IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,128,639
Granted Patent B2
US 12,128,639 · App. 17/909,565 · Granted Oct 29, 2024

Forming device and forming method

Inventors: Homare Yamato (Tokyo, JP); Masahiko Shimizu (Tokyo, JP); Shoya Mano (Tokyo, JP); Toshiki Kitazawa (Tokyo, JP); Hideki Horizono (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
B29C70/462B29C70/465B29K2105/0872B29L2031/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,128,639
App. No.
17/909,565
Granted
Oct 29, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A forming device includes: a forming jig extending along an axial direction; a forming die having a shape corresponding to a top part region and a wall part region of the forming jig; and a movement mechanism that moves the forming die so as to approach a bottom part region along a height direction HD. The forming die includes: a body part; a plate-shaped forming part that is attached to the body part so as to be swingable around a swing shaft; and a pressurization part that generates a pressurization force which causes a distal end part of the forming part to push a layered body against the wall part region when the forming die is moved by the movement mechanism so as to approach the bottom part region. In accordance with the distal end part, the part causes a contact surface to contact a region of the layered body.

Claims (20)

1. A forming method for pressing a forming die against a stacked body in which a plurality of sheet-shaped composite materials including a fiber base material and a resin material are stacked to form the stacked body into a shape of a forming jig, in which

the forming jig extends in an axial direction, and has, in a width direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction, a bottom region having a first height, a top region having a second height higher than the first height, and a wall region that is adjacent to both the bottom region and the top region and has a height gradually decreasing from the second height to the first height,

the forming die has a shape corresponding to the top region and the wall region of the forming jig, and includes

a main body portion,

a plate-shaped forming portion having a base end portion attached to the main body portion to be swingable around a swing shaft extending in the axial direction, and a contact surface formed in a shape corresponding to the wall region, and

a pressurizing portion that generates a pressurizing force by which a tip end portion of the forming portion presses the stacked body against the wall region, when the forming die is moved to approach the bottom region,

the forming method comprising:

a forming step of moving the forming die or the forming jig such that the forming die approaches the bottom region in a height direction that is orthogonal to both the axial direction and the width direction, and forms the stacked body placed on the top region of the forming jig along a shape of the forming jig, wherein

in the forming step, when the tip end portion reaches a predetermined position in the height direction, the contact surface is brought into contact with a region of the stacked body formed along the wall region by the tip end portion to maintain a state where the stacked body is pressed against the wall region.

2. The forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a pressing step of pressing the stacked body against the top region, wherein

in the forming step, the forming die is moved to approach the bottom region in the height direction, in a state where the stacked body is pressed in the pressing step.

3. The forming method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the forming step, a plurality of the forming dies disposed in the axial direction are moved to approach the bottom region in the height direction.

4. The forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a heating step of heating the resin material contained in the stacked body to a temperature equal to or higher than a softening temperature.

5. The forming method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a cooling step of cooling a temperature of the resin material contained in the stacked body to a temperature lower than the softening temperature, in a state where the contact surface is brought into contact with a region of the stacked body formed along the wall region by the tip end portion and the stacked body is pressed against the wall region in the forming step.

6. The forming method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the forming step, the main body portion is moved such that the forming die approaches the bottom region in the height direction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2022
From: YAMATO, HOMARE; SHIMIZU, MASAHIKO; MANO, SHOYA; KITAZAWA, TOSHIKI; HORIZONO, HIDEKI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 060996/0779 →
Continuity (1)
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