| abstract |
PCT No. PCT/JP97/04541 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 18, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 18, 1998 PCT Filed Dec. 10, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/45515 PCT Pub. Date Oct. 15, 1998The present invention provides a method and apparatus, in which a reinforcing fiber bundle consisting of a plurality of paralleled single fibers is or a plurality of mutually paralleled reinforcing fiber bundles respectively consisting of a plurality of paralleled single fibers are driven to run through a plurality of rolls while being bent to open the fiber, and in which the opened reinforcing fiber bundle is impregnated with resin to produce a prepreg, comprising vibrating at least one of the rolls in the axial direction of the roll, to open the reinforcing fiber bundle(s), pressing the reinforcing fiber bundle(s) to the peripheral surface of a roll located immediately downstream of the vibrating roll without vibrating the roll, and bringing the opened reinforcing fiber bundle(s) into contact with the peripheral surface of the non-vibrating roll with a contact length of not less than twice the contact length of the reinforcing fiber bundle(s) on the vibrating roll, for retaining the opened state of the reinforcing fiber bundle(s). The present invention allows the reinforcing fiber bundle(s) to be opened stably with little fuzzing caused, for producing a uniform and thin reinforcing fiber sheet, and from the uniform and thin reinforcing fiber sheet, a uniform and thin crack-less prepreg with a good grade can be obtained. |