Impregnation Section with Rollers and Method for Impregnating Fiber Rovings

Abstract

An impregnation section of a die ( 150 ) and a method for impregnating at least one fiber roving with a polymer resin are disclosed. The impregnation section includes an impregnation zone ( 250 ) configured to impregnate the roving with the resin. The impregnation zone ( 250 ) includes a plurality of contact surfaces ( 252 ). The impregnation section further includes a roller ( 300 ) configured to impregnate the roving with the resin. The roller ( 300 ) is rotatable about a central axis. The method includes coating a fiber roving with a polymer resin. The method additionally includes traversing the coated roving through a impregnation zone ( 250 ) to impregnate the roving with the resin. The impregnation zone ( 250 ) includes a plurality of contact surfaces ( 252 ). The method further includes traversing the coated roving past a roller ( 300 ) to impregnate the roving with the resin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An impregnation section of a die for impregnating at least one fiber roving with a polymer resin, the impregnation section comprising:
 an impregnation zone configured to impregnate the roving with the resin, the impregnation zone comprising a plurality of contact surfaces; and   a roller configured to impregnate the roving with the resin, the roller rotatable about a central axis.   
     
     
         2 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rollers. 
     
     
         3 . The impregnation section of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of rollers comprises at least one pair of rollers, the at least one pair of rollers configured to impregnate the roving with the resin therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the roller is freely rotational. 
     
     
         5 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the roller is rotationally driven. 
     
     
         6 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the roller is adjustable perpendicularly to a run direction of the roving. 
     
     
         7 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the roller is positioned upstream of the plurality of contact surfaces in a run direction of the roving. 
     
     
         8 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the roller is positioned downstream of the plurality of contact surfaces in a run direction of the roving. 
     
     
         9 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , further comprising a blade in contact with the roller for removing excess resin from the roller. 
     
     
         10 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the impregnation zone comprises between 2 and 50 contact surfaces. 
     
     
         11 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of contact surfaces comprises a curvilinear contact surface. 
     
     
         12 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of contact surfaces is configured such that the roving traverses the contact surface at an angle in the range between 1 degree and 30 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the impregnation zone has a waveform cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         14 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the resin is a thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         15 . The impregnation section of  claim 1 , wherein the resin is a thermoset resin. 
     
     
         16 . A method for impregnating at least one fiber roving with a polymer resin, the method comprising:
 coating a fiber roving with a polymer resin;   traversing the coated roving through an impregnation zone to impregnate the roving with the resin, the impregnation zone comprising a plurality of contact surfaces; and   traversing the coated roving past a roller to impregnate the roving with the resin.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of rotating the roller. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of adjusting the roller ( 300 ) perpendicularly to a run direction of the roving. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the roving is under a tension of from about 5 Newtons to about 300 Newtons within the impregnation zone. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein coating the roving with the resin comprises flowing the resin through a gate passage. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising coating a plurality of rovings with the resin, traversing the coated ravings through the impregnation zone, and traversing the coated rovings past a roller.