Mold for manufacturing composite material molded product, and method for manufacturing composite material molded product

A method for manufacturing a composite material molded product, the method comprising:

• disposing a laminate of prepregs in a cavity between an outer mold and an inner mold of a mold main body;
• disposing a pressure distributor in the cavity;
• disposing an expansion core in the cavity, wherein the expansion core expands itself, the expansion core is in contact with an outer surface of the pressure distributor and an inner surface of the pressure distributor is in contact with a surface of the laminate before expansion of the expansion core;
• sealing the cavity, between the outer mold to the inner mold, by fastening the inner mold to the outer mold with fasteners;
• heating the mold main body including the outer mold and the inner mold without pressing to expand the expansion core;
• curing the laminate;
• and
• distributing, during the curing, a pressing force to the laminate by the pressure distributor due to expansion of the expansion core, wherein
• the cavity is sealed so that a volume of the cavity does not change during the heating, the curing and the distributing,
• the laminate is formed into a C-shape
• the inner mold is positioned to be enclosed by a first portion of the laminate, a second portion of the laminate and a third portion of the laminate, such that the inner mold is in contact with the inner surface of the laminate,
• the pressure distributor is disposed so as to be contiguous over the first, second and third portions and in contact with the outer surface of the first, second and third portions,
• the expansion core covers the outer surface of the pressure distributor in a manner that is contiguous over the first, second and third portions, and
• the outer mold is positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the expansion core.