Patent Publication Number: US-2019184605-A1

Title: Fiber-containing material, method for inserting out-of-plane reinforcement threads, and method for producing fiber-containing material

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a fiber-containing material, a method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread, and a method for producing a fiber-containing material. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     As a material having lightweight properties and high strength, a composite material which includes reinforcement fibers impregnated with resin is known. The composite material is used in aircraft, automobiles, ships, or the like. As the composite material, sheet-shaped materials are used in layers. There is a case where a sheet-shaped composite material becomes weak in an out-of-plane direction orthogonal to an in-plane direction in which a sheet extends. As a method of reinforcing the sheet-shaped composite material in the out-of-plane direction, a method of stitching the sheet-shaped composite material with a thread is known (refer to PTL 1). 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     [PTL 1] U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,541 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       FIG. 15  is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet-shaped composite material  100  of the related art.  FIG. 16  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet-shaped composite material  100  of the related art.  FIG. 17  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region A in  FIG. 15 . The sheet-shaped composite material  100  is a composite material obtained by impregnating reinforcement fibers  100   f  with resin, as shown in  FIGS. 15, 16, and 17 . In  FIGS. 15, 16, and 17 , the composite material  100  in which four composite material layers are laminated is exemplified. The composite material  100  has center axes  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c , and  100   d  of four fiber layers, as shown in  FIG. 16 . The center axes  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c , and  100   d  of the four fiber layers extend along the in-plane direction. In the composite material  100 , the strength thereof is increased by the reinforcement fibers  100   f  in the in-plane direction. However, the strength is not increased in the out-of-plane direction. For this reason, the composite material  100  has a problem in that there is a possibility that an interlaminar fracture part  100   x  may be formed between the layers, as shown in  FIGS. 15 and 17 . In order to cope with this problem, the method described in PTL 1 is known. 
       FIG. 18  is a schematic configuration diagram of an improved sheet-shaped composite material  200  of the related art.  FIG. 19  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region B in  FIG. 18 . The improved sheet-shaped composite material  200  of the related art is a composite material obtained by improving the sheet-shaped composite material  100  by the method in PTL 1. The composite material  200  is obtained by stitching reinforcement fibers  200   f  impregnated with resin together by a reinforcement thread  202 , as shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . In  FIGS. 18 and 19 , the composite material  200  in which four composite material layers are laminated is exemplified. The composite material  200  has center axes  200   a ,  200   b ,  200   c , and  200   d  of four fiber layers, as shown in  FIG. 19 . The center axes  200   a ,  200   b ,  200   c , and  200   d  of the four fiber layers extend along the in-plane direction. The composite material  200  is reinforced by the reinforcement thread  202  in the out-of-plane direction. However, meandering occurs in the center axes  200   a ,  200   b ,  200   c , and  200   d  of the four fiber layers due to the reinforcement thread  202 . For this reason, the composite material  200  has a problem in that there is a possibility that the strength thereof in the in-plane direction may be lowered due to the reinforcement thread  202 , as compared with the composite material  100 . 
     The present invention has been made in view of the above and has an object to provide a fiber-containing material in which the strength thereof in an out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in an in-plane direction, a method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread, and a method for producing the fiber-containing material. 
     Solution to Problem 
     In order to solve the above-described problem and achieve the object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fiber-containing material including: a base material which includes reinforcement fibers extending in a direction along a plane; and an out-of-plane reinforcement thread formed in an interior of the base material so as to extend along a direction crossing the direction along the plane. 
     According to this configuration, the reinforcement fibers which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which increases the strength in the out-of-plane direction can coexist, and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. 
     In this configuration, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread may have the same length as a thickness of the base material in the direction crossing the direction along the plane. According to this configuration, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without changing the shape of the fiber-containing material. 
     Alternatively, in this configuration, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread may be longer than a thickness of the base material in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrude from the base material to at least one side in a direction of the thickness. According to this configuration, in a case where another member is bonded to the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes, bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread. 
     In the configuration in which the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes from the base material, it is preferable that the fiber-containing material further includes a protective sheet provided on a surface of the base material on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes. According to this configuration, stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread is suppressed and scratching of the surface of the base material and sticking of dirt to the surface of the base material can be reduced. 
     In the configuration in which the fiber-containing material has the protective sheet, it is preferable that the protective sheet has the same thickness as a protruding length of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread. According to this configuration, it is possible to further suppress the stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread. 
     In these configurations, it is preferable that the base material is a composite material which includes the reinforcement fibers impregnated with resin. According to this configuration, the fiber-containing material can have even further lightweight properties and higher strength. 
     Further, in order to solve the above-described problem and achieve the object, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fiber-containing material including: a base material which includes reinforcement fibers extending in a direction along a plane; spacers provided on both surfaces of the base material; and a reinforcement thread stitching the base material and the spacers together, in which the reinforcement thread includes an in-plane reinforcement thread formed on a surface of each of the spacers so as to extend in the direction along the plane, and an out-of-plane reinforcement thread formed in an interior of the base material so as to extend along a direction crossing the direction along the plane. 
     According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain a precursor of the fiber-containing material, in which the reinforcement fibers which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which increases the strength in the out-of-plane direction can coexist, that is, a precursor of the fiber-containing material, in which the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. 
     Further, in order to solve the above-described problem and achieve the object, according to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread including: a stitching step of forming a reinforcement thread which stitches a base material which includes reinforcement fibers extending a direction along a plane, and includes an in-plane reinforcement thread formed so as to extend in the direction along the plane, and an out-of-plane reinforcement thread formed in an interior of the base material so as to extend along a direction crossing the direction along the plane; and an in-plane reinforcement thread removing step of removing the in-plane reinforcement thread. 
     According to this configuration, since the in-plane reinforcement thread is remove, the reinforcement fibers which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which increases the strength in the out-of-plane direction can coexist in the fiber-containing material, and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction of the fiber-containing material. 
     In this configuration, it is preferable that the method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread further includes a spacer disposing step of providing spacers on both surfaces of the base material before the stitching step and in the stitching step, the base material and the spacers are stitched together. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily remove the in-plane reinforcement thread. 
     In the configuration in which the method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread further includes the spacer disposing step, it is preferable that in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step, an area between the base material and the spacer provided on at least one surface of the base material is cut along the direction of the plane. According to this configuration, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread having the same length as the thickness of the base material in the direction crossing the direction along the plane can be inserted, and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without changing the shape of the fiber-containing material. 
     Alternatively, in the configuration in which the method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread further includes the spacer disposing step, it is preferable that in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step, the spacer provided on at least one surface of the base material is cut along the direction of the plane and a part of the spacer left on at least one surface of the base material serves as a protective sheet. According to this configuration, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which is longer than the thickness of the base material in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrudes from the base material to at least one side in the thickness direction can be inserted, and therefore, in a case where another member is bonded to the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes, bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread. 
     In the configuration in which in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step, the spacer is cut along the direction of the plane, it is preferable that the method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread further includes a sheet removing step of removing the protective sheet. According to this configuration, another member can be bonded to the surface on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes, of the fiber-containing material which has been protected by the protective sheet until just before the fiber-containing material is used, by the sheet removing step. 
     Further, in order to solve the above-described problem and achieve the object, according to still yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a fiber-containing material including: producing a fiber-containing material in which an out-of-plane reinforcement thread is formed in an interior of a base material which includes reinforcement fibers, by the method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread according to any one of the above aspects. 
     According to this configuration, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material in which the reinforcement fibers which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which increases the strength in the out-of-plane direction coexist, and therefore, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material in which the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. 
     In this configuration, it is preferable that the method for producing a fiber-containing material further includes: an impregnating step of impregnating the reinforcement fibers with resin. According to this configuration, it is possible to produce a fiber-containing material having even further lightweight properties and higher strength. 
     In the configuration in which the method for producing a fiber-containing material includes the impregnating step, it is preferable that the method for producing a fiber-containing material further includes: a curing step of curing the resin after the stitching step and after the impregnating step. According to this configuration, it is possible to produce a fiber-containing material having a stable structure along with lightweight properties and high strength. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fiber-containing material in which the strength thereof in an out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in an in-plane direction, a method for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread, and a method for producing a fiber-containing material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a fiber-containing material according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing an example of processing of methods for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread according to the first embodiment, a second embodiment, and a third embodiment of the present invention, which are included in methods for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a base material on which spacers are disposed in the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the base material and the spacers are stitched together in the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a precursor of the fiber-containing material of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where in-plane reinforcement threads are removed in the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the base material on which spacers are disposed in the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a precursor of the fiber-containing material of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another state of the precursor of the fiber-containing material of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the base material on which spacers are disposed in the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a precursor of the fiber-containing material of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of another state of the precursor of the fiber-containing material of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic configuration diagram of a sheet-shaped composite material of the related art. 
         FIG. 16  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet-shaped composite material of the related art. 
         FIG. 17  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region A in  FIG. 15 . 
         FIG. 18  is a schematic configuration diagram of an improved sheet-shaped composite material of the related art. 
         FIG. 19  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region B in  FIG. 18 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Further, constituent elements which can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or constituent elements which are substantially identical to the constituent elements in the embodiments are included in the constituent elements in the embodiments. Further, the constituent elements described below can be appropriately combined. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  10  which is an example of a fiber-containing material according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Although the schematic cross-sectional view of the fiber-containing material  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 , the shape of the fiber-containing material  10  in a plan view as viewed in an out-of-plane direction may be any shape. The fiber-containing material includes a base material  12  and out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The base material  12  is a material extending in an in-plane direction which is a direction along the plane thereof, and includes reinforcement fibers  12   f  extending in the in-plane direction. The base material  12  is not limited thereto and may have a curved portion in the out-of-plane direction which is a direction crossing the direction along the plane of the base material  12 , or may have a step. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  is formed in the interior of the base material  12  so as to extend along the out-of-plane direction which is the direction crossing the direction along the plane of the base material  12 . The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  has the same length as the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane. 
     The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  is preferably orthogonal to the direction along the plane of the base material  12 . It is preferable that the fiber-containing material  10  has only the out-of-plane reinforcement thread crossing the direction along the plane of the base material  12  and does not have a reinforcement thread in the direction along the plane of the base material  12 , that is, a direction parallel to the plane of the base material  12 . In the fiber-containing material  10 , in  FIG. 1 , the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are uniformly distributed in the direction along the plane of the base material  12 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  may be distributed non-uniformly. In the fiber-containing material  10 , for example, in a case where the base material  12  has a curved portion or a stepped portion, it is preferable that the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are densely distributed at the curved portion or the stepped portion which is a place to which the stress of the base material  12  is applied. In  FIG. 1 , an example in which two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are present in each place of the base material  12  and the two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are separated from each other is shown. However, this is shown for the sake of convenience in order to describe details of the processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method to be performed later, and the fiber-containing material according to the present invention is not limited thereto. The same applies to  FIGS. 4, 5, and 6  below. 
     As the reinforcement fibers  12   f , a bundle of several hundred to several thousand basic fibers in the range of 5 μm or more and 7 μm or less is exemplified. As the basic fiber configuring the reinforcement fiber  12   f , a carbon fiber is exemplified. The basic fiber configuring the reinforcement fiber  12   f  is not limited thereto and may be another plastic fiber, a glass fiber, or a metal fiber. 
     As the base material  12 , a preform which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f , and a composite material which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f  impregnating with resin are exemplified. The resin to be impregnated into the reinforcement fibers  12   f  is preferably thermosetting resin. However, the resin may be thermoplastic resin. As the thermosetting resin, epoxy resin is exemplified. As the thermoplastic resin, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or the like is exemplified. However, the resin to be impregnated into the reinforcement fibers  12   f  is not limited thereto and may be other resin. 
     In a case where the resin to be impregnated into the reinforcement fibers  12   f  is the thermosetting resin, the thermosetting resin can be in a softened state, a cured state, or a semi-cured state. The softened state is a state before the thermosetting resin is thermally cured. The softened state is a state where the resin does not have a self-supporting property and is a state where the shape cannot be retained in a case where the resin is not supported by a support. The softened state is a state where the thermosetting resin can undergo a thermosetting reaction by being heated. The cured state is a state after the thermosetting resin is thermally cured. The cured state is a state where the resin has a self-supporting property and is a state where the shape can be retained even in a case where the resin is not supported by a support. The cured state is a state where the thermosetting resin cannot undergo a thermosetting reaction even if it is heated. The semi-cured state is a state between the softened state and the cured state. The semi-cured state is a state where the thermosetting resin is thermally cured to the degree that is weaker than in the cured state. The semi-cured state is a state where the resin has a self-supporting property and is a state where the shape can be retained even in a case where the resin is not supported by a support. The semi-cured state is a state where the thermosetting resin can undergo a thermosetting reaction by being heated. It is preferable that the composite material which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f  impregnated with the thermosetting resin is a prepreg in which the thermosetting resin is in a semi-cured state, or the thermosetting resin is in a cured state. 
     As the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14 , a bundle of several hundred to several thousand basic fibers in the range of 5 μm or more and 7 μm or less is exemplified. As the basic fiber configuring the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14 , a nylon fiber is exemplified. The basic fiber configuring the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  is not limited thereto and may be another plastic fiber, a carbon fiber, a glass fiber, or a metal fiber. 
     In the fiber-containing material  10 , the reinforcement fibers  12   f  which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  which increase the strength in the out-of-plane direction can coexist without meandering the center axes of fiber layers, and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. 
     In the fiber-containing material  10 , the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  has the same length as the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane, and therefore, the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without changing the shape of the fiber-containing material  10 . 
     In a case where the base material  12  is a composite material which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f  impregnated with resin, the fiber-containing material  10  can have even further lightweight properties and higher strength. 
     The processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, which is included in the method for producing the fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment, will be described below.  FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the methods for inserting an out-of-plane reinforcement thread according to the first embodiment, a second embodiment, and a third embodiment of the present invention, which are included in the methods for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment of the present invention. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment includes a spacer disposing step S 12 , a stitching step S 14 , an in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , and a sheet removing step S 18 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a spacer-laminated body  20  which is the base material  12  on which a spacer  22   a  and a spacer  22   b  are disposed in the first embodiment. The spacer-laminated body  20  includes the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b . The spacer  22   a  is provided on one surface of the base material  12 , that is, the upper surface in  FIG. 3 . The spacer  22   b  is provided on the other surface of the base material  12 , that is, the lower surface in  FIG. 3 . The spacer disposing step S 12  shown in  FIG. 2  is a step of forming the spacer-laminated body  20  by providing the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  on both surfaces of the base material  12 . The spacer disposing step S 12  is performed before the stitching step S 14  in order to stitch the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  together in the stitching step S 14  (described later). 
     As each of the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b , one or more laminated sheets made of nylon or polyester, one or more laminated panels having flexibility, or the like is exemplified. The spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  are not limited thereto and other spacers are also acceptable. The spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  can be changed in thickness by changing the number of laminated layers of the exemplified materials. The spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  can suppress the scratching of the surface of the base material  12  and the sticking of dirt to the surface of the base material  12  in the stitching step S 14  (described later). Further, the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  can suppress the stretching of a reinforcement thread  26  in the stitching step S 14  (described later). 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  are stitched together in the first embodiment. The base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  are stitched together with the reinforcement thread  26  by a stitching part  24 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . That is, the stitching part  24  stitches the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  together by the reinforcement thread  26 . As the stitching part  24 , a needle which is mounted on a sewing machine and has a hole at the tip thereof is exemplified. However, the stitching part  24  is not limited thereto and may be another needle having a shape in which the reinforcement thread  26  can be inserted. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  30  which is an example of a precursor of the fiber-containing material  10  of  FIG. 1 . The fiber-containing material  30  includes the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , the spacer  22   b , an in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a , an in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b , and an out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The reinforcement thread  26  stitching the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  together includes the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c . The in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  is formed on the surface of the spacer  22   a  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane. The in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  is formed on the surface of the spacer  22   b  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c  is formed in the interiors of the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  so as to penetrate the base material  12 , the spacer  22   a , and the spacer  22   b  and extend along the out-of-plane direction which is the direction crossing the direction along the plane. 
     The fiber-containing material  30  is a precursor of the fiber-containing material  10 , in which the reinforcement fibers  12   f  which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  which increase the strength in the out-of-plane direction can coexist without meandering the center axes of the fiber layers, and therefore, it is possible to obtain the fiber-containing material  10  in which the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. 
     The stitching step S 14  shown in  FIG. 2  is a step of forming the reinforcement thread  26  which stitches the base material  12  which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f , and includes the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c . Specifically, in the stitching step S 14 , the fiber-containing material  30  is formed by stitching the spacer-laminated body  20  in which the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  are laminated on the base material  12 , with the reinforcement thread  26  by the stitching part  24 . The spacer-laminated body  20  is subjected to the stitching step S 14 , thereby becoming the fiber-containing material  30 . In the stitching step S 14 , it is preferable that the reinforcement thread  26  is soft. Further, in the stitching step S 14 , it is preferable that the reinforcement thread  26  is thin, that is, the number of basic fibers is smaller than that in the reinforcement fibers  12   f . In these cases, the stitching step S 14  can be performed smoothly. Further, in these cases, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  to be inserted by the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method in the first embodiment is a soft or thin thread. In the stitching step S 14 , the reinforcement thread  26  may be hard or thick, and in this case, there is a possibility that the reinforcement thread  26  which performs the stitching may be broken. However, since a place where the reinforcement thread  26  is broken is a place which is finally removed in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  (described later), it does not become problematic. In this case, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  to be inserted by the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method in the first embodiment is a hard or thick thread. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  are removed in the first embodiment. In the fiber-containing material  30 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , the spacer  22   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a , and the spacer  22   b  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  are cut off by a cutting part  32   a  and a cutting part  32   b , respectively. Specifically, in the fiber-containing material  30 , the spacer  22   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  are cut off by the cutting part  32   a , and the spacer  22   b  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  are cut off by the cutting part  32   b . That is, the cutting part  32   a  cuts off the spacer  22   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  from the fiber-containing material  30 , and the cutting part  32   b  cuts off the spacer  22   b  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  from the fiber-containing material  30 . These are cut off, whereby the fiber-containing material  30  becomes the fiber-containing material  10 . Further, these are cut off, whereby the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  26   c  left in the interior of the base material  12  become the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14 . Specifically, the portions left in the interior of the base material  12  through the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , out of the two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  26   c  inserted into the same place, become a set of out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14 . As both the cutting part  32   a  and the cutting part  32   b , metal blades are exemplified. However, the cutting part  32   a  and the cutting part  32   b  are not limited thereto, and any cutting member is also acceptable as long as it can remove the spacer  22   a , the spacer  22   b , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a , and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b.    
     The in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  shown in  FIG. 2  is a step of removing the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b . Specifically, the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  is a step of removing the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  by cutting off the spacer  22   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  by cutting an area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   a  along the direction of the plane by the cutting part  32   a , and removing the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  by cutting off the spacer  22   b  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  by cutting an area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   b  along the direction of the plane by the cutting part  32   b . The fiber-containing material  30  is subjected to the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , thereby becoming the fiber-containing material  10 . Further, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c  is subjected to the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , whereby the portions left in the interior of the base material  12  become the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14 . 
     The sheet removing step S 18  shown in  FIG. 2  is a step which is performed in at least one case of a case where a part of the spacer  22   a  is left on one surface of the base material  12  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , and a case where a part of the spacer  22   b  is left on the other surface of the base material  12  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 . In these cases, the sheet removing step S 18  is a step of removing at least one of a protective sheet which is a part of the remaining spacer  22   a  and a protective sheet which is a part of the remaining spacer  22   b . In the first embodiment, in a case where the spacers  22   a  and the spacers  22   b  can be completely removed along with the removal of the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , the sheet removing step S 18  does not need to be performed. 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, the spacer disposing step S 12  can be omitted. In this case, the stitching step S 14  is a step of stitching only the base material  12  with the reinforcement thread  26  by the stitching part  24 . Further, in this case, the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  is a step of removing the in-plane reinforcement thread formed on the surface of the base material  12  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane, by treatment such as scraping-off. Further, in this case, since there is no spacer  22   a  and spacer  22   b , the sheet removing step S 18  is omitted. 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, the in-plane reinforcement thread is removed in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  through the intervention of a precursor which includes an in-plane reinforcement thread removable in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 . In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, in a case where the spacer disposing step S 12  is not omitted, specifically, the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  are removed in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  through the intervention of the fiber-containing material  30  which is a precursor which includes the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  removable in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 . For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, it is possible to allow the reinforcement fibers  12   f  which increase the strength in the in-plane direction and the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  which increase the strength in the out-of-plane direction to coexist in the fiber-containing material  10 , and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction of the fiber-containing material  10 . 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, in a case where the spacer disposing step S 12  is not omitted, in the stitching step S 14 , the spacer-laminated body  20  in which the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  are laminated on the base material  12  is stitched with the reinforcement thread  26  by the stitching part  24 . For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, in a case where the spacer disposing step S 12  is not omitted, the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  can be removed by cutting off the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , and therefore, it is possible to easily perform the removal of the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b.    
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   a  is cut along the direction of the plane and the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   b  is cut along the direction of the plane. For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  having the same length as the thickness of the base material  12  can be inserted, and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without changing the shape of the fiber-containing material  10 . Further, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, it is possible to make the surface of the fiber-containing material  10  smooth. 
     The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment will be described below. The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment includes the processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment. For this reason, in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment, specifically, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  10  in which the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are formed in the interior of the base material  12  which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f , by the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  10  in which the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. 
     The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment preferably includes an impregnating step of impregnating the reinforcement fibers  12   f  with resin. In a case where the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment includes the impregnating step, the fiber-containing material  10  in which the base material  12  is a composite material which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f  impregnated with resin can be produced, and therefore, it is possible to produce a fiber-containing material having even further lightweight properties and higher strength. The impregnating step may be performed at any timing in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment. 
     In a case where the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment includes the impregnating step, it is preferable that the method includes a curing step of curing the resin. In a case where the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment includes the curing step, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  10  in which the base material  12  is a composite material which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f  impregnated resin and the resin is in a semi-cured state or in a cured state, and therefore, it is possible to produce a fiber-containing material having a stable structure along with lightweight properties and high strength. It is preferable that the curing step is performed after the stitching step S 14  and after the impregnating step, and in this case, since the stitching step S 14  is performed before the resin is cured, the stitching step S 14  can be performed smoothly. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  40  which is an example of a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The fiber-containing material  40  according to the second embodiment includes the base material  12  and out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . That is, the fiber-containing material  40  according to the second embodiment is a fiber-containing material in which in the fiber-containing material  10  according to the first embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are replaced with the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44 . In the description of the second embodiment, the same reference numeral groups as those in the first embodiment are used for the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In  FIG. 7 , similar to  FIG. 1 , an example in which two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44  are present in each place of the base material  12  and the two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44  are separated from each other is shown. However, this is shown for the sake of convenience in order to describe details of the processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method to be performed later, similar to  FIG. 1 , and the fiber-containing material according to the present invention is not limited thereto. The same applies to  FIGS. 9 and 10  below. 
     The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  is different from the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  in that the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  is longer than the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrudes from the base material  12  to both sides in the thickness direction. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  is the same as the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  in other respects except for the length and protruding from the base material  12 . In the fiber-containing material  40 , the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  has the above configuration, and therefore, in a case where other members are bonded to both surfaces from which the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  protrudes, bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44 . Specifically, in the fiber-containing material  40 , the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  serves as an out-of-plane reinforcement thread in another member which is bonded to the fiber-containing material  40 , and therefore, it is possible to improve the bonding strength. Further, in the fiber-containing material  40 , the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  causes an anchor effect between the fiber-containing material  40  and another member which is bonded thereto, and therefore, it is possible to improve the bonding strength. Further, in the fiber-containing material  40 , the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  can hold an adhesive layer between the fiber-containing material  40  and another member which is bonded thereto, and therefore, it is possible to improve the bonding strength. 
     The processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, which is included in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment, will be described. In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, all of the spacer disposing step S 12 , the stitching step S 14 , the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , and the sheet removal step S 18  in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment are changed as described below. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a spacer-laminated body  50  which is the base material  12  on which a spacer  52   a  and a spacer  52   b  are disposed in the second embodiment. The spacer-laminated body  50  according to the second embodiment includes the base material  12 , the spacer  52   a , and the spacer  52   b , as shown in  FIG. 8 . That is, the spacer-laminated body  50  according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which in the spacer-laminated body  20  according to the first embodiment, the spacer  22   a  is changed to the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  22   b  is changed to the spacer  52   b . The spacer  52   a  is different from the spacer  22   a  in that the thicknesses of both the spacers are different from each other, that is, the spacer  52   a  is thicker. The spacer  52   a  is the same as the spacer  22   a  in other respects except that the thickness thereof is different from that of the spacer  22   a . The spacer  52   b  is different from the spacer  22   b  in that the thicknesses of both the spacers are different from each other, that is, the spacer  52   b  is thicker. The spacer  52   b  is the same as the spacer  22   b  in other respects except that the thickness thereof is different from that of the spacer  22   b.    
     The spacer disposing step S 12  in the second embodiment is different from the spacer disposing step S 12  in the first embodiment in that the spacer  52   a  is disposed instead of the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  52   b  is disposed instead of the spacer  22   b . The spacer disposing step S 12  in the second embodiment is the same as the spacer disposing step S 12  in the first embodiment in other respects except that the spacers to be disposed are different from each other. The spacer disposing step S 12  in the second embodiment is a step of forming the spacer-laminated body  50  by providing the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b  on both surfaces of the base material  12 . 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  60  which is an example of a precursor of the fiber-containing material  40  of  FIG. 7 . The fiber-containing material  60  according to the second embodiment includes the base material  12 , the spacer  52   a , the spacer  52   b , an in-plane reinforcement thread  56   a , an in-plane reinforcement thread  56   b , and an out-of-plane reinforcement thread  56   c , as shown in  FIG. 9 . That is, the fiber-containing material  60  according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which in the fiber-containing material  30  according to the first embodiment, the spacer  22   a  is changed to the spacer  52   a , the spacer  22   b  is changed to the spacer  52   b , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  is changed to the in-plane reinforcement thread  56   a , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  is changed to the in-plane reinforcement thread  56   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c  is changed to the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  56   c . In the following, the in-plane reinforcement thread  56   a , the in-plane reinforcement thread  56   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  56   c  are collectively referred to appropriately as a reinforcement thread  56 . 
     The in-plane reinforcement thread  56   a  is formed on the surface of the spacer  52   a  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane. The in-plane reinforcement thread  56   b  is formed on the surface of the spacer  52   b  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  56   c  is formed in the interiors of the base material  12 , the spacer  52   a , and the spacer  52   b  so as to penetrate the base material  12 , the spacer  52   a , and the spacer  52   b  and extend along the out-of-plane direction which is the direction crossing the direction along the plane. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  56   c  is longer than the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c  by an amount by which the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b  are thicker than the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b.    
     The stitching step S 14  in the second embodiment is different from the stitching step S 14  in the first embodiment in that a target to be stitched is the spacer-laminated body  50  instead of the spacer-laminated body  20  and a thread to be used for stitching is the reinforcement thread  56  instead of the reinforcement thread  26 . The stitching step S 14  in the second embodiment is the same as the stitching step S 14  in the first embodiment in other respects except that the targets to be stitched and the thread to be used for stitching are different. In the stitching step S 14  in the second embodiment, the fiber-containing material  60  is formed by stitching the spacer-laminated body  50  with the reinforcement thread  56 . 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  65  which is an example of another state of the precursor of the fiber-containing material  40  of  FIG. 7 . The fiber-containing material  65  includes the base material  12 , a protective sheet  67   a , a protective sheet  67   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44 . The protective sheet  67   a  is provided on one surface of the base material  12  on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  protrudes, that is, on the upper surface in  FIG. 10 . That is, the protective sheet  67   a  is provided on the side where the spacer  52   a  is disposed with respect to the base material  12 . The protective sheet  67   b  is provided on the other surface of the base material  12  on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  protrudes, that is, on the lower surface in  FIG. 10 . That is, the protective sheet  67   b  is provided on the side where the spacer  52   b  is disposed with respect to the base material  12 . 
     As the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b , similar to the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b , that is, similar to the spacer  22   a  and the spacer  22   b , one or more laminated sheets made of nylon or polyester, one or more laminated panels having flexibility, or the like is exemplified. The protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  are not limited thereto, and other protective sheets may be used. The protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  can be changed in thickness by changing the number of laminated layers of the materials exemplified in the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b , and by changing the cutting position in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  (described later) in the second embodiment. 
     The protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  can suppress the scratching of the surface of the base material  12  and the sticking of dirt to the surface of the base material  12  in the fiber-containing material  65 . Further, the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  can suppress the stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  in the fiber-containing material  65 . 
     The protective sheet  67   a  has the same thickness as the protruding length of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  from one surface of the base material  12 . Further, the protective sheet  67   b  has the same thickness as the protruding length of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  from the other surface of the base material  12 . For this reason, both the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  can further suppress the stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44 . Further, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  can be changed in length by changing the thicknesses of the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b.    
     The in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the second embodiment is different from the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in that instead of the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b , the in-plane reinforcement thread  56   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  56   b  are removed. Specifically, the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the second embodiment is different from the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in that instead of cutting the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   a , the spacer  52   a  is cut along the direction of the plane and a part of the spacer  52   a  left on one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet  67   a . Further, the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the second embodiment is different from the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in that instead of cutting the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   b , the spacer  52   b  is cut along the direction of the plane and a part of the spacer  52   b  left on one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet  67   b . The in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the second embodiment is the same as the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in other respects except for the above differences. The fiber-containing material  60  is subjected to the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , thereby becoming the fiber-containing material  65 . Further, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  56   c  is subjected to the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , whereby the portions left in the base material  12 , the protective sheet  67   a , and the protective sheet  67   b  become the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44 . Specifically, the portions left in the interiors of the base material  12 , the protective sheet  67   a , and the protective sheet  67   b  through the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , out of the two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  56   c  inserted into the same place, become a set of out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44 . 
     The sheet removing step S 18  in the second embodiment is a step of removing the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b . The fiber-containing material  65  is subjected to the sheet removing step S 18 , thereby becoming the fiber-containing material  40 . 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , the spacer  52   a  is cut along the direction of the plane, so that a part of the spacer  52   a  left on one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet  67   a , and the spacer  52   b  is cut along the direction of the plane, so that a part of the spacer  52   b  left on one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet  67   b . For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  which is longer than the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrudes in the thickness direction from the base material can be inserted. Therefore, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, in a case where another member is bonded to the side of the fiber-containing material  40 , where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  protrudes, the bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44 . Further, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, the length of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  which is inserted into the fiber-containing material  40  can be controlled by controlling the cutting positions of the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 . 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, in the sheet removing step S 18 , the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  are removed. For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, another member can be bonded to the surface on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes, of the fiber-containing material  40  which has been protected by the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  until just before the fiber-containing material  40  is used. 
     The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment will be described below. The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment includes the processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment. For this reason, in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment, specifically, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  40  in which the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  44  are formed in the interior of the base material  12  which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f , by the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment. Therefore, in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  40  in which the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. The impregnating step and the curing step in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the second embodiment are the same as the impregnating step and the curing step in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  70  which is an example of a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The fiber-containing material  70  according to the third embodiment includes the base material  12  and out-of-plane reinforcement threads  74 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . That is, the fiber-containing material  70  according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which in the fiber-containing material  10  according to the first embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  14  are changed to the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  74 . In the description of the third embodiment, the same reference numeral groups as those in the first embodiment are used for the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In  FIG. 11 , similar to  FIGS. 1 and 7 , an example in which two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  74  are present in each place of the base material  12  and the two out-of-plane reinforcement threads are separated from each other is shown. However, this is shown for the sake of convenience in order to describe details of the processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method to be performed later, similar to  FIGS. 1 and 7 , and the fiber-containing material according to the present invention is not limited thereto. The same applies to  FIGS. 13 and 14  below. 
     The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  is different from the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  in that the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  is longer than the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrudes from the base material  12  to one surface side in the thickness direction. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  is the same as the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  in other respects except for the length and protruding from the base material  12 . That is, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  does not protrude from the base material  12  to the other surface side in the thickness direction, similar to the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14 . In the fiber-containing material  70 , the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  has the above configuration, and therefore, in a case where another member is bonded to one surface side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  protrudes, the bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74 . Specifically, in the fiber-containing material  70 , the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  can improve the bonding strength for the same reason as the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  in the fiber-containing material  40  according to the second embodiment. Further, in the fiber-containing material  70 , the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  has the above configuration, and therefore, with respect to the other surface side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  does not protrude, similar to the fiber-containing material  10 , the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without changing the shape of the other surface side of the fiber-containing material  70 , where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  does not protrude. 
     In the fiber-containing material  10  according to the first embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  14  does not protrude from both surfaces of the base material  12 , and in the fiber-containing material  40  according to the second embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  protrudes from both surfaces of the base material  12 , and in the fiber-containing material  70  according to the third embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  protrudes from one surface of the base material  12  and does not protrude from the other surface. The present invention is not limited thereto and includes an aspect in which in a case where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread is longer than the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes from the base material  12  to at least one side in the thickness direction. In this case, in a case where another member is bonded to the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes, the bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread. 
     The processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, which is included in the method for producing the fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment, will be described below. In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, any one of the spacer disposing step S 12 , the stitching step S 14 , the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , and the sheet removal step S 18  in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment is changed as described below. 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a spacer-laminated body  80  which is the base material  12  on which a spacer  82   a  and a spacer  82   b  are disposed in the third embodiment. The spacer-laminated body  80  according to the second embodiment includes the base material  12 , the spacer  82   a , and the spacer  82   b , as shown in  FIG. 12 . That is, the spacer-laminated body  80  according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which in the spacer-laminated body  20  according to the first embodiment, the spacer  22   a  is changed to the spacer  82   a  and the spacer  22   b  is changed to the spacer  82   b . The spacer  82   a  is different from the spacer  22   a  in that the thicknesses of both the spacers are different from each other, that is, the spacer  82   a  is thicker. The spacer  82   a  is the same as the spacer  22   a  in other respects except that the thicknesses of both the spacers are different from each other. As the spacer  82   a , the same spacer as the spacer  52   a  in the second embodiment is exemplified. As the spacer  82   b , the space identical to the spacer  22   b  including the thickness as well is exemplified. However, the spacer  82   b may be different from the spacer  22   b.    
     The spacer disposing step S 12  in the third embodiment is different from the spacer disposing step S 12  in the first embodiment in that instead of the spacer  22   a , the spacer  82   a  is disposed and instead of the spacer  22   b , the spacer  82   b  is disposed. The spacer disposing step S 12  in the third embodiment is the same as the spacer disposing step S 12  in the first embodiment in other respects except that each spacer to be disposed is different. The spacer disposing step S 12  in the third embodiment is a step of forming the spacer-laminated body  80  by providing the spacer  82   a  and the spacer  82   b  on both surfaces of the base material  12 . 
       FIG. 13  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  90  which is an example of a precursor of the fiber-containing material  70  of  FIG. 11 . The fiber-containing material  90  according to the third embodiment includes the base material  12 , the spacer  82   a , the spacer  82   b , an in-plane reinforcement thread  86   a , an in-plane reinforcement thread  86   b , and an out-of-plane reinforcement thread  86   c , as shown in  FIG. 13 . That is, the fiber-containing material  90  according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which in the fiber-containing material  30  according to the first embodiment, the spacer  22   a  is changed to the spacer  82   a , the spacer  22   b  is changed to the spacer  82   b , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  is changed to the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   a , the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b  is changed to the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c  is changed to the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  86   c . In the following, the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   a , the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   b , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  86   c  are collectively referred to appropriately as a reinforcement thread  86 . 
     The in-plane reinforcement thread  86   a  is formed on the surface of the spacer  82   a  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane. The in-plane reinforcement thread  86   b  is formed on the surface of the spacer  82   b  so as to extend in the in-plane direction which is the direction along the plane. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  86   c  is formed in the interiors of the base material  12 , the spacer  82   a , and the spacer  82   b  so as to penetrate the base material  12 , the spacer  82   a , and the spacer  82   b  and extend along the out-of-plane direction which is the direction crossing the direction along the plane. The out-of-plane reinforcement thread  86   c  is longer than the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  26   c  by an amount by which the spacer  82   a  is thicker than the spacer  22   a.    
     The stitching step S 14  in the third embodiment is different from the stitching step S 14  in the first embodiment in that a target to be stitched is the spacer-laminated body  80  instead of the spacer-laminated body  20  and a thread to be used for stitching is the reinforcement thread  86  instead of the reinforcement thread  26 . The stitching step S 14  in the third embodiment is the same as the stitching step S 14  in the first embodiment in other respects except that the targets to be stitched and the thread to be used for stitching are different. In the stitching step S 14  in the third embodiment, the fiber-containing material  90  is formed by stitching the spacer-laminated body  80  with the reinforcement thread  86 . 
       FIG. 14  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fiber-containing material  95  which is an example of another state of the precursor of the fiber-containing material  70  of  FIG. 11 . The fiber-containing material  95  includes the base material  12 , a protective sheet  97   a , and the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74 . The protective sheet  97   a  is provided on one surface of the base material  12  on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  protrudes, that is, on the upper surface in  FIG. 14 . That is, the protective sheet  97   a  is provided on the side where the spacer  82   a  is disposed with respect to the base material  12 . As the protective sheet  97   a , the same protective sheet as the protective sheet  67   a  in the second embodiment is exemplified. However, the protective sheet  97   a  may be different from the protective sheet  67   a . A protective sheet is not provided on the other surface of the base material  12  on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  does not protrude, that is, the lower surface in  FIG. 14 . 
     The protective sheet  97   a  can suppress the scratching of the surface of the base material  12  and the sticking of dirt to the surface of the base material  12  in the fiber-containing material  95 , similar to the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  in the second embodiment. Further, the protective sheet  97   a  can suppress the stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  in the fiber-containing material  95 , similar to the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  in the second embodiment. 
     The protective sheet  97   a  has the same thickness as the protruding length of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  from one surface of the base material  12 , similar to the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  in the second embodiment. For this reason, the protective sheet  97   a  can further suppress the stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74 , similar to the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  in the second embodiment. Further, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  can be changed in length by changing the thickness of the protective sheet  97   a , similar to the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  in the second embodiment. 
     In the fiber-containing material  65  according to the second embodiment, the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b  are respectively provided on both surfaces which are the sides where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  44  protrudes from the base material  12 , and in the fiber-containing material  95  according to the third embodiment, the protective sheet  97   a  is provided on one surface where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  protrudes from the base material  12  and a protective sheet is not provided on the other surface where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  does not protrude from the base material  12 . The present invention is not limited thereto and includes an aspect in which in a case where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes from at least one surface of the base material  12 , a protective sheet is provided on the surface of the base material  12  on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes. In this case, the protective sheet can suppress the stretching of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which is included in the fiber-containing material and can reduce the scratching of the surface of the base material  12  and the sticking of dirt to the surface of the base material  12 . 
     The in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the third embodiment is different from the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in that instead of the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  26   b , the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   a  and the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   b  are removed. Specifically, the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the third embodiment is different from the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in that instead of cutting the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   a , the spacer  82   a  is cut along the direction of the plane and a part of the spacer  82   a  left on one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet  97   a . Further, the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the third embodiment is different from the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in that instead of cutting off the spacer  22   b  by cutting the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   b , the spacer  82   b  is cut off by cutting the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  82   b . The in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the third embodiment is the same as the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16  in the first embodiment in other respects except for the above differences. The fiber-containing material  90  is subjected to the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , thereby becoming the fiber-containing material  95 . Further, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  86   c  is subjected to the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , whereby the portions left in the base material  12  and the protective sheet  97   a  become the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  74 . Specifically, the portions left in the interiors of the base material  12  and the protective sheet  97   a  through the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , out of the two out-of-plane reinforcement threads  86   c  inserted into the same place, become a set of out-of-plane reinforcement threads  74 . 
     The sheet removing step S 18  in the third embodiment is a step of removing the protective sheet  97   a . The fiber-containing material  95  is subjected to the sheet removing step S 18 , thereby becoming the fiber-containing material  70 . The sheet removing step S 18  in the third embodiment is a step which is performed in a case where a part of the spacer  82   b  is left on the other surface of the base material  12  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , with respect to the surface of the fiber-containing material  95  on the side where a protective sheet is not provided, that is, the surface of the base material  12  on the side where the spacer  82   b  is provided. In the third embodiment, in a case where the spacer  82   b  can be completely removed along with the removal of the in-plane reinforcement thread  86   b  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , the sheet removing step S 18  does not need to be performed on the surface of the base material  12  on the side where the spacer  82   b  is provided. 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , the spacer  82   a  is cut along the direction of the plane, so that a part of the spacer  82   a  left on one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet  97   a , and the spacer  82   b  is cut off by cutting the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  82   b . For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  which is longer than the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrudes in the thickness direction from the surface of the base material on which the spacer  82   a  is provided can be inserted. Therefore, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, in a case where another member is bonded to the side of the fiber-containing material  70 , where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  protrudes, the bonding strength can be improved due to the protruding out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74 . Further, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, the length of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  which is inserted into the fiber-containing material  70  can be controlled by controlling the cutting position of the spacer  82   a  in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 . 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, in the sheet removing step S 18 , the protective sheet  97   a  is removed. For this reason, in the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, another member can be bonded to the surface on the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread  74  protrudes, of the fiber-containing material  70  which has been protected by the protective sheet  97   a  until just before the fiber-containing material  70  is used. 
     In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the first embodiment, in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , each of the areas between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   a  and between the base material  12  and the spacer  22   b  is cut along the direction of the plane on the side of both surfaces of the base material  12 . In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the second embodiment, in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , each of the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b  is cut along the direction of the plane on the side of both surfaces of the base material  12  and a part of each of the spacer  52   a  and the spacer  52   b  serves as each of the protective sheet  67   a  and the protective sheet  67   b . In the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment, in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , the area between the base material  12  and the spacer  82   b  is cut along the direction of the plane on one surface side of the base material  12 , and the spacer  82   a  is cut along the direction of the plane on the other surface side of the base material  12 , so that a part of the spacer  82   a  serves as the protective sheet  97   a . The present invention is not limited thereto, and in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , a case where an area between the base material  12  and the spacer provided on at least one side of the base material  12  is cut along the direction of the plane is also included. In this case, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread having the same length as the thickness of the base material  12  in the direction crossing the direction along the plane can be inserted, and therefore, it is possible to improve the strength in the out-of-plane direction without changing the shape of the fiber-containing material. Further, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in the in-plane reinforcement thread removing step S 16 , a case where the spacer provided on at least one side of the base material  12  is cut along the direction of the plane and a part of the spacer left on at least one surface of the base material  12  serves as the protective sheet is also included. In this case, the out-of-plane reinforcement thread which is longer than the thickness of the base material in the direction crossing the direction along the plane and protrudes from the base material to at least one side in the thickness direction can be inserted, and therefore, in a case where another member is bonded to the side where the out-of-plane reinforcement thread protrudes, the bonding strength can be improved due to the protruded out-of-plane reinforcement thread. 
     The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment will be described below. The method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment includes the processing of the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment. For this reason, in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment, specifically, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  70  in which the out-of-plane reinforcement threads  74  are formed in the interior of the base material  12  which includes the reinforcement fibers  12   f , by the out-of-plane reinforcement thread inserting method according to the third embodiment. Therefore, in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment, it is possible to produce the fiber-containing material  70  in which the strength in the out-of-plane direction is improved without lowering the strength in the in-plane direction. The impregnating step and the curing step in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the third embodiment are the same as the impregnating step and the curing step in the method for producing a fiber-containing material according to the first embodiment. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       10 ,  30 ,  40 ,  60 ,  65 ,  70 ,  90 ,  95 : fiber-containing material 
       12 : base material 
       12   f ,  100   f ,  200   f : reinforcement fiber 
       14 ,  26   c ,  44 ,  56   c ,  74 ,  86   c : out-of-plane reinforcement thread 
       20 ,  50 ,  80 : spacer-laminated body 
       22   a ,  22   b ,  52   a ,  52   b ,  82   a ,  82   b : spacer 
       24 : stitching part 
       26 ,  56 ,  86 ,  202 : reinforcement thread 
       26   a ,  26   b ,  56   a ,  56   b ,  86   a ,  86   b : in-plane reinforcement thread 
       32   a ,  32   b : cutting part 
       67   a ,  67   b ,  97   a : protective sheet 
       100 ,  200 : composite material 
       100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c ,  100   d ,  200   a ,  200   b ,  200   c ,  200   d : center axis of fiber layer 
       100   x : interlaminar fracture part