Mold for manufacturing composite material molded product, and method for manufacturing composite material molded product

Abstract

A composite material molded product has a hollow portion, a bent portion, or a curved portion in a transverse section thereof. When the composite material molded product has, for example, a bent portion, a surface on an inside of the bent portion is a pressed surface. A mold includes a pressing body that is thermally expandable and has an outer surface shape corresponding to a shape of a pressed surface, and a mold main body including a cavity accommodating the laminate and the pressing body inside, the cavity including an inner surface shape corresponding to a shape other than the pressed surface. The cavity is sealed in a state that the pressing body is disposed in the cavity. The laminate is accommodated in a molding space formed between an inner surface of the cavity and an outer surface of the pressing body.

1 . A mold for manufacturing a composite material molded product, the mold comprising:
 a mold main body including an outer mold, an inner mold, and a cavity formed between the outer mold and the inner mold to accommodate a laminate of prepregs;   an expansion core that is provided in the cavity and that expands itself; and   a pressure distributor that is provided in the cavity, the pressure distributor being in contact with a surface of the laminate before expansion of the expansion core, and the pressure distributor distributing a pressing force due to expansion of the expansion core to the surface of the laminate.   
     
     
         2 . The mold according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the outer mold, the expansion core, the pressure distributor, the laminate, and the inner mold are arranged in this order as viewed from outside the mold main body,   the pressure distributor contacts an outer surface of the laminate, and   the inner mold contacts an inner surface of the laminate.   
     
     
         3 . The mold according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the outer mold, the laminate, the pressure distributor, the expansion core, and the inner mold are arranged in this order as viewed from outside the mold main body,   the pressure distributor contacts an inner surface of the laminate, and   the outer mold contacts an outer surface of the laminate.   
     
     
         4 . The mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the expansion core thermally expands due to heating. 
     
     
         5 . The mold according to  claim 4 , wherein the expansion core has a concavo-convex structure that adjusts pressing force due to thermal expansion. 
     
     
         6 . The mold according to  claim 4 , wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the expansion core is larger than a thermal expansion coefficient of the pressure distributor. 
     
     
         7 . The mold according to  claim 4 , further comprising a hollow box deformable inward accompanying thermal expansion of the expansion core. 
     
     
         8 . The mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold main body comprises a heater that heats the mold main body. 
     
     
         9 . The mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the expansion core further comprises a pressure hole communicating with an outside of the mold main body and blowing compressed air into an internal space of the expansion core. 
     
     
         10 . A method for manufacturing a composite material molded product, the method comprising:
 disposing a laminate of prepregs in a cavity between an outer mold and an inner mold of a mold main body;   disposing in the cavity an expansion core that expands itself and a pressure distributor that distributes pressing force due to expansion of the expansion core, wherein the pressure distributor is disposed in contact with the laminate;   sealing the cavity;   heating the mold main body including the outer mold and the inner mold without pressing to expand the expansion core; and   curing the laminate, wherein during the curing, pressing force due to expansion of the expansion core is distributed by the pressure distributor.   
     
     
         11 . A method for manufacturing a composite material molded product, the method comprising:
 disposing a laminate of prepregs in a cavity between an outer mold and an inner mold;   disposing in the cavity an expansion core that expands itself and a pressure distributor that distributes pressing force due to expansion of the expansion core, wherein the pressure distributor is disposed in contact with the laminate;   sealing the cavity;   blowing compressed air into the expansion core to expand the expansion core; and   curing the laminate, wherein during the curing, pressing force due to expansion of the expansion core is distributed by the pressure distributor.