TW202227809A - Laminated optical film inspection method and film product manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

This manufacturing method comprises a step for inspecting for defects during the process of manufacturing a laminated optical film 1a comprising an optical film 11a, a surface protection film, and a separator film, and a step for making marks corresponding to the detected defects on the laminated optical film 1a. A distinction is made between peeling-revealed defects that can be detected by peeling at least one from among the surface protection film and separator film off of the laminated optical film 1a and defects other than the peeling-revealed defects. First marks 71 corresponding to the peeling-revealed defects are made on the laminated optical film 1a and second marks 72 that are marks corresponding to defects other than the peeling-revealed defects and have a different pattern than the first marks 71 are made on the laminated optical film 1a.

Description

Inspection method of optical laminated film and manufacturing method of film product

The present invention relates to an inspection method and the like of an optical laminated film including an optical film.

Optical films are used in various applications such as image display devices such as liquid crystal display devices and organic EL (electroluminescence) display devices, polarized sunglasses, and other uses other than image display devices such as light control windows. This optical film is processed into a thin film product with a specific top view shape to suit the specifications of the above-mentioned image display device screen and the like. Moreover, in order to stick an optical film to the screen etc. of the said image display apparatus, the adhesive bond layer may be provided in the back surface of an optical film. In this case, a release film is attached to cover the adhesive layer. In addition, a surface protective film for protecting the product is generally attached to the front surface of the optical film. In the industrial production process, a long strip-shaped optical laminate film (surface protection film/optical film/separator film) is produced, and a plurality of single-piece film products are cut from the optical laminate film, thereby obtaining the above-mentioned film products .

In the process of manufacturing the above-mentioned optical laminated film, the defect inspection of the thin film is performed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of detecting a defect portion of the film by optical inspection during conveyance of a long strip-shaped film, and marking the defect portion in a predetermined range on both sides in the width direction. mark up. Then, the above-mentioned inspected film is cut to form a plurality of products. Among the multiple products obtained, the marked products will be discarded as non-conforming products, and the unmarked products will be shipped as normal products. Quality control is performed in this way to prevent shipment of substandard products. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-305070

Moreover, the products marked with the above marks sometimes contain normal products. For example, when mechanical inspection is performed in the manufacturing process of the above-mentioned optical laminated film, in many cases, a high defect detection criterion (threshold value) is set in order to surely exclude defective products. As a result, products that should have been assessed as defect-free are sometimes marked as defective due to the higher benchmarks described above. Therefore, rather than discarding all the products marked with the above marks, it is better to re-inspect the products to separate the normal products and the non-conforming products, so as to improve the production efficiency (improve the yield). However, according to the research of the present inventors, when the product containing the above-mentioned optical laminated film is re-inspected from the outside, for example, a defect existing in the optical film may not be detected. The above re-inspection must be carried out to avoid the situation that the original product is defective but is mistakenly shipped as a normal product. [Problems to be Solved by Invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for inspecting an optical laminated film and a method for manufacturing a thin film product which can improve production efficiency while removing defective products. [Technical means to solve problems]

The inspection method of the optical laminated film of the present invention includes an inspection step of inspecting the defects of the optical film in the process of manufacturing the optical laminated film having the optical film, the surface protection film, and the release film, and the surface protection film Attached to the front surface of the above-mentioned optical film, the release film is attached to the back surface of the above-mentioned optical film; and a marking step of marking the above-mentioned optical laminated film with a mark corresponding to the defect detected by the above-mentioned inspection; and in In the above-mentioned inspection process, the peeling and revealing defects detectable by peeling at least one of the above-mentioned surface protective film and the separator from the above-mentioned optical layered film are distinguished from defects other than the above-mentioned peeling and revealing defects, and in the above-mentioned marking step , a first mark corresponding to the peeling and revealing defect is marked on the optical layered film, and a second mark corresponding to the defect other than the peeling and revealing defect and having a pattern different from the first mark is marked on the optical layered film.

In a preferred inspection method of the present invention, the first mark and the second mark each include two or more points arranged in a substantially linear shape along the conveying direction of the optical layered film, and the first mark includes more than one point. Two or more dots are arranged at intervals with a smaller diameter, and the above-mentioned second mark does not include two or more dots arranged at an interval smaller than the diameter of one dot. In a preferred inspection method of the present invention, the first mark and the second mark each include two or more points arranged substantially linearly along the conveying direction of the optical layered film, the points constituting the first mark and the points constituting the first mark 2 The dots marked are of different shapes. In a preferred inspection method of the present invention, the peeling and revealing defects are defects that have occurred in the optical film before attaching the surface protection film and the release film. In a preferred inspection method of the present invention, the peeling and revealing defects include a peeling and revealing defect detectable by peeling the surface protective film from the optical layered film, and detectable by peeling the release film from the optical layered film. Exfoliation reveals defects. In the preferred inspection method of the present invention, the pattern of the first mark corresponding to the peeling and revealing defects detectable by peeling off the surface protective film corresponds to the peeling and revealing defects detectable by peeling off the above-mentioned separation film The pattern of the first mark is different.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a film product is provided. The manufacturing method of the film product of the present invention has the following steps after performing any of the above-mentioned marking steps: cutting out a plurality of film products from the above-mentioned optical laminated film; and grouping the obtained plurality of film products; and in the above-mentioned grouping In the process, the film products marked with the first mark are set as the first group, the film products marked with the second mark are set as the second group, and the films marked with the first mark and the second mark are not marked. The product is set as group 3.

In the preferred manufacturing method of the present invention, the film products of the first group are treated as unqualified products, the film products of the second group are re-inspected, and the film products that pass the re-inspection are regarded as normal products to be processed. [Effect of invention]

In the method of the present invention, a first mark corresponding to the peeling and revealing defect is marked, and a second mark corresponding to the defect other than the above-mentioned peeling and revealing defect and having a different pattern from the first mark is marked. The film product marked with the above-mentioned second mark can be inspected for defects even if the film is not peeled off, so the film product can be re-inspected and divided equally into normal products and non-conforming products. According to the present invention, supply of defective products to the market can be prevented, and the production efficiency of film products can be improved.

In this specification, 1st, 2nd, 1st-A, 1st-B, etc. are sometimes added to the prefixes of terms, and the 1st etc. are added only to identify two or more kinds of terms and do not It has special meanings such as the order, pros and cons, shape, etc. of these terms. In addition, in this specification, the expression "substantially" means that the range permissible in the technical field of the present invention is included.

[Optical Laminated Film] The optical laminated film has: an optical film; a surface protection film attached to the front surface of the said optical film; and a release film attached to the back surface of the said optical film. The above-mentioned surface protection film is attached to the front surface of the optical film in a state where it can be peeled off manually. That is, the surface protection film can be peeled off from the optical film by pinching the said surface protection film with a fingertip etc. and peeling it off. The above-mentioned surface protection film is usually attached to an optical film via an adhesive layer. In the case of having the above-mentioned adhesive layer, peeling is performed between the optical film and the adhesive layer, and the surface protective film is peeled off together with the adhesive layer. Furthermore, when the surface protection film and the optical film are made of materials that can be bonded to each other, the surface protection film may be directly attached to the front surface of the optical film. The above-mentioned release film is attached to the back surface of the optical film through the adhesive layer in a state where it can be peeled off manually. That is, the separator can be peeled off from the optical film by pinching the separator with a fingertip or the like and peeling it off. In this case, peeling is performed between the separator and the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer is still laminated on the back surface of the optical film, and only the separator is peeled off.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of one layer of the optical laminated film, and FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of one layer of the optical laminated film. 1 , the optical laminate film 1 includes a surface protection film 12 , an adhesive layer 14 , an optical film 11 , an adhesive layer 15 , and a release film 13 in this order from the front side. The adhesive layer 14 is firmly adhered to the surface protection film 12 and is releasably adhered to the optical film 11 . The adhesive layer 15 is firmly adhered to the optical film 11 and is releasably adhered to the release film 13 . The optical film 11 includes an optical functional film. The optical film 11 may include two or more layers of optical functional films, or may consist of only one layer of optical functional films. Moreover, arbitrary processes, such as an antireflection process, may be performed to the front surface and/and the back surface of the optical film 11. For example, the anti-reflection layer can also be formed by applying anti-reflection coating to the front surface of the optical film 11 .

2, the optical film 11 of another optical laminated film 1 has two or more types of optical functional films. For example, the optical film 11 has first to third optical functional films 111 , 112 , and 113 . As the 1st optical functional film 111, an antireflection film etc. are mentioned, for example, as a 2nd optical functional film 112, a polarizing film etc. are mentioned, for example, and a retardation film etc. are mentioned as a 3rd optical functional film 113, for example. In the same manner as above, on the front surface of the optical film 11 (the first optical functional film 111 in the illustrated example), the surface protection film 12 is attached via the adhesive layer 14 and the surface protection film 12 can be peeled off. Moreover, the separator 13 is attached to the back surface of the said optical film 11 (the 3rd optical function film 113 in the illustrated example) via the adhesive bond layer 15, and this separator 13 is peelable similarly to the above. In FIG. 2 , the first to third optical functional films 111 , 112 , and 113 are directly bonded, but the bonding may be performed by interposing an adhesive layer (not shown) between the layers of the optical functional films. In addition, the optical laminated film 1 is not limited to the layer structure of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, Various changes are possible.

＜Optical film＞ As described above, the optical film 11 includes an optical functional film. As said optical functional film, a polarizing film, a retardation film, an antireflection film, a light diffusion film, a brightness enhancement film, a light reflection film, a protective film, etc. are mentioned. The above-mentioned polarizing film is a film having a property of transmitting light (polarized light) vibrating in one specific direction and blocking light vibrating in other directions. The retardation film is a film showing optical anisotropy, for example, a stretched film such as an acrylic resin, a cycloolefin-based resin, and a cellulose-based resin is typified. Preferably, a substantially isotropic colorless transparent film is used as the protective film. For example, the optical film 11 of the optical laminated film 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a first protective film 114, a polarizing film 115, and a second protective film 116 in this order from the front side.

＜Surface protection film＞ The above-mentioned surface protection film 12 is attached to protect the front surface of the optical film 11 . The surface protective film is usually peeled off appropriately when a film product or the like is used. As the surface protective film, it is preferable to use a substantially isotropic colorless transparent film. As such a surface protective film, for example, a resin film containing the following resins as a main resin component is exemplified. The resins are polyester-based resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate; triacetate fibers Cellulose resins such as plain; polycarbonate resins; acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate; styrene resins such as polystyrene; olefins such as polyethylene and polyolefins with cyclic or normethylene structures resin; vinyl chloride resin; amide resin such as nylon 6; amide resin; ethylene resin; vinyl alcohol resin; vinylidene chloride resin; vinyl butyral resin; arylate resin; polyoxymethylene resin; and so on. The said resin film may contain 2 or more types of resin. Among them, it is preferable to use a polyester film as the above-mentioned surface protective film from the viewpoint of being excellent in optical properties and dimensional stability. The above-mentioned polyester film is a film whose main resin component is a resin material having an ester bond, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate. Furthermore, antistatic treatment may be applied to the above-mentioned surface protection film. The thickness of the above-mentioned surface protective film is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10 μm to 200 μm, preferably 20 μm to 150 μm, and more preferably 30 μm to 100 μm.

＜Isolation film＞ The above-mentioned isolation film 13 is attached to cover the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 15 . The separator is normally peeled off appropriately when using a film product or the like. The separator is not particularly limited, and films other than optical functional films are usually used. Examples of the separator include resin films; paper; porous films such as woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, and mesh fabrics; foamed resin films; and the like. From the viewpoint of being excellent in surface smoothness, it is preferable to use a resin film for the separator, and it is more preferable to use a substantially isotropic colorless transparent resin film. The said resin film is a film etc. which contain the said resin as a main resin component. As the above-mentioned separator, for example, polyethylene terephthalate film, polybutylene terephthalate film, polyethylene film, polypropylene film, polybutene film, polybutadiene film, polymethyl Pentene film, polyvinyl chloride film, vinyl chloride copolymer film, polyurethane film, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer film, etc. The thickness of the separator is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10 μm to 200 μm, preferably 15 μm to 100 μm.

<Adhesive layer> The above-mentioned adhesive layers 14 and 15 have adhesiveness at normal temperature, and the adhesiveness lasts for a long time. The adhesive layer is composed of a known adhesive. The above-mentioned adhesives are colorless and transparent, such as acrylic adhesives, rubber-based adhesives, silicone-based adhesives, urethane-based adhesives, vinyl alkyl ether-based adhesives, and polyvinylpyrrolidone-based adhesives , Polypropylene amide based adhesives, cellulose based adhesives, etc. The thickness of the above-mentioned adhesive layer is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 0.5 μm to 50 μm, preferably 1 μm to 30 μm.

[Inspection method of optical laminated film, manufacturing method of thin film product, and system for implementing the same] The inspection method of an optical laminated film of the present invention includes: an inspection step of inspecting the optical film for defects in the process of manufacturing the optical laminated film; and a marking step of marking corresponding to the defects detected by the above inspection Labeled above for optical laminate films. In the said inspection process, the defect which can be detected by peeling at least one of the surface protection film and the separator from the said optical laminated film, and the defect other than this defect are detected, and these defects are distinguished. In this specification, in order to easily identify such defects in terms of terms, defects that can be detected by peeling at least one of the surface protective film and the release film from the above-mentioned optical laminated film are referred to as "peeling and revealing defects", and the above-mentioned defects are referred to as "peeling and revealing defects". Defects other than peeling and revealing defects are called "non-peeling defects". The above-mentioned non-peeling defect is a defect that can be detected in the state of the optical laminated film without peeling off both the surface protection film and the release film. In the marking step, a first mark corresponding to the peeling and revealing defect is marked on the optical layered film, and a second mark corresponding to the non-peeling defect and having a pattern different from the first mark is marked on the optical layered film.

Furthermore, the method for producing a film product of the present invention includes a step of using the optical laminated film (the optical laminated film with the first mark and the second mark corresponding to each defect) after the marking step according to the above-mentioned inspection method, and from A plurality of single-sheet film products are cut out of the optical laminated film; and the obtained above-mentioned plurality of film products are grouped. In the above-mentioned grouping process, the film products marked with the first mark are set as the first group, the film products marked with the second mark are set as the second group, and neither the first mark nor the second mark is marked. The film products are set as the third group.

3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of a system 9 implementing the method of the present invention. However, the surface protective film is not shown in FIG. 4 . The above-mentioned system 9 has: a production area for the optical laminated film 1a, which includes a process and a marking process for inspecting the optical film 11a on one side and laminating a surface protective film 12a on the optical film 11a and the like; and a production area for the film product F, which is supplied from the above-mentioned optical film 11a. The laminated film 1a takes out a plurality of film products F; and an area where the plurality of film products F are grouped according to the presence or absence and type of marks. In addition, in the above-mentioned system 9, the case where the manufacture of the optical laminated film 1a, the manufacture of the film product F, and the grouping of the film product F are performed in series on one production line is illustrated, but these processes may be performed separately. For example, the manufacturing process of the optical laminated film 1a and the manufacturing process of the film product F may be performed in different processes (different production lines). Alternatively, the manufacturing process of the film product F and the grouping process of the film product F may also be performed in different processes.

Specifically, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the production area of the optical laminated film 1a of the above-mentioned system 9 includes: a conveying device 21 having guide rollers; A nip roll for the optical film 11a; a length measuring device 23; a reading device 24; two or more inspection devices 31, . . . ; The production area of the film product F of the above-mentioned system 9 includes: conveyors 51, 52 (conveying means) for conveying the optical laminated film 1a and the film product F; a cutting device 6 for cutting the optical laminated film 1a; and a recycling device (not shown), the cutting residual portion R is recovered. In addition, in the example shown in the figure, after the inspection (after the inspection apparatus) in one step, the surface protection film 12a and the separator 13a are continuously bonded to the optical film 11a, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in one step, after inspection, the surface protection film 12a may be bonded to the optical film 11a, and in a step different from the above step, after inspection, the separator 13a may be bonded to the optical film 11a. Film 11a (not shown).

<Manufacturing area of optical laminated film> In the manufacturing area of the optical laminated film 1a, the conveying apparatus 21 is provided, and this conveying apparatus 21 conveys the optical film 11a, the surface protection film 12a, and the separator 13a. For example, the optical film 11a, the surface protection film 12a, and the separator 13a are respectively provided in the state of being wound in a roll shape, and are conveyed by the conveying apparatus 21 to a production line. In addition, the optical film 11a is usually manufactured in the previous process. The pre-process is not shown. For example, when the optical film has the first protective film 114/polarizing film 115/second protective film 116 as described above (see FIG. 1 ), in the previous process, the thin films 114, 115, and 116 are produced and the Such thin films are laminated to produce an optical film. Moreover, for example, when an optical film has the 1st optical function film 111/2nd optical function film 112/3rd optical function film 113 (refer FIG. 2), these thin films 111, 112, 113 are manufactured in the previous process By laminating these thin films, an optical film is produced. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the optical film 11a obtained in the previous process is wound into a roll, and the optical film 11a is installed in the system 9, but the pre-process may be incorporated into the above-mentioned system 9, and the pre-process The optical film 11a obtained in the process is conveyed to the system 9 without being wound up.

The above-mentioned conveying device 21 conveys the film in the conveying direction (longitudinal direction). The above-mentioned conveying device 21 is provided corresponding to the optical film 11a, the separator 13a, and the surface protection film 12a, respectively. In synchronization with the conveyance of the optical film 11a, the separator 13a and the surface protection film 12a are conveyed. The separator 13a and the surface protection film 12a conveyed are stuck to the front surface and the back surface of the optical film 11a by the bonding part 22.

The said optical film 11a is provided with the identification code 18. The above-mentioned identification code 18 includes information specifying the position in the longitudinal direction of the optical film 11a. The above-mentioned identification code 18 can also include any appropriate information such as the manufacturing number of the optical film, the additional date of the identification code, etc., as required. The identification code 18 is a mechanically readable symbol such as a two-dimensional code, for example. The identification code 18 such as the above-mentioned mechanically readable symbol is usually displayed on the width direction end portion of the optical film 11a by printing. The above-mentioned printing method is not particularly limited, and for example, on-demand printing such as ink-jet printing and laser printing is used.

The length measuring device 23 has a rotary encoder, and measures the amount of movement of the optical film 11a. The measured movement amount of the optical film 11a is transmitted to the control device 25 and stored therein for calculation. The reading device 24 reads the identification code 18 to obtain the information contained therein. The information of the identification code 18 (the position in the longitudinal direction of the optical film 11a) is transmitted to the control device 25 and stored therein for calculation.

The above-mentioned inspection apparatuses 31 , . . . are apparatuses for inspecting defects occurring in the optical film 11 a or defects occurring in the middle of conveyance. The inspection devices 31, . . . respectively have: an imaging mechanism; an image processing mechanism (not shown), which is electrically connected to the imaging mechanism and performs appropriate image processing on the captured image of the film obtained by the imaging mechanism ; and a light source (not shown). According to the processing method mentioned later, the inspection apparatus 31, . . . may further have other members or equipment such as a polarizing filter as necessary. As an imaging mechanism, a line sensor in which imaging elements are arranged linearly along the width direction of the optical film, an area sensor in which imaging elements are arranged in a matrix, and the like can be used. The field of view of the imaging mechanism is set to be more than the effective width (product use width) of the optical film. The image processing means extracts pixel regions corresponding to defects of the thin film by performing well-known image processing such as binarization on the captured image. Then, the above-mentioned image processing means specifies the position of the defect on the captured image (the coordinates of the pixel area corresponding to the defect).

The above-mentioned inspection apparatuses 31, . . . detect at least the defects existing in the optical film 11a before at least one of the above-mentioned separation film 13a and the surface protection film 12a is attached. The above-mentioned inspection apparatus can detect various defects such as foreign matter contamination generated in the optical film 11a, surface irregularities such as pinholes, bright spots, coating defects, and air bubbles, for example. These defects are usually defects that have been generated in the optical film 11a before the above-mentioned surface protection film 12a and the above-mentioned release film 13a are attached. Examples of processing methods of the above-mentioned inspection devices 31, . . . include reflection inspection, cross-polarized light transmission inspection, transmission inspection, and oblique transmission inspection.

The above-mentioned reflection inspection detects defects on the surface of the film by irradiating light from a light source to the surface of the film, and receiving the reflected light by an imaging mechanism. The above-mentioned cross-polarized light transmission inspection is to irradiate the visible light from the light source vertically (or obliquely) to the surface of the film. When the polarizing filter is installed directly in front of the imaging mechanism, the imaging mechanism is used to receive the light passing through the polarizing film, thereby detecting defects in the optical film in the form of bright spots. The above-mentioned transmission inspection detects the defects in the optical film in the form of shadows by irradiating the visible light from the light source to the film vertically, and using the camera to receive the light passing through the film. The above-mentioned oblique transmission inspection is to detect the defects in the optical film in the form of shadows by irradiating the visible light from the light source to the surface of the film obliquely, and using the camera to receive the light passing through the above-mentioned film.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 , for example, a case where four inspection apparatuses 31 to 34 (first to fourth inspection apparatuses 31 to 34 ) are provided is illustrated. The 1st inspection apparatus 31 is arrange|positioned before sticking the surface protection film 12a. The first inspection device 31 inspects the front surface of the optical film 11a before sticking the above-mentioned surface protection film 12a for pinholes and coating defects. The above-mentioned poor coating is also called vitiligo. For example, reflection inspection is used as the processing method of the first inspection device 31 . Defects such as the above-mentioned pinholes and coating defects are difficult to detect after attaching the surface protection film 12a to the front surface of the optical film 11a. On the other hand, the above-mentioned defects such as pinholes can be detected when the surface protective film 12a is peeled off from the optical laminated film 1a (the state in which the surface protective film 12a is attached to the optical film 11a) to expose the front surface of the optical film 11a, If only the separator 13a is peeled off from the optical laminated film 1a, the above-mentioned defects such as pinholes cannot be detected. The above-mentioned pinholes and coating defects correspond to peeling and revealing defects. In particular, for the optical film 11a provided with an anti-reflection layer or an anti-reflection film on the front side, after the surface protective film 12a is attached, it will be more difficult to detect the front side of the anti-reflection layer or the anti-reflection film (that is, the front side of the optical film 11a). pinholes present on the front).

The 2nd inspection apparatus 32 is arrange|positioned before sticking the separator 13a. The second inspection device 32 inspects the presence or absence of bright spots on the optical film 11a before the above-mentioned separator 13a is attached. As the second inspection device 32, cross-polarized light transmission inspection is used, for example. It is difficult to detect the above-mentioned bright spots after attaching the isolation film 13a to the back surface of the optical film 11a, especially after attaching the isolation film 13a and the surface protection film 12a to the optical film 11a. The reason for this is that, when the separator 13a or the like is interposed, the retardation is shifted, so that an accurate cross-polarization inspection cannot be performed on the polarizing film of the optical film 11a. On the other hand, when at least the release film 13a is peeled off from the optical laminated film 1a (the state in which the surface protection film 12a is attached to the optical film 11a), the defect caused by the bright spot can be detected. In addition, the above-mentioned bright spots also correspond to peeling and revealing defects. In the following, when it is necessary to identify the type of peeling and revealing defects, it will be possible to peel off the surface protective film 12a after attaching the surface protective film 12a (which cannot be detected in the state where the surface protective film 12a is attached). The above-mentioned peeling and revealing defects detected are called "protection-peeling and revealing defects", which will be (undetectable in the state where the isolation film 13a is attached) after at least the isolation film 13a is attached, by peeling off the isolation film 13a. Detectable peel reveal defects are referred to as "spacer-peel reveal defects". In FIG. 4 , for convenience, protection-peel reveal defects are indicated by plus signs, spacer-peel reveal defects are indicated by star marks, and non-peel defects are indicated by diamond marks (the same is true for other figures).

The 3rd inspection apparatus 33 is arrange|positioned before sticking the separator 13a and the surface protection film 12a. The third inspection device 33 inspects the presence or absence of foreign matter or the like entering the inside of the optical film 11a. For example, transmission inspection is used as the processing method of the third inspection device 33 . The 4th inspection apparatus 34 is arrange|positioned before sticking the separator 13a and the surface protection film 12a. The fourth inspection device 34 inspects the presence or absence of foreign matter or the like entering the inside of the optical film 11a. For example, oblique transmission inspection is used as the processing method of the fourth inspection device 34 . After the above-mentioned isolation film 13a and the surface protection film 12a are attached to the optical film 11a, the above-mentioned transmission inspection and oblique transmission inspection are performed on the thin film (ie, the optical laminated film 1a), and the above-mentioned isolation film 13a and surface protection are attached. When at least one of the films 12a is performed on the optical film 11a in any of the cases of the above-mentioned transmission inspection and the oblique transmission inspection, the presence or absence of the foreign matter can be detected. The above-mentioned foreign matter contamination is a defect detectable in the state of the optical laminated film 1a, and corresponds to a non-peeling defect. Furthermore, after arranging the separator 13a and the surface protection film 12a, an inspection apparatus (for example, the third and fourth inspection apparatuses 33 and 34) for detecting the above-mentioned non-peeling defects may be disposed. In addition, in FIG.3 and FIG.4, only an imaging mechanism (a light source etc. is not shown) is shown as 1st - 4th inspection apparatuses 31-34. In addition, depending on the processing method and the inspection object, the above-mentioned imaging mechanism and the like (for example, the first inspection device 31 and the like) may be provided on the front side of the optical film 11a, and the above-mentioned imaging mechanism and the like (for example, the back side of the optical film 11a) may be provided in some cases. , the second inspection device 32).

Moreover, in the process before not shown in figure, the optical film 11a or each thin film (for example, a polarizing film, an optical function film, etc.) which comprise the optical film 11a can also be inspected using an appropriate inspection apparatus. For example, by appropriately performing the above-mentioned reflection inspection, cross-polarized light transmission inspection, transmission inspection, oblique transmission inspection, etc. in the previous process, defects (peeling and revealing defects and non-peeling defects) of the optical film 11a are detected. Defects detected in the previous process are stored in an arithmetic device having a memory unit in a state in which the types of the defects (peeling and revealing defects and non-peeling defects) are associated with their position information. In addition, the inspection etc. in the previous process are demonstrated below.

The marking device 4 is a device for marking the optical laminated film 1a so as to visually recognize the position of the defect detected by each inspection device 31, . . . Furthermore, the defects detected by the previous process are also marked by the marking device 4 described above. In this invention, in order to visually recognize not only a defect position but also the kind of defect, the marking of a different pattern is given to the optical laminated film 1a. The above-mentioned visual recognition means that it can be recognized by human vision. Furthermore, the marking will be described in detail below. The marking device 4 is arranged on the downstream side of the bonding portion 22 of the separator 13a and the surface protection film 12a. The downstream side means the front side in the conveyance direction of the optical laminated film 1a. The marking device 4 is provided with a printing mechanism over, for example, the entire width direction of the film (the width direction is a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction). FIG. 4 illustrates an inkjet printing marking device, which has a plurality of print heads 41 densely and equally spaced in the width direction of the film. For example, a plurality of dots can be printed on the optical layered film 1a by the marking device 4 described above. In the illustrated example, the marking device 4 is arranged on the front side of the optical layered film 1a, thereby marking the front side of the surface protection film 12a. In addition, the marking apparatus 4 may be arrange|positioned at the back surface side of the optical laminated film 1a, and you may mark the back surface of the isolation film 13a.

For example, defect detection by the above-mentioned inspection devices 31 , . . . as shown in the figure, identification of the defect position, and further marking by the marking device 4 are performed, for example, as follows. The inspection devices 31, . . . detect defects, and specify the type of the defect (peeling and revealing defect, or non-peeling defect), and the position of the defect (the distance from the edge of the optical film 11a in the width direction to the defect). The position of the above-mentioned defect can be specified by the coordinates of the pixel region corresponding to the defect in the captured image. For example, the first inspection device 31 detects a protection-peeling revealing defect and specifies the position of the defect, the second inspection device 32 detects a spacer-peeling revealing defect and specifies the position of the defect, and the third inspection device 33 detects non-peeling defects and the location of the defect. The amount of movement of the optical film 11 a in the conveyance direction is input to the control device 25 from the length measuring device 23 . The control device 25 calculates the timing at which the defect reaches the marking device 4 based on the position of the defect identified by each inspection device 31 , . . . and the movement amount of the optical film 11 a measured by the length measuring device 23 . The control device 25 operates the marking device 4 at the calculated timing. The marking device 4 prints a marking on the front surface (or back surface) of the optical laminated film 1a according to the kind of defect. For example, the first mark is printed on the front surface (or back surface) of the optical layered film 1a in accordance with the protection-peeling revealing defect, which is a defect detected by the first inspection device 31 . In FIG. 4, the set of a plurality of points shown in the vicinity of the plus sign is the first mark 71 (the mark corresponding to the protection-peeling reveal defect).

The second inspection device 32 also detects defects (spacer-peeling and exposing defects) and identifies the position of the defect in the same steps as described above. Furthermore, the marking device 4 prints the first marking 71 on the front surface (or back surface) of the optical layered film 1a in response to the above-mentioned separator-peeling reveal defect. In FIG. 4 , a set of a plurality of points shown in the vicinity of the star-shaped mark is the first mark 71 (the mark corresponding to the spacer-peeling-exposed defect). Hereinafter, when it is necessary to identify the first mark 71 corresponding to the protection-peeling exposure defect and the first mark 71 corresponding to the spacer-peeling exposure defect in terms of terms, the former will be referred to as "the 1-A mark 71A". ”, and the latter is referred to as “1-B mark 71B”.

The third inspection device 33 and the fourth inspection device 34 also detect defects (non-peeling defects) and specify the positions of the defects in the same procedure as described above, respectively. And the marking apparatus 4 prints a 2nd mark on the front surface (or back surface) of the optical laminated film 1a corresponding to the said non-peeling defect. In FIG. 4 , the set of a plurality of points shown in the vicinity of the diamond-shaped mark is the second mark 72 (the mark corresponding to the non-peeling defect).

Moreover, about the defect detected in the previous process, the marking apparatus 4 mentioned above is also given to the optical laminated film 1a with a marking. Specifically, FIG. 5 is a reference diagram schematically showing defect detection in the previous process and a specific method of the defect position. Referring to the reference diagram of FIG. 5 , the inspection device P1 that performs the film inspection in the previous process detects the defect D of the optical film 11F (or each film constituting the optical film), and specifies the position of the defect D in the captured image (equivalent to the position of the defect D). the coordinates of the pixel area in defect D). This information is input to the computing device P2. On the other hand, the amount of movement of the optical film 11F in the conveying direction is input from the length measuring device P3 to the computing device P2, and the information of the identification code 18 (the position in the longitudinal direction of the optical film 11F) read by the reading device P4 is input. It is sequentially input to the computing device P2. Therefore, the arithmetic device P2 can grasp that between the time when the identification code 18 is read and the time when the defect D is detected (the time when the coordinates of the pixel region corresponding to the defect in the captured image are specified), the direction of the conveyance of the optical film 11F is How much to move. The computing device P2 can calculate the specific identification code (the one indicated by the symbol 18-Z in FIG. 5 , according to the movement amount of the optical film 11F between the two time points and the coordinates of the pixel region corresponding to the defect in the captured image). The distance from the identification code) to the defect D (the distance along the length of the optical film) X1. Furthermore, the arithmetic device P2 can calculate the distance (distance along the width direction of the optical film) Y1 from the edge in the width direction of the optical film 11F to the defect based on the coordinates of the pixel region corresponding to the defect in the captured image. The computing device P2 associates and memorizes at least the information of the specific identification code 18-Z, the position information (X1, Y1) of the defect based on the identification code 18-Z, and the defect type. The memorized defect information (hereinafter, referred to as the defect information of the previous process) is preliminarily stored in a database and stored in the memory portion of the computing device P2. The control device 25 of the system 9 captures the information of the identification code 18 through the reading device 24, and obtains the defect information of the preceding process according to the information. The control device 25 calculates the arrival of the defect in the previous process to the marking device based on the defect information in the previous process (the position information of the defect and the type of the defect obtained in the previous process) and the movement amount of the optical film 11a measured by the length measuring device 23 . 4 timing. The control device 25 operates the marking device 4 at the calculated timing. The marking device 4 prints a mark on the front surface (or back surface) of the optical laminated film 1a in accordance with the defect type detected in the previous process. For example, when the defect information in the previous process is a peeling and revealing defect, the first mark is printed on the front (or back) of the optical layered film 1a, and when the defect information is a non-peeling defect, the optical layered film 1a is printed with the first mark. The second mark is printed on the front (or back).

<Details of each mark> 3, 4, 6 to 8, the patterns of the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 are different from each other. The patterns of the above-mentioned 1-A mark 71A and the 1-B mark 71B may be the same (same mark), or the patterns may be different. Preferably, the patterns of the 1-A mark 71A and the 1-B mark 71B are different from each other. The above-mentioned patterns include patterns. For marks with different patterns, for example, there are listed cases where the patterns of the comparison marks are different from a top view, the comparison marks are composed of a plurality of patterns, and the above-mentioned patterns are the same but the arrangement of the patterns is different; and the comparison marks are respectively It consists of a plurality of patterns, at least one pattern selected from the above-mentioned patterns is different, and the arrangement of each pattern is the same or the arrangement of each pattern is different; and so on.

It is preferable that the said mark (1st mark 71 and 2nd mark 72) consists of two or more points which are arranged substantially linearly along the conveyance direction of the optical laminated film 1a. The marking including this point can be easily printed on the optical laminate film 1a by the marking device 4 having an ink jet printer, a laser printer, or the like. The patterns of the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 including the above-mentioned two or more dots are different from each other by making the arrangement of the dots different. The above-mentioned two or more points correspond to the above-mentioned plural patterns. Specifically, in the illustrated example, the dots constituting the first marks 71 and the dots constituting the second marks 72 are both substantially circular in plan view (the same pattern), but the arrangements of these are different. As a result, the patterns of the first marks 71 and the second marks 72 are different from each other. In addition, the patterns of the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 including the above-mentioned two or more points are different from each other by making the shapes of the points different, which are not particularly shown. For example, the point constituting the first marker 71 is made into a substantially triangular shape in plan view, and the point constituting the second marker 72 is made into an approximate X-shape in plan view. The patterns of the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 including dots (different patterns) of such different shapes are different from each other. In addition, the 1-A mark 71A and the 1-B mark 71B including two or more dots have different patterns by making the arrangement of the dots different. In the illustrated example, these points are all substantially circular in plan view, but their arrangement is different. In addition, in the example of illustration, the point which is substantially circular in plan view is illustrated, but the shape of a point is not limited to this. For example, the shape of the dots may be substantially elliptical, substantially rectangular, substantially triangular, substantially X-shaped, or the like. The number of dots constituting the first marker 71 and the number of dots constituting the second marker 72 are not particularly limited as long as they are two or more. However, if the number of such dots is too small, it may be difficult to visually recognize the difference between the two marking patterns. If the number of such dots is too large, when the film product F is cut out from the optical laminated film 1a, there will remain on the film product F without defects. The probability of the above points increases. From the viewpoints described above, the number of dots constituting the first marker 71 and the number of dots constituting the second marker 72 are independent of each other, preferably 3 or more and 12 or less, more preferably 4 or more and 10 or less.

In addition, the above-mentioned dots (marks) are represented using, for example, any color ink such as black ink and red. In addition, when the marking device 4 is of the laser printing method, the above-mentioned dots (marks) are represented by using black toner, red or other arbitrarily colored toner or the like. The ink or toner that makes the mark appear can be removed without causing damage to the film after use and re-inspection.

As described above, the patterns of the first marks 71 and the second marks 72 are different. For example, the above-mentioned first mark 71 including a plurality of dots includes two or more dots arranged in the conveying direction at intervals smaller than the diameter of one dot. For example, the above-mentioned second mark 72 including a plurality of dots includes two or more dots arranged in the above-mentioned conveying direction at an interval equal to or greater than the diameter of one dot, and does not include those arranged at an interval smaller than the diameter of one dot. 2 or more points. By including or not including two or more dots arranged at intervals smaller than the diameter of one dot, the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 can be viewed from the difference in the pattern. That is, the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 can be distinguished. Hereinafter, an interval smaller than the diameter of one dot is referred to as a "small interval", and an interval greater than or equal to the diameter of one dot is referred to as a "large interval".

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the 1-A mark 71A (1 of 1st mark 71 ) shown in response to the protection-peeling exposure defect. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a 1-B mark 71B (1 of 1st mark 71 ) shown in response to a spacer-peeling exposure defect. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of the second mark 72 shown corresponding to the non-peeling defect. As shown in FIG. 6 , the 1-A mark 71A is attached to one site for one protection-peeling exposure defect. The 1-B mark 71B is also the same, and is marked on one site for one separator-peeling exposure defect (see FIG. 7 ). The same is true for the second mark 72, which is marked at one location for one non-peeling defect (see FIG. 8 ). In FIGS. 6 to 8 , the marks 71A, 71B, and 72 are arranged on one side in the width direction based on the corresponding defect. In addition, each of the marks 71A, 71B, and 72 may be arranged on the other side in the width direction (the other side in the width direction is the side opposite to the one side in the width direction). For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the 1-A mark 71A may be marked on the other side in the width direction of one protection-peeling-exposed defect. The 1-B mark 71B and the second mark 72 are also marked on the other side in the width direction as in FIG. 9 , and are not particularly shown. Furthermore, in FIGS. 6 to 9, the marks 71A, 71B, and 72 are represented by the defect located at the topmost point on the paper (the topmost point is shown with a symbol d-1) and the bottommost point on the paper (at the bottommost point). The point is marked with the approximate middle of the symbol d-2), but the defect can also be marked in the way that the defect is located near the point of the uppermost section or the point of the lowermost section. 6 to 9, the marks 71A, 71B, 72 are marked in the vicinity of the corresponding defect, but a part of the marks 71A, 71B, 72 may overlap with the defect. Each of the marks 71A, 71B, and 72 does not indicate the exact position of the defect, but corresponds to the defect to the extent that it is recognized that the defect exists in the vicinity of the mark.

6 and 7 , the 1-A mark 71A and the 1-B mark 71B have in common that both of them include two or more points d arranged at small intervals SW in the conveyance direction. On the other hand, the difference between the 1-A mark 71A and the 1-B mark 71B is that the 1-A mark 71A does not include two or more dots d arranged at large intervals, but the 1-B mark 71B includes Two or more points d arranged at large intervals LW. Thereby, the difference between the patterns of the 1-A mark 71A and the 1-B mark 71B can be visually recognized. In the illustrated example, the 1-A mark 71A includes eight dots d arranged at small intervals SW in the conveyance direction. As for the 1-B mark 71B, two or more points d arranged at small intervals SW in the conveying direction are set as one unit, and two or more (three in the illustrated example) arranged at large intervals LW are included as one unit. the above unit.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the second marks 72 include two or more points d arranged at large intervals LW in the conveying direction. The second mark 72 does not include two dots arranged at small intervals in the conveyance direction. In the illustrated example, the second marks 72 include four dots d arranged at large intervals LW in the conveyance direction.

The diameter of the above-mentioned one point d is the diameter of the point d. When the point d is not substantially circular in plan view, the diameter of the point d is set as a circle equivalent diameter. It is preferable that the diameter of each point d which comprises the 1st mark 71 and the 2nd mark 72 is the same. The specific size of the diameter of the point d is not particularly limited, for example, it is 2 mm to 5 mm, preferably 2.5 mm to 4 mm.

The above-mentioned small interval SW is a dimension smaller than the diameter of the point d. The specific size of the small space SW is, for example, less than 2 mm, preferably 1 mm or less, and more preferably 0.5 mm or less. The lower limit of the above-mentioned small interval SW is zero. When the small interval SW is zero, the adjacent dots d in the width direction are in a state of being substantially in contact with each other. Regarding the marks with small spaces SW, all the small spaces SW are preferably the same. The above-mentioned large interval LW is the same size as the diameter of the point d or a size larger than the diameter of the point d. The specific size of the large interval LW is, for example, 2 mm or more, preferably 2.5 mm or more, and more preferably 3 mm or more. The upper limit of the large interval LW is not particularly limited, but if it is too large, the adjacent points d are too separated. Therefore, the large interval LW is practically 8 mm or less, preferably 6 mm or less. With regard to markings with large spacing LWs, all large spacing LWs are preferably the same.

The following relationship is established by the arrangement of the first marks 71 and the second marks 72 having the above-described preferred points d of the small interval SW and the large interval LW. Conceptually, when the first mark 71 is superimposed on the above-mentioned second mark 72 (that is, the plurality of dots d of the first mark 71 are overlapped and printed on the second mark 72 including the plurality of dots d), the 2 Mark 72 disappears. The conceptual mark represented by overlapping the first mark 71 on the second mark 72 includes two or more points d arranged in the conveyance direction at small intervals SW. Therefore, the conceptual mark represented by the above overlap is not the second mark 72 but the first mark 71 . Accordingly, the above-described first marker 71 and the second marker 72 are in such a relationship that when the first marker 71 is superimposed on the second marker 72, the second marker 72 disappears. Because of such a relationship, even if the peeling and revealing defects and the non-peeling defects are at the same position and the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 are printed corresponding to each defect, the first mark 71 can be clearly displayed on the optical layered film 1a. As described below, the film products with peeling and revealing defects (film products F marked with the first symbol 71 ) are not subject to re-inspection, but are uniformly treated as non-conforming products. As described above, by clearly displaying the first mark 71 (the first mark 71 is a mark indicating the existence of a peeling and revealing defect), it is possible to surely exclude a film product having a peeling and revealing defect from the object of re-inspection.

Furthermore, since the first mark 71 includes two or more dots d arranged at small intervals SW, and the second mark 72 includes two or more dots arranged at small intervals, the following advantages are obtained. Film articles were cut from the optical laminate film as described below. At this time, it is rare to cut across the mark. If it is cut across the mark, a part of the cut mark will still be marked on one of the two adjacent film products bordered by the cutting line, and the remaining part of the cut mark will still be marked on the above-mentioned product the other of the . The marking does not indicate the exact location of the defect, so it cannot be concluded on which of the above-mentioned one article and the other that the defect corresponding to the marking exists. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the above-mentioned one product and the other product as a marked product. Also, in the case of cutting across the mark, if one of the two adjacent film products is marked with the first mark, and the other is marked with the second mark, it must be avoided. are mixed for grouping. Therefore, it is preferable that the above-mentioned two adjacent film products are visually recognized as products with the same mark.

FIG. 10 is a reference diagram when cutting across the first mark 71 is performed. The first marks 71 include two or more points d arranged at small intervals SW, so when the optical layered film is cut across the first marks 71, it is in a state where two points d adjacent to the cutting line C are Each of the film products F-a and F-b is marked with two or more dots d arranged at small intervals SW. Moreover, even if it cuts at the part shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10, it will be in the state where one point d and less than one point d arranged at small intervals SW are marked on a film product F-a. Therefore, in the case of cutting across the first mark 71, at least the small space SW can be used as a mark, and it can be recognized that the adjacent film products F-a and F-b are all products marked with the first mark 71. In particular, when the small space SW is very small, for example, when the small space SW is less than 2 mm, preferably 1 mm or less, it is very rare that the cutting line overlaps the small space SW. Therefore, the small space|interval SW remains in each adjacent film product F-a, F-b, and the film product F-a, F-b can be recognized visually.

On the other hand, the second mark 72 does not include two or more dots d arranged at small intervals SW. Therefore, when cutting across the second mark 72, two or more points d arranged at small intervals SW do not exist in each of the two adjacent film products F on the cutting line. Therefore, in the case of cutting across the second mark 72, it can be recognized that the adjacent film products F are all products marked with the second mark 72 with at least the presence of the small space SW as a mark. Thereby, even in the case of cutting across the mark, it is possible to surely prevent the film product F which may have peeling and revealing defects from being handled as a normal product.

In addition, the 1st mark 71 (1-A mark 71A, 1-B mark 71B) and the 2nd mark 72 are not limited to the dot pattern shown in FIG. 6-FIG. 8, It can change suitably. By setting the number and arrangement of the above-mentioned dots d, the first marker 71 including two or more dots d arranged at the above-mentioned small interval SW, and the first marker 71 including two or more dots d arranged at the above-mentioned large interval LW can be set. The second mark 72 is set in various patterns. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , a plurality of dots forming virtual portions 78 are set which are arranged in a substantially linear shape and at equal intervals along the conveying direction of the optical laminated film 1a. The plurality of dot formation imaginary parts 78 have substantially the same shape and the same size. The single-dot chain line in FIG. 11 represents the dot formation virtual portion 78 . The virtual dot formation portion 78 is a site where the dot d can be displayed when the virtual dot formation portion 78 is printed (ie, a site that becomes the dot d when colored with ink or the like), and is only a conceptual site. The interval between the adjoining dot formation imaginary portions 78 corresponds to the above-mentioned small interval SW. In addition, although the case where eight dot formation virtual parts 78 are arranged at equal intervals is illustrated in FIG. 11, it is not limited to this number. The first mark 71 can be constituted by selecting at least two dot formation imaginary portions 78 adjacent to each other among the plurality of dot formation imaginary portions 78 and printing these imaginary dot formation portions 78 . On the other hand, the second mark 72 can be constituted by selecting only at least two imaginary dots 78 that are not adjacent to each other from the plurality of imaginary dots 78 and printing these imaginary portions 78 . For example, by printing the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th dot formation imaginary portion 78 from the upper side of the paper in the dot formation imaginary portion 78 in FIG. No. 1-B shown in 7 is marked 71B. Furthermore, by printing the first, third, fifth, and seventh dots from the imaginary portion 78 for dot formation in FIG. 11 from the upper side of the paper to form the imaginary portion 78, it becomes the second mark 72 shown in FIG. 8 . .

Returning to FIG. 4 , when the long strip-shaped optical laminated film 1 a including defects passes through the marking device 4 , marks 71 and 72 corresponding to the respective defects are marked on the optical laminated film 1 a .

＜Manufacturing area of film products＞ In the production area of the film product of the above-mentioned system 9, a plurality of film products F are cut out from the optical laminated film 1a that has been subjected to the above-mentioned inspection and marked with each mark. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , in the production area of the above-mentioned film product, the conveyors 51 and 52 convey the marked optical laminate film 1a to the downstream side. In the illustrated example, the conveyors 51 and 52 having endless belts are shown, but the conveyors 51 and 52 are not limited to these. The cutting device 6 is arranged on the downstream side of the marking device 4 . The above-mentioned cutting device 6 (refer to FIG. 3 ) includes a cutting blade 61 for cutting the film product F from the optical laminate film 1a; a blade supporting piece 62 for supporting the cutting edge of the cutting blade 61; and a base 63, It is arranged on the back surface of the blade support piece 62 . In addition, in the illustrated example, the belt of the conveyor 51 is also used as the knife support piece 62, but the knife support piece 62 and the belt of the conveyor 51 may be provided separately. A plurality of thin film products F can be continuously formed by pressing the cutting blade 61 against the conveyed long strip-shaped optical laminated film 1a to cut the optical laminated film 1a. Usually, after cutting, at least the width direction both ends of the optical laminated film 1a are collected as cutting residues R (so-called residues). The collection direction of the cutting residue R is shown by the hollow arrow in FIG. 3, and the conveyance direction of each film is shown by the arrow. In addition, in the example of illustration, the cutting|disconnection form which produces|generates the cutting|disconnection residual part R only in both ends is illustrated. In the case of this form, the gap between the adjacent film products F is approximately equal to the thickness of the cutting blade 61 . Moreover, the optical laminated film 1a may be cut|disconnected by the cutting form which produces|generates the cutting residual part R between the adjacent film products F. In the case of this form, the gap between the adjacent film products F is sufficiently larger than the blade thickness.

The layer constitution of the obtained film product F was the same as that of the optical laminate film 1a. In the illustrated example, the case where the film product F having a substantially rectangular shape (substantially rectangular or substantially square) in plan view is formed by the cutting device 6 is exemplified. However, the formed film product F is not limited to a substantially rectangular (approximately rectangular) shape, and may be a substantially polygonal shape such as a substantially triangular shape, a substantially hexagonal shape, a substantially circular shape, a substantially elliptical shape, or a combination of these shapes. Wait. In this specification, "roughly" of a substantially rectangular shape, a substantially triangular shape and a substantially polygonal shape includes, for example, a shape in which corners are chamfered, a shape in which a part of a side is slightly convex or concave, a shape in which a side is slightly curved, and the like. In addition, the "substantially" of a substantially circular and substantially elliptical shape includes, for example, a shape in which a part of the circumference is slightly convex or concave, a shape in which a part of the circumference is slightly straight or oblique, and the like. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the case where the film product F is cut so that one side of the substantially rectangular film product F is substantially parallel to the conveying direction is shown, but one side of the substantially rectangular film product F may be inclined with respect to the conveying direction. Cut the film product F in the way. As shown in FIG. 4 , the film product F marked with the first mark 71 , the film product F marked with the second mark 72 , and the film product F not marked with the mark are conveyed to the downstream side of the cutting device 6 . Furthermore, there may also be a film product F marked with both the first mark 71 and the second mark 72 therein.

＜Grouping of film products＞ In the grouping area, the film products F marked with the above-mentioned first mark 71 are grouped into the first group G1, the film products F marked with the above-mentioned second mark 72 are grouped into the second group G2, and the above-mentioned first mark 71 and the second mark are grouped into groups G2. 72 Film products F that are not marked are grouped into the third group G3. The grouped film products F are grouped together. In addition, the film product F marked with any one of the 1st mark 71 and the 2nd mark 72 is made into the 1st group G1. Grouping can be done by machines, by humans, or by humans and machines. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , in the process of conveying each film product F to the downstream side of the cutting device 6, a screening device 8 is arranged, and the screening device 8 includes an imaging mechanism (camera, etc.), an image processing mechanism, and a removal device. mechanism. The film product F is photographed by the imaging mechanism of the screening device 8, and the above-mentioned captured image is subjected to appropriate image processing by the image processing mechanism, thereby screening out the product F marked with the first mark 71 and the product F marked with the first mark 71. 2 Product F marked with 72, and product F not marked with the mark. The product F marked with the first mark 71 and the product F marked with the second mark 72 are extracted from the manufacturing line by a removal mechanism not shown, and the products F are divided into the first group G1 and the second group G2. gather together. The unmarked product F remains directly on the manufacturing line, and is collected together as the third group G3.

Furthermore, as described above, when the first marker 71 is subdivided into two types: the 1-A marker 71A and the 1-B marker 71B, the first group G1 may be further divided into two groups ( Groups 1-A and 1-B). That is, the film product F marked with the above-mentioned 1-A mark 71A may be grouped into the 1-A group, and the film product F marked with the above-mentioned 1-B mark 71B may be grouped into the 1-B group. By further subdividing the first group G1 in this way, it is possible to grasp the generation ratio of the protection-peeling exposure defect and the generation ratio of the spacer-peeling exposure defect, respectively. Thus, grasping the generation ratio of the above-mentioned two kinds of defects individually will contribute to the improvement of production efficiency in the future.

[Discrimination and treatment of normal products and non-conforming products] The above-mentioned film product F of the third group G3 is treated as a normal product. The above-mentioned film product F of the first group G1 is treated as a defective product. The above-mentioned film products F of Group 2 G2 will be re-inspected. As a result of the re-inspection, the film product F judged to have no defects is treated as a normal product, and the film product F judged to have a defect is treated as a defective product. The above-mentioned normal products are provided to the market after appropriate treatment as necessary. The above-mentioned non-conforming products are discarded or provided for material recovery (last line of [0060]).

According to the present invention, unqualified products will not be provided to the market, and the production efficiency of film products can be improved. Specifically, in the group of film products marked with the mark, there may be a mixture of normal products (actually non-defective) and defective products (actually defective). In particular, it is preferable to set a high standard (threshold value) for defect detection in order to surely exclude nonconforming products from the shipment target. The probability of a good product will increase. Therefore, if all the film products marked with the mark are discarded, there is a high possibility that even normal products are discarded. Therefore, the film products marked with the mark are re-inspected, and normal products are screened out, thereby improving the production efficiency (yield). However, as described above, there are peeling-revealing defects and non-peeling defects among the defects. If at least one of the surface protection film and the separator is not peeled off, peeling and revealing defects cannot be detected. Non-peeling defects can be detected even in the state of a film product (state of an optical laminated film). The inventors of the present invention have paid attention to the defect types, grouped film products according to the defect types, and judged whether re-inspection is necessary.

If the surface protection film 12a and/or the separator 13a are not peeled off, the above-mentioned film product F of the first group G1 cannot be re-inspected. If the surface protection film 12a and the like are peeled off and re-inspected, the surface protection film 12a and the like must be adhered intact after that, but this operation is extremely difficult. Therefore, the film products F of the first group G1 are uniformly treated as defective products. By setting the film products F of the first group G1 as unqualified products uniformly, it is possible to prevent the unqualified products from being supplied to the market. On the other hand, regarding the film product F of the above-mentioned second group G2, the presence or absence of defects can be re-inspected without peeling off the film and maintaining the state of the product. The production efficiency can be improved by treating the film product F, which is actually defect-free as a result of the re-inspection, as a normal product. Furthermore, the second mark 72 is marked on the product which is a normal product by re-inspecting the film product F of the second group G2. Therefore, the second mark 72 is wiped clean and shipped as a normal product. In this way, according to the present invention, defective products can be surely removed, the possibility of supplying the defective products to the market can be reduced to almost zero, and the production efficiency of film products can be improved. Further, the re-inspection may be performed automatically by a machine, by a human using various machines, or by both a machine and a human. Preferably, at least a human recheck is performed, so that more accurate results can be expected. The amount of the film products F of the second group G2, which is the object of re-inspection, is relatively small, so even if the inspection is performed by a person precisely, the product cost is hardly affected. Therefore, by performing re-inspection by at least a human, a defective product can be surely removed as a defective product.

1: Optical laminated film 1a: Optical Laminate Film 4: Marking device 6: cutting device 8: Screening device 9: System 11: Optical film 11a: Optical film 11F: Optical film 12: Surface protection film 12a: Surface protection film 13: Isolation film 13a: Isolation film 14: Adhesive layer 15: Adhesive layer 18: Identification code 21: Conveying device 22: Fitting department 23: Length measuring device 24: Reader 25: Controls 31: 1st inspection device 32: 2nd inspection device 33: 3rd inspection device 34: 4th inspection device 41: print head 51: Conveyor 52: Conveyor 61: Cut off knife 62: Knife Support Sheet 63: Pedestal 71: Mark 1 71A: Mark 1-A 71B: Mark 1-B 72: Mark 2 78: Dots form an imaginary part 111: The first optical functional film 112: The second optical functional film 113: The third optical functional film 114: The first protective film 115: polarizing film 116: 2nd protective film C: cut line D: Defect d: point d-1: point d-2: point F: Film products F-a: film products F-b: film products G1: Group 1 G2: Group 2 G3: Group 3 P1: Inspection device P2: computing device P3: Length measuring device P4: Reader R: cut off the remainder SW: the interval smaller than the point diameter LW: Spacing above point diameter X1: Distance (distance along the length of the optical film) Y1: Distance (distance along the width direction of the optical film)

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of the layer structure of an optical laminated film. FIG. 2 is a side view showing still another example of the layer structure of the optical laminated film. 3 is a schematic side view of a system implementing the inspection orientation and manufacturing method of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the above-mentioned system viewed from the front side. FIG. 5 is a reference perspective view for explaining the defect detection in the previous process and the specific steps of the defect part. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a first mark corresponding to a defect detectable by peeling off the surface protection film. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a first mark corresponding to a defect detectable by peeling off the separator. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of a second mark corresponding to defects other than peeling and revealing defects. It is a top view which shows another example of the 1st mark corresponding to the defect detectable by peeling a surface protection film. FIG. 10 is a reference plan view showing a state in which it is cut across the first mark. FIG. 11 is a reference plan view for conceptually explaining a setting method of a mark pattern.

Claims (8)

An inspection method for an optical laminated film, comprising: The inspection process, in the process of manufacturing an optical laminated film having an optical film, a surface protection film attached to the front surface of the optical film, and a release film attached to the back surface of the optical film, examines the defects of the optical film. to inspect the surface protection film; and a marking step of marking the optical layered film with a mark corresponding to the defect detected by the above inspection; and In the said inspection process, the peeling and revealing defect detectable by peeling at least one of the said surface protection film and the separator from the said optical laminated film is distinguished, and the defect other than the said peeling and revealing defect is distinguished, In the above-mentioned marking step, a first mark corresponding to the above-mentioned peeling and revealing defect is marked on the above-mentioned optical layered film, and a second mark corresponding to a defect other than the above-mentioned peeling and revealing defect and having a pattern different from the above-mentioned first mark is marked on the above-mentioned. Optical Laminates. The inspection method for an optical laminated film according to claim 1, wherein the first mark and the second mark each include two or more points arranged substantially linearly along the conveyance direction of the optical laminated film, The above-mentioned first mark includes two or more dots arranged at intervals smaller than the diameter of one dot, The above-mentioned second mark does not include two or more dots arranged at an interval smaller than the diameter of one dot. The inspection method of an optical laminated film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first mark and the second mark each include two or more points arranged substantially linearly along the conveyance direction of the optical laminated film, The dots constituting the first mark and the dots constituting the second mark have different shapes. The inspection method for an optical laminated film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the peeling and revealing defects are defects that have occurred in the optical film before the surface protection film and the release film are attached. The inspection method for an optical laminated film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the peeling and revealing defects include a peeling and revealing defect detectable by peeling the surface protective film from the optical layered film, and a Detectable peeling of the above-mentioned separator reveals defects. The inspection method for an optical laminated film according to claim 5, wherein the pattern of the first mark corresponding to the peeling-off defect detectable by peeling off the surface protective film, and the peeling detectable by peeling off the release film The patterns of the first marks corresponding to the revealed defects are different. A method for manufacturing a film product, which has the following steps after performing the marking step of the inspection method according to any one of claims 1 to 6: A plurality of thin film articles are cut from the above-mentioned optical laminate film; and grouping the obtained plurality of film products; and In the above-mentioned grouping process, the film products marked with the first mark are set as the first group, the film products marked with the second mark are set as the second group, and neither the first mark nor the second mark is marked. The set film products are set as the third group. The method for producing a film product according to claim 7, wherein the film product of the first group is treated as a non-conforming product, Re-inspect the film products of the second group above, and treat the film products that pass the re-inspection as normal products.

Images