Sheet forming method and sheet forming apparatus

Abstract

To reduce manual labor by a worker in sheet forming.SOLUTION: A sheet forming method for forming a sheet S discharged from a T-die 101 comprises the steps of: attaching a lead film F around a plurality of conveyance rolls 30 forming a conveyance path; adhering the sheet S to the lead film F by sandwiching the sheet S discharged toward the lead film F and the lead film F by a first roll 10 and a second roll 20 which are provided in parallel with a predetermined roll gap G; and conveying the sheet S and the lead film F that have passed through the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 by the plurality of conveyance rolls 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0003] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet forming method and a sheet forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a sheet forming method, a method is known in which a guide portion is passed through in advance between a plurality of conveying rolls, and the sheet is pulled by the guide portion and introduced between the conveying rolls (for example, Patent Document 1). The sheet passing device described in Patent Document 1 is provided in regions separated outward from both ends of the conveying roll with respect to the conveying region where the film is conveyed, and includes a plurality of guiding members that cause a linear guide member to travel along the film conveying path, and fixing portions provided on each of the linear guide members for connecting a string for passing the string to the linear guide member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the sheet passing device described in Patent Document 1, an operation of connecting a string passed through between a plurality of conveying rolls to a film to be formed is required. The operation of connecting the film and the string is usually performed manually.

[0005] On the other hand, in sheet forming, a resin material melt - kneaded by an extruder is discharged from a T - die, and forming is performed by conveying and stretching the resin material. Since the resin material discharged from the T - die is at a high temperature, there is a need to avoid manual operations as much as possible, such as those in the sheet passing device described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to reduce manual labor by workers in sheet molding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sheet forming method for forming a sheet discharged from a T-die includes the steps of: wrapping a guide portion around a plurality of transport rolls that form a transport path; sandwiching the sheet discharged toward the guide portion and the guide portion together with a first roll and a second roll arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap between them, thereby adhering the sheet to the guide portion; and transporting the sheet and the guide portion that have passed through the first roll and the second roll by a plurality of transport rolls. Furthermore, in the process of bonding the sheet to the guide portion, the first roll is pressed toward the second roll with a predetermined load while the stopper restricts the roll gap from becoming smaller than a predetermined bonding gap, and once the sheet is bonded to the guide portion, the load on the first roll toward the second roll is reduced. .

[0008] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a sheet forming apparatus for forming a sheet-like sheet discharged from a T-die includes a first roll and a second roll arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap between them, a plurality of conveying rolls for conveying the sheet that has passed through the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll, and a drive unit that moves the first roll forward and backward relative to the second roll to adjust the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll. A stopper that restricts the movement of the first roll such that the roll gap becomes smaller than a predetermined adhesive gap, The system comprises a dispensing unit that dispenses a guide section that is wrapped around multiple conveying rolls to guide the introduction of a sheet into the conveying path by the conveying rolls, a recovery device that collects the sheet being transported along the guide section and the conveying path, and a control device that controls the operation of the drive unit, the control device controlling the drive unit so that the guide section and the sheet dispensed into the guide section are sandwiched between the first roll and the second roll. death , The stopper prevents the roll gap from becoming smaller than a predetermined bonding gap, and a predetermined load is applied to press the first roll toward the second roll. Once the sheet is bonded to the guide portion, the load on the first roll toward the second roll is reduced. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In these embodiments, the sheet and the guide section are bonded together by being sandwiched between the first roll and the second roll. This allows the sheet and the guide section to be bonded automatically, reducing the need for manual labor by the operator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a sheet molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing a sheet forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows a sheet forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates the state in which the guide portion is wrapped around the conveyor roll. [Figure 4] This figure shows a sheet molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the state in which a sheet is ejected from a T-die and the first support base is in contact with a stopper. [Figure 5] This figure shows a sheet molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the state in which the sheet is pulled by a guide and transported along a transport path. [Figure 6] This figure shows a modified example of a sheet molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows one modified example of the guide portion of a sheet molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows another modified example of the guide portion of the sheet molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, a sheet forming apparatus 100 and a sheet forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, for the sake of clarity, the scale of each component in the drawings has been appropriately changed and is not necessarily strictly accurate. Furthermore, for multiple identical components, only some parts may be denoted by reference numerals, while others may be omitted.

[0012] The sheet molding apparatus 100 performs sheet molding by stretching and transporting the sheet-shaped resin material (hereinafter referred to as "sheet S") discharged from the T-die 101 of the film manufacturing apparatus in the longitudinal direction (see Figure 1).

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sheet forming apparatus 100 includes a first roll 10 and a second roll 20 arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap G between them, a plurality of transport rolls 30 for transporting the sheet S (see Figure 4) that has passed through the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, a drive unit 40 for adjusting the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 by moving the first roll 10 back and forth relative to the second roll 20, a feed unit 50 for feeding a lead film F (see Figure 3) which is wrapped around the plurality of transport rolls 30 and serves as a guide for introducing the sheet S into the transport path by the transport rolls 30, a recovery device 55 for recovering the lead film F and the sheet S transported along the transport path, a cutting device 60 for cutting the lead film F between the feed unit 50 and the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and a control device 70 for controlling the operation of the drive unit 40.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the first roll 10, the second roll 20, and the conveyor roll 30 are each formed in a cylindrical shape and are rotatably supported on the frame 4 by corresponding first support bases 1, 2, and 3. The central axes of the first roll 10, the second roll 20, and the conveyor roll 30 are parallel to each other and are parallel to the horizontal direction. For the sake of explanation, only a single conveyor roll 30 is shown in each figure.

[0015] The first roll 10 is configured to be movable relative to the second roll 20 in a horizontal direction (left-right direction in Figure 1) perpendicular to the central axis of the first roll 10. Specifically, the first support base 1 that supports the first roll 10 is attached to the frame 4 via a slider mechanism 5 that guides linear motion so that it can move forward and backward relative to the second roll 20. As the first roll 10 moves forward and backward relative to the second roll 20, the size of the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 changes. The roll gap G represents the minimum gap between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and in this embodiment, it is the gap between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in Figure 1).

[0016] The second support base 2 that supports the second roll 20 is provided with a stopper 7 that restricts the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 from becoming smaller than a predetermined gap (hereinafter referred to as the "adhesive gap"). As the first support base 1 moves toward the second support base 2, when the stopper 7 abuts against the first support base 1, further movement of the first support base 1 toward the second roll 20 is restricted by the stopper 7. That is, the adhesive gap is determined according to the dimension of the stopper 7 along the moving direction of the first support base 1 (the dimension in the left - right direction in FIG. 1). The adhesive gap is a gap that is at least larger than the thickness of the lead film F, and as will be described later, is set to a size such that the lead film F and the sheet S passing through the roll gap G are sufficiently adhered to each other.

[0017] The T - die 101 supplies the sheet S formed in a sheet shape (strip shape) by discharging the molten material supplied from an extruder (not shown) from a slit (not shown). The sheet S discharged from the slit is introduced into the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 provided below the T - die 101 in the vertical direction. The sheet S discharged from the T - die 101 toward the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 is guided into the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 and is pressed against the second roll 20 by the first roll 10. Further, when the sheet S passes through the roll gap G, it moves around the second roll 20 by the second roll 20 and is cooled and solidified. The width of the sheet S is formed smaller than the widths (dimensions in the axial direction) of the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and preferably, is formed to be at least half of the widths of the first roll 10 and the second roll 20.

[0018] The plurality of conveying rolls 30 are provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and convey the sheet S that has passed through the roll gap G. By the plurality of conveying rolls 30, a conveying path for conveying the sheet S downstream is formed. The plurality of conveying rolls 30 are each rotationally driven around their central axes in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined speed.

[0019] The drive unit 40 includes a hydraulic cylinder 41 as a fluid pressure cylinder that linearly drives the first support base 1 that supports the first roll 10, a hydraulic pump 47 as a hydraulic supply source (fluid pressure supply source), and a servo motor 48 as a drive source that drives the hydraulic pump 47.

[0020] The hydraulic cylinder 41 comprises a cylinder tube 42, a piston 43 slidably inserted into the cylinder tube 42 and dividing the inside of the cylinder tube 42 into a rod side chamber 45 and a bottom side chamber 46, and a piston rod 44 with one end connected to the piston 43 and the other end protruding to the outside of the cylinder tube 42. The other end (tip) of the piston rod 44 protruding to the outside of the cylinder tube 42 is connected to a first support base 1 that supports the first roll 10.

[0021] The hydraulic pump 47 is a bidirectional pump in which the direction of hydraulic fluid discharge differs depending on the rotation direction of the servo motor 48. The hydraulic pump 47 supplies hydraulic fluid to the rod side chamber 45 or the bottom side chamber 46 of the hydraulic cylinder 41 according to the rotation direction of the servo motor 48, at a flow rate corresponding to the rotation speed of the servo motor 48. As a result, the hydraulic cylinder 41 extends and retracts. The operation of the servo motor 48 is controlled by the control device 70.

[0022] A load sensor 75 is provided between the piston rod 44 and the first support base 1 as a load measuring unit to measure the pressing force (load) acting from the hydraulic cylinder 41 to the first support base 1 and, consequently, to the first roll 10. The load sensor 75 is, for example, a load cell. The measurement result from the load sensor 75 is input to the control device 70. Note that the load measuring unit is not limited to the load sensor 75. For example, the load measuring unit may be a pressure sensor that measures the operating hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic cylinder 41.

[0023] Furthermore, the frame 4 is provided with a displacement sensor 76, which serves as a gap measuring unit for measuring the displacement of the first roll 10 relative to the second roll 20. The measurement results from the displacement sensor 76 are input to the control device 70. Based on the measurement results from the displacement sensor 76, the size of the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 can be obtained. Note that the gap measuring unit is not limited to the displacement sensor 76. For example, the gap measuring unit may be a stroke sensor that measures the stroke amount of the hydraulic cylinder 41.

[0024] Furthermore, a detection sensor 77 is provided on the frame 4 to detect the passage of the sheet S through the roll gap G. The detection result from the detection sensor 77 is input to the control device 70. The detection sensor 77 can be a contact type, optical type, or thermal type sensor, etc.

[0025] The lead film F is a film-like component formed from a resin material, more specifically, from the same material as the sheet S. By making the lead film F from the same material as the sheet S, it becomes easier to adhere the sheet S to the lead film F. The lead film F is stored in the dispensing unit 50. The dispensing unit 50 is, for example, a bobbin 51 in which the lead film F is wound into a roll and stored. In each figure, the lead film F is schematically shown by a dashed line.

[0026] The recovery device 55 includes a rotationally driven bobbin 56 and a motor (not shown) that rotates the bobbin 56. As the bobbin 56 rotates, it winds up the lead film F supplied from the dispensing unit 50 into a roll and recovers it. The recovery device 55 also winds up and recovers the sheet S that is unwound from the exit of the transport path.

[0027] The cutting device 60 can employ a known configuration as long as it is capable of cutting the lead film F fed out from the feeding unit 50, so detailed illustrations and descriptions are omitted, but for example, it can be configured to include a cutting blade 61 and an actuator (not shown) that moves the cutting blade 61 in the width direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 1) of the lead film F. The operation of the cutting device 60 is controlled by the control device 70.

[0028] The control device 70 is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and an I / O interface (Input / Output Interface). The RAM stores data from the CPU's processing, the ROM stores the CPU's control programs and the like in advance, and the I / O interface is used for inputting and outputting information to and from connected devices. The control device 70 is programmed to execute at least the processing necessary to carry out the control according to this embodiment and its modified versions. The control device 70 may be configured as a single device, or it may be divided into multiple devices, with each control being distributed among these multiple devices.

[0029] The control device 70 controls the operation of each component of the sheet forming apparatus 100 so that the sheet forming method described below can be executed. Note that the control device 70 is not limited to being provided exclusively for the sheet forming apparatus 100, but may be used in common with other devices of the film manufacturing apparatus.

[0030] The control device 70 is configured to perform load control and position control as control over the drive unit 40.

[0031] Load control involves controlling the drive unit 40 so that the load acting on the first roll 10 from the hydraulic cylinder 41, as measured by the load sensor 75, reaches a preset load target value. In load control, the operation of the servo motor 48 is feedback-controlled based on the measurement results of the load sensor 75 so that the load exerted by the hydraulic cylinder 41 reaches the load target value.

[0032] Position control is performed to ensure that the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 is set to a preset gap target value. In position control, the operation of the servo motor 48 is feedback-controlled based on the measurement results of the displacement sensor 76 so that the roll gap G becomes the gap target value.

[0033] In addition, a load upper threshold and a load lower threshold are set for position control. If the measurement result of the load sensor 75 exceeds the load upper threshold or falls below the load lower threshold during position control, the control of the drive unit 40 is switched from position control to pressure control. If the measurement result of the load sensor 75 exceeds the load upper threshold, the load target value for subsequent pressure control is set to the load upper threshold. If the measurement result of the load sensor 75 falls below the load lower threshold, the load target value for subsequent pressure control is set to the load lower threshold.

[0034] In sheet forming, the amount of sheet discharged from the T-die may temporarily increase or decrease. If the sheet discharge rate decreases significantly while the drive unit is in position control, the sheet may not be sufficiently gripped by the first and second rolls, potentially preventing sheet forming. Furthermore, if the sheet discharge rate decreases rapidly while the hydraulic cylinder is under high load, the position control may not be able to keep up, and the high load may cause the first roll to move and come into contact with the second roll. Moreover, if the sheet discharge rate increases significantly temporarily, the load on the drive unit will increase, potentially preventing the sheet from being formed into the desired shape and potentially causing equipment malfunction.

[0035] In contrast, during position control, if the measurement result of the load sensor 75 exceeds or falls below the load upper limit threshold, the system switches to pressure control, allowing the first roll 10 to move in accordance with the increase or decrease in the sheet discharge rate. This prevents sheet molding defects due to increases or decreases in the sheet discharge rate, contact between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and equipment troubles.

[0036] In pressure control, for example, if the roll gap G is within the range of the upper and lower limit thresholds, the system switches to position control. The conditions for switching from pressure control to position control are not limited to these and can be set arbitrarily.

[0037] Next, a sheet forming method using the sheet forming apparatus 100 will be described.

[0038] In the sheet forming method of this embodiment, first, as shown in Figure 3, the lead film F is wrapped around the feed unit 50 and the recovery device 55. Specifically, the lead film F supplied from the feed unit 50 passes through the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, is wrapped around a plurality of transport rolls 30 along the transport path, and is wrapped around the recovery bobbin of the recovery device 55. At this stage, the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 is set to be at least the thickness of the lead film F, and preferably at least the size of the adhesive gap. This improves the workability of the operation of passing the lead film F through the roll gap G.

[0039] Next, the first roll 10, the second roll 20, the transport roll 30, and the bobbin 56 of the recovery device 55 are rotated at a predetermined rotational speed to move the lead film F downstream in the transport direction. As the bobbin 56 of the recovery device 55 rotates and the lead film F moves downstream, the bobbin 51 of the feeding unit 50 rotates, and the lead film F is sequentially fed out from the feeding unit 50. At this stage, the discharge of the sheet S from the T-die 101 is stopped.

[0040] Next, the lead film F and the sheet S are sandwiched together by the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and the sheet S is adhered to the lead film F. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, first, the sheet S is discharged from the T-die 101 at a predetermined discharge rate toward the lead film F passing through the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20. The sheet S discharged toward the lead film F is transported downstream in the transport direction by passing through the roll gap G together with the lead film F. Note that the sheet S is not limited to being discharged toward the lead film F passing through the roll gap G, but may also be discharged toward the lead film F upstream of the roll gap G in the transport direction (towards the feed-out section 50).

[0041] Furthermore, upon commencement of sheet S discharge from the T-die 101, the drive unit 40 controls the load to press the first roll 10 toward the second roll 20 with a predetermined load (target load value). As a result, the first roll 10 moves until it contacts the stopper 7 and is pressed against the stopper 7 by the target load value (see Figure 4). Therefore, the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 is adjusted to the adhesive gap.

[0042] In this way, with a roll gap G of a size corresponding to the adhesive gap, the first roll 10 is pressed toward the second roll 20 with a predetermined load, and the sheet S is supplied toward the roll gap G, so that the sheet S and the lead film F are sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 with a predetermined load. In other words, the load target value is set to a size such that the first support base 1 contacts the stopper 7 when the sheet S and the lead film F are sandwiched between them. In this way, the sheet S and the lead film F pass through the roll gap G corresponding to the adhesive gap, are sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, and are bonded to each other.

[0043] The order in which the dispensing of the sheet S from the T-die 101 begins and the load control on the drive unit 40 begins does not matter.

[0044] As the sheet S and lead film F adhere to each other by passing through the roll gap G, the sheet S is pulled by the lead film F and introduced into the transport path, where it is transported downstream by the transport roll 30. The sheet S and lead film F transported along the transport path are wound into a roll by the bobbin 56 of the recovery device 55 and recovered.

[0045] Next, once the sheet S is bonded to the lead film F, the cutting device 60 cuts the lead film F as it moves from the dispensing unit 50 towards the recovery device 55. The control device 70 drives the cutting device 60 to cut the lead film F when predetermined cutting conditions are met. In other words, the cutting conditions are those that allow the device to determine that the sheet S has been bonded to the lead film F. As cutting conditions, for example, the leading edge of the sheet S may move a predetermined distance along the transport path after passing through the roll gap G, or a predetermined time may elapse after the leading edge of the sheet S has passed through the roll gap G. Alternatively, the device may be configured to check whether multiple cutting conditions are met and to drive the cutting device 60 if any one of them is met.

[0046] Whether the leading edge of the sheet S has moved a predetermined distance along the transport path after passing through the roll gap G is detected by a detection sensor 77 that detects the passage of the sheet S along the transport path. The detection sensor 77 may be installed at a position that detects the passage of the sheet S through the roll gap G, as shown in Figure 1, or it may be installed further downstream along the transport path to detect the passage of the sheet S.

[0047] Furthermore, whether a predetermined time has elapsed after the leading edge of the sheet S has passed through the roll gap G can be detected using the detection sensor 77 and a timer (not shown).

[0048] When the lead film F is cut, the sheet S discharged from the T-die 101 passes through the roll gap G on its own and is transported along the transport path (see Figure 5). The sheet S that has been transported along the transport path on its own is also recovered by the recovery device 55, just like the sheet S and lead film F that were transported earlier.

[0049] Once the lead film F is cut and the sheet S can be transported independently, the sheet S is formed into a finished product. The sheet S is transported along the transport path and formed by stretching it according to the rotational speed of the transport roll 30 (the transport speed of the sheet S). When forming the sheet S, the amount of sheet S discharged from the T-die 101, the rotational speed of the transport roll 30, and the control of the drive unit 40 are appropriately changed according to the specifications of the product to be obtained by forming the sheet S.

[0050] For example, the adhesive gap is set to be larger than the thickness of the lead film F and smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the sheet S and lead film F obtained as a product, in order to more reliably bond the sheet S and lead film F. Also, in order to more reliably bond the sheet S and lead film F, the amount of sheet S discharged from the T-die 101 and the rotation speed of the conveyor roll 30 are set to be slower in the process of bonding the sheet S and lead film F than in the subsequent process of forming the sheet S.

[0051] Therefore, after the lead film F is cut (after the sheet S is bonded to the lead film F), the amount of sheet S discharged from the T-die 101 is increased, and the load target value for load control on the drive unit 40 is decreased. As a result, the reaction force applied from the sheet S to the first roll 10 increases, and the pressing force of the first roll 10 against the second roll 20 decreases, so that the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 becomes larger than the bonding gap. Alternatively, instead of lowering the load target value for load control, the load control may be switched to position control. In this case, the gap target value is set to a value larger than the bonding gap.

[0052] Furthermore, after the lead film F is cut, the rotation speed of the conveyor roll 30 is increased. This allows the sheet S to be formed to the desired thickness by controlling the rotation speed of the conveyor roll 30, even if the roll gap G becomes relatively large to prevent contact between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20. In this way, the sheet S is formed to the desired shape.

[0053] It is not essential to change the discharge amount of the sheet S discharged from the T-die 101, the rotational speed of the conveyor roll 30, and the control of the drive unit 40 after the lead film F has been cut. Only the discharge amount of the sheet S, the rotational speed of the conveyor roll 30, and a part of the control of the drive unit 40 may be changed, or these may be maintained without change if the desired sheet shape can be obtained. Conversely to the above embodiment, after the lead film F has been cut, the discharge amount of the sheet S may be reduced, the rotational speed of the conveyor roll 30 may be reduced, and the load target value of the load control of the drive unit 40 may be increased or all of the above may be performed.

[0054] Next, a modified example of this embodiment will be described.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the second support base 2 is provided with a stopper 7 that restricts the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 from falling below a predetermined adhesive gap. In the sheet forming method, in the step of bonding the sheet S to the lead film F, the first support base 1 is brought into contact with the stopper 7, and the first roll 10 is pressed toward the second roll 20 with a predetermined load target value. As a result, the sheet S and lead film F passing through the roll gap G are sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 and bonded to each other with a predetermined load target value.

[0056] Alternatively, without providing a stopper 7, the drive unit 40 may be positioned so that the roll gap G becomes the adhesive gap, allowing the sheet S and lead film F to pass through the roll gap G. In this method as well, the sheet S and lead film F are sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 with an adhesive gap and bonded to each other. In this modified example, for example, after the lead film F is cut, the sheet S is transported by position control set to a gap target value greater than the adhesive gap. In other words, after the sheet S is bonded to the lead film F, the roll gap G becomes larger than the adhesive gap. In this modified example, for example, the cutting condition may be met when the pressing force of the first roll 10 by the drive unit 40 exceeds a predetermined load threshold. In this case, the load threshold is set to be smaller than the load upper limit threshold of the pressure control and larger than the load lower limit threshold. After the lead film F is cut, the drive unit 40 may be pressure-controlled with a load target value less than or equal to the load threshold.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lead film F is a single lead film F formed in a strip shape. Alternatively, two lead films F1 and F2 (first guide section and second guide section) may be used as guide sections. In this case, as shown in Figure 6, the two lead films F1 and F2 are superimposed and pass through the roll gap G and the transport path. The sheet S discharged from the T die 101 is supplied so as to be sandwiched between the two lead films F1 and F2. With this modification, the temperature of the second roll 20 rises due to the heat of the sheet S, thereby preventing the sheet S from adhering to the second roll 20.

[0058] Furthermore, the guide portion does not necessarily have to be a strip-shaped lead film F. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the guide portion may have a lead film F as a resin film-like film guide portion and a lead portion L1 connected to the lead film F. The lead portion L can be formed from, for example, string, cloth, paper, or resin. The lead portion L1 is conveyed first, and the lead film F is upstream of the lead portion L1 in the conveying path. In the process of wrapping the lead film F between the dispensing portion 50 and the recovery device 55, the lead portion L1 is wrapped around the conveying roll 30 along the conveying path and then around the recovery bobbin of the recovery device 55. Also, in this process, the lead film F is positioned upstream of the roll gap G (towards the dispensing portion 50). The sheet S discharged from the T-die 101 is supplied toward the lead film F, and the lead film F and the sheet S are bonded together by being sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20. Such modified examples also produce the same effects as the above embodiment. Furthermore, this modified example allows for a reduction in the amount of lead film F compared to the above embodiment, thus reducing costs.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the guide section may be configured to include a first lead section L2 formed from a plate or rod, a plurality of second lead sections L3 connected to the first lead section L2 and arranged in the width direction of the sheet S, and a lead film F connected to the second lead sections L3. The second lead sections L3 are formed from, for example, string, cloth, paper, or resin. In this modified example, as with the modified example shown in Figure 7, the first lead section L2 is conveyed first, and the lead film F is located upstream of the first lead section L2 and the second lead sections L3 in the conveying path. This modified example also achieves the same effects as the above embodiment and can reduce costs.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the drive unit 40 comprises a hydraulic cylinder 41, a hydraulic pump 47, and a servo motor 48. In contrast, the drive unit 40 may also include an air cylinder or other fluid pressure cylinder instead of the hydraulic cylinder 41. Alternatively, the drive unit 40 may be a linear motion mechanism comprising a ball screw mechanism and a servo motor 48 that drives the ball screw mechanism.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a cutting device 60 for cutting the lead film F is provided, and the operation of the cutting device 60 is controlled by a control device 70. However, the configuration of the cutting device 60 is not essential. Instead of automatic cutting by the cutting device 60, the lead film F may be cut manually by an operator. Even in this case, since the adhesion between the sheet S and the lead film F is performed automatically, manual work in sheet molding can be reduced.

[0062] Furthermore, the above embodiment includes a recovery device 55 for recovering the lead film F. However, the recovery device 55 is not essential. For example, instead of the recovery device 55, the operator may directly pull the lead film F, or a nip roll for pulling the lead film F may be provided.

[0063] The effects and advantages of this embodiment will be described below.

[0064] A sheet forming method for forming a sheet S discharged from a T-die 101 includes the steps of: wrapping a lead film F around a plurality of transport rolls 30 that form a transport path; sandwiching the sheet S discharged toward the lead film F and the lead film F together with a first roll 10 and a second roll 20 that are arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap G between them, thereby bonding the sheet S to the lead film F; and transporting the sheet S and lead film F that have passed through the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 by the plurality of transport rolls 30.

[0065] The sheet forming apparatus 100 for forming a sheet S discharged from a T-die 101 comprises a first roll 10 and a second roll 20 arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap G between them, a plurality of transport rolls 30 for transporting the sheet S that has passed through the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20, a drive unit 40 for adjusting the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 by moving the first roll 10 back and forth relative to the second roll 20, a feed unit 50 for feeding out a lead film F that is wrapped around the plurality of transport rolls 30 to guide the introduction of the sheet S into the transport path by the transport rolls 30, a recovery device 55 for recovering the lead film F and the sheet S transported along the transport path, and a control device 70 for controlling the operation of the drive unit 40. The control device 70 controls the drive unit 40 so that the lead film F and the sheet S discharged onto the lead film F are sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20.

[0066] In these configurations, the sheet S and the lead film F are bonded together by being sandwiched between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20. This allows the sheet S and the lead film F to be bonded automatically, reducing the need for manual labor by operators.

[0067] Furthermore, in the sheet forming method of this embodiment, in the step of bonding the sheet S to the lead film F, the stopper 7 restricts the roll gap G from becoming smaller than a predetermined bonding gap, while a predetermined load is applied to press the first roll 10 toward the second roll 20. Once the sheet S is bonded to the lead film F, the load on the first roll 10 toward the second roll 20 is reduced.

[0068] Furthermore, the sheet forming apparatus 100 includes a stopper 7 that restricts the movement of the first roll 10 such that the roll gap G becomes smaller than a predetermined adhesive gap. The control device 70 controls the drive unit 40 to press the first roll 10 toward the second roll 20 with a predetermined load until its movement is restricted by the stopper 7, when the sheet S and lead film F have passed through the roll gap G.

[0069] In these configurations, the movement of the first roll 10 such that the roll gap G falls below the adhesive gap is restricted by the stopper 7, thereby preventing contact between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20.

[0070] Furthermore, in the sheet forming method of this embodiment, in the step of bonding the sheet S to the lead film F, the first roll 10 is moved forward and backward relative to the second roll 20 to control the roll gap G between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 to a predetermined bonding gap, and once the sheet S is bonded to the lead film F, the roll gap G is controlled to become larger than the bonding gap.

[0071] In this configuration, the roll gap G can be set to the adhesive gap by controlling the drive unit 40, eliminating the need for a stopper 7 that defines the roll gap G, thus simplifying the device configuration and reducing costs.

[0072] Furthermore, in the sheet forming method of this embodiment, in the process of wrapping the lead film F, the lead film F is unwound from the dispensing unit 50, wrapped around a plurality of conveying rolls 30, and recovered by the recovery device 55. When predetermined cutting conditions are met, a process is executed to cut the lead film F moving from the dispensing unit 50 towards the recovery device 55.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the sheet forming method, the cutting condition is considered to be met when the pressing force of the first roll 10 by the drive unit 40 exceeds a predetermined load threshold.

[0074] Furthermore, in the sheet forming method of this embodiment, the cutting condition is considered to be met when the leading edge of the sheet S, which is discharged toward the lead film F, has passed between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 and has moved a predetermined distance along the transport path.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the sheet forming method, the cutting condition is considered to be met after a predetermined time has elapsed since the leading edge of the sheet S, which is discharged toward the lead film F, passed between the first roll 10 and the second roll 20.

[0076] These configurations allow for the automatic cutting of the lead film F, thereby reducing manual labor required from operators.

[0077] Furthermore, in the sheet forming method of this embodiment, two lead films F are used, and the sheet S is sandwiched between the two lead films F.

[0078] In this configuration, adhesion of the sheet S to the first roll 10 and the second roll 20 is prevented by the two lead films F.

[0079] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments only represent a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 100 Sheet Forming Machine 7 Stopper 10 First Roll 20 Second Roll 30 Conveyor Rolls 40 Drive unit 50 Dispensing section 55 Recovery device 60 Cutting device 70 Control device 101 T-die S Seat F, F1, F2 Lead film (guide section)

Claims

1. A sheet molding method for forming a sheet extruded from a T-die, A process of wrapping a guide around multiple conveying rolls that form a conveying path, A step of sandwiching the sheet discharged toward the guide portion and the guide portion together by a first roll and a second roll arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap between them, thereby adhering the sheet to the guide portion, The process includes conveying the sheet and the guide section that have passed through the first roll and the second roll by the plurality of conveyor rolls, In the step of bonding the sheet to the guide portion, the first roll is pressed toward the second roll with a predetermined load while the stopper prevents the roll gap from becoming smaller than a predetermined bonding gap. When the sheet is adhered to the guide portion, the load on the first roll toward the second roll is reduced. Sheet molding method.

2. A sheet molding method for molding a sheet extruded from a T-die, A process of wrapping a guide around multiple conveying rolls that form a conveying path, A step of sandwiching the sheet discharged toward the guide portion and the guide portion together by a first roll and a second roll arranged in parallel with a predetermined roll gap between them, thereby adhering the sheet to the guide portion, The process includes conveying the sheet and the guide section that have passed through the first roll and the second roll by the plurality of conveyor rolls, In the step of bonding the sheet to the guide portion, the first roll is moved forward and backward relative to the second roll, and the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll is controlled to become a predetermined bonding gap. When the sheet is bonded to the guide portion, the roll gap is controlled to become larger than the bonding gap. Sheet molding method.

3. A sheet forming method according to claim 1, In the process of circulating the guide section, the guide section is unfurled from the dispensing section, circulated around the multiple conveying rolls, and recovered by the recovery device. When predetermined cutting conditions are met, a step is performed to cut the guide portion that extends from the dispensing section to the retrieval device. Sheet molding method.

4. A sheet forming method according to claim 3, When the pressing force of the first roll exceeds a predetermined load threshold, the cutting condition is considered to be met. Sheet molding method.

5. A sheet forming method according to claim 3, The cutting condition is considered to be met when the leading edge of the sheet, which is discharged toward the guide section, has passed between the first roll and the second roll and moved a predetermined distance along the transport path. Sheet molding method.

6. A sheet forming method according to claim 3, The cutting condition is considered to be met when a predetermined time has elapsed after the leading edge of the sheet, which is discharged toward the guide section, has passed between the first roll and the second roll. Sheet molding method.

7. A sheet molding method according to claim 1 or 2, The first guide section and the second guide section are used as the aforementioned guide section. The sheet is held between the first guide portion and the second guide portion. Sheet molding method.

8. A sheet forming apparatus for forming a sheet-like sheet extruded from a T-die, A first roll and a second roll are provided in parallel to each other with a predetermined gap between them, A plurality of conveying rolls for conveying the sheet that has passed through the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll, A drive unit that moves the first roll forward and backward relative to the second roll to adjust the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll, A stopper that restricts the movement of the first roll such that the roll gap becomes smaller than a predetermined adhesive gap, A feeding unit that feeds out a guide section which is wrapped around the plurality of conveying rolls and guides the introduction of the sheet into the conveying path by the conveying rolls, A recovery device for collecting the sheet that is transported along the guide section and the transport path, The system includes a control device for controlling the operation of the drive unit, The control device is The drive unit is controlled so that the guide portion and the sheet discharged to the guide portion are sandwiched between the first roll and the second roll, and the first roll is pressed toward the second roll with a predetermined load while the stopper prevents the roll gap from becoming smaller than a predetermined bonding gap, and when the sheet is bonded to the guide portion, the load of the first roll toward the second roll is reduced. Sheet molding machine.

9. A sheet forming apparatus for forming a sheet-like sheet extruded from a T-die, A first roll and a second roll are provided in parallel to each other with a predetermined gap between them, A plurality of conveying rolls for conveying the sheet that has passed through the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll, A drive unit that moves the first roll forward and backward relative to the second roll to adjust the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll, A stopper that restricts the movement of the first roll such that the roll gap becomes smaller than a predetermined adhesive gap, A feeding unit that feeds out a guide section which is wrapped around the plurality of conveying rolls and guides the introduction of the sheet into the conveying path by the conveying rolls, A recovery device for collecting the sheet that is transported along the guide section and the transport path, The system includes a control device for controlling the operation of the drive unit, The control device is The drive unit is controlled so that the guide portion and the sheet discharged to the guide portion are sandwiched between the first roll and the second roll, the first roll is moved forward and backward relative to the second roll, the roll gap between the first roll and the second roll is controlled to become a predetermined adhesive gap, and when the sheet is adhered to the guide portion, the roll gap is controlled to become larger than the adhesive gap. Sheet molding machine.

10. A sheet molding apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, The control device controls the drive unit to press the first roll toward the second roll with a predetermined load until the movement is restricted by the stopper, while the sheet and the guide portion have passed through the roll gap. Sheet molding machine.

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