CA1294201C - Thin film adhering method and thin film adhering apparatus - Google Patents
Thin film adhering method and thin film adhering apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1294201C CA1294201C CA000612531A CA612531A CA1294201C CA 1294201 C CA1294201 C CA 1294201C CA 000612531 A CA000612531 A CA 000612531A CA 612531 A CA612531 A CA 612531A CA 1294201 C CA1294201 C CA 1294201C
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- Prior art keywords
- thin film
- adhering
- edge portion
- leading edge
- substrate
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Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A thin film adhering apparatus and method in which a thin film whose length corresponds to that of a substrate is adhered to the substrate by applying pressure using a pressure adhering roller. The apparatus includes a substrate conveyance mechanism for conveying the substrate to a thin film adhering position and conveying the substrate from that position; a thin film feeding member for suctioning the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film and supplying the leading edge portion to the adhering position; a leading edge portion holding member having a holding side which comes into surface contact with the leading edge portion of the thin film, the holding side having suction holes communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctioning the leading edge portion of the film, the continuous thin film held in the thin film adhering position by the holding member being adhered to the thin film adhering side of the substrate from the leading edge portion of the film and the substrate to the trailing edge portion thereof by the pressure adhering roller;
and a cutter for cutting the continuous thin film at the trailing edge portion thereof to the length corresponding to that of the base.
A thin film adhering apparatus and method in which a thin film whose length corresponds to that of a substrate is adhered to the substrate by applying pressure using a pressure adhering roller. The apparatus includes a substrate conveyance mechanism for conveying the substrate to a thin film adhering position and conveying the substrate from that position; a thin film feeding member for suctioning the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film and supplying the leading edge portion to the adhering position; a leading edge portion holding member having a holding side which comes into surface contact with the leading edge portion of the thin film, the holding side having suction holes communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctioning the leading edge portion of the film, the continuous thin film held in the thin film adhering position by the holding member being adhered to the thin film adhering side of the substrate from the leading edge portion of the film and the substrate to the trailing edge portion thereof by the pressure adhering roller;
and a cutter for cutting the continuous thin film at the trailing edge portion thereof to the length corresponding to that of the base.
Description
BACKGROUND OE THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The present invention relate~ to an art of adhering a thin film and particularly relates to a more effective art in which a thin film, whose length corresponds to that of a base plate, is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the plate.
Back~round In a conventional process of manufacturing a printed circuit board for an electronic appliance such as a computer, a laminated film is adhered to the surface of a base plate for a printed circuit. The laminated film con~ists of a photosensitive resin layer and a light-transmissive resin film. The photo~ensitive resin layer is adhered directly to the surface of the base plate.
The light-transmissible resin film is provided on the photosensitive resin layer to protect it. The laminated film i8 adherad to the base plate by a thin fllm adhering apparatus as described in the Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 117487/88 (the term "OPI" as u92d herein means an "unexamined published application") made by the presenk AppIicant.
The proced~lre of adhering the laminated film to the ba~e plate i8 as follows. The leading edge portion of the base plate i~ first conveyed to a thin film adhering po~ition by a base plate conveyance mechanism and stopped in that position. The leading edge portion of the continuou~ laminated film ~upplied from a thin film feed roller i~ then suctioned again~t a main vacuum suction plate which i~ a thin film feed member. A thin film temporary adhering member i~ provided at the leading end o the main vacuum suction plate facing the thin film adhering position 90 that the leading edge portion of the laminated film i~ suctioned onto the temporary adhering member. The temporary adhering member ha~ suction holes communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctionlng the laminated film. A heater for ~k ~99~2~)~
1 temporarily adhering the leading edge portion of the laminated film is provided in the temporary adhering member.
The main vacuum suction plate and the thin film temporary adhering member are moved to the vicinity of the thin film adhering position or the surface of the leading edge portion of the base plate. The leading edge portion of the laminated film i8 then brought into contact with the ~urface of the leading edge portion of the base plate, and temporarily adhered thereto, under heat and pressure, by the temporary adharing member. Thereafter, the main vacuum suction plate and the thin film temporary adhering member no longer apply suction and are moved away from the ~in film adhering position. At that time, the leading edge portion of the laminated film does not deviate from the thin film adhering position because the leading edge portion is already temporarily adhered to the surface of the base plate. A heat and pressure adhering roller is thereafter moved to the thin film adhering position so that the temporarily adhered portion of the lamlnated film is pressed by the roller. The roller is then rotated as the laminated film remalns pressed by the roller, 50 that the whole laminated film is gradually adhered to the surface o~ the base plate, under heat and pressure, while the base plate i8 being conveyed.
The laminated film is automatically supplied to the thin ilm adherin~ position by the rotation of the heat and pressure adhering roller and the conveyanc~ of the base plate. During the heat and pressure adhering of the laminated film of the surface of a bas~ plate, the trailing edge of the base plate is detected to generate a detection signal, in accordance with which the continuous laminated film is cut at the trailiny edge portion thereof. For that reason, the length of the cut-off laminated ilm corre~ponds to that of the base plate extending in the direction of the conveyance thereof. Cutting the laminated film i8 parformed by moving a dlsk-shaped cutting member across the direction of the supply of the laminated film as the film is held at the trailing edge portion thereof by the suction of an~
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1 auxiliary ~acuum suction plate provided at the feed pa~sage for the laminated film. The trailing edge portion of the laminated film cut as mentioned above i~ held by the suction of a thi~ film trailing edge portion ~uction member 30 that an appropriate tensile force i~ applied to the laminated film. Simultaneously, the trailing edge port~on of ~he laminated film is guided to the trailing edge portion of the base plate so that the trailing edge portion of the film is adhered to the surface of the trailing edge portion of the base plate, under heat and pressure, by the heat and pressure adhering roller. The base plate with the laminated film adhered thereto by the thin film adhering apparatus as described above i~ conveyed to an exposure apparatu~
installed next thereto. Such a thin film adhering art, in which a portion o~ a laminated film is temporarily adhered to a base plate for a printed circuit and the laminated film i8 thereafter completely adhered to the base plate, under heat and pre~sure, wa~ disclosed in the West German Patent DE 3334009 C2.
The above-mentioned conventlonal procedure of adhering the laminated ilm to the base plate includes the step of temporarily adhering the leading edge portion of the laminated film to the base plate. For the temporary adhering, complicated conditions such as temporary adhering temperature, temporary adhering period and temporary adhering pressure need to be set. This is a problem. For example, ~ome laminated bodies cannot necessarily be securely adhered to the base plate. For ~uch reasons, the temporary adhering conditlon~ are co.~plicated. The conditions are likely to vary due to the number of times of temporary adherence, the change in the environment and 80 orth. Thi~ is another problem. If the photosensitive resin layer of the laminated film is nonuniformly adhered to th~ ba~e plate or the base plate is ~o thin as to be likely to be affected by the heat, a void is caused as a defect between the temporarily adhered portions of the film and the plate such that the film may not remain adhered to the plate. Th~s i8 yet another problem. The o~
1 leading edge portion of the laminated film cannot be temporarily adhered to the surface of the ba~e plate, under heat and pressure, by the thin film temporary adhering member instantaneously but needs to be maintained under heat and pressure by the temporary adhering member for a prescribed length of time. For that reason, the period of adhering of the laminated film to the base plate is increased due to the temporary adhering. This is yet a~other problem. Since the thin film adhering member includes not only a mechanism for suctioning the leading edge portion of the laminated film but also the heater~ the construction of the thin film adherin~ apparatus i~
more complicated due to that of the temporary adhering member.
This is yet another problem.
S~MMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a thin film adhering apparatus in which a thin film whose length corresponds to that of a base plate is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the plate by a pressure adhering roller.
The thin film adhering apparatu~ comprises a base plate conveyance mechanism for conveying the base plate to a thin film adhering position and conveying the plate from that position; a thin film feed member for suctioning the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film and supplying the leading edge portion to the thin film adhering position; a thin film leading edge portion holding member having a holding side which comes into surface contact with the leading edge portion of the thin film supplied to the thin film adhering position, the holding side having thin film suction hole~ communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctioning the leading edge portion of the thin film onto the holding side, the continuous thin film held in the thin film adhering position by the holding member being adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate from the ~2~2~1 1 leading edge portion~ of the film and the plate to the trailing edge portion thereof by the pressure adhering roller; and a cutter for cutting the continuous thin film at the trailing edge portion thereof to the length corre~ponding to that of the ba~e plate. Since the thin film leading edge portion holding member i~ ~imple in con~truction and has the holding ~ide and the thin - film suction holes provided therein, the holding member i8 included in the thin film adhering apparatus instead of temporary adhering member which i9 complicated in con~truction and which has a heater built therein. Therefore, the construction of the apparatu~ is simplified.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method in which a thin film, whose length corresponds to that of a base plate, is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the plate by a pressure adhering roller. The method i~ characterized by the following steps: suctioning the leadin~ edge portion of the continuous thin film onto a thin film feed member; moving the thin film eed member to the vicinity of the thin film adhering side of the leading edge portion o the base plate conveyed to a thin film adhering po~ition~ so that the leading edge portion of the colltinuous thin film i~ supplied to that position; moving the eed member away from the thin ilm adhering side of the base plate; moving the pressure adhering roller to the vicinity of the leading edge portion of the thin film held in the thin film adhering position and thereafter rotating said roller ~o thak the film is adhered to the thln film adhering side of the base plate from the leadlng edge portion thereof to the trailing edge portion thereof while the film is being automatically supplied to the thin film adhering position; and cutting the cont~nuous thin film at the trailing edge portlon thereof to the length corresponding to that of the base plate, and thereafter adhering the trailing edge portion of the film to the thin film adhering side of the trailing edge portion of the base plate by the pressure adhering roller. Since the leading edge portion of the thin film is supplied to the thin film adhering position and ~29gL%~
1 thereafter held in that position at the time of conveying the pressure adhering roller into that position, the leading edge portion of the film does not need to be temporarily adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate at the leading edge portion thereo. For that reason, complicated conditions such as temporary adhering temperatur~, temporary adhering period and temporary adhering pressure do not need to be set. Therefore, improper temporary adhering such as nonuniform temporary adhering and void-production temporary adhering, which would result from failing to properly æet the complicated conditions, i~ avoided.
A~ a result, the yield in the adhering of the thin film to the base-plate is improved. Since the leading edge portion of the thin film does not need to be temporarily adhered to the basP
plate, the thin film feed member can be moved from the thin film adhering position immediately after the supply of the leading edge portion of the thin film to the position so as to allow the conveyance of the pressure adhering roller into posi~ion. For that reason, the period of the adhering of the thin film to the base plate can be ~hortened.
Other ob~ect~ and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description herein and the drawing~
attached hereto.
DESCRIPTION OE THE DRAWINGS
Fig. l shows a schematic view of a th1n film adhering apparatus which i~ an embodiment o the present invention;
Fig. 2 shows a partial perspective sectional view of the auxiliary vacuum ~uction plate of the thin fllm adhering apparatus;
Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the auxiliary vacuum ~uction plate;
Fig. 4 show~ a partial perspective sectional view of the thin film leading edge portion holding member of the thin film adhering apparatus;
~94~0~
1 Fig~. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 show schematic view of major parts of the thin film adhering apparatus in the steps of thin film adhering; and Figs. 12 and 13 show enlarged sectlonal views of ma~or parts of the thin film adhering apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention are hereafter de~cribed in detail with reference to the drawings attached hereto. The mutually eguivalent portions shown in the drawings are ~enoted by the same reference 5ymbols therein.
Figure 1 shows a thin film adhering apparatus which is one of the embodiments and in which a laminated film lB, which is a part of a laminated body 1 consi~ting of a light-transmissible resin film, a photosensitive resin layer and another light-transmissible resin film, i~ adhered to a base plate for a printed circuit, using heat and pressure. The laminated body 1 is continuously wound on a feed roller 2 in advance. The laminated body 1 i8 supplied rom the eed roller 2 so that a thin film separation roller 3 divides the lami.nated body into the laminated film lB compri~ing the light-transmissible resin film lBC and the photosensitive re~in layer lBR exposed on the side which is to he adhered, as shown in Figs. 1~ and 13. The light-transmissible resin film lA i~ wound on a winding roller 4.
A pair of feed rollers 2 and a pair of ~inding rollers 4 are provided above and below a base plate conveyance passage I-I.
The leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is supplied to a main vacuum suction plate 6, which acts as a thin film feed member, along a tension roller 5 which applie~ an appropriate tensile force to the laminated film between the feed roller 2 and the main vacuum suction plate to prevent the laminated film from becoming wrinkled or the like.
The main vacuum suction plate 6 i~ moved toward and away from a thin film adhering position in the directions A, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate 6 is disposed on the feed passage of the 1 laminated film lB so as to convey the laminated film from the feed roller 2 to the thin film adher~ng position. The plate 6 i~
3upported on a support member 7, which i~ moved toward and away ~rom the thin film adhering position in directions B, as shown in Fig. 1. The ~upport member 7 is ~lidably disposed on a guide member 8 of the frame 9 of the thin film adhering apparatus so that the support member i~ slidable on the guide member in the directions B. A pair of main vacuum suction plates 6 and a pair of support members 7 are provided above and below the base plate conveyance passage I-I. The upper and the lower support member~
7 are coupled to each other by a rack and pinion mechanism so that the support members are moved in conjunction with each other. That is, the support members 7 are moved toward and away from each other through the action of racks 7A and a pinion 7B
engaged therewith. A driver (not shown) is coupled to one of the upper and the lower support members 7 for moving in the above-mentioned directions. The driver may include an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electromagnetic cylinder, a ~tep motor and a transmission mechanism which transmit~ the action of the step motor or the like.
The main vacuum suction plate 6 can be moved in the dlrections A together with the support member 7 or separately therefrom. The movement of the plate 6 separately from the support member 7 is performed by a driver 7C provided on the support member 7 and a rack and pinion mechanism coupled to the driver. The rack and pinion mechanism includes a pinion 7D
coupled to the shaft of the driver 7C, a rack 7E provided on the ~upport member 7 and a rack provided on the reverse side of the main vacuum plate 6 which does not apply suction to the laminated film lB (not shown). The driver 7C may lnclude an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electromagnetic cylinder, a step motor and a transmission mechanism which transmits the action of the step motor or the like. A~ lllustrated in Fig. 12, the main vacuum suction plate 6 has a plurality of thin film suction holes 6C extendlng from an internal vacuum suction chamber 6A to a thin ~L~9~Z~
1 film suction side 6B. The ~uction holes 6C are provided at regular interval3 in the æuction side 6B. The vacuum suction chamber 6A communicate~ with a vacuum ~uction system P such as a vacuum pump lnot shown). The ~uction system P acts through the vacuum suction chamber 6A and the suction holes 6C of the main vacuum suction plate 6 so that the obverse side of the light-transmis~ible re~in film lBC of the laminated film lB
consisting of the film and the photosensitive resin layer lBR is suctioned onto the thin ilm suction side 6B of the main vacuum suction plate.
The single vacuum suction chamber 6A of the plate 6 i8 provided in common for all the suctlon holes 6C. The suction plate 6 may be provided with a plurality of vacuum suction chambers 6A along the width of the laminated film lB so that each of the chambers corresponds to a prescribed number of the thin ilm suction holes 6C and is independent of the other vacuum suction chambers in regard to applying suction. If the plurality of vacuum suction chambers are provided in the suction plate 6 to perform the vacuum suction action independently of each other, the suctioniny force of the plate, which suctions the laminated film lB onto the thin film suction side 6B, is maintained even if the width of the laminated film changes.
The thin film suction side 6B of the plate 6 is provided with thin ~rooves around the suction holes 6C, similarly to those described in detail in the Japanese Patent Applications (OPI) No~. 259834/87 and 117487/88 disclosed by the present Applicant.
The thin film suction side 6B of the plate 6 is curved in an arcuate manner at the leading end portion 6D thereof, as ~hown is Eigs. 1 and 12. The arc-shape of the suction side 6B corresponds to the shape,of the laminated film conta~t surface~ of a heat and pressure adhering roller 11 and a thin film leading edge portion holding member 16. A plurality of thin film suction hole3 6C are also provided in the leading end portion 6D of the plate 6 to hold the leading edge portion of the laminated ~ilm lB on the arc-shaped surface of the plate at the leading end portion g ~qL2~)~
1 thereof by suctionlng against the resilience of the laminated film. The leading edge portion of the laminated film lB held on the plate 6 at the leading end portion 6D thereof by suction i~
supplied to the thin film adhering position by moving the plate in the direction A. Although the leading end portion 6D
corresponds to the thin film temporary adhering member of the conventional thin film adhering apparatu3, a heater for temporarily adhering i~ not provided because temporary adhering is not performed in the thin film adhering apparatus which is the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the construction of the main vacuum suction plate 6 is simplified. Although the plate 6 and the leading end portion ~D are integral with each other, they may ~e separately manufactured and then conjoined to each other if it is easier to manufacture them separately.
An auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10, which is a holding member for cutting off the laminated film lB, is provided between the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the thin film adhering position near the feed pas~age for the laminated film, as shown in Fig~ 1. A pair of auxiliary vacuum suction plates 10 are provided above and below the base plate conveyance passage I-I.
The auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 includes a thin iim suction element lOA, a vacuum suction chamber defining element lOB and a base element lOC, as ~hown in Figs. 2 and 3. The thin film suction element lOA has a thin film suction side lOD facing the feed passage for the laminated film lB and a guide groove lOG
for cutting the laminated film lB. The thin film suction side lOB is provided with thin film suction grooves lOE and thin film ~uction holes lOF on opposing sides of the guide groove lOG.
Each o the suction holes lOF communicates at one end thereof with the bottom o the suction groove lOE, and at the other end thereof with a vacuum suction chamber lOK defined by the vacuum suctio~ chamber defining element lOB~ A plurality o suction grooves lOE are provided at intervals along the width of the laminated film lB so that the number of tha suction groove~
corresponds to the width of the laminated film. The suction z~
1 grooves lOE are located in such positions that the ~ide edges of the laminated film lB are not disposed on the suction grooves even if the width of the laminated film changes. Rather, the side edges of the film lB are disposed on the solid portion of the thin film suction side lOD. In other words, the ~uction grooves lOE axe located so as to avoid disposing the side edges of the laminated film lB on the grooves so as to permit air to enter into the grooves. The suctioning force on the laminated film lB is thus increased.
The guide groove lOG is disposed in the central portion of the thin film suction side lOD and ext.ends along the ~idth of the laminated film lB. The depth of the guide groove lOG is relatively large, but the width thereof is relatively small.
When the thickness Lt of the cutting member 13A of a cutter 13 shown in Fig. 3 is about 1.5 mm, for example, the depth Ld of the guide groove lOG is about 2.0 to 4.5 mm and the width Lw thereof i8 about 2.0 mm. In other words, the width of the guide groove lOG is close to the thickne~ of the cutting member 13A o the cutter 13. The guide groove lOG of relatively small Width act~
to guide the cutting member 13A in the longitudinal direction of the ~roove to accurately cut the lam.inated film lB at the trailing edge portion. The guide groove lOG is provided with an inlet opening lOH at the end of the groove by gradually increasing the width of the groove, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to allow for smooth conveyance of the cutting member 13A into the groove. The guide groove lOG acts to suction the laminated film lB at the trailing edge portion thereof against the suction side lOD so that the film i~ not loose but appropriately tight. As a result, the laminated fllm lB is cut cleanly at the trailing edge portion thereof.
Additionally, the guide groove lOG, having relatively small width and relatively large depth, i8 designed so that a chip generated in cutting the laminated film lB is not di~charged outwardly from the groove but efficiently suc-tioned inward by a chip suction means described hereinafter. Chip suction holes 20~
1 lOJ, which constitute a portion of the chip suction means, are provided on the inside wall of the guide groove lOG of the thin film suction element lOA. Each of the chip suction holes lOJ
communicates at one end thereo with the vacuum suction chamber lOK. The thin film suction element lOA having the suction side lOD, the suction grooves lOE, the suction holes lOF, the guide groove lOG and the chip suction holes lOJ is made o a material which is easy to form and proces~ and has an appropriate hardness such as that of an aluminum alloy.
T~e vacuum chamber defining element lOB is provided between the thin fllm suction element lOA and the base element lOC and define.s the vacuum suction chambers lOK provided in common for the thin film suction holes lOF and the chip suction holes lOJ.
Partition walls are provided for every prescribed number of the suction grooves lOE and divide the mutually adjacent vacuum suction chambers lOK from each other so that the chambers are independent of each other in vacuum suction. The vacuum suction chambers lOK are connected to the vacuum suction system P through the common suction hole lOL of the base member lOC and a suction plpe lOM. The plural vacuum suction chambers lOX are provided in such a manner that some vacuum suction chambers performing the vacuum suct~on because the thin film suction holes lOF
corresponding to the chambers are covered by the laminated film lB and the other vacuum suction chambers not performing the vacuum suction because the thin film suction holes lOF
cor~esponding to the chambers are not covered by the laminated film are independent of each other as to the vacuum suction even if the width of the film changes. In other words, the force suctioninq the laminated film lB onto the thin film suction side lOD of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 is not æub~tantially reduced even if the width of the film changes. The chip suction hole3 lOJ, the vacuum suction chambers lOK, the common suction holes lOL, the suction pipe lOM and the vacuum suction ystem P
constitute the chlp suction means by which the chips generated in cutting off the laminated film lB is removed by suction.
o~
1 The vacuum suction chamber defining element lOB is mad2 of a hard rubber so that the element is kept airtight to the thin film suction element lOA and the base element lOC. The base element lOC is made of a material which is easy to form and proce~s and ha~ an appropriate hardness such as that of an aluminum alloy.
The thin film suction element lOA, the vacuum suction chamber defining element lOB and the base element lOC are assembled with screws (not shown).
The auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 acts so that the laminat~d film lB i~ held at the portion which i8 to be cut by suction, and the leading edge portion of the following laminated film lB being conveyed to the plate after the preceding laminated film lB has been cut is held on the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plat 6 by suction. For that purpose, the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 is moved toward and away from the feed passage for the laminated film lB in directions C, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate 10 is coupled to the support member 7 by a driver 7F made o~ an air cylinder and ~upported by a shaft lON. The plate 10 also acts ~o that the trailing edye portion of the laminated ~ilm lB i~ held by ~uction when the laminated film i6 being cut, and the laminated film is slacXen at the trailing edge portion thereo between the plate 10 and a vacuum suction plate 12 during the proce~ of adhering the laminated film. In order to make the laminated film lB slackened at the tra1ling edge portion thereof, the speed at which the laminated film i8 conveyed by the main vacuum suction plate 10 is higher than the circumferential velocity of the heat and pressure adhering roller 11, which i8 equal to the speed at which the laminated film is adhered using heat and pressure. Th lackened laminated film lB
30 iB cut while the film is adhered under heat and pressur~.
The cutter 13 is provlded in such a position ~hat it faces the thin film suction side lOD of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 across the feed passage for the laminated ~ilm lB, as shown in Fig. 1. The cutter 13 has a disk-shaped cutting member 13A as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Although the cutting member 13A
12~
1 is provided with a cutting edge hy grinding only one side of the member, in thi~ embodiment, the member may be provided with a cutting edge by grinding both the sides of the member. The .cutting member 13A i~ moved in the longitudinal direction D of 5 the guide groove lOG of the auxiliary vacuum ~uction plat~ 10 along the width of the laminated film lB, a~ æhown in Fig. 2.
The movement of the cutting member 13A is performed by air pressure, for example. The cutter 13 acts so that the laminated -film lB continuously supplied by the main vacuum 3uction plate 6 ; 10 i~ cut to a prescribed length corresponding to the length of a base plate extending in the direction of conveyance thereof. A
pair-o,f such cutters 13 are provided on opposite sides of the ~ase plate conveyance passage I-I. A means for moving the cutting member 13A of the cutter 13 to cut the laminated film lB
is equivalent to those described in detail in the Japanese Patent.
Applications (OPI) Nos. 259834/87 and 117487/88 disclosed by the present Applicant.
The heat and pre~sure adhering roller 11 i~ moved between an off-set position shown by a solid line in Fig. 1, and the ,thin film adhering po~ition ~hown ~y a dotted line in Fig. 1. The ~acuum ~uction plate 12 hold~ the trailing edge portion of the laminated ilm lB by suction so a~ to apply an appropriate tensile force to the film to prevent it from undergoing a wrinkle or the like as the film i 8 adhered to the base plate by the he~t and pressure adhering roller 11. The vacuum 3uction plate 12 i8 prevented from rotating. A pair of heat and pressure adhering rollers 11 and a pair uf vacuum ~uction plates 12 are provi~ed on opposite sides of the base plate conveyance passage I-I. The heat and pressure adhering rollers 11, the vacuum suction plate~
12 and the location thereof are equivalent to those describe~ in detail in the Japanese Patent Application3 (OPI) Nos. 259834/87 and 117487/88.
The base plate 14 for a printed circuit is conveyed in the base plate conveyance passage I-I by a bas'~ plate conveyance mechanism built in or attached to the thin film adhering o~ ~
1 apparatu~. After the base plate 14 is conveyed to the thin film ; adhering position, the laminated film lB i~ adhered to the base plate, under heat and pre~sure, and the base plate i8 then conveyed from that position to an expo~ure apparatus in~talled next to the thin film adhering apparatu~. The base plate conveyance mechanism includes driving roller~ 15A and driven rollers 15B. The base plate 14 consists of an electrically insulating plate 14A and electroconductive layers 148 made of copper or the like on both the sides of the plate, as shown in 10 Fig. 12.
The thin film trailing edge portion holding member 16 is provided in the thin film adhering position nearest the base plate conveyance passage I-I, a~ shown in Fig. 1. The member 16 is secured to the frame 9 of the thin film adhering apparatus 15 directly or with an interposed fin adjustment mechanism or the like. The member 16 includes a holding side 16A, suction grooves 16B, suction holes 16C and vacuum suction chambers 16D, as shown in Fig. 4. The holding side 16A has an arcuate shape to correspond to the arcuate shape o the leading end portion 6D of 20 the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the shape of the heat and pressure adhering roller 11. The holding side 16A i~ conveyed to the vicinity of the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB
supplied by the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 or is moved into contact with the leading edge portion of 25 the laminated film, ~o that the leading edge portion of the supplied film is suctioned and held by a thin film suction means described hereinafter. The length of the arc-shaped curve of the holding side 16A is slightly smaller than that of the arc-shaped curve of the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction 30 plate 6 so that the holding side i3 located at a small di tance from the thin film adhering position. For that reason, the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 does not come into contact with ; the thin film leading edge portion holding member 16 as the leading edge portion of the laminated fllm lB is suctioned and held by the holding side 16A, as shown ~n Fig. 13. Tharefore, 1 the leading ed~e portion of the laminated film can be adhered to the electroconductive layer 14B of the base plate 149 under heat and pressure, by the roller.
The holding side 16A has a plurality of suction groove~ 16B
and a plurality of thin film suction holes 16C. Each of the - suction hole~ 16C communicates at on~ end thereof with the bottom of the ~uction groove 16B, and at the other end thereof with a vacuum suction chamber 16D. Each suction groove 16B corresponds to one or more ~uction holes 16C disposed along the width of the lO laminated film lB. The disposition of the suctlon grooves 16B
corresponds to that of the vacuum suction chambers 16D which apply suction independently of each other. For that reason, the force of the holding member 16, which suctions the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB onto the holding side 16A, is 15 not substantially reduced even if the width of the laminated film changes, a~ is the case with the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10. Suction pipes 16E connect the vacuum suction chambers 16D to a vacuum or reduced pre~sure system P made of a vacuum pump or the like (not shown~. The corner 16E of the holding member 16, 20 which is located at the base plate incoming side thereof near the base plate conveyance pa~sage I-I opposite the thin film adhering position, is chamered, as shown in Figs. 4, 12 and 13, to smoothly guide the base plate 14. A thin film leading edge portion holding members 16 is provided above and below the base 25 plate conveyance passage I-I. The number of the thin film suction holes 16C of the holding side 16A of the lower holding member 16 is larger than that of the thin film suction holes 16C
of the holding side l~A of the upper holding member 16 because ~he lower holding member needs a stronger suction forc~ than the 30 upper holding member so a~ to cope with gravity. However, if the suction force of the lower holding member 16 is strong enough, the number of the suction holes 16C of the member may be equal to that o~ the suction hole~ of the upper holding member 16.
Sensors S1 and S2 are provided near the base plate conveyance passage I-I, as shown in Fig. 1. The sensor Sl v~
1 detects the position of the leading edge of the base plate 14 to stop the leading edge in the thin film adhering position. The other sensor S2 detect~ th~ trailing edge of the base plate 14 to ~et the trailing edge portion of the laminated film lB, which i~
to be cut, depending on the length of the base plate 14. The sensor S2 generates a detection signal to place the trailing edge portion of the laminated film lB to be cut at the cutter 13. The ~ensors S1 and S2 ar~ of the light tran~mission type, for example.
A fluid blower 17 i~ provided between the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 and the vacuum suction plate 12 near the feed passa~e for the laminated film lB so as to make it easy to suction and hold the leading edge portion of the laminated film lD on the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 and to slacken the laminated film at the leading edge of the film.
The other of the embodiments are directed to a method of adhering the laminated film lB to the base plate 14, under heat and pres~ure, in the thin film adhering apparatu~. The method is described with reference to Figs. 5-13. The leading edge portion of the laminated film lB, divided from the light-transmissible resin ilm lA by the thin film separation roller 3, is first manually placed between the thin film suction side lOD of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate lO and the cutter 13, as shown in Fig. 5. The leading edge portion of the film lB is then ~uctioned and held by the suction side lOD of the plate lO. The plate lO is thereafter moved in the direction C by the driver 7F
shown in Fig. 1, so that the leading edge portion of the laminated ilm i8 conveyed to a position distant from the feed passage for the film and suctioned and held on the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum 6uction plate 6. If the thin film adhering apparatus is already in continuous operation, the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB cut by the cutter 13 is suctioned and held on the leading end portlon 6V of the main vacuum suct~on plate 6.
20~
1The leading edge of the base plate 14, conveyed in the base , plate conveyance pas~age I-I by the driving and driven roller3 15A and 15B of the base plate conveyance mechanism, i~ stopped in the thin film adhering position after the leading edge of the base plate i~ detected by the ~en~or Sl to ~top the driving - rollers in accordance with the detection signal generated by the sensor. ~hen the base plate 14 is conveyed by the base plate conveyance mechanism, the base plate passes between the upper and the lower thin film leading edge portion holding members 16 located above and below the base plate conveyance passage I-I.
At that time, the chamfered corners 16 guide the base plate 14, as shQwn in Figs. 4, 12 and 13, to prevent the base plate rom under~oing an improper conveyance such as catching on the holding members.
15The leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 is then moved toward the leading edge portion of the base plate 14 stationarily disposed in the thin film adhering position, so that the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is supplied to the adhering po~ition, as shown in Fig. ,7. The lsading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate is then conveyed to the thin film adhering position so that the leading end portion is located near the thin film adhering side of the base plate 14 at the leadin~ edge thereof, as shown in Figs. 8 and 12. Although the leading end portlon 6D may be brought into ~llght contact with tha thin ilm adhering side of the base plate 14 at the leading edge thereof, it is preferable that the leading end portion not be brought into contact with the base plate. The ~uction of the main vacuum ~uction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D are then terminated. At that time, the holding side 16A of the thin film leading edge holding member 16 is in such a position as to face the leading end portion 6D, and the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB, supplied to the thin film adhering position~ is ~uctioned and held on the holdinq side 16A
of the holdin~ member by the suctioning action of the vacuum suction system P through the thin film suction holes 16C of the ~g~
l holding member. The suctioned and held leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is shown by a dotted line in Fig. 12. The distance bet.ween the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the holding ~ide 16A of the holding member 16, on which the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is ~uctioned and held, is set to be as small as about lmm. Since the laminated film lB has an elasticity, the restoring force of the film acts after suction of the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D is stopped, 80 that the leading end portion of the film is instantaneously suctioned and held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16. The most leading edge~ortion o the laminated film lB, suctioned and held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16, projects slightly from the holding side toward the thin film adhering position so that the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 can be moved from the off-set position to the thin film adhering position without coming into contact with the thin film leading edge holding member 16. A fluid such as pressurized air may be blown onto the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 immediately after the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D are out o the suctioning action, ln order to more instantaneously suction and hold the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB on the holding side of the holding member. To blow the fluid onto the holding side 16A, the thin ilm suction holes 6C of the leading end portion 6D are used as fluid blowoff hole~, and a blower such as a compressor and a changeover valve for switching the vacuum suction system P for the blower is provided.
A5 shown in Fig. 9, the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D are moved away fro~ the thin film adhering position as the leading edqe portion of the laminated ~ilm lB remains held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 by suction, ~o that the main vacuum suction plate and the leading end portion are located closer to the feed rollar 2 than in the case that the plate and the leading end portion are located as shown in Fig. 5. The movement of the heat and ~L~J~ O~, l pressure adhering roller 11 from the of-set position to the thin film adhering position is started in response to the movement of the plate 6 and the portion 6D from the thin film adhering position, Whan the roller i8 moved to the thin film adhering position, the roller comeq lnto contact with the most leading edge port~on of the laminated film lB held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 by suction, 84 that appropriate pres~ure acts on the most leading edge portion of the film.
Subsequently, the roller 11 is rotated and th~ ba3e plate 14 i8 conveyed in a direction E by the base plate conveyance mechanism, 80 that the laminated film lB begins to be adhered to the base plate, under heat and pressure, gradually rom the leading edge of the base plate toward the trailing edge thereof, by the rotation of the roller 11 and the conveyance of the base plate.
Since the main vacuum suction plate 6 is no longer applying ~uction at that time, the laminated film lB is automatically and gradually supplied to the thin film a~lering poqition by the rotation of the roller 11 and the conveyance of the base plate 14. However, the auxiliary vacuum suction plate lO or the vacuum suction plate 12 is applying suction at that time so as to apply the appropriate tensile force to the still-unstuck laminated film lB to prevent it from experiencing a wrinkle or the like.
Since the laminated film lB is ~upplied to the thin film adhering position along the heat and pressure adherinq roller ll by the rotation of the roller and the conveyance of the base plate 14 as shown by a full line in Fig. 13, the thin film leading edge portion holding member 16 may or may not apply suction after the laminated film has initially become adhered to the base plate, under heat and pressure. ~owever, if the photosensitiv~ resin layer lBR of the laminated film lB and the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 are likely to rub each other after the start of the heat and pressure adhering of the film so as to damage the layer, it is preferable that the holding member does not apply suction after the laminat~d film has begun to be adhered to the base plate.
12~20~
1 When the trailing edge of the base plate 14 is detected by the sensor S2 during the heat and pressure adhering of the laminated film lB, the main vacuum ~uction plate 6, retained in the po~ition most distant rom the thin film adhering position, and the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 secure the laminated film by suction. The portion of tha laminated film lB, which i8 held by the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10, i~ to be cut in the face of the cutoff 0ulde groove lOG of the plate. The support member 7 shown in Fig. 1 is moved in the direction B at a speed higher than that of the heat and pressure adhering of the laminated film lB, so that the support member is stopped in such a position that the cutoff guide groove lOG faces the cutting member 13A o the cutter 13. A9 a re~ult, the laminated film lB
is ormed with the slackened portion of the trailing edge thereof between the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 and the vacuum 5uction plate 12. Thereafter, the cutting member 13A is moved along the width o the laminated film lB so that the film is cut at the trailing edge portion thereof as shown i8 Fig. 11. The cut length of the laminated film lB corresponds to the ].ength of the base plate 14. Since the laminated film lB has the slackened portion, the film can be cut while the film continues to be adhered to the base plate 14, under heat and pressure. The cut trailing ed~e portion of the laminated film lB is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate 14 at the trailing edge portion thereof, under heat and pressure, so that the heat and pressure adhering of the whole lam~nated film lB is completed.
Thereafter, the vacuum suction plate 12 is rotated and the holding member 16 i5 ~et aside. In the alternative, it may be performed in such a manner that the vacuum æuction plate 12 i8 rotated and the heat and pressura adhering roller 11 is slightly moved to uch an extent that lt i8 not obstructive. Until the point in time immediately before the completion of the heat and pressure adhering, the suctioning action is performed on the laminated ilm lB to apply an appropriate tensile force thereto to prevent the film from experiencing a wrinkle or the like. The ~2~Z~
1 base plate 14, with the laminated film lB adhered thereto under heat and pres~ure, i~ conveyed by the base plate conveyance mechanism to the exposure apparatus installed next to the thin film adhering apparatu~.
The method, in which th lami~ated film lB, whose length corresponds to that of the base plate 14, i8 adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate by the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 as described above, comprises the following steps: suctioning the leading edge portion of the continuous laminated film onto the main vacuum suction plata ~ and the leading end portion 6D; moving the main vacuum suction plate and the leading end portion toward the thin film adhering side of the leading edge portion of the base plate conveyed to the thin film adhering position, so that the leading edge portion of the continuous laminated film is suppli.ed to the thin film adhering poæition; holding the leading edge portion of the laminat~d film in the a~hering position; moving the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D away from the thin film adhering side of the base plate; moving the heat and pressure a & ering 20 roller 11 to the leading edge portion of the laminated film, held in the thin film adhering po~ition and then rotating the roller so that the laminated film is adhered to the thin film adhering ~ide of the base plate from the leading edge thereof toward the trailing edge thereof while the laminated film is automatically 25 supplied to the thin film adhering position; cutting the continuous laminated film lB at the trailing edge portion thereof to the length corresponding to that of the base plate, and thereafter adhering the tralling edge portion to the thin film adhering side o~ the base plate at the trailing edge portion 30 thereof by the heat and pressure adhering roller. Since the leading edge of the laminated film i~ supplied to the thin film adhering position and thereafter held in the position at the tim~
of the movement of the heat and pre~sure adhering roller 11 to the position, the leading edge portion of the laminated film doe~
not need to be temporarily adhered to the thin film adhering side 2C~
l of the leading edge portion of the base plate 14. For that reason, complicated conditions such as temporary adhering temperature, temporary adhering period and temporary adhering pressure do not need to be set. Therefore, improper temporary adhering ~uch a~ nonuniform temporary adhering a~d void-generation temporary adhering which would result from failing to properly set the complicated conditions, is avoided.
As a result, the yield in the adhering of the laminated film lB
iB improved. Since the laminated film lB doe~ not need to be temporarily adhered to the base plate 14, the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D can be moved away from the thin-film adhering position immediately after the supply of the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB to the adhering position so as to place the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 in the adhering position. For that reason, the period of the adhering of the whole laminated film lB to the base plate 14 can be ~hortened.
Since the thin film leading edge portion holding member 16, which includes the holding side 16A and the thin fi lm suction holes 16C provided in the holding side, is provided in the thin film adhering apparatus instead of a temporary adhering member which includes a heater built therein and which is complicated in construction, the overall construction of the apparatus ls simplified~
Since the thin film adhering apparatus includes the chip suction means by which the chips made from cutting the continuous laminated fllm lB are removed by suction, the chips are prevented from being left on the base plate 14, between the ~ase plate and the laminated film, on the laminated film or in the fllm of the apparatus and from causing th~ laminated film to be ~mpro~erly adhered to the base plate. Therefore, the yield in the adhering i 8 improved. Since the width of the cutof guide groove lOG of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 is made relatively small, approximate to the thickness of the cutting member 13A, and the chip suction holes lOJ are opened into the guide groove and 1;~9~;~0~
1 connected to the vacuum suction system P constituting a portion of the chip suction means, a tensile force is applied to the portion of the laminated film lB to be cut by the guide groove to cut the film cleanly and the interior of the guide groove experiences suction to suction the chips effectively.
The present invention is not confined to the above-described embodiments but may be embodied or practiced in other various ways without departing from the spirit or essential character -thereof. For example, the cutter 13 of the thin film adhering 10 apparatus may be attached to the support member 7 which supports the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the auxiliary vacuum suction plate.10. In that case, the laminated film lB can be cut while it is being supplied and adhered to the base plate 14, under heat and pressure. For that reason, the laminated film lB does not 15 need to be formed with the loose portion. Besides, the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 may be attached to the film of the thin film adhering apparatuY. Although the laminated bodies lB are adhered to both the film adhering sides of the base plate 14, under heat and pressure, in the thin film adhering apparatus, the 20 present invention may be embodied as a thin film adhering apparatus in which a laminated film i8 adhered to only one thin film adhering side of a base plate, under heat and pressure. The heat and pressure adhering roller 11 may be replaced by a non-heat pressure adhering roller, depending on the materials o 25 the laminated film lB~ The present inventlon may also be embodied as a thin film adhering art in which a protective film is adhered to the surface of an ornamental panel as a building material.
Field of the Invention The present invention relate~ to an art of adhering a thin film and particularly relates to a more effective art in which a thin film, whose length corresponds to that of a base plate, is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the plate.
Back~round In a conventional process of manufacturing a printed circuit board for an electronic appliance such as a computer, a laminated film is adhered to the surface of a base plate for a printed circuit. The laminated film con~ists of a photosensitive resin layer and a light-transmissive resin film. The photo~ensitive resin layer is adhered directly to the surface of the base plate.
The light-transmissible resin film is provided on the photosensitive resin layer to protect it. The laminated film i8 adherad to the base plate by a thin fllm adhering apparatus as described in the Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 117487/88 (the term "OPI" as u92d herein means an "unexamined published application") made by the presenk AppIicant.
The proced~lre of adhering the laminated film to the ba~e plate i8 as follows. The leading edge portion of the base plate i~ first conveyed to a thin film adhering po~ition by a base plate conveyance mechanism and stopped in that position. The leading edge portion of the continuou~ laminated film ~upplied from a thin film feed roller i~ then suctioned again~t a main vacuum suction plate which i~ a thin film feed member. A thin film temporary adhering member i~ provided at the leading end o the main vacuum suction plate facing the thin film adhering position 90 that the leading edge portion of the laminated film i~ suctioned onto the temporary adhering member. The temporary adhering member ha~ suction holes communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctionlng the laminated film. A heater for ~k ~99~2~)~
1 temporarily adhering the leading edge portion of the laminated film is provided in the temporary adhering member.
The main vacuum suction plate and the thin film temporary adhering member are moved to the vicinity of the thin film adhering position or the surface of the leading edge portion of the base plate. The leading edge portion of the laminated film i8 then brought into contact with the ~urface of the leading edge portion of the base plate, and temporarily adhered thereto, under heat and pressure, by the temporary adharing member. Thereafter, the main vacuum suction plate and the thin film temporary adhering member no longer apply suction and are moved away from the ~in film adhering position. At that time, the leading edge portion of the laminated film does not deviate from the thin film adhering position because the leading edge portion is already temporarily adhered to the surface of the base plate. A heat and pressure adhering roller is thereafter moved to the thin film adhering position so that the temporarily adhered portion of the lamlnated film is pressed by the roller. The roller is then rotated as the laminated film remalns pressed by the roller, 50 that the whole laminated film is gradually adhered to the surface o~ the base plate, under heat and pressure, while the base plate i8 being conveyed.
The laminated film is automatically supplied to the thin ilm adherin~ position by the rotation of the heat and pressure adhering roller and the conveyanc~ of the base plate. During the heat and pressure adhering of the laminated film of the surface of a bas~ plate, the trailing edge of the base plate is detected to generate a detection signal, in accordance with which the continuous laminated film is cut at the trailiny edge portion thereof. For that reason, the length of the cut-off laminated ilm corre~ponds to that of the base plate extending in the direction of the conveyance thereof. Cutting the laminated film i8 parformed by moving a dlsk-shaped cutting member across the direction of the supply of the laminated film as the film is held at the trailing edge portion thereof by the suction of an~
~2~9~
1 auxiliary ~acuum suction plate provided at the feed pa~sage for the laminated film. The trailing edge portion of the laminated film cut as mentioned above i~ held by the suction of a thi~ film trailing edge portion ~uction member 30 that an appropriate tensile force i~ applied to the laminated film. Simultaneously, the trailing edge port~on of ~he laminated film is guided to the trailing edge portion of the base plate so that the trailing edge portion of the film is adhered to the surface of the trailing edge portion of the base plate, under heat and pressure, by the heat and pressure adhering roller. The base plate with the laminated film adhered thereto by the thin film adhering apparatus as described above i~ conveyed to an exposure apparatu~
installed next thereto. Such a thin film adhering art, in which a portion o~ a laminated film is temporarily adhered to a base plate for a printed circuit and the laminated film i8 thereafter completely adhered to the base plate, under heat and pre~sure, wa~ disclosed in the West German Patent DE 3334009 C2.
The above-mentioned conventlonal procedure of adhering the laminated ilm to the base plate includes the step of temporarily adhering the leading edge portion of the laminated film to the base plate. For the temporary adhering, complicated conditions such as temporary adhering temperature, temporary adhering period and temporary adhering pressure need to be set. This is a problem. For example, ~ome laminated bodies cannot necessarily be securely adhered to the base plate. For ~uch reasons, the temporary adhering conditlon~ are co.~plicated. The conditions are likely to vary due to the number of times of temporary adherence, the change in the environment and 80 orth. Thi~ is another problem. If the photosensitive resin layer of the laminated film is nonuniformly adhered to th~ ba~e plate or the base plate is ~o thin as to be likely to be affected by the heat, a void is caused as a defect between the temporarily adhered portions of the film and the plate such that the film may not remain adhered to the plate. Th~s i8 yet another problem. The o~
1 leading edge portion of the laminated film cannot be temporarily adhered to the surface of the ba~e plate, under heat and pressure, by the thin film temporary adhering member instantaneously but needs to be maintained under heat and pressure by the temporary adhering member for a prescribed length of time. For that reason, the period of adhering of the laminated film to the base plate is increased due to the temporary adhering. This is yet a~other problem. Since the thin film adhering member includes not only a mechanism for suctioning the leading edge portion of the laminated film but also the heater~ the construction of the thin film adherin~ apparatus i~
more complicated due to that of the temporary adhering member.
This is yet another problem.
S~MMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a thin film adhering apparatus in which a thin film whose length corresponds to that of a base plate is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the plate by a pressure adhering roller.
The thin film adhering apparatu~ comprises a base plate conveyance mechanism for conveying the base plate to a thin film adhering position and conveying the plate from that position; a thin film feed member for suctioning the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film and supplying the leading edge portion to the thin film adhering position; a thin film leading edge portion holding member having a holding side which comes into surface contact with the leading edge portion of the thin film supplied to the thin film adhering position, the holding side having thin film suction hole~ communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctioning the leading edge portion of the thin film onto the holding side, the continuous thin film held in the thin film adhering position by the holding member being adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate from the ~2~2~1 1 leading edge portion~ of the film and the plate to the trailing edge portion thereof by the pressure adhering roller; and a cutter for cutting the continuous thin film at the trailing edge portion thereof to the length corre~ponding to that of the ba~e plate. Since the thin film leading edge portion holding member i~ ~imple in con~truction and has the holding ~ide and the thin - film suction holes provided therein, the holding member i8 included in the thin film adhering apparatus instead of temporary adhering member which i9 complicated in con~truction and which has a heater built therein. Therefore, the construction of the apparatu~ is simplified.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method in which a thin film, whose length corresponds to that of a base plate, is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the plate by a pressure adhering roller. The method i~ characterized by the following steps: suctioning the leadin~ edge portion of the continuous thin film onto a thin film feed member; moving the thin film eed member to the vicinity of the thin film adhering side of the leading edge portion o the base plate conveyed to a thin film adhering po~ition~ so that the leading edge portion of the colltinuous thin film i~ supplied to that position; moving the eed member away from the thin ilm adhering side of the base plate; moving the pressure adhering roller to the vicinity of the leading edge portion of the thin film held in the thin film adhering position and thereafter rotating said roller ~o thak the film is adhered to the thln film adhering side of the base plate from the leadlng edge portion thereof to the trailing edge portion thereof while the film is being automatically supplied to the thin film adhering position; and cutting the cont~nuous thin film at the trailing edge portlon thereof to the length corresponding to that of the base plate, and thereafter adhering the trailing edge portion of the film to the thin film adhering side of the trailing edge portion of the base plate by the pressure adhering roller. Since the leading edge portion of the thin film is supplied to the thin film adhering position and ~29gL%~
1 thereafter held in that position at the time of conveying the pressure adhering roller into that position, the leading edge portion of the film does not need to be temporarily adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate at the leading edge portion thereo. For that reason, complicated conditions such as temporary adhering temperatur~, temporary adhering period and temporary adhering pressure do not need to be set. Therefore, improper temporary adhering such as nonuniform temporary adhering and void-production temporary adhering, which would result from failing to properly æet the complicated conditions, i~ avoided.
A~ a result, the yield in the adhering of the thin film to the base-plate is improved. Since the leading edge portion of the thin film does not need to be temporarily adhered to the basP
plate, the thin film feed member can be moved from the thin film adhering position immediately after the supply of the leading edge portion of the thin film to the position so as to allow the conveyance of the pressure adhering roller into posi~ion. For that reason, the period of the adhering of the thin film to the base plate can be ~hortened.
Other ob~ect~ and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description herein and the drawing~
attached hereto.
DESCRIPTION OE THE DRAWINGS
Fig. l shows a schematic view of a th1n film adhering apparatus which i~ an embodiment o the present invention;
Fig. 2 shows a partial perspective sectional view of the auxiliary vacuum ~uction plate of the thin fllm adhering apparatus;
Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the auxiliary vacuum ~uction plate;
Fig. 4 show~ a partial perspective sectional view of the thin film leading edge portion holding member of the thin film adhering apparatus;
~94~0~
1 Fig~. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 show schematic view of major parts of the thin film adhering apparatus in the steps of thin film adhering; and Figs. 12 and 13 show enlarged sectlonal views of ma~or parts of the thin film adhering apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention are hereafter de~cribed in detail with reference to the drawings attached hereto. The mutually eguivalent portions shown in the drawings are ~enoted by the same reference 5ymbols therein.
Figure 1 shows a thin film adhering apparatus which is one of the embodiments and in which a laminated film lB, which is a part of a laminated body 1 consi~ting of a light-transmissible resin film, a photosensitive resin layer and another light-transmissible resin film, i~ adhered to a base plate for a printed circuit, using heat and pressure. The laminated body 1 is continuously wound on a feed roller 2 in advance. The laminated body 1 i8 supplied rom the eed roller 2 so that a thin film separation roller 3 divides the lami.nated body into the laminated film lB compri~ing the light-transmissible resin film lBC and the photosensitive re~in layer lBR exposed on the side which is to he adhered, as shown in Figs. 1~ and 13. The light-transmissible resin film lA i~ wound on a winding roller 4.
A pair of feed rollers 2 and a pair of ~inding rollers 4 are provided above and below a base plate conveyance passage I-I.
The leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is supplied to a main vacuum suction plate 6, which acts as a thin film feed member, along a tension roller 5 which applie~ an appropriate tensile force to the laminated film between the feed roller 2 and the main vacuum suction plate to prevent the laminated film from becoming wrinkled or the like.
The main vacuum suction plate 6 i~ moved toward and away from a thin film adhering position in the directions A, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate 6 is disposed on the feed passage of the 1 laminated film lB so as to convey the laminated film from the feed roller 2 to the thin film adher~ng position. The plate 6 i~
3upported on a support member 7, which i~ moved toward and away ~rom the thin film adhering position in directions B, as shown in Fig. 1. The ~upport member 7 is ~lidably disposed on a guide member 8 of the frame 9 of the thin film adhering apparatus so that the support member i~ slidable on the guide member in the directions B. A pair of main vacuum suction plates 6 and a pair of support members 7 are provided above and below the base plate conveyance passage I-I. The upper and the lower support member~
7 are coupled to each other by a rack and pinion mechanism so that the support members are moved in conjunction with each other. That is, the support members 7 are moved toward and away from each other through the action of racks 7A and a pinion 7B
engaged therewith. A driver (not shown) is coupled to one of the upper and the lower support members 7 for moving in the above-mentioned directions. The driver may include an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electromagnetic cylinder, a ~tep motor and a transmission mechanism which transmit~ the action of the step motor or the like.
The main vacuum suction plate 6 can be moved in the dlrections A together with the support member 7 or separately therefrom. The movement of the plate 6 separately from the support member 7 is performed by a driver 7C provided on the support member 7 and a rack and pinion mechanism coupled to the driver. The rack and pinion mechanism includes a pinion 7D
coupled to the shaft of the driver 7C, a rack 7E provided on the ~upport member 7 and a rack provided on the reverse side of the main vacuum plate 6 which does not apply suction to the laminated film lB (not shown). The driver 7C may lnclude an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electromagnetic cylinder, a step motor and a transmission mechanism which transmits the action of the step motor or the like. A~ lllustrated in Fig. 12, the main vacuum suction plate 6 has a plurality of thin film suction holes 6C extendlng from an internal vacuum suction chamber 6A to a thin ~L~9~Z~
1 film suction side 6B. The ~uction holes 6C are provided at regular interval3 in the æuction side 6B. The vacuum suction chamber 6A communicate~ with a vacuum ~uction system P such as a vacuum pump lnot shown). The ~uction system P acts through the vacuum suction chamber 6A and the suction holes 6C of the main vacuum suction plate 6 so that the obverse side of the light-transmis~ible re~in film lBC of the laminated film lB
consisting of the film and the photosensitive resin layer lBR is suctioned onto the thin ilm suction side 6B of the main vacuum suction plate.
The single vacuum suction chamber 6A of the plate 6 i8 provided in common for all the suctlon holes 6C. The suction plate 6 may be provided with a plurality of vacuum suction chambers 6A along the width of the laminated film lB so that each of the chambers corresponds to a prescribed number of the thin ilm suction holes 6C and is independent of the other vacuum suction chambers in regard to applying suction. If the plurality of vacuum suction chambers are provided in the suction plate 6 to perform the vacuum suction action independently of each other, the suctioniny force of the plate, which suctions the laminated film lB onto the thin film suction side 6B, is maintained even if the width of the laminated film changes.
The thin film suction side 6B of the plate 6 is provided with thin ~rooves around the suction holes 6C, similarly to those described in detail in the Japanese Patent Applications (OPI) No~. 259834/87 and 117487/88 disclosed by the present Applicant.
The thin film suction side 6B of the plate 6 is curved in an arcuate manner at the leading end portion 6D thereof, as ~hown is Eigs. 1 and 12. The arc-shape of the suction side 6B corresponds to the shape,of the laminated film conta~t surface~ of a heat and pressure adhering roller 11 and a thin film leading edge portion holding member 16. A plurality of thin film suction hole3 6C are also provided in the leading end portion 6D of the plate 6 to hold the leading edge portion of the laminated ~ilm lB on the arc-shaped surface of the plate at the leading end portion g ~qL2~)~
1 thereof by suctionlng against the resilience of the laminated film. The leading edge portion of the laminated film lB held on the plate 6 at the leading end portion 6D thereof by suction i~
supplied to the thin film adhering position by moving the plate in the direction A. Although the leading end portion 6D
corresponds to the thin film temporary adhering member of the conventional thin film adhering apparatu3, a heater for temporarily adhering i~ not provided because temporary adhering is not performed in the thin film adhering apparatus which is the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the construction of the main vacuum suction plate 6 is simplified. Although the plate 6 and the leading end portion ~D are integral with each other, they may ~e separately manufactured and then conjoined to each other if it is easier to manufacture them separately.
An auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10, which is a holding member for cutting off the laminated film lB, is provided between the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the thin film adhering position near the feed pas~age for the laminated film, as shown in Fig~ 1. A pair of auxiliary vacuum suction plates 10 are provided above and below the base plate conveyance passage I-I.
The auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 includes a thin iim suction element lOA, a vacuum suction chamber defining element lOB and a base element lOC, as ~hown in Figs. 2 and 3. The thin film suction element lOA has a thin film suction side lOD facing the feed passage for the laminated film lB and a guide groove lOG
for cutting the laminated film lB. The thin film suction side lOB is provided with thin film suction grooves lOE and thin film ~uction holes lOF on opposing sides of the guide groove lOG.
Each o the suction holes lOF communicates at one end thereof with the bottom o the suction groove lOE, and at the other end thereof with a vacuum suction chamber lOK defined by the vacuum suctio~ chamber defining element lOB~ A plurality o suction grooves lOE are provided at intervals along the width of the laminated film lB so that the number of tha suction groove~
corresponds to the width of the laminated film. The suction z~
1 grooves lOE are located in such positions that the ~ide edges of the laminated film lB are not disposed on the suction grooves even if the width of the laminated film changes. Rather, the side edges of the film lB are disposed on the solid portion of the thin film suction side lOD. In other words, the ~uction grooves lOE axe located so as to avoid disposing the side edges of the laminated film lB on the grooves so as to permit air to enter into the grooves. The suctioning force on the laminated film lB is thus increased.
The guide groove lOG is disposed in the central portion of the thin film suction side lOD and ext.ends along the ~idth of the laminated film lB. The depth of the guide groove lOG is relatively large, but the width thereof is relatively small.
When the thickness Lt of the cutting member 13A of a cutter 13 shown in Fig. 3 is about 1.5 mm, for example, the depth Ld of the guide groove lOG is about 2.0 to 4.5 mm and the width Lw thereof i8 about 2.0 mm. In other words, the width of the guide groove lOG is close to the thickne~ of the cutting member 13A o the cutter 13. The guide groove lOG of relatively small Width act~
to guide the cutting member 13A in the longitudinal direction of the ~roove to accurately cut the lam.inated film lB at the trailing edge portion. The guide groove lOG is provided with an inlet opening lOH at the end of the groove by gradually increasing the width of the groove, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to allow for smooth conveyance of the cutting member 13A into the groove. The guide groove lOG acts to suction the laminated film lB at the trailing edge portion thereof against the suction side lOD so that the film i~ not loose but appropriately tight. As a result, the laminated fllm lB is cut cleanly at the trailing edge portion thereof.
Additionally, the guide groove lOG, having relatively small width and relatively large depth, i8 designed so that a chip generated in cutting the laminated film lB is not di~charged outwardly from the groove but efficiently suc-tioned inward by a chip suction means described hereinafter. Chip suction holes 20~
1 lOJ, which constitute a portion of the chip suction means, are provided on the inside wall of the guide groove lOG of the thin film suction element lOA. Each of the chip suction holes lOJ
communicates at one end thereo with the vacuum suction chamber lOK. The thin film suction element lOA having the suction side lOD, the suction grooves lOE, the suction holes lOF, the guide groove lOG and the chip suction holes lOJ is made o a material which is easy to form and proces~ and has an appropriate hardness such as that of an aluminum alloy.
T~e vacuum chamber defining element lOB is provided between the thin fllm suction element lOA and the base element lOC and define.s the vacuum suction chambers lOK provided in common for the thin film suction holes lOF and the chip suction holes lOJ.
Partition walls are provided for every prescribed number of the suction grooves lOE and divide the mutually adjacent vacuum suction chambers lOK from each other so that the chambers are independent of each other in vacuum suction. The vacuum suction chambers lOK are connected to the vacuum suction system P through the common suction hole lOL of the base member lOC and a suction plpe lOM. The plural vacuum suction chambers lOX are provided in such a manner that some vacuum suction chambers performing the vacuum suct~on because the thin film suction holes lOF
corresponding to the chambers are covered by the laminated film lB and the other vacuum suction chambers not performing the vacuum suction because the thin film suction holes lOF
cor~esponding to the chambers are not covered by the laminated film are independent of each other as to the vacuum suction even if the width of the film changes. In other words, the force suctioninq the laminated film lB onto the thin film suction side lOD of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 is not æub~tantially reduced even if the width of the film changes. The chip suction hole3 lOJ, the vacuum suction chambers lOK, the common suction holes lOL, the suction pipe lOM and the vacuum suction ystem P
constitute the chlp suction means by which the chips generated in cutting off the laminated film lB is removed by suction.
o~
1 The vacuum suction chamber defining element lOB is mad2 of a hard rubber so that the element is kept airtight to the thin film suction element lOA and the base element lOC. The base element lOC is made of a material which is easy to form and proce~s and ha~ an appropriate hardness such as that of an aluminum alloy.
The thin film suction element lOA, the vacuum suction chamber defining element lOB and the base element lOC are assembled with screws (not shown).
The auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 acts so that the laminat~d film lB i~ held at the portion which i8 to be cut by suction, and the leading edge portion of the following laminated film lB being conveyed to the plate after the preceding laminated film lB has been cut is held on the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plat 6 by suction. For that purpose, the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 is moved toward and away from the feed passage for the laminated film lB in directions C, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate 10 is coupled to the support member 7 by a driver 7F made o~ an air cylinder and ~upported by a shaft lON. The plate 10 also acts ~o that the trailing edye portion of the laminated ~ilm lB i~ held by ~uction when the laminated film i6 being cut, and the laminated film is slacXen at the trailing edge portion thereo between the plate 10 and a vacuum suction plate 12 during the proce~ of adhering the laminated film. In order to make the laminated film lB slackened at the tra1ling edge portion thereof, the speed at which the laminated film i8 conveyed by the main vacuum suction plate 10 is higher than the circumferential velocity of the heat and pressure adhering roller 11, which i8 equal to the speed at which the laminated film is adhered using heat and pressure. Th lackened laminated film lB
30 iB cut while the film is adhered under heat and pressur~.
The cutter 13 is provlded in such a position ~hat it faces the thin film suction side lOD of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 across the feed passage for the laminated ~ilm lB, as shown in Fig. 1. The cutter 13 has a disk-shaped cutting member 13A as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Although the cutting member 13A
12~
1 is provided with a cutting edge hy grinding only one side of the member, in thi~ embodiment, the member may be provided with a cutting edge by grinding both the sides of the member. The .cutting member 13A i~ moved in the longitudinal direction D of 5 the guide groove lOG of the auxiliary vacuum ~uction plat~ 10 along the width of the laminated film lB, a~ æhown in Fig. 2.
The movement of the cutting member 13A is performed by air pressure, for example. The cutter 13 acts so that the laminated -film lB continuously supplied by the main vacuum 3uction plate 6 ; 10 i~ cut to a prescribed length corresponding to the length of a base plate extending in the direction of conveyance thereof. A
pair-o,f such cutters 13 are provided on opposite sides of the ~ase plate conveyance passage I-I. A means for moving the cutting member 13A of the cutter 13 to cut the laminated film lB
is equivalent to those described in detail in the Japanese Patent.
Applications (OPI) Nos. 259834/87 and 117487/88 disclosed by the present Applicant.
The heat and pre~sure adhering roller 11 i~ moved between an off-set position shown by a solid line in Fig. 1, and the ,thin film adhering po~ition ~hown ~y a dotted line in Fig. 1. The ~acuum ~uction plate 12 hold~ the trailing edge portion of the laminated ilm lB by suction so a~ to apply an appropriate tensile force to the film to prevent it from undergoing a wrinkle or the like as the film i 8 adhered to the base plate by the he~t and pressure adhering roller 11. The vacuum 3uction plate 12 i8 prevented from rotating. A pair of heat and pressure adhering rollers 11 and a pair uf vacuum ~uction plates 12 are provi~ed on opposite sides of the base plate conveyance passage I-I. The heat and pressure adhering rollers 11, the vacuum suction plate~
12 and the location thereof are equivalent to those describe~ in detail in the Japanese Patent Application3 (OPI) Nos. 259834/87 and 117487/88.
The base plate 14 for a printed circuit is conveyed in the base plate conveyance passage I-I by a bas'~ plate conveyance mechanism built in or attached to the thin film adhering o~ ~
1 apparatu~. After the base plate 14 is conveyed to the thin film ; adhering position, the laminated film lB i~ adhered to the base plate, under heat and pre~sure, and the base plate i8 then conveyed from that position to an expo~ure apparatus in~talled next to the thin film adhering apparatu~. The base plate conveyance mechanism includes driving roller~ 15A and driven rollers 15B. The base plate 14 consists of an electrically insulating plate 14A and electroconductive layers 148 made of copper or the like on both the sides of the plate, as shown in 10 Fig. 12.
The thin film trailing edge portion holding member 16 is provided in the thin film adhering position nearest the base plate conveyance passage I-I, a~ shown in Fig. 1. The member 16 is secured to the frame 9 of the thin film adhering apparatus 15 directly or with an interposed fin adjustment mechanism or the like. The member 16 includes a holding side 16A, suction grooves 16B, suction holes 16C and vacuum suction chambers 16D, as shown in Fig. 4. The holding side 16A has an arcuate shape to correspond to the arcuate shape o the leading end portion 6D of 20 the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the shape of the heat and pressure adhering roller 11. The holding side 16A i~ conveyed to the vicinity of the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB
supplied by the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 or is moved into contact with the leading edge portion of 25 the laminated film, ~o that the leading edge portion of the supplied film is suctioned and held by a thin film suction means described hereinafter. The length of the arc-shaped curve of the holding side 16A is slightly smaller than that of the arc-shaped curve of the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction 30 plate 6 so that the holding side i3 located at a small di tance from the thin film adhering position. For that reason, the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 does not come into contact with ; the thin film leading edge portion holding member 16 as the leading edge portion of the laminated fllm lB is suctioned and held by the holding side 16A, as shown ~n Fig. 13. Tharefore, 1 the leading ed~e portion of the laminated film can be adhered to the electroconductive layer 14B of the base plate 149 under heat and pressure, by the roller.
The holding side 16A has a plurality of suction groove~ 16B
and a plurality of thin film suction holes 16C. Each of the - suction hole~ 16C communicates at on~ end thereof with the bottom of the ~uction groove 16B, and at the other end thereof with a vacuum suction chamber 16D. Each suction groove 16B corresponds to one or more ~uction holes 16C disposed along the width of the lO laminated film lB. The disposition of the suctlon grooves 16B
corresponds to that of the vacuum suction chambers 16D which apply suction independently of each other. For that reason, the force of the holding member 16, which suctions the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB onto the holding side 16A, is 15 not substantially reduced even if the width of the laminated film changes, a~ is the case with the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10. Suction pipes 16E connect the vacuum suction chambers 16D to a vacuum or reduced pre~sure system P made of a vacuum pump or the like (not shown~. The corner 16E of the holding member 16, 20 which is located at the base plate incoming side thereof near the base plate conveyance pa~sage I-I opposite the thin film adhering position, is chamered, as shown in Figs. 4, 12 and 13, to smoothly guide the base plate 14. A thin film leading edge portion holding members 16 is provided above and below the base 25 plate conveyance passage I-I. The number of the thin film suction holes 16C of the holding side 16A of the lower holding member 16 is larger than that of the thin film suction holes 16C
of the holding side l~A of the upper holding member 16 because ~he lower holding member needs a stronger suction forc~ than the 30 upper holding member so a~ to cope with gravity. However, if the suction force of the lower holding member 16 is strong enough, the number of the suction holes 16C of the member may be equal to that o~ the suction hole~ of the upper holding member 16.
Sensors S1 and S2 are provided near the base plate conveyance passage I-I, as shown in Fig. 1. The sensor Sl v~
1 detects the position of the leading edge of the base plate 14 to stop the leading edge in the thin film adhering position. The other sensor S2 detect~ th~ trailing edge of the base plate 14 to ~et the trailing edge portion of the laminated film lB, which i~
to be cut, depending on the length of the base plate 14. The sensor S2 generates a detection signal to place the trailing edge portion of the laminated film lB to be cut at the cutter 13. The ~ensors S1 and S2 ar~ of the light tran~mission type, for example.
A fluid blower 17 i~ provided between the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 and the vacuum suction plate 12 near the feed passa~e for the laminated film lB so as to make it easy to suction and hold the leading edge portion of the laminated film lD on the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 and to slacken the laminated film at the leading edge of the film.
The other of the embodiments are directed to a method of adhering the laminated film lB to the base plate 14, under heat and pres~ure, in the thin film adhering apparatu~. The method is described with reference to Figs. 5-13. The leading edge portion of the laminated film lB, divided from the light-transmissible resin ilm lA by the thin film separation roller 3, is first manually placed between the thin film suction side lOD of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate lO and the cutter 13, as shown in Fig. 5. The leading edge portion of the film lB is then ~uctioned and held by the suction side lOD of the plate lO. The plate lO is thereafter moved in the direction C by the driver 7F
shown in Fig. 1, so that the leading edge portion of the laminated ilm i8 conveyed to a position distant from the feed passage for the film and suctioned and held on the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum 6uction plate 6. If the thin film adhering apparatus is already in continuous operation, the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB cut by the cutter 13 is suctioned and held on the leading end portlon 6V of the main vacuum suct~on plate 6.
20~
1The leading edge of the base plate 14, conveyed in the base , plate conveyance pas~age I-I by the driving and driven roller3 15A and 15B of the base plate conveyance mechanism, i~ stopped in the thin film adhering position after the leading edge of the base plate i~ detected by the ~en~or Sl to ~top the driving - rollers in accordance with the detection signal generated by the sensor. ~hen the base plate 14 is conveyed by the base plate conveyance mechanism, the base plate passes between the upper and the lower thin film leading edge portion holding members 16 located above and below the base plate conveyance passage I-I.
At that time, the chamfered corners 16 guide the base plate 14, as shQwn in Figs. 4, 12 and 13, to prevent the base plate rom under~oing an improper conveyance such as catching on the holding members.
15The leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 is then moved toward the leading edge portion of the base plate 14 stationarily disposed in the thin film adhering position, so that the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is supplied to the adhering po~ition, as shown in Fig. ,7. The lsading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate is then conveyed to the thin film adhering position so that the leading end portion is located near the thin film adhering side of the base plate 14 at the leadin~ edge thereof, as shown in Figs. 8 and 12. Although the leading end portlon 6D may be brought into ~llght contact with tha thin ilm adhering side of the base plate 14 at the leading edge thereof, it is preferable that the leading end portion not be brought into contact with the base plate. The ~uction of the main vacuum ~uction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D are then terminated. At that time, the holding side 16A of the thin film leading edge holding member 16 is in such a position as to face the leading end portion 6D, and the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB, supplied to the thin film adhering position~ is ~uctioned and held on the holdinq side 16A
of the holdin~ member by the suctioning action of the vacuum suction system P through the thin film suction holes 16C of the ~g~
l holding member. The suctioned and held leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is shown by a dotted line in Fig. 12. The distance bet.ween the leading end portion 6D of the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the holding ~ide 16A of the holding member 16, on which the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB is ~uctioned and held, is set to be as small as about lmm. Since the laminated film lB has an elasticity, the restoring force of the film acts after suction of the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D is stopped, 80 that the leading end portion of the film is instantaneously suctioned and held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16. The most leading edge~ortion o the laminated film lB, suctioned and held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16, projects slightly from the holding side toward the thin film adhering position so that the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 can be moved from the off-set position to the thin film adhering position without coming into contact with the thin film leading edge holding member 16. A fluid such as pressurized air may be blown onto the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 immediately after the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D are out o the suctioning action, ln order to more instantaneously suction and hold the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB on the holding side of the holding member. To blow the fluid onto the holding side 16A, the thin ilm suction holes 6C of the leading end portion 6D are used as fluid blowoff hole~, and a blower such as a compressor and a changeover valve for switching the vacuum suction system P for the blower is provided.
A5 shown in Fig. 9, the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D are moved away fro~ the thin film adhering position as the leading edqe portion of the laminated ~ilm lB remains held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 by suction, ~o that the main vacuum suction plate and the leading end portion are located closer to the feed rollar 2 than in the case that the plate and the leading end portion are located as shown in Fig. 5. The movement of the heat and ~L~J~ O~, l pressure adhering roller 11 from the of-set position to the thin film adhering position is started in response to the movement of the plate 6 and the portion 6D from the thin film adhering position, Whan the roller i8 moved to the thin film adhering position, the roller comeq lnto contact with the most leading edge port~on of the laminated film lB held on the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 by suction, 84 that appropriate pres~ure acts on the most leading edge portion of the film.
Subsequently, the roller 11 is rotated and th~ ba3e plate 14 i8 conveyed in a direction E by the base plate conveyance mechanism, 80 that the laminated film lB begins to be adhered to the base plate, under heat and pressure, gradually rom the leading edge of the base plate toward the trailing edge thereof, by the rotation of the roller 11 and the conveyance of the base plate.
Since the main vacuum suction plate 6 is no longer applying ~uction at that time, the laminated film lB is automatically and gradually supplied to the thin film a~lering poqition by the rotation of the roller 11 and the conveyance of the base plate 14. However, the auxiliary vacuum suction plate lO or the vacuum suction plate 12 is applying suction at that time so as to apply the appropriate tensile force to the still-unstuck laminated film lB to prevent it from experiencing a wrinkle or the like.
Since the laminated film lB is ~upplied to the thin film adhering position along the heat and pressure adherinq roller ll by the rotation of the roller and the conveyance of the base plate 14 as shown by a full line in Fig. 13, the thin film leading edge portion holding member 16 may or may not apply suction after the laminated film has initially become adhered to the base plate, under heat and pressure. ~owever, if the photosensitiv~ resin layer lBR of the laminated film lB and the holding side 16A of the holding member 16 are likely to rub each other after the start of the heat and pressure adhering of the film so as to damage the layer, it is preferable that the holding member does not apply suction after the laminat~d film has begun to be adhered to the base plate.
12~20~
1 When the trailing edge of the base plate 14 is detected by the sensor S2 during the heat and pressure adhering of the laminated film lB, the main vacuum ~uction plate 6, retained in the po~ition most distant rom the thin film adhering position, and the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 secure the laminated film by suction. The portion of tha laminated film lB, which i8 held by the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10, i~ to be cut in the face of the cutoff 0ulde groove lOG of the plate. The support member 7 shown in Fig. 1 is moved in the direction B at a speed higher than that of the heat and pressure adhering of the laminated film lB, so that the support member is stopped in such a position that the cutoff guide groove lOG faces the cutting member 13A o the cutter 13. A9 a re~ult, the laminated film lB
is ormed with the slackened portion of the trailing edge thereof between the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 and the vacuum 5uction plate 12. Thereafter, the cutting member 13A is moved along the width o the laminated film lB so that the film is cut at the trailing edge portion thereof as shown i8 Fig. 11. The cut length of the laminated film lB corresponds to the ].ength of the base plate 14. Since the laminated film lB has the slackened portion, the film can be cut while the film continues to be adhered to the base plate 14, under heat and pressure. The cut trailing ed~e portion of the laminated film lB is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate 14 at the trailing edge portion thereof, under heat and pressure, so that the heat and pressure adhering of the whole lam~nated film lB is completed.
Thereafter, the vacuum suction plate 12 is rotated and the holding member 16 i5 ~et aside. In the alternative, it may be performed in such a manner that the vacuum æuction plate 12 i8 rotated and the heat and pressura adhering roller 11 is slightly moved to uch an extent that lt i8 not obstructive. Until the point in time immediately before the completion of the heat and pressure adhering, the suctioning action is performed on the laminated ilm lB to apply an appropriate tensile force thereto to prevent the film from experiencing a wrinkle or the like. The ~2~Z~
1 base plate 14, with the laminated film lB adhered thereto under heat and pres~ure, i~ conveyed by the base plate conveyance mechanism to the exposure apparatus installed next to the thin film adhering apparatu~.
The method, in which th lami~ated film lB, whose length corresponds to that of the base plate 14, i8 adhered to the thin film adhering side of the base plate by the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 as described above, comprises the following steps: suctioning the leading edge portion of the continuous laminated film onto the main vacuum suction plata ~ and the leading end portion 6D; moving the main vacuum suction plate and the leading end portion toward the thin film adhering side of the leading edge portion of the base plate conveyed to the thin film adhering position, so that the leading edge portion of the continuous laminated film is suppli.ed to the thin film adhering poæition; holding the leading edge portion of the laminat~d film in the a~hering position; moving the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D away from the thin film adhering side of the base plate; moving the heat and pressure a & ering 20 roller 11 to the leading edge portion of the laminated film, held in the thin film adhering po~ition and then rotating the roller so that the laminated film is adhered to the thin film adhering ~ide of the base plate from the leading edge thereof toward the trailing edge thereof while the laminated film is automatically 25 supplied to the thin film adhering position; cutting the continuous laminated film lB at the trailing edge portion thereof to the length corresponding to that of the base plate, and thereafter adhering the tralling edge portion to the thin film adhering side o~ the base plate at the trailing edge portion 30 thereof by the heat and pressure adhering roller. Since the leading edge of the laminated film i~ supplied to the thin film adhering position and thereafter held in the position at the tim~
of the movement of the heat and pre~sure adhering roller 11 to the position, the leading edge portion of the laminated film doe~
not need to be temporarily adhered to the thin film adhering side 2C~
l of the leading edge portion of the base plate 14. For that reason, complicated conditions such as temporary adhering temperature, temporary adhering period and temporary adhering pressure do not need to be set. Therefore, improper temporary adhering ~uch a~ nonuniform temporary adhering a~d void-generation temporary adhering which would result from failing to properly set the complicated conditions, is avoided.
As a result, the yield in the adhering of the laminated film lB
iB improved. Since the laminated film lB doe~ not need to be temporarily adhered to the base plate 14, the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the leading end portion 6D can be moved away from the thin-film adhering position immediately after the supply of the leading edge portion of the laminated film lB to the adhering position so as to place the heat and pressure adhering roller 11 in the adhering position. For that reason, the period of the adhering of the whole laminated film lB to the base plate 14 can be ~hortened.
Since the thin film leading edge portion holding member 16, which includes the holding side 16A and the thin fi lm suction holes 16C provided in the holding side, is provided in the thin film adhering apparatus instead of a temporary adhering member which includes a heater built therein and which is complicated in construction, the overall construction of the apparatus ls simplified~
Since the thin film adhering apparatus includes the chip suction means by which the chips made from cutting the continuous laminated fllm lB are removed by suction, the chips are prevented from being left on the base plate 14, between the ~ase plate and the laminated film, on the laminated film or in the fllm of the apparatus and from causing th~ laminated film to be ~mpro~erly adhered to the base plate. Therefore, the yield in the adhering i 8 improved. Since the width of the cutof guide groove lOG of the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 is made relatively small, approximate to the thickness of the cutting member 13A, and the chip suction holes lOJ are opened into the guide groove and 1;~9~;~0~
1 connected to the vacuum suction system P constituting a portion of the chip suction means, a tensile force is applied to the portion of the laminated film lB to be cut by the guide groove to cut the film cleanly and the interior of the guide groove experiences suction to suction the chips effectively.
The present invention is not confined to the above-described embodiments but may be embodied or practiced in other various ways without departing from the spirit or essential character -thereof. For example, the cutter 13 of the thin film adhering 10 apparatus may be attached to the support member 7 which supports the main vacuum suction plate 6 and the auxiliary vacuum suction plate.10. In that case, the laminated film lB can be cut while it is being supplied and adhered to the base plate 14, under heat and pressure. For that reason, the laminated film lB does not 15 need to be formed with the loose portion. Besides, the auxiliary vacuum suction plate 10 may be attached to the film of the thin film adhering apparatuY. Although the laminated bodies lB are adhered to both the film adhering sides of the base plate 14, under heat and pressure, in the thin film adhering apparatus, the 20 present invention may be embodied as a thin film adhering apparatus in which a laminated film i8 adhered to only one thin film adhering side of a base plate, under heat and pressure. The heat and pressure adhering roller 11 may be replaced by a non-heat pressure adhering roller, depending on the materials o 25 the laminated film lB~ The present inventlon may also be embodied as a thin film adhering art in which a protective film is adhered to the surface of an ornamental panel as a building material.
Claims (9)
1. A thin film adhering apparatus in which a thin film whose length corresponds to that of a substrate is adhered to the thin film adhering side of said substrate by a pressure adhering roller, comprising:
a substrate conveyance mechanism for conveying said substrate to a thin film adhering position and for moving said substrate from said position;
a thin film feed member for adhering the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film and supplying said leading edge portion to said adhering position;
a thin film leading edge portion holding member disposed proximate said adhering position, said holding member having a holding side which comes into surface contact with the leading edge portion of said film supplied to said position, said holding side having thin film suction holes communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctioning the leading edge portion of said film onto said holding side, said continuous film held in said position by said holding member being adhered to the thin film adhering side of said substrate from the leading edge portions of said film and said substrate to the trailing edge portions thereof by said roller; and a cutter for cutting said continuous film at the trailing edge portion thereof to said length corresponding to that of said substrate.
a substrate conveyance mechanism for conveying said substrate to a thin film adhering position and for moving said substrate from said position;
a thin film feed member for adhering the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film and supplying said leading edge portion to said adhering position;
a thin film leading edge portion holding member disposed proximate said adhering position, said holding member having a holding side which comes into surface contact with the leading edge portion of said film supplied to said position, said holding side having thin film suction holes communicating with a vacuum suction system for suctioning the leading edge portion of said film onto said holding side, said continuous film held in said position by said holding member being adhered to the thin film adhering side of said substrate from the leading edge portions of said film and said substrate to the trailing edge portions thereof by said roller; and a cutter for cutting said continuous film at the trailing edge portion thereof to said length corresponding to that of said substrate.
2. A thin film adhering apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the thin film leading edge portion holding member is provided near an upper thin film adhering position in which the thin film is adhered to the upper thin film adhering side of the substrate; and another thin film leading edge portion holding member is provided near a lower thin film adhering position in which another thin film is adhered to the lower thin film adhering side of said substrate.
3. A thin film adhering apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the number of the thin film suction holes of the thin film leading edge portion holding member provided near the lower thin film adhering position is greater than that of the thin film suction holes of the thin film leading edge portion holding member provided near the upper thin film adhering position.
4. A thin film adhering apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of thin film suction holes of the thin film leading edge portion holding member communicate with the vacuum suction system through independent vacuum suction chambers such that suction is independently applied to said predetermined number of holes.
5. A thin film adhering apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the shape of the holding side of the thin film leading edge portion holding member is substantially the same as the shape of the portion of the thin film feed member which holds the leading edge portion of the thin film.
6. A method in which a thin film, whose length corresponds to that of a substrate, is adhered to the thin film adhering side of said substrate by a pressure adhering roller, comprising the steps of:
adhering the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film onto a thin film feed member;
conveying said film feed member to the vicinity of the thin film adhering side of the leading edge portion of said substrate conveyed to a thin film adhering position, so that the leading edge portion of said continuous film is supplied to said position;
conveying said film feed member away from the thin film adhering side of said substrate;
moving said pressure adhering roller to the vicinity of the leading edge portion of said film held in said position;
rotating aid roller so that said film is adhered to the thin film adhering side of said substrate from the leading edge portion thereof to the trailing edge portion thereof while said film is being automatically supplied to said position;
cutting said continuous film at the trailing edge portion thereof to said length corresponding to that of said substrate; and adhering said trailing edge portion to the thin film adhering side of the trailing edge portion of said substrate by rotating said roller.
adhering the leading edge portion of the continuous thin film onto a thin film feed member;
conveying said film feed member to the vicinity of the thin film adhering side of the leading edge portion of said substrate conveyed to a thin film adhering position, so that the leading edge portion of said continuous film is supplied to said position;
conveying said film feed member away from the thin film adhering side of said substrate;
moving said pressure adhering roller to the vicinity of the leading edge portion of said film held in said position;
rotating aid roller so that said film is adhered to the thin film adhering side of said substrate from the leading edge portion thereof to the trailing edge portion thereof while said film is being automatically supplied to said position;
cutting said continuous film at the trailing edge portion thereof to said length corresponding to that of said substrate; and adhering said trailing edge portion to the thin film adhering side of the trailing edge portion of said substrate by rotating said roller.
7. A method according to Claim 6, wherein the thin film is a laminated film consisting of a photosensitive resin layer and a light-transmissible resin film; and the substrate is made of an electrically insulating substrate provided with an electroconductive layer on the thin film adhering side of said substrate.
8. A method according to Claim 6, wherein thin films are substantially simultaneously adhered to both the mutally-opposite thin film adhering sides of the substrate.
9. A method of according to Claim 6, wherein the trailing edge portion of the thin film cut at said trailing edge portion is held by suction until the point in time immediately before said trailing edge portion is adhered to the thin film adhering side of the trailing edge portion of the substrate by the pressure adhering roller.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000612531A CA1294201C (en) | 1989-09-22 | 1989-09-22 | Thin film adhering method and thin film adhering apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000612531A CA1294201C (en) | 1989-09-22 | 1989-09-22 | Thin film adhering method and thin film adhering apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1294201C true CA1294201C (en) | 1992-01-14 |
Family
ID=4140653
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000612531A Expired - Fee Related CA1294201C (en) | 1989-09-22 | 1989-09-22 | Thin film adhering method and thin film adhering apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1294201C (en) |
-
1989
- 1989-09-22 CA CA000612531A patent/CA1294201C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKLA | Lapsed |