaments GF from the molten glass MG. The bushing 11 includes a bushing body 11a to which the molten glass MG is supplied and a base plate 11b provided at the bottom of the bushing body 11a. Although not shown, the bushing body 11a also includes a supply port through which the molten glass MG is supplied, a screen that prevents foreign matter from accumulating on the base plate 11b, a terminal for resistance heating, and the like.

[0021] The bushing 11 has a group of nozzles from which the glass filaments GF are drawn. The group of nozzles is provided on a base plate 11b. The number of nozzles in the bushing 11 is preferably 800 to 10,000, and more preferably 2,000 to 8,000.

[0022] Examples of the glass for the glass filament GF include E-glass (glass with an alkali content of 2% or less), D-glass (low dielectric constant glass), AR-glass (alkali-resistant glass), C-glass (acid-resistant glass), M-glass (high elastic modulus glass), S-glass (high strength, high elastic modulus glass), T-glass (high strength, high elastic modulus glass), H-glass (high dielectric constant glass), and NE-glass (low dielectric constant glass). The density of the glass is, for example, 2.0 to 3.0 g / cm. ３ is.

[0023] The applicator 12 applies a liquid sizing agent to the numerous glass filaments GF drawn out from the bushing 11. The gathering shoe 13 gathers the numerous glass filaments GF to which the sizing agent has been applied.

[0024] 2, the gathering shoe 13 has a plurality of converging portions 16 arranged in parallel. The shape of the plurality of converging portions 16 of the gathering shoe 13 is, for example, a concave shape. The plurality of converging portions 16 are arranged in parallel along the X-axis. The gathering shoe 13 of this embodiment has four converging portions 16.

[0025] The numerous glass filaments GF drawn out from the bushing 11 are divided into four glass filament groups GH and supplied to the four gathering sections 16 of the gathering shoe 13. The gathering shoe 13 gathers each of the four glass filament groups GH. As a result, four glass strands GS are obtained, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] The number of monofilaments constituting the glass strand GS is, for example, 30 to 400. The count of the glass strand GS is, for example, 10 to 500 tex. The glass strand GS has a coating formed from a sizing agent. Examples of materials for the coating include polypropylene resin, modified polypropylene resin, polyamide resin, polyphenylene sulfide resin, polyurethane resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, polyester resin, and epoxy resin.

[0027] The traverse 14 moves the plurality of glass strands GS back and forth along the X axis. The plurality of glass strands GS that have passed through the traverse 14 are wound onto a bobbin B attached to a collet 15, thereby obtaining a cake C. The cake C wound with the plurality of glass strands GS in this manner is called a split cake.

[0028] Examples of the use forms of the glass strand GS include chopped strands, milled fibers, roving, yarn, mat, cloth, tape, braided fabric, etc. Examples of the uses of the glass strand GS include vehicle applications, electronic material applications, building material applications, civil engineering applications, aircraft-related applications, shipbuilding applications, logistics applications, industrial machinery applications, and daily necessities applications.

[0029] <Gathering shoe of glass fiber manufacturing apparatus> Next, the gathering shoe 13 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the gathering shoe 13 has a wall portion 17 that constitutes the gathering section 16, and a support portion 18 on which the wall portion 17 is provided. The support portion 18 is formed, for example, from a shaft-shaped member. One of the ends of the support portion 18, that is, a base end portion, is supported at a predetermined position in the glass fiber manufacturing apparatus. The support portion 18 may be supported rotatably or non-rotatably.

[0030] 3 , the wall portion 17 has a first wall portion 19, a second wall portion 20, and an intermediate wall portion 21 between the first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20. The gathering shoe 13 has a first gathering portion 16a located between the first wall portion 19 and the intermediate wall portion 21, and a second gathering portion 16b located between the second wall portion 20 and the intermediate wall portion 21. The first gathering portion 16a gathers the first glass filament group GH1. The second gathering portion 16b gathers the second glass filament group GH2.

[0031] The intermediate wall portion 21 has a base wall portion 22 whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward the tip T1, and a protruding wall portion 23 that protrudes with a constant wall thickness from the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22. The thickness directions of the base wall portion 22 and the protruding wall portion 23 are along the X-axis. The base end of the protruding wall portion 23 is connected to the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22. As described above, both wall surfaces of the base wall portion 22 whose wall thickness changes are preferably inclined surfaces. The protruding wall portion 23 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the support portion 18. The intermediate wall portion 21 has a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the axis of the support portion 18.

[0032] When the wall thickness of the distal end T1 of the base wall portion 22 is WT1 and the wall thickness of the proximal end of the protruding wall portion 23 is WT2, it is preferable that the relationship 0.5×WT2≦WT1≦2×WT2 is satisfied. In this embodiment, the wall thickness (WT1) of the distal end T1 of the base wall portion 22 is the same as the wall thickness (WT2) of the proximal end of the protruding wall portion 23.

[0033] Each of the first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20 also has a base wall portion 22 whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward the tip T1, and a protruding wall portion 23 that protrudes with a constant wall thickness from the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22. Each of the first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20 also has a shape similar to that of the intermediate wall portion 21.

[0034] The ratio R of the protruding length L2 of the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21 to the protruding length L1 of the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21 (ratio R = L2 / L1) is preferably 0.5 or more, and more preferably 1 or more. This ratio R is, for example, preferably 4 or less, and more preferably 3 or less. The protruding length L1 is, for example, preferably in the range of 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The protruding length L2 is, for example, preferably in the range of 3 mm or more and 40 mm or less, and more preferably 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

[0035] It is preferable that the base wall portion 22 and the protruding wall portion 23 of the first wall portion 19 also satisfy the range of the ratio R. It is preferable that the base wall portion 22 and the protruding wall portion 23 of the second wall portion 20 also satisfy the range of the ratio R. It is preferable that the distance L3 between the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21 and the protruding wall portion 23 of the first wall portion 19, and the distance L3 between the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21 and the protruding wall portion 23 of the second wall portion 20 are within a range of, for example, 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

[0036] <Assembly Structure of Gathering Shoe> Next, the assembly structure of the gathering shoe 13 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the intermediate wall portion 21 of the gathering shoe 13 is composed of a plurality of components 24. The components 24 of the intermediate wall portion 21 include a first component member 24a and a second component member 24b that constitute the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21, and a third component member 24c that constitutes the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21. The third component member 24c is disposed between the first component member 24a and the second component member 24b.

[0037] Each of the first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20 of the gathering shoe 13 is also composed of a plurality of components 24. The components 24 of the first wall portion 19 include a fourth component member 24d that constitutes the base wall portion 22 and a fifth component member 24e that constitutes the protruding wall portion 23. The components 24 of the second wall portion 20 include a sixth component member 24f that constitutes the base wall portion 22 and a seventh component member 24g that constitutes the protruding wall portion 23.

[0038] Each of the plurality of component members 24 has a through hole H1 through which the rod-shaped support portion 18 is inserted. Each of the plurality of component members 24 is supported by the support portion 18 inserted into the through hole H1.

[0039] The gathering shoe 13 further includes a fixing member 25 that detachably fixes the plurality of components 24 to the support portion 18. The fixing member 25 is fixed to the support portion 18 so as to sandwich the plurality of components 24. More specifically, the fixing member 25 includes a first fixing member 25a and a second fixing member 25b. For example, the first fixing member 25a is fixed in advance to the base end side of the support portion 18. The second fixing member 25b is detachably fixed to the tip end side of the support portion 18. The plurality of components 24 can be inserted and removed from the tip end of the support portion 18 from which the second fixing member 25b has been removed.

[0040] Examples of materials for the gathering shoe 13 include metal materials, resin materials, carbon materials, and ceramic materials. The support portion 18 and the fixing member 25 are preferably made of metal materials, for example, from the viewpoint of increasing durability. The first component member 24a, the second component member 24b, the fourth component member 24d, and the sixth component member 24f that constitute the base wall portion 22 are preferably made of carbon materials, for example, from the viewpoint of reducing frictional resistance with the glass filament group GH. The third component member 24c, the fifth component member 24e, and the seventh component member 24g that constitute the protruding wall portion 23 are preferably made of metal materials, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring strength.

[0041] <Glass Fiber Manufacturing Method> Next, a glass fiber manufacturing method will be described along with the main function of the gathering shoe 13. The glass fiber manufacturing method includes a drawing step of drawing the glass filament group GH from the bushing 11 and a bundling step of bundling the glass filament group GH using the gathering shoe 13.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 5 , in the gathering process, the glass filament group GH is passed through the gathering portion 16 of the gathering shoe 13. In this gathering process, for example, the second glass filament group GH2 passing through the second gathering portion 16b may move toward the first gathering portion 16a. At this time, as indicated by the white arrow in Fig. 5 , the second glass filament group GH2 having moved along the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21 to the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22 abuts against the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21. This makes it possible to prevent the second glass filament group GH2 from slipping out of the second gathering portion 16b and moving over the intermediate wall portion 21 to the first gathering portion 16a.

[0043] Here, Fig. 7 shows a gathering shoe 113 of a reference example. In this gathering shoe 113, the intermediate wall portion 121 is composed only of a base wall portion 122. The protruding length of the intermediate wall portion 121 is equal to the protruding length of the intermediate wall portion 21 of the above embodiment. In the gathering shoe 113 of this reference example, the second glass filament group GH2 moves along the base wall portion 122 as shown by the outline arrow in Fig. 7, thereby easily climbing over the intermediate wall portion 121. This movement of the second glass filament group GH2 makes it easy for the first glass filament group GH1 and the second glass filament group GH2 to be bundled into a single glass filament group.

[0044] <Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment> Next, the actions and effects of the present embodiment will be described. (1) The gathering shoe 13 is used to obtain a plurality of glass strands GS. The gathering shoe 13 has a plurality of gathering portions 16 that gather a plurality of glass filament groups GH obtained by dividing the glass filament group GH drawn out from the bushing 11. The gathering shoe 13 has wall portions 17 that constitute the gathering portions 16 and a support portion 18 on which the wall portions 17 are provided. The wall portions 17 of the gathering shoe 13 have a first wall portion 19, a second wall portion 20, and an intermediate wall portion 21 between the first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20. The gathering portion 16 of the gathering shoe 13 includes a first gathering portion 16a located between the first wall portion 19 and the intermediate wall portion 21, and a second gathering portion 16b located between the second wall portion 20 and the intermediate wall portion 21. The first gathering portion 16a gathers the first glass filament group GH1. The second gathering portion 16b gathers the second glass filament group GH2. The intermediate wall portion 21 of the gathering shoe 13 has a base wall portion 22 whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward the tip T1, and a protruding wall portion 23 that protrudes from the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22 with a constant wall thickness.

[0045] According to this configuration, the second glass filament group GH2 that has moved along the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21 to the tip end T1 of the base wall portion 22 abuts against the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21. This makes it possible to prevent the second glass filament group GH2 from slipping out of the second collecting portion 16b and moving over the intermediate wall portion 21 to the first collecting portion 16a. Therefore, it is possible to stably obtain a desired number of glass strands GS.

[0046] The base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21 has a structure in which the wall thickness becomes thinner toward the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22. That is, the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21 has a structure in which the wall thickness becomes thicker toward the base end of the base wall portion 22. According to this structure, the first glass filament group GH1 and the second glass filament group GH2 located on both sides of the intermediate wall portion 21 are spaced apart toward the base end of the base wall portion 22. Therefore, in a normal bundling process, it is possible to ensure a sufficient distance between the first glass filament group GH1 and the second glass filament group GH2.

[0047] (2) The intermediate wall portion 21 of the gathering shoe 13 is composed of multiple components 24. The components 24 include a first component 24a and a second component 24b that constitute the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21, and a third component 24c that constitutes the protruding wall portion 23. The third component 24c is disposed between the first component 24a and the second component 24b. In this case, the first component 24a, the second component 24b, and the third component 24c can be individually replaced. Therefore, the performance of the gathering shoe 13 can be easily maintained.

[0048] (3) The gathering shoe 13 further includes fixing members 25 that detachably fix the plurality of components 24 to the support portion 18. In this case, each of the first component 24a, the second component 24b, and the third component 24c can be easily attached and detached.

[0049] (4) In the gathering shoe 13, the plurality of component members 24 have through holes H1 through which the support portion 18 is inserted. The fixing member 25 is fixed to the support portion 18 so as to sandwich the plurality of component members 24. In this case, the plurality of component members 24 can be easily fixed to the support portion 18.

[0050] (5) In the gathering shoe 13, the support portion 18 is formed of a shaft-shaped member. The intermediate wall portion 21 has a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the axis of the support portion 18. In this case, for example, it is possible to increase the strength of the intermediate wall portion 21.

[0051] (6) The first wall portion 19 of the gathering shoe 13 has a base wall portion 22 whose thickness decreases toward the tip T1, and a protruding wall portion 23 that protrudes with a constant wall thickness from the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22. In this case, it is possible to prevent the first glass filament group GH1 from detaching from the first bundling portion 16a. This makes it possible to stably bundle the first glass filament group GH1.

[0052] (7) The second wall portion 20 of the gathering shoe 13 has a base wall portion 22 whose thickness decreases toward the tip T1, and a protruding wall portion 23 that protrudes with a constant wall thickness from the tip T1 of the base wall portion 22. In this case, it is possible to prevent the second glass filament group GH2 from detaching from the second bundling portion 16b. This makes it possible to stably bundle the second glass filament group GH2.

[0053] <Modifications> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0054] In the gathering shoe 13 of the above embodiment, the protruding wall portion 23 protruding from the base wall portion 22 of the intermediate wall portion 21 can be changed to a protruding wall portion 23 that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion 22, as shown in Figure 6. This protruding wall portion 23 protrudes so that the wall thickness is thinner than that of the base wall portion 22. The protruding wall portion 23 may also protrude so that the wall thickness is thicker than that of the base wall portion 22, as shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0055] The angle θ1 formed between the base wall portion 22 and a straight line SL1 that is parallel to the axis of the support portion 18 and passes through the base end of the base wall portion 22 is preferably within a range of, for example, 20° or more and 80° or less. The angle θ2 formed between the protruding wall portion 23 and a straight line SL2 that is parallel to the axis of the support portion 18 and passes through the tip end T1 of the base wall portion 22 is preferably within a range of 70° or more and 110° or less. The protruding wall portions 23 of the first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20 can also be changed in the same way as the protruding wall portion 23 of the intermediate wall portion 21 described above.

[0056] The intermediate wall portion 21 may have a cross-sectional shape other than a cross-sectional shape that is line-symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the axis of the support portion 18. The protruding wall portion 23 of the first wall portion 19 may be omitted, and the protruding length of the base wall portion 22 of the first wall portion 19 may be changed to be equal to the protruding length of the intermediate wall portion 21. The protruding wall portion 23 of the second wall portion 20 may be omitted, and the protruding length of the base wall portion 22 of the second wall portion 20 may be changed to be equal to the protruding length of the intermediate wall portion 21.

[0057] The intermediate wall portion 21 is provided around the axis of the support portion 18, but may be provided on a portion of the outer periphery of the support portion 18. The first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20 are provided around the axis of the support portion 18, but may be provided on a portion of the outer periphery of the support portion 18. In this case, it is preferable that the support portion 18 is supported at a predetermined position in the glass fiber manufacturing apparatus so as not to be rotatable.

[0058] The first component member 24a constituting the intermediate wall portion 21 and the fourth component member 24d constituting the first wall portion 19 are configured as separate bodies, but may be integrally molded products. The second component member 24b constituting the intermediate wall portion 21 and the sixth component member 24f constituting the second wall portion 20 are configured as separate bodies, but may be integrally molded products.

[0059] The intermediate wall portion 21 is made up of a plurality of component members 24, but may also be made up of a single-piece molded product. The first wall portion 19 and the second wall portion 20 may also be made up of a single-piece molded product. Furthermore, the intermediate wall portion 21, the first wall portion 19, and the second wall portion 20 may also be made up of a single-piece molded product.

[0060] The fixing structure for fixing the plurality of components 24 to the support portion 18 is not limited to the fixing structure using the through holes H1 of the plurality of components 24. For example, each of the plurality of components 24 can be fixed to the support portion 18 using fixing members such as screws.

[0061] The plurality of component members 24 may be fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the support portion 18 by, for example, a fitting structure or a screw structure without using a fixing member.

[0062] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11...Bushing 13...Gathering shoe 16...Converging portion 16a...First converging portion 16b...Second converging portion 17...Wall portion 18...Support portion 19...First wall portion 20...Second wall portion 21...Intermediate wall portion 22...Base wall portion 23...Protruding wall portion 24...Component member 24a...First component member 24b...Second component member 24c...Third component member 24d...Fourth component member 24e...Fifth component member 24f...Sixth component member 24g...Seventh component member 25...Fixing member 25a...First fixing member 25b...Second fixing member GH...Glass filament group GH1...First glass filament group GH2...Second glass filament group GS...Glass strand H1...Through hole T1...Tip

Claims

1. A gathering shoe for use in obtaining a plurality of glass strands, the gathering shoe having a plurality of converging sections that converging a plurality of glass filament groups obtained by dividing a glass filament group pulled out from a bushing, the gathering shoe having wall sections that constitute the converging sections and a support section on which the wall sections are provided, the wall sections having a first wall section, a second wall section, and an intermediate wall section between the first wall section and the second wall section, the gathering sections including: a first converging section located between the first wall section and the intermediate wall section and converging the first glass filament group; and a second converging section located between the second wall section and the intermediate wall section and converging the second glass filament group, the intermediate wall section having a base wall section whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward its tip, and a protruding wall section that protrudes from the tip of the base wall section, the protruding wall section being either a protruding wall section that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall section that protrudes with a smaller change in wall thickness than the base wall section.

2. A gathering shoe as described in claim 1, wherein the intermediate wall portion is composed of a plurality of components, the components including a first component and a second component that constitute the base wall portion of the intermediate wall portion, and a third component that is disposed between the first component and the second component and constitutes the protruding wall portion.

3. The gathering shoe according to claim 2, further comprising a fixing member for removably fixing the plurality of components to the support portion.

4. A gathering shoe as described in claim 3, wherein the plurality of constituent members have through holes through which the support parts are inserted, and the fixing member is fixed to the support parts so as to sandwich the plurality of constituent members.

5. A gathering shoe as described in claim 1, wherein the support portion is composed of a shaft-shaped member, and the intermediate wall portion has a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the axis of the support portion.

6. A gathering shoe as described in claim 1, wherein the first wall portion has a base wall portion that becomes thinner toward the tip, and a protruding wall portion that protrudes from the tip of the base wall portion, and the protruding wall portion of the first wall portion is either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness, or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion.

7. A gathering shoe as described in claim 1, wherein the second wall portion has a base wall portion that becomes thinner toward the tip, and a protruding wall portion that protrudes from the tip of the base wall portion, and the protruding wall portion of the second wall portion is either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness, or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion.

8. A glass fiber manufacturing apparatus comprising: a bushing; and a gathering shoe for obtaining a plurality of glass strands by dividing a group of glass filaments drawn out from the bushing by a plurality of converging portions, wherein the gathering shoe has a wall portion constituting the converging portion and a support portion on which the wall portion is provided, the wall portion having a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and an intermediate wall portion between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, the converging portion including: a first converging portion located between the first wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and converging the first group of glass filaments; and a second converging portion located between the second wall portion and the intermediate wall portion and converging the second group of glass filaments, the intermediate wall portion having a base wall portion whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion protruding from the tip of the base wall portion, The glass fiber manufacturing device, wherein the protruding wall portion is either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion.

9. A method for manufacturing a glass filament welding machine, comprising: a drawing step of drawing a glass filament group from a bushing; and a gathering step of gathering a plurality of glass filament groups obtained by dividing the glass filament group using a gathering shoe, wherein the gathering shoe has a wall portion constituting a gathering section that gathers the plurality of glass filament groups, and a support portion on which the wall portion is provided, the wall portion having a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and an intermediate wall portion between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, the gathering section including: a first gathering portion located between the first wall portion and the intermediate wall portion that gathers the first glass filament group; and a second gathering portion located between the second wall portion and the intermediate wall portion that gathers the second glass filament group, the intermediate wall portion having a base wall portion whose wall thickness becomes thinner toward its tip, and a protruding wall portion that protrudes from the tip of the base wall portion, The method for manufacturing glass fibers, wherein the protruding wall portion is either a protruding wall portion that protrudes with a constant wall thickness or a protruding wall portion that protrudes so that the change in wall thickness is smaller than that of the base wall portion.

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