Method and Apparatus for Bonding Polarizing Plate

Abstract

Method and apparatus for bonding a polarizing plate high in operating efficiency and yield. The apparatus includes a cutting unit for cutting at least a polarizing plate of a strip-shaped film, composed of the polarizing plate and a release film bonded to the polarizing plate, leaving the release film uncut, when a forward end side pre-severed end face of the strip-shaped film perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped film has traveled up to a length corresponding to a length of a substrate, to form a film piece, a release film separating unit for separating the release film from the film piece thus severed, and a bonding unit for bonding the tacky surface of the film piece freed of the release film to a mating position of the substrate so that the forward end side end face of the transported substrate is parallel to the pre-severed end face of the film piece.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 cutting means for cutting a first strip-shaped film which is composed of a polarizing plate and a release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, and which is supplied from a front plate surface of a substrate being transported, and a second strip-shaped film which is composed of a polarizing plate and a release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, and which is supplied from a reverse plate surface of said substrate being transported, when forward side pre-severed end faces along a proceeding direction of the first and second strip-shaped films extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first and second strip-shaped film have traveled a distance corresponding to a length of said substrate, in such a manner that at least said polarizing plates and said adhesive layers of said first and second strip-shaped films are severed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, with the release film remaining uncut, a direction of an axis of light transmission of the polarizing plate of said second strip-shaped film being perpendicular to a direction of an axis of light transmission of a polarizing plate of said first strip-shaped film when said first and second strip-shaped films are bonded together on the release film sides thereof;   release film separating means for separating the release films from a first film piece severed by said cutting of said first strip-shaped film and a second film piece severed by said cutting of said first strip-shaped film; and   bonding means for simultaneously bonding a tacky surface of said first film piece, freed of said release film, to a mating front side plate surface of said substrate so that the severed end face of said first film piece is parallel to the forward side end face along a transporting direction of said substrate, and for bonding a tacky surface of said second film piece, freed of said release film, to a mating reverse side plate surface of said substrate so that the severed end face of said second film piece is parallel to the forward side end face along the transporting direction of said substrate.   
     
     
         12 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 first cutting means for cutting a first strip-shaped film which is composed of a polarizing plate and a release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, and which is supplied from a front plate surface of a substrate being transported, when a pre-severed end face along a proceeding direction of the first strip-shaped film extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first strip-shaped film has traveled a distance corresponding to a length of said substrate, in such a manner that at least said polarizing plate and said adhesive layer are severed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, with the release film remaining uncut;   second cutting means for cutting a second strip-shaped film which is composed of a polarizing plate and a release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, and which is supplied from a reverse plate surface of a substrate being transported, when a pre-severed end face along the proceeding direction of the first strip-shaped film extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first strip-shaped film has traveled a distance corresponding to a length of said substrate, in such a manner that at least said polarizing plate and said adhesive layer are severed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, with the release film remaining uncut, with the direction of the axis of light transmission of the polarizing plate of the second strip-shaped film being perpendicular to a direction of an axis of light transmission of the polarizing plate of said first strip-shaped film when said first and second strip-shaped films are bonded together on the release film sides thereof;   first release film separating means for separating the release film from a first film piece severed by said cutting means from said first strip-shaped film;   second release film separating means for separating the release film from a second film piece severed by said cutting means from said second strip-shaped film; and   bonding means for simultaneously bonding a tacky surface of said first film piece, freed of said release film, to a mating front side plate surface of said substrate so that the severed end face of said first film piece is parallel to a forward side end face along a transporting direction of said substrate, and for bonding a tacky surface of said second film piece, freed of said release film, to a mating reverse side plate surface of said substrate so that a severed end face of said second film piece is parallel to the forward side end face along the transporting direction of said substrate.   
     
     
         13 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 release film separating means for separating a release film from a first strip-shaped film, comprised of a polarizing plate and the release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, said first strip-shaped film being supplied from a front plate surface side of a substrate being transported, and from a second strip-shaped film, comprised of a polarizing plate and the release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, said second strip-shaped film being supplied from a reverse plate surface side of the substrate being transported, with a direction of an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said second strip-shaped film being perpendicular to a direction of an axis of light transmission of the polarizing plate of said first strip-shaped film when the release film of said second strip-shaped film is bonded to the release film of said first strip-shaped film;   bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of said first strip-shaped film, freed of said release film, to a mating front plate surface of said substrate so that a proceeding direction of said first strip-shaped film coincides with a transport direction of said substrate, and for bonding a tacky surface of said second strip-shaped film, freed of said release film, to a mating reverse plate surface of said substrate so that a proceeding direction of said second strip-shaped film coincides with a transport direction of said substrate; and   cutting means for cutting said first and second strip-shaped films, bonded to both surfaces of said substrate by said bonding means, in a direction parallel to the forward end face or a rear end face along the transport direction of said substrate.   
     
     
         14 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 first release film separating means for separating a release film from a first strip-shaped film, comprised of a polarizing plate and the release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, said first strip-shaped film being supplied from a front plate surface of a substrate being transported:   second release film separating means for separating a release film from a second strip-shaped film, comprised of a polarizing plate and the release film bonded to said polarizing plate with interposition of an adhesive layer, said second strip-shaped film being supplied from a reverse plate surface of the substrate being transported, with a direction of an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said second strip-shaped film being perpendicular to a direction of an axis of light transmission of the polarizing plate of said first strip-shaped film when the release film of said second strip-shaped film is bonded to the release film of said first strip-shaped film;   bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of said first strip-shaped film, freed of said release film, to a mating front plate surface of said substrate so that a proceeding direction of said first strip-shaped film coincides with a transport direction of said substrate, and for bonding a tacky surface of said second strip-shaped film, freed of said release film, to a mating reverse plate surface of said substrate so that the proceeding direction of said second strip-shaped film coincides with the transport direction of said substrate; and   cutting means for cutting said first and second strip-shaped films, bonded to both surfaces of said substrate by said bonding means, in a direction parallel to the forward end face or a rear end face along the transport direction of said substrate.   
     
     
         15 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 first transport means for transporting said substrate with one end surface thereof perpendicular to a proceeding direction;   first bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of a first film piece, having a polarizing plate, to a mating plate surface piece of said substrate so that a pre-severed end face of said first film piece is parallel to an end face along the proceeding direction of said substrate transported by said first transporting means;   second transporting means for transporting said substrate transported by said first transporting means along a direction perpendicular to a transport direction by said first transport means; and   second bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of a second film piece to a mating plate surface of said substrate opposite to the surface thereof to which has been bonded said first film piece, so that a pre-severed end face of said second film piece is parallel to the end face along the proceeding direction of said substrate transported by said second transport means; said second film piece having a polarizing plate, and being supplied from a plate surface opposite to the surface bonded to said first film piece of said substrate transported by said second transport means; the direction of the axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said second film piece being perpendicular to a direction of an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said first film piece when the tacky surface of said polarizing plate of said second film piece is bonded to the tacky surface of said polarizing plate of said first film piece.   
     
     
         16 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 first transport means for transporting a substrate with an end face thereof perpendicular to the proceeding direction;   first cutting means for cutting at least a polarizing plate and an adhesive layer of a first strip-shaped film, composed of said polarizing plate and a release film bonded to said polarizing plate with the interposition of said adhesive layer, so as to leave the release film uncut, when a forward end side pre-severed end face of said first strip-shaped film perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said first strip-shaped film has traveled a length corresponding to a length of a substrate;   first release film separating means for separating said release film from the first film piece severed by said first cutting means, and   first bonding means for bonding the tacky surface of said first film piece freed of said release film to a mating plate surface piece of said substrate so that a pre-severed end face of said first film piece will be parallel to a forward end side end face along a proceeding direction of the substrate transported by said first transport means;   second transporting means for transporting said substrate transported by said first transporting means along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of said first transport means;   second cutting means for cutting at least a polarizing plate and an adhesive layer of the second strip-shaped film, composed of said polarizing plate and a release film bonded to said polarizing plate with the interposition of said adhesive layer, so as to leave the release film uncut, when a forward end side pre-severed end face of said second strip-shaped film perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof has traveled a length corresponding to a length of a substrate transported by said second transport means; said second strip-shaped film being supplied from a plate surface side of said substrate transported by said second transport means which is opposite to a substrate surface bonded to said first film piece; an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said second strip-shaped film being perpendicular to an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said first strip-shaped film when the release film side of said second strip-shaped film is bonded to the release film side of said first strip-shaped film;   second release film separating means for separating said release film from the second film piece severed by said second cutting means; and   second bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of said second film piece freed of said release film to the plate surface of said substrate opposite to the substrate surface bonded to said first film piece, so that a forward end face along the proceeding direction of said substrate transported by said second transport means is parallel to a pre-severed end face of said second film piece.   
     
     
         17 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 first transport means for transporting a substrate with an end face thereof perpendicular to a proceeding direction;   first cutting means for cutting along a direction parallel to a forward or rear end face along a transport direction of said substrate to a mating surface piece of which has been bonded a tacky surface of a first strip-shaped film having a polarizing plate, so that a proceeding direction of the first strip-shaped film is parallel to an end face along the proceeding direction of the substrate transported by said first transport means;   second transport means for transporting the substrate transported by said first transport means along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction by said first transport means; and   second cutting means for cutting along a direction parallel to a forward or rear end face along the transport direction of said substrate, a tacky surface of a second strip-shaped film being bonded to a surface of said substrate opposite to the surface thereof bonded to the film piece of the first strip-shaped film, so that a severed end face of the second strip-shaped film is parallel to an end face along the proceeding direction of the substrate transported by said second transport means; said second strip-shaped film having a polarizing plate; said second strip-shaped film being supplied from a plate surface side of said substrate transported by said second transport means which is opposite to a substrate surface bonded to said first film piece; an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said second strip-shaped film being perpendicular to an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said first strip-shaped film when the release film side of said second strip-shaped film is bonded to the release film side of said first strip-shaped film.   
     
     
         18 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 first transport means for transporting a substrate with one end face thereof perpendicular to a proceeding direction;   first release film separating means for separating a release film from a first strip-shaped film, comprised of a polarizing plate and said release film bonded thereto with interposition of an adhesive film;   first bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of said first strip-shaped film freed of said release film, to a mating plate surface piece side of said substrate, so that a proceeding direction of said first strip-shaped film coincides with a proceeding direction of said substrate transported by said first transport means;   first cutting means for cutting said first strip-shaped film, bonded to said substrate by said first bonding means, along a direction parallel to a forward or rear end face along the transport direction of said substrate transported by said first transport means;   second transport means for transporting said substrate, transported by said first transport means, along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction by said first transport means;   second release film separating means for separating a release film from a second strip-shaped film comprised of a polarizing plate and said release film bonded thereto with interposition of an adhesive film; said second strip-shaped film being supplied from a plate surface opposite to a surface bonded to said first film piece of said substrate transported by said second transport means; a direction of an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said second film piece being perpendicular to a direction of an axis of light transmission of said polarizing plate of said first film piece when the release film of said polarizing plate of said second film piece is bonded to the release film of said polarizing plate of said first film piece;   second bonding means for bonding the tacky surface of said second film piece freed of said release film to a mating plate surface piece of said substrate opposite to a surface thereof bonded to the film piece of said first strip-shaped film so that a proceeding direction of said second strip-shaped film coincides with a proceeding direction of the substrate transported by said second transport means; and   second cutting means for cutting said second strip-shaped film, bonded by said second bonding means to said substrate, along a direction parallel to a forward end face or a rear end face along the transport direction of said substrate transported by said second transport means.   
     
     
         19 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 15  further comprising
 inverting means for inverting the substrate, transported by said first transport means, with said first film piece bonded thereto, upside-down, so that the end face along the proceeding direction of said as-inverted substrate will be perpendicular to the proceeding direction.   
     
     
         20 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 19  wherein
 said first and second transport means transport the substrate with the substrate surface in a horizontal state;   said first and second cutting means are arranged at a level lower than said substrate transported by said first and second transport means;   said first bonding means bonding the first film piece, supplied from below the substrate transported by said first transport means, to said substrate; and wherein   said second bonding means bonding the second film piece, supplied from below the substrate transported by said second transport means, to said substrate.   
     
     
         21 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising
 release film separating means for separating a release film from a strip-shaped film comprised of a polarizing plate and the release film bonded thereto with interposition of an adhesive layer, said strip-shaped film being supplied from one plate surface of a substrate being transported;   bonding means for bonding a tacky surface of said strip-shaped film, freed of said release film, so that a proceeding direction of said strip-shaped film coincides with the transport direction of said substrate; and   cutting means for cutting said strip-shaped film, bonded to one surface of said substrate by said bonding means, along a direction parallel to a forward or rear end face along the transport direction of said substrate.   
     
     
         22 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 21  wherein
 said cutting means includes two blades simultaneously cutting into a surface of said strip-shaped film bonded to said substrate from a perpendicular direction and severing along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of said substrate, said two blades being spaced apart a preset distance from each other.   
     
     
         23 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 22  wherein
 said cutting means includes suction means arranged between said two blades for sucking unneeded cut chips of the severed strip-shaped film.   
     
     
         24 . A polarizing plate bonding apparatus comprising release film separating means for separating a release film from a strip-shaped film comprised of a polarizing plate and the release film bonded thereto with interposition of an adhesive layer, said strip-shaped film being supplied from one plate surface of a substrate transported, in a state such that at least the polarizing plate and the adhesive film are severed so that at least one side of a rectangle of said strip-shaped film in a film surface area registering with said substrate is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the film, with the release film remaining uncut;
 bonding means for bonding at least a tacky surface within said rectangle of said strip-shaped film, freed of said release film, to a mating plate surface of said substrate, so that a proceeding direction of said strip-shaped film coincides with a transport direction of said substrate; and   selvedge separating means for separating a selvedge of said strip-shaped film other than an inner area of said rectangle from said substrate.   
     
     
         25 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 24  wherein
 cutting means for cutting at least a polarizing plate and an adhesive layer of a strip-shaped film, comprised of the polarizing plate and a release layer bonded thereto with interposition of the adhesive layer, so as to leave the release film uncut, said strip-shaped film being supplied from one plate surface side of a substrate being transported, so that at least one side of a rectangle in a film surface area mating with the substrate is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the film, and   said release film separating means is separating said release film from the strip-shaped film cut by the cutting means.   
     
     
         26 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 24  wherein said bonding means is used commonly with said selvedge separating means. 
     
     
         27 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 24  further comprising
 position registration means for detecting the position of an inner portion of the rectangle of said strip-shaped film being supplied and a position of said substrate being transported to effect position registration of the tacky surface of the inner portion of the rectangle with a mating portion of the rectangle.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 24  further comprising transporting means for transporting said substrate towards said bonding means or an extension thereof with one end face of said substrate perpendicular to the proceeding direction. 
     
     
         30 . The polarizing plate bonding apparatus as defined in  claim 24  wherein said selvedge is a continuum of distinct selvedges; said selvedge separating means continuously separate said selvedges. 
     
     
         31 - 44 . (canceled)