Thin sheet feeding device and thin sheet feeding method

Abstract

The sheet supply device (EA) includes: a delivery means (10) for delivering a strip roll (RS) to which a plurality of adhesive sheet substrates (AB) are connected by a connecting tape (CT) and temporarily attached to a release sheet (RL); a cutting means (20) for forming a closed-loop slit (CU) on the adhesive sheet substrates (AB) in the strip roll (RS) delivered by the delivery means (10) and forming an adhesive sheet (AS) inside the slit (CU); a release means (30) for releasing the adhesive sheet (AS) from the release sheet (RL) and supplying the adhesive sheet (AS); and a detection means (40) for detecting the connecting tape (CT) of the connecting strip roll (RS); the cutting means (20) forms the slit (CU) in such a way that the connecting tape (CT) is not located inside the slit (CU) based on the detection result of the detection means (40).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a sheet supply device and a sheet supply method. [Previous Technology]

[0002] A known sheet supply device forms a closed-loop slit on the adhesive sheet substrate of a strip of material to which an adhesive sheet substrate is temporarily attached, and forms an adhesive sheet on the inside of the slit (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-68327). Furthermore, a known device uses a connecting tape to connect a plurality of strips of material (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-58373). In the sheet attaching device EA (sheet supply device) described in Document 1, when a first sheet AS1 (adhesive sheet) is formed from new and old strips RS2 and RS1 (strips of material) connected by the connecting adhesive sheet SS (connecting tape) described in Document 2, a defective sheet with the connecting tape is formed on the adhesive sheet, resulting in a deficiency where the defective sheet is supplied and adhered to the substrate. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a sheet supply device and a sheet supply method that can prevent the supply of defective sheets with connecting tape on the bonding sheet. The present invention adopts the configuration described in the claims. According to the present invention, since the cut is formed in such a way that the connecting tape is not located inside the cut according to the detection result of the detection means, the supply of defective sheets with connecting tape on the bonding sheet can be prevented.

Implementation Method

[0005] The following describes one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the figures. In this embodiment, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. The X-axis and Y-axis are set as axes in a predetermined plane, and the Z-axis is set as an axis orthogonal to the aforementioned predetermined plane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the direction is represented based on the viewer in front of Figure 1A, which is parallel to the Y-axis, "up" is the arrow direction of the Z-axis, and "down" is its opposite direction; "left" is the arrow direction of the X-axis, and "right" is its opposite direction; "front" is the arrow direction of the Y-axis, and "back" is its opposite direction. The sheet feeding device EA includes: a discharge means 10 for performing a discharge process, which discharges a strip roll RS connected by a connecting band CT to a plurality of attached sheet substrates AB and temporarily attached to a peeling sheet RL; a cutting means 20 for performing a cutting process, which forms a closed-loop slit CU on the attached sheet substrates AB in the strip roll RS discharged by the discharge means 10, and forms an attached sheet AS inside the slit CU; and a peeling plate 30 as a peeling means for performing a peeling process, which peels the attached sheet AS from the peeling sheet RL. The device includes a sheet AS, a detection means 40 for performing a detection process, a detection and connection tape CT, and an adjustment means 50 for performing an adjustment process. The adjustment means 50 adjusts the length of the strip RS from the detection position DP of the detection means 40 to the cut position CP of the cutting means 20 to a predetermined length. The sheet bonding device EA1 is constructed by a pressing roller 60 that presses the sheet substrate AB onto the substrate WK and attaches it, and a support means 70 that supports the substrate WK. In this embodiment, the strip RS is constructed by pre-connecting multiple sheet substrates AB via the connection tape CT. The exporting means 10 includes: a support roller 11, which supports the strip roll RS; a guide roller 12, which guides the strip roll RS; a peeling roller 13, which serves as a peeling member, folds back the unwanted sheet US formed on the outside of the cut CU and peels the unwanted sheet US from the peeling sheet RL; and a recovery roller 14, which serves as a recovery means, is supported on the output shaft of a drive machine (not shown in the figure) and, during the automatic operation of the sheet application device EA1, continuously applies a predetermined tension to the sheet roll 13. The unwanted sheet US is removed and recycled. The drive roller 15 is supported on the output shaft of the rotary motor 15A (not shown in the figure), which is the drive machine, and together with the pressure roller 15B, it clamps the peeling sheet RL. The recycling roller 16, which is the recycling means, is supported on the output shaft of the drive machine (not shown in the figure). During the automatic operation of the sheet application device EA1, a predetermined tension is frequently applied to the peeling sheet RL that exists between it and the pressure roller 15B, and the peeling sheet RL is recycled.The cutting means 20 includes: a rotary motor 21 as a drive machine, and a die-cutting roller 22 supported on the output shaft 21A of the rotary motor 21, with a closed-loop cutting blade 22A as a cutting member on its circumferential surface, and a flat pressure roller 23 that rotates synchronously with the die-cutting roller 22; the cut CU is formed in a manner that prevents the connecting tape CT from being located inside the cut CU, based on the detection result of the detection means 40. The detection means 40 is composed of imaging means such as a camera or projector, or various sensors such as optical sensors or ultrasonic sensors, and can detect the presence of the connecting tape CT or the width of the strip roll of the connecting tape CT in the output direction. The adjustment means 50 includes: a linear motor 51 as a drive machine, and a guide roller 52 supported on the linear motor 51 via a bracket 51B and guided by a slide rail 51A. The support means 70 includes: a linear motor 71 as a drive machine, and a slide rail 71A supported on the linear motor 71. It also includes a machine 72 that can hold the attached body support surface 72A and frame support surface 72B respectively by means of a pressure-reducing means (holding means) not shown in the figure, such as a pressure-reducing pump or a vacuum pump. Next, the operation of the sheet-attaching device EA1 will be explained. First, for the sheet-attaching device EA1 with its components arranged in the initial position indicated by solid lines in Figure 1A, the user of the sheet-attaching device EA1 (hereinafter referred to as "the user"), after installing the strip roll RS as shown in the same figure, inputs the length of the strip roll AS in the lead-out direction into a control means (not shown in the figure), such as a personal computer or a sequencer, via an operation panel or other means not shown in the figure, and inputs a signal to start automatic operation. Next, the adjustment means 50 drives the linear motor 51 to move the guide roller 52 in the left and right directions, and adjusts the length of the strip roll RS from the detection position DP of the connecting band CT detected by the detection means 40 to the cut-forming position CP of the cut CU formed by the cutting means 20 to a predetermined length, for example, 10 mm longer than the length of the strip roll of the bonding sheet AS in the output direction. Then, the output means 10 and the cutting means 20 drive the rotary motors 15A and 21 to form the cut CU on the bonding sheet substrate AB and output the strip roll RS. As shown in FIG1A, when the predetermined length is peeled off at the front end of the output direction of the front bonding sheet AS on the peeling edge 31 of the peeling means 30, the driving of the rotary motors 15A and 21 is stopped. At this time, a single or multiple next bonding sheet AS is formed on the rear side of the output direction of the front bonding sheet AS.Then, as shown in Figure 1A, when the user, a multi-joint robot, or a conveyor belt (not shown in the figure) places the bonded body WK and the ring frame RF (which serves as a frame member) at predetermined positions on the bonded body support surface 72A and the frame support surface 72B, the support means 70 drives a pressure-reducing means (not shown in the figure) to begin adsorption and retention of the bonded body WK and the ring frame RF on the bonded body support surface 72A and the frame support surface 72B. Next, the support means 70 drives the linear motor 71 to move the machine platform 72 to the left. When the machine platform 72 reaches the predetermined position, the delivery means 10 and the cutting means 20 drive the rotary motors 15A and 21, and in coordination with the moving speed of the machine platform 72, form a cut CU on the bonding sheet substrate AB and deliver the strip-shaped roll material RS. As shown by the two dotted lines in Figure 1A, the leading adhesive sheet AS is peeled off from the peeling sheet RL at the peeling edge 31 of the peeling means 30. The adhesive sheet AS peeled off from the peeling sheet RL is pressed against the ring frame RF and the substrate WK by the pressing roller 60 and adhered to it. Then, the leading adhesive sheet AS is adhered to the ring frame RF and the substrate WK to form a single piece UP. When the leading end of the next adhesive sheet AS in the leading direction is peeled off a predetermined length at the peeling edge 31 of the peeling means 30, the leading means 10 and the cutting means 20 stop rotating the motors 15A and 21. Next, as the machine 72 supporting the integral UP moves away from below the pressing roller 60, the support means 70 stops driving the linear motor 71 and stops driving the pressure-reducing means (not shown in the figure), thus releasing the adsorption and holding of the integral WK and the ring frame RF on the integral support surface 72A and the frame support surface 72B. Then, when the user or a transport means (not shown in the figure) transports the integral UP to the next process, each means drives its respective drive machine to return each component to its initial position, and then repeats the same operation as above. Between repeating the same operation as above, the cutting means 20 forms the cut CU in a manner that prevents the connecting tape CT from being located inside the cut CU based on the detection result of the detection means 40. That is, since the length of the strip material RS from the detection position DP to the cut formation position CP is adjusted to a predetermined length by the adjustment means 50, the cutting means 20 can determine whether the connecting tape CT is located inside the cut CU when forming the next cut CU. In this determination, if it is determined that the connecting band CT is not located inside the incision CU, the cutting means 20 does not perform any special operation (see Figure 1B). On the other hand, if it is determined that the connecting band CT is located inside the incision CU, the cutting means 20 does not perform the incision CU forming operation until the connecting band CT passes through the incision to form the position CP (see Figures 1C and 1D).According to the above embodiment, since the cut CU is formed based on the detection result of the detection means 40 in a way that prevents the connecting CT from being located inside the cut CU, the supply of a defective connecting CT on the bonding sheet AS can be prevented. As explained above, the preferred configuration and method for implementing the present invention are disclosed in the foregoing description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention is mainly illustrated and explained with respect to specific embodiments. Without departing from the technical concept and purpose of the present invention, the manufacturer may apply various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity and other detailed configurations. Furthermore, the descriptions of the shapes, materials, etc., disclosed above are illustrative for ease of understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, the descriptions under the component names after removing some or all of the limitations on their shapes, materials, etc., are also included in the present invention. For example, the exporting means 10 can also use plate-like members or shaft members to replace the support rollers 11 or guide rollers 12 to support or guide the strip roll RS, peel sheet RL, and unwanted sheet US, or support it by fanning it instead of winding the strip roll RS, or fanning it instead of winding the peel sheet RL or unwanted sheet US, or recycling it by shredding or irregularly gathering and recycling the peel sheet RL or unwanted sheet US, or recycling means can be omitted. The cutting means 20 can use a drive machine that moves the die-cutting roller 22 away from or towards the substrate AB to form the cut CU, or it can use a drive machine that moves the cutting blade or other cutting members in a direction orthogonal to the exporting direction of the strip roll relative to the substrate AB, and form the cut CU only by the linear movement of the cutting members. As shown in Figure 1A, the detection means 40 can be set at a position where the strip roll RS is held and faces the guide roller 12, or it can be set at a position where it does not face the guide roller 12. As long as the length of the strip roll RS from the detection position DP to the cut formation position CP is greater than or equal to the length of the strip roll in the direction of the sheet AS, it can be set at any position.The adjustment means 50 can adjust the predetermined length of the strip roll RS from the detection position DP to the cut formation position CP to, for example, the same as the length of the strip roll in the direction of the attached sheet AS, or it can be adjusted to be 5 mm or 30 mm longer than the length of the strip roll in the direction of the attached sheet AS. As long as it is longer than the length of the strip roll in the direction of the attached sheet AS, it can be adjusted to any length. The strip roll RS can be guided by a plate-like member or a shaft member, etc., instead of the guide roller 52. Multiple adjustment means 50 can be provided. The sheet supply device EA or the sheet attaching device EA1 of the present invention may or may not be provided. In the case where it is not provided, as long as the length of the strip roll RS from the detection position DP to the cut formation position CP is greater than or equal to the length of the strip roll in the direction of the attached sheet AS, and this length is used in advance, it is sufficient. The pressing means can attach the adhesive sheet AS to the substrate WK and the ring frame RF, or attach the adhesive sheet AS only to the substrate WK, or attach the adhesive sheet AS only to the ring frame RF as the substrate. It may or may not have the sheet attachment device EA1 of the present invention. In the absence of EA1, other devices can be used to press and attach the adhesive sheet AS to the substrate WK or the ring frame RF. The supporting means 70 may or may not support the ring frame RF, and may or may not have the sheet attachment device EA1 of the present invention. In the absence of EA1, other devices can be used to support the substrate WK or the ring frame RF. As shown in Figure 1A with AA attached, the sheet supply device EA or the sheet bonding device EA1 may also include a connecting means 80 that connects multiple sheet substrates AB via a connecting band CT. The connecting means 80 connects the strip roll RS supported on the support roller 11 and the strip roll RS supported on the support roller 81, and the strip is then exported via a discharging means 10. The connecting means 80 may be, for example, the connecting means 15 described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-58333 or the elongated connecting device 10 described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-87886, or various other configurations. The sheet supply device EA or the sheet bonding device EA1 may pre-input the size of the bonded sheet AS into a control means not shown in the figure. Alternatively, it may be configured to use a camera or projector, or various sensors such as an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, to detect the size of the cutting edge 22A and input it as the size of the bonded sheet AS into a control means not shown in the figure. The sheet supply device EA or the sheet attaching device EA1 can also be provided downstream of the strip roll output direction of the cutting means 20, for example, with a connecting belt passage means equivalent to the adjusting means 50. When the rotating motors 15A and 21 stop, the strip roll RS is pulled in the strip roll output direction so that the connecting belt CT passes through the cut to form position CP. The strip roll RS can also be connected to or not connected to the peeling sheet RL via the connecting belt (not shown in the figure).As shown in Figure 1D, the connecting tape CT or the connecting strip RL (not shown in the figure) can have a width in the roll-shaped material output direction that is longer than the usual interval for forming the bonding sheet AS. One or more tapes can be used to connect the bonding sheet substrate AB or the bonding sheet RL. When using one tape, the connection can be made at any point in the width direction orthogonal to the roll-shaped material output direction, such as the center, one end, or the other end. When using multiple tapes, the connection can be made at any point in the width direction, such as the center and three points at both ends, or two points at both ends. The frame member, in addition to the ring frame RF, can also be non-ring-shaped (without outer perimeter connection), or circular, elliptical, polygonal, or other shapes. There are no particular limitations on the material, type, or shape of the bonding sheet substrate AB, bonding sheet AS, connecting tape CT, bonded body WK, and frame member. For example, the adhesive substrate AB, adhesive sheet AS, connecting band CT, bonded body WK, and frame member can be circular, elliptical, triangular, quadrangular, or other polygonal shapes. The adhesive substrate AB can be pressure-sensitive or heat-sensitive adhesive. When using a heat-sensitive adhesive substrate AB, it can be bonded by a suitable heating method, such as a coil heater or heating tube for heating the adhesive sheet AS. Furthermore, the adhesive substrate AB can be, for example, a single layer with only an adhesive layer, or an intermediate layer between the substrate and the adhesive layer, or three or more layers such as a cover layer on the upper surface of the substrate. It can also be a so-called double-sided adhesive sheet that allows the substrate to be peeled from the adhesive layer. The double-sided adhesive sheet can have a single or multiple intermediate layers, or a single or multiple layers without intermediate layers. Furthermore, the bonded body WK can be, for example, food, resin containers, semiconductor wafers such as silicon semiconductor wafers or compound semiconductor wafers, circuit boards, information recording substrates such as optical discs, glass plates, steel plates, ceramics, wood boards, or resins, or composites formed from two or more of these, and any type of component or article can be used. When referring to the bonded sheet AS in terms of functionality or purpose, it can be, for example, information recording labels, decorative labels, protective sheets, cutting tapes, die-attach films, die-bonding tapes, and resin sheets forming recording layers, or any sheet, film, or tape. The means and processes in this invention are not particularly limited as long as they can achieve the actions, functions, or processes described therein, and are not limited to the components or processes of a single embodiment represented in the foregoing embodiments. For example, any means of peeling can be used to peel off the adhesive sheet from the peeling sheet and supply the adhesive sheet, as long as it is within the scope of the common technical knowledge at the time of application and there are no special restrictions (the same applies to other means and processes).The drive machine in the aforementioned embodiments may be an electric motor such as a rotary motor, a direct drive motor, a linear motor, a single-axis robot, or a multi-joint robot with two or more joints; an actuator such as a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a rodless cylinder, or a rotary cylinder; or a combination of these may be used directly or indirectly. In the aforementioned embodiments, when a rotating component such as a roller is used, a drive machine for rotating the rotating component can be provided. The surface of the rotating component or the rotating component itself can be constructed from deformable components such as rubber or resin, or from non-deformable components. Other components such as rotating or non-rotating shafts or scrapers can also be used instead of rollers. When pressing objects using pressing rollers or pressing heads, in addition to rollers, round bars, scraper materials, and brush-like components, components that rely on air or gas can be used instead of those exemplified above, or used in conjunction with them. Deformable components such as rubber, resin, and sponge, or non-deformable components such as metal or resin, can be used to perform the pressing. When peeling objects using peeling plates or peeling rollers, plate-like components, round bars, rollers, etc., can be used instead of those exemplified above. Alternatively, the peeling agent can be constructed using deformable or non-deformable components such as rubber or resin. When supporting (holding) the supported component (held component) using support (holding) means or support (holding) components, the following can be used to support (hold) the supported component: mechanical chucks or pressure cylinder chucks, Coulomb force, adhesives (adhesive sheets, adhesive tapes), adhesives (adhesive sheets, adhesive tapes), magnetism, Bennos adsorption, attraction and adsorption drive machines, etc. When cutting means or cutting components are used to cut the component to be cut or to form a cut or cutting line on the component to be cut, the following can be used to cut: cutting blades, laser cutters, ion beams, fire, heat, water pressure, electric heating wires, blowing of gas or liquid, etc., to replace or use the above-described methods, or to move the cutter by combining it with a suitable drive machine to perform the cutting. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0004] [Figure 1A] is an explanatory diagram of a sheet bonding device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] is an explanatory diagram of a sheet bonding device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1C] is an explanatory diagram of a sheet bonding device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1D] is an explanatory diagram of a sheet bonding device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sheet supply device comprising: a discharging means for discharging a strip of material, wherein one side of a plurality of sheets of adhesive sheet substrates attached to a substrate is temporarily attached to a release sheet and the other side is connected by a connecting tape; a cutting means for forming a closed-loop slit in the adhesive sheet substrates in the strip of material discharged by the discharging means, and forming an adhesive sheet inside the slit; a release means for releasing the adhesive sheet from the release sheet and supplying the adhesive sheet; and a detection means for detecting the connecting tape; wherein the cutting means forms the slit in such a way that the connecting tape is not located inside the slit based on the detection result of the detection means.

2. The sheet supply device as described in claim 1, which has a connecting means for connecting a plurality of the aforementioned bonded sheet substrates via the aforementioned connecting belt.

3. The sheet supply device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, which includes an adjustment means for adjusting the length of the aforementioned strip from the detection position of the aforementioned detection means to the cut position of the aforementioned cutting means to a predetermined length.

4. A sheet supply method comprising: an export process, wherein one side of a plurality of adhesive sheet substrates attached to an adhesive body is temporarily attached to a release sheet and the other side is connected by a connecting tape to export a strip roll; a cutting process, wherein a closed-loop slit is formed on the adhesive sheet substrate in the strip roll exported by the export process, and an adhesive sheet is formed inside the slit; a release process, wherein the adhesive sheet is peeled from the release sheet and supplied; and a detection process, wherein the connecting tape is detected; and in the cutting process, the slit is formed in such a way that the connecting tape is not located inside the slit, based on the detection result of the detection process.

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