Patent Description:
A composite material in which a resin (plastic) is combined with a fiber (fiber reinforced plastics (FRP)) is a material excellent in specific strength and specific rigidity. Therefore, the composite material is used as structural materials and the like in the fields of automobiles, aircrafts, and space. The composite material is produced by laminating prepregs, fibers impregnated with a resin, to form a laminate, and then hardening the resin as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (<CIT>. <CIT> discloses a prepreg tape laminating apparatus including a moving unit that relatively moves a laminating head unit with respect to a laminating area. The laminating head unit includes a plurality of tape laminated portions arranged in a laminating operation direction. The apparatus further comprises an adjustment portion for adjusting the position of the tape laminated portions in the width direction of a prepreg tape.

In recent years, an automated fiber placement (AFP) method has attracted attention as a molding processing method capable of manufacturing a product having a complicated shape such as a three-dimensional curved surface with high accuracy and at high speed. The AFP method is a method in which a plurality of tape-shaped prepregs (hereinafter, simply referred to as "tape materials") are laminated adjacently without a gap in a width direction.

The present disclosure relates to a tape arranging device. The tape arranging device includes guide roller units and a moving unit. Tape materials are capable of passing through the respective guide roller units. Each of the tape materials are configured with fibers impregnated with resin. The moving unit is configured to move the guide roller units and to change a distance between adjacent ones of the guide roller units. The adjacent ones of the guide roller units are adjacent to each other.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate an embodiment and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

When a product having a complicated shape such as a three-dimensional curved surface is formed by using a tape material, it is desired to laminate tape materials arranged adjacently while appropriately changing a width of the tape materials. Hereinafter, a distance between center lines of adjacent tape materials is referred to as a "tape pitch" in a sheet configured with the tape materials arranged without a gap. When the tape pitch is changed, a width of the tape material itself may also be changed. Therefore, it is desired to develop a technique of arranging tape materials without a gap even when the width of the tape material is changed.

The present disclosure relates to a tape arranging device capable of arranging tape materials at any tape pitch.

In the following, some embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is directed to illustrative examples of the disclosure and not to be construed as limiting to the disclosure. Factors including, without limitation, numerical values, shapes, materials, components, positions of the components, and how the components are coupled to each other are illustrative only and not to be construed as limiting to the disclosure. Further, elements in the following example embodiments which are not recited in a most-generic independent claim of the disclosure are optional and may be provided on an as-needed basis. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. Throughout the present specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted with the same numerals to avoid any redundant description.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiments. As shown in <FIG>, the composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> includes a feeding device <NUM>, heating devices <NUM>, width adjusting devices <NUM>, a tape arranging device <NUM>, and a central control unit <NUM>. In the following drawings including <FIG> in the embodiments, an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis which perpendicular to each other are defined as shown with respect to the tape arranging device <NUM>. Further, in <FIG>, a broken line arrow indicates a feeding direction of a tape material T by the feeding device <NUM>.

The feeding device <NUM> sends out the tape material T supplied from a stock roller or the like around which the tape material T is wound. In the embodiments, the feeding device <NUM> sends out seven tape materials T, but the number of tape materials T is not limited to seven.

The tape material T is configured with prepregs. Prepregs are fibers impregnated with resin. The prepreg is used as a material of FRP (a composite material) such as CFRP or GFRP.

The fibers configuring the tape material T are, for example, any one or more of carbon fibers, glass fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers, and polyarylate fibers. Polyarylate fibers includes, for example, Vectran, which is a registered trademark.

The resin configuring the tape material T is a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin.

The thermosetting resin is, for example, any one or more of phenol resin (PF), epoxy resin (EP), melamine resin (MF), urea resin (UF), unsaturated polyester resin (UP), alkyd resin, polyurethane (PUR), thermosetting polyimide (PI), benzoxazine, and polybismaleimide (BMI).

The thermoplastic resin is, for example, any one or more of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), pre-tetrafluoroethylene, polysulfone (PSF), polyether sulfone (PES), amorphous polyarylate (PAR), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), thermoplastic polyimide (PI), polyamide imide (PAI), polyamide (PA), nylon, polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate (PC), modified polyphenylene ether (modified PPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), cyclic polyolefin (COP), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyurethane (PUR), ABS resin, AS resin, acrylic resin (PMMA), and polyetherketone ketone (PEKK).

As shown in <FIG>, the feeding device <NUM> includes a compaction roller <NUM>, downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and upstream support rollers 116a and 116b.

The compaction roller <NUM>, the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b each have a cylindrical shape. The compaction roller <NUM>, the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b are arranged such that rotation axes thereof are in an X-axis direction in <FIG>.

The compaction roller <NUM>, the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b are provided at different positions in a flow direction of the tape material T. In the embodiments, the compaction roller <NUM> is provided downstream of the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b in the feeding direction of the tape material T. The downstream support rollers 114a and 114b are provided downstream of the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b in the feeding direction of the tape material T. That is, the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b, the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and the compaction roller <NUM> are provided in this order from an upstream side in the feeding direction of the tape material T.

In the embodiments, the downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b are provided to be different in positions in a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis direction in <FIG>. Further, the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b are provided to be different in positions in the Y-axis direction in <FIG>.

The compaction roller <NUM> is moved while being pressed against a mold, and thereby the compaction roller <NUM> is passively rotated due to an adhesive force or a frictional force of the tape material T.

The tape materials T are stretched between the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and between the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b. Four tape materials T are stretched between the downstream support roller 114a and the upstream support roller 116a. Three tape materials T are stretched between the downstream support roller 114b and the upstream support roller 116b.

The downstream support rollers 114a and 114b and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b change directions of the tape materials T such that each of the tape materials T vertically passes through an inside of the tape arranging device <NUM>. The downstream support rollers 114a and 114b and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b are rotated due to a frictional force or an adhesive force when the tape material T is sent out for lamination.

The heating devices <NUM> heats the tape materials T. The heating devices <NUM> are implemented by, for example, an electric heater, a heat exchanger, or a warm air blower. The heating devices <NUM> are provided upstream of the width adjusting device <NUM> in the feeding direction of the tape material T.

The width adjusting devices <NUM> are provided between the heating device <NUM> and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b. The width adjusting devices <NUM> are fixed to a mount (not shown). The width adjusting device <NUM> changes, in response to a control command from the central control unit <NUM> to be described later, the width of the tape material T that has passed through the heating device <NUM>. In the embodiments, the number of width adjustment devices <NUM> corresponding to the number of the tape materials T are provided, and each of the width adjusting device <NUM> changes a width of one tape material T. In this case, seven adjustment devices are provided. In the embodiments, each of the width adjusting devices <NUM> changes the width of the tape material T to substantially the same width. The width adjusting device <NUM> includes a main body which is formed by a bottom surface and a pair of wall surfaces whose interval gradually decreases and which has a path through which the tape material T passes. The width adjusting device <NUM> may include various techniques such as a technique of changing the interval between the wall surfaces at an outlet of the tape material in the path by changing a rotation angle of the main body, and a detailed description of the various techniques will be omitted here.

The width adjusting devices <NUM> adjust the widths of the respective tape materials T based on a tape width (tape pitch) of a sheet configured with the tape materials T that are sent out from the compaction roller <NUM> and arranged without a gap.

The tape materials T whose widths have been changed by the width adjusting devices <NUM> pass through the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b, and then the tape materials T are arranged without gaps by the tape arranging device <NUM>. After that, the tape materials T pass through the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b and the compaction roller <NUM>, then are laminated on a mold, are maintained at a predetermined temperature, and are formed into a composite material. The tape arranging device <NUM> will be described in detail later.

The central control unit <NUM> is configured with a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU). The central control unit <NUM> reads, from the ROM, programs, parameters, and the like for operating the CPU. The central control unit <NUM> manages and controls the entire composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> in cooperation with a RAM serving as a work area and other electronic circuits. In the embodiments, the central control unit <NUM> controls the width adjusting devices <NUM> and a link unit <NUM> (drive unit) of the tape arranging device <NUM> to be described later.

The tape arranging device <NUM> arranges the tape materials T, the widths of which have been changed by the width adjusting devices <NUM>, without gaps.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the tape arranging device <NUM>. <FIG> is a side view of the tape arranging device <NUM>. <FIG> is a top view of the tape arranging device <NUM>. In <FIG>, guide roller units <NUM> are shown as guide roller units 210A to 210C.

As shown in <FIG>, the tape arranging device <NUM> includes a plurality of guide roller units <NUM> and a moving unit <NUM>.

The tape arranging device <NUM> includes the number of guide roller units <NUM> corresponding to the number of the tape materials T. In the embodiments, the tape arranging device <NUM> includes seven guide roller units <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the guide roller unit <NUM> includes a pair of roller bodies <NUM> and connecting portions <NUM>. The roller bodies <NUM> each have a cylindrical shape or a columnar shape. The pair of roller bodies <NUM> are rotatably supported by the connecting portions <NUM>. The pair of roller bodies <NUM> are supported by the connecting portions <NUM> such that rotation axes thereof are substantially parallel to each other. The connection portion <NUM> is rotatably supported by a first support portion <NUM> or a second support portion <NUM> to be described later. The connection portion <NUM> is supported by the first support portion <NUM> or the second support portion <NUM> such that the rotation axis of the roller body <NUM> and a rotation axis of the connection portion <NUM> are substantially parallel to each other.

The tape material T having passed through the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b passes between the pair of roller bodies <NUM> configuring the guide roller unit <NUM>. In the embodiments, one tape material T passes through one guide roller unit <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, in the embodiments, the tape material T that has passed through the upstream support roller 116a passes through facing surfaces of the guide roller unit <NUM> on a -Y-axis side in <FIG>, and the tape material T that has passed through the upstream support roller 116b passes through facing surfaces of the guide roller unit <NUM> on a +Y-axis side in <FIG>.

The moving unit <NUM> moves the guide roller units <NUM> to change a distance between adjacent guide roller units <NUM>. In the embodiments, the moving unit <NUM> includes the first support portion <NUM>, the second support portion <NUM>, a shaft portion <NUM>, and the link unit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the first support portion <NUM> includes two support rods <NUM> and a connecting rod <NUM>. The two support rods <NUM> are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. Three guide roller units 210A are supported between the two support rods <NUM>. In one embodiment the guide roller units 210A may serve as "first guide roller units". The support rods <NUM> support the three guide roller units 210A such that the rotation axes of the guide roller units 210A, i.e. the rotation axes of the roller bodies <NUM> and the rotation axes of the connecting portions <NUM>, are substantially parallel to one another (in the Y-axis direction in <FIG>). The connecting rod <NUM> connects end portions 232a of the support rods <NUM> to each other. In one embodiment, each of the end portions 232a may serve as a "second end portion".

The second support portion <NUM> includes two support rods <NUM> and a connecting rod <NUM>. The two support rods <NUM> are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The support rods <NUM> are provided substantially parallel to the support rods <NUM>. Three guide roller units 210B are supported between the two support rods <NUM>. In one embodiment the guide roller units 210B may serve as "second guide roller units". The support rods <NUM> support the three guide roller units 210B such that the rotation axes of the guide roller units 210B, i.e. the rotation axes of the roller bodies <NUM> and the rotation axes of the connecting portions <NUM>, are substantially parallel to one another (in the Y-axis direction in <FIG>). The connecting rod <NUM> connects end portions 242a (one end portions) of the support rods <NUM> to each other. In one embodiment, each of the end portions 242a may serve as a "fourth end portion".

The shaft portion <NUM> rotatably supports end portions 232b of the support rods <NUM> of the first support portion <NUM> and end portions 242b of the support rods <NUM> of the second support portion <NUM>. In one embodiment, each of the end portions 232b may serve as a "first end portion" and each of the end portions 242b may serve as a "third end portion". The shaft portion <NUM> is fixed to a mount (not shown). A guide roller unit 210C is supported by the shaft portion <NUM>. The shaft portion <NUM> supports the guide roller unit 210C such that a rotation axis of the guide roller unit 210C, i.e. the rotation axes of the roller bodies <NUM> and the rotation axes of the connection portions <NUM>, is substantially parallel to the rotation axes of the guide roller units 210A and 210B (in the Y-axis direction in <FIG>).

That is, the guide roller units 210A, 210B, and 210C are supported by the first support portion <NUM>, the second support portion <NUM>, and the shaft portion <NUM> such that the rotation axes thereof are substantially parallel to one another.

Description will be made referring back to <FIG> and <FIG>, the rotation axes of the guide roller units <NUM> (Y-axis direction in <FIG> and <FIG>) and the rotation axes of the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b (X-axis direction in <FIG> and <FIG>) are orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the tape materials T sent out from the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b and reaching the guide roller units <NUM> are each twisted (rotated) by <NUM> degrees around the Z axis in <FIG> and <FIG>.

Similarly, the rotation axes of the guide roller units <NUM> (Y-axis direction in <FIG> and <FIG>) and the rotation axes of the downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b (X-axis direction in <FIG> and <FIG>) are orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the tape materials T sent out from the guide roller units <NUM> and reaching the downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b are each twisted by <NUM> degrees around the Z axis in <FIG> and <FIG>.

The link unit <NUM> (drive unit) rotates the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> in a direction in which the connecting rod <NUM>, i.e. the end portions 232a of the first support portion <NUM>, and the connecting rod <NUM>, i.e. the end portions 242a of the second support portion <NUM>, are away from each other or approach each other. In the embodiments, the link unit <NUM> includes link members 262a and 262b and an actuator (not shown). The link member 262a is connected to the connecting rod <NUM>. The link member 262b is connected to the connecting rod <NUM>. The actuator moves the link members 262a and 262b in +Z-axis and -Z-axis directions in <FIG> and <FIG>.

The link unit <NUM> increase the tape pitch by rotating the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> in a direction in which the connecting rod <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM> are away from each other. On the other hand, the link unit <NUM> reduce the tape pitch by rotating the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> in a direction in which the connecting rod <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM> approach each other.

<FIG> diagrams illustrating movement of the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> moved by the link unit <NUM>. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating a first position. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating a second position. In <FIG>, dashed arrows indicate the feeding direction (passing direction) of the tape material T. In <FIG>, the tape material T is indicated by cross-hatching. Further, in <FIG>, the guide roller units <NUM> are shown as the guide roller units 210A to 210C.

As shown in <FIG>, the first position is a position where the guide roller units 210A, the guide roller units 210B, and the guide roller unit 210C are arranged adjacently in the X-axis direction in <FIG>. In the embodiments, the distance between adjacent guide roller units <NUM> is designed such that a target maximum full width TP1 is obtained when the guide roller units <NUM> are disposed at the first position. The full width is a width of the tape materials T when the tape materials T having passed through the guide roller units <NUM> are arranged without a gap in the width direction of the tape materials T (X-axis direction in <FIG>).

In the embodiments, the tape arranging device <NUM> arranges the tape materials T without a gap on a projection surface (XZ plane in <FIG>), by the guide roller units <NUM>. Therefore, the tape materials T having passed through the guide roller units <NUM> are separated from each other in the Y-axis direction in <FIG> (non-contact, see <FIG>).

At the first position, when the connecting rod <NUM> of the first support portion <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM> of the second support portion <NUM> are moved toward the -Z-axis direction in <FIG> (shown by white arrows in <FIG>) by the link unit <NUM>, the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> rotate around the shaft portion <NUM> with the shaft portion <NUM> as a rotation axis. Then, as shown in <FIG>, the connecting rod <NUM> of the first support portion <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM> of the second support portion <NUM> approach each other, and the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> form a V shape with the shaft portion <NUM> as a base point. Therefore, a full width TP2 shown in <FIG> is smaller than the full width TP1 (see <FIG>) of the tape materials T that have passed through the guide roller unit <NUM> at the first position.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating the distance between the guide roller units <NUM> due to rotation. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the distance between the guide roller units <NUM> at the first position. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the distance between the guide roller units <NUM> after rotation. In order to facilitate understanding, the guide roller units 210A are omitted in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, at the first position, the guide roller units 210B are disposed on the second support portion <NUM> so as to be spaced apart from each other by the same distance r on a straight line with the shaft portion <NUM> as a center. Similarly, at the first position, the guide roller units 210A are disposed on the first support portion <NUM> so as to be spaced apart from each other by the same distance r on the straight line with the shaft portion <NUM> as a center.

As shown in <FIG>, when the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> are rotated by a rotation angle θ and deformed into a V shape, the distance between adjacent guide roller units 210A and the distance between adjacent guide roller units 210B are always rcosθ at equal distances. That is, when the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> are rotated by the rotation angle θ and deformed into a V shape, the tape pitch (the distance between tape centers of the adjacent tapes) is always rcosθ at equal distances. By changing the rotation angle θ in this way, the tape pitch can be changed.

Further, in the embodiments, the tape pitch is a minimum tape pitch when the link unit <NUM> moves the tape materials T to pass through the guide roller units <NUM> disposed at the second position.

As described above, the width adjustment device <NUM> adjusts the width of each tape material T according to a desired tape pitch.

As described above, the tape arranging device <NUM> according to the embodiments can easily change the tape pitch while maintaining the number of the tape materials T with a simple structure in which the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> are simply rotated. Therefore, the composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> including the tape arranging device <NUM> can easily mold a structure. The composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> including the tape arranging device <NUM> can also perform steering lamination in which the fibers are laminated while changing directions of the fibers.

When the tape pitch is changed by pressing the end portion of the tape material T, the end portion of the tape material T is deformed and the tape width is changed. Accordingly, in the tape arrangement device <NUM> of the embodiments, the guide roller unit <NUM> presses a surface of the tape material in order to change the tape pitch. As a result, the tape arranging device <NUM> can change the tape pitch while preventing damage to the tape material T, as compared with a case where the tape arranging device <NUM> presses the end portion of the tape material T.

Further, when the tape pitch is changed without changing a position of the central tape material T, it is necessary to relatively reduce a moving distance of the tape material T at a position close to the central tape material T and relatively increase a moving distance of the tape material T at a position far from the central tape material T.

For this reason, in a comparative example in which a moving device is provided for each tape material T, the moving device is complicated, and control is difficult, so that there is a problem that many moving devices cannot be mounted on a laminating apparatus due to interference of the moving devices.

In contrast, as described above, the tape arranging device <NUM> according to the embodiments include the guide roller units <NUM>, the first support portion <NUM>, the second support portion <NUM>, the shaft portion <NUM>, and the link unit <NUM>. Accordingly, the tape arranging device <NUM> can relatively reduce the moving distance of the tape material T located at a position close to the central tape material T and relatively increase the moving distance of the tape material T located at a position far from the central tape material T with a simple structure in which the first support portion <NUM> and the second support portion <NUM> are simply rotated. Therefore, the tape arranging device <NUM> facilitates control related to the change of the tape pitch. Further, the tape arranging device <NUM> is lower in cost than that of the comparative example.

As described above, the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b have different positions in the Y-axis direction in <FIG>. Therefore, when the tape materials T enter the guide roller units <NUM>, a situation in which the adjacent tape materials T come into contact with each other can be avoided.

Further, the tape material T has adhesiveness, and when the tape materials T are integrated by contact with each other, there is a concern that the tape materials T may not be bent at the time of lamination. Therefore, the positions of the downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction in <FIG> are made different from each other. Accordingly, the situation in which the adjacent tape materials T sent out from the guide roller units <NUM> come into contact with each other and are not bent at the time of lamination can be avoided.

Although the preferred embodiment has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. It is apparent that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope described in the claims, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the guide roller unit <NUM> includes a pair of roller bodies <NUM> is described as an example. However, the guide roller unit <NUM> may include one roller body <NUM>. In the above embodiment, since the tape material T is introduced into the guide roller unit <NUM> from the -Z-axis direction, the guide roller unit <NUM> with which the tape material T is to be brought into contact is different between a case of increasing the tape pitch and a case of reducing the tape pitch. However, when the tape material T is introduced to the guide roller unit <NUM> from the X-axis direction, and the feeding direction of the tape material T is changed in the guide roller unit <NUM>, the other roller body <NUM> is unnecessary because the tape material T is always in contact with the roller body <NUM> on one side thereof.

In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the tape arranging device <NUM> includes one shaft portion <NUM> is described as an example. However, a plurality of shaft portions <NUM> may be provided. That is, the support portions may be moved into a W shape (or M shape) by the moving unit <NUM>.

In the above embodiment, a case in which the guide roller unit 210C is supported by the shaft portion <NUM> is described as an example. However, the guide roller unit 210C is not an essential component. For example, when the number of the tape materials T is an even number, the guide roller unit 210C may be omitted. Further, the number of guide roller units 210A may be different from the number of guide roller units 210B.

In the above embodiment, a case in which the downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b are provided to be different in positions in the Y-axis direction in <FIG> is described as an example. However, the positions of the downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b may be the same. The downstream support roller 114a and the downstream support roller 114b may be replaced by a single roller. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b are provided to be different in positions in the Y-axis direction in <FIG> is described as an example. However, the positions of the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b may be the same. Further, the upstream support roller 116a and the upstream support roller 116b may be replaced by a single roller.

In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> includes the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b is described as an example. However, the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b, and the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b are not essential components. For example, the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b can be omitted by disposing the compaction roller <NUM> at a position substantially corresponding to the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b in place of the downstream support rollers 114a and 114b. Further, the upstream support rollers 116a and 116b can also be omitted by changing a receiving direction of the tape material T and changing the path of the tape material T.

In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the composite material manufacturing apparatus <NUM> includes the width adjusting devices <NUM> is described as an example. However, the width adjustment device <NUM> is not an essential component. When the width adjustment device <NUM> is not provided, only the tape pitch is adjusted without changing the tape width.

According to the present disclosure, a plurality of tape materials can be arranged at any tape pitch.

Claim 1:
A tape arranging device (<NUM>) comprising:
guide roller units (<NUM>) through which tape materials (T) are capable of passing respectively, each of the tape materials being configured with fibers impregnated with resin; and
a moving unit (<NUM>) configured to move the guide roller units (<NUM>) in a lengthwise direction of the tape materials and to change a distance between adjacent ones of the guide roller units (<NUM>), the adjacent ones of the guide roller units (<NUM>) being adjacent to each other,
wherein the moving unit (<NUM>) includes:
a first and a second support portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) supporting the guide roller units (<NUM>) such that rotation axes of the guide roller units (<NUM>) are parallel to each other,
a shaft portion (<NUM>) rotatably supporting an end portion of the first support portion (<NUM>) and an end portion of the second support portion (<NUM>), and
a drive unit (<NUM>) configured to rotate the first support portion (<NUM>) and the second support portion (<NUM>).