Patent Application
20090050261
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body by delivering two or more elongate photosensitive webs each comprising a photosensitive material layer and a protective film that are successively deposited on a support, peeling off the protective films to expose the photosensitive material layers, and attaching the exposed photosensitive material layers parallel to each other to substrates.
Substrates for liquid crystal panels, substrates for printed wiring boards, and substrates for PDP panels, for example, have a photosensitive sheet (photosensitive web) having a photosensitive material (photosensitive resin) layer and applied to a substrate surface. The photosensitive sheet comprises a photosensitive material layer and a protective film that are successively deposited on a flexible plastic support.
An applying apparatus for applying such a photosensitive sheet usually operates to feed substrates such as glass substrates, resin substrates, or the like at predetermined intervals, and peel off the protective film from the photosensitive sheet for a length corresponding to the range of the photosensitive material layer that is to be applied to each of the substrates.
According to a method of and an apparatus for applying a film as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-34280, for example, as shown in
The laminated film 1a that extends along the horizontal film feed plane from the guide rolls 2a, 2b is trained around a suction roll 4. A partial cutter 5 and a cover film peeler 6 are disposed along the horizontal film feed plane between the guide roll 2b and the suction roll 4.
The partial cutter 5 has a pair of disk cutters 5a, 5b. The disk cutters 5a, 5b are movable transversely across the laminated film 1a to cut off a cover film (not shown) of the laminated film 1a together with a photosensitive resin layer (not shown) on the reverse side of the cover film.
The cover film peeler 6 presses a sticky tape 7a unreeled from a sticky tape roll 7 strongly against the cover film between presser rollers 8a, 8b, and then winds up the sticky tape 7a around a takeup roll 9. The cover film is peeled off from the photosensitive resin layer by the sticky tape 7a, and wound together with the sticky tape 7a around the takeup roll 9.
The suction roll 4 is followed downstream by a pair of lamination rolls 12a, 12b for superposing and pressing the laminated film 1a against upper surfaces of a plurality of substrates 11 which are successively intermittently fed by a substrate feeder 10. A support film takeup roll 13 is disposed downstream of the lamination rolls 12a, 12b. Light-transmissive support films (not shown) applied to the respective substrates 11 are peeled off and wound up by the support film takeup roll 13.
As liquid crystal panels, plasma display panels, and other panels are becoming larger in size, the sizes of substrates for use in those panels are also becoming larger in size. Larger-size substrates have transversely larger, i.e., wider, areas to which a photosensitive resin layer is to be transferred, and hence a photosensitive sheet for use therewith needs to have a larger transverse dimension, i.e., a larger width.
However, a wider photosensitive sheet in the form of a roll cannot be handled efficiently with ease, and a reel-out mechanism for unreeling the photosensitive sheet from the roll is also larger in size. The wider photosensitive sheet is heavier, is more liable to develop wrinkles therein, and is more difficult to handle.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, which is easy to handle, by reliably attaching two or more elongate photosensitive webs parallel to each other to substrates through a simple process and arrangement.
According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, comprising at least two web reel-out mechanisms for synchronously reeling out elongate photosensitive webs each comprising a support, a photosensitive material layer disposed on the support, and a protective film disposed on the photosensitive material layer, the protective film having a peel-off section and a residual section, at least two processing mechanisms for forming processed regions which are transversely severable in the protective films of the elongate photosensitive webs which have been reeled out by the web reel-out mechanisms, at respective boundary positions between the peel-off section and the residual section, at least two peeling mechanisms for peeling the peel-off section off from each of the elongate photosensitive webs, leaving the residual section, a substrate feed mechanism for feeding a substrate which has been heated to a predetermined temperature to an attachment position, an attachment mechanism for positioning the residual section between substrates and integrally attaching in parallel at least two exposed areas of the photosensitive material layers from which the peel-off section has been peeled off to the substrate in the attachment position, thereby producing an attached substrate, at least two support peeling mechanisms positioned downstream from the attachment mechanism for peeling off the support from each attached substrate, a cooling mechanism positioned between the attachment mechanism and the support peeling mechanisms, for cooling the attached substrate, and a heating mechanism for heating a resin layer, which is laminated on the support, within a predetermined temperature range which is at or below the glass transition temperature.
Further, the support peeling mechanism may preferably include a tension applying structure for applying tension to the support along the attachment direction with the substrate when peeling off the support.
Furthermore, the support peeling mechanism may also preferably comprise a peeling roller for peeling the support from the substrate following an outer circumferential portion thereof, and a peeling guide member for guiding the support along an outer circumference of the peeling roller while moving between substrates.
Still further, the attachment mechanism may preferably comprise a pair of rubber rollers, which can be heated to a predetermined temperature, and a pair of backup rollers in sliding contact with the pair of rubber rollers, wherein outer circumferential surfaces of at least one of the rubber rollers and/or at least one of the backup rollers is set with a crown shape.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, comprising at least two web reel-out mechanisms for synchronously reeling out elongate photosensitive webs each comprising a support, a photosensitive material layer disposed on the support, and a protective film disposed on the photosensitive material layer, the protective film having a peel-off section and a residual section, at least two processing mechanisms for forming processed regions which are transversely severable in the protective films of the elongate photosensitive webs which have been reeled out by the web reel-out mechanisms, at respective boundary positions between the peel-off section and the residual section, at least two peeling mechanisms for peeling the peel-off section off from each of the elongate photosensitive webs, leaving the residual section, a substrate feed mechanism for feeding a substrate which has been heated to a predetermined temperature to an attachment position, an attachment mechanism for positioning the residual section between substrates and integrally attaching in parallel at least two exposed areas of the photosensitive material layers from which the peel-off section has been peeled off to the substrate while in the attachment position, thereby producing an attached substrate, and at least two support peeling mechanisms positioned downstream from the attachment mechanism for peeling off the support from each attached substrate, wherein the processing mechanisms comprise a cutter for forming partially cut regions, which constitute the processed regions, in the elongate photosensitive webs, and a heater for heating the partially cut regions at the time of making the partial cuts to a predetermined temperature corresponding to the cutter.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, comprising the steps of synchronously reeling out at least two elongate photosensitive webs each comprising a support, a photosensitive material layer disposed on the support, and a protective film disposed on the photosensitive material layer, the protective film having a peel-off section and a residual section, forming processed regions which are transversely severable in the protective films of the elongate photosensitive webs which have been reeled out, at respective boundary positions between the peel-off section and the residual section, peeling the peel-off section off from each of the elongate photosensitive webs, leaving the residual section, feeding a substrate which has been heated to a predetermined temperature to an attachment position, positioning the residual section between substrates and integrally attaching in parallel at least two exposed areas of the photosensitive material layers from which the peel-off section has been peeled off to the substrate in the attachment position, thereby producing an attached substrate, cooling the attached substrate at a position downstream from the attachment position, and heating a resin layer, which is laminated on the support, within a predetermined temperature range which is at or below the glass transition temperature.
Furthermore, the method may preferably comprise a step of peeling each support from the attached substrate for obtaining a photosensitive laminated body, after severing each elongate photosensitive web between attached substrates downstream from the attachment position, and applying tension to the support along the attachment direction thereof with the substrate when the support is peeled.
Further, the method may preferably comprise the steps of peeling the support from the substrate following an outer circumferential portion of a peeling roller, and guiding the support along an outer circumference of the peeling roller while a peeling guide member moves between substrates.
In addition, according to the present invention, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, comprising the steps of synchronously reeling out at least two elongate photosensitive webs each comprising a support, a photosensitive material layer disposed on the support, and a protective film disposed on the photosensitive material layer, the protective film having a peel-off section and a residual section, making partial cuts in the elongate photosensitive web while heating partially cut regions to a predetermined temperature corresponding to a cutter, which are transversely severable in the protective films of the elongate photosensitive webs which have been reeled out, at respective boundary positions between the peel-off section and the residual section, peeling the peel-off section off from each of the elongate photosensitive webs, leaving the residual section, feeding a substrate which has been heated to a predetermined temperature to an attachment position, positioning the residual section between substrates and integrally attaching in parallel at least two exposed areas of the photosensitive material layers from which the peel-off section has been peeled off to the substrate in the attachment position, thereby producing an attached substrate, and preheating the elongate photosensitive web to a predetermined temperature at a vicinity upstream of the attachment position.
As a result of the above features, at least two photosensitive material layers that are transversely spaced from each other can be transferred effectively onto a wide substrate, and a high-quality photosensitive laminated body can efficiently be produced. Further, in the elongate photosensitive webs, residual stresses within the resin layer are reliably mitigated, and the support can be easily and favorably peeled off from the resin layer.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.
As shown in
The manufacturing apparatus 20 also has, positioned downstream of the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b, first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b for changing the feed mode of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b from an intermittent feed mode to a continuous feed mode, first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b for peeling predetermined lengths of the protective films 30 from the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, a substrate feed mechanism 45 for feeding a glass substrate 24 which is heated to a predetermined temperature to an attachment position, and an attachment mechanism 46 for attaching the photosensitive resin layers 28 which have been exposed by peeling off the protective films 30, integrally and parallel to each other, to the glass substrate 24.
First and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b for directly detecting the partially cut regions 34 at the boundary positions of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are disposed upstream of and closely to the attachment position in the attachment mechanism 46. An inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48 for cutting the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b altogether between adjacent glass substrates 24 is disposed downstream of the attachment mechanism 46. A web cutting mechanism 48a that is used when the manufacturing apparatus 20 starts and finishes operating is disposed upstream of the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48.
Attachment bases 49 for attaching the trailing ends of photosensitive webs 22a, 22b that have essentially been used up and the leading ends of photosensitive webs 22a, 22b that are to be newly used are disposed downstream or and closely to the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b, respectively. The attachment bases 49 are followed downstream by respective film end position detectors 51 for controlling transverse shifts of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b due to winding irregularities of the photosensitive web rolls 23a, 23b. The film ends of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are positionally adjusted by transversely moving the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b. However, the film ends of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b may be adjusted by position adjusting mechanisms combined with rollers. Each of the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b may comprise a multi-shaft mechanism including two or three unreeling shafts for supporting one of the photosensitive web rolls 23a, 23b and feeding out one of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b.
The first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b are disposed downstream of respective roller pairs 50 for calculating the diameters of the photosensitive web rolls 23a, 23b accommodated in the respective first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b. The first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b have respective single circular blades 52 which travel transversely across the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to form partially cut regions 34 in the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b at a given position thereon.
As shown in
Each of the first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b may comprise two processing mechanisms disposed at a predetermined interval in the direction indicated by the arrow A in which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed, for simultaneously forming two partially cut regions 34 with a residual section 30b interposed therebetween.
Two closely spaced partially cut regions 34 formed in the protective film 30 serve to set a spaced interval between two adjacent glass substrates 24. For example, these partially cut regions 34 are formed in the protective film 30 at positions that are 10 mm spaced inwardly from respective edges of the glass substrates 24. The section of the protective film 30 which is interposed between the partially cut regions 34 and exposed between the glass substrates 24 functions as a mask when the photosensitive resin layer 28 is applied as a frame to the glass substrate 24 in the attachment mechanism 46 to be described later.
The first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b supply adhesive labels 38 for interconnecting a front peel-off section 30aa and a rear peel-off section 30ab in order to leave a residual section 30b of the protective film 30 between glass substrates 24. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b have respective dancer rollers 60 which are rotatable and swingable for absorbing a speed difference between the intermittent feed mode in which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed upstream of the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b and the continuous feed mode in which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed downstream of the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b. The second reservoir mechanism 42b also has a dancer roller 61 for equalizing feed path lengths for the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to travel from the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b to the attachment mechanism 46.
The first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, which are disposed downstream of the respective first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b, have respective suction drums 62 for blocking variations of the tension to which the supplied photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are subjected for thereby stabilizing the tension of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b when they are subsequently laminated. The first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b also have respective peeling rollers 63 disposed closely to the suction drums 62. The protective films 30 that are peeled off from the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b at a sharp peel-off angle are wound, except residual sections 30b, by respective protective film takeup units 64.
First and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b for imparting tension to the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are disposed downstream of the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, respectively. The first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b have respective cylinders 68 that are actuatable to angularly displace respective tension dancers 70 to adjust the tension of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b with which the tension dancers 70 are held in rolling contact. The first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b may be employed only when necessary, and may be dispensed with.
The first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b have respective photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b such as laser sensors, photosensors, or the like for directly detecting changes in the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b due to wedge-shaped grooves in the partially cut regions 34, steps produced by different thicknesses of the protective films 30, or a combination thereof. Detected signals from the photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b are used as boundary position signals representative of the boundary positions in the protective films 30. The photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b are disposed in confronting relation to respective backup rollers 73a, 73b. Alternatively, non-contact displacement gauges or image inspecting means such as CCD cameras or the like may be employed instead of the photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b.
The positional data of the partially cut regions 34 which are detected by the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b can be statistically processed and converted into graphic data in real time. When the positional data detected by the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b show an undue variation or bias, the manufacturing apparatus 20 may generate a warning.
The manufacturing apparatus 20 may employ a different system for generating boundary position signals. According to such a different system, the partially cut regions 34 are not directly detected, but marks are applied to the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. For example, holes or recesses may be formed in the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b near the partially cut regions 34 in the vicinity of the first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b, or the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b may be slit by a laser beam or an aqua jet or may be marked by an ink jet or a printer. The marks on the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are detected, and detected signals are used as boundary position signals.
The substrate feed mechanism 45 has a plurality of substrate heating units (e.g., heaters) 74 disposed for sandwiching and heating glass substrates 24, and a feeder 76 for feeding glass substrates 24 in the direction indicated by the arrow C. The temperatures of the glass substrates 24 in the substrate heating units 74 are monitored at all times. When the monitored temperature of a glass substrate 24 becomes abnormal, the feeder 76 is inactivated and a warning is issued, and abnormality information is sent to reject and discharge the abnormal glass substrate 24 in a subsequent process, and is also used for quality control and production management. The feeder 76 has an air-floated plate (not shown) for floating and feeding glass substrates 24 in the direction indicated by the arrow C. Instead, the feeder 76 may comprise a roller conveyor for feeding glass substrates 24.
The temperatures of the glass substrates 24 should preferably be measured in the substrate heating units 74 or immediately prior to the attachment position according to a contact process (using a thermocouple, for example) or a non-contact process.
A substrate storage frame 71 for storing a plurality of glass substrates 24 is disposed upstream of the substrate heating unit 74. The glass substrates 24 stored in the substrate storage frame 71 are attracted one by one by a suction pad 79 on a hand 75a of a robot 75, taken out from the substrate storage frame 71, and inserted into the substrate heating units 74.
Downstream of the substrate heating units 74, there are disposed a stopper 77 for abutting against the leading end of a glass substrate 24 and holding the glass substrate 24, and a position sensor 78 for detecting the position of the leading end of the glass substrate 24. The position sensor 78 detects the position of the leading end of the glass substrate 24 on its way toward the attachment position. After the position sensor 78 has detected the position of the leading end of the glass substrate 24, the glass substrate 24 is fed a predetermined distance and is positioned between rubber rollers 80a, 80b of the attachment mechanism 46. Preferably, a plurality of position sensors 78 are disposed at predetermined intervals along the feed path for monitoring the times at which a glass substrate 24 reaches the respective positions of the position sensors 78, thereby to check a delay due to a slippage or the like of the glass substrate 24 when the glass substrate 24 starts to be fed. In
The attachment mechanism 46 has a pair of vertically spaced laminating rubber rollers 80a, 80b that can be heated to a predetermined temperature. The attachment mechanism 46 also has a pair of backup rollers 82a, 82b held in rolling contact with the rubber rollers 80a, 80b, respectively. The backup roller 82b is pressed against the rubber roller 80b by pressing cylinders 84a, 84b of a roller clamp unit 83.
As shown in
As shown in
Glass substrates 24 are fed from the attachment mechanism 46 through the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48 along a feed path 88 which extends in the direction indicated by the arrow C. The feed path 88 comprises an array of rollers including film feed rollers 90a, 90b and substrate feed rollers 92 with the web cutting mechanism 48a interposed therebetween. The distance between the rubber rollers 80a, 80b and the substrate feed rollers 92 is equal to or less than the length of one glass substrate 24.
As shown in
The nip roller group 89a comprises a plurality of, e.g., five, nip rollers 91a that are disposed at predetermined intervals along the film feed roller 90a, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow D. The nip rollers 91a are individually movable toward and away from the film feed roller 90a by respective cylinders 99a. Similarly, the nip roller group 89b comprises a plurality of, e.g., five, nip rollers 91b that are disposed at predetermined intervals along the film feed roller 90b, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow D. The nip rollers 91b are individually movable toward and away from the film feed roller 90b by respective cylinders 99b.
In the manufacturing apparatus 20, the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b, the first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b, the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b, the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b, the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, the first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b, and the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b are disposed above the attachment mechanism 46. Conversely, the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b, the first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b, the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b, the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b, the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, the first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b, and the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b may be disposed below the attachment mechanism 46, so that the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b may be rendered upside down such that the photosensitive resin layer 28 is attached to the lower surfaces of glass substrates 24. Alternatively, all the mechanisms of the manufacturing apparatus 20 may be linearly arrayed.
As shown in
The substrate heating controller 104 controls the substrate heating units 74 to receive glass substrates 24 from an upstream process and heat the received glass substrates 24 to a desired temperature, controls the feeder 76 to feed the heated glass substrates 24 to the attachment mechanism 46, and also controls the handling of information about the glass substrates 24.
The lamination controller 102 serves as process master for controlling the functional components of the manufacturing apparatus 20. The lamination controller 102 operates as a control mechanism for controlling relative positions of the boundary positions and the glass substrate 24 and relative positions of the boundary positions themselves in the attachment position based on the positional information, detected by the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b, of the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b.
The installation space of the manufacturing apparatus 20 is divided into a first clean room 112a and a second clean room 112b by a partition wall 110. The first clean room 112a houses therein the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b, the first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b, the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b, the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b, the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, and the first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b. The second clean room 112b houses therein the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b and the other components following the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b. The first clean room 112a and the second clean room 112b are connected to each other by a through region 114.
As shown in
The deduster 115 has a pair of suction nozzles 117a disposed in confronting relation to respective opposite surfaces of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, and a pair of ejection nozzles 118 disposed respectively in the suction nozzles 117a. The ejection nozzles 118 eject air to the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to remove dust particles from the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, and the suction nozzles 117a draw the ejected air and the removed dust particles. Preferably, the air from the ejection nozzles 118 may be electric neutralizing (or antistatic) air.
The air sealer 116 has a pair of suction nozzles 117b disposed in confronting relation to respective opposite surfaces of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. The suction nozzles 117b draw air to seal the through region 114. The deduster 115 and the air sealer 116 may be switched around in position, or a plurality of dedusters 115 and a plurality of air sealers 116 may be combined with each other. Only the suction nozzle 117a, but not the ejection nozzle 118, may be disposed in confronting relation to the side of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b where the photosensitive resin layers 28 are exposed.
In the manufacturing apparatus 20, the partition wall 110 prevents heated air from the attachment mechanism 46 from thermally affecting the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, i.e., from wrinkling, deforming, thermally shrinking, or stretching the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. The partition wall 110 separates an upper area of the manufacturing apparatus 20, i.e., the first clean room 112a, where dust particles are liable to occur and fall, from a lower area of the manufacturing apparatus 20, i.e., the second clean room 112b, thereby keeping the attachment mechanism 46 in particular clean. It is desirable to keep the pressure in the second clean room 112b higher than the pressure in the first clean room 112a, thereby preventing dust particles from flowing from the first clean room 112a into the second clean room 112b.
An air supply (not shown) for supplying a downward flow of clean air is disposed in an upper portion of the second clean room 112b.
Operation of the manufacturing apparatus 20 for carrying out a manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described below.
Initially for positioning the leading ends of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b in place, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are unreeled from the respective photosensitive web rolls 23a, 23b accommodated in the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b. The photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are delivered through the first and second processing mechanisms 36a, 36b, the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b, the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b, the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, and the attachment mechanism 46 to the film feed rollers 90a, 90b.
As shown in
Of the nip roller group 89b, two nip rollers 91b which are positioned over the narrower photosensitive web 22b (remoter from the viewer) are displaced toward the film feed roller 90b by the respective cylinders 99b until the narrower photosensitive web 22b is sandwiched between the two nip rollers 91b and the film feed roller 90b.
The remaining two nip rollers 91a (remoter from the viewer) of the nip roller group 89a are spaced away from the film feed roller 90a, and the remaining three nip rollers 91b (closer to the viewer) of the nip roller group 89b are spaced away from the film feed roller 90b.
When a partially cut region 34 of the photosensitive web 22a is detected by the photoelectric sensor 72a of the first detecting mechanism 47a, the film feed roller 90a is rotated based on a detected signal from the photoelectric sensor 72a. The photosensitive web 22a is now fed a predetermined distance to the attachment position by the film feed roller 90a and the three nip rollers 91a which sandwich the photosensitive web 22a therebetween.
When a partially cut region 34 of the photosensitive web 22b is detected by the photoelectric sensor 72b of the second detecting mechanism 47b, the film feed roller 90b is rotated based on a detected signal from the photoelectric sensor 72b. The photosensitive web 22b is now fed a predetermined distance to the attachment position by the film feed roller 90b and the two nip rollers 91b which sandwich the photosensitive web 22b therebetween. The partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are now positioned in the attachment position. The partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b may be detected downstream of the attachment position, and the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b may be stopped at a given position.
After the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b have been fed the predetermined distance, as shown in
Operation of the functional components of the manufacturing apparatus 20 in a lamination mode will be described below.
As shown in
Then, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed to the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b to place respective predetermined bonding areas of the protective films 30 on the support bases 56. In the first and second label bonding mechanisms 40a, 40b, a predetermined number of adhesive labels 38 are attracted under suction and held by the suction pads 54b through 54e and are securely bonded to the front peel-off section 30aa and the rear peel-off section 30ab of the protective film 30 across the residual section 30b thereof (see
The photosensitive webs 22a, 22b with the five adhesive labels 38 bonded thereto, for example, are isolated by the first and second reservoir mechanisms 42a, 42b from variations of the tension to which the supplied photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are subjected, and then continuously fed to the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b. In the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, as shown in
At this time, inasmuch as the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are firmly held by the suction drum 62, shocks produced when the protective films 30 are peeled off from the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are not transferred to the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b downstream of the suction drum 62. Consequently, such shocks are not transferred to the attachment mechanism 46, and hence laminated sections of glass substrates 24 are effectively prevented from developing a striped defective region.
After the protective films 30 have been peeled off from the base films 26, leaving the residual sections 30b, by the first and second peeling mechanisms 44a, 44b, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are adjusted in tension by the first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b, and then partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are detected by the photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b of the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b.
Based on detected information of the partially cut regions 34, the film feed rollers 90a, 90b are rotated to feed the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b a predetermined length to the attachment mechanism 46. At this time, the contact prevention roller 86 is waiting above the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b and the rubber roller 80b is disposed below the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b.
As shown in
Then, as shown in
The photosensitive resin layers 28 are laminated onto the glass substrate 24 under such conditions that the photosensitive resin layers 28 are fed at a speed in the range from 1.0 m/min. to 10 m/min., the rubber rollers 80a, 80b have a temperature ranging from 100° C. to 150° C., and a hardness ranging from 40 to 90, and apply a pressure (linear pressure) ranging from 50 N/cm to 400 N/cm.
As shown in
As shown in
The rubber roller 80b is retracted away from the rubber roller 80a, unclamping the attached substrate 24a. Specifically, as shown in
The substrate feed rollers 92 then start rotating to feed the attached substrate 24a a predetermined distance in the direction indicated by the arrow C. The position of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b which is to be brought between two adjacent glass substrates 24 is now displaced to a position beneath the rubber roller 80a. A next glass substrate 24 is fed toward the attachment position by the substrate feed mechanism 45. When the leading end of the next glass substrate 24 is positioned between the rubber rollers 80a, 80b, the rubber roller 80b is lifted, clamping the next glass substrate 24 and the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b between the rubber rollers 80a, 80b. The rubber rollers 80a, 80b and the substrate feed roller 92 are rotated to start laminating the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b onto the glass substrate 24 and feed an attached substrate 24a in the direction indicated by the arrow C (see
At this time, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
When the laminating process is temporarily stopped, as shown in
When the manufacturing apparatus 20 is to be shut off, the substrate feed rollers 92 are rotated to feed the attached substrate 24a in the direction indicated by the arrow C, and the film feed roller 90 clamps the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. While the film feed rollers 90a, 90b in rotation are clamping the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, the web cutting mechanism 48a travels transversely across the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, cutting off the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b.
Consequently, as shown in
When the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48 and the web cutting mechanism 48a cut off the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, they move in synchronism with the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b in the direction indicated by the arrow C. However, the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48 and the web cutting mechanism 48a may move only transversely across the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to cut off the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. The photosensitive webs 22a, 22b may be cut off by a Thomson blade while they are held at rest, or may be cut off by a rotary blade while they are in motion.
When the manufacturing apparatus 20 operates in its initial state, as shown in
When the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b detect partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed a predetermined length from the detected position. Specifically, when the contact prevention roller 86 is elevated, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed until the partially cut regions 34 reach a position where the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are to be laminated by the rubber rollers 80a, 80b. The leading ends of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are now positioned in place.
In the first embodiment, the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are directly detected by the respective first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b upwardly of and closely to the attachment mechanism 46. The distance from the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b to the position where the partially cut regions 34 are stopped by the rubber rollers 80a, 80b needs to be smaller than the shortest length of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to be laminated. This is because the information of the detected partially cut regions 34 is used for a next laminating process through feedback.
The first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b perform two measuring processes as described below. According to the first measuring process, the rubber rollers 80a, 80b clamp the glass substrate 24, and the number of pulses generated by an encoder combined with a drive motor (not shown) for rotating the rubber rollers 80a, 80b, as representing the distance by which the glass substrate 24 is fed from the start of rotation of the rubber rollers 80a, 80b, is compared with the preset numbers of pulses generated when the respective partially cut regions 34 are to be detected by the first and second detecting mechanisms 47a, 47b, thereby measuring displacements of the partially cut regions 34. If the partially cut region 34 of each of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b is detected before the preset number of pulses is reached, then the partially cut region 34 is judged as being displaced forwardly of a predetermined position on the glass substrate 24 by a distance indicated by the difference between the numbers of pulses. Conversely, if the partially cut region 34 of each of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b is detected after the preset number of pulses is reached, then the partially cut region 34 is judged as being displaced rearwardly of a predetermined position on the glass substrate 24.
According to the second measuring process, the number of pulses generated by an encoder combined with a drive motor (not shown) for rotating the rubber rollers 80a, 80b is measured from the detection of a partially cut region 34 to the detection of a next partially cut region 34, thereby measuring the laminated length of each of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. The preset number of pulses corresponding to the laminated length under normal conditions of each of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b is compared with the actually measured number of pulses. If the actually measured number of pulses is greater than the preset number of pulses, then the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are judged as being stretched due to heat or the like by a distance indicated by the difference between the numbers of pulses. If the actually measured number of pulses is smaller than the preset number of pulses, then the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are judged as being short.
If the leading ends of the photosensitive resin layers 28 are detected as being displaced (advanced) equal distances or substantially equal distances with respect to an attached range P1-P2 of the glass substrate 24 according to the first measuring process, as shown in
Specifically, if the partially cut regions 34 detected by the photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b are detected as being advanced from a predetermined position, then as shown in
If the partially cut regions 34 detected by the photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b are detected as being delayed from the attached range P1-P2 of the glass substrate 24, then the substrate feed rollers 92 feed unattached portions of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b after being laminated by a distance represented by the sum of the preset distance and the delayed distance. As a result, the partially cut regions 34 are positionally adjusted and placed in a predetermined position between the rubber rollers 80a, 80b. Thereafter, the glass substrate 24 is delivered under normal delivery control between the rubber rollers 80a, 80b, and the photosensitive resin layers 28 are attached at a normal position to the glass substrate 24, i.e., in the attached range P1-P2 of the glass substrate 24.
Rather than adjusting the distance that the attached substrate 24a is fed by the substrate feed rollers 92, the substrate feed mechanism 45 may be controlled to adjust the position at which the glass substrate 24 is to be stopped, by the advanced or delayed distance.
The distances between the partially cut regions 34 detected by the photoelectric sensors 72a, 72b, i.e., the lengths H of the photosensitive resin layers 28 to be attached to the glass substrate 24, are measured according to the second measuring process. If the lengths H are greater than the attached range P1-P2 by equal lengths or substantially equal lengths (see
It is also possible to change the amount of stretch of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b by adjusting the tension of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b with the tension dancers 70 of the first and second tension control mechanisms 66a, 66b.
If the leading ends of the photosensitive resin layers 28 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are judged as being displaced from the attached range P1-P2 of the glass substrate 24 according to the first measuring process, as shown in
The photosensitive resin layers 28 to be attached to the glass substrate 24 may be adjusted in position by positionally adjusting one or both of the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. At this time, the relative positions of the glass substrate 24 and the photosensitive resin layers 28 may be set to position the attached range P1-P2 in alignment with the intermediate position of the displacement of the photosensitive resin layers 28 in the direction indicated by the arrow C until the displacement is corrected. The relative positions may be set by adjusting the feed by the substrate feed rollers 92 of the unattached portion of the photosensitive web 22a or 22b after being laminated or by adjusting the stopped position of the glass substrate 24 under the control of the substrate feed mechanism 45.
If the length of the photosensitive resin layer 28 of the photosensitive web 22a and the length of the photosensitive resin layer 28 of the photosensitive web 22b are judged as being different from each other according to the second measuring process, as shown in
If the lengths and positions of the leading ends of the photosensitive resin layers 28 are judged as being different from each other according to the first and second measuring processes, as shown in
The transverse positions of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b can be controlled by the film end position detectors 51 and film end position adjusting mechanisms (not shown). The transverse position of the glass substrate 24 can be corrected by a transverse position adjusting mechanism (not shown) which is disposed immediately before the attachment position.
Consequently, the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b can be positioned highly accurately with respect to the attachment position, allowing the photosensitive resin layers 28 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to be attached parallel to each other accurately in a desired area of the glass substrate 24. It is thus possible to efficiently manufacture a high-quality photosensitive laminated body 106 through a simple process and arrangement.
According to the first embodiment, since two photosensitive resin layers 28 that are transversely spaced from each other can well be transferred onto the wide glass substrate 24, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b do not need to be wide per se. Therefore, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b can be handled with increased ease, so that the overall manufacturing process can be performed efficiently and the expenses of the manufacturing facility can be reduced easily.
The first embodiment of
As shown in
The cooling mechanism 122 supplies cold air to an attached substrate 24a to cool the attached substrate 24a after the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are cut off between the attached substrate 24a and a following attached substrate 24a by the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48. Specifically, the cooling mechanism 122 supplies cold air having a temperature of 10° C. at a rate ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 m/min.
The base peeling mechanism 124 disposed downstream of the cooling mechanism 122 has a plurality of suction pads 126 for attracting the lower surface of an attached substrate 24a. While the attached substrate 24a is being attracted under suction by the suction pads 126, the base films 26 and the residual sections 30b are peeled off from the attached substrate 24a by a robot hand 128. Electric neutralizing blowers (not shown) for ejecting ion air to four sides of the laminated area of the attached substrate 24a are disposed upstream, downstream, and laterally of the suction pads 126. The base films 26 and the residual sections 30b may be peeled off from the attached substrate 24a while a table for supporting the attached substrate 24a thereon is being oriented vertically, obliquely, or turned upside down for dust removal.
The base peeling mechanism 124 is followed downstream by a photosensitive laminated body storage frame 132 for storing a plurality of photosensitive laminated bodies 106. A photosensitive laminated body 106 that is produced when the base films 26 and the residual sections 30b are peeled off from the attached substrate 24a by the base peeling mechanism 124 is attracted by suction pads 136 on a hand 134a of a robot 134, taken out from the base peeling mechanism 124, and placed into the photosensitive laminated body storage frame 132.
To the lamination process controller 100, there are connected the lamination controller 102, the substrate heating controller 104, and also a base peeling controller 138. The base peeling controller 138 controls the base peeling mechanism 124 to peel off the base film 26 from the attached substrate 24a that is supplied from the attachment mechanism 46, and also to discharge the photosensitive laminated body 106 to a downstream process. The base peeling controller 138 also handles information about the attached substrate 24a and the photosensitive laminated body 106.
In the first and second detecting mechanisms 121a, 121b according to the second embodiment, the photoelectric sensors 123a, 123c which are positioned upstream of the photoelectric sensors 123b, 123d first detect the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. Thereafter, the downstream photoelectric sensors 123b, 123d detect the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. The distance L between the backup rollers 73a, 73c and the backup rollers 73b, 73d corresponds to the length of each of the photosensitive resin layers 28 applied to the glass substrate 24.
The actual applied lengths of the photosensitive resin layers 28 can accurately be calculated from the difference between the time when the upstream photoelectric sensors 123a, 123c detect the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b and the time when the downstream photoelectric sensors 123b, 123d detect the same partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b. Based on the calculated actual applied lengths of the photosensitive resin layers 28, the speeds at which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are fed are adjusted to apply the photosensitive resin layers 28 centrally to the glass substrate 24.
According to the second embodiment, therefore, the distance between the partially cut regions 34 of the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b, i.e., the length H of each of the photosensitive resin layers 28 applied to the glass substrate 24, is accurately detected to apply the photosensitive resin layers 28 centrally to the glass substrate 24 (see
If the length H1 of each of the photosensitive resin layers 28 which is detected by the first and second detecting mechanisms 121a, 121b is larger than the normal length H, as shown in
If the length H2 of each of the photosensitive resin layers 28 which is detected by the first and second detecting mechanisms 121a, 121b is smaller than the normal length H, as shown in
According to the second embodiment, furthermore, the partially cut regions 34 are formed in the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b unreeled from the first and second reel-out mechanisms 32a, 32b, and then the protective films 30 are peeled off, leaving the residual sections 30b, after which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are laminated onto the glass substrate 24 to transfer the photosensitive resin layers 28, and then the base films 26 and the residual sections 30b are peeled off by the base peeling mechanism 124, thereby manufacturing the photosensitive laminated body 106. The photosensitive laminated body 106 can be manufactured easily automatically.
The manufacturing apparatus 140 includes the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48 which is usually not used except for cutting off the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b in case of trouble and separating the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to discharge defective sections. The manufacturing apparatus 140 has a cooling mechanism 122 and an automatic base peeling mechanism 142 which are disposed downstream of the web cutting mechanism 48a. The automatic base peeling mechanism 142 serves to continuously peel off elongate base films 26 by which glass substrates 24 spaced at given intervals are attached together. The automatic base peeling mechanism 142 has a pre-peeler 144, a peeling roller 146 having a relatively small diameter, a takeup roll 148, and an automatic attaching unit 150. The takeup roll 148 performs torque control during operation thereof, for applying tension to the base film 26. For example, it is preferable that a tension feedback control be performed in accordance with a tension detecting device (not illustrated) which is disposed in the peeling roller 146.
As shown in
The photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are reheated to a temperature in the range from 30° C. to 120° C. by the peeling roller 146 or at a position immediately before the peeling roller 146. When the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are thus reheated, color material layers are prevented from being peeled off therefrom when the base films 26 are peeled off, so that a high-quality laminated surface can be produced on the glass substrates 24.
The automatic base peeling mechanism 142 is followed downstream by a measuring unit 158 for measuring the area of a photosensitive resin layer 28 that is actually attached to a glass substrate 24. The measuring unit 158 has a plurality of spaced cameras 160 each comprising a CCD or the like. As shown in
The measuring unit 158 may comprise color sensors or laser sensors for detecting end faces of a glass substrate 24 or may comprise a combination of LED sensors, photodiode sensors, or line sensors for detecting end faces of a glass substrate 24. At least two of these sensors should desirably be employed to capture the image of each of the end faces for detecting the linearity of each of the end faces.
Surface inspection units (not shown) may be employed to detect surface defects of photosensitive laminated bodies 106, such as surface irregularities caused by the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b themselves, laminated film density irregularities caused by the manufacturing facility, wrinkles, striped patterns, dust particles, and other foreign matter. When such a surface defect is detected, the manufacturing apparatus 140 issues an alarm, ejects defective products, and manages subsequent processes based on the detected surface defect.
According to the third embodiment, the attached substrate 24a to which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are laminated is cooled by the cooling mechanism 122 and then delivered to the pre-peeler 144. In the pre-peeler 144, the nip roller assemblies 152, 154 grip the trailing and leading ends of two adjacent glass substrates 24, and the nip roller assembly 152 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow C at the same speed as the glass substrates 24, with the nip roller assembly 154 being decelerated in its travel in the direction indicated by the arrow C.
Consequently, as shown in
In the automatic base peeling mechanism 142, the takeup roll 148 is rotated to continuously wind the base films 26 from the attached substrate 24a. After the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b are cut off in case of trouble and separated to discharge defective sections, leading ends of the base films 26 on an attached substrate 24a to which the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b start being laminated and the trailing ends of the base films 26 wound on the takeup roll 148 are automatically attached to each other by the automatic attaching unit 150.
The glass substrate 24 from which the base films 26 are peeled off is placed in an inspecting station combined with the measuring unit 158. In the inspecting station, the glass substrate 24 is fixed in place, and the four cameras 160 capture the images of the glass substrate 24 and the photosensitive resin layer 28. The captured images are processed to determine applied positions a through d.
In the inspecting station, the glass substrate 24 may be fed along without being stopped, and transverse ends of the glass substrate 24 may be detected by cameras or image scanning, and longitudinal ends thereof may be detected by timing sensors. Then, the glass substrate 24 may be measured based on the detected data produced by the cameras or image scanning and the sensors.
According to the third embodiment, after the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b have been laminated onto glass substrates 24, the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b between two adjacent attached substrates 24a are not cut off. Rather, while the attached substrates 24a are being pressed by the peeling roller 146, the base films 26 are continuously peeled off from the attached substrates 24a and wound around the takeup roll 148 which is in rotation.
According to the third embodiment, the same advantages as those of the second embodiment are achieved, e.g., the photosensitive laminated body 106 can be manufactured automatically and efficiently. Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 140 is simple in structure. In the second and third embodiments, the two photosensitive web rolls 23a, 23b are employed. However, the manufacturing apparatus according to the second and third embodiments may employ three or more photosensitive web rolls.
As shown in
The base film 26 is formed from polyethylene-telephthalate (PET), the cushion layer 27 is formed from an ethylene and oxidized-vinyl copolymer, the intermediate layer 29 is formed from polyvinyl alcohol, the photosensitive resin layer 28 is formed from a color photosensitive resin composition containing an alkaline soluble binder, a monomer, a photo-polymerizing initiator, and a coloring agent, and the protective film 30 is formed from polypropylene.
The manufacturing apparatus 180 comprises, at a position downstream from the inter-substrate web cutting mechanism 48, a cooling mechanism 122 for cooling an attached substrate 24a, i.e., a glass substrate 24 and the photosensitive web 22 attached thereto, from which the protective film 30 has been peeled off, a heating mechanism 182 for heating the resin layers, e.g., the cushion layer 27, inside of the aforementioned cooled attached substrate 24a, to within a predetermined temperature range (stated below), which is at or below the glass transition temperature (Tg), and a base peeling mechanism 186 for peeling the base film 26 away from the aforementioned attached substrate 24a, which is supported under suction by a plurality of suction pads 184, thereby producing the photosensitive laminated body 106.
The cooling mechanism 122 performs a cooling process by supplying a chilled air stream toward the attached substrate 24a. More specifically, such cooling is performed by setting a cooling temperature of 10° C. and a wind or air stream speed of 0.5 to 2.0 m/min. The heating mechanism 182 is equipped with a heating roller 188 arranged on the base film 26 side of the attached substrate 24a, and a receiving roller 190 arranged on the glass substrate 24 side opposite from the heating roller 188.
The heating roller 188 conducts internal and external heating in accordance with an electromagnetic induction heating method, and through direct contact with the base film 26 heats the cushion layer 27 from the base film 26 side. Instead of electromagnetic induction heating, a heating method using a sheathed heater, or a heated water (liquid) heating method may also be employed. Further, the heating roller 188 may be constructed from a rubber roller, a metal roller, a fabric wound roller, or a resin roller, or the like, while in addition, multiple rollers may be disposed along the direction of the arrow C.
It is unnecessary for the receiving roller 190 to be heated, and if deemed necessary, the receiving roller 190 may be constructed as a cooling roller having a cooling liquid circulated therein.
The heating roller 188 heats the cushion layer 27 to within a preset temperature range, which is at or below the glass transition temperature. In this case, for the glass transition temperature of the cushion layer 27, e.g., tan δ (loss coefficient) is detected by measuring viscoelasticity, and the glass transition temperature is obtained from the value at which tan δ becomes maximum.
A viscoelasticity measurement device manufactured by Toyo Baldwin Co., Ltd. was used on the laminated body film for detecting the characteristics of temperature versus tan δ, whereby the results shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Rotating drive sources 206a, 206b are installed horizontally on the elevating platforms 202a, 202b. Chucks 208a, 208b are fixed to the rotation axes (not illustrated) of the rotating drive sources 206a, 206b. The chucks 208a, 208b are formed to be freely rotatable, and further, at a base film peeling position of the attached substrate 24a, are positionally adjustable so as to acquire positions for grasping both side portions of the base film 26, which project outward from both ends in the feed direction of the glass substrate 24 from which the aforementioned attached substrate 24a is constructed.
As shown in
As shown in
As a result, after the cushion layer 27 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the base film 26, the attached substrate 24a is delivered to the base peeling mechanism 186. In the base peeling mechanism 186, while the glass substrate 24 side of the attached substrate 24a is supported under a suction action of the suction pads 184, the chucks 208a, 208b are each arranged in the direction of arrow D toward one end side of the base film 26, which projects inwardly from both ends of the glass substrate 24 in the feed direction. (Refer to
Then, the mobile members 198a, 198b are moved toward the attached substrate 24a under action of the motors 196a, 196b and each of the chucks 208a, 208b is closed for gripping both end portions of the base film 26 in the feed direction. Further, the chucks 208a, 208b are rotated under action of the rotating drive sources 206a, 206b, while the elevating platforms 202a, 202b and mobile members 198a, 198b are controllably driven in a given direction.
As a result, as shown in
In this case, according to the fourth embodiment, after the cushion layer 27 of the attached substrate 24a, which has been forcibly cooled through the cooling mechanism 122, is then heated to a temperature in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature from the side of the base film 26 under action of the heating mechanism 182, peeling of the base film 26 is performed through means of the base peeling mechanism 186.
More specifically, in the attachment mechanism 46, the photosensitive web 22 is attached by thermocompression to the glass substrate 24 under application of a fixed tension, wherein residual stresses are easily generated within the cushion layer 27. Furthermore, residual stresses are also generated in the cushion layer 27 because the attached substrate 24a is subjected to forcible cooling by the cooling mechanism 122. Accordingly, in this condition, when the base film 26 is peeled away from the attached substrate 24a, it is easy for the cushion layer 27 to become torn or otherwise damaged as a result of the residual stresses in the cushion layer 27. Therefore, defective regions such as dimples or cavities may be formed in the cushion layer 27, causing a lowering of product quality.
According to the fourth embodiment, before peeling of the base film 26, heating is performed from the side of the base film 26 up to a temperature in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature of the cushion layer 27, and as a result, residual stresses in the cushion layer 27 are mitigated.
The surface temperature of the base film 26 was variously modified, and a test was performed in order to detect the presence of tearing defects during peeling of the base film 26. The results of this test are shown in
Furthermore, the heating mechanism 182 heats the attached substrate 24a from the base film 26 side thereof. Accordingly, in comparison to the case of heating from the glass substrate 24 side, since the peeling region between the base film 26 and the cushion layer 27 can be swiftly and reliably heated to the desired temperature, highly accurate peeling processing at the peeling region can be achieved.
In addition, the base peeling mechanism 186 is separated from the heating mechanism 182 by a fixed interval. Therefore, the attached substrate 24a, which has been once heated and within which residual stresses have been alleviated, is cooled while being transported to the base peeling mechanism 186.
Incidentally, the profiling roller 212, which makes up part of the base peeling mechanism 186, may also be heated through an unillustrated heating mechanism and brought into contact with the base film 26. As a result, the base film 26 may be peeled away from the cushion layer 27 while applying heat thereto. Further, the profiling roller 212 may also be arranged as a plurality of rollers.
In the fourth embodiment, the base peeling mechanism 186 is constructed so as to peel the base film 26 in the direction of arrow D, which intersects the feed direction (direction of arrow C) of the attached substrate 24a. However, the peeling direction of the base film 26 may also be set in the direction of arrow C, which is parallel to the feed direction of the attached substrate 24a.
Further, a pre-heating mechanism (not shown) may be installed at an upstream side of the heating mechanism 182 for performing supplemental heating of the attached substrate 24a. For example, an infrared power heater comprising a coil, carbon or halogen source, or a ceramic IR heater, or other of various contact type heating rollers, may be employed as the pre-heating mechanism.
In addition, in the fourth embodiment, the manufacturing apparatus 20 basically in accordance with the first embodiment is employed. However, the invention is not limited in this manner, and the features of this embodiment may also be applied to the manufacturing apparatuses 120, 140 according to the second and third embodiments.
The base peeling mechanism 220 comprises a tension applying structure 222, for applying tension to the base film 26 in the attachment direction thereof (direction of arrow C) with the glass substrate 24, when the base film 26 is peeled from the attached substrate 24a.
The tension applying structure 222 comprises movable chuck members 224a, 226a, 228a, 230a, capable of gripping an end portion 26a of the base film 26 that projects outwardly from a transport direction front end side of the attached substrate 24a, and movable chuck members 224b, 226b, 228b, 230b, capable of gripping a trailing end portion 26b of the base film 26 that projects toward a transport direction rear end side of the attached substrate 24a.
The chuck members 224a, 224b mutually face one another in the direction of arrow C, and the other chuck members 226a, 226b, 228a, 228b and 230a, 230b are arranged respectively mutually facing each other in the direction of the arrow C. The chuck members 224a to 230a and 224b to 230b are respectively openable and closable, and further, are movable toward and away from the base film 26.
In the fifth embodiment, when the attached substrate 24a is arranged in the base peeling position, the chuck members 224a to 230a which make up the tension applying structure 222 grip the front end portion 26a of the base film 26, and the chuck members 224b to 230b grip the rear end portion 26b of the base film 26. In this condition, a fixed tension is applied to the base film in the direction of arrow C, due to a torque control in a direction for mutually separating the chuck members 224a to 230a and the chuck members 224b to 230b.
Consequently, the chucks 208a, 208b grip the front end portion 26a and the rear end portion 26b of the base film 26, and move in the direction of arrow D1 along a preset peeling trajectory. At this time, a fixed tension is applied to the base film 26 in the direction of arrow C, so that the base film 26 can be smoothly and reliably peeled away from the glass substrate 24.
In addition, as the profiling roller 212 moves in the direction of arrow D1 and approaches the chuck members 224a, 224b, after releasing the gripping actions on the front end portion 26a and the rear end portion 26b of the base film 26, the chuck members 224a, 224b are moved in directions to mutually separate away from each other (i.e., in the directions of the arrows). Therefore, the chuck members 224a, 224b do not interfere with the profiling roller 212. As the profiling roller 212 continues to move in the direction of the arrow D1, the chuck members 226a, 226b separate away from the base film 26, and in succession, the chuck members 228a, 228b, and then the chuck members 230a, 230b separate away from the base film 26, whereupon the pealing operation of the base film 26 is completed.
The base peeling mechanism 230 is equipped with a tension applying mechanism 232 for applying tension to the base film 26 in an attachment direction thereof with the attached substrate 24a, when the base film 26 is peeled away from the attached substrate 24a.
The tension applying mechanism 232 comprises a front end chuck 234, which is capable of gripping a front end portion 26a of the base film 26 that projects toward a feed direction front end side of the attached substrate 24a, and a rear end chuck 236, which is capable of gripping a rear end portion 26b of the base film 26 that projects rearwardly of the feed direction of the attached substrate 24a. The front end chuck 234 and the rear end chuck 236 are widely formed in the direction of the arrow D, for gripping substantially the entire width dimension of the front end portion 26a and the rear end portion 26b of the base film 26, respectively.
The front end chuck 234 is installed to the rotating drive sources 206a, 206b, whereas other parts of the structure are formed in the same manner as the base peeling mechanism 186 of the fourth embodiment. In this case, the movement direction of the front end chuck 234 is set in the direction of arrow C, which is perpendicular to the movement direction (direction of arrow D) of the chucks 208a, 208b.
In the sixth embodiment, when the attached substrate 24a is fed to the base peeling position, the front end portion 26a of the base film, which projects toward the front end side of the attached substrate 24a, is gripped by the front end chuck 234. On the other hand, the rear end portion 26b of the base film 26, which projects toward the rear end side of the attached substrate 24a, is gripped by the rear end chuck 236.
Next, the rear end chuck 236, or the rear end chuck 236 and the front end chuck 234, are subjected to torque control, wherein tension is applied to the base film 26 gripped thereby along the direction of arrow C. In this condition, the base film 26 to which a predetermined tension is applied is smoothly and reliably peeled away from the glass substrate 24, by moving the front end chuck 234 along a preset peeling trajectory.
The automatic base peeling mechanism 250 is equipped with a peeling bar (peeling guide member) 252 that guides the base film 26 along an outer circumference of the peeling roller 146 while moving between the attached substrates 24a. The peeling bar 252 is capable of advancing and retracting vertically (in the direction of arrow E) under the action of a cylinder 254. A ball screw 258 connected to a motor 256 is screw-engaged with the cylinder 254, for reciprocal movement in the direction of the arrow C. It is preferable for the peeling roller 146 to be heated by a non-illustrated heat source.
According to the seventh embodiment, as shown in
As a result, the peeling bar 252 guides the residual section 30b along the outer circumferential surface of the peeling roller 146. Accordingly, as shown in
Furthermore, the peeling bar 252 is formed with a spherically shaped tip; however, the invention is not limited to this structure. For example, as shown in
The attachment mechanism 270 comprises rubber rollers 80a, 80b and backup rollers 272a, 272b, wherein an outer circumference of the backup rollers 272a, 272b are configured to have a crown shape. Further, at least one of the backup rollers 272a, 272b and/or at least one of the rubber rollers 80a, 80b may be formed as a crown roller.
The crown shape may be a sine curve, a quadratic curve or a quartic curve. For example, as shown in
The first and second processing mechanisms 290a, 290b each comprises a heating mechanism 292 for heating partially cut regions 34 in the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b to a predetermined temperature (discussed later), and a cutting mechanism 294 for making partial cuts along the partially cut regions 34 that have been heated to the predetermined temperature.
The cutting mechanism 294 comprises a linear guide 296 extending in the direction of arrow B perpendicular to the feed direction (direction of arrow A) of the photosensitive web 22, wherein a slide table 298 is supported on the linear guide 296. A motor 300 is installed inside of the slide table 298, and a pinion 302 is axially fitted to the rotational axis 300a of the motor 300. A rack 304, which engages with the pinion 302, extends in the direction of arrow B along the linear guide 296, wherein the slide table 298 is reciprocally movable in the direction of arrow B under the action of the motor 300.
A rotational axis 306 is disposed in the slide table 298, which projects from an opposite side of the side on which the pinion 302 is disposed. A rotating circular blade (cutter) 308 is integrally installed to the rotational axis 306. At a position opposite to the rotating circular blade 308, a cutting table 310 is disposed, with the photosensitive webs 22a, 22b sandwiched therebetween.
The cutting table 310 comprises a two-ply metal plate structure, and extends in the direction of the arrow B. A concave groove 312 is formed in the upper surface of the cutting table 310 so as to extend along a movement range of the rotating circular blade 308 in the direction of arrow B, wherein the concave groove 312 accommodates a resin-made receiving portion 314 therein.
The heating mechanism 292 is embedded in the cutting table 310, and more specifically, comprises a sheet type heater 316 sandwiched between the two metal plates. The cutting table 310 serves as a heating member for directly heating a partially cut region 34 of photosensitive webs 22a, 22b that contact the cutting table 310. The sheet type heater 316 may also be arranged between the concave groove 312 and the receiving portion 314.
In place of the rotating circular blade 308, a fixed circular blade 320, which is fixed to a fixed axis 318 that extends from the slide table 298, may also be used. Such a fixed circular blade 320 may be adjustable at each of respective angular positions forming preset angles with respect to the fixed axis 318.
The partially cut region 34 is provided for cutting (severing) at least the protective film 30, and in actuality, the cutting depth of the rotating circular blade 308 (or the fixed circular blade 320) is set in order to reliably sever the protective film 30. In the partially cut region 34, a cutting method using ultrasonic waves, or any of methods formed by a knife blade, a band-shaped push cutting blade (Thomson Blade), or the like, may be used in place of the rotating circular blade 308 (or the fixed circular blade 320). The push cutting blade may include a slanted push cutting structure, in addition to a vertical push cutting-structure.
In the ninth embodiment, the sheet heater 316 forming the heating mechanism 292 is activated, wherein the cutting table 310 comprising the sheet heater 316 therein is heated to a preset desired temperature. As a result, the photosensitive web 22a, 22b fed in the direction of arrow A contacts the cutting table 310, which moves simultaneously with the photosensitive web 22a, 22b, and is directly heated thereby, and while the partially cut region 34 is heated to a predetermined fixed temperature corresponding to the rotating circular blade 308, a partial cut is made via the cutting mechanism 294. It is also acceptable for the partial cut to be made while the photosensitive web 22a, 22b is in a stationary condition.
Specifically, when the pinion 302 is rotated under a driving action of the motor 300 disposed in the slide table 298, under an engagement action of the pinion 302 and rack 304, the slide table 298 is supported by the linear guide 296 and moves in the direction of arrow B. Consequently, the rotating circular blade 308 rotates while moving in the direction of arrow B, under a state in which the blade cuts into the partially cut region 34 of the photosensitive web 22a, 22b at a desired depth. As a result, a partially cut region 34 of a desired cutting depth from the protective film 30 is formed in the photosensitive web 22a, 22b.
In this case, the partially cut region 34 is partially cut by the cutting mechanism 294, while the partially cut region 34 of the photosensitive web 22a, 22b is heated via the heating mechanism 292. At this time, generation of cutting debris or interlaminar peeling (delamination) can be effectively prevented, as a result of setting the heating temperature of the photosensitive web 22a, 22b for each of the rotating circular blades 308 or the fixed circular blades 320.
In the above-described ninth embodiment, a concave groove 312 is formed in the cutting table 310 and a receiving portion 314 is accommodated inside the concave groove 312. However, it is also acceptable to provide a resin receiving film on an upper surface of the cutting table without forming any concave groove therein. Further, in place of a sheet heater 316, it is acceptable to use a sheathed heater or a tubular type heater. Still further, a heating box, accommodating the cutting mechanism 294 and the partially cut region 34 therein may be provided, wherein heated air is supplied to the interior of the heating box. Furthermore, it is also acceptable to provide a heating plate, a bar heater, or a heating box or the like upstream of the cutting mechanism 294, in order to heat the photosensitive web 22a, 22b before making the partial cut therein.
Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-083867 | Mar 2005 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2006/300239 | 1/5/2006 | WO | 00 | 9/21/2007 |
