FIBROUS STRUCTURE AND FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIAL
FIG4D is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the weft yarn is beaten with the reed to form the reinforced portion  FIG4C is a partial cross-sectional view showing a moving distance of the woven fabric to form the reinforced portion  FIG4A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state before a weft yarn is beaten with a reed  FIG4B is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the weft yarn is beaten with the reed to form the non-reinforced portion
As shown in FIG4D, when the weft yarn 13 is inserted and beaten with the reed 62 at the beating point P, the weft yarn 13 is pressed with the reed 62 by the amount that the weft yarn 13 projects from the beating point P, as indicated with the double-dashed chain line L1 in FIG4D. As a result, the reinforced-portion weft yarn 13b is formed to have the same width as the width W2 that is the width of the reinforced-portion weft yarn 13b. When the predetermined number of the reinforced-portion weft yarn 13b to form the reinforced portion 51 is woven, a part of the reinforced portion 51 is complete.  Subsequently, the reinforced portion 51 is formed. The moving distance of the woven fabric T in forming the reinforced portion 51 with the take-up roller 63 is made smaller than the first moving distance K1 of the woven fabric T in forming the non-reinforced portion 41, as shown in FIG4C. The distance of the woven fabric T moved to form the reinforced portion 51 is referred to as a second moving distance K2. The second moving distance K2 is smaller than the width W1 of the non-reinforced-portion weft yarn 13a in dimension. The second moving distance K2 corresponds to the width W2 of the reinforced-portion weft yarn 13b in dimension. When the woven fabric T is taken up, a space S1 corresponding to the width W2 in dimension is formed between the end G of the woven fabric T and the beating point P.  In forming the fiber structure 11 with the loom 60, the weft yarn 13 is inserted and beaten with the reed 62. In the following description, all the weft yarns 13 to be inserted have a horizontally elongated flat shape having the same width as the width W1 of the non-reinforced-portion weft yarn 13a. A beating point P is located at a position indicated with a double-dashed chain line L1 shown in FIG4A. The beating point P is always located at the same position. The weft yarn 13 is inserted at a position away from the beating point P, i.e. the double-dashed chain line L1, on a side away from the woven fabric T.  The weft yarn 13 is inserted and beaten with the reed 62 at the beating point P, as shown in FIG4B. In this case, the weft yarn 13 does not project from the beating point P. The weft yarn 13 maintains the width W1 without being pressed. In this way, the non-reinforced-portion weft yarn 13a forms a part of the non-reinforced portion 41.
partial cross-sectional view
14
warp yarns warp yarn
2
cost may be reduced. second portion
10
fiber-reinforced composite
62
reed
13
weft yarns weft yarn
['1. A fiber structure used as a reinforcement base material of a fiber-reinforced composite, the fiber structure comprising: a multi-layered fabric including a warp layer and a weft layer, wherein when one direction refers to a direction in which warp yarns are adjacent to each other in the warp layer or weft yarns are adjacent to each other in the weft layer, the fiber structure comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being continuous with each other along the one direction, each of the warp yarns forming the second portion is thicker than each of the warp yarns forming the first portion, and/or each of the weft yarns forming the second portion is thicker than each of the weft yarns forming the first portion, and when a pitch between the yarns refers to a distance between main axes of the yarns adjacent to each other in the one direction, the pitch between the yarns in the second portion is smaller than the pitch between the yarns in the first portion.']