JP2007075685A - Coating film formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating film formation apparatus capable of easily manufacturing an optical film such as a brightness enhancement film with a wide reflection band area and a visual field angle enlargement film. <P>SOLUTION: The coating film formation apparatus is provided with a paying-out device continuously paying out a support; a coating head for coating the support paid out from the paying-out device with a composition for coating film formation to provide the coating film; a first UV-ray irradiation device for irradiating the coating film provided on the support by the coating head with a first UV ray; an immersion means for immersing the support having the coating film irradiated with the first UV ray in an extraction solvent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating film forming apparatus, and more particularly to a coating film forming apparatus used for manufacturing various optical films and the like.

  In the production of various laminated film products such as optical films, a film as a support is continuously supplied into the production line, and a liquid such as a resin solution is applied to the film by means such as a coating head, and dried. Forming a cured coating film by curing is generally performed, and coating film forming apparatuses for performing such processes are also widely known.

  As an example of the optical film manufactured in such an embodiment, there are a brightness enhancement film and a viewing angle widening film. In these films, for example, a monomer that can be oriented in a state such as a cholesteric liquid crystal phase is applied to the surface of the support, and this monomer is oriented and polymerized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or the like to obtain an oriented state. It is manufactured by forming a fixed polymer coating layer (cholesteric liquid crystal layer).

  However, in a laminated film in which only one cholesteric liquid crystal layer is formed by such a method, the wavelength range of selective reflection is as narrow as 50 nm. Insufficient to use. In order to obtain a film capable of reflecting in the entire visible light region, at least about 7 or more cholesteric liquid crystal layers having different pitches, that is, different selection wavelength regions are laminated (see Patent Document 1). Therefore, the present situation is that it takes a lot of time to form such a multi-layered coating film.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-324333

  The objective of this invention is providing the coating-film formation apparatus which can manufacture easily optical films, such as a brightness improvement film with a wide reflection zone, and a viewing angle expansion film.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that in a conventional coating film forming apparatus, by further providing means for immersing a support having a coating film irradiated with ultraviolet rays in an extraction solvent, a small number of laminations However, the present inventors have found that an optical film having a wide reflection band can be obtained.

That is, according to the present invention,
[1] A feeding device for continuously feeding a support, a coating head for applying a coating film forming composition on the support fed by the feeding device and providing a coating film, and the coating head A first ultraviolet irradiation device for irradiating the coating film provided on the support with the first ultraviolet ray, and an immersion for immersing the support having the coating film irradiated with the first ultraviolet ray in the extraction solvent A coating film forming apparatus comprising: means;
[2] The coating film forming apparatus according to [1], wherein the coating film forming composition includes a solvent, and the coating film before being irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the first ultraviolet irradiation apparatus. On the other hand, the coating film forming apparatus further comprising a first dryer for drying the solvent in the coating film;
[3] The coating film forming apparatus according to [1] or [2], further including a second dryer for drying a support having a coating film, which is immersed in the extraction solvent. Coating film forming apparatus;
[4] The coating film forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the first ultraviolet ray is an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength width of 80 nm or less, and the first ultraviolet ray is irradiated. A coating film forming apparatus, further comprising a second ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates the coated film after being irradiated with a second ultraviolet ray to cure the coating film;
[5] The coating film forming apparatus according to [4], wherein the first ultraviolet ray has a maximum intensity in a wavelength range of 320 nm or more and less than 400 nm;
[6] The coating film forming apparatus according to [4], wherein the first ultraviolet ray has a maximum intensity in a wavelength range of 280 nm or more and less than 320 nm; and [7] It is a coating-film formation apparatus of any one of said [1]-[6], Comprising: Before apply | coating the said coating-film formation composition on the said support body from the said coating head, the said delivery apparatus A coating film forming apparatus, further comprising means for giving the support the property of orienting molecules in the coating film forming composition on the surface of the support fed from the substrate;
Is provided.

The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned immersing means for immersing a support having a coating film irradiated with the first ultraviolet ray in an extraction solvent, in particular, the structure of [1]. The reflection band can be expanded, and an optical film having a wide reflection band can be easily produced. More specifically, by immersing the coating film applied by the coating head and cured by the ultraviolet irradiation device in an extraction solvent, the surface side of the coating film (the surface of the coating film layer opposite to the support) A coating film with a density gradient from a portion close to the side) can be provided, and a coating film having a wide reflection band in the visible region can be provided. As a result, a brightness enhancement film, a viewing angle expansion film, etc. A laminated film useful as an optical film can be produced.
The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention optionally includes the above-mentioned configuration [2], whereby the coating film can be dried prior to ultraviolet irradiation, and molecular orientation can be caused more effectively.
The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention optionally includes the above-mentioned configuration [3], whereby the extraction solvent after immersion can be more effectively removed, and a higher quality product can be obtained.
The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention can further appropriately improve the reflection band according to the characteristics of the coating film by arbitrarily including the configurations [4] to [6].
The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention can appropriately align molecules in the coating film and improve the optical characteristics by arbitrarily including the configuration of [7].

  The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a feeding device for continuously feeding a support, a coating head for applying a coating film forming composition on the support fed by the feeding device, and providing a coating film, and It has a first ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates the coating film provided on the support from the coating head with the first ultraviolet ray.

  The feeding device and the coating head are not particularly limited, and known ones can be used.

  In the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention, as the coating film forming composition applied by the coating head, a solvent and a polymerizable monomer dissolved in the solvent and exhibiting liquid crystallinity A solution containing can be used. Specific examples of liquid crystal properties that can be exhibited by the monomer include a cholesteric liquid crystal phase. As such a monomer, various organic type polymerizable liquid crystal substances can be used. The solvent is not particularly limited, and a solvent containing an organic and / or inorganic substance can be used. In particular, a solvent that can volatilize without hindering the orientation of the monomer is preferably used. it can.

  The coating film forming composition can be prepared so that the monomer can be cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. Specifically, a monomer that can be cured by ultraviolet irradiation and / or a polymerization initiator that can cure the monomer by ultraviolet irradiation can be used. In addition, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, from a coating film after applying the coating film-forming composition on the support, to a coating film cured through a final curing step. Is simply referred to as “coating film”.

  Although it does not specifically limit as a support body which forms a coating film on it with the coating-film formation apparatus of this invention, The resin film normally used in order to form various optical laminated films can be used. In particular, those capable of imparting the property of orienting molecules such as monomers in the coating film-forming composition by rubbing means described later can be preferably used. Although the shape of a support body is not specifically limited, It can be set as the shape of the continuous strip | belt-shaped film. The support may be a single-layer resin film or a laminated film in which another layer is formed in a resin film before being used for coating film formation by the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention. Specific examples of the other layer include an alignment film for making the alignment by rubbing treatment more effective. The alignment film can be formed by, for example, applying an alignment film forming material on a support, drying, and curing.

  The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention further includes dipping means for immersing the support having the coating film irradiated with the first ultraviolet ray in an extraction solvent. The said immersion means can be comprised by means, such as a roller etc. which guides the said support body into the extraction solvent in the said bathtub, for example in the bathtub of an extraction solvent.

  As the extraction solvent, a solvent that can partially extract the components in the coating film forming composition can be appropriately selected according to the coating film forming composition. Specifically, for example, methyl ethyl ketone or the like can be used. Mention may be made of organic solvents. By immersing with the immersing means, uncured molecules in the coating film can be partially extracted and removed, whereby the density gradient from the portion closer to the surface side of the coating film to the far portion It is possible to give a coating film with

  The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention includes at least the first ultraviolet irradiation device, and can optionally further include a second ultraviolet irradiation device. When the first and second ultraviolet irradiation devices are provided, the first ultraviolet irradiation device can be an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates a specific first ultraviolet ray. The first ultraviolet rays are ultraviolet rays that cause a gradient in the degree of ultraviolet irradiation in the thickness direction of the coating film when the coating film is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. It can be an ultraviolet ray selectively irradiated in a specific narrow wavelength range narrower than the ultraviolet ray, or an ultraviolet ray irradiated with an appropriate weak output. Specifically, the wavelength range of the ultraviolet rays in a specific narrow wavelength range can be within 80 nm. More specifically, the wavelength range can be, for example, a wavelength range of 320 nm to less than 400 nm, and as another example, a wavelength range of 280 nm to less than 320 nm.

  In addition, the wavelength range of the first ultraviolet ray can be set according to the ultraviolet absorption property of the coating film forming composition. For example, it can be set to selectively irradiate a wavelength range within 80 nm, centered on the wavelength at which the polymerization initiator contained in the coating film-forming composition exhibits maximum absorption. The output of the ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates the first ultraviolet light can be made variable so as to be the optimum output for the first ultraviolet irradiation, whereby polymerization is performed in a portion near and far from the surface of the coating film. Polymerization with a gradient of degrees can be performed.

  Specifically, such an apparatus that irradiates the first ultraviolet ray includes, for example, a light source that emits ultraviolet rays in a specific narrow wavelength range, or has a specific wavelength in the optical path from the light source to the irradiation object. A band-pass filter that transmits ultraviolet rays can be provided. Moreover, the irradiation amount of ultraviolet rays can be adjusted by making the voltage of the light source variable or providing a filter having pores in the optical path from the light source to the irradiated object. As the first ultraviolet light source, a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp or the like can be used.

  In the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention, the first ultraviolet irradiation device may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays from the surface side of the support on which the coating film is formed. It may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays from the opposite side, and may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays from both sides. By irradiating ultraviolet rays from either the surface side where the coating film is formed or from the opposite side of the support, a gradient in which the degree of polymerization decreases from a portion close to the surface of the coating film to a portion far from the surface, or A gradient in which the degree of polymerization increases from a portion close to the surface of the coating film to a portion far from the surface can be formed.

  The second ultraviolet irradiation device is not particularly limited, and a known device can be used. The second ultraviolet ray may be a normal ultraviolet ray that cures the coating film more uniformly with a wider wavelength range and / or higher output than the first ultraviolet ray. In addition, the second ultraviolet irradiation device may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays from the surface side of the support on which the coating film is formed, and irradiates ultraviolet rays from the opposite side of the surface on which the coating film is formed. You may be comprised so that it may be irradiated, and also it may be comprised so that an ultraviolet-ray may be irradiated from both surfaces. The first ultraviolet irradiation device is provided before the immersion means, but the second ultraviolet irradiation device may be provided before the immersion means or after the immersion means.

  In the case where the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with only the first ultraviolet irradiation device without the second ultraviolet irradiation device, the first ultraviolet irradiation device is a device that irradiates the first ultraviolet ray. However, it is also possible to provide an apparatus for irradiating the second ultraviolet ray that cures the coating film more uniformly with a wider wavelength range and / or higher output than the first ultraviolet ray.

  When the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention has the first ultraviolet irradiation device for irradiating the first ultraviolet ray and the second ultraviolet irradiation device for irradiating the second ultraviolet ray, the heating means is further provided therebetween. Can be provided. The said heating means can be comprised with a heating zone apparatus, a heating roll, etc., and it is especially preferable to set it as a heating zone apparatus. The heating zone device can be a device that encloses a part of the conveyance path of the support and maintains the temperature therein at a constant high temperature suitable for curing the coating film forming composition.

  The coating film forming apparatus according to the present invention preferably has, in addition to the above-described configuration, a support body fed from the feeding apparatus before the coating film forming composition is applied onto the support body from the coating head. The surface is provided with means for giving the support the property of orienting molecules in the coating film-forming composition. Specifically, the molecule in the coating film-forming composition refers to a monomer capable of exhibiting liquid crystallinity such as the cholesteric liquid crystal phase described above. As means for imparting such properties to the support, specifically, means for performing a rubbing treatment such as a rubbing roll can be used. Further, the rubbing means may be configured such that the alignment film is provided on the support by in-line coating and drying, and the alignment film is rubbed. Further, when an alignment film is already provided on the support, the alignment film may be rubbed.

  The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention preferably has, in addition to the above configuration, a first solvent that dries a solvent in the coating film before the ultraviolet light is irradiated by the first ultraviolet irradiation apparatus. Equipped with a dryer. The first dryer can be a device that encloses a part of the conveyance path of the support and maintains the temperature therein at a constant high temperature suitable for drying the solvent. By the drying of the solvent by the first dryer, it is possible to achieve better alignment of molecules such as the monomer.

  The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention preferably includes, in addition to the above configuration, a second dryer that dries the support having a coating film immersed in the extraction solvent. Similar to the first dryer, the second dryer can be a device that encloses a part of the conveyance path of the support and maintains the temperature therein at a constant high temperature suitable for drying the solvent. With the second dryer, the extraction solvent attached to the support and the coating film in the dipping means can be removed prior to storing the support, and adhesion of the front and back surfaces when the stored product is used as a roll is prevented. can do.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration and operation of the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention. The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus for forming a coating film on a support 2, and includes a feeding apparatus 1, a rubbing roll 3, a coating head 4, a first dryer 5, and a first ultraviolet that irradiates a first ultraviolet ray. The ultraviolet irradiation device 6, the heating zone 7, the second ultraviolet irradiation device 8 that irradiates the second ultraviolet light, the dipping means 9, the second dryer 10, and the winding device 11 as the support storage means are provided in this order. . In the example of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays from the surface side of the support (the surface side on which the coating film is provided), and the second ultraviolet irradiation device. 8 is comprised so that an ultraviolet-ray may be irradiated from the back surface side of a support body.

  Prior to the formation of the coating film by the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention, the support 2 is provided with a coating film by the apparatus of the present invention after an alignment film is previously provided on the resin film as the base material. The alignment film may be formed using another apparatus for that purpose, or an alignment film may be provided in advance using the apparatus of the present invention. That is, the support is unwound from the unwinding device 1 and the alignment film forming liquid is applied using the coating head 4 or another coating head, and the first dryer 5 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 8 are used as necessary. It is used for drying and curing, and it is wound up by a winder 11 to prepare a roll of a support on which an alignment film has been formed in advance, and this is used for forming a coating film by the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention described below. Further can be provided.

  Subsequently, an operation of forming a coating film by the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention will be described. The surface of the support 2 fed from the feeding device 1 and having an alignment film is rubbed with a rubbing roll 3. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the rubbing treatment is preferably performed by rotating the rubbing roll 3 so as to rotate in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the support 2 (that is, in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 1). Is going. However, the aspect of the rubbing treatment is not limited to this, and the rubbing treatment in an arbitrary direction with respect to the traveling direction of the support 2 may be performed as necessary.

  Subsequently, the coating film forming composition is discharged and applied from the coating head 4 onto the surface of the support 2 having the alignment film subjected to the rubbing treatment, and a coating film is formed. The coating film forming composition is preferably applied on the surface on which the rubbing treatment has been performed, whereby the molecules in the coating film forming composition can be oriented in a desired direction. In the example of the present embodiment, as the coating film forming composition, a solution containing a polymerizable monomer compound showing a cholesteric liquid crystal phase, a polymerization initiator, and a solvent is used.

  The coating film applied on the support 2 is dried by the first dryer 5 as necessary, and then subjected to irradiation by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6. Irradiation by the first selective ultraviolet irradiation device 6 can be appropriately adjusted according to the coating film forming composition, properties desired for the product, etc., but as described above, preferably within the wavelength range of 80 nm, specifically, for example, The first ultraviolet ray in a narrow wavelength range of within a wavelength range of 80 nm or less, centered on a wavelength range of 320 nm or more and less than 400 nm, 280 nm or more and less than 320 nm, or a wavelength at which the polymerization initiator contained in the coating film forming composition exhibits maximum absorption It can be irradiation. Further, the output of the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 can be adjusted as appropriate according to the coating film forming composition, characteristics desired for the product, and the like. In the example of this embodiment, the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 irradiates ultraviolet rays from the surface side of the support, but it can also irradiate from the back side or both sides.

  The characteristics such as the irradiation wavelength range and output of the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 can be adjusted so that the optical characteristics and the like of the manufactured product are optimized. Specifically, for example, a means (not shown) for measuring the transmittance spectrum of the laminate to be manufactured is provided between the second dryer 10 and the winding device 11, so that the reflection band of the product is increased. The output of the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 can be adjusted or the irradiation wavelength range can be changed so as to be maximized. The irradiation wavelength range can be changed by exchanging a filter provided in the optical path from the light source of the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 to the object to be irradiated.

  The support 2 that has been irradiated with the first ultraviolet rays by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 subsequently passes through the heating zone 7 and is heated. By being subjected to the heating, the partially and partially polymerized monomer compound in the coating film forming composition swells as the degree of polymerization is lower, resulting in a cholesteric orientation gradient. . The heating temperature in the heating zone 7 can be made variable, and the heating time can be adjusted by the length of the heating zone 7 along the conveyance path of the support, the line speed, etc. Can be obtained.

  The support heated by the heating zone 7 is subsequently irradiated with the second ultraviolet ray by the second ultraviolet ray irradiating device 8. The irradiation of the second ultraviolet ray by the second ultraviolet ray irradiating device 8 can be performed with a wavelength range and output sufficient to cure the entire coating film. In the example of the present embodiment, the second ultraviolet irradiation device 8 irradiates ultraviolet rays from the back side of the support, but it can also irradiate from the front side or both sides.

  Subsequently, the support 2 is guided to the dipping means 9, and a part of the molecules of the coating film is removed by the extraction solvent. In the example shown in FIG. 1, since selective ultraviolet irradiation is performed by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6, the degree of polymerization is lower in the dipping means 9 than on the side close to the surface of the highly polymerized coating film. More liquid crystalline substance molecules on the side far from the surface of the coating film are extracted, thereby causing a density gradient or a molecular pitch gradient in the coating film. After passing through the leaching step, the extraction solvent is removed by the second dryer 10, and the resulting laminated film can be taken up by the take-up device 11.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration and operation of the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention. The apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is different from the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in that immersion means 9B is provided in front of the second ultraviolet irradiation device 8B. If desired, it is possible to obtain such a higher gradient by immersing the coating film in a state where it is only selectively cured by the first ultraviolet irradiation prior to the second ultraviolet irradiation.

  The coating film forming apparatus of the present invention includes not only those specifically described above but also those belonging to the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents. For example, in the apparatus specifically described above, an apparatus for providing only one layer of a liquid crystal compound coating film has been described. However, on the production line, another configuration from, for example, a coating head to a curing ultraviolet irradiation apparatus is described. It can also be set as the apparatus which provides two or more coating films, such as a liquid crystalline compound, on one side or both surfaces of a support body provided in pairs. When providing the coating film of a liquid crystalline compound of two or more layers, structures, such as a non-contact-type inversion apparatus, can also be provided as needed. In addition to the usual die type, the coating head can have any configuration that can apply a liquid to the surface of the support, such as a wire bar or a brush. When providing a coating film of two or more layers of liquid crystalline compounds, a coating film of the same type of material can be provided, or a coating film of a different material can be provided. Although the apparatus becomes complicated by providing a plurality of coating films, at least one of them is formed in a process including ultraviolet irradiation by a selective ultraviolet irradiation apparatus, so that fewer layers than those of the prior art are formed. It is possible to obtain an optical film or the like having a more effective reflection band expansion in number.

  Moreover, the coating-film formation apparatus of this invention can contain arbitrary components as needed in addition to said each component. Specifically, for example, an apparatus for applying a corona discharge treatment to the support can be provided in front of the coating head 4 in order to improve the coating property of the coating film forming composition. Further, for example, a static eliminating device or a dust removing device for removing static electricity and dust generated by the rubbing treatment from the support can be provided between the rubbing means 3 and the coating head 4. Further, a laminating take-up device for removing the protective film from the support can be provided between the feeding device 1 and the rubbing roll 3. In addition, a laminating device for mounting a protective film on the surface side of the coating film can be provided between the second ultraviolet device 8 and the winding device 11.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Example 1
An apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 as a coating film forming apparatus (however, the heating zone 7 and the second dryer 10 are not provided, and the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus is configured with only 8), and an E-type die as a coating head Using a cycloolefin polymer film (Zeonor film, manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.) having a thickness of 100 μm as a support, and poval (PVA) as a coating liquid for forming an alignment film, and liquid crystal A composition containing a cholesteric liquid crystal compound (hereinafter referred to as “compound A”) is used as a coating film-forming composition containing a functional compound, and an alignment film is formed on the support according to the following first step. A cured coating film of the liquid crystalline compound was formed according to the process of 2.

(First step: formation of alignment film)
While running the support from the feeding device 1 at a running speed of 10 m / min, the coating liquid for forming the alignment film was discharged from the coating head 4 and applied. Then, it dried with the dryer 5, and wound up with the winding device 11, and obtained the roll of the support body which has an oriented film.

(2nd process: Formation of the cured coating film of a liquid crystalline compound)
The support having the alignment film obtained in the first step was used as the support 2 and mounted on the feeding device 1 again. The support 2 was sent out at a running speed of 10 m / min from the feeding device 1 so that the surface having the alignment film became the surface to be coated, and the rubbing process was performed on the alignment film on the support 2 by the rubbing device 3. Further, the above-mentioned coating film-forming composition containing Compound A was laminated and applied from the coating head 4 onto the rubbed surface, and dried and oriented by the dryer 5.

Further, the dried and oriented coating film of Compound A was irradiated with ultraviolet rays of 150 mJ / cm ² from the back surface side by the ultraviolet irradiation device 8 and further immersed in methyl ethyl ketone in the immersion means 9.

  Thereafter, the methyl ethyl ketone on the support having a coating film is naturally dried at room temperature until reaching the winding device 11, and wound up by the winding device 11, and the alignment film and the compound A are cured on the cycloolefin polymer film. A laminated film on which a coating film was formed was obtained.

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, a slight gradient was observed in the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal due to the partial extraction of Compound A in the coating film by immersion treatment, and the reflection band in the visible region of the coating film was expanded. It was confirmed that It was found that a laminated film having a quality useful as an optical film was obtained, although slight adhesion traces that did not cause a problem were observed on the front and back surfaces of the laminated film.

(Example 2)
A laminate film was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that after dipping by the dipping means 9 and drying by the second dryer 10 and then winding by the winding device 11.

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, a slight gradient similar to that in Example 1 was observed in the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal, and it was confirmed that the reflection band in the visible region of the coating film was expanded. Moreover, the adhesion trace of the surface of a laminated film and a back surface as observed in Example 1 was not observed, but it turned out that the laminated | multilayer film of better quality was obtained as an optical film.

(Example 3)
As the ultraviolet irradiation device, both the device 6 and the device 8 are used as the first and second ultraviolet irradiation devices, respectively, and after drying by the first dryer 5, 0.2 mW / cm ² is obtained by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6. A laminated film was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2 except that ultraviolet rays were irradiated for 1 second from the surface provided with the coating film, and the heating zone 7 was heated and dried at 100 ° C. for 1 minute. .

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, a larger gradient than in Examples 1 and 2 was observed in the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal, and it was confirmed that the reflection band in the visible region of the coating film was further expanded. Moreover, the adhesion trace of the surface of a laminated film and a back surface as observed in Example 1 was not observed, but it turned out that the laminated | multilayer film of better quality was obtained as an optical film.

Example 4
Compounds Another cholesteric liquid crystal compound in place of the A (hereinafter referred to as "compound B".) That was used, the ultraviolet irradiation by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6, 30 mJ / cm ² of UV-A (320nm~390nm ) Was applied in the same manner as in Example 3 except that it was irradiated for 1 second from the surface opposite to the surface provided with the coating film and the heating time in the heating zone was 2 minutes. A film was obtained.

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, a larger gradient than in Examples 1 and 2 was observed in the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal, and it was confirmed that the reflection band in the visible region of the coating film was further expanded. Moreover, the adhesion trace of the surface of a laminated film and a back surface as observed in Example 1 was not observed, but it turned out that the laminated | multilayer film of better quality was obtained as an optical film.

(Example 5)
A laminated film was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3 except that the ultraviolet irradiation by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 was performed by providing a 313 nm bandpass filter in the optical path from the light source to the irradiated object. It was. The light transmission region in the 313 nm band pass filter is 299 to 345 nm, and the bandwidth is 46 nm.

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal showed a larger gradient than that of Example 3, and it was confirmed that the reflection band in the visible range of the coating film was further expanded. Moreover, the adhesion trace of the surface of a laminated film and a back surface as observed in Example 1 was not observed, but it turned out that the laminated | multilayer film of better quality was obtained as an optical film.

(Example 6)
A laminated film was obtained in the same manner as in Example 4 except that the ultraviolet irradiation by the first ultraviolet irradiation device 6 was performed by providing a 365 nm bandpass filter in the optical path from the light source to the irradiated object. It was. The 365 nm band pass filter has a light transmission region of 346 to 403 nm and a bandwidth of 57 nm.

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal showed a larger gradient than that of Example 4, and it was confirmed that the reflection band in the visible region of the coating film was further expanded. Moreover, the adhesion trace of the surface of a laminated film and a back surface as observed in Example 1 was not observed, but it turned out that the laminated | multilayer film of better quality was obtained as an optical film.

(Comparative Example 1)
A laminated film was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the immersion by the immersion means 9 was not performed.

  When the obtained laminated film was observed, the pitch gradient of the cholesteric liquid crystal was narrower than that in Example 1, and adhesion traces on the front and back surfaces of the laminated film were observed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration and operation of the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration and operation of the coating film forming apparatus of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Feeding device 2: Support body 3: Rubbing roll 4: Coating head 5: First dryer 6, 8, 8B: Ultraviolet irradiation device 7: Heating zone 9, 9B: Dipping means 10: Second dryer 11: Winding device A2: Rubbing roll rotation direction

Claims (7)

A feeding device for continuously feeding the support;
A coating head for applying a coating film-forming composition on the support fed by the feeding device and providing a coating film;
A first ultraviolet irradiation device for irradiating the coating film provided on the support from the coating head with a first ultraviolet ray;
Immersion means for immersing the support having the coating film irradiated with the first ultraviolet ray in an extraction solvent;
A coating film forming apparatus comprising: The coating film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The coating film forming composition comprises a solvent,
A coating film forming apparatus, further comprising a first dryer for drying a solvent in the coating film before the ultraviolet light is irradiated by the first ultraviolet irradiation apparatus. The coating film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A coating film forming apparatus, further comprising a second dryer for drying a support having a coating film immersed in the extraction solvent. It is a coating-film formation apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3,
The first ultraviolet ray is an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength width of 80 nm or less;
A coating film forming apparatus, further comprising a second ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates the coating film after being irradiated with the first ultraviolet light by irradiating the second ultraviolet light to cure the coating film. The coating film forming apparatus according to claim 4,
The coating film forming apparatus, wherein the first ultraviolet ray exhibits a maximum intensity in a wavelength range of 320 nm or more and less than 400 nm. The coating film forming apparatus according to claim 4,
The coating film forming apparatus, wherein the first ultraviolet ray exhibits a maximum intensity in a wavelength range of 280 nm or more and less than 320 nm. It is a coating-film formation apparatus of any one of Claims 1-6,
The property of orienting molecules in the coating film-forming composition on the surface of the support fed from the feeding device before the coating film-forming composition is coated on the support from the coating head. A coating film forming apparatus characterized by further comprising means for applying to the support.

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