Method and apparatus for manufacturing continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellet

An apparatus for manufacturing a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellet, comprising:

• a roving package constituted by a cylindrical package of a reinforcing fiber bundle;
• a reinforcing fiber bundle delivery device for drawing out the reinforcing fiber bundle in a successive manner from an inner periphery side of said roving package;
• an impregnation die for impregnating the reinforcing fiber bundle with molten thermoplastic resin to produce a resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber bundle, the reinforcing fiber bundle being introduced into said impregnation die after being drawn out continuously from said roving package by said reinforcing fiber bundle delivery device;
• a withdrawing device disposed on a downstream side of said impregnation die including a gripping surface to grip and withdraw a continuous fiber-reinforced resin strand of the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber bundle continuously from said impregnation die;
• and
• a cutter member for cutting said continuous fiber-reinforced resin strand,
• wherein said reinforcing fiber bundle delivery device includes a plurality of collapse suppressing members adapted to be pushed radially outwards against an inner periphery surface of said roving package to suppress collapse of winding layers and pushing means for displacing said plural collapse suppressing members radially outwards following the inner periphery surface of said roving package which inner periphery surface shifts radially outwards gradually as the reinforcing fiber bundle is drawn out in a successive manner.