Apparatus for manufacturing glass chopped strand mat

Abstract

 A glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus is provided which can improve the production efficiency and quality of a glass chopped strand mat, particularly a lightweight one . An apparatus for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat (M) by shaping glass chopped strands S into a sheet, includes first conveying means (50) for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands (S) in a distributed form while spraying resin powder (A) serving as a binder, and second conveying means (60) for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands (S) to which the resin powder A adheres while performing a heating treatment on the glass chopped strands (S) at a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin powder (A). The second conveying means (60) includes a plurality of rollers arranged from upstream to downstream, where a conveying direction of the glass chopped strands (S) is defined as a flow direction, and a cooling structure is provided for at least one of the plurality of rollers.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to apparatuses for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat by shaping glass chopped strands into a sheet.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] A glass chopped strand mat is conventionally used as a reinforcement member in a glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) molded product, such as a bathtub or a septic tank. In recent years, the glass chopped strand mat has also been employed as a reinforcement base in a car molded ceiling material.

[0003] The glass chopped strand mat is manufactured, for example, using a manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, as follows. Initially, a glass fiber is cut into pieces having a predetermined length to obtain glass chopped strands. Next, the glass chopped strands are distributed and deposited on conveying means such as a conveyor to form a sheet. The glass chopped strands are subjected to a plurality of steps while being conveyed by a plurality of conveyors. For example, the steps include spraying a binder to the glass chopped strands, heating the glass chopped strands to which the binder adheres, and cooling and pressing the glass chopped strands after the heating, and the like. The glass chopped strand mat produced by these steps is wound around a core into a roll by a winding machine or the like before shipment. Thus, the glass chopped strand mat is manufactured by subjecting the glass chopped strands to a plurality of steps while the glass chopped strands are being conveyed by a plurality of conveyors.

CITATION LIST

PATENT DOCUMENT

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-256866

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] In recent years, advances in weight reduction of products including the glass chopped strand mat have led to an increasing demand for a glass chopped strand mat having light weight (as used herein the term "weight" with respect to a glass chopped strand mat refers to mass per unit area) which contains a reduced amount of glass chopped strands which are a material for the glass chopped strand mat (a glass chopped strand mat having light weight is also referred to as a "lightweight glass chopped strand mat"). It is essential to increase the rate of production in order to improve the yield and production efficiency of the lightweight glass chopped strand mat. To do so, it is necessary to increase the rotational speed of a roller provided in conveying means for conveying glass chopped strands.

[0006] On the other hand, the glass chopped strand mat is a molded product formed of glass chopped strands which are obtained by cutting a glass fiber into pieces having a predetermined length and are held together by a thermoplastic resin (binder). In other words, the glass chopped strand mat is a mixture of the glass fiber and the thermoplastic resin. Therefore, if the rotational speed of a roller which conveys glass chopped strands is increased, the amount of contact (the frequency of contact) between the roller and the glass chopped strand mat increases, and therefore, a phenomenon called "gum-up" that the thermoplastic resin and the like which have passed through the conveyor adhere firmly to a surface of the roller is likely to occur. It is known that the growth rate of the gum-up depends on the rotational speed of the roller. If the gum-up of the roller becomes significant during manufacture of the glass chopped strand mat, the diameter of the roller becomes non-uniform, the conveyor which conveys the glass chopped strands meanders. If the manufacture of the glass chopped strand mat is continued while the conveyor is meandering, defective portions such as wrinkles and holes may occur in the product, likely leading to a decrease in quality. Therefore, in order to prevent the meandering of the conveyor, the roller needs to be adjusted or cleaned. To do so, the manufacturing line needs to be temporarily stopped, leading to a significant decrease in production efficiency. Therefore, in particular, when the lightweight glass chopped strand mat is manufactured, it is important to prevent the gum-up of the roller.

[0007] In this regard, Patent Document 1 is not particularly directed to the manufacture of the lightweight glass chopped strand mat, and therefore, does not teach or suggest the gum-up problem with the roller. Therefore, when the lightweight glass chopped strand mat is manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus of Patent Document 1, there is large room for improvement in the production efficiency and quality of the glass chopped strand mat.

[0008] Thus, at present, adequate measures have not yet been taken to improve production efficiency and quality for the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus in which a roller included in conveying means is configured so that a glass chopped strand mat can be manufactured with an improved production efficiency and quality.

MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEM

[0009] To achieve the object, a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat by shaping glass chopped strands into a sheet, includes first conveying means for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands in a distributed form while spraying resin powder serving as a binder, and second conveying means for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands to which the resin powder adheres while performing a heating treatment on the glass chopped strands at a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin powder. The second conveying means includes a plurality of rollers arranged from upstream to downstream, where a conveying direction of the glass chopped strands is defined as a flow direction, and a cooling structure is provided for at least one of the plurality of rollers.

[0010] As described in the PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION section, conventionally, measures have not been taken to overcome gum-up which occurs on a roller during manufacture of a glass chopped strand mat. This is because conventional glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatuses are not particularly directed to manufacture of a lightweight product.
In this regard, in the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of this configuration, the second conveying means for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands to which the resin powder adheres while performing a heating treatment on the glass chopped strands at a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin powder, is provided, and a cooling structure is provided for at least one of the plurality of rollers arranged from upstream to downstream in the second conveying means. Therefore, the surface temperature of the roller can be maintained low, so that even if the melted resin is attached to the roller surface, the resin is immediately solidified, and therefore, it is difficult for the resin to adhere firmly to the roller surface. In addition, the cooling of the roller causes condensation on the roller surface. Therefore, even if the solidified resin remains on the roller surface, there is a film of water between the resin and the roller surface, and therefore, the solidified resin spontaneously or easily comes off and drops. As a result, substantially no gum-up occurs on the roller, and therefore, the roller can be maintained clean. Thus, in the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of this configuration, the glass chopped strand mat can be manufactured without interruption, whereby the production efficiency and quality can be improved compared to the conventional art.

[0011] In the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the cooling structure is preferably provided for one of the plurality of rollers which is provided on a downstream side of the second conveying means.

[0012] The second conveying means performs a heating treatment on the glass chopped strands to which the resin powder adheres. Therefore, the rollers provided in the second conveying means are heated, i.e., have high temperature. In particular, a roller on a downstream side is close to the glass chopped strands immediately after being subjected to the heating treatment, gum-up is likely to occur on the roller.
In this regard, in the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of this configuration, the cooling structure is provided for the roller provided on the downstream side of the second conveying means. Thus, by actively cooling the roller which is particularly likely to have high temperature, the occurrence of gum-up can be prevented.

[0013] In the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, ones of the plurality of rollers provided on each of upstream and downstream sides of the second conveying means are preferably configured as a multi-roller to have successively increasing diameters, one of the rollers included in the multi-roller which is close to the glass chopped strand preferably has a smallest diameter, and a cooling channel is preferably provided as the cooling structure in which a cooling medium passes through the rollers in the multi-roller successively in order of diameter, smallest first.

[0014] Tension from the conveyor acts on the rollers provided on the upstream and downstream sides of the second conveying means, and therefore, these rollers need to be sufficiently reinforced.
In this regard, in the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of this configuration, the rollers provided on each of the upstream and downstream sides of the second conveying means are configured as a multi-roller to have successively increasing diameters, and one of the rollers included in the multi-roller which is close to the glass chopped strand has a smallest diameter. Therefore, the roller having the smallest diameter can be reinforced by another roller(s). In addition, the multi-roller is provided with a cooling channel in which a cooling medium passes through the rollers successively in order of diameter, smallest first. Therefore, cooling can be efficiently performed successively from the roller having the smallest diameter which has highest temperature.

[0015] The glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention preferably includes water spraying means for spraying water to at least one of the plurality of rollers.

[0016] In the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of this configuration, if the resin is attached to a surface of the roller, the resin is also cooled from the outer surface by spraying water to at least one of the plurality of rollers using the water spraying means, whereby the resin can be reliably cooled and solidified by the synergy of the water spraying means and the cooling structure of the roller. The solidified resin spontaneously or easily comes off and drops, and therefore, the roller surface can be maintained clean. As a result, the glass chopped strand mat can be manufactured without interruption, whereby the production efficiency and quality can be significantly improved compared to the conventional art.

[0017] The glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention preferably includes removal means for removing residue adhering to a surface of one of the plurality of rollers which is close to the glass chopped strand.

[0018] In the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of this configuration, the removal means can actively remove residue adhering to the roller surface. Therefore, even if residue (e.g., the resin) adheres firmly to the roller surface, the roller surface can be invariably maintained clean. As a result, the glass chopped strand mat can be manufactured without interruption, whereby the production efficiency and quality can be significantly improved compared to the conventional art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] 

[FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a main portion of the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a cooling structure provided for a multi-roller.

[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a portion of the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention in which water spraying means is provided.

[FIG. 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a portion of the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention in which removal means is provided.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0020] A glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Note that the present invention is not intended to be limited to embodiments described below or configurations shown in the drawings.

<Overall Configuration of Glass Chopped Strand Mat Manufacturing Apparatus>

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of an apparatus 100 for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat (hereinafter simply referred to as a "manufacturing apparatus") according to the present invention. An arrow shown in FIG. 1 indicates a direction in which glass chopped strands are conveyed.

[0022] The manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures the glass chopped strand mat M from the glass chopped strands S. The manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a chamber 10, a cutting device 20, a distribution conveyor 30, a binder sprayer 40, a first conveyor (first conveying means) 50, a second conveyor (second conveying means) 60, a heating furnace 70, a cold press roller 80, a winding machine 90, and the like. Of these components, the first and second conveyors 50 and 60 are essential to the present invention.

[0023] The distribution conveyor 30 and the first and second conveyors 50 and 60 are successively positioned in this stated order from upstream to downstream. These conveyors are driven by respective motors D. The conveying speeds (the movement speeds of the belts) of the conveyors are controlled by a computer (control means) 11. Note that a worker may manually adjust the conveying speed of each conveyor as appropriate.

[0024] The distribution conveyor 30 includes a belt on which the glass chopped strands S are distributed and put. The distribution conveyor 30 is positioned below the chamber 10 which accommodates the glass chopped strands S. The cutting device 20 which cuts a glass fiber F described below is attached to a glass fiber inlet 10a provided at a ceiling portion of the chamber 10. The cutting device 20 includes a cutter roller 21 and a rubber roller 22. The glass fiber F which has been pulled out of a glass cake 1 is fed into between the rotating cutter roller 21 and rubber roller 22 to be continually cut, whereby the glass chopped strands S are produced. The glass chopped strands S fall by their own weight in the chamber 10 and are substantially uniformly distributed and put on the belt of the distribution conveyor 30.

[0025] The conveying direction of the glass chopped strands S is defined as a flow direction. The first conveyor 50 includes a plurality of rollers arranged from upstream to downstream. In particular, a first multi-roller (roller group) 51 including a first small roller 51a and a first large roller 51b is provided on a downstream side. The binder sprayer 40 is provided above the first conveyor 50. The binder sprayer 40 sprays a binder A toward the glass chopped strands S on the first conveyor 50. The spraying of the binder A to the glass chopped strands S allows the glass chopped strands S to stick together by a heating treatment described below, whereby the glass chopped strands S can be maintained in the shape of a mat. A water sprayer which sprays water is provided above or below the first conveyor 50 and upstream of the binder sprayer 40. In this embodiment, a water sprayer 41 is provided above the first conveyor 50. The water sprayer 41 sprays water toward the glass chopped strands S on the first conveyor 50. If the glass chopped strands S are previously wetted with water, the binder A more easily adheres to the surfaces of the glass chopped strands S due to the action of the surface tension of the water, and therefore, the glass chopped strands S stick together more effectively.

[0026] A vibrator (not shown) may be provided below the belt on which the glass chopped strands S are deposited. The belt of the first conveyor 50 may be vibrated by the vibrator. This causes the binder A sprayed to the surfaces of the glass chopped strands S to enter gaps between the glass chopped strands S which have been deposited to form a sheet. As a result, the binder A adheres uniformly to all the glass chopped strands S. The glass chopped strands S on the first conveyor 50 are conveyed to the downstream second conveyor 60 with the binder A uniformly adhering to the glass chopped strands S.

[0027] The heating furnace 70 is provided halfway through the second conveyor 60, surrounding the belt. The glass chopped strands S with the binder A on the second conveyor 60 enter the heating furnace 70. The temperature of atmosphere in the heating furnace 70 is controlled by the computer 11 to be appropriately adjusted to a temperature higher than or equal to the melting point of the synthetic resin included in the binder A, depending on the type of the sprayed binder A. Note that the temperature of the heating furnace 70 may be manually adjusted by a worker. The glass chopped strands S with the binder A are subjected to the heating treatment, whereby the binder A is softened and melted. As a result, the glass chopped strands S stick together (the glass chopped strands S after being heated are referred to as "glass chopped strands S"' to discriminate from those before being heated). Because the belt of the second conveyor 60 is thus exposed to high temperature, the belt is formed of a heat resistant material, such as a metal. The second conveyor 60 will be described in detail in a "Configuration of Main Portion of Glass Chopped Strand Mat Manufacturing Apparatus" section below.

[0028] The cold press roller 80 including a pair of rollers is provided downstream of the second conveyor 60. The glass chopped strands S' which have been subjected to the heating treatment are cooled and pressed by the cold press roller 80, whereby the glass chopped strand mat M is produced. The glass chopped strand mat M thus produced is wound around a core of the winding machine 90 provided downstream of the cold press roller 80, into a roll product.

[0029] Incidentally, not all the binder A sprayed to the glass chopped strands S necessarily adheres to the glass chopped strands S. A small portion of the binder A may adhere to the first and second conveyors 50 and 60. If a portion of the binder A is accumulated on a surface of the belt or the roller, the accumulated binder A (residue) may interfere with the manufacture of the glass chopped strand mat. The residue mainly includes the binder A and also includes dust etc. adhering to the glass chopped strands S or the conveyors. The residue adheres firmly to the surface of the roller to form gurr-up. The gum-up may form an adverse bump on the surface of the roller or may increase the overall diameter of the roller. In this situation, if the manufacture of the glass chopped strand mat M is continued, a rough surface or wrinkles may be formed on the glass chopped strand mat M. Therefor, in the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention, measures are taken to remove the residue.

<Configuration of Main Portion of Glass Chopped Strand Mat Manufacturing Apparatus>

[0030] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a region Z enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 1, schematically showing a configuration of a main portion of the manufacturing apparatus 100. An arrow in FIG. 2 indicates a conveying direction of the second conveyor 60. As with the first conveyor 50, the second conveyor 60 includes a plurality of rollers arranged from upstream to downstream. A second multi-roller (roller group) 61 including a second small roller 61a and a second large roller 61b is provided on an upstream side of the second conveyor 60, and a third multi-roller (roller group) 62 including a third small roller 62a, a third middle roller 62b, and a third large roller 62c is provided on a downstream side of the second conveyor 60. The rollers in each of the second and third multi-rollers 61 and 62 have successively increasing diameters, i.e., a roller closer to the glass chopped strands S has a smaller diameter (the closest roller has the smallest diameter). Therefore, a belt is loop around each of the second and third small rollers 61a and 62a. The belt is typically looped around a position in the vicinity of the middle in the longitudinal direction of the roller. Therefore, the second and third small rollers 61a and 62a are each easily bent or warped downward in the vicinity of the middle thereof due to the tensile force of the belt. The second and third small rollers 61a and 62a are each an elongated object, and therefore, may be bent or warped downward in the vicinity of the middle thereof due to their own weight. Therefore, an auxiliary roller is provided below each of the second and third small rollers 61a and 62a to support the second and third small rollers 61a and 62a, whereby the second and third small rollers 61a and 62a are prevented from being bent or warped downward. The auxiliary roller for the second small roller 61a is the second large roller 61b, and the auxiliary roller for the third small roller 62a is the third middle roller 62b and the third large roller 62c. These auxiliary rollers are required to have high stiffness, and therefore, have a larger diameter than those of the second and third small rollers 61a and 62a. For example, in the second multi-roller 61, the second small roller 61a has a diameter of 80 mm, the second large roller 61b has a diameter of 220 mm, and in the third multi-roller 62, the third small roller 62a has a diameter of 80 mm, the third middle roller 62b has a diameter of 160 mm, and the third large roller 62c has a diameter of 300 mm. As a result, the second small roller 61a having the smallest diameter of the second multi-roller 61 is supported and reinforced by the second large roller 61b, and the third small roller 62a having the smallest diameter of the third multi-roller 62 is supported and reinforced by the third middle roller 62b and the third large roller 62c. A reason why the third multi-roller 62 includes three rollers is that tension is particularly high on the downstream side of the second conveyor 60, and therefore, the third small roller 62a needs to be further reinforced in order to be prevented from being bent or warped.

[0031] The rollers included in the second conveyor 60 contact the belt which has passed through the heating furnace 70 and therefore are invariably exposed to high temperature, so that gum-up is likely to occur (the residue is likely to adhere to the rollers). If the rotational speed of the rollers is increased in order to improve the production rate, the growth rate of the gum-up also increases. Therefore, in the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of rollers included in the second conveyor 60 is provided with a cooling structure which is a characteristic feature of the present invention. As an example of the cooling structure, a cooling channel provided for the third multi-roller 62 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the cooling channel provided for the third multi-roller 62. FIG. 3 shows an internal structure of the third small roller 62a for the sake of simplicity. The third small roller 62a is close to the glass chopped strands S' and has the highest rotational speed, and therefore, gum-up is likely to occur. The third small roller 62a, the third middle roller 62b, and the third large roller 62c all have a hollow structure, and respective rotating shafts 63a to 63c have a tubular structure. The rotating shaft 63a is fixed to a support wall 64a inside the third small roller 62a. The rotating shaft 63a and the support wall 64a have flow pores p for passing water. An end portion of the rotating shaft 63a is rotatably connected via a joint 65a with waterproof seal to a pipe 66. The rotating shafts 63b and 63c have a structure similar to that of the rotating shaft 63a. The pipe 66 connects the third small roller 62a, the third middle roller 62b, and the third large roller 62c together successively in this stated order. Thus, the cooling channel as the cooling structure is configured. Water (tap water or industrial water) flows as a cooling medium through the cooling channel. When water is supplied to an upstream portion of the pipe 66, the water passes through the third small roller 62a, the third middle roller 62b, and the third large roller 62c successively in this stated order, and is then drained from a downstream portion of the pipe 66. As a result, the rollers are cooled from the inside, whereby an increase in the temperature of the surfaces of the rollers is reduced. The cooling channel is configured so that water passes earlier through a roller having a smaller diameter, i.e. , water passes through the rollers successively in order of diameter, smallest first. Thus, water passes earliest through the third small roller 62a having the smallest diameter, which is the closest to the glass chopped strands S' and has the highest temperature, thereby efficiently performing cooling. Note that the cooling channel may be configured to supply water to the third small roller 62a, the third middle roller 62b, and the third large roller 62c in parallel. The cooling channel may have a recirculating structure in which the water drained from the downstream portion of the third large roller 62c is reused and supplied to the upstream portion of the third small roller 62a.

[0033] Thus, in the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention, the cooling channel is provided in the third multi-roller 62, whereby the surface temperature of the rollers can be maintained at a low level. As a result, even if the melted resin is attached to the surface of the third small roller 62a, the resin is immediately solidified, so that it is difficult for the resin to adhere firmly to the surface of the third small roller 62a. In addition, the cooling of the third multi-roller 62 causes condensation on the roller surface. Therefore, even if the solidified resin remains on the surface of the third small roller 62a, there is a film of water between the resin and the third small roller 62a, and therefore, the solidified resin spontaneously or easily comes off and drops. As a result, substantially no gum-up occurs on the third small roller 62a, and therefore, the third small roller 62a can be maintained clean. Therefore, the glass chopped strand mat M can be manufactured without interruption, whereby the production efficiency and quality can be improved compared to the conventional art.

[0034] The second multi-roller 61 is also provided with a cooling channel similar to that of the third multi-roller 62. The other rollers provided in the second conveyor 60 may be provided with a similar cooling channel. In the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of rollers provided in the second conveyor 60 may be provided with a cooling structure. If all the rollers are provided with a cooling structure, gum-up can be more reliably prevented throughout the second conveyor 60.

<Water Spraying Means>

[0035] In the manufacturing apparatus 100, water spraying means which sprays water to a surface of a roller may be provided. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a portion of the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention in which the water spraying means is provided. FIG. 4 shows example water spraying means 67 which sprays water toward the second multi-roller 61 included in the second conveyor 60. The water spraying means 67 is configured as a sprayer 67 which sprays water mainly toward the second large roller 61b of the second multi-roller 61. Because the second large roller 61b and the second small roller 61a contact each other, water attached to the second large roller 61b moves to the second small roller 61a, so that the surface of the second small roller 61a can be wetted with the water. Therefore, when gum-up occurs on the second small roller 61a, the resin adhering to the second small roller 61a can be cooled from the outer surface by the sprayer 67 spraying water. Therefore, the resin can be reliably cooled and solidified by the synergy of the water spraying means 67 and the cooling structure which is provided for the second multi-roller 61. The solidified region spontaneously or easily comes off and drops, and therefore, substantially no gum-up occurs on the the second small roller 61a, i.e., the surface of the second small roller 61a can be maintained clean. As a result, the glass chopped strand mat M can be manufactured without interruption, whereby the production efficiency and quality can be improved compared to the conventional art.

[0036] In this embodiment, the water spraying means 67 is configured to spray water from the inside of the second conveyor 60 toward the second large roller 61b. If the belt of the second conveyor 60 is a net-like belt, water can pass through the belt. In this case, water can be directly sprayed toward the second large roller 61b or the second small roller 61a from the outside of the second conveyor 60.

<Removal Means>

[0037] In the manufacturing apparatus 100, removal means which removes residue adhering to a surface of a roller may be provided. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a portion of the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention in which the removal means is provided. FIG. 5 shows example removal means 63 which removes residue R adhering to the surface of the second small roller 61a of the second multi-roller 61 provided in the second conveyor 60. In this embodiment, the removal means 63 is configured as a blade 63 which is provided on a surface of the second large roller 61b which supports the second small roller 61a. When the second large roller 61b is rotating while contacting the surface of the second small roller 61a, the residue R adhering to the surface of the second small roller 61a can be removed or scraped by the blade 63. As a result, substantially no gum-up occurs on the second small roller 61a, and therefore, the surface of the second small roller 61a can be maintained clean. Therefore, the glass chopped strand mat M can be manufactured without interruption, whereby the production efficiency and quality can be significantly improved compared to the conventional art. The frequency of maintenance of the second multi-roller 61 can also be significantly reduced. The removal means 63 for removing the residue R may be in other forms. For example, a plate-shaped blade (not shown) for removing or scraping the residue R adhering to the surface of the second small roller 61a may be provided at a position which is close to the surface of the second small roller 61a and is different from the second large roller 61b.

[0038] While, in this embodiment, the removal means 63 for removing the residue R is provided only on the second large roller 61b of the second multi-roller 61, removal means may also be provided on the first large roller 51b of the first multi-roller 51. Gum-up is also likely to occur on the third small roller 62a of the third multi-roller 62, and therefore, the removal means 63 may, of course, be provided on the third middle roller 62b which contacts the third small roller 62a.

[Example]

[0039] The glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention was used to perform a test for manufacture of a glass chopped strand mat having a weight of about 50 to 200 g/m² (as used herein, the term "weight" with respect to a glass chopped strand mat refers to mass per unit area). In the test, cooling water was invariably passed through the water cooling channels of the second and third multi-rollers 61 and 62 of the second conveyor 60. The other manufacturing conditions were the same as those for a typical glass chopped strand mat having a weight of 300 g/m² or more.

[0040] As a result of the test, no gum-up occurred on the second and third multi-rollers 61 and 62. During the test, the second conveyor 60 did not meander, and therefore, a glass chopped strand mat was stably manufactured. Therefore, there were no defective portions, such as wrinkles or holes, in the glass chopped strand mat product, i.e., good quality maintained.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0041] The glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is particularly preferable to manufacture of a lightweight glass chopped strand mat. The lightweight glass chopped strand mat manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is applicable to car molded ceiling materials, and in addition, interior materials for other vehicles and buildings and other structures.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0042] 

50

FIRST CONVEYOR (FIRST CONVEYING MEANS)

51

FIRST MULTI-ROLLER

60

SECOND CONVEYOR (SECOND CONVEYING MEANS)

61

SECOND MULTI-ROLLER

62

THIRD MULTI-ROLLER

63

BLADE (REMOVAL MEANS)

67

SPRAYER (WATER SPRAYING MEANS)

100

GLASS CHOPPED STRAND MAT MANUFACTURING APPARATUS

S

GLASS CHOPPED STRAND

A

BINDER (RESIN POWDER)

M

GLASS CHOPPED STRAND MAT

R

RESIDUE

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat (M) by shaping glass chopped strands into a sheet, characterized in that it comprises:

first conveying means (50) for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands (S) in a distributed form while spraying resin powder (A) serving as a binder; and

second conveying means (60) for continuously conveying the glass chopped strands (S) to which the resin powder (A) adheres while performing a heating treatment on the glass chopped strands (S) at a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin powder (A),
wherein

the second conveying means (60) includes a plurality of rollers arranged from upstream to downstream, where a conveying direction of the glass chopped strands (S) is defined as a flow direction, and a cooling structure is provided for at least one of the plurality of rollers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the cooling structure is provided for one of the plurality of rollers which is provided on a downstream side of the second conveying means (60).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein
ones of the plurality of rollers provided on each of upstream and downstream sides of the second conveying means are configured as a multi-roller (51, 61, 62) to have successively increasing diameters, one of the rollers included in the multi-roller (51, 61, 62) which is close to the glass chopped strand (S) has a smallest diameter, and a cooling channel is provided as the cooling structure in which water passes through the rollers in the multi-roller (51, 61, 62) successively in order of diameter, smallest first.

4. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

water spraying means (67) for spraying water to at least one of the plurality of rollers.

5. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

removal means (63) for removing residue (R) adhering to a surface of one of the plurality of rollers which is close to the glass chopped strand (S).

Drawing