Method for manufacturing adhesive-coated optical films

Abstract

This invention provides a method for manufacturing an adhesive-bonded optical film. An elongated mother substrate (155) having an optical film and a patterned adhesive sheet (21) on a longitudinally elongated carrier substrate (4) is fabricated by bonding an optical film (1) and a laminate (154) using a roll-to-roll process. The optical film and adhesive sheet of the mother substrate are then cut into single sheets of a predetermined shape enclosed by cutting lines (32a1, 32a2), thereby obtaining an adhesive-bonded optical film having non-adhesive regions on the main surface of the optical film where the first adhesive sheet is not disposed.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application filed on August 7, 2018, with application number 201810891553.9 and invention title "Method for manufacturing an optical film with adhesive". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film having patterned adhesive sheets on an optical film. Background Technology

[0003] Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic OLEDs are widely used in various image display devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, car navigation systems, monitors, and televisions. Based on its display principle, an LCD has a polarizing plate on the visual sensing side surface of the liquid crystal cell. In self-emissive display devices such as organic ELs, to suppress the reflection of external light by the metal electrode (cathode) from creating a mirror-like appearance, a circular polarizing plate (a laminate of a polarizing plate and a quarter-wavelength plate) is sometimes placed on the visual sensing side surface of the liquid crystal cell. Typically, the image display unit and the polarizing plate are bonded together using a sheet-like adhesive.

[0004] A common type of image display device has a front-surface transparent component, such as a contact sensor or a glass cover, on the visual perception side surface of the image display panel. In this image display device with a front-surface transparent component, by bonding the polarizer on the surface of the image display panel and the front-surface transparent component together with an adhesive, the refractive index difference at the interface is reduced, thereby suppressing the decrease in visual perception caused by reflection and scattering.

[0005] As a method for placing a front-surface transparent member on the visual perception side surface of an image display panel using an adhesive sheet, one known method involves attaching an adhesive sheet cut to the size of the image to a polarizing plate on the surface of the image display panel, and then placing the front-surface transparent member on the adhesive sheet (e.g., Patent Document 1). Patent Document 2 proposes a method for using a double-sided adhesive-coated polarizing plate in the formation of an image display device having a front-surface transparent member. This double-sided adhesive-coated polarizing plate has an adhesive sheet on one side for attaching to an image display unit, and an adhesive sheet on the other side for attaching to the front-surface transparent member. As described in Patent Document 2, if an adhesive-coated polarizing plate with adhesive sheets pre-applied to its surface is used, the alignment and attachment of the adhesive sheets can be omitted during the formation of the image display device, thus simplifying the process.

[0006] Patent Document 1 shows a configuration where the end face of the adhesive sheet is located inside the end face of the protective sheet temporarily bonded to the surface of the adhesive sheet. Patent Document 2 shows a configuration where the end face of the adhesive sheet is located inside the end faces of the polarizing plate and the protective sheet bonded to the adhesive sheet. By positioning the end face of the adhesive sheet inside the end faces of the polarizing plate and the protective sheet, it is possible to suppress adhesive overflow from the end face during transport and processing, thereby preventing contamination and insufficient adhesive caused by the adhesive.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: WO2013-161666

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-115468 Summary of the Invention

[0011] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0012] Adhesive-coated polarizing plates are typically formed by bonding an elongated sheet of polarizing plate and an adhesive sheet together using a roll-to-roll process. A single sheet of adhesive-coated polarizing plate for forming an image display device is obtained by cutting it from an elongated mother substrate to a size corresponding to the screen size of the image display device.

[0013] When the longitudinally elongated mother substrate is cut to a predetermined size, the polarizing plate and the adhesive sheet are cut simultaneously. Therefore, a single sheet of adhesive-coated polarizing plate has the adhesive sheet attached to its entire main surface. To obtain an adhesive-coated polarizing plate with areas on its main surface where no adhesive sheet is attached, it is necessary to bond the cut adhesive sheet to the polarizing plate as shown in Patent Document 1, resulting in a significant reduction in productivity.

[0014] Patent Document 2 provides a method in which the adhesive sheet is cut out while the adhesive overflows from the end face due to pressure applied from the main surface side, thereby positioning the end face of the adhesive sheet inside the end faces of the polarizing plate and the protective sheet. However, in this method, it is difficult to accurately control the distance from the end face of the polarizing plate to the end face of the adhesive sheet. Furthermore, for a single sheet of adhesive-coated polarizing plate obtained by this method, the end face of the adhesive sheet is positioned inside the end face of the polarizing plate at the center in the thickness direction of the adhesive sheet, while near the bonding interface between the adhesive sheet and the polarizing plate, the position of the end face of the adhesive sheet is aligned with the position of the end face of the polarizing plate. In other words, this method cannot produce a single sheet of adhesive-coated polarizing plate with an area on the polarizing plate where no adhesive sheet is attached.

[0015] The present invention provides a method for efficiently manufacturing a single sheet of adhesive-bonded optical film on an optical film such as a polarizing plate by cutting out a longitudinally elongated mother substrate, wherein the film has a portion of the surface of the film having no adhesive sheet attached.

[0016] Solution for solving the problem

[0017] An elongated master substrate is fabricated by bonding an optical thin film and a laminate with patterned adhesive sheets on an elongated carrier substrate using a roll-to-roll process. The pattern shape of the adhesive sheets is not particularly limited. For example, the adhesive sheets can be patterned into strips extending along the length direction in areas where no adhesive is present. As the optical thin film, polarizing plates, laminated thin films formed by stacking polarizing plates with other thin films, etc., can be used.

[0018] Alternatively, the carrier substrate and the adhesive sheet can be directly laminated. Or, a protective sheet can be placed between the carrier substrate and the adhesive sheet. When a protective sheet is placed between the carrier substrate and the adhesive sheet, it is preferable that the peel force at the interface between the protective sheet and the adhesive sheet is greater than the peel force between the protective sheet and the carrier substrate.

[0019] The mother substrate has patterned adhesive sheets on the main surface of the optical film. An adhesive-coated optical film is obtained by cutting the optical film and adhesive sheets of the mother substrate into individual sheets of a predetermined shape enclosed by slit lines. When cutting into individual sheets, the slit lines are formed in a manner that includes areas where no adhesive sheets are present. Alternatively, the slit lines may be formed in a way that at least a portion of the carrier substrate in the thickness direction is not cut.

[0020] Because the patterned area of ​​the adhesive sheet (the void portion after removing the adhesive) exists within the area enclosed by the cut line, the main surface of the single-sheet adhesive-coated optical film has a localized area on its main surface where the adhesive sheet is not provided, thus exposing the main surface of the optical film (non-adhesive area). For example, if the cut line is formed in the portion of the optical film that overlaps with the area of ​​the mother substrate where the adhesive sheet is not provided, it is possible to obtain an adhesive-coated optical film with a non-adhesive area at the periphery of the single-sheet optical film.

[0021] In the non-adhesive areas, the optical film is exposed because no adhesive is applied to it. Due to the presence of non-adhesive areas on the optical film, physical interference between the components of the image display device, such as flexible wiring boards, and the adhesive can be avoided during the formation of the image display device, thereby enabling efficient use of the device's space.

[0022] The method for patterning the adhesive sheet is not particularly limited. For example, by cutting the adhesive sheet of a laminated adhesive sheet having an unpatterned adhesive sheet on a carrier, peeling it off from the carrier and removing the adhesive sheet in the area enclosed by the cutting line, a laminate with a patterned adhesive sheet on the carrier is obtained. When cutting the adhesive sheet, it may also be partially cut such that at least a portion in the thickness direction of the carrier substrate is not cut.

[0023] Alternatively, a light release liner may be temporarily bonded to the laminated adhesive sheet. In the case where a light release liner is temporarily bonded to the adhesive sheet, the light release liner and the adhesive sheet are cut on the carrier sheet, and a portion of the adhesive sheet enclosed by the cut line and the light release liner are peeled off and removed. Then, the adhesive sheet and the optical film are laminated to obtain the mother substrate. Preferably, the peel force at the interface between the carrier sheet and the adhesive sheet is greater than the peel force at the interface between the adhesive sheet and the light release liner.

[0024] The method of the present invention is also applicable to the manufacture of double-sided adhesive-coated optical films having adhesive sheets on both sides of the optical film, and at least one side of the adhesive sheet being patterned. The manufacture of the double-sided adhesive-coated optical film is accomplished by simply providing adhesive sheets on both sides of the optical film, fabricating a master substrate with at least one patterned adhesive sheet, and cutting the optical film from the master substrate in the area enclosed by cutting lines.

[0025] The effects of the invention

[0026] In the method of this invention, after patterning the adhesive sheet on a longitudinally elongated carrier substrate, the adhesive sheet is bonded to an optical film using a roll-to-roll process to obtain a longitudinally elongated mother substrate. By adjusting the position of the cutting line when cutting individual sheets from this mother substrate, an adhesive-coated optical film with patterned adhesive sheets is obtained. In the method of this invention, since the bonding and cutting on the longitudinally elongated carrier substrate are performed using a roll-to-roll process, the alignment and bonding process between the optical film and the adhesive sheet is not required after cutting into individual sheets. Using the method of this invention, it is possible to easily and efficiently mass-produce individual adhesive-coated optical films with patterned adhesive sheets. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 (A) is a top view of the optical film with adhesive. Figure 1 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the optical film with adhesive.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the manufacturing process of an adhesive-coated optical film.

[0029] Figure 3AThis is a cross-sectional view of a laminate used in the manufacture of an adhesive optical film.

[0030] Figure 3B This is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the adhesive sheet.

[0031] Figure 3C It is a cross-sectional view of the laminate after the cut pieces have been removed.

[0032] Figure 3D It is a cross-sectional view of the laminate after removing the cut sheet and the protective sheet.

[0033] Figure 3E It is a cross-sectional view used to obtain a laminate (mother substrate) with an adhesive optical film.

[0034] Figure 3F It is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the laminate.

[0035] Figure 3G It is a cross-sectional view of the laminate after the cut pieces have been removed.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a top view showing the cutting unit cutting the adhesive sheet.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a top view showing the cutting unit cutting the optical thin film.

[0038] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of a double-sided adhesive-coated optical film.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view used to obtain a laminate (mother substrate) with adhesive optical films on both sides.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of an image display device.

[0041] Figure 9 (A) is a top view of the optical film with adhesive. Figure 9 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the optical film with adhesive.

[0042] Figure 10 It is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the laminate.

[0043] Figure 11 It is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the laminate.

[0044] Figure 12 (A) is a top view of the optical film with adhesive. Figure 12 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the optical film with adhesive.

[0045] Figure 13 It is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the laminate.

[0046] Figure 14 It is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the laminate.

[0047] Figure 15 It is a cross-sectional view of a double-sided adhesive-coated optical film.

[0048] Figure 16 It is a cross-sectional view used to obtain a laminate (mother substrate) of a double-sided adhesive optical film having non-adhesive regions on two sides.

[0049] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the manufacturing process of an adhesive-coated optical film.

[0050] Figure 18A This is a cross-sectional view of a laminate used in the manufacture of an adhesive optical film.

[0051] Figure 18B This is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the adhesive sheet.

[0052] Figure 18C It is a cross-sectional view of the laminate after the cut pieces have been removed.

[0053] Figure 18D It is a cross-sectional view of the laminate after removing the cut sheet and the protective sheet.

[0054] Figure 18E It is a cross-sectional view used to obtain a laminate (mother substrate) with an adhesive optical film.

[0055] Figure 18F It is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting unit cutting the laminate.

[0056] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0057] 51, 52, 56, 57, 59, Optical film with adhesive; 1, Optical film; 21, 22, Adhesive sheet; 2x, Non-adhesive area; 40, Protective sheet (light peel sheet); 41, Protective sheet (heavy peel sheet); 42, Protective sheet; 4, 44, Carrier sheet; 60, Image display unit; 71, Glass cover with contact sensor; 91, Flexible printed wiring board; 801, Image display device; 31a, 31b, 531a, 531b, Cutting line; 32a1, 32a2, 32a3, 32a4, 532a1, 532a2, 532a3, 532a4, 732a1, 732a2, Cutting line; 161, 661, Cutting sheet; 131, 132, 631, 632, Cutting unit; 155, 755, 955, Laminate (mother substrate). Detailed Implementation

[0058] (Structure with adhesive optical film)

[0059] Figure 1 (A) is a top view of an embodiment of an optical film with adhesive. Figure 1 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B2. The adhesive-coated optical film 51 has an adhesive sheet 21 on the first main surface of the optical film 1. The adhesive sheet 21 is patterned, and on the first main surface of the optical film 1, there are areas on which the adhesive sheet 21 is attached (adhesive areas) and areas on which the optical film is exposed without the adhesive sheet (non-adhesive areas). Figure 1 In the adhesive-coated optical film 51 shown, the peripheral region formed along the edge 1a1 of the optical film 1 is the non-adhesive region 2x.

[0060] (Optical thin film)

[0061] As the optical thin film 1, a polarizing plate, for example, can be used. In a typical polarizing plate, a suitable transparent protective film is provided on one or both sides of the polarizer as needed. As the polarizer, for example, a film obtained by adsorbing dichroic substances such as iodine and dichroic dyes into a hydrophilic polymer film such as a polyvinyl alcohol-based film, a partially methyl acetalized polyvinyl alcohol-based film, or an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer partially saponified film, and then orienting the dichroic substances by stretching, can be used. As the transparent protective film provided on the surface of the polarizer, materials with excellent transparency, mechanical strength, and thermal stability, such as cellulose resin, cyclic polyolefin resin, acrylic resin, phenylmaleimide resin, and polycarbonate resin, are preferred. As the transparent protective film of the polarizer, an optically anisotropic film such as a phase retardation plate can also be used.

[0062] The optical thin film 1 can also be formed by laminating multiple thin films using appropriate adhesives or binders. Examples of optical thin films other than polarizers include phase retardation films, field-view widening films, field-view limiting (anti-peeping) films, and brightness enhancement films used in the formation of image display devices. Contact sensors can also be provided on the optical thin film. Furthermore, the surface of the optical thin film can be coated with a hard coating, an anti-reflection layer, an anti-glare layer, an anti-adhesion layer, etc., and surface treatments can be applied to improve adhesion.

[0063] The area of ​​the optical thin film 1 is not particularly limited, but it is usually 5 cm². 2 ~25000cm 2The length of the diagonal of the optical thin film 1 is approximately 3 cm to 250 cm. The optical thin film 1 can be a rectangle with a long side and a short side, or a square with four equal sides. The length of the long side of the rectangle is typically less than 10 times the length of the short side, and can be less than 5 times, 3 times, or 2 times. When the optical thin film is an anisotropic film such as a polarizer or a phase difference film, the directions of the optical axes, such as the absorption axis and the slow axis, can be parallel or perpendicular to the extension direction of the rectangle's sides, or they can form a predetermined angle with the extension direction of the rectangle's sides. When the optical thin film is a stack of multiple thin films, the arrangement of the optical axes of each film is not particularly limited; they can be parallel or orthogonal, or they can form a predetermined angle. For example, in a circular polarizer, the polarizer and the quarter-wave plate are stacked such that the angle between the absorption axis direction of the polarizer and the slow axis direction of the quarter-wave plate is 45°.

[0064] (Adhesive sheet)

[0065] The adhesive sheet 21 disposed on the first main surface of the optical thin film 1 is preferably formed of an optically transparent adhesive. The adhesive sheet 21 is used for bonding the optical thin film 1 to the image display unit, bonding the optical thin film 1 to a front surface transparent component (such as a transparent plate such as a glass cover, a contact sensor, etc.), etc.

[0066] As the adhesive constituting the adhesive sheet, adhesives based on rubber-based polymers such as acrylic polymers, silicone polymers, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides, polyethylene ethers, vinyl acetate / vinyl chloride polymers, modified polyolefins, epoxy polymers, fluorinated polymers, natural rubber, and synthetic rubber can be appropriately selected and used. In particular, acrylic adhesives are preferred because they exhibit excellent optical transparency, moderate wetting, aggregation, and adhesion properties, as well as excellent weather resistance and heat resistance. The adhesive sheet can also be formed by laminating multiple adhesive layers.

[0067] The adhesive constituting the adhesive sheet can also be a photocurable adhesive that can be cured by light irradiation after bonding. For example, if a photocurable adhesive is used for bonding to a transparent front surface member with raised portions such as decorative printing, bonding in a soft state before light curing can have step absorption properties and suppress the mixing of air bubbles near the raised portions. By irradiating the adhesive with UV light or the like after bonding, the bonding reliability can be improved. Photocurable adhesives preferably contain, for example, a polymer, a monomer or oligomer having photopolymerizable functional groups, and a photopolymerization initiator. As monomers or oligomers having photopolymerizable functional groups, crosslinking monomers having two or more polymerizable functional groups in one molecule can also be used.

[0068] The thickness of the adhesive sheet is not particularly limited, and is typically around 5 μm to 500 μm. The thickness of the adhesive sheet used in bonding the optical film 1 to the image display unit is preferably around 5 μm to 50 μm. The thickness of the adhesive sheet used in bonding the optical film to the front surface transparent member can be appropriately set according to the structure of the front surface transparent member. For example, if the front surface transparent member has raised portions due to decorative printing, etc., in order to prevent air bubbles from mixing into the periphery of the raised portions, it is preferable to make the adhesive sheet thickness 50 μm or more to give it stepped absorption properties.

[0069] (Non-bonded area)

[0070] exist Figure 1 In the adhesive-coated optical film 51 shown, the periphery formed along three of the four edges 1a2, 1a3, and 1a4 of the optical film 1 is an adhesive area where adhesive sheets 21 are attached. At the periphery formed along the edge 1a1 extending in the y-direction, no adhesive sheet 21 is provided on the optical film 1. In this non-adhesive area 2x, the main surface of the optical film 1 is exposed, and gaps exist on the optical film 1.

[0071] At the perimeter formed along edges 1a2, 1a3, and 1a4, the end faces of the optical film 1 and the adhesive sheet 21 are aligned. In the non-adhesive region 2x extending along edge 1a1, the end face 21e of the adhesive sheet 21 is located inside the end face 1e of the optical film 1. These end faces 1e and 21e extend parallel to the y-direction along edge 1a1.

[0072] The width W1 of the non-adhesive region 2x, i.e., the distance (offset) from the end face 1e of the optical film 1 to the end face 21e of the adhesive sheet 21, can be set appropriately. For example, if the non-adhesive region 2x is provided to prevent adhesive from overflowing from the end face, W1 can be set to about 5 μm to 3000 μm. In the formation of the image display device, if the non-adhesive region 2x is provided to prevent physical interference between the constituent components of the image display device and the adhesive sheet, W1 can be set accordingly based on the shape, size, etc. of the component provided in the non-adhesive region. W1 can be, for example, 10 μm or more, and can be 30 μm or more. W1 is usually set to 10% or less of the length of the diagonal of the optical film.

[0073] (Protective film)

[0074] A protective sheet 41 is attached to the adhesive sheet 21 with the adhesive optical film 51 in a peelable manner. If the protective sheet is temporarily attached to the adhesive sheet, the exposed surface of the adhesive sheet 21 can be protected during the period before the optical film 1 is attached to the object.

[0075] The protective sheet 41 is preferably made of plastic film such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polyester film. The thickness of the protective sheet 41 is typically 5 μm to 200 μm, preferably around 10 μm to 150 μm. Alternatively, a silicone-based release agent or similar material can be used to peel off the bonding surface of the protective sheet 41 from the adhesive sheet 21.

[0076] (Manufacturing method of optical film with adhesive)

[0077] An adhesive-bonded optical film with patterned adhesive sheets on an optical film is fabricated by bonding an optical film and a laminate with patterned adhesive sheets on a longitudinally elongated carrier substrate using a roll-to-roll process to create a master substrate, from which a single sheet is cut. In this method, the positions of the end faces of the adhesive sheets and the end faces of the optical film can be set independently. Since it is not necessary to bond single sheets of optical film and single sheets of adhesive sheets together, and no alignment is required during bonding, single sheets of adhesive-bonded optical films with non-adhesive regions can be obtained efficiently.

[0078] Examples of methods for manufacturing patterned adhesive sheets include patterning during the formation of the adhesive sheet on a substrate and patterning by cutting the adhesive sheet formed on the entire surface of the substrate except for the ends. Patterning by cutting is preferred because it allows for the formation of accurate patterns and makes it easy to control the position, shape, and size of non-adhesive areas.

[0079] The following describes a method for producing a single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film by bonding the optical film and an adhesive sheet patterned by cutting on a carrier substrate to create a master substrate, and then cutting the master substrate. Figure 2 This is a process schematic diagram illustrating an example of the manufacturing process of a single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film with non-adhesive areas. Figures 3A to 3G It means Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the structure of the laminated body at reference numerals A to G in the attached figures.

[0080] A roll with a carrier sheet 4 is mounted on the take-up roller 104. In this embodiment, the carrier sheet 4 serves as a carrier substrate, on which adhesive sheets and optical films are cut.

[0081] A roll of laminated adhesive sheet 2 is mounted on the take-up roller 102. The laminated adhesive sheet 2 has protective sheets 40, 41 on both sides of the adhesive sheet 21. In the single-sheet adhesive-coated optical film 51, the protective sheet 41 is also directly attached as a protective sheet for the adhesive sheet 21 (see reference). Figure 1(B)). In order to protect the surface of the adhesive sheet 21 during the period before the optical film 1 is attached to the adhesive sheet 21, the protective sheet 40 is temporarily attached to the adhesive sheet 21.

[0082] Preferably, when the protective sheet 40 is peeled off from the surface of the self-adhesive sheet 21 and removed, peeling at the interface between the protective sheet 41 and the adhesive sheet 21 is suppressed. Therefore, it is preferable that the adhesive force between the adhesive sheet 21 and the protective sheet 40 is less than the adhesive force between the adhesive sheet 21 and the protective sheet 41. That is, it is preferable that the protective sheet 40 is a light-release sheet with relatively low peeling force when peeling off the self-adhesive sheet, and the protective sheet 41 attached to the carrier sheet 4 is a heavy-release sheet with relatively high peeling force when peeling off the self-adhesive sheet. The peelability of the protective sheet can be adjusted, for example, according to the type of release agent on the sheet surface, the coating thickness, etc.

[0083] exist Figure 2 In the configuration shown, with the carrier sheet 4 bonded to the back side of the protective sheet 41 (the side of the protective sheet 41 opposite to the side where the adhesive sheet 21 is attached), the adhesive sheet 21 is cut using the first cutting unit 131, and the optical film 1 and the adhesive sheet 21 are cut using the second cutting unit 132. Since the carrier sheet 4 is not cut after the adhesive sheet 21 and the optical film 1 are cut, the laminate can be stably transported using a roll-to-roll process.

[0084] As the constituent material of the carrier sheet 4, it is preferably a plastic film, similar to the protective sheet 41. Preferably, the carrier sheet 4 exhibits minimal dimensional change under the conveying tension during roll-to-roll transport. Furthermore, when cutting (partial cutting) is performed using cutting units 131 and 132 to reach the surface of the carrier sheet 4 (the interface between the carrier sheet 4 and the protective sheet 41), it is necessary to prevent the cutting blade from reaching the back side of the carrier sheet 4. Therefore, the thickness of the carrier sheet 4 is preferably 10 μm or more, more preferably 20 μm or more.

[0085] Preferably, an adhesive layer (not shown) for fixing the protective sheet 41 is provided on the surface of the carrier 4. As the carrier 4, a self-adhesive film with an adhesive layer integrally formed on the surface of the substrate film can also be used. Preferably, when the protective sheet 40 is peeled off from the surface of the self-adhesive sheet 21 and removed, peeling at the interface between the carrier 4 and the protective sheet 41 is suppressed. Preferably, when the protective sheet 41 is peeled off from the carrier 4, peeling at the interface between the protective sheet 41 and the adhesive sheet 21 is suppressed. Therefore, preferably, the adhesive force between the back side of the protective sheet 41 (heavy peel sheet) and the carrier 4 is greater than the adhesive force between the adhesive sheet 21 and the protective sheet 40 (light peel sheet) but less than the adhesive force between the adhesive sheet 21 and the protective sheet 41.

[0086] The laminated adhesive sheet 2 rolled out by the self-winding roller 102 and the carrier sheet 4 rolled out by the self-winding roller 104 are bonded together by the clamping roller 141 to form a laminate 151. Figure 3A The laminate 151 of the carrier sheet 4 and the laminated adhesive sheet 2 moves downstream along the conveying direction (y direction) and reaches the first cutting unit 131.

[0087] At the first cutting unit 131, a cut (partial cut) is made from the side of the laminated adhesive sheet 2 (the side of the light peel sheet 40) to a depth reaching the surface of the carrier sheet 4. Using the cut performed by the first cutting unit, cut lines 31a and 31b are formed along the entire thickness direction on the protective sheet 40, adhesive sheet 21, and protective sheet 41 constituting the laminated adhesive sheet 2. Figure 3B Alternatively, a cut can be formed on the carrier 4 that does not reach the depth of the back side of the carrier 4. In a partial cut, the cut is performed such that at least a portion of the carrier 4 in the thickness direction is not cut. The depth of the cut formed on the carrier 4 during a partial cut is preferably less than 1 / 2 of the thickness of the carrier, more preferably less than 1 / 3 of the thickness of the carrier. As long as the protective sheets 40, 41 and the adhesive sheet 21 constituting the laminated adhesive sheet 2 can be cut, the cutting method performed at the first cutting unit is not particularly limited, and appropriate cutting methods such as rotary cutting machines, press-fit knives (e.g., Thomson knives), and laser cutting machines can be used.

[0088] The cutting performed using the first cutting unit 131 can be carried out either while the laminate 151 is being transported or while the transport of the laminate has been stopped. For example, if a cutting line extending in the width direction is to be formed, it is preferable to perform the cutting after the transport of the laminate has been stopped.

[0089] Figure 4 This is a top view of the laminate before and after being cut by the first cutting unit. For the laminate 151 conveyed from the clamping roller 141 side along the y-direction, the laminate adhesive sheet 2 is cut by the first cutting unit 131 to form cutting lines 31a and 31b extending along the y-direction. The cutting lines 31a and 31b, which are close to each other, are arranged in pairs.

[0090] After the cut lines are formed, the laminate 152 is conveyed to the clamping roller 142, and a portion of the region 31 of the laminate adhesive sheet 2, surrounded by a pair of cut lines 31a and 31b, is peeled off as a strip-shaped cut sheet 161 extending in the length direction (conveyance direction) from the self-supporting sheet 4. Alternatively, at the end in the width direction, the region 37 between the cut line 31b (or 31a) and the end face of the laminate adhesive sheet 2 is peeled off as a self-supporting cut sheet. The strip-shaped cut sheet 161 peeled off from the laminate 152 is wound up and recovered by the take-up roller 192. In the laminate 153 after the cut sheets are removed, a groove-shaped gap 310 extending in the conveyance direction is formed. Figure 3C ).

[0091] exist Figure 4The diagram shows a strip-shaped region 31 enclosed by two cutting lines 31a and 31b, arranged parallel to each other in the conveying direction, which is then peeled off and removed from the laminate as a cutting piece 161. However, the cutting lines do not necessarily have to be parallel to the conveying direction. The cutting lines can extend in an inclined direction or in the width direction. Furthermore, the cutting lines do not necessarily have to be straight when viewed from above; they can also be curved. The cutting lines can also be formed in a grid pattern. In order to continuously peel off and remove the region enclosed by the cutting lines from the laminate as a cutting piece 161, it is preferable to form the cutting lines so that the region enclosed by the cutting lines is continuous in the conveying direction.

[0092] The laminate 153, after the cut pieces have been removed, is conveyed to the clamping roller 144, and the light peeling piece 40, temporarily bonded to the adhesive piece 21, is peeled off. Figure 3D The light peeling sheet 40, after being peeled and removed from the laminate 153, is wound up and recovered by the winding roller 193. Figure 2 In this embodiment, after the cut piece 161 of the adhesive sheet is peeled off using the clamping roller 142, the light peeling piece 40 is peeled off using another clamping roller 144. Thus, by sequentially peeling off the cut piece and the light peeling piece from the laminate, the peeling tension and conveying tension can be stabilized. Alternatively, the cut piece and the light peeling piece can be peeled off and removed simultaneously from the laminate.

[0093] The laminate 154, after removing the cut sheet and the light peel sheet, is conveyed to the clamping roller 143, where the optical film 1 rolled out from the roll-out roller 101 is laminated onto the adhesive sheet 21 to form the laminate 155. Figure 3E The optical film 1 is bonded to the entire attachment surface of the adhesive sheet 21 on the carrier 4. At this time, the optical film 1 is also provided in the gap 310 formed by removing the cutting sheet.

[0094] As described above, the adhesive sheet is cut using the first cutting unit, and the optical film 1 is bonded to the adhesive sheet 21 after the cut sheet is removed using a roll-to-roll process, thereby obtaining a longitudinally elongated laminate 155. Using this longitudinally elongated laminate 155 as a mother substrate, single sheets are cut from the mother substrate, thereby forming an adhesive-coated optical film with non-adhesive regions. In the cut single sheets of adhesive-coated optical film 51, the portion of the void 310 in the mother substrate becomes the non-adhesive region 2x.

[0095] The laminate 155 moves downstream in the conveying direction and reaches the second cutting unit 132, forming a cutting line on the laminate. Figure 3F ). Figure 5This is a top view of the laminate before and after cutting by the second cutting unit. At the second cutting unit 132, cutting lines 32a1 and 32a2 extending in the conveying direction and cutting lines 32a3 and 32a4 extending in the width direction (x-direction) are formed. The cutting method of the second cutting unit 132 is not particularly limited; similar to the cutting by the first cutting unit, any suitable cutting method can be used. Cutting using the second cutting unit 132 can be performed either while the laminate 155 is being conveyed or while the conveying of the laminate has stopped. Preferably, the cutting is performed after the conveying of the laminate has been stopped, at which time the cutting lines 32a3 and 32a4 extending in the width direction are formed.

[0096] At the second cutting unit 132, the laminate 155 is cut from the side of the optical film 1. In the area where the adhesive sheet 21 is provided, the cut is made in a manner that reaches the surface of the carrier 4, and cutting lines 32a2, 32a3, and 32a4 are formed on the optical film 1, the adhesive sheet 21, and the protective sheet 41 in the entire thickness direction. Alternatively, a cut that does not reach the depth of the back side of the carrier 4 may be formed on the carrier 4.

[0097] In the region 310 where the adhesive sheet 21 is not provided, the optical film 1 is cut to form a cut line 32a1. At this time, the cut line 32a1 only needs to be set in a manner that cuts the entire optical film 1 in the thickness direction; the cut line 32a1 does not necessarily need to reach the carrier sheet 4. Figure 3F As shown, it is also possible to form a cut on the substrate 4 by cutting in a way that reaches the surface of the substrate 4.

[0098] Using the cutting unit, the optical film 1 is cut into a rectangle formed by cutting lines 32a1 and 32a2 extending in the y-direction and cutting lines 32a3 and 32a4 extending in the x-direction. Cutting line 32a1 corresponds to side 1a1 of the single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film 51. Cutting line 32a2 corresponds to side 1a2, cutting line 32a3 corresponds to side 1a3, and cutting line 32a4 corresponds to side 1a4.

[0099] like Figure 3F As shown, there is a gap between the wall surface of the adhesive sheet 21 formed by the cutting line 31b generated by the first cutting unit and the cutting line 32a formed in the region 310. If the cutting line is formed in such a way that the region enclosed by the cutting line overlaps with the region 310 where no adhesive sheet 21 is provided, the adhesive-coated optical film after being cut into individual sheets has a non-adhesive area on the main surface of the optical film where no adhesive sheet is provided.

[0100] In this embodiment, by using the cutting performed by the second cutting unit, a cutting line is formed in the region 310 where the adhesive sheet 21 is not provided, and an adhesive-coated optical film with a non-adhesive region along the periphery formed along the edge 1a1 of the optical film can be obtained. By adjusting the positional relationship between the cutting line 31b generated by the first cutting unit and the cutting line 32a1 generated by the second cutting unit, the width W1 of the non-adhesive region 2x can be arbitrarily set.

[0101] like Figure 5 As shown, the optical film 1 is cut into a rectangle formed by the cutting line using the second cutting unit 132. The film and adhesive sheet formed by the cutting line are difficult to transport in roll-to-roll fashion as individual units. In the laminate 156 of this embodiment, the optical film 1, adhesive sheet 21, and protective sheet 41 are cut, but the carrier sheet 4 is not cut. The protective sheet 41, adhesive sheet 21, and optical film 1 attached to the carrier sheet are also integrated, allowing the laminate 156 to be transported in roll-to-roll fashion downstream.

[0102] The laminate 156, after being cut by the second cutting unit 132, is conveyed to the clamping roller 146. A portion of the region 32 enclosed by the cutting lines 32a1 and 32a2 of the optical film 1, adhesive sheet 21, and protective sheet 41 is peeled off as a self-supporting cut sheet 162 from the sheet 4. Alternatively, at the ends in the width direction, the regions 38 and 39 between the cutting line 32a1 or 32a2 and the end faces of the optical film 1 and adhesive sheet 21 may also be peeled off as self-supporting cut sheets.

[0103] By removing the cut piece 162, a rectangular adhesive-coated optical film 51, formed by the cut lines, remains on the substrate 4. Figure 3G A multilayer 157 with multiple adhesive optical films 51 attached to a carrier 4 is wound into a roll by a take-up roller 150. By peeling the adhesive sheet 21 and the optical film 1 together with the protective sheet 41 from the carrier 4 of the multilayer 157, a [details of the roll are missing]. Figure 1 The single-sheet optical film 51 with adhesive shown.

[0104] Alternatively, the cut strip 162 can be peeled off from the self-supporting sheet 4, and the laminate 156 with the cut line can be directly rolled into a roll. Alternatively, the cut strip 162 can remain on the carrier 4 of the laminate 156, and the adhesive-coated optical film 51 surrounded by the cut line can be peeled off from the self-supporting sheet 4.

[0105] exist Figure 2In the process shown, the following steps are performed as a series of consecutive steps: laminating the adhesive sheet 2 onto the carrier 4, cutting the adhesive sheet using the first cutting unit 131, peeling off and removing the cutting piece 161 and the light peeling piece 40, laminating the optical film 1 and the patterned adhesive sheet 21, and cutting the optical film and the adhesive sheet using the second cutting unit 132. These steps do not necessarily have to be performed consecutively.

[0106] For example, the laminate 151 formed by bonding the adhesive sheet 2 to the carrier sheet 4 can be temporarily rolled into a roll, unwound from the roll, and the adhesive sheet can be cut using the first cutting unit 131. Alternatively, the laminate 152 after the adhesive sheet has been cut using the first cutting unit 131, or the laminate 153 after the cutting sheet 161 has been peeled off and removed, can be temporarily rolled into a roll, unwound from the roll, the light release sheet 40 can be peeled off, and the optical film 1 can be bonded to the patterned adhesive sheet 21. During the period from peeling off the light release sheet 40 to bonding the optical film 1, the adhesive sheet 21 is exposed. Therefore, it is preferable to use a series of roll-to-roll processes to peel off the light release sheet 40 and bond the optical film 1. Alternatively, the laminate 155 (mother substrate) with the optical film 1 bonded to the adhesive sheet 21 can be temporarily rolled up.

[0107] As described above, in this embodiment, the adhesive sheet 21 is cut on the carrier sheet 4. After the cut sheet is peeled off and removed, the optical film 1 is bonded to the adhesive sheet 21, thereby obtaining a longitudinally elongated mother substrate (laminated body 155). The mother substrate has an area on the carrier sheet 4 where the optical film 1 is bonded to the carrier sheet 4 by means of the adhesive sheet 21, and an area on the carrier sheet 4 where no adhesive sheet is provided and there is a gap between the carrier sheet 4 and the optical film 1. After the optical film 1 is cut into a predetermined shape on the mother substrate, the cut sheet together with the adhesive sheet 21 is peeled off and removed from the carrier sheet 4, thereby obtaining an adhesive-bonded optical film 51 with an area where no adhesive sheet is provided (non-bonded area).

[0108] (Double-sided adhesive-coated optical film)

[0109] Figure 6 The cross-sectional view shows an adhesive-coated optical film 52 with a first adhesive sheet 21 on one main surface of the optical film 1 and a second adhesive sheet 22 on the other main surface of the optical film 1. In the double-sided adhesive-coated optical film 52, the first adhesive sheet 21 and... Figure 1 The adhesive-coated optical film 51 was also patterned.

[0110] Along the perimeter formed by one edge extending in the y-direction, the optical film 1 does not have a first adhesive sheet 21. The end face 21e of the adhesive sheet 21 is located inside the end face 1e of the optical film 1. The end face 41e of the first protective sheet 41 provided on the adhesive sheet 21 is located at the same position as the end face 1e of the optical film 1.

[0111] The second adhesive sheet 22 is not patterned. Along all its edges, the position of the end face 1e of the optical film 1 coincides with the position of the end face 22e of the second adhesive sheet 22. The position of the end face 42e of the protective sheet 42 located on the second adhesive sheet 22 also coincides with the position of the end face 1e of the optical film 1. This double-sided adhesive-coated optical film 52 has a non-adhesive region 2x on the first main surface of the optical film 1, but no non-adhesive region on the second main surface of the optical film 1.

[0112] Figure 6 The single-sheet double-sided adhesive optical film 52 shown can be used with Figure 1 The single-sided adhesive-coated optical film 51 shown is manufactured using the same method. In the manufacture of the double-sided adhesive-coated optical film 52, the following steps are sufficient: the laminated adhesive sheet 2 is cut, and the cut sheet and light peel sheet are removed to form... Figure 3D The laminate 154 shown is followed by bonding a single-sided adhesive optical film to the adhesive sheet 21 of the laminate 154.

[0113] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view showing the state after a longitudinally elongated adhesive-coated optical film 50 is bonded to the adhesive sheet 21 of the laminate 154. The adhesive-coated optical film 50 has an adhesive sheet 22 on the optical film 1. A protective sheet 42 is provided on the adhesive sheet 22. By using a roll-to-roll process, the optical film 1 of the adhesive-coated optical film 50 is bonded to the patterned adhesive sheet 21, thereby forming a laminate 755 (mother substrate). Alternatively, instead of bonding the adhesive-coated optical film 50, the optical film 1 is bonded to the laminate 154, and the adhesive sheet 22 with a protective sheet 42 attached to one side is bonded to the optical film, thereby forming the laminate 755.

[0114] Using the second cutting unit 132 to cut from the protective sheet 42 side Figure 7The laminate 755 shown is cut. At the second cutting unit 132, in addition to the optical film 1 being cut, the adhesive sheet 22 and the protective sheet 42 disposed on the optical film 1 are also cut. Otherwise, the cutting operation performed by the second cutting unit 132 in the formation of the single-sided adhesive optical film described above is the same. In the region where the adhesive sheet 21 is provided, a half-cut is performed to a depth reaching the surface of the carrier 4, and a cutting line 732a2 is formed on the protective sheet 42, adhesive sheet 22, optical film 1, adhesive sheet 21, and protective sheet 41 in the entire thickness direction. In the region 310 where the adhesive sheet 21 is not provided, the protective sheet 42, adhesive sheet 22, and optical film 1 are cut to form the cutting line 732a1. Alternatively, the cutting line 732a1 can also be formed by a half-cut to the surface of the carrier 4.

[0115] By peeling the adhesive sheet 21, optical film 1, adhesive sheet 22, and protective sheet 42 together with the protective sheet 41 from the carrier 4 of the cut laminate, it is possible to obtain Figure 6 The single-sheet double-sided adhesive optical film 52 shown.

[0116] (Applications of adhesive-coated optical films)

[0117] An adhesive-bonded optical film 51, 52 with patterned adhesive sheets 21 on the optical film 1 is preferably used in the formation of an image display device. By positioning the end face 21e of the adhesive sheet 21 further inward than the end face 1e of the optical film 1, contamination and insufficient adhesive caused by adhesive overflow from the end face can be prevented. Furthermore, since there is a region 2x on the main surface of the optical film 1 where the adhesive sheet 21 is not provided, physical interference between the components of the image display device and the adhesive sheet can be prevented, thereby effectively utilizing the space within the device.

[0118] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of an image display device 801 made using a double-sided adhesive optical film 52. In the image display device 801, an optical film 1 is disposed on an image display unit 60, and a glass cover 71 with a contact sensor is provided on the visual sensing side of the optical film 1. The optical film 1 and the image display unit 60 are bonded together by a second adhesive sheet 22, and the optical film 1 and the glass cover 71 are bonded together by a first adhesive sheet 21. The image display unit 60 is, for example, a liquid crystal unit, an organic EL (OLED), or a micro LED. Alternatively, a transparent resin plate made of a transparent resin material such as acrylic can be used instead of the glass cover 71.

[0119] Near the end of the glass cover 71, a flexible printed wiring board (FPC) 91, serving as an electrical connection member, is connected to a contact sensor (not shown) on the side of the glass cover 71 opposite to the optical film 1. The FPC 91 is bent to wrap around the back side of the image display unit 60.

[0120] In the image display device 801, by placing the FPC 91 in the space of the non-adhesive region 2x extending along the edge 1a1 of the optical film 1, the contact point 7a between the contact sensor and the FPC 91 can be located on the end face 1e of the optical film 1 or at a position closer to the end face 1e. Thus, by providing the non-adhesive region 2x on the optical film 1 and placing the FPC or the like in the gaps of the optical film 1, the space around the perimeter of the image can be effectively utilized, thereby achieving a narrow bezel in the image display device.

[0121] In the non-bonded area 2x, not only FPCs can be configured, but also various components of image display devices can be configured. Examples of components configured in the non-bonded area include glass covers, contact sensors, housings, conductive materials, and resin materials. Figure 8 The image shows a patterned form of the adhesive sheet 21 that bonds the optical film 1 and the glass cover 71 together, but it could also be a patterned adhesive sheet on the side of the image display unit 60.

[0122] (Example of a structure with an adhesive optical film)

[0123] exist Figure 1 and Figure 6 The example shown has a non-adhesive region 2x formed at the periphery along one side 1a1 of a rectangular optical film, but the position, shape, size, etc. of the non-adhesive region 2x are not particularly limited. It is possible to use an adhesive-bonded optical film in which the position, shape, size, etc. of the non-adhesive region are adjusted accordingly based on the shape, size, etc. of the component to be avoided from physical interference with the adhesive.

[0124] For example, the non-adhesive region can be provided along two or more sides of the rectangle, or it can be provided along the long side of the rectangle. In the non-adhesive region, the end face of the adhesive sheet does not need to extend parallel to the edge of the optical film. For example, the non-adhesive region may also have a portion whose width decreases from the end of the rectangle's edge (the vertex of the rectangle) towards the center of the edge. The non-adhesive region does not need to be provided along the entire length of the edge. For example, the non-adhesive region may only be provided in a local area of ​​the rectangle's edge or at the vertex of the rectangle. The non-adhesive region may also be provided in the center of the surface of the optical film.

[0125] By adjusting the formation position of the cutting line formed on the adhesive sheet by the first cutting unit before bonding the adhesive sheet and the optical film, adhesive sheets with arbitrary pattern shapes can be manufactured. Furthermore, by adjusting the formation position of the cutting line when cutting the mother substrate after bonding the adhesive sheet and the optical film using the second cutting unit, the position, shape, and size of the non-adhesive area can be arbitrarily adjusted.

[0126] Figure 9 The top view of (A) shows that the adhesive-coated optical film 56 has a non-adhesive region 2x1 at the periphery formed along one side 1a1 and a non-adhesive region 2x2 at the periphery formed along the other side 1a2. Figure 9 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the adhesive-coated optical film 56 cut along line B1-B2. The width W1 of one non-adhesive region 2x1 and the width W2 of another non-adhesive region 2x2 can be the same or different. By adjusting the formation position of the cutting line of the second cutting unit, an adhesive-coated optical film with non-adhesive regions along both sides can be obtained.

[0127] For example, such as Figure 10 As shown, by providing a cut line 32a1 extending in the y-direction in the region 310 where the adhesive sheet 21 is not provided, an adhesive-coated optical film with non-adhesive regions along both sides can be obtained. Figure 11 As shown, two cutting lines 32a1 and 32a2 can also be set in region 310. Regardless of the configuration, the widths W1 and W2 of the non-bonded regions can be adjusted to the desired values ​​by adjusting the formation positions of the cutting lines in region 310.

[0128] exist Figure 12 In the top view of (A) shown, the adhesive-coated optical film 57 has no non-adhesive region in the peripheral region formed along the edges 1a1 and 1a2, and has non-adhesive regions 2x3 extending parallel to the edges 1a1 and 1a2 in the non-peripheral region. By adjusting the formation position of the cutting line of the second cutting unit, an adhesive-coated optical film with a non-adhesive region in the center of the plane can be formed.

[0129] For example, such as Figure 13 As shown, the following operation is sufficient: a cutting line 32a1 extending in the y-direction is formed in the area where the adhesive sheet 21 is provided, and the portion of the optical film and adhesive sheet enclosed by the two cutting lines 32a1 is cut into individual sheets. Figure 14 As shown, two cutting lines 32a1 and 32a2 can also be provided in the area where the adhesive sheet 21 is provided. In either case, area 310 becomes the non-adhesive area 2x3 in the cut adhesive-coated optical film 57.

[0130] As shown in the examples above, by adjusting the formation position of the slit lines on the longitudinally elongated mother substrate (laminated body 156), it is possible to obtain an adhesive-coated optical film with non-adhesive regions at any position. Furthermore, by adjusting the formation direction of the slit lines in the first slit unit, the spacing between the paired slit lines 31a and 31b, etc., it is possible to obtain adhesive-coated optical films with non-adhesive regions of various shapes.

[0131] In the formation of double-sided adhesive optical films, by adjusting the formation positions of the cutting lines of the first and second cutting units, non-adhesive regions of various shapes can be formed on the first main surface of the optical film 1. Alternatively, the double-sided adhesive optical film may have non-adhesive regions on both the first and second main surfaces of the optical film. For example, Figure 15 The cross-sectional view shows that the double-sided adhesive optical film 59 has a non-adhesive region 2x on the first main surface in the peripheral region formed along one edge of the optical film 1. 11 The second main surface has a non-adhesive region 2x 12 .

[0132] Double-sided adhesive-coated optical films with non-adhesive regions on both sides can achieve... Figure 16 The laminate 955 shown is fabricated using a mother substrate, on which a patterned first adhesive sheet 21 is bonded to a first main surface of the optical film 1, and a patterned second adhesive sheet 22 is bonded to a second main surface of the optical film 1. The laminate 955, having patterned adhesive sheets on both surfaces, can be formed by bonding the first main surface of the optical film 1... Figure 3D The laminate 154 shown is a laminate 254 containing a patterned adhesive sheet 22 bonded to the second main surface of the optical film 1. Similarly, the laminate 254 with a protective sheet 42 on the patterned adhesive sheet 22 can be manufactured by cutting and patterning the adhesive sheet 22 and the protective sheet 42 on the carrier sheet 44.

[0133] After partially cutting the laminate 955 from the side of slide 44 to the depth of slide 4, slides 4 and 44 on both sides are peeled off, thereby obtaining... Figure 15 The single-sheet double-sided adhesive optical film 59 is shown. The laminate 955 can also be cut from the side of the carrier 4 to the carrier 44. The carrier can be provided on only one side. For example, the carrier 44 can be peeled off from the laminate 955 before cutting, and a partial cut can be made from the side of the protective sheet 42 to the carrier 4.

[0134] In this embodiment, the patterning of the first adhesive sheet 21 on the carrier 4 and the patterning of the second adhesive sheet 22 on the carrier 44 are performed independently. Therefore, the shape, size, and position of the cutting and removal area 310 of the first adhesive sheet 21 and the shape, size, and position of the cutting and removal area 320 of the second adhesive sheet 22 can be set separately.

[0135] Alternatively, it could be a non-adhesive region 2x on the first main surface of an optical film with adhesive on both sides. 11 The non-adhesive area 2x on the second main surface 12 Their shapes, sizes, and positions differ. For example, such as Figure 15 As shown, the non-adhesive area 2x on the first main surface can be made 11 The width is greater than 2x the non-bonded area on the second main surface. 12 The width. It is also possible to fabricate double-sided adhesive optical films with non-adhesive areas at different locations on the first and second main surfaces.

[0136] The shape of the adhesive-coated optical film cut by the second cutting unit is not limited to a rectangle, and can be appropriately shaped according to the shape and size of the image display device. For example, the planar shape of the optical film can also be a polygon such as a triangle, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, circle, ellipse, star, etc.

[0137] (Using both carrier substrate and protective film)

[0138] In the above embodiment, the laminate formed by stacking a protective sheet (heavy peel sheet) 41, an adhesive sheet 21, and a protective sheet 40 (light peel sheet) on a carrier substrate 4 is cut to pattern the adhesive sheet 21. Thus, in the form of using the carrier sheet, after cutting the mother substrate using the second cutting unit, peeling is performed at the interface between the carrier sheet 4 and the protective sheet 41, thereby obtaining a single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film with the protective sheet 41 on the adhesive sheet 21.

[0139] Alternatively, instead of the carrier sheet 4, the protective sheet 41 attached to the adhesive sheet 21 can be used as a carrier substrate and an adhesive-coated optical film can be fabricated. In the cutting process performed using the first cutting unit and the second cutting unit, as long as the cutting is performed at a depth reaching the surface of the protective sheet (partial cutting), the protective sheet is not cut off, so the protective sheet can be used as a carrier substrate.

[0140] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a manufacturing process in which a protective sheet 41 attached to an adhesive sheet 21 is used as a carrier substrate and a single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film with a non-adhesive region is manufactured. Figures 18A to 18F It means Figure 17The accompanying drawings show cross-sectional views of the structure of the laminated body at reference numerals A to F. This is explained here. Figure 1 The example shown is a manufacturing example of an adhesive-bonded optical film, but this embodiment can also be applied to the manufacture of double-sided adhesive-bonded optical films described above, and adhesive-bonded optical films having non-adhesive areas in various regions.

[0141] exist Figure 17 In the winding roll 602, a roll of laminated adhesive sheet 2 is disposed. The laminated adhesive sheet 2 has protective sheets 40 and 41 on both sides of the adhesive sheet 21. The protective sheet 41 is a heavy-duty peeling sheet with higher adhesion to the adhesive sheet 21 than the protective sheet 40 with respect to the adhesive sheet 21. The protective sheet 41 also functions as a carrier substrate when cutting and conveying the adhesive sheet and the optical film.

[0142] The laminated adhesive sheet 2 rolled out by the self-winding roller 602 (refer to) Figure 18A The material moves downstream in the conveying direction via clamping roller 641 and reaches first cutting unit 631. At first cutting unit 631, a cut (partial cut) is made from the side of light peel sheet 40 to a depth reaching the surface of heavy peel sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate. By cutting to the surface of heavy peel sheet 41, cut lines 531a and 531b are formed on the light peel sheet 40 and adhesive sheet 21 constituting the laminated adhesive sheet 2 throughout the thickness direction. Figure 18B Alternatively, a cut can be formed on the re-peeling sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, but not reaching the back side of the re-peeling sheet 41. Except for forming the cutting lines 531a and 531b in a manner that does not reach the back side of the re-peeling sheet, the cutting performed using the first cutting unit 631 is the same as the cutting performed using the first cutting unit when the carrier sheet 4 is used as the carrier substrate (see reference). Figure 4 ).

[0143] After the cut lines are formed, the laminate 652 is conveyed to the clamping roller 642. A portion of the region 531 of the adhesive sheet 21 and the light peeling sheet 40, enclosed by a pair of cut lines 531a and 531b, is peeled off from the heavy peeling sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, as a cut sheet 661. The cut sheet 661 peeled off from the laminate 652 is then wound up and recovered by the take-up roller 692. Figure 18C Afterwards, the light release tab 40, temporarily bonded to the adhesive tab 21, is peeled off. Figure 18D It is then wound up and recovered by take-up roller 693. Alternatively, the cut sheet and the light peel sheet can be simultaneously peeled off and removed from the laminate.

[0144] The laminate 654, after the cut sheet and light peel sheet are removed, is conveyed to the clamping roller 643, and the optical film 1 rolled out from the roll-out roller 601 is laminated onto the adhesive sheet 21 to form the laminate 655. Figure 18EThus, by using the heavy peeling sheet 41 as a carrier substrate, the adhesive sheet is cut in a semi-cut manner using the first cutting unit, and the optical film 1 is bonded to the adhesive sheet after the cut sheet has been removed using a roll-to-roll process, thereby obtaining a longitudinally elongated laminate 655.

[0145] The laminate 655 moves downstream in the conveying direction and is cut by the second cutting unit 632. Figure 18F In the region where the adhesive sheet 21 is provided, a partial cut is made to reach the surface of the re-release sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, and cutting lines 532a2, 532a3, and 532a4 are formed on the optical film 1 and the adhesive sheet 21 throughout the thickness direction. Alternatively, a cut can be formed on the re-release sheet 41 that does not reach the back surface of the re-release sheet 41. In the region 310 where the adhesive sheet 21 is not provided, the optical film 1 is cut to form a cutting line 532a1. In this case, the cutting line 532a1 can simply be provided to cut the entire optical film 1 in the thickness direction. Alternatively, a cut can be formed on the re-release sheet 41 by cutting to reach the surface of the re-release sheet 41.

[0146] When forming cutting lines 532a1, 532a2, 532a3, and 532a4, the cutting is performed without reaching the back side of the re-peeling sheet 41. Otherwise, the cutting performed using the second cutting unit 632 is the same as the cutting performed using the second cutting unit when the carrier sheet 4 is used as the carrier substrate (see reference). Figure 5 After the optical film 1 and the adhesive sheet 21 are cut by the second cutting unit, the optical film 1 remains fixed to the re-release sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, in the laminate 656, and the re-release sheet 41 is not cut. Therefore, the adhesive sheet 21, which is in contact with and laminated on the re-release sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, and the optical film 1, which is attached to the adhesive sheet 21, also become a single unit, and the laminate 656 can be rolled and transported downstream.

[0147] The laminate 656, cut by the second cutting unit 632, is conveyed to the clamping roller 646 and wound into a roll by the winding roller 694 for recycling. The resulting laminate has an optical film 1 and an adhesive sheet 21 cut into rectangles on a longitudinally elongated protective sheet 41. By peeling this laminate at the interface between the protective sheet 41 and the adhesive sheet 21, the peeled laminate of the optical film 1 and the adhesive sheet 21 can be used as a single sheet of adhesive-coated optical film.

[0148] Alternatively, another single protective sheet can be attached to the adhesive sheet with the adhesive optical film after the self-protective sheet 41 has been peeled off. If the self-protective sheet 41 with the adhesive optical film is peeled off just before being attached to the image display unit, front surface transparent component, etc., then it is not necessary to provide an additional protective sheet on the adhesive sheet 21.

[0149] In the method of using the protective sheet 41 attached to the adhesive sheet 21 as a carrier substrate, by adjusting the formation positions of the cutting lines of the first and second cutting units, it is possible to fabricate adhesive-coated optical films with non-adhesive regions of various shapes. Furthermore, it is also possible to use the protective sheet 41 as a carrier substrate and fabricate double-sided adhesive-coated optical films. Figure 15 As shown, in the case of fabricating a double-sided adhesive optical film with non-adhesive areas on both sides of the optical film 1, the first adhesive sheet 21 and the protective sheet 41 are patterned on the carrier sheet 4, and the protective sheet 42 is used as a carrier substrate for patterning when the second adhesive sheet 22 is patterned.

[0150] In the above embodiments, when cutting is performed using the second cutting unit, a partial cut is performed without cutting the carrier substrate. However, it is also possible that at the second cutting unit, not only the optical film 1 and the adhesive sheet 21 are cut, but the carrier substrate is also cut, thus performing a full cut. Alternatively, the fully cut laminate can be placed on a suitable conveying component such as a belt conveyor and conveyed downstream, and the adhesive-coated optical film cut into individual sheets can be recovered.

[0151] At the second cutting unit, both full cuts and partial cuts can be used. For example, full cuts are used to form cut lines 532a1 and 532a2 extending in the transport direction, and partial cuts are used to form cut lines 532a3 and 532a4 extending in the width direction. By performing partial cuts in the width direction, the protective sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, maintains continuity in the transport direction, thus enabling the transport of the laminate using a roll-to-roll process. By forming cut lines using full cuts in the transport direction, a longitudinally elongated laminate corresponding to the width dimension of the adhesive-coated optical film as the final product can be obtained. In this longitudinally elongated laminate, multiple single sheets of adhesive-coated optical films are bonded to the protective sheet 41, which serves as the carrier substrate, along the transport direction. This laminate can also be applied to bonding workpieces such as image display units using a roll-to-plate method (e.g., Japanese Patent No. 4503689).

[0152] The cutting (cutting the optical film into individual sheets) performed by the second cutting unit can also be performed in multiple steps. For example, after forming a cutting line extending in a direction parallel to the transport direction, a cutting line extending in the width direction can be formed to cut the adhesive-coated optical film into individual sheets. Alternatively, a full cut can be used to form a cutting line extending in the transport direction to divide the film into multiple strips, and then a cutting line extending in the width direction can be formed on the divided mother substrate. Alternatively, the mother substrate after forming the cutting line extending in the transport direction can be temporarily wound up, and then a cutting line extending in the width direction can be formed using another process.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an adhesive optical film, the adhesive optical film having a first adhesive sheet on a first main surface of an optical film having a first main surface and a second main surface, and having a non-adhesion region on a part of the first main surface of the optical film where the first adhesive sheet is not provided, the adhesive optical film having a second adhesive sheet on a second main surface of the optical film, wherein, in the method for manufacturing the adhesive optical film, a laminated adhesive sheet in which an unpatterned first adhesive sheet is provided on a protective sheet used as a carrier sheet, and a light peeling sheet is temporarily adhered to the first adhesive sheet, is prepared, a peeling force at an interface between the protective sheet and the first adhesive sheet is larger than a peeling force at an interface between the first adhesive sheet and the light peeling sheet, a cut line is formed so that regions surrounded by the cut line are continuous in a conveyance direction of the laminated adhesive sheet by cutting the first adhesive sheet and the light peeling sheet on the protective sheet, and a part of the regions surrounded by the cut line of the first adhesive sheet and the light peeling sheet is peeled and removed from the protective sheet, and then the light peeling sheet temporarily adhered to the first adhesive sheet provided on the protective sheet is peeled and removed from the first adhesive sheet, thereby producing a laminate in which a first adhesive sheet is provided on a protective sheet, the first adhesive sheet is patterned by a region provided with an adhesive and a region not provided with an adhesive, a long mother substrate having an optical film, a second adhesive sheet, and a patterned first adhesive sheet on a long carrier substrate is produced by laminating the laminate and an optical film with the first adhesive sheet of the laminate and the first main surface of the optical film facing each other using a roll-to-roll process, and then laminating a second adhesive sheet on a second main surface of the optical film, or by laminating the laminate and an adhesive optical film having a second adhesive sheet on a second main surface of an optical film with the first adhesive sheet of the laminate and the first main surface of the optical film facing each other using a roll-to-roll process, the optical film, the first adhesive sheet, and the second adhesive sheet are cut from the mother substrate into a predetermined shape surrounded by a cut line, and at this time, a cut line is formed in a part of the optical film laminated with a region of the mother substrate not provided with a first adhesive sheet, thereby providing a non-adhesion region on a peripheral edge of a first main surface of a single optical film.

2. The method for manufacturing an adhesive optical film according to claim 1, wherein the region not provided with an adhesive of the first adhesive sheet of the laminate is patterned into a strip extending in a length direction.

3. The method for manufacturing an adhesive optical film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical film is cut from the mother substrate into a rectangle.

4. The method for manufacturing an adhesive optical film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical film includes a polarizing plate. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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