FILM STICKING DEVICE, FILM STICKING METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC PAPER MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20110120619A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iris Optronics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yanagida, Yoshiaki, Harada, Tohru, Yamanishi, Hirokazu, Mishima, Kazuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,163,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/64
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1406 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4845 Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/524 by applying the adhesive from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface of the part to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/301 Three-dimensional joints, i.e. the joined area being substantially non-flat B29C66/5223, B29C66/5224, B29C66/5225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/342 Preventing air-inclusions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8362 Rollers, cylinders or drums moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9221 by measuring the pressure, the force or the mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9231 by measuring the displacement of the joining tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/92431 the pressure, the force or the mechanical power being kept constant over time B29C66/92613 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/961 involving a feedback loop mechanism, e.g. comparison with a desired value
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0079 Liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0082 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2016/00 Articles with corrugations or pleats B29L2023/18, B29L2024/003 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 : Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/003 : to avoid air inclusion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0053 : Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 : characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/223 : One or more of the layers being plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1858 : using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1866 : conforming the layers or laminate to a convex or concave profile
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1303 : Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 : Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 : with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 : Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means

Abstract

Disclosed is a film sticking device that sticks a first film substrate and a second film substrate together on a curved-surface shape. The film sticking device includes a mold having a curved attachment surface formed into a desired curved-surface shape; an attracting and holding unit capable of relatively moving on the curved attachment surface and having plural vacuum chambers on which an attracting surface for attracting and holding the second film substrate is provided; and a suctioning unit capable of separately applying suction processing to the plural vacuum chambers. The suctioning unit starts, as the attracting and holding unit moves, the suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to a position opposing the second film substrate and sequentially stops, as the second film substrate is stuck to the first film substrate, the suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to the stuck second film substrate.

Claims

1. A film sticking device that sticks a first film substrate and a second film substrate together on a curved-surface shape, the film sticking device comprising:

a mold having a curved attachment surface to which the first film substrate is attached, the curved attachment surface being formed into a desired curved-surface shape;

an attracting and holding unit that is configured to be capable of relatively moving on the curved attachment surface and has plural vacuum chambers on which an attracting surface for attracting and holding the second film substrate is provided; and

a suctioning unit capable of separately applying suction processing to the plural vacuum chambers;

wherein

the suctioning unit is configured to start, as the attracting and holding unit moves, the suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to a position opposing the second film substrate and

sequentially stop, as the second film substrate is stuck to the first film substrate, the suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to the stuck second film substrate.

2. The film sticking device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotational angle detecting unit provided in the attracting and holding unit;

wherein

the suctioning unit is configured to switch the suction processing of the vacuum chamber based on a rotational angle of the attracting and holding unit detected by the rotational angle detecting unit.

3. The film sticking device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure applying unit that applies pressure to press the attracting and holding unit against the mold;

a pressure detecting unit that is provided in the attracting and holding unit and detects the pressure applied to the mold; and

a pressure control unit that controls, based on the pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit, the pressure applying unit so as to press the attracting and holding unit against the mold with constant pressure.

4. The film sticking device according to claim 1, wherein

a moving unit provided in the mold is configured to cause the attracting and holding unit to move on the curved attachment surface with the attracting and holding unit fixed.

5. The film sticking device according to claim 1, wherein

a communicating pipe communicating between the vacuum chamber and the suctioning unit is arranged inside a central rotary shaft of the attracting and holding unit.

6. The film sticking device according to claim 1, wherein

at least the second film substrate is configured to be capable of being continuously fed from a feeding reel, and

a film cutter capable of cutting the second film substrate fed from the feeding reel into a desired length is provided.

7. The film sticking device according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second film substrates are arranged with a liquid crystal for an electronic paper held therebetween.

8. The film sticking device according to claim 6, wherein

a spacer dispersing unit that disperses a spacer onto the second film substrate is provided between the feeding reel and the attracting and holding unit.

9. A film sticking method of a film sticking device in which plural film substrates are stuck together on a curved-surface shape, the film sticking method comprising:

attaching a first film substrate to a mold having a curved attachment surface formed into a desired curved-surface shape; and

sticking a second film substrate to the first film substrate by an attracting and holding unit that is configured to be capable of relatively moving on the curved attachment surface and has plural vacuum chambers each of which is provided with an attracting surface for attracting and holding the second film substrate;

wherein,

in the sticking,

suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to a position opposing the second film substrate is started, and

the suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to the stuck second film substrate is sequentially stopped as the second film substrate is stuck to the first film substrate along with a movement of the attracting and holding unit.

10. The film sticking method according to claim 9, wherein

a rotational angle detecting unit is provided in the attracting and holding unit, and

the suction processing of the vacuum chamber is switched based on a rotational angle of the attracting and holding unit detected by the rotational angle detecting unit.

11. The film sticking method according to claim 9, wherein

the film sticking device is provided with:

a pressure applying unit that applies pressure to press the attracting and holding unit against the mold;

a pressure detecting unit that is provided in the attracting and holding unit and detects the pressure applied to the mold; and

a pressure control unit that controls, based on the pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit, the pressure applying unit so as to press the attracting and holding unit against the mold with constant pressure.

12. The film sticking method according to claim 9, wherein,

when the mold moves relative to the fixed attracting and holding unit, the attracting and holding unit relatively moves on the curved attachment surface.

13. The film sticking method according to claim 9, wherein

at least the second film substrate is configured to be capable of being continuously fed from a feeding reel, and

the second film substrate is cut by a film cutter after the second film substrate fed from the feeding reel is stuck to the first film substrate.

14. The film sticking method according to claim 9, wherein

the first and second film substrates are arranged with a liquid crystal for an electronic paper held therebetween.

15. The film sticking method according to claim 13, wherein

a spacer is dispersed onto the second film substrate during a period in which the second film substrate is fed from the feeding reel to the attracting and holding unit.

16. An electronic paper manufacturing method in which first and second film substrates acting as substrates and arranged with a liquid crystal of an electronic paper held therebetween are stuck together on a curved-surface shape, the electronic paper manufacturing method comprising:

attaching the first film substrate to a mold having a curved attachment surface formed into a desired curved-surface shape; and

sticking the second film substrate to the first film substrate by an attracting and holding unit that is configured to be capable of relatively moving on the curved attachment surface and has plural vacuum chambers each of which is provided with an attracting surface for attracting and holding the second film substrate;

wherein,

in the sticking,

suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to a position opposing the second film substrate is started, and

the suction processing of the vacuum chamber corresponding to the stuck second film substrate is sequentially stopped as the second film substrate is stuck to the first film substrate along with a movement of the attracting and holding unit.