Filament adhesive application apparatus and filament adhesive application method

Abstract

The filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the present invention comprises: a nozzle having a pressing portion for pressing the filamentous adhesive against an object; a nozzle displacement portion mounted on the nozzle and displacing the nozzle by displacement in the pressing direction; and an absorption mechanism for absorbing the displacement of the nozzle in the pressing direction relative to the displacement of the nozzle displacement portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a filament adhesive application apparatus and a filament adhesive application method. Background Technology

[0002] Adhesive sheets and adhesive tapes are used for bonding various materials such as metal, glass, wood, paper, corrugated paper, and plastics. For example, in the case of rolled adhesive tape, a substrate with a peel-off treatment applied to the back side that will be in contact with the adhesive surface is used to facilitate unwinding.

[0003] As an adhesive tape application device, there is an adhesive tape holder that presses the adhesive tape pulled from the front end of the holder, which holds a roll of adhesive tape, against the object to be adhered by the peripheral wall of the surrounding hole at the front end (see Patent Document 1). This adhesive tape holder pulls out and adheres the adhesive tape to the object by moving the front end while it is in contact with the object.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-119083 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In Patent Document 1, adhesive tape can be applied by pressing the tip of the adhesive tape holder against the object and moving it as if drawing a line. Here, if a filamentous adhesive, obtained by attaching adhesive to a filamentous core material, is used instead of adhesive tape, the tip of the adhesive tape holder must be pressed against the object to a suitable degree of deformation of the filamentous adhesive. This is because, unlike adhesive tape, which can be applied with light pressure based on its own weight as long as it has an initial length for application, filamentous adhesive exhibits adhesive force by being pressed against the object and deforming. If the pressure is too weak, it will not adhere; if the pressure is too strong, the adhesive will deform significantly. Excessive pressure can cause problems such as paste overflow (reduced application width accuracy) or uneven height of the filamentous adhesive.

[0009] Patent Document 1 does not consider applying adhesive tape by pressing it down, nor does it consider applying it by varying the pressing pressure. Therefore, if the adhesive tape holder of Patent Document 1 is used to apply filamentous adhesive, there is a concern that the pressing pressure may increase excessively. Excessive pressing pressure is likely to occur when the height of the object to be bonded varies depending on the precision, or when the object to be bonded has uneven surfaces, raising concerns that the adhesive may deform significantly and cause the aforementioned adverse effects.

[0010] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a filament adhesive application apparatus and a filament adhesive application method that enables the adhesive force of the filament adhesive to be properly presented and to be applied with good accuracy along any path.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] The filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the present invention comprises: a nozzle having a pressing portion for pressing the filamentous adhesive against an object; a nozzle displacement portion mounted on the nozzle and displacing the nozzle by displacement in the pressing direction; and an absorption mechanism for absorbing the displacement of the nozzle in the pressing direction relative to the displacement of the nozzle displacement portion.

[0013] In the filamentous adhesive application device of the present invention, for example, the aforementioned absorption mechanism is any one of a spring, a damper, and a cylinder installed between the aforementioned nozzle displacement portion and the aforementioned nozzle.

[0014] The filamentous adhesive application device of the present invention includes, for example, a movement control unit that controls the movement of the aforementioned nozzle displacement unit to apply the aforementioned filamentous adhesive to the aforementioned object along a predetermined path. The aforementioned movement control unit brings the aforementioned nozzle displacement unit close to the aforementioned object at at least one of the starting point of the aforementioned predetermined path, the starting or ending point of the curve contained in the aforementioned predetermined path, and the vertex of the angle contained in the aforementioned predetermined path.

[0015] In the filamentous adhesive application device of the present invention, for example, the nozzle includes: an inner wall surface that divides to form a cylindrical internal space, and a front end having a front end opening at one end of the inner wall surface that communicates with the external environment; the pressing part presses the filamentous adhesive that passes through the internal space and is led out from the front end opening to the external environment against the object; and multiple portions of the periphery surrounding the front end opening at the front end function as the pressing part.

[0016] The filamentous adhesive application device of the present invention is, for example, a device that pulls out the aforementioned filamentous adhesive wound on a roll body while pressing it against the aforementioned object. The filamentous adhesive application device also includes an auxiliary mechanism that applies external force to the aforementioned filamentous adhesive pulled out from the aforementioned roll body in the pulling direction, and the aforementioned pressing part presses the pulled-out filamentous adhesive against the aforementioned object.

[0017] In the filament adhesive application method of the present invention, the filament adhesive is applied to the object using the filament adhesive application device of the present invention.

[0018] Invention Effects

[0019] According to the present invention, the adhesive force of the filamentous adhesive can be properly exerted to attach the filamentous adhesive with good precision along any path. Attached Figure Description

[0020] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the configuration of a first embodiment of the filament adhesive application device according to the present invention.

[0021] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 Figure (1) shows a specific example of the delivery path of the filamentous adhesive in the filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0022] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 Figure (2) shows a specific example of the delivery path of the filamentous adhesive in the filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0023] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 Figure (3) shows a specific example of the delivery path of the filamentous adhesive in the filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0024] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 Figure (4) shows a specific example of the delivery path of the filamentous adhesive in the filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0025] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the periphery of the nozzle in the filamentous adhesive application device of the first embodiment.

[0026] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 A diagram showing the cross-section of the nozzle.

[0027] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 A diagram showing the area around the nozzle when cutting the filamentous adhesive.

[0028] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 A diagram illustrating a method for measuring the dynamic friction between the tip portion of a nozzle and the adhesive surface of a filamentous adhesive.

[0029] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 This is an enlarged view of the cross-section at the nozzle tip.

[0030] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the movement of the nozzle in a filament adhesive application device.

[0031] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 The diagram shows a first example of the extraction auxiliary mechanism.

[0032] [ Figure 13 ] Figure 13 The diagram shows a second example of the extraction auxiliary mechanism.

[0033] [ Figure 14 ] Figure 14 The diagram shows a third example of the extraction auxiliary mechanism.

[0034] [ Figure 15 ] Figure 15 The diagram shows a fourth example of the extraction auxiliary mechanism.

[0035] [ Figure 16 ] Figure 16 The diagram shows the fifth example of the extraction auxiliary mechanism.

[0036] [ Figure 17 ] Figure 17 The diagram shows the sixth example of the extraction auxiliary mechanism.

[0037] [ Figure 18 ] Figure 18 A perspective view showing a second embodiment of the filament adhesive application device according to the present invention.

[0038] [ Figure 19 ] Figure 19 Figures illustrating examples of the cross-sectional shape of the front end as viewed from the front opening side: (a) front end with a circular cross-section, (b) front end with a rectangular cross-section.

[0039] [ Figure 20 ] Figure 20 A perspective view showing the internal structure of the filament adhesive application device according to the third embodiment.

[0040] [ Figure 21 ] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of the filament adhesive application device of the fourth embodiment in a frontal view.

[0041] [ Figure 22 ] Figure 22 This diagram illustrates the topic of creating a starting point for attachment in cases where the length of the remainder is different.

[0042] [ Figure 23 ] Figure 23 This diagram illustrates the action of the nozzle used in creating the attachment starting point when the length of the attachment is short.

[0043] [ Figure 24 ] Figure 24A perspective view showing the filament adhesive application device of the fifth embodiment.

[0044] [ Figure 25 ] Figure 25 This is a front view showing the state of the opening and closing frame in the filament adhesive application device of the fifth embodiment.

[0045] [ Figure 26 ] Figure 26 The figure illustrates the case where the filamentous adhesive is cut off at the end of the application operation using the filamentous adhesive application device of the fifth embodiment.

[0046] [ Figure 27 ] Figure 27 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the filament adhesive application apparatus of the sixth embodiment.

[0047] [ Figure 28 ] Figure 28 This is a schematic diagram of a filament adhesive used in a filament adhesive application apparatus. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the filament adhesive application apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

[0049] (First Embodiment)

[0050] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the configuration of a first embodiment of the filament adhesive application apparatus according to the present invention. Figures 2-5 The figure shows a specific example of the delivery path of the filamentous adhesive in the filamentous adhesive application apparatus of the first embodiment. Figure 2 and Figure 4 This diagram shows the filament adhesive application device viewed from the rear side. Figure 3 and Figure 5 This diagram shows the filament adhesive application device viewed from the left side. It should be noted that... Figures 2-8 The arrows shown indicate the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions of the filament adhesive application device. Additionally, the front-back direction is referred to as the X-axis, the left-right direction (width direction) as the Y-axis, and the up-down direction (height direction) as the Z-axis.

[0051] The filamentous adhesive application device 101 is a device that presses and adheres the filamentous adhesive 2 to the object (the substrate), such as... Figure 1As shown, it mainly comprises a supply unit AU, a pressing mechanism BU (nozzle), a conveying unit CU, and a positioning unit DU. The supply unit AU supplies filamentous adhesive 2 wound into a roll. The pressing mechanism BU presses the supplied filamentous adhesive 2 onto the object to be bonded. The conveying unit CU conveys the filamentous adhesive 2 from the supply unit AU to the pressing mechanism BU. The positioning unit DU positions the pressing mechanism BU relative to the object.

[0052] (Positioning Department DU)

[0053] In the filament adhesive application apparatus 101, as part of an example constituting the positioning unit DU, there is a platform (table) disposed on a base, and a stage (stage) that can slide along the X-axis direction (front-back direction) on the platform. An object is placed on the upper surface of the stage and mounted by adsorption or the like. The object is moved along the X-axis direction by moving the stage along the X-axis using a drive mechanism. Furthermore, the filament adhesive application apparatus 101 includes, for example, a pair of pillars erected on the left and right sides of the platform; and a horizontal arm mounted above the pair of pillars along the Y-axis direction (left-right direction) between the pair of pillars.

[0054] A horizontally moving unit 105 capable of sliding along the Y-axis is mounted on the horizontal arm (see...). Figure 5 The horizontal moving unit 105 moves along the Y-axis direction via a drive mechanism (not shown). The horizontal moving unit 105 has a generally cuboid shape, and a lifting body (not shown) disposed below it is held in a manner that allows it to slide along the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). A nozzle 107 is mounted on this lifting body via a mounting plate 106. That is, in the horizontal moving unit 105, the nozzle 107 is moved along the Z-axis direction using a drive mechanism (not shown). Details regarding the nozzle 107 will be described later.

[0055] Regarding the filament adhesive application apparatus 101, the nozzle 107 can be positioned relative to the object in the XY plane using the mounting stage and the horizontal movement unit 105. Furthermore, by raising and lowering the lifting body of the horizontal movement unit 105, the nozzle 107 can be moved along the Z-axis. In other words, the mounting stage and the horizontal movement unit 105 function as a positioning unit DU.

[0056] (Supply Department AU)

[0057] In the filament adhesive application apparatus 101, as an example of the supply unit AU, there is a winding body and a winding body holding unit. The winding body has a cylindrical shape, such as a spool, paper tube, or bobbin, and filament adhesive 2, which is obtained by attaching adhesive to a filamentous core material, is wound around its outer circumference. The winding body can be made of metal, resin, easy-to-peel material, etc. The winding body holding unit holds the winding body in such a way that it restricts the forward and backward movement of the winding body near both ends of the winding body on which the filament adhesive 2 is wound, and allows the winding body to rotate as the filament adhesive 2 is conveyed (extracted). The filament adhesive 2 is an adhesive body formed by coating the surface of the filamentous core material with an adhesive layer. Details about the filament adhesive 2 will be described later.

[0058] The filamentous adhesive application device 101 can supply filamentous adhesive 2 wound into a roll using a take-up body and a take-up body holding part. That is, the take-up body and the take-up body holding part function as a supply part AU.

[0059] (Conveying Unit CU)

[0060] In the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 101, as an example of the conveying unit CU, there is a roller 122 and each pair of rollers 123, 124, 125, and 128, which convey the filamentous adhesive 2 drawn from the supply unit AU (wound body) to the nozzle 107. For the roller 122 and each pair of rollers 123, 124, 125, and 128, at least the outer peripheral surface (rotating surface) in contact with the filamentous adhesive 2 is made of a non-adhesive surface. That is, at least the outer peripheral surface of each roller in contact with the filamentous adhesive 2 is made of at least one of, for example, fluoropolymer, silicone resin, and polyolefin resin. Alternatively, at least the outer peripheral surface of each roller in contact with the filamentous adhesive 2 is treated with at least one of, for example, fluoropolymer coating, silicone coating, long-chain alkyl coating, and TOSICAL (registered trademark) coating for non-adhesive treatment. It should be noted that the fluoropolymer coating treatment includes treatment using fluoropolymer heat shrink tubing or fluoropolymer fabric sheets. Alternatively, various non-adhesive treatments can be applied to the substrate on the outer peripheral surfaces of each roller that are in contact with at least the filamentous adhesive 2. For example, the substrate can be textured by sandblasting and a non-adhesive material can be applied to the recesses. Treatments can also be applied by PEEK (polyether ether ketone) coating, fluorinated composite electroless nickel plating (where fluoropolymer particles are dispersed and co-extruded in an electroless nickel-plated film), BICERAM (a fluoropolymer coating containing micronized ceramic particles), FRP (fiber reinforced plastics) lining, ultra-high molecular weight PE (polyester) lining, etc.

[0061] Roller 122 and a pair of rollers 123 and 124 are mounted on the back side of frame 111. Frame 111 is erected on the base along the Y-axis between a pair of frames erected on the left side of the take-up body holding part 121 and the right side of the platform.

[0062] The roller 122 is mounted in a rectangular mounting portion 111a extending downward near the left end of the frame 111, in a manner that allows it to rotate within the vertical plane (YZ plane). The roller 122 is preferably mounted as follows: Figure 3 As shown, it is a spool-shaped device with flanges at both ends. When the filamentous adhesive 2 is drawn out from the roll, the filamentous adhesive 2 moves in the width direction of the roller body of the roller 122, but the flanges at both ends prevent the filamentous adhesive 2 from easily falling off the roller 122. A pair of rollers 123 are mounted in a rectangular mounting portion 111b extending in the front-back direction on the right side of the mounting portion 111a in a manner that allows rotation in the horizontal plane (XY plane). On the mounting portion 111b, a pair of rollers 123 are arranged adjacent to each other in a front-back manner at a distance from each other to a degree that the filamentous adhesive 2 can be guided through each other by the rotating surfaces of the pair of rollers 123 (see See). Figure 3 ).like Figure 3 As shown, pull it upwards from the roll and as... Figure 2 As shown, the filamentous adhesive 2, after passing through the rotating surface (outer peripheral surface) on the left and upper sides of roller 122, passes between a pair of rollers 123 and reaches a pair of rollers 124.

[0063] A pair of rollers 124 are mounted to the right of a pair of rollers 123 in the frame 111 in a manner that allows them to rotate in the vertical plane. The pair of rollers 124 are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right sides at a distance from each other, so as to allow the filamentous adhesive 2 to pass between them using the rotating surfaces of the pair of rollers 124 (see [link]). Figure 2 , Figure 3 ).like Figure 3 As shown, the filamentous adhesive 2 passing between a pair of rollers 123 passes under the lower rotating surface of the left roller 124 and over the upper rotating surface of the right roller 124, reaching a pair of rollers 125. The pair of rollers 123 and 124 can prevent the filamentous adhesive 2 from snaking out of the winding body, but they are not necessary and rollers 123 and 124 can be omitted.

[0064] A pair of rollers 125 are mounted rotatably in the vertical plane on the lower side of an oil damper 126 that extends approximately along the Z-axis. The oil damper 126 is fixed rotatably in the vertical plane to a damper mounting portion with a generally rectangular upper end. The damper mounting portion protrudes downward approximately from the center of the frame 111 in the Y-axis direction. The pair of rollers 125 are arranged adjacent to each other along the extension direction of the oil damper, spaced apart to allow the filamentous adhesive 2 to pass between each other using the rotating surfaces of the rollers 125 (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 4 ).like Figure 5 As shown, the filamentous adhesive 2 passing between the pair of rollers 124 passes through the right and lower rotating surfaces of the upper roller 125, and through the upper and left rotating surfaces of the lower roller 125, reaching the pair of rollers 128. For the filamentous adhesive 2 guided by the pair of rollers 125, slack is prevented because the oil damper 126 slowly oscillates left and right below it. It should be noted that the pair of rollers 125 and the oil damper 126 may not be provided. This is because by changing the location where the take-up body is placed and the moving speed of the positioning part DU, slack in the filamentous adhesive 2 will not occur, and the slack prevention function provided by the pair of rollers 125 and the oil damper 126 is unnecessary.

[0065] A pair of rollers 128 are mounted rotatably in the vertical plane to the roller mounting portion 106a of the mounting plate 106 disposed on the front surface of the horizontal moving unit 105. The pair of rollers 128 are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right sides at a distance, allowing the filamentous adhesive 2 to pass between each other using the rotating surfaces of the rollers 128. Figure 6 As shown, the filamentous adhesive 2 passing between a pair of rollers 125 passes between a pair of rollers 128 and reaches the nozzle 107. The pair of rollers 128 are positioned directly above the nozzle 107 mounted on the mounting plate 106, so that, regardless of the position of the nozzle 107, the filamentous adhesive 2 is guided by the pair of rollers 128 to enter the cylindrical internal space 107s of the nozzle 107 in a straight line (see Figure 107s). Figure 7 It should be noted that a pair of rollers 128 can also be arranged adjacent to each other, so that the filamentous adhesive 2 passes through in an S-shape and is guided to the position of the nozzle 107. The filamentous adhesive 2 can also be guided to the position of the nozzle 107 by other configurations.

[0066] The filamentous adhesive application device 101 uses roller 122 and each pair of rollers 123, 124, 125, and 128 to transport the filamentous adhesive 2 from the supply unit AU to the pressing mechanism BU. That is, roller 122 and each pair of rollers 123, 124, 125, and 128 function as a conveying unit CU. It should be noted that the conveying unit CU can also transport the filamentous adhesive 2 to a pressing part other than the pressing mechanism BU, for example, by pressing the filamentous adhesive 2 onto the object to be bonded using rollers.

[0067] (Pressing mechanism BU)

[0068] Reference Figures 6-8 An example of the pressing mechanism BU of the filament adhesive application device 101 will be described. Figures 6-8 This is a diagram showing the area around the nozzle 107 of the filament adhesive application device 101. Figure 6 A three-dimensional view obtained from a frontal, top-view perspective of the area surrounding nozzle 107. Figure 7A diagram showing a cross-section of nozzle 107 along the YZ plane of the filamentous adhesive 2. Figure 8 A diagram illustrating the cutting of the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0069] The filament adhesive application device 101, as part of an example of a pressing mechanism BU, includes a mounting plate 106 and a nozzle 107. The mounting plate 106 is mounted on the front surface of the horizontal moving unit 105 in a manner that allows it to slide relative to the horizontal moving unit 105 in the Z-axis direction. The mounting plate 106 is a thin metal plate formed in a generally U-shape, having a roller mounting portion 106a, a nozzle mounting portion 106b (nozzle displacement portion), and a generally rectangular connecting portion that is longer in the Z-direction. The roller mounting portion 106a is a generally rectangular portion extending in the Y-axis direction above the connecting portion, and a pair of rollers 128 are mounted on the front surface. The nozzle mounting portion 106b is a generally rectangular portion extending in the Y-direction below the connecting portion, and a nozzle 107, a pneumatic chuck 108, and a pneumatic scissors 109 are mounted on the front surface.

[0070] The nozzle 107 is a component made of aluminum or the like, having a cone-shaped base connected to the lower surface of a cube. The nozzle 107 has an inner wall surface 107b that divides a cylindrical internal space 107s extending vertically, and a front end 107d having a front opening 107c at the lower end of the inner wall surface 107b, communicating with the outside of the cylindrical internal space 107s. The nozzle 107 is a component made of metal or the like, and the surfaces of the nozzle 107, including the inner wall surface 107b and the front end 107d, have been treated to improve sliding properties. Furthermore, the nozzle 107 has an insertion-side opening 107e at the upper end of the inner wall surface 107b, communicating with the outside of the cylindrical internal space 107s. The inner wall surface 107b is formed such that the cylindrical internal space 107s is a funnel shape, with a diameter the same as the front opening 107c, extending upwards from the front opening 107c and gradually increasing in diameter. The insertion side opening 107e is configured as a funnel shape with a larger diameter than the front opening 107c. It should be noted that the inner wall surface 107b only needs to divide and form a cylindrical internal space; for example, the upper part can also be formed as a cylinder of the same diameter, rather than a funnel shape.

[0071] Additionally, a hollow cylindrical tube 107a made of a difficult-to-bond resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be provided in the cylindrical internal space 107s of the nozzle 107, extending from the upper end of the nozzle 107 to the lower end (front end 107d). Alternatively, a surface treatment to improve sliding properties can be implemented. The diameter of the lower opening of the tube 107a is, for example, about 1 mm, and the diameter of the filamentous adhesive 2 is preferably, for example, 0.45 mm. That is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the lower opening of the tube 107a is preferably about 4.9 times the cross-sectional area of ​​the filamentous adhesive 2. The tube 107a protrudes slightly (for example, about 0.5 to 1 mm) from the lower end of the inner wall surface 107b. By inserting the filamentous adhesive 2 into the tube 107a, the sliding properties (extraction properties) of the filamentous adhesive 2 are improved. Furthermore, since the diameter of the insertion side opening 107e is enlarged, the filamentous adhesive 2 is easily inserted into the nozzle 107. It should be noted that by making the nozzle 107 itself a non-adhesive resin such as PTFE, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be prevented from adhering to the nozzle 107. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be smoothly and effortlessly withdrawn from the nozzle 107 without sticking, thus eliminating the need for a tube 107a. Furthermore, the nozzle 107 only needs to have a cylindrical internal space and a front end with a front opening that communicates with the outside; its shape is not limited. Additionally, the shape of the front opening 107c of the nozzle 107 (or the lower opening of the tube 107a) is preferably circular or a polygon with a pentagonal or larger shape.

[0072] The nozzle 107 presses the filamentous adhesive 2, which is guided through the tube 107a (cylindrical internal space 107s) and out through the lower opening (front opening 107c) of the tube 107a, against the object. More specifically, the entire circumference or any multiple portions of the lower end of the tube 107a surrounding the front opening 107c of the nozzle 107 function as pressing portions to press the filamentous adhesive 2 against the object. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive can be applied while moving the nozzle 107 in any number of directions without using rollers or the like as pressing portions. Thus, the undesirable conditions of pressing the adhesive with rollers (i.e., poor application accuracy due to adhesive movement within the width of the roller, or adhesive detaching from the roller depending on the application path) can be prevented, thereby applying the filamentous adhesive with good accuracy.

[0073] (Relationship between the orifice diameter of nozzle 107 and the diameter of filamentous adhesive 2)

[0074] Regarding the orifice diameter of the nozzle 107 (the inner diameter, or the orifice diameter of the tube 107a if the tube 107a is provided), when the diameter of the filamentous adhesive 2 is 0.45 mm (0.6 mm wide under compression of about 0.3 MPa), the diameter is preferably 0.7 to 1 mm. If the orifice diameter of the nozzle 107 is less than 0.7 mm, the area of ​​the filamentous adhesive 2 in contact with the inside of the nozzle 107 becomes larger, and therefore the filamentous adhesive 2 does not adhere to the object being bonded. On the other hand, if the orifice diameter of the nozzle 107 exceeds 1 mm and is too large, the filamentous adhesive 2 moves inside the nozzle 107, and therefore the bonding speed cannot be improved, and the bonding accuracy deteriorates. Therefore, the ratio of the diameter of the filamentous adhesive 2 to the orifice diameter of the nozzle 107 is preferably 0.45:0.7 to 1.

[0075] Additionally, the nozzle 107 slides while contacting the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 with the lower opening (or front opening 107c) of the tube 107a, pressing the filamentous adhesive 2 against the object. Specifically, the front end 107d of the nozzle 107 (or the front end of the tube 107a, at least the portion in contact with the adhesive surface) can be made of at least one of fluoropolymer, silicone resin, and polyolefin resin. Alternatively, the front end 107d of the nozzle 107 (or the front end of the tube 107a, at least the portion in contact with the adhesive surface) can be treated with at least one of fluoropolymer coating, silicone coating, and long-chain alkyl coating. Alternatively, various treatments to improve sliding properties can be implemented as shown below. It should be noted that fluoropolymer-based treatments include treatments using fluoropolymer heat-shrinkable tubes or fluoropolymer fabric sheets.

[0076] For the tip portion of nozzle 107, various treatments can be applied to the substrate to improve its sliding properties. For example, the substrate can be treated with PEEK (polyetheretherketone) coating, fluorinated composite electroless nickel plating (where fluoropolymer particles are dispersed and co-extruded in an electroless nickel-plated film), BICERAM (a fluoropolymer coating containing micronized ceramic particles), FRP (fiber-reinforced plastics) lining, ultra-high molecular weight PE (polyester) lining, etc. This allows the filamentous adhesive 2 to be smoothly adhered to the object.

[0077] When the nozzle 107, which contacts the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2, is not difficult to bond, it is preferable that the dynamic friction between the tip 107d, which has undergone coating / treatment to improve slipability, and the adhesive surface is 3 N / mm or less. When a difficult-to-bond resin tube 107a is inserted into the nozzle 107, it is preferable that the dynamic friction between the lower opening of the tube 107a and the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 is 3 N / mm or less. When the nozzle 107 itself is made of a difficult-to-bond resin such as PTFE (silicone, olefins, etc.), it is preferable that the dynamic friction between the tip opening 107c and the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 is 3 N / mm or less.

[0078] As described above, the shape (details below), material, and surface treatment of the tip portion of the nozzle 107 ensure that the tip portion of the nozzle 107, which contacts the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2, has low friction relative to the adhesive surface. Furthermore, the tip portion of the nozzle 107 is made of a material with minimal irregularities and undergoes a surface treatment, thus suppressing scratching and other damage when the soft filamentous adhesive 2 slides on it. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be smoothly adhered. It should be noted that the dynamic friction between the tip portion of the nozzle 107 and the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 can be measured using the method shown below.

[0079] like Figure 9 As shown, the nozzle 107 is placed on a horizontal surface with its cylindrical internal space 107s extending horizontally. A filamentous adhesive 2, inserted from the insertion side opening 107e, is pulled out from the front end opening 107c. The filamentous adhesive 2 is positioned such that the angle between the filamentous adhesive 2 that has passed through the cylindrical internal space 107s and the filamentous adhesive 2 that has been pulled out from the front end opening 107c is 60 degrees. This arrangement ensures reliable contact between the filamentous adhesive 2 and the front end portion of the nozzle 107. Tension is pre-applied to the filamentous adhesive 2 with a 10g weight on the insertion side opening 107e. In this state, the filamentous adhesive 2 pulled from the front end opening 107c is lifted vertically upwards at a rate of 1mm / second, and the stress (the stable value) is measured. At this time, Figure 9 The width (thickness) of the filamentous adhesive 2, indicated by the circular mark and pressed by the nozzle tip, is, for example, 0.4 mm. The value obtained by dividing the stress of the filamentous adhesive 2 as it moves as described above by the width of the filamentous adhesive 2 is taken as the kinetic friction force.

[0080] In this embodiment, the dynamic friction between the tip portion of the nozzle 107 and the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 is 3 N / mm or less, thus allowing for smooth adhesion of the filamentous adhesive 2. Furthermore, the dynamic friction between the tip portion of the nozzle 107 and the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 is preferably 1 N / mm or less. It should be noted that the dynamic friction between the tip portion of the nozzle and the adhesive surface of the filamentous adhesive 2 is not limited to the case where the width (thickness) of the filamentous adhesive 2 pressed by the nozzle tip is 0.4 mm; even if it is 0.2 to 0.45 mm, or other sizes, it is still 3 N / mm or less.

[0081] Furthermore, for nozzle 107, if the shape of the front opening 107c (or the lower opening of tube 107a) is a circle or a polygon of pentagon or larger, the attachment direction can be easily changed.

[0082] Figure 10 The enlarged cross-sectional view of the front end 107d of the nozzle 107 shows an example of a nozzle 107 with a shape different from the aforementioned nozzles. The nozzle 107 can be made of a resin that is difficult to bond, such as fluorine, or it can be made of metal and have its surface treated to improve its slip properties. Figure 10 (a) There is an angle at the front end 107d, so there is a situation where the filamentous adhesive 2 gets stuck and is scraped or broken. Figure 10 (b) The front end 107d is circular, that is, the part where the filamentous adhesive 2 is pressed is curved. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive 2 will not get stuck and can adhere well. It should be noted that in Figure 10 (b) If the nozzle 107 shown is made of a resin such as fluorine, the nozzle 107 can be passed into a stainless steel (SUS) guide to protect the nozzle 107.

[0083] The nozzle 107 is configured to move in the vertical direction and has an absorption mechanism that absorbs the displacement of the nozzle 107 relative to the vertical displacement of the base on which the nozzle 107 is mounted. An example of this configuration is shown below, but the configuration related to nozzle displacement is not limited to this configuration. The nozzle 107 is fixed to a slider 132 that can move vertically along a slide rail 133. The slider 132 has a generally cuboid shape and has bulges 132a on each of its left and right sides, respectively protruding to the left and right sides.

[0084] A slide rail 133 is mounted vertically on the front surface of the nozzle mounting portion 106b. Two bolts 134 and springs 136 and 137, respectively, are provided vertically on the left and right sides of the slide rail 133. The bolts 134 are inserted vertically through the left and right ends of the horizontally wide bolt insertion portion 131. The bolt insertion portion 131 extends forward from the top and bottom of the nozzle mounting portion 106b, respectively. Nuts 135a and 135b are respectively positioned on the left and right sides of the upper bolt insertion portion 131 and screwed into the bolts 134. Nuts 135c and 135d are respectively positioned on the left and right sides of the lower bolt insertion portion 131 and screwed into the bolts 134.

[0085] Spring 136 is positioned between nut 135b and the upper part of bulge 132a, while spring 137 is positioned between the lower part of bulge 132a and nut 135c. The lower end of upper bolt 134 is inserted into the upper side of spring 136, fixing the lower side of spring 136 to bulge 132a to prevent detachment. The upper side of spring 137 is fixed to bulge 132a, and the upper end of lower bolt 134 is inserted into the lower side of spring 137 to prevent detachment.

[0086] The nozzle 107 is fixed to the slider 132, and the nozzle 107 moves as the slider 132 moves up and down. Specifically, as the lifting body of the horizontal moving unit 105 moves up and down (moves), the nozzle mounting portion 106b fixed to the lifting body moves up and down (moves). Here, the slider 132, which is slidably mounted on the nozzle mounting portion 106b, is equipped with springs 136 and 137 at its top and bottom. It does not slide when no load is applied to the nozzle 107, and its position in the nozzle mounting portion 106b remains unchanged. On the other hand, if the nozzle 107 is pressed against an object through the filamentous adhesive 2, a spring force is generated in the springs 136 and 137 in the opposite direction to the pressing direction. That is, the springs 136 and 137 absorb the displacement of the nozzle 107 relative to the displacement of the nozzle mounting portion 106b. Therefore, the force (pressing force) by which the nozzle 107 presses the filamentous adhesive 2 against the object can be controlled, thereby preventing excessive or rapid increases in pressing force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent significant deformation of the filamentous adhesive 2 due to excessive pressing pressure, such as paste overflow (reduction in adhesion width accuracy) or uneven height of the filamentous adhesive 2, thereby appropriately presenting the adhesive force of the filamentous adhesive. In addition, it is possible to prevent excessive load on the nozzle 107, thereby protecting the device.

[0087] As described above, springs 136 and 137 function as a absorbing mechanism to absorb the displacement of the nozzle 107 relative to the displacement of the nozzle mounting portion 106b, thus allowing the pressing pressure to change slowly. Therefore, even when the height of the object to be bonded varies depending on the precision, or when the object to be bonded is uneven, the aforementioned problems can be prevented. Furthermore, even at locations where the filamentous adhesive 2 overlaps in the bonding path, the function of springs 136 and 137 allows the filamentous adhesive 2 to be smoothly bonded over the bonded filamentous adhesive 2. It should be noted that an oil damper or cylinder can also be installed between the nozzle mounting portion 106b and the nozzle 107 to replace springs 136 and 137 as the absorbing mechanism. The pressing mechanism BU described above is merely one example. The pressing mechanism BU can be configured in other ways to allow the nozzle 107 to move in the vertical direction and to have an absorbing mechanism that absorbs the displacement of the nozzle 107 relative to the vertical displacement of the base on which the nozzle 107 is mounted.

[0088] At the nozzle mounting section 106b, a pneumatic chuck 108 and a pneumatic shear 109 are respectively mounted on the left and right sides of the nozzle 107 (see...). Figure 6 , Figure 7 When the application of the filamentous adhesive 2 is complete, the pneumatic chuck 108 and pneumatic scissors 109 are moved from the filamentous adhesive 2 using a drive mechanism. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The positions shown in the diagram are moved to... Figure 8 The pneumatic chuck 108 moves diagonally downwards and to the right from its normal position, clamping the filamentous adhesive 2 directly below the nozzle 107. The pneumatic scissors 109 moves downwards from its normal position and then to the left, cutting the clamped filamentous adhesive 2 directly below the pneumatic chuck 108. The pneumatic chuck 108 and pneumatic scissors 109 are mounted on the lifting body of the horizontal moving unit 105 via the mounting plate 106, just like the nozzle 107, thus allowing them to move together with the nozzle 107 while maintaining their positional relationship relative to the nozzle 107. It should be noted that the pneumatic chuck 108 and pneumatic scissors 109 are only required to hold and cut the filamentous adhesive 2 at a specified position; their shape and driving method are not limited. Alternatively, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be burned off by thermal cutting with a hot cutter or the like, instead of the pneumatic scissors 109.

[0089] The filamentous adhesive application device 101 uses a nozzle 107, springs 136 and 137, a lifting body of the horizontal movement unit 105, and a mounting plate 106 to press the filamentous adhesive 2 supplied from the supply unit AU onto the object to be bonded. That is, the nozzle 107, springs 136 and 137, the lifting body of the horizontal movement unit 105, and the mounting plate 106 function as a pressing mechanism BU.

[0090] (Operation of the filamentous adhesive application device 101, and the filamentous adhesive application method)

[0091] The operator, using the filamentous adhesive application device 101 configured as described above, first places the object on the mounting table to apply the filamentous adhesive 2 to it. At the start of the operation, the filamentous adhesive 2 supplied from the roll to the nozzle 107 is led out from the tip 107d of the nozzle 107, and the operator presses the tip to a predetermined position on the object. The relative position of the nozzle 107 to the object can be controlled by a control device (movement control unit) (not shown) according to a preset program. The program includes instructions on the movement path, movement speed, and Z-direction movement amount (based on pressure) of the nozzle 107 in the XY plane. If the nozzle 107 is started to move according to the program, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be extracted from the roll using its adhesive force on the object. The nozzle 107 presses against the adhesive surface of the extracted filamentous adhesive 2, slides on the adhesive surface, and presses and adheres (presses) the filamentous adhesive 2 to the object along a predetermined path. After the adhesive is applied, the filamentous adhesive 2 is cut at the specified position using a pneumatic chuck 108 and pneumatic scissors 109.

[0092] Figure 11 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating how the nozzle 107 moves on the object. It goes without saying that the nozzle 107 advances as indicated by arrow L1, and even when the curve shown by arrow L2 is very steep (curved at a large angle), the filamentous adhesive applicator 101 can apply the filamentous adhesive 2 with good accuracy. Regarding the filamentous adhesive applicator 101, the entire circumference (any number of portions within the circumference) surrounding the front opening 107c at the tip 107d of the nozzle 107 functions as a pressing part to press the filamentous adhesive 2 against the object, thus allowing for easy changes in the direction of movement. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive applicator 101 can apply the filamentous adhesive 2 with good accuracy along a predetermined application path. The filamentous adhesive applicator 101 does not use rollers or the like as pressing parts; therefore, it can prevent the undesirable situation when pressing adhesive with rollers, i.e., poor application accuracy due to adhesive movement within the roller width, and adhesive detachment from the roller according to the application path.

[0093] When the filamentous adhesive applicator 101 (movement control unit) applies the filamentous adhesive 2 to the object along a predetermined path, it can also press the nozzle 107 more forcefully at the desired location, that is, increase the displacement of the nozzle mounting portion 106b downward in the Z-axis direction (closer to the object). Even if the nozzle mounting portion 106b drops instantaneously, the nozzle 107 will slowly descend under the action of the springs 136 and 137 (absorption mechanisms), thus allowing the force of the nozzle 107 pressing the filamentous adhesive 2 to rise appropriately, thereby improving the adhesion of the filamentous adhesive 2 at the desired location. In addition, the filamentous adhesive applicator 101 (movement control unit) can also hold the nozzle 107 at the desired location for several seconds and stop its movement in the XY plane (fixing the position of the nozzle 107 relative to the object). By holding the nozzle 107 and preventing its planar position from moving, the pressing time of the filamentous adhesive 2 can be increased, thereby improving the adhesion of the filamentous adhesive 2 at the desired location. When the filamentous adhesive 2 is applied while being pulled out of the roll 120, it is prone to peeling off at the starting point of the specified path (initial application), the beginning or end point of curves included in the specified path, and the apex of angles included in the specified path. Therefore, at these locations, lowering the nozzle 107 or holding the nozzle 107 for several seconds can increase the adhesive force of the filamentous adhesive 2 and prevent peeling.

[0094] (Extract auxiliary mechanism)

[0095] Reference Figures 12-17 An example of installing a pull-out assist mechanism in the supply unit AU will be explained. The pull-out assist mechanism is a mechanism that applies external force in the pull-out direction to the filamentous adhesive 2 being pulled out from the roll body 120. By applying external force in the pull-out direction through the pull-out assist mechanism, even when the filamentous adhesive 2 does not have a separator, the self-adhesive forces between the filamentous adhesive 2 wound on the roll body 120 can be resisted, allowing the filamentous adhesive 2 to be smoothly pulled out from the roll body 120. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be pressed against the object with reduced tension. Thus, undesirable situations such as the filamentous adhesive 2 peeling off, breaking, re-attaching, and tangling due to tension can be prevented, thereby ensuring smooth adhesion of the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0096] Figures 12-15 The extraction auxiliary mechanisms 150A, 150B, 150Ba, and 150C shown are arranged in the path of conveying the filamentous adhesive 2 from the winding body 120 to the pressing mechanism BU, clamping the filamentous adhesive 2 and applying a tensile force (arrows F1~F3) to the filamentous adhesive 2 in the extraction direction.

[0097] Figure 12The extraction auxiliary mechanism 150A shown includes a roller 151 (first roller), a roller 152 (second roller), a spring 153 (elastic body), and a spring mounting part 154. Roller 151 is an extraction roller driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). Roller 152 clamps filamentous adhesive 2 between itself and roller 151, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of roller 151, squeezing the filamentous adhesive 2 and stretching it out in the direction of arrow F1 (rotation direction). Spring 153 is installed between roller 151 and spring mounting part 154, which is fixed within the device. The stretching force generated by rollers 151 and 152 can be adjusted using spring 153. Furthermore, by controlling the rotation of roller 151, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be extracted in accordance with the adhesion distance (the movement distance of nozzle 107). It should be noted that spring 153 may also be omitted, and rollers 151 and 152 may be configured to move in the left-right direction (the direction intersecting with arrow F1).

[0098] Figure 13 The extraction auxiliary mechanism 150B shown includes rollers 155 (third roller), 156 (fourth roller), and 157 (fifth roller). Rollers 155 and 156 can clamp and release the filamentous adhesive 2 between each other. Roller 157 is disposed between the take-up body 120 and rollers 155 and 156, and can be displaced in a way that increases the path from the take-up body 120 through rollers 157 to rollers 155 and 156. By displacing roller 157 in this way, the filamentous adhesive 2 is stretched and extracted from the take-up body 120 in the direction of arrow F2. The extracted filamentous adhesive 2 is clamped by rollers 155 and 156 and supplied to the pressing mechanism BU (nozzle 107). Then, when the clamping using rollers 155 and 156 is released, the pressing mechanism BU presses the filamentous adhesive 2 against the object. During the period when the clamping using rollers 155 and 156 is released, roller 157 returns to its original position. By controlling the displacement of roller 157, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be extracted in accordance with the application distance (the moving distance of nozzle 107). In addition, if the filamentous adhesive 2 becomes insufficient during the application process, rollers 155 and 156 can be used to clamp the filamentous adhesive 2 again and the roller 157 can be displaced to extract the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0099] Figure 14The extraction auxiliary mechanism 150Ba shown has rollers 165, 166, 167, 168, and arm 169. Roller 165 is an extraction roller driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). Roller 166 clamps filamentous adhesive 2 between itself and roller 165, rotates in conjunction with the rotation of roller 165, squeezes the filamentous adhesive 2, and stretches it out in the direction of arrow F2a. Rollers 167 and 168 are arranged between rollers 165 and 166 and pressing mechanism BU, guiding the filamentous adhesive 2 stretched out by rollers 165 and 166 towards pressing mechanism BU. Arm 169 has roller 167 mounted at one end and is axially supported on the housing of filamentous adhesive application device 101 at the other end, and is equipped with a potentiometer for calculating the position of roller 167. If roller 167 is pulled from... Figure 14 Moving the indicated position downwards (by increasing the path from rollers 165 and 166 to roller 168) reduces the conveying speed of the filamentous adhesive 2. As described above, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be extracted using rollers 165 and 166, and the displacement of roller 167 mitigates the abrupt speed change of the extracted filamentous adhesive 2.

[0100] Figure 15 The figure shows an example of a filament adhesive application device 101A equipped with a pull-out assist mechanism 150C, which is used by a worker. Components having the same function as the filament adhesive application device 101 are labeled with the same reference numerals. The filament adhesive application device 101A has a supply unit AU (winding body 120) and a pull-out assist mechanism 150C within a housing K1 of a size and shape that can be held by one hand. A nozzle 107A is located at the front end of the housing K1. The pull-out assist mechanism 150C includes a roller 158 (first roller), a roller 159 (second roller), a spring 160 (elastic body), and a spring mounting part 161. A portion of the roller 158 protrudes from the housing K1 and is rotated using the worker's finger M. The roller 159 clamps the filament adhesive 2 between itself and the roller 158, rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the roller 158, squeezes the filament adhesive 2, and stretches it out in the direction of arrow F3 (rotation direction). A spring 160 is installed between the roller 159 and the spring mounting part 161, which is fixed to the inner wall of the housing K1. The spring 160 can be used to adjust the compression force (degree of flattening) on ​​the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0101] The filamentous adhesive 2, pulled out by the extraction auxiliary mechanism 150C, passes through the cylindrical internal space of the nozzle 107A at the front end of the housing K1 with low tension and is led to the outside of the housing K1. The nozzle 107A is made of the same material as the nozzle 107, and the front opening is set to be a circle or a polygon with a pentagon or more. In addition, the nozzle 107A uses the entire circumference or any multiple parts surrounding the front opening to press the filamentous adhesive 2, which has passed through the cylindrical internal space and been led to the outside, against the object. That is, the operator holding the housing K1 can press the nozzle 107A against the object while rotating the roller 158 with their fingers M, and use the filamentous adhesive application device 101A to apply the filamentous adhesive 2 to the object along any path with the feeling of operating a writing tool such as a pen.

[0102] Figure 16 and Figure 17 The extraction auxiliary mechanisms 150D and 150E shown rotate the winding body 120 in the extraction direction, thereby applying an extrusion force to the filamentous adhesive 2 to deliver the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0103] Figure 16 The extraction assist mechanism 150D shown includes a surface drive SD and a roll-up retaining bar 162, which replaces the roll-up retaining part of the filament adhesive attachment device 101 to hold the roll-up 120. The surface drive SD contacts the filament adhesive 2 wound around the roll-up 120 or the outer peripheral surface of the roll-up 120, holding the roll-up 120 in a rotatable manner. The surface drive SD is rotated using a motor (not shown), causing the roll-up 120 to rotate in the extraction direction indicated by arrow F4. The roll-up retaining bar 162 is disposed at both ends of the roll-up 120, holding the roll-up 120 held by the surface drive SD in a rotatable manner and preventing it from falling off the surface drive SD. The extraction assist mechanism 150D, which applies an extrusion force to the filament adhesive 2 by rotating the roll-up 120, supplies the filament adhesive 2 to the pressing mechanism BU with low tension.

[0104] Figure 17The diagram shows an example of a filament adhesive application device 101B equipped with a pull-out assist mechanism 150E, designed for easy handling by an operator. Components having the same function as the filament adhesive application device 101 are labeled with the same reference numerals. The filament adhesive application device 101B comprises a supply unit AU (winding body 120) and a pull-out assist mechanism 150E within a housing K2 of a size and shape that can be held by one hand. A nozzle 107B is located at the front end of the housing K2. The pull-out assist mechanism 150E includes a gear 163 and a roller 164. The gear 163 is mounted on the supply unit AU (winding body 120) and rotates with it. A portion of the gear 163 protrudes from the cut-out portion K21 of the housing K2 and is rotated using the operator's finger M. By rotating the gear 163 using the finger M, an extrusion force is applied to the filament adhesive 2.

[0105] The extruded filamentous adhesive 2 is guided by roller 164 to nozzle 107B, passing through the cylindrical internal space of nozzle 107B with low tension and being discharged to the outside of housing K2. Nozzle 107B is constructed similarly to nozzle 107A. Nozzle 107B uses a full circumference or any multiple portions of the circumference surrounding the front opening to press the filamentous adhesive 2, which has passed through the cylindrical internal space and been discharged to the outside, against the object. Therefore, the operator holding housing K2 can press nozzle 107B against the object while rotating gear 163 with finger M, drawing any path. Thus, the operator can use the filamentous adhesive application device 101B with the feel of operating a writing tool such as a pen to apply the filamentous adhesive 2 to the object in any path (in various shapes). It should be noted that it is also possible to replace Figure 17 The extraction assist mechanism 150E shown uses a rubber band or similar material to transmit the action of the nozzle 107B (pressing of the filamentous adhesive 2 by the nozzle 107) to the core (rotation shaft) of the winding body 120, thereby assisting in the extraction of the filamentous adhesive 2. Alternatively, the core of the winding body 120 can be rotated directly to assist in the extraction of the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0106] Preferably, there are no rollers or other components that apply tension to the filamentous adhesive 2 in the path of conveying the filamentous adhesive 2 between the extraction auxiliary mechanisms 150A, 150B, 150Ba, 150C, 150D, 150E and the pressing mechanism BU (nozzle 107), nozzles 107A, 107B. Furthermore, in the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 101, a tension detector can be provided in the path of conveying the filamentous adhesive 2, and the extraction auxiliary mechanisms 150A, 150B, 150D can be controlled based on the detected tension value to extract the filamentous adhesive 2 with constant tension. In addition, the above embodiment shows an example of applying the filamentous adhesive 2 to an object placed on a mounting table; however, by mounting the nozzle 107 on a multi-joint robotic arm with six degrees of freedom, for example, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be applied to objects with curved surfaces or other three-dimensional shapes.

[0107] (Second Implementation)

[0108] Figure 18 A schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the filament adhesive application device according to the present invention. Figure 18 As shown, the filamentous adhesive application device 100 of this embodiment includes a main body 1 in the shape of a shaft and a front end 4 detachably provided at one end thereto. In addition, a handle 3 made of resin or the like is provided on the main body 1.

[0109] The operator holds the filamentous adhesive application device 100 by gripping the handle 3, pressing the front end 4 against the object to be bonded (the filamentous adhesive 2), and moving it in one direction to deliver the filamentous adhesive 2. In other words, the operator can hold the slender, shaft-shaped body 1 (the handle 3) and use the filamentous adhesive application device 100 with the feel of operating a writing tool like a pen. For example, the operator can easily operate the filamentous adhesive application device 100 even in narrow spaces with many obstacles, thereby efficiently performing various tasks.

[0110] The main body 1 has an axial shape extending along a single axis, and as shown in the figure. Figure 18 As shown, an internal space S in the shape of an axis is defined within it. At one end (front end) of the main body 1, a front end portion 4 with a conical shape is detachably mounted. The shape of the front end portion 4 can also be that of a cylindrical pipe at the tip of a mechanical pencil. A front opening 4a is formed at the front end of the front end portion 4, through which the internal space S of the main body 1 communicates with the outside. The front end portion 4 is located at a position P1 where the cross-sectional area becomes smaller than that of the main body 1. Figure 18 The area defined is from the front opening 4a to the front end. At the other end (rear end) of the main body 1, a roll body for winding filamentous adhesive 2 is installed inside.

[0111] In this embodiment, by making the front end portion 4 have a conical shape that decreases in size towards the front end, workability in confined spaces is improved. Furthermore, when the front end portion 4 has a cylindrical tube at the tip of the conical shape, the longer and thinner the tube, the better the workability in confined spaces. Figure 19 The figures shown illustrate examples of cross-sections of the front end portion 4 as viewed from the front opening 4a side. Specifically, (a) shows a front end portion 4 with a circular cross-section, and (b) shows a front end portion 4 with a pentagonal cross-section. Multiple portions of the periphery of the front opening 4a, which has a circular or pentagonal or larger cross-sectional shape, function as pressing portions, thus allowing for easy changes in the attachment direction. The overall shape of the front end portion 4 is not particularly limited; examples include a conical shape, a square pyramid shape, and a pen nib shape (tray shape). The overall shape of the front end portion 4 can also be an extremely long and thin straw type.

[0112] Ideally, Figure 18 The length of the front end portion 4 shown is 3 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more. Figure 19 The width W of the front end portion 4 is defined by the position where the cross-sectional area of ​​the front end portion 4 is smallest, and the width W is also equivalent to the inner diameter (diameter) of the front end portion 4. The minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the front end portion 4 is preferably in the range of 1.2 to 9 times the cross-sectional area of ​​the filamentous adhesive 2. Therefore, for example, if the cross-section of the filamentous adhesive 2 is a circle with a diameter of 0.3 mm, the width W of the front end portion 4 can be set in the range of about 0.32 to 0.9 mm. With such a size, improved workability can be expected. In addition, in the filamentous adhesive application device 100, the front opening 4a of the front end portion 4 is used to limit unnecessary movement of the filamentous adhesive 2. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive application device 100 can be applied by the operator holding the handle 3 without using rollers or the like as a pressing part, while moving the front end portion 4 in any number of directions. Therefore, it can prevent adverse situations when pressing adhesive with a roller (i.e., poor application accuracy due to adhesive moving within the width of the roller, or adhesive detaching from the roller according to the application path), thus applying filamentous adhesive with good accuracy. Furthermore, when the front end 4 has a cylindrical tube at its tapered tip, the longer and thinner the tube, the better the workability in confined spaces.

[0113] (Third implementation)

[0114] Figure 20This is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment, a winding body 5 for winding filamentous adhesive 2 is mounted at the other end (rear end) of the main body 1, with the axis of rotation being perpendicular to the axis of the main body 1. The filamentous adhesive 2 passes through the internal space S and extends to the outside through the front opening 4a, thus limiting unnecessary movements. Furthermore, multiple portions of the periphery of the front opening 4a function as pressing portions, thus allowing for easy switching of the application direction.

[0115] (Fourth implementation)

[0116] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200 of the fourth embodiment in a frontal view. The configuration of the pressing mechanism BU and the conveying section CU, as well as the configuration for reducing the excess length of the filamentous adhesive 2 during cutting, differ from those of the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 101 of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, omitting repetitive descriptions.

[0117] In the filamentous adhesive application device 200, the main parts of the pressing mechanism BU and the conveying unit CU are mounted on the front surface of the generally rectangular mounting plate 201 and positioned by the positioning unit DU.

[0118] (Conveying section CU of the filamentous adhesive application device 200)

[0119] In the filament adhesive application apparatus 200, as an example of the conveying unit CU, a roller 122 is included (see... Figure 5 The rollers 202, 203, 204, moving part 205, arm 206, rollers 207, 208, 209, moving part 210, roller 211, and moving part 212 convey the filamentous adhesive 2 drawn from the supply part AU (winding body) to the nozzle 107.

[0120] Rollers 202, 203, 204, 207, 208, 209, and 211 are constructed in the same manner as roller 122 mentioned above, and are mounted on mounting plate 201 directly or indirectly in a manner that allows them to rotate within the vertical plane (YZ plane). As an example, rollers 202, 203, 204, 207, 208, 209, and 211 are positioned relative to the front surface of mounting plate 201 at their respective rotational positions. Figure 21 The paper is arranged in a manner where the distance between the front and back sides of the paper is approximately the same.

[0121] Roller 202 is mounted at the upper left corner of mounting plate 201, guiding the filamentous adhesive 2 to rollers 203 and 204. To the left of roller 202, a roller (not shown) may also be arranged in the aforementioned frame, vertically positioned to the left of the winding body holding section 121, located to the right of roller 122 and capable of moving up and down according to the tension of the conveyed filamentous adhesive 2, and a roller positioned above and to the right of roller 122. These rollers can be used to adjust the tension of the filamentous adhesive 2 supplied to roller 202 to a constant level.

[0122] Roller 203 is mounted on mounting plate 201 slightly below and to the right of roller 202. Roller 203 is an extraction roller that is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown).

[0123] Roller 204 is positioned above and to the right of roller 203 and is mounted on the lower left end of a moving part 205, such as a cylinder, which moves (slides) relative to the mounting plate 201 in the direction of arrow D1 (upper right and lower left). When roller 204 is at its lower left position, it rotates in conjunction with the rotation of roller 203, clamping filamentous adhesive 2 between itself and roller 203 and stretching it out in the direction of arrow F5.

[0124] Arm 206 is a rod-shaped body extending in the left-right direction below rollers 202, 203 and the moving part 205. A roller 207 is mounted on the right end of arm 206, and its left end is rotatably supported on mounting plate 201 via a rotating shaft 206a. A potentiometer for calculating the position of roller 207 is mounted on the rotating shaft 206a. Arm 206 rotates in the direction of arrow D2 (approximately up-down) using a drive unit such as a motor located on the back side of mounting plate 201. That is, the rotation of arm 206 allows roller 207 to move in the up-down direction.

[0125] At the left end of arm 206, a shaft 206b is protruding, extending along the extension direction of arm 206, and has helical protrusions on its outer circumferential surface. One or more weights 206c are mounted on the shaft 206b. The weights 206c are generally disc-shaped, with grooves formed in a central through hole that engage with the protrusions of the shaft 206b. By moving the position of the weights 206c on the shaft 206b, the distance between the weights 206c and the rotation shaft 206a (the left end of arm 206) is changed, thereby controlling the ease of movement of arm 206.

[0126] Roller 208 is mounted on mounting plate 201 to the upper right of roller 207 and to the right of roller 204. Roller 208 is drawn out by rollers 203 and 204 and guided by the filamentous adhesive 2 of roller 207 to the pressing mechanism BU (nozzle 107) located directly below roller 208.

[0127] If roller 207 moves downward (by increasing the path from rollers 203 and 204 to roller 208), the conveying speed of the filamentous adhesive 2 decreases. As described above, rollers 203 and 204 can be used to extract the filamentous adhesive 2, and the displacement of roller 207 can be used to mitigate the abrupt speed change of the extracted filamentous adhesive 2. That is, rollers 203, 204, 207, 208 and arm 206 serve as... Figure 14 The extraction auxiliary mechanism 150Ba shown is used to perform its function.

[0128] (Reduction of excess length in the filament adhesive application device 200)

[0129] A roller 209 is positioned to the right of roller 208, above nozzle 107. Roller 209 is mounted on the left end of a movable portion 210 that moves relative to mounting plate 201 in the direction of arrow D3 (left-right direction). Roller 209 is positioned adjacent to roller 208 such that it can clamp the filamentous adhesive 2 between itself and roller 208 when it is at its leftmost position. If the application of the filamentous adhesive 2 is completed and nozzle 107 rises, roller 209, positioned upstream of nozzle 107, clamps (tightens) the filamentous adhesive 2 between itself and roller 208. In this state, the filamentous adhesive 2 is cut at a position close to the object H to be adhered.

[0130] In the first embodiment, a pneumatic chuck 108 is used to clamp the filamentous adhesive 2 below (downstream) of the nozzle 107. In contrast, in this embodiment, a roller 209 is provided upstream of the nozzle 107, and the filamentous adhesive 2 is clamped between the roller 209 and the roller 208 that conveys the filamentous adhesive 2. With this configuration, the space occupied by the pneumatic chuck 108 below the nozzle 107 can be reduced, thus reducing the excess length at the cut-off point (end point).

[0131] Roller 211 is positioned below rollers 208 and 209 and above the nozzle 107, and is mounted on the left end of the moving part 212, which moves relative to the mounting plate 201 in the direction of arrow D4 (left-right direction). For example, when roller 211 is on the right, the filamentous adhesive 2 passes through and is guided into the nozzle 107. If the filamentous adhesive 2 is cut, it is pressed to the left by moving to the left, causing the cut front end (lower end) of the filamentous adhesive 2 to move upward. After the filamentous adhesive 2 is cut, the lower end of the filamentous adhesive 2 rises, thereby reducing the remaining length at the start of the next application (starting point). When the filamentous adhesive 2 passes to the right of roller 211, roller 211 is moved to the right, pulling the filamentous adhesive 2 to the right, thereby causing the lower end of the filamentous adhesive 2 to move upward.

[0132] Regarding the reduction of the excess length of the filamentous adhesive 2, it is also possible to consider reversing the rotation of rollers such as 203. However, there is a concern that the reversing rotation might cause the filamentous adhesive 2 to become wound around rollers such as 203 and fail to wind smoothly onto the take-up body. In this regard, as mentioned above, the filamentous adhesive 2 is held and cut by rollers 208 and 209, and then the lower end of the filamentous adhesive 2 is raised by roller 211. Thus, the aforementioned problem is not present, and the excess length at both the end and the beginning of the winding can be reduced.

[0133] It should be noted that a guide rod (not shown) can also be provided below the roller 211, vertically positioned on the front surface of the mounting plate 201. The surface (outer peripheral surface) of the guide rod is set as a non-adhesive surface, which can limit the displacement of the filamentous adhesive 2 to the left.

[0134] (The pressing mechanism BU of the filamentous adhesive application device 200)

[0135] In the filament adhesive application device 200, as an example of a pressing mechanism BU, there is a nozzle 107, a slider 213, a fixing part 214, and a spring 215, which applies the filament adhesive 2 conveyed by the conveying part CU to the object to be bonded H. The pressing mechanism BU is provided on the mounting plate 201 below the roller 211 and the moving part 212.

[0136] The nozzle 107 is fixed to the front surface of the slider 213, allowing the front opening 107c to protrude from the lower end of the mounting plate 201. The slider 213 can move vertically relative to the mounting plate 201 using a linear guide or the like.

[0137] A fixing part 214 is fixed on the mounting plate 201 above the slider 213. A spring 215 with an inserted shaft is held between the fixing part 214 and the upper surface of the slider 213.

[0138] As described above, the nozzle 107 of this embodiment is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, in that it is movable in the vertical direction and has an absorption mechanism, which absorbs the displacement of the nozzle 107 relative to the vertical displacement of the base on which the nozzle 107 is mounted.

[0139] Additionally, a pneumatic scissors 109 (cutting pliers) is positioned to the right of the pressing mechanism BU on the mounting plate 201. The pneumatic scissors 109 move diagonally downwards and to the left from their normal position using a drive mechanism, cutting the filamentous adhesive 2 directly below the nozzle 107. At this time, as described above, the filamentous adhesive 2 is clamped above the nozzle 107 (using rollers 208, 209), thus eliminating the need for a pneumatic chuck 108. Therefore, the distance between the nozzle tip opening 107c and the filamentous adhesive 2 adhered to the substrate H can be reduced, thereby reducing the remaining length at the cut (end point).

[0140] (Countermeasures related to the attachment of short-term surplus and long-term surplus)

[0141] Reference Figure 22 and Figure 23 The operation of nozzle 107 during the creation of the attachment starting point in cases of short or long excess length will be explained. When the excess length is short at the start of attachment of the filamentous adhesive 2, if along... Figure 22 (a) The direction of arrow N1 indicates that nozzle 107 descends vertically, so sometimes as shown Figure 22 As shown in (b), the filamentous adhesive 2 penetrates into the interior of the nozzle 107, causing the starting point to not adhere to the object H. Therefore, if from... Figure 23 The state shown in (a) causes the nozzle 107 to descend in the inclined direction (the direction of arrow N2), then as follows Figure 23 As shown in (b), the starting point can be created in a way that the filamentous adhesive 2 does not penetrate into the nozzle 107.

[0142] As described above, the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200 includes an extraction auxiliary mechanism (rollers 203, 204, 207, 208 and arm 206) and a configuration for reducing excess length (rollers 208 and 209 clamping the filamentous adhesive 2 upstream of nozzle 107, and roller 211 pressing / pulling the cut filamentous adhesive 2 upstream of nozzle 107). With this configuration, in addition to the same effects as in the first embodiment, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be transported with low tension, and the excess length at the start and end of application can be reduced. Therefore, the application of the filamentous adhesive 2 can be performed at high speed and without waste.

[0143] (Fifth implementation)

[0144] Figure 24 A perspective view is shown for the filament adhesive application device 200A according to the fifth embodiment. Figure 25 This is a front view showing the state in which the opening and closing frame 235 is opened in the filament adhesive application apparatus 200A of the fifth embodiment. The filament adhesive application apparatus 200A mainly includes a main frame 230, a holding part 231, and an opening and closing frame 235 that holds the winding body 240 on which the filament adhesive 2 can be wound.

[0145] For the main frame 230, the lower part of the slender plate extending in the vertical direction is bent in an inclined direction to taper the front end. A nozzle 107 is fixed to the bent portion of the main frame 230, and a pressing roller 232 is provided at the tapered lower end. Figure 25As shown, the nozzle 107 is mounted along the axial direction of the main frame 230. Furthermore, a pressing roller 232 is positioned slightly above the front opening 107c of the nozzle 107, on the side in front of it. The pressing roller 232 is mounted to the main frame 230 in a manner that allows it to rotate in the vertical plane. The function of the pressing roller 232 will be described later.

[0146] A motor 233 and a roller 234 driven by the motor 233 are mounted approximately at the center of the main frame 230. The roller 234 is rotatable in the vertical plane and is mounted on the opening / closing frame 235. Filamentous adhesive 2 is sandwiched between the roller 234 and a roller 236 that rotates with the roller 234, thus pulling the filamentous adhesive 2 out of the winding body 240. That is, rollers 234 and 236 function as extraction auxiliary mechanisms. A speed adjustment knob (not shown) is provided on the motor for adjusting the rotational speed of the motor 233, i.e., manually adjusting the extraction speed of the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0147] Slightly below the center of the main frame 230, a roughly rectangular plate-shaped gripping part 231 is provided, protruding rearward. The gripping part 231 is held by the operator. A switch 231A is provided on the gripping part 231 for switching the motor 233 on / off and starting / stopping the extraction of the filamentous adhesive 2. As an example, the switch 231A is located in a position that is easy for the operator to operate with their index finger while holding the gripping part 231. When pressed, the motor 233 is turned on, and when released (i.e., not pressed), the motor 233 is turned off.

[0148] The opening and closing frame 235 has a roller holding part 237 that holds the roller 236 in a manner that allows it to rotate in the vertical plane, and a winding body holding part 238 that holds the winding body 240 in a manner that allows it to rotate in the vertical plane. The opening and closing frame 235 is supported on the rear axis of the main frame 230 at its lower end and is configured to be able to open and close relative to the main frame 230.

[0149] exist Figure 25 In the open state shown, the operator places the take-up body 240 in the take-up body holding part 238 and inserts the filamentous adhesive 2 into the nozzle 107 via the rotating surface of the roller 236. Then, the operator rotates the opening / closing frame 235, on which the take-up body 240 is located, backward to close it, causing the upper end to engage with the main frame 230, forming... Figure 24 The screen indicates the off state.

[0150] Workers such as Figure 24 Hold the gripping part 231 as shown, so that the tip of the nozzle 107 (tip opening 107c) is close to the object to be adhered. At this time, given the remaining length of the filamentous adhesive 2, the operator can... Figure 23As shown, the nozzle 107 is lowered in an inclined direction, thereby reliably creating a starting point in a manner that prevents the filamentous adhesive 2 from penetrating into the nozzle 107.

[0151] If the operator operates switch 231A, motor 233 rotates, causing rollers 234 and 236 to extract the filamentous adhesive 2 from the take-up body 240. The operator moves nozzle 107 in any direction over the object to be bonded, thereby attaching the filamentous adhesive 2 extracted from the take-up body 240 to the object along any path.

[0152] Figure 26 The diagram shows the situation where the filamentous adhesive 2 is cut off at the end of the application operation using the filamentous adhesive application device 200A. At the end of the application operation, the operator operates switch 231A (releases the press) to stop the rotation of motor 233. Then, as... Figure 26 As shown, the operator tilts the main frame 230 relative to the vertical direction at the end position and uses the pressing roller 232 to press the filamentous adhesive 2 onto the object to be bonded. By pressing the filamentous adhesive 2 with the pressing roller 232, it is possible to prevent the bonded area (the end point of the filamentous adhesive 2) from bulging and peeling off.

[0153] While pressing the endpoint with the pressing roller 232 as described above, the operator uses scissors 241 to cut the filamentous adhesive 2 near the endpoint. Since the pressing roller 232 is located near the nozzle 107, the operator can prevent the endpoint of the filamentous adhesive 2 from peeling off by simply tilting it while holding the filamentous adhesive application device 200A (main frame 230).

[0154] As explained above, while the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200A of this embodiment offers superior workability in confined spaces compared to the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 100 of the second embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, multiple portions of the periphery of the front opening 107c of the nozzle 107 function as pressing portions, thus allowing for easy switching of the application direction. Therefore, the operator can hold the gripping portion 231 and apply the filamentous adhesive 2 while moving it in any direction.

[0155] (Sixth implementation)

[0156] Figure 27This is a schematic diagram illustrating the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200B according to the sixth embodiment. The filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200B includes a mounting plate 250, rollers 251 and 252 disposed on the mounting plate 250, and a nozzle 107. A winding body 260 capable of winding the filamentous adhesive 2 is held on the mounting plate 250 in a manner rotatable in a vertical plane. The filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200B is, for example, a fixed-type application apparatus used by fixing the mounting plate 250 to a table using a support frame.

[0157] On the front side of the mounting plate 250, on the side of the winding body 260 ( Figure 27 Rollers 251 and 252 are arranged on the right side of the mounting plate 250. Roller 251 is driven by a motor located on the back side of the mounting plate 250. Roller 252 clamps filamentous adhesive 2 between itself and roller 251, and rotates as roller 251 rotates. The rotation of rollers 251 and 252 pulls the filamentous adhesive 2 out of the winding body 260. A nozzle 107 is fixed below (directly below) rollers 251 and 252 at the lower end of the mounting plate 250.

[0158] The operator drives the motor to pull out the filamentous adhesive 2, bringing the object to be adhered (H) against the front opening 107c of the nozzle 107. While moving the object to be adhered, the filamentous adhesive 2 is applied along any path. At the end of the application, the motor is stopped, and the filamentous adhesive 2 is cut using scissors or the like.

[0159] As described above, according to the filamentous adhesive application apparatus 200B of the sixth embodiment, the operator can hold the object to be adhered H and bring it against the front opening 107c of the nozzle 107 while moving the object to be adhered H, thereby applying the filamentous adhesive 2 to the object to be adhered H having a planar or three-dimensional shape along any path.

[0160] (Details of Filament Adhesive 2)

[0161] Figure 28 The diagram shows a schematic of the filamentous adhesive 2 used in the filamentous adhesive application apparatuses 100, 101, etc., of the first to sixth embodiments. The filamentous adhesive 2 is composed of a filamentous adhesive body comprising a linear core material 2a and an adhesive layer 2b covering the longitudinal surface of the core material 2a.

[0162] The filamentous adhesive 2 is a long, strip-shaped adhesive material in a linear form. Here, "linear" refers not only to straight lines, curves, and zigzag lines, but also to a state that can be bent in multiple directions and angles like a thread (i.e., filamentous). Furthermore, the adhesive layers in this specification also include linear adhesive layers.

[0163] It should be noted that the cross-sectional shape of the filamentous adhesive 2 in this embodiment is circular, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In addition to a circle, the shape of its cross-section can also be elliptical, quadrilateral, rectangular, etc.

[0164] Adhesive layer 2b comprises an adhesive formed from an adhesive composition. There are no particular limitations on the adhesive used; known adhesives can be used. Examples include acrylic adhesives, rubber adhesives, vinyl alkyl ether adhesives, silicone adhesives, polyester adhesives, polyamide adhesives, urethane adhesives, fluorinated adhesives, and epoxy adhesives. From the perspective of adhesion, acrylic adhesives, urethane adhesives, silicone adhesives, rubber adhesives, or polyester adhesives are preferred, with acrylic adhesives being particularly preferred. It should be noted that one type of adhesive can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination. Furthermore, the adhesive in this embodiment is preferably a pressure-sensitive adhesive that has adhesive properties at room temperature and can adhere the object to its surface using the pressure generated when the adhesive surface comes into contact with the surface of the object being adhered to. If it is a pressure-sensitive adhesive, heating is not required, and it can also be used for heat-sensitive objects.

[0165] It should be noted that, as the adhesive, any type of solvent-based adhesive or water-dispersible adhesive can be used, preferably an adhesive that crosslinks through the drying of the adhesive composition (solvent evaporation) and rapidly completes crosslinking after drying. This is because no new crosslinking is introduced after the surfaces of the adhesive layers come into contact with each other. Here, from the perspectives of high-speed application, environmental friendliness, and minimal impact of solvents on the substrate and core material (swelling, dissolution), water-dispersible adhesives are preferred, and water-dispersible acrylic adhesives are more preferred.

[0166] Here, in the adhesive body having a core material, the adhesive layer may cover the entire surface (the surface along the length direction) of the core material, or it may cover only at least a portion of the core material surface. Furthermore, typically, the adhesive layer is formed continuously, but it is not limited to this form; it may also be formed into regular or irregular patterns, such as dots or stripes. It should be noted that the end faces of the core material may or may not be covered by the adhesive layer. For example, if the adhesive body is cut during manufacturing or use, the end faces of the core material may not be covered by the adhesive layer.

[0167] As the core material used in the filamentous adhesive 2, for example, resins, rubbers, foams, inorganic fibers, and composites thereof can be used. Examples of resins include polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene-propylene copolymers, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET); vinyl chloride resins; vinyl acetate resins; polyimide resins; polyamide resins; and fluorinated resins. Examples of rubbers include synthetic rubbers such as natural rubber and polyurethane rubber. Examples of foams include foamed polyurethane and foamed polychloroprene rubber. Examples of fibers include glass fibers, carbon fibers, metal fibers, chemical fibers (regenerated fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, synthetic fibers, etc.), and natural fibers (plant fibers, animal fibers, others). Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the core material is not particularly limited, and it typically has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to that of the adhesive.

[0168] Furthermore, the materials that can be used as the filamentous core material in the filamentous adhesive 2 include various polymer materials such as rayon, cuprammonium cellulose, acetate, Promix, nylon, aramid, vinylon, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, acrylic, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride cellulose, polylactic acid, etc.; glass, carbon fiber, natural rubber, synthetic rubbers such as polyurethane, etc.; natural materials such as cotton and wool; and metals. In addition, the form of the filamentous core material can include, for example, multifilaments, short fiber yarns, processed yarns that have undergone crimping or bulking processes, commonly known as textured yarns, bulky yarns, elastic yarns, or yarns formed by combining them through twisting. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape is not limited to circles; it can also be rectangular yarns such as quadrilaterals, star shapes, elliptical shapes, hollow shapes, etc.

[0169] It should be noted that various additives, such as fillers (inorganic fillers, organic fillers, etc.), anti-aging agents, antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, antistatic agents, lubricants, plasticizers, and colorants (pigments, dyes, etc.), can be added to the core material as needed. Known or commonly used surface treatments, such as corona discharge treatment, plasma treatment, and primer coating, can be applied to the surface of the core material.

[0170] The dimensions of the core material's cross-section are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, in the case of a circular cross-section, from the viewpoint of operability (bending ability, difficulty in breaking), its diameter is preferably 1μm to 2000μm, more preferably 10μm to 1000μm.

[0171] The thickness of the adhesive layer is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of adhesion, it is preferably 1 μm or more, and more preferably 3 μm or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of uneven thickness and drying properties, it is preferably 200 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less. Additionally, it can be thickened by lamination depending on the application.

[0172] The preferred option is a filamentous adhesive 2, which forms the adhesive layer 2b and is an adhesive that has adhesive properties at room temperature, allowing the adhesive surface to be bonded to the surface of the substrate by the pressure generated when it comes into contact with the surface of the substrate. If it is a pressure-sensitive adhesive, heating is not required, and it can also be used for substrates that are not heat-resistant.

[0173] As described above, the shape of the filamentous adhesive 2 is not particularly limited. The larger the ratio (major axis / minor axis) of the length of the major axis (the longest axis passing through the centroid of the cross-section) to the length of the minor axis (the shortest axis passing through the centroid of the cross-section) in the cross-sectional shape of the filamentous adhesive 2, the flatter the shape of the filamentous adhesive 2 becomes. On the other hand, the smaller this ratio is, the closer the cross-sectional shape of the filamentous adhesive 2 is to a circle. This ratio reaches its minimum value of 1 when the cross-sectional shape is circular. The minimum value of 1 also includes special shapes such as triangles and stars.

[0174] The filamentous adhesive 2 may have a release liner. When the filamentous adhesive 2 has a release liner, the release liner is peeled off from the adhesive layer before the filamentous adhesive 2 reaches the nozzle 107, etc., and the adhesive is then attached to the object. By having a release liner on the filamentous adhesive 2, the self-adhesive force of the adhesive can be reduced. Therefore, the filamentous adhesive 2 can be pressed against the object with reduced tension. Thus, it is possible to prevent undesirable situations such as the filamentous adhesive 2 peeling off, breaking, re-attaching, and tangling due to tension when pressed against the object, thereby ensuring smooth attachment of the filamentous adhesive 2.

[0175] The implementation methods and usage of the filamentous adhesive 2 can be broadly classified into the following four modes. The non-adhesive layer here is a layer that covers the surface (the surface in the longitudinal direction) of the adhesive, and includes, for example, the following non-adhesive layer: it covers the adhesive in its initial state before stretching, but breaks when the adhesive is stretched, thereby exhibiting the adhesiveness of the adhesive. However, there are no particular limitations on the type, raw materials, etc., of the non-adhesive layer.

[0176] 1) Directly press-fitted adhesives without non-adhesive layers

[0177] 2) Adhesive body without non-adhesive layer + spacer (the spacer is peeled off before crimping)

[0178] 3) Adhesive bodies covered by non-adhesive layers

[0179] 4) Adhesive body covered by a non-adhesive layer + spacer (the spacer is peeled off before crimping)

[0180] Furthermore, the filamentous adhesive 2 of this embodiment is flexible, being a filament that can be bent in multiple directions and angles like a silk thread. According to the flexible adhesive, especially the filamentous adhesive, in addition to the effects described above, it also has the advantage of being easily applicable to complex shapes such as curves, curved surfaces, and uneven surfaces.

[0181] For example, when applying adhesive tape to objects with complex shapes such as curves, surfaces, or unevenness, wrinkles and overlaps can occur, making it difficult to prevent overflow and achieve a neat application. Furthermore, wrinkles and overlaps can be a major factor in reduced adhesion. Alternatively, to apply the adhesive tape without wrinkles or overlaps, it can be cut into thin pieces and applied simultaneously, but this significantly worsens workability. On the other hand, flexible adhesives, especially filamentous adhesives, can adhere firmly without wrinkles or overlaps even when applied to complex shapes like curves, surfaces, or unevenness. Moreover, such adhesives can be applied to the desired area in a single process, resulting in excellent workability and suitability for automated production lines.

[0182] As an example of a specific application of filamentous adhesive, it can be cited that it is used to fix various wires (wire-like components) and narrow components, such as wires, optical fibers and cables, LED fiber optic lights, fiber optic sensors such as FBG (Fiber Bragg Gratings), filaments, ropes, and threads, in a desired shape. For example, even when fixing wires or narrow components to other components in complex shapes, filamentous adhesive can firmly fix them with excellent workability while suppressing spillage, wrinkles, and overlap, according to the complex shape that the wires or narrow components should have. It should be noted that when fixing wires or narrow components to other components, the filamentous adhesive can be pre-attached according to the shape of the wires or narrow components to be fixed on the surface of the other component, and then the wires or narrow components can be attached and fixed according to the adhesive attached to the surface of the other component. Alternatively, the filamentous adhesive can be attached to the wires or narrow components, and then the wires or narrow components can be fixed to other components in a desired shape.

[0183] In addition, filamentous adhesives can also be suitably used for the temporary fixation (temporary retention) of an article to the surface of another article. More specifically, filamentous adhesives are particularly suitable for the temporary fixation (temporary retention) of textiles such as clothing, shoes, bags, and hats, as well as leather goods. However, their uses are not limited to this, and they can be suitably used for a variety of purposes where temporary fixation (temporary retention) is desired.

[0184] For example, when attaching one item to the surface of another, a filamentous adhesive is used to temporarily fix the first item to the surface of the second item for positioning, and then the two items are fixed together (formally fixed) using methods such as heat pressing or sewing. In this case, if a filamentous adhesive is used, it is easy to avoid the fixing part between the two items for temporary fixation. For example, when sewing fiber products or leather products, if a filamentous adhesive is used for temporary fixation, it is easy to avoid the sewn part for temporary fixation, and it is easy to prevent the adhesive from adhering to the needle.

[0185] In addition, if it is a filamentous adhesive, as mentioned above, even if the two items have complex shapes such as curves, curved surfaces, or concave and convex shapes, they can be well attached while suppressing overflow, wrinkles, and overlaps. Moreover, they can be attached in one process, making them easy to work with.

[0186] In addition, for example, even for easily deformable components such as raw materials, fabrics, and leather that make up fiber or leather products, deformation caused by stretching can be suppressed or prevented by using filamentous adhesives for temporary fixation, and the design becomes better after fixation (formal fixation).

[0187] Furthermore, if it is a filamentous adhesive, it can be easily removed from between the two fixed (formally fixed) items as needed after the two items are secured (formally secured). This prevents adhesive spillage and effectively prevents design degradation caused by discoloration of residual adhesive over time.

[0188] In addition, if it is a filamentous adhesive, it can be combined into a filament by twisting the adhesive with filaments made of other materials, or by weaving the adhesive with filaments or cloths (including non-woven fabrics and sheets) made of other materials, thereby achieving functional integration.

[0189] Furthermore, using the filamentous adhesive application apparatus and method of this embodiment, the filamentous adhesive 2 applied to the spacer (temporary support) can be transferred to the substrate. The method will be described below.

[0190] First, using the filamentous adhesive application apparatus and filamentous adhesive application method of this embodiment described above, the filamentous adhesive 2 is applied to a temporary support such as a film. In order to apply it to the object in the desired shape, the filamentous adhesive 2 is applied (drawn) on the temporary support in a shape obtained by reversing the desired shape.

[0191] Next, the adhesive side of the filamentous adhesive 2 attached to the temporary support is brought into contact with the object to be bonded, and the filamentous adhesive 2 is pressed and bonded to the object through the temporary support using rollers, fingers, etc.

[0192] Then, the temporary support is peeled off from the filamentous adhesive 2 bonded to the substrate, exposing the filamentous adhesive 2. This process is repeated as described above to attach the filamentous adhesive 2 to the substrate in the desired shape.

[0193] To ensure reliable transfer of the filamentous adhesive, and to prevent it from peeling off the substrate and remaining on the temporary support, it is preferable to peel the temporary support off the substrate using a peeling method. The peeling angle is preferably 5° or more, more preferably 10° or more, and even more preferably 20° or more. When peeling by peeling, the temporary support can be deformed simultaneously, or the substrate can be deformed simultaneously, or both the temporary support and the substrate can be deformed simultaneously. A suitable peeling method can be selected based on the hardness (deformability) of the temporary support and the substrate.

[0194] As described above, by shaping (drawing) the filamentous adhesive 2 onto a temporary support in a shape that is the reverse of the desired shape, and then transferring it, the filamentous adhesive 2 is adhered to the substrate in the desired shape. By operating as described above, even in cases where the adhesion shape is complex, the adhesion of the filamentous adhesive 2 to the substrate can be easily performed.

[0195] Based on these characteristics, the transfer-based filamentous adhesive application method is suitable, for example, as an application method for fixing various wires (wire-like components) and narrow components, such as cables like wires and optical fibers, LED fiber optic lights, fiber optic sensors like FBGs (Fiber Bragg Gratings), filaments, ropes, and threads, in a desired shape. Even in cases where wires or narrow components are fixed to other components in complex shapes, the transfer-based filamentous adhesive application method can easily apply the filamentous adhesive to the component to which the wires or narrow components are to be attached, regardless of the complex shape the wires or narrow components should have.

[0196] Furthermore, for example, when using filamentous adhesive for temporary fixation (temporary retention) in sewing textiles such as clothing, shoes, bags, and hats, or leather goods, it is easy to avoid the sewn area for temporary fixation and to easily prevent the adhesive from adhering to the needle. If the sewn item is of a complex shape or easily deformable, there may be situations where filamentous adhesive is not easy to apply. However, even in such cases, the filamentous adhesive can be easily applied using the transfer application method described above.

[0197] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and improved. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, value, form, quantity, and arrangement of the constituent elements in the above embodiments are arbitrary and not limited, as long as they achieve the purpose of the present invention.

[0198] Example

[0199] The present invention will be described in more detail below with examples, but the present invention is not limited to any of the examples below.

[0200] <Example>

[0201] (Preparation of the application solution)

[0202] 40 parts by mass of deionized water were added to a reaction vessel equipped with a condenser, nitrogen inlet tube, thermometer, and stirrer. Nitrogen replacement was performed by stirring at 60°C for at least 1 hour while introducing nitrogen gas. 0.1 parts by mass of 2,2'-azobis[N-(2-carboxyethyl)-2-methylpropanediamine]n hydrate (polymerization initiator) were then added to the reaction vessel. While maintaining the system at 60°C, monomer emulsion A was slowly added dropwise over 4 hours to initiate an emulsion polymerization reaction.

[0203] As monomeric emulsion A, an emulsion was obtained by adding 98 parts by weight of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 1.25 parts by weight of acrylic acid, 0.75 parts by weight of methacrylic acid, 0.05 parts by weight of lauryl mercaptan (chain transfer agent), 0.02 parts by weight of γ-methacryloyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name "KBM-503") and 2 parts by weight of sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl sulfate (emulsifier) ​​to 30 parts by weight of deionized water and emulsifying them.

[0204] After the addition of monomer emulsion A was completed, the system was kept at 60°C for 3 hours. After cooling the system to room temperature, the pH was adjusted to 7 by adding 10% ammonia to obtain an acrylic polymer emulsion (water-dispersible acrylic polymer).

[0205] Relative to 100 parts by weight of the acrylic polymer contained in the aforementioned acrylic polymer emulsion, 24 parts by weight of a tackifying resin emulsion (manufactured by Arakawa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., trade name "E-865NT") based on solid content was added. Ion-exchanged water was further added to adjust the solid content concentration to 50% by weight, thus obtaining the coating solution.

[0206] (Manufacturing of filamentous adhesives)

[0207] As the core material, a multifilament yarn is prepared by twisting 7 polyester fibers with a fineness of 1155 dtex and a filament count of 336 at 70 twists per meter.

[0208] The viscosity of the coating liquid was 0.4 Pa·s at a shear rate of 100 (1 / s), and the viscosity was set to 47 Pa·s at a shear rate of 0.1 (1 / s). The core material was impregnated with a coating roller rotating at the same speed as the extraction speed to apply the coating. At this time, a tension of 1.3 mN / dtex was applied to the core material. Then, it was dried at 100°C for 4 minutes to obtain a filamentous adhesive with a diameter (width in the short side direction) of 0.45 mm.

[0209] (Viscosity of the coating solution)

[0210] Regarding the viscosity of the coating solution, the viscosity was measured when the shear rate was changed from high speed (viscosity decrease) to low speed (viscosity recovery).

[0211] Specifically, a 1g sample (coating solution) was placed in a measuring plate (MP35 Steel, 18 / 8, sensor Rotor C35 / 1, Cone with D=35mm, 1° Titan, gap between plates 0.225mm). A viscoelasticity measuring device (rheometer trade name "RS-600", manufactured by HAAKE) was used. First, at 23°C, the solution viscosity (Pa·s) of the coating solution was measured over 10 seconds at a shear rate of 0.01 (1 / s). Then, after 20 seconds, the shear rate was changed to 9000 (1 / s) (A), and after another 20 seconds, it was returned to a shear rate of 0.01 (1 / s) (B), and the solution viscosity (Pa·s) of the coating solution during this period was measured.

[0212] The solution viscosity (Pa·s) of the coating solution at a shear rate of 100 (1 / s) when the shear rate is changed to 9000 (1 / s) (A) is taken as the solution viscosity (Pa·s) at a shear rate of 100 (1 / s). Furthermore, the solution viscosity (Pa·s) of the coating solution at a shear rate of 0.1 (1 / s) when the shear rate is restored to 0.01 (1 / s) (B) is taken as the solution viscosity (Pa·s) at a shear rate of 0.1 (1 / s).

[0213] (Tension of the core material)

[0214] The tension of the core material was measured during coating using a digital force gauge (AD-4932A). Specifically, the tension between the core material extraction point and the coating roller was measured by reading the stress applied to the terminals of the force gauge.

[0215] (Evaluation results under conditions of varying nozzle orifice diameter)

[0216] Using filamentous adhesive with a diameter of 0.45 mm manufactured as described above, the application speed of the filamentous adhesive was varied to 1, 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mm / sec with nozzle orifice diameters of 1 mm and 2 mm, and straight / curved shapes (R = 10 mm, 5 mm, 2 mm, and 1 mm) were plotted. The experimental results are described below.

[0217] With a nozzle orifice diameter of 1 mm, when drawing a straight line, the filamentous adhesive was applied with good accuracy at all application speeds except 200 mm / sec. When drawing a curved line, the filamentous adhesive was applied at application speeds of 20 mm / sec or less (10 mm / sec or less when R=1 mm).

[0218] With a nozzle orifice diameter of 2 mm, when drawing a straight line, the filamentous adhesive was applied with good accuracy at various application speeds below 20 mm / sec. When drawing a curved line, with R=10 mm, the filamentous adhesive was applied at an application speed below 10 mm / sec.

[0219] The results above show that, in the case of a filamentous adhesive with a diameter of 0.45 mm, the nozzle orifice diameter is preferably 0.7 mm.

[0220] Industrial availability

[0221] The filament adhesive application apparatus and method according to the present invention enable the adhesive force of the filament adhesive to be appropriately exerted, thereby allowing for application with good accuracy along any path. Therefore, it can be applied to bonding operations in various fields.

[0222] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0223] It should be noted that this application is based on Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-064049) filed on March 31, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0224] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0225] 1. Main Body

[0226] 2. Filament adhesive

[0227] 3. Handle

[0228] 4. Front end

[0229] 5. 120 coils

[0230] 100, 101, 101A, 101B Filament Adhesive Application Devices

[0231] 105 horizontal movement units

[0232] 106 Mounting Plate

[0233] 106a Roller Mounting Section

[0234] 106b Nozzle Mounting Section

[0235] 107 Nozzle

[0236] 107d Front End

[0237] Springs 136 and 137

[0238] 150A~150E Extraction Auxiliary Mechanism

[0239] AU Supply Department

[0240] BU pressing mechanism

[0241] CU Conveying Section

[0242] DU Positioning Department

Claims

1. A filament adhesive application device, comprising: A nozzle having a pressing portion for pressing filamentous adhesive against an object; A nozzle displacement unit, which is mounted on the nozzle, displaces the nozzle by moving it in the pressing direction; and An absorption mechanism that absorbs the displacement of the nozzle in the pressing direction relative to the displacement of the nozzle displacement portion.

2. The filamentous adhesive bonding device as described in claim 1, wherein, The absorption mechanism is any one of a spring, a damper, and a cylinder installed between the nozzle displacement section and the nozzle.

3. The filamentous adhesive application apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a movement control unit that controls the movement of the nozzle displacement unit to apply the filamentous adhesive to the object along a predetermined path. The movement control unit moves the nozzle displacement unit closer to the object at at least one of the starting point of the specified path, the starting or ending point of the curve contained in the specified path, and the vertex of the angle contained in the specified path.

4. The filamentous adhesive bonding apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The nozzle comprises: an inner wall surface that divides to form a cylindrical internal space, and a front end having a front opening at one end of the inner wall surface that communicates with the external environment. The pressing part presses the filamentous adhesive, which passes through the internal space and is directed to the outside from the front opening, against the object. Multiple portions of the periphery surrounding the front opening at the front end function as the pressing portion.

5. The filamentous adhesive application apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the filamentous adhesive application apparatus is a device for simultaneously pulling out the filamentous adhesive wound on a take-up body and pressing it against the object. The filamentous adhesive application device also includes an auxiliary mechanism for applying external force in the extraction direction to the filamentous adhesive being extracted from the roll. The pressing part presses the extracted filamentous adhesive against the object.

6. A method for applying filamentous adhesive, wherein the filamentous adhesive is applied to the object using the filamentous adhesive application apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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