Preform precursor for fiber-reinforced composite material, preform for fiber-reinforced composite material, and method of manufacturing the precursor and the preform

• US 20050042410A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shikibo Limited
• Original Assignee: Shikibo Limited
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Koichi, Ishibashi, Masayasu, Sakonjo, Hideki, Tanamura, Takeshi, Hirokawa, Tetsuro
• Granted Patent: US 7,138,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/66.600
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/16 comprising fillers or reinforcement non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/218 Aperture containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24074 Strand or strand-portions

Abstract

Technical Field of the Invention: A structural member required to have a prescribed strength in an aircraft, an automobile, a vessel or a constructed structure, etc., especially in a circular bore portion or a curved portion such as a wing or a body of an aircraft. Technical Problem: A preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material to be used as a structural member of a fiber-reinforced composite material having a curved portion is to be manufactured through a low-cost mass production. Means of Solving the Problem

A preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material (20) including a bent portion (22) along a curved line for bending (12), a flange portion (24) corresponding to an outer circumferential portion (14) and a semi-cylindrical portion (26) formed by bending an inner circumferential portion (16), based on a precursor of a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material (10) provided with the curved line for bending (12) located in a flat plane or a curved plane region having a predetermined extension; the outer circumferential portion (14) corresponding to a region (a) where a plurality of reinforced fibers is partly disposed in parallel along the curved line for bending (12), and the inner circumferential portion (16) corresponding to the section (b) constituted solely of another plurality of reinforced fibers disposed throughout the entire area, so as to intersect the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle in the region (a). Principal Use: An aircraft, an automobile, a vessel, a constructed structure, etc. Especially a window frame or a fuel inlet of an aircraft.

Claims

1. A precursor of a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material provided with a portion that can be bent along a curved line in a flat plane or a curved plane region having a predetermined extension, comprising a plurality of reinforced fibers partly disposed in parallel without being formed into a structure along said curved line for bending;

and a plurality of reinforced fibers intersecting the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle and disposed all over said region without being formed into a structure, for bending a portion solely constituted of the latter plurality of reinforced fibers to form a desired shape.

2. A preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material provided with a portion that can be bent along a curved line in a flat plane or a curved plane region having a predetermined extension, comprising a plurality of reinforced fibers partly disposed in parallel without being formed into a structure along said curved line for bending;

and a plurality of reinforced fibers intersecting the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle and disposed all over said region without being formed into a structure; and

formed into a desired shape by bending a portion constituted of the latter plurality of reinforced fibers.

3. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according claim 2, wherein a thickness thereof is partly or continuously varying according to a variation of a quantity and/or a diameter of the fiber to be used in said flat plane or curved plane region having a predetermined extension.

4. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a portion that can be bent along a curved line orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to an axis of a cylindrical plane or a conical plane region having a predetermined extension;

wherein in a shape including a part or a whole of a cylindrical or a conical shape defined by disposing a plurality of reinforced fibers orthogonally or substantially orthogonally to an axis thereof in parallel without forming a structure at a position along an axial direction, and another plurality of reinforced fibers intersecting the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle and disposed all over said region without forming a structure, said portion solely constituted of the latter reinforced fibers is bent in a desired shape along said curved line.

5. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a portion that can be bent along a circular or oval curved line in a disk-shape plane or an oval plane region having a predetermined extension;

a plurality of reinforced fibers disposed in parallel without being formed into a structure along said curved line for bending at a portion along a radial direction; and

another plurality of reinforced fibers intersecting the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle and disposed all over said region without being formed into a structure; and

formed by bending a portion solely constituted of the latter plurality of reinforced fibers along said circular or oval curved line.

6. A preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a plurality of preforms for constituting a fiber-reinforced composite material selected as a base material out of those according to claim 2 or 3, to be used in combination for forming a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material having a predetermined three-dimensional shape and a predetermined orientation of said reinforced fiber.

7. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 2, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle-punching process;

or by a thereto-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

8. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 3, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle-punching process;

or by a thereto-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

9. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 4, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle punching process;

or by a thereto-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

10. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 5, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle-punching process;

or by a thermo-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

11. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 6, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle-punching process;

or by a thereto-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

12. A method of manufacturing a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 4 provided with a portion that can be bent along a curved line orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to an axis in a region including a part or a whole of a cylindrical plane or a conical plane having a predetermined extension, comprising disposing a plurality, of reinforced fibers orthogonally or substantially orthogonally to the axis thereof at a position along an axial direction in parallel without forming a structure;

disposing a plurality of reinforced fibers intersecting the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle all over said region without forming a structure; and

bending said portion solely constituted of the latter reinforced fiber in a desired shape along said curved line.

13. A method of manufacturing a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 5 provided with a portion that can be bent along a circular or oval curved line in a region including a part or a whole of a disk-shape plane or an oval plane having a predetermined extension, comprising disposing a plurality of reinforced fibers in parallel without forming a structure at a portion along a radial direction;

disposing a plurality of reinforced fibers intersecting the former plurality of reinforced fibers at a predetermined angle all over said region without forming a structure; and

bending a portion solely constituted of the latter plurality of reinforced fibers in a predetermined direction along said circular or oval curved line.

14. A method of manufacturing a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material, comprising appropriately selecting a plurality of preforms for a fiber-reinforced composite material out of those according to claim 12 as base materials for constituting a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material having a predetermined three-dimensional shape and orientation of said reinforced fiber;

and combining the selected preforms for a fiber-reinforced composite material.

15. A preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a plurality of preforms for constituting a fiber-reinforced composite material selected as a base material out of those according to claim 4, to be used in combination for forming a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material having a predetermined three-dimensional shape and a predetermined orientation of said reinforced fiber.

16. A preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a plurality of preforms for constituting a fiber-reinforced composite material selected as a base material out of those according to claim 5, to be used in combination for forming a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material having a predetermined three-dimensional shape and a predetermined orientation of said reinforced fiber.

17. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 15, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle-punching process;

or by a thereto-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

18. The preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material according to claim 16, formed in a unified body by stitching with a sewing machine;

by knitting;

by a needle-punching process;

or by a thereto-compression bonding in case of employing a reinforced fiber impregnated with a fibriform thermoplastic resin.

19. A method of manufacturing a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material, comprising appropriately selecting a plurality of preforms for a fiber-reinforced composite material out of those according to claim 13 as base materials for constituting a preform for a fiber-reinforced composite material having a predetermined three-dimensional shape and orientation of said reinforced fiber;

and combining the selected preforms for a fiber-reinforced composite material.