Abstract: There is provided a hoop winding device, comprising: a winding table configured to have an insertion hole formed to place a mandrel at a center thereof; a drive unit configured to rotate and drive the winding table; a plurality of supports on which bobbins with wound fibers are mounted, the plurality of supports being arranged along circumference of the winding table; a first guide section configured to bundle fibers drawn from a plurality of bobbins which constitute a first bobbin group out of the bobbins respectively mounted on the plurality of supports and feed the bundled fibers to the mandrel; and a second guide section configured to bundle fibers drawn from a plurality of bobbins which are not included in the first bobbin group but constitute a second bobbin group and feed the bundled fibers to the mandrel.

Abstract: A mouthpiece structure for a pressure vessel includes a liner constituting a vessel body and a cylindrical part, a cylindrical mouthpiece mounted closely to an inner periphery of the cylindrical part, a housing part having a housing recess formed by recessing at least one of the inner periphery of cylindrical part and an outer periphery of mouthpiece, a sealing member housed in the housing recess while adhering closely to the inner periphery of cylindrical part and the outer periphery of mouthpiece, the sealing member defining a sealed space facing an interface between the inner periphery of the cylindrical part and the outer periphery of the mouthpiece in the housing recess, and a retainer located opposite the sealed space with the sealing member being interposed between them and preventing the sealing member from being displaced in a direction such that the sealing member increases a capacity of the sealed space.

Abstract: A fiber bundle processing device (filament winding device (100)) that processes a fiber bundle (Fb) having a heat-curable resin impregnated therein, characterized by: comprising a curing device (45A) capable of applying heat to the fiber bundle (Fb); and the curing device (45A) curing or semi-curing some of the resin impregnated into the fiber bundle (Fb), when the fiber bundle (Fb) is partway through being guided into the fiber bundle processing device (filament winding device (100)).

Abstract: A chuck device of a fiber bundle includes a pair of hands adapted to be opened/closed. The pair of hands includes a plurality of guides adapted to regulate and bend the fiber bundle under a closing state, and to release the fiber bundle under an opening state. Under the closing state, the plurality of guides holds the fiber bundle by being close to each other with tension applied on the fiber bundle.

Abstract: A filament winding apparatus includes a hoop winding unit that is configured to hoop wind a plurality of fiber bundles on an outer surface of a liner of a tank by rotating along a circumferential direction of the liner while moving back and forth along an axial direction of the liner. The hoop winding unit includes a fiber-bundle guide assembly that is configured to rotate along the circumferential direction of the liner during the moving back and forth of the hoop winding unit, and to guide the plurality of fiber bundles to the outer surface of the liner.

Abstract: A filament winding apparatus that connects a driven shaft to a driving shaft automatically includes a rotation unit which can rotate a driving shaft 13 forward or reversely, a control unit which can control start or stop of the rotation of the driving shaft, and connection units which can connect a driven shaft attached to a liner to the driving shaft when phases of the driven and driving shafts are in agreement with each other. A fiber bundle is wound onto an outer peripheral surface of the liner by rotating the liner. A detection unit detects the phase of the driven or the driving shaft. Based on information obtained from the detection unit at the time of connecting the driven shaft to the driving shaft, the control unit rotates the driving shaft and adjusts the phase thereof to make the phases of the driven and driving shafts in agreement with each other.

Abstract: An object is to control the position of a fiber bundle on a roller of a guide assembly in a filament winding apparatus. There is provided a filament winding apparatus that winds a fiber bundle consisting of a plurality of fibers on an outer surface of a liner and comprises a fiber feeder configured to feed the fiber bundle; and a guide assembly including a roller configured to guide the fiber bundle fed by the fiber feeder to the outer surface of the liner while making the fiber bundle in contact with the roller. The roller comprises a suction hole configured to suck the outside air and is provided in at least a surface of the roller that is to be in contact with the fiber bundle; and a suction unit configured to suck the outside air from the suction hole with such a suction force that draws the fiber bundle in contact with the roller.

Abstract: There is provided a fiber holding device, comprising: a bobbin supported to be rotatable about an axis and configured to hold a fiber wound thereon; a release member configured to apply a force to the fiber drawn from the bobbin in a direction from the axis of the bobbin toward outer periphery; a tension applying member configured to apply tension to the fiber drawn from the bobbin; and an extended section extended from the bobbin and arranged to integrally hold the release member and the tension applying member in a sequence of the release member and the tension applying member toward downstream in a drawing direction of the fiber.

Abstract: A mouthpiece structure for a pressure vessel includes a liner made of a synthetic resin, and constituting a vessel body and a cylindrical part communicating between an interior and an exterior of the vessel body, a cylindrical mouthpiece mounted closely to an inner periphery of the cylindrical part, a retainer having a covering portion which covers regions of outer surfaces of the cylindrical part and the mouthpiece respectively and a peripheral wall surrounding the cylindrical part, the cylindrical part and the mouthpiece having an interface between an inner periphery of the cylindrical part and an outer periphery of the mouthpiece, the interface having a distal end facing the regions, a first sealing member disposed between the mouthpiece and the covering portion, and a second sealing member disposed between the cylindrical part and the peripheral wall of the retainer.

Abstract: In a tank manufacturing method using a helical winding device that winds fiber bundles around a mandrel, the device includes: a first guide ring having an opening to pass the mandrel therethrough and placed around the mandrel with an axial center of the mandrel being taken as a center; and a plurality of first guide portions placed in the first guide ring along a circumferential direction around the axial center and configured to supply first fiber bundles to the mandrel. The method includes: moving the mandrel relative to the first guide ring along an axial center direction along the axial center such that the mandrel passes through the opening; and winding the fiber bundles around the mandrel while relatively moving the mandrel in the moving, by the first guide portions supplying the first fiber bundles to the mandrel with the first guide portions swinging in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: The FW technique is employed to suppress a non-fiber-wound space from being left during formation of a fiber layer for reinforcement on a liner. A process of forming a fiber-reinforce resin layer on a liner winds and fixes a winding start end fiber of a resin-impregnated carbon fiber on a fiber fixation flange, which is away from the top of a dome section. The process subsequently forms an innermost helical layer from the winding start end fiber extended from the fixation position and the subsequently fed resin-impregnated carbon fiber. The process subsequently forms an inner hoop layer over the innermost helical layer and cuts the winding start end fiber extended from the fixation position of the fiber fixation flange at a position on the periphery of the top of the dome section, prior to formation of a subsequent second helical layer.

Abstract: There is provided a hoop winding device, comprising: a winding table configured to have an insertion hole formed to place a mandrel at a center thereof; a drive unit configured to rotate and drive the winding table; a plurality of supports on which bobbins with wound fibers are mounted, the plurality of supports being arranged along circumference of the winding table; a first guide section configured to bundle fibers drawn from a plurality of bobbins which constitute a first bobbin group out of the bobbins respectively mounted on the plurality of supports and feed the bundled fibers to the mandrel; and a second guide section configured to bundle fibers drawn from a plurality of bobbins which are not included in the first bobbin group but constitute a second bobbin group and feed the bundled fibers to the mandrel.

Abstract: A filament winding method performs a hoop winding step including a first step of fixing an end of a fiber bundle to a liner surface at a starting position of hoop winding, a second step of hoop winding the fiber bundle having the end fixed to the liner surface in the first step, a third step of fixing the fiber bundle hoop wound in the second step to the liner surface at an ending position of hoop winding, and a fourth step of cutting the fiber bundle upstream in a fiber bundle supplying direction of the position where the fiber bundle is fixed in the third step.

Abstract: A filament winding apparatus includes a hoop winding unit that is configured to hoop wind a plurality of fiber bundles on an outer surface of a liner of a tank by rotating along a circumferential direction of the liner while moving back and forth along an axial direction of the liner. The hoop winding unit includes a fiber-bundle guide assembly that is configured to rotate along the circumferential direction of the liner during the moving back and forth of the hoop winding unit, and to guide the plurality of fiber bundles to the outer surface of the liner.

Abstract: With regard to a filament winding device in which a plurality of fiber bundles are simultaneously wound around a liner, a tension detecting portion and a tension adjusting portion are miniaturized, the cost of the tension detecting portion and the tension adjusting portion is reduced, and the tension detecting portion and the tension adjusting portion are easily arranged. Provided is a filament winding device 100 that includes a tension adjusting portion 110 that collectively adjusts tension of a plurality of fiber bundles F unreeled from a plurality of bobbins B and an unreeling failure detecting portion 130 that individually detects the unreeling failure of the fiber bundles F on the bobbins B for each bobbin B.

Abstract: There is provided a fiber holding device, comprising: a bobbin supported to be rotatable about an axis and configured to hold a fiber wound thereon; a release member configured to apply a force to the fiber drawn from the bobbin in a direction from the axis of the bobbin toward outer periphery; a tension applying member configured to apply tension to the fiber drawn from the bobbin; and an extended section extended from the bobbin and arranged to integrally hold the release member and the tension applying member in a sequence of the release member and the tension applying member toward downstream in a drawing direction of the fiber.

Abstract: A filament winding apparatus for winding a fiber bundle on the surface of a liner is configured so that the end position of a fiber layer of the dome section of the liner is easily corrected. A control section stores a series of operations for winding the fiber bundle on the liner as winding data including steps, controls a fundamental operation which winds the fiber bundle on the basis of the winding data, and also controls a correction operation which corrects the end position of the fiber layer on the basis of an actual value and a design value when forming a fiber layer by winding the fiber bundle on the dome section of the liner.

Abstract: A filament winding apparatus in which a fiber bundle easily passes through a fiber supplying guide. The filament winding apparatus winds a fiber bundle around a liner, and includes a plurality of fiber supplying guides each supplying a fiber bundle to the liner. Each of the fiber supplying guides includes a bottom portion that guides a wide surface of the fiber bundle, side portions respectively disposed along both sides of the bottom portion, and an opening portion formed between the side portions.

Abstract: A mouthpiece structure for a pressure vessel includes a liner made of a synthetic resin, and constituting a vessel body and a cylindrical part communicating between an interior and an exterior of the vessel body, a cylindrical mouthpiece mounted closely to an inner periphery of the cylindrical part, a retainer having a covering portion which covers regions of outer surfaces of the cylindrical part and the mouthpiece respectively and a peripheral wall surrounding the cylindrical part, the cylindrical part and the mouthpiece having an interface between an inner periphery of the cylindrical part and an outer periphery of the mouthpiece, the interface having a distal end facing the regions, a first sealing member disposed between the mouthpiece and the covering portion, and a second sealing member disposed between the cylindrical part and the peripheral wall of the retainer.

Abstract: A filament winding apparatus prevents a fiber bundle supplied to a liner from interfering with other fiber bundles and fiber supplying guides. First and second guide units include a plurality of fiber supplying guides arranged radially and extending and contracting in a direction approximately perpendicular to a liner central axis. When a fiber bundle supplied from a first supplying guide of the first guide unit crosses between a second supplying guide of the second guide unit and the liner, the distance from the second supplying guide to the liner central axis is made larger than the distance from the first supplying guide to the liner central axis, and in the reverse case, the distance from the first supplying guide to the liner central axis is made larger than the distance from the second supplying guide to the liner central axis.