A method of manufacturing a hollow composite material structure including a skin constituted by at least a thermosetting resin composition and a fiber material,
- the method using a mold located in the hollow composite material structure, the mold being constituted by a plurality of segments and kept as a single structure by coupling adjacent side surfaces of the segments to each other,
- the method comprising:
- laminating a prepreg on an outer peripheral surface of the mold, the prepreg being configured to become the skin by thermal curing;
- forming a vacuum bag after the prepreg is laminated, the vacuum bag being configured to seal an outside of the mold;
- and
- inserting seal members in seal grooves each provided on at least one of the adjacent side surfaces of the segments, each of the seal members being formed in a line shape having ends, wherein:
- a part of the seal member which part contacts a bottom surface of the seal groove when the seal member is inserted in the seal groove is referred to as a seal bottom portion;
- a part of the seal member which part is opposed to the seal bottom portion is referred to as a seal upper portion;
- a lip portion is provided at the seal upper portion such that at least a tip end of the lip portion projects to an outside of the seal groove when the seal member is inserted in the seal groove;
- the seal member is hollow therein or includes a concave portion on at least the seal bottom portion of the seal member;
- and
- when assembling the segments as the single structure, the adjacent side surfaces of the segments are coupled to each other, and the seal member provided at one of the segments is crushed in a cross sectional direction by the side surface of the other segment to seal between the segments,
- the method further comprising
- while subjecting an inside of the vacuum bag to vacuum suction, subjecting the prepreg to the thermal curing while being pressurized by autoclaving of the entire mold, wherein:
- a surface of the segment which surface constitutes an outer peripheral surface of the single structure is referred to as a front surface of the segment;
- both end portions of the seal groove are bent toward the front surface of the segment;
- a length of the seal member is set such that when the seal member is inserted in the seal groove, end portions of the seal member are exposed from respective end portions of the seal groove, i.e., from the front surface of the segment;
- after the seal member is inserted in the seal groove, the end portions of the seal member are cut near the front surface of the segment;
- and
- end portion pressing members are then fixed to the segment and press the respective end portions of the seal member such that the end portions of the seal member are not exposed from the front surface of the segment.