JP5186397B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an angle imparting device for imparting an angle to a conveyed web and a processing apparatus including the angle imparting device.

  Conventionally, a method of manufacturing an optical film by irradiating light onto a coating film of a photosensitive compound by an irradiation apparatus while conveying a web coated with a photosensitive compound is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, the thing of patent document 1 manufactures the retardation film which is 1 type of an optical film, Comprising: A photosensitive compound is a material which can express liquid crystallinity, and the light irradiated from an irradiation apparatus is linear. By forming the polarized ultraviolet rays and irradiating the ultraviolet rays to the coating film of the photosensitive compound from an oblique direction, the tilted orientation in the film thickness direction is realized.

  By the way, the retardation film may require different tilt orientation angles for each user, and it is necessary to adjust the light irradiation angle to the web. In this case, it is conceivable that the irradiation device can be tilted to an arbitrary angle. However, the irradiation device is connected to a power cable and a duct that exhausts heat and ozone generated during UV irradiation. Not right.

  Further, two movable rollers for guiding the web on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction from the light irradiation position by the irradiation device are provided, and each movable roller is moved in a direction parallel to the light irradiation direction by a separate moving mechanism. It is also possible to make it freely movable. According to this, the two movable rollers are relatively displaced in the light irradiation direction, the angle of the web with respect to the plane orthogonal to the light irradiation direction is changed, and the light irradiation angle with respect to the web can be arbitrarily adjusted.

  However, this requires a separate moving mechanism for each movable roller, which causes a problem of cost such as a space problem and an increase in cost due to an increase in size of the equipment. Further, in order to set the light irradiation angle to a desired angle, it is necessary to adjust each of the independent movable rollers to a desired angle. In addition, if the distance between the irradiation device and the light irradiation point of the web is not constant, the amount of light irradiated to the web will change, so it is possible to move each movable roller so that the distance between the irradiation is constant. It becomes necessary and the control becomes complicated.

JP 2002-90539 A

  In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide an angle imparting device having a simple structure capable of arbitrarily adjusting the angle of the web and easy to control, and a processing apparatus including the angle imparting device. Yes.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a first aspect of the present invention is an angle imparting device that imparts an angle to a web to be transported, and includes a plurality of guide rollers arranged at intervals in the web transport direction. The support frame includes a support frame that pivotally supports the guide rollers, and a rotation axis that is parallel to the width direction of the web. The support frame is tiltable about the rotation axis.

  In a first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes a drive source that rotates the rotation shaft and an angle detector that detects the angle of the web, and the angle of the web is predetermined based on a signal from the angle detector. It is desirable that the support frame is tilted and controlled by the drive source so as to have an angle.

  A second aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus, the angle providing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, and a processing means for performing a predetermined process on the web to which the angle is applied by the angle providing apparatus. It is characterized by providing.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, it is desirable that the rotation shaft is provided at a position in the transport direction that matches the processing location of the processing means with respect to the web. Further, the processing means may be an irradiation device that irradiates the web with energy rays, for example, ultraviolet rays.

  According to the present invention, by tilting the support frame about the rotation axis, the plurality of guide rollers pivotally supported on the support frame are simultaneously relatively displaced, and the angle of the web guided by these guide rollers is changed. Since the movable portion is only the support frame, it is only necessary to provide a single drive source for the support frame, so that the installation space can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, the angle of the web can be directly read by the angle detector. Therefore, the web angle can be adjusted to the required angle simply by controlling the tilt of the support frame by the drive source based on the signal from the angle detector, and the control becomes easy.

  Furthermore, when the processing means is an energy beam irradiation device, the distance between irradiation even if the support frame is tilted if the rotation axis of the support frame is provided at a position in the conveyance direction that matches the irradiation position of the energy beam with respect to the web Does not change. Therefore, the control for maintaining the irradiation amount of the energy rays applied to the web at a constant level is not necessary, and the control becomes easier.

The perspective view which shows the processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the state which inclined the support frame cut | disconnected by the II-II line | wire of FIG. A typical sectional view of a phase contrast film. Sectional drawing which shows the processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (a) Sectional drawing which shows the processing apparatus of 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (b) The expanded sectional view of the principal part of the processing apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the processing apparatus of 4th Embodiment of this invention.

  1 and 2 show a processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This processing apparatus includes an irradiation device 1 as a processing unit that irradiates a web W conveyed by a conveying unit with energy rays B in a band shape along the width direction of the web W from above. Examples of the energy beam B irradiated by the irradiation device 1 include ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, laser beams, electron beams, radio waves, and the like.

  Although not shown, the conveying means includes a feeding roller, a winding roller, and a guiding means for guiding the web W along a conveying path between the feeding roller and the winding roller. The guide means is a pair of fixed rollers 2, 2 arranged at a position below the place where the irradiation device 1 is arranged upstream in the conveyance direction of the web W (left side in FIG. 2) and downstream (right side in FIG. 2). And an angle applying device 3 disposed between the fixed rollers 2 and 2.

Angle applying device 3, first and second two guide rollers ₃₁ 1, 31 ₂ arranged at intervals in the conveying direction, a support frame 32 for supporting the guide roller ₃₁ 1, 31 _2, And a rotating shaft 33 parallel to the width direction of the web W. The first guide roller 31 _1, than the irradiation point with respect to the web W of the energy ray B from the irradiation device 1 (effective irradiation range) located upstream in the transport direction, a second guide roller 31 _2, energy ray against the web W It is located on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the irradiation point B.

Both the first and second guide rollers 31 ₁ and 31 ₂ are pivotally supported by the support frame 32. Support frame 32 is provided with two guide rollers 31 _1, 31 ₂ a longitudinal one end and a shaft portion at the other end in the conveying direction respectively journaled in a pair of support plates 32a, a 32a. The support frame 32 is connected to a rotation shaft 33 parallel to the width direction of the web W, and the support frame 32 tilts in the vertical direction about the rotation shaft 33. The rotating shaft 33 is preferably provided at a position in the transport direction that matches the location where the energy beam B is irradiated by the irradiation device 1. The rotating shaft 33 may be provided at a position that does not coincide with the irradiation location as shown in FIG.

  The rotating shaft 33 is rotationally driven by a driving source 34. The drive source 34 includes a servo motor 34a and a speed reducer 34c connected to the servo motor 34a via a coupling 34b, and the rotary shaft 33 is connected to the speed reducer 34c. Further, the servo motor 34a is provided with an angle detector 35 composed of a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 33. Another example of the angle detector is an imaging device such as a CCD camera. That is, the angle providing device 3 may be imaged from the side surface (the same direction as in FIG. 2), and the angle of the web W may be detected from the image.

According to the first embodiment, by tilting the support frame 32, as shown in FIG. 2, the first guide roller 31 ₁ and the downstream side of the second guide roller 31 ₂ and the rotary shaft 33 of the upstream side It rotates relative to the center and is relatively displaced in the vertical direction, that is, the irradiation direction of the energy beam B by the irradiation device 1. Therefore, in the first and the guide roller 31 1 of the _second, 31 between _2, the angle of the web W changes with respect to the plane (horizontal plane) perpendicular to the irradiation direction of the energy beam B. Therefore, the irradiation angle θ of the energy beam B with respect to the web W can be arbitrarily adjusted. Then, different from those for moving the first and second respective guide rollers 31 _1, 31 ₂ at each different movement mechanism, since the movable portion becomes only the support frame 32, a single drive source 34 for the support frame 32 The installation space can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  Further, the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 33 of the support frame 32 is equal to the angle of the web W. Therefore, the angle detector 35 can directly read the angle of the web W, that is, the irradiation angle θ of the energy beam B with respect to the web W. Therefore, the irradiation angle θ of the energy beam B can be adjusted to a required angle simply by controlling the tilt of the support frame 32 by the drive source 34 based on the signal from the angle detector 35, and the control becomes easy. Furthermore, since the rotary shaft 33 is provided at a position in the conveyance direction that matches the irradiation position of the energy beam B with respect to the web W, even if the support frame 32 is tilted, the irradiation position of the energy beam B with respect to the irradiation apparatus 1 and the web W The distance H between irradiations hardly changes. Therefore, the control for maintaining the irradiation amount of the energy beam B applied to the web W to be constant becomes unnecessary, and the control becomes easier.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the optical film using the processing apparatus of the said 1st Embodiment is demonstrated. As an optical film, as shown in FIG. 3, a film composed of a laminate of a web W and an optical functional layer S composed of a photosensitive compound can be used. Moreover, what consists of a single layer of only the optical function layer S is also mentioned. The former is obtained by applying a photosensitive compound to the web W and irradiating the coating film of the photosensitive compound with light to form the optical functional layer S. On the other hand, the latter can be obtained by applying a photosensitive compound to the web W, irradiating the coating film of the photosensitive compound with light to form the optical functional layer S, and then peeling the web W.

  As the web W, paper, non-woven fabric, film, or the like that can be held in a state of being wound in a roller shape and can be fed or wound is used. However, when the optical film is a laminate, it is preferable to use a polymer film as the web W, and it is particularly preferable to use a transparent polymer film having no optical anisotropy. On the other hand, when the optical film is a single layer, it is preferable to use a release paper or a release film subjected to a release treatment as the web W. The thickness of the web W is not particularly limited, but is usually 10 μm to 300 μm.

  A photosensitive compound is applied on the web W. This photosensitive compound can be a material capable of exhibiting liquid crystallinity, and specifically includes a liquid crystalline polymer having a photosensitive group, a liquid crystalline low molecular weight compound, or a mixture thereof. After the coating film containing the photosensitive compound is formed on the web W, the photosensitive compound is heated to a temperature higher than the transition temperature from the liquid crystal phase to the isotropic phase (isotropic phase transition temperature), and the photosensitive compound is converted into an isotropic phase. Next, it is rapidly cooled to below the glass phase-liquid crystal phase transition temperature, and the orientation of the molecules constituting the coating film containing the photosensitive compound is fixed in a disordered state.

  Some liquid crystalline polymers having photosensitive groups coexisting randomly in the glass phase have the polarization direction of the photosensitive groups parallel to the direction of electric field vibration of the irradiated light. The photosensitive group having such an arrangement reacts preferentially as compared with the photosensitive group having another arrangement. Therefore, when the composition after quenching is irradiated with linearly polarized light (polarized light), a dimerization reaction occurs preferentially between polymers whose polarization direction of the photosensitive group is parallel to the polarized light.

  In order to proceed with this photoreaction, it is necessary to irradiate light having a wavelength at which the photosensitive group portion can react. This wavelength varies depending on the type of photosensitive group, but is generally 200 nm to 500 nm, and in particular, has a high photosensitivity to light (ultraviolet rays) having a wavelength of 250 nm to 400 nm. Therefore, linearly polarized polarized ultraviolet light is irradiated.

  After irradiation with polarized ultraviolet light, the photosensitive group in the polymer that has not undergone photoreaction and the low molecular compound are aligned by molecular motion in the same direction as the polarization direction of the photoreactive photosensitive group. As a result, in the entire film, the unreacted polymer photosensitive groups and low molecular weight compounds are aligned in a direction parallel to the polarization direction of the photoreactive photosensitive groups, and optical anisotropy is developed. A phase difference is induced. In addition, if a coating film is heat-processed after irradiating polarized light, the orientation by the molecular motion after irradiating polarized light can be accelerated | stimulated. In this case, the heating temperature is preferably lower than the melting point of the dimerized polymer and higher than the melting point of the polymer and the low molecular compound that did not photoreact.

  After the heat treatment, polarized ultraviolet light or non-polarized ultraviolet light is preferably irradiated to fix the orientation. In this way, an optical film having the optical functional layer S can be produced. Moreover, the optical film which consists of a single layer of the optical function layer S is obtained by peeling the web W as needed.

  Here, the irradiation of the polarized ultraviolet light after the above-described rapid cooling of the coating film is performed using the processing apparatus of the first embodiment including the irradiation device 1 including an ultraviolet lamp having a polarizing filter attached to the light exit port. According to this processing apparatus, the angle imparting device 3 can arbitrarily adjust the irradiation angle of the polarized ultraviolet light B from the irradiation device 1 to the web W as described above. Thereby, the tilt orientation angle (tilt angle) α (see FIG. 3) of the molecules forming the optical functional layer S can be arbitrarily adjusted. Therefore, retardation films having different tilt angles α can be easily manufactured.

  The processing apparatus of the first embodiment is not only applied to the production of a retardation film, but can also be applied to the production of other optical films such as a viewing angle limiting film whose optical axis is inclined in the film thickness direction. . Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the optical film but can be applied to other web processing. For example, the degree of curing in the film thickness direction can be adjusted by applying to the curing of ultraviolet curable inks, adhesives, adhesives, ink receiving layers, hard coat layers, and the like printed on the web.

  The present invention can also be applied to a processing apparatus for heating and drying that blows hot air on a web, a processing apparatus for coating that applies a coating liquid to a web, and a processing apparatus for humidification that sprays water vapor on a web. An example will be described.

  FIG. 4 shows a heat drying processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This processing apparatus blows hot air onto a web W on which a predetermined coating film is formed to heat and dry the coating film. As a processing means, a spray nozzle 1a that blows hot air onto the web W from above is conveyed to the web W. A plurality of devices are provided at intervals in the direction. The processing apparatus further includes a pair of fixed rollers disposed at positions below the locations where the spray nozzles 1a are disposed on the upstream side (left side in FIG. 4) and the downstream side (right side in FIG. 4) of the web W. 2 and 2 and an angle applying device 3 disposed between the two fixed rollers 2 and 2. The configuration of the angle imparting device 3 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals as those described above are attached to the same members as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Here, in drying the coating film, in order to gradually dry the coating film from the surface side, it is desired to gradually increase the temperature to low temperature, medium temperature, and high temperature. According to the second embodiment, the angle giving device 3 can give the web W an angle that is inclined upward toward the downstream side in the transport direction. Thereby, the distance from the spray nozzle 1a to the web W becomes shorter toward the downstream side in the transport direction, and the thermal energy received by the web W increases. Accordingly, the coating film can be dried well by gradually raising the temperature to low temperature, medium temperature, and high temperature.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a coating processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This processing apparatus includes a coating head (slot die) 1b that applies a coating liquid onto the web W from above as processing means. The processing apparatus further includes a pair of fixed rollers arranged at a position below the place where the coating head 1b is located upstream in the conveyance direction of the web W (left side in FIG. 5) and downstream (right side in FIG. 5). 2 and 2 and an angle applying device 3 disposed between the two fixed rollers 2 and 2. The configuration of the angle imparting device 3 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same members as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Here, when the coating liquid a from the coating head 1b is applied to the web W while the web W is conveyed in the horizontal direction, the angle formed by the coating liquid a and the web W discharged from the coating head 1b is 90. The angle becomes a large angle, and air entrainment between the coating liquid a and the web W is likely to occur due to the entrainment of the air from the upstream side in the transport direction to the application location of the coating liquid a. On the other hand, according to the third embodiment, the angle imparting device 3 can impart an angle that is inclined upward to the web W toward the upstream side in the transport direction. According to this, as shown in FIG. 5B, the angle θ1 formed between the coating liquid a discharged from the coating head 1b and the web W becomes small, and air biting can be effectively prevented. The angle of the web W can also be adjusted according to the viscosity of the coating liquid a.

Incidentally, the angle application device 3 of the above embodiment, the first and second two guide rollers 31 _1, 31 ₂ is a journalled to the support frame 32, the number of guide rollers for supporting the support frame 32 Three or more may be sufficient like 4th Embodiment shown in FIG. In the fourth embodiment, the support frame 32 is formed to have three frame portions 32 ₁ , 32 ₂ , and 32 ₃ that extend in a trifurcated manner from the connecting portion of the rotating shaft 33, and these frame portions. The first to third guide rollers 31 ₁ , 31 ₂ , 31 ₃ are pivotally supported at the tips of 32 ₁ , 32 ₂ , 32 ₃ . In the fourth embodiment, the offset in the normal direction of the plane to the plane including the guide roller 31 and _second guide rollers 31 ₁ in the conveyance direction upstream end and a downstream end of the guide roller 31 ₃ located in the conveying direction intermediate It is arranged at the position.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, the drive source 34 is constituted by the servo motor 34a and the speed reducer 34c. However, the drive source 34 is driven by the rack and pinion mechanism that converts the linear motion of the linear motion actuator and the linear motion actuator into the rotational motion of the rotary shaft 33b. It is also possible to configure the source.

W ... web, 1 ... irradiation device (processor), 1a ... spraying nozzle (processing means), 1b ... coating head (processing means), 3 ... angle applying _device, 31 1, ₃₁ 2, 31 3 _... guide roller, 32 ... Support frame, 33 ... Rotating shaft, 34 ... Drive source, 35 ... Angle detector.

Claims (5)

Disposed away from the web to be transported, the processing means for performing a predetermined process on the transported web from one direction, and the web can be transported in a direction inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the processing direction for the web by the processing means. A processing device comprising an angle applying device for applying an angle to the web conveyed so that
The angle imparting device includes a plurality of guide rollers disposed on the opposite side of the processing surface of the processing means with respect to the web, with a gap in the web conveyance direction, a support frame that pivotally supports the guide rollers, and the width of the web and a rotation axis parallel to the direction of the support frame, the processing unit, characterized in that the tiltable about a said axis of rotation. A driving source for rotating the rotation shaft; and an angle detector for detecting the angle of the web; and based on a signal from the angle detector, the driving source adjusts the web angle to a predetermined angle. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support frame is tilt-controlled. The axis of rotation processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the provided in the transfer direction position that matches the processing position of the processing means for the web. The processing means, the processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the irradiation device for irradiating an energy beam to the web. The processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the energy beam is an ultraviolet ray.

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