1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a film producing system, and particularly, to an optical film producing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Many optical films, such as brightness enhancement films (BEF), typically include a base layer and a micro-structured layer formed on a surface of the base layer. The micro-structure-layer enhances the brightness of the emitted light.
Currently, the optical film is produced by a roll-to-roll manner. In detail, a glue layer is dispensed on a surface of a base layer; the base layer with the glue layer passes through a space between two rollers. One of the rollers includes a micro-structured pattern formed on the surface. The two rollers apply pressure on the base layer with the glue layer, and then the micro-structure pattern is printed on the surface of the glue layer. And then, the base layer with the glue layer is transported to a light curing device for curing the glue layer. However, it is difficult to manufacture the roller with micro-structured pattern, so the cost of the roller is increased, and thus the cost of the optical film increases as well.
What is needed therefore is film producing system addressing the above-mentioned problems.
The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments of the film producing system. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views.
Referring to
The glue dispenser 10 includes a container 11 and a dispensing nozzle 12 connected to the container 11. The container 11 receives glue 200 therein. The nozzle 12 is in communication with the container 11 and dispenses the glue 200 onto the surface of the flexible base 50. In this embodiment, the glue 200 is ultraviolet (UV) curable glue.
The conveyor 20 transports the flexible base 50 to reach the glue dispenser 10, the compression molding device 30 and the light curing device 40. The conveyor 20 includes a first roller 21, a second roller 22 and a third roller 23. The second roller 22 is between the first roller 21 and the third roller 23 and is spaced a predetermined distance from the first roller 21 and the third roller 23. The glue dispenser 10 is positioned adjacent the first roller 21, and the light curing device 40 is positioned adjacent to the third roller 23. The flexible base 50 passes through in sequence the first roller 21, the second roller 22 and the third roller 23. In this embodiment, the first roller 21 and the second roller 22 are located on two opposite sides of the flexible base 50, and the second roller 22 and the third roller 23 are located on a common side of the flexible base 50. In other embodiments, the first roller 21, the second roller 22, and the third roller 23 can be on a common side of the flexible base 50.
The first roller 21 and the second roller 22 are vertically aligned with each other, thus the flexible base 50 having a vertically oriented portion located between the first roller 21 and the second roller 22. The vertical distance between the first roller 21 and the second roller 22 can be adjusted. The second roller 22 and third roller 23 are spaced a horizontal predetermined distance from each other.
The compression molding device 30 includes pressing roller 31 and a pressing block 32 spaced a predetermined distance from the pressing roller 31. The pressing roller 31 and the pressing block 32 are correspondingly positioned at two opposite sides of the flexible base 50. The pressing roller 31 and the pressing block 32 press the flexible base 50 with the glue 200 therebetween. Referring to
The light curing device 40 solidifies the glue on the flexible base 50. In this embodiment, the light curing device 40 is an ultraviolet radiation source.
The flexible base 50 carries the glue 200. In this embodiment, the flexible base 50 is a thin film made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The film producing system 100 produces optical film. In use, the glue 200 is dispensed in a gap between the first roller 21 and the flexible base 50. In this embodiment, the glue dispenser 10 continuously dispenses glue 200 in the gap to keep a substantial amount of glue in the gap 200, thus the glue 200 can be uniformly dispensed on the flexible base 50. The first roller 21, the second roller 22, and the third roller 23 are rotated at a predetermined speed for transporting the flexible base 50. The glue 200 can be automatically dispensed on a surface of the flexible base 50 when the flexible base 50 is transported from the first roller 21 to the second roller 22, and the glue 200 can be further uniformly dispensed on the surface of the flexible base 50 by gravity. The glue 200 is molded to a predetermined shape under the pressure of the compression molding device 30 when the flexible base 50 is transported through the compression molding device 30. The micro-structure pattern 321 prints a similar micro-structure pattern (not labeled) on the surface of the glue 200 during the process of pressing the flexible base 50. The glue 200 with the printed micro-structure pattern is solidified by the light curing device 40 when the flexible base 50 is transported to the light curing device 40. Thereby, a micro-structure layer 201 is formed.
The viscosity of the glue 200 and the velocity of the flexible base 50 can be adjusted to ensure a proper dispensing thickness and the uniformity of glue 200 on the flexible base 50, and a certain deformation resistance of the glue 200 after molding. In this embodiment, the viscosity of the glue 200 is at a range of about 0.2-1.5 Pa·s, the velocity of the flexible base 50 is at a range of about 10-20 meters/min.
In other embodiments, the first roller 21 and second roller 22 also can be spaced a horizontal distance from each other, thus the flexible base 50 between the first roller 21 and the second roller 22 is tilted at an angle relative to the vertical direction, and thus the requirement of the viscosity of the glue 200 can be reduced. In addition, the molded glue 200 should be solidified immediately to avoid the deformation of the glue 200 by gravity, at the same time the intensity of the ultraviolet radiation can be increased for enhancing the solidifying speed of the glue 200.
The micro-structure layer 201 and the flexible base 50 can cooperatively form an optical film, or the micro-structure layer 201 itself can form an optical film after being separated from the flexible base 50.
It is easy and inexpensive to manufacture the pressing block 32, therefore, the cost of the film producing system 100 and the optical film produced by the film producing system 100 is reduced.
It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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99127359 | Aug 2010 | TW | national |