Resin film treatment apparatus, and heat treatment method of resin film

Abstract

To stably treat a resin film.SOLUTION: A resin film treatment apparatus 10 comprises an endless belt 11, a belt driving mechanism 12, a base sheet introducing machine 13, a resin film lay-up machine 14, a treatment area 15, and a resin film recovery machine 16. The base sheet introducing machine 13 introduces a base sheet 51 made of metal onto the endless belt 11 on the upstream side of the treatment area 15. The resin film lay-up machine 14 lays up a resin film 52 onto the base sheet 51 overlapped on the endless belt 11 on the upstream side of the treatment area 15. The resin film recovery machine 16 peels off the resin film 52 from the base sheet 51 on the downstream side of the treatment area 15 to recover the same.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a resin film processing apparatus and a heat treatment method for a resin film.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-103989 discloses a method for manufacturing a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film. In the method for manufacturing a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film disclosed in this publication, a film made of a thermoplastic polymer capable of forming an optically anisotropic molten phase (hereinafter, referred to as a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film) is continuously heat-treated in a state of being joined to a sheet-like support, and then the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film is separated from the support. Here, the heat treatment of the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film in a state of being joined to the support is carried out at a temperature of 5 to 60 seconds at a temperature of the melting point (Tm) of the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film - 15 °C or more and less than the melting point (Tm), and it is disclosed that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film is increased compared to the coefficient of thermal expansion before the heat treatment. In this publication, a long thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film unwound from an unwinding roll is fed into a heating roll in a state of being superposed on a sheet-like support made of a metal foil unwound from the unwinding roll, and joined by thermocompression bonding to produce a laminate. Then, this laminate is fed into a heat treatment apparatus and heat-treated, and thereafter, since the laminate is separated into a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film and a support, a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film having an increased coefficient of thermal expansion is obtained. In this publication, it is also stated that the thickness of the sheet-like support is preferably in the range of 7 to 200 μm, and more preferably in the range of 7 to 75 μm.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7121212 discloses an invention related to a resin film heat treatment apparatus. The resin film heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein includes an endless belt, a belt drive mechanism, a heating furnace, a resin film attaching machine, and a resin film collecting machine. The endless belt is a belt made of a metal sheet. The belt drive mechanism is a mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path. The heating furnace is arranged so as to cover a part of the running path of the endless belt. The resin film attaching machine is a device that supplies a resin film to the endless belt and attaches the resin film to the endless belt on the upstream side of the heating furnace. The resin film collecting machine is a device that peels off and collects the resin film from the endless belt on the downstream side of the heating furnace.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, the present inventor wants to provide a novel structure for an apparatus that stably processes a resin film with respect to the resin film processing apparatus as described above.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The resin film processing apparatus disclosed herein is an endless belt, a belt drive mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path, a processing area set in a part of the running path of the endless belt, a base material sheet introducing machine for introducing a metal base material sheet onto the endless belt on the upstream side of the processing area, On the upstream side of the processing area, a resin film pasting machine that pastes a resin film onto a base material sheet stacked on an endless belt, On the downstream side of the processing area, a resin film recovery machine that peels off and recovers the resin film from the base material sheet, is provided.

[0007] The resin film processing method is as follows. A belt furnace having a metal endless belt, a belt drive mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path, and a processing area set in a part of the running path of the endless belt is used. On the upstream side of the processing area, a metal base material sheet is introduced so as to be stacked on the endless belt, and further, a resin film is pasted onto the base material sheet, and On the downstream side of the processing area, the resin film is peeled off and recovered from the base material sheet conveyed along the endless belt. is included.

[0008] According to the resin film processing apparatus and the resin film processing method, the resin film is stably conveyed through the processing area and appropriately processed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, one of the typical embodiments in the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, members and parts having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional relationships (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each figure do not reflect the actual dimensional relationships.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a resin film processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the resin film processing apparatus 10 includes an endless belt 11, a belt drive mechanism 12, a base material sheet introducing machine 13, a resin film attaching machine 14, a processing area 15, and a resin film collecting machine 16. The resin film processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that applies required processing to the resin film 52 while attaching and conveying the resin film 52 to the endless belt 11.

[0012] 〈Endless Belt 11〉 The endless belt is a belt continuous in the circumferential direction. The width of the endless belt 11 is preferably wider than that of the base material sheet 51 and the resin film 52. The endless belt 11 is made of, for example, a metal sheet. Examples of the material of the metal sheet constituting the endless belt 11 include aluminum, copper, stainless steel, titanium, iron, chrome steel, nickel, and the like. It is preferable that a material having required resistance to the processing environment (temperature and atmosphere) in the processing area 15 is used for the belt of the endless belt 11. From this viewpoint, considering corrosion resistance and the like in the processing area 15, the endless belt 11 is preferably made of, for example, stainless steel. Further, when having required resistance to the processing environment (temperature and atmosphere) in the processing area 15, the endless belt 11 may be made of resin.

[0013] 〈Belt Drive Mechanism 12〉 The belt drive mechanism 12 is a mechanism that causes the endless belt 11 to travel along a predetermined travel path A1. In this embodiment, a processing area 15 is set in a part of the travel path A1 of the endless belt 11.

[0014] The belt drive mechanism 12 is arranged along the travel path A1 and includes a plurality of rollers around which an endless belt 11 is looped. The plurality of rollers include an upstream roller 12a arranged on the upstream side of the processing area 15 in the travel path A1 and a downstream roller 12b arranged on the downstream side of the processing area 15 in the travel path A1. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a form in which the endless belt 11 is looped around the upstream roller 12a and the downstream roller 12b arranged at a position separated from the upstream roller 12a across the processing area 15 is illustrated. The belt drive mechanism 12 is not limited to such a form. Here, the arrows C1 to C3 in FIG. 1 indicate the forward rotation directions of the endless belt 11, respectively.

[0015] In the form shown in FIG. 1, the endless belt 11 is looped around the upstream roller 12a and the downstream roller 12b provided at a position separated from the upstream roller 12a across the processing area 15.

[0016] The number of rollers around which the endless belt 11 is looped may further include a plurality of rollers. For example, along the forward rotation direction in the travel path A1, the path from the upstream roller 12a to the downstream roller 12b is referred to as the forward path A1a. Also, along the forward rotation direction in the travel path A1, the path from the downstream roller 12b to the upstream roller 12a is referred to as the return path A1b. In the forward path A1a, rollers for supporting the endless belt 11 may be provided. The rollers for supporting the endless belt 11 may be arranged, for example, in the processing area 15. Also, in the return path A1b, rollers for removing the sag of the endless belt 11 may be further arranged.

[0017] The belt drive mechanism 12 has a drive device 12f attached to one of a plurality of rollers 12a, 12b around which an endless belt 11 is looped along a predetermined travel path (in the form shown in FIG. 1, the downstream roller 12b). In this embodiment, the belt drive mechanism 12 has a drive device 12f attached to the downstream roller 12b provided on the downstream side of the processing area 15 among the plurality of rollers 12a, 12b. The drive device 12f is composed of, for example, a motor, and is configured to apply a rotational driving force to the downstream roller 12b via a power transmission mechanism 12f1 such as a gear or a timing belt. By controlling the rotational speed of the motor 12f, the conveyance speed of the endless belt 11 is adjusted. From this perspective, a servo motor is preferably used for the motor 12f. Arrow D1 in FIG. 1 indicates the forward rotation direction of the downstream roller 12b. Since the drive device 12f is attached to the downstream roller 12b, the endless belt 11 is pulled in the forward path A1a. Therefore, the endless belt 11 can stably travel in the processing area 15 set in the forward path A1a.

[0018] The belt drive mechanism 12 may be provided with a tensioner for maintaining the tension of the endless belt 11. The structure of the tensioner is not particularly limited, and various structures can be applied. The position where the tensioner is provided in the belt drive mechanism 12 may be any position that does not interfere with the heat treatment of the resin film 52, and is not particularly limited. For example, in the region where the endless belt 11 passes through the heating furnace, an appropriate tension may be applied to the endless belt 11. In this case, the tensioner may be provided on the line where the endless belt 11 passes through the heating furnace. Here, as the plurality of rollers 12a, 12b of the belt drive mechanism 12, a so-called crown type in which the central portion in the axial direction is appropriately raised can be used. By using a crown type pulley, deviation and meandering of the endless belt 11 can be suppressed.

[0019] <Substrate Sheet Introduction Machine 13> The base material sheet introducer 13 is a device that introduces a metallic base material sheet 51 onto the endless belt 11 on the upstream side of the processing region 15. In this embodiment, the base material sheet 51 is prepared in the form of a raw sheet 51a wound around a shaft 51b in a roll shape. The base material sheet introducer 13 pulls out the base material sheet 51 from the raw sheet 51a wound around the shaft 51b along a predetermined travel path, and feeds out the base material sheet 51 to a position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the upstream roller 12a. Thus, in this embodiment, the base material sheet introducer 13 is configured to feed out the base material sheet 51 so as to overlap the endless belt 11 at the position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the upstream roller 12a.

[0020] 〈Base material sheet 51〉 The base material sheet 51 is a sheet to which the resin film 52 is attached in the heat treatment of the resin film 52. The base material sheet 51 is a strip-shaped sheet wider than the resin film 52. Here, examples of the material of the metal sheet constituting the base material sheet 51 include aluminum, copper, stainless steel, titanium, iron, chromium steel, nickel, and the like. Further, the base material sheet 51 preferably has a surface roughness suitable for attaching a resin film, for example, a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film. Further, it is preferable that the surface of the base material sheet 51 is maintained substantially smooth even when it travels in a state of being overlapped on the endless belt 11 by the belt drive mechanism 12. The resin film 52 extends in the processing region 15 in response to the thermal expansion of the base material sheet 51. From this viewpoint, the metal constituting the base material sheet 51 preferably has an appropriate coefficient of thermal expansion. Thus, the material used for the base material sheet 51 is preferably selected in consideration of corrosion resistance, durability, smoothness, and the coefficient of thermal expansion required for heat treatment. The resin film 52 is attached to the base material sheet 51 on the upstream side of the processing region 15 and is introduced into the processing region 15 together with the base material sheet 51.

[0021] 〈Resin film 52〉 Here, the resin film 52 to be heat-treated is preferably a thermoplastic resin. In this embodiment, the resin film 52 to be heat-treated is a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film. The thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer used for the liquid crystal polymer film is not particularly limited. For the liquid crystal polymer film, for example, those disclosed in JP-A-2005-103989, known thermotropic liquid crystal polyesters, thermotropic liquid crystal polyester amides, etc. can be used. The type, width, and thickness of the resin film 52 can be determined according to various uses and needs. For example, the width of the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film can be, for example, 200 mm, 300 mm, 500 mm, etc., and the thickness of the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film can be appropriately determined according to the use, such as 10 μm to several tens of μm.

[0022] In this embodiment, the resin film 52 before heat treatment is prepared in the state of a raw roll 52a wound in a roll shape around the axis 52b. The resin film 52 before heat treatment is previously formed into a long strip-shaped film. Such a resin film 52 is, for example, a thermoplastic resin and is formed by extrusion molding in which it is melted and extruded from a die of a predetermined shape.

[0023] 〈Resin film pasting machine 14〉 The resin film pasting machine 14 is a device that pastes the resin film 52 onto the base material sheet 51 superposed on the endless belt 11 on the upstream side of the processing region 15. In this embodiment, the resin film pasting machine 14 includes a film feeding device 14a and a pressing roller 14b.

[0024] 〈Film feeding device 14a〉 The film feeding device 14a is a device that feeds out the resin film 52 so as to be stacked on the base material sheet 51 stacked on the endless belt 11 wound around the upstream roller 12a. In this embodiment, the film feeding device 14a is configured such that the resin film 52 before heat treatment is drawn out from the original roll 51a on which the resin film 52 is wound, toward the endless belt 11, and guided to a predetermined position on the endless belt 11 wound around the upstream roller 12a along a predetermined running path. The film feeding device 14a may be provided with a device for adjusting the speed at which the resin film 52 before heat treatment is drawn out from the original roll 51a, a device for adjusting the tension, and the like.

[0025] 〈Pressing roller 14b〉 The pressing roller 14b is a roller that presses the resin film 52 against the base material sheet 51 stacked on the endless belt 11. In this embodiment, the pressing roller 14b is arranged to face the upstream roller 12a. The pressing roller 14b is configured to press the resin film 52 against the base material sheet 51 stacked on the endless belt 11 at the position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the upstream roller 12a. On the upstream roller 12a, the endless belt 11 and the base material sheet 51 are not easily deflected. Therefore, the resin film 52 is appropriately pressed against the base material sheet 51 by the pressing roller 14b. The support mechanism for supporting the pressing roller 14b preferably includes an actuator 14b1 that presses the pressing roller 14b against the base material sheet 51. The support mechanism is preferably configured to press the pressing roller 14b against the base material sheet 51 in the radial direction of the upstream roller 12a toward the central axis 12a2 of the upstream roller 12a. The actuator 14b1 may include, for example, a guide that regulates the direction in which the pressing roller 14b is pressed against the base material sheet 51. The pressing roller 14b is, for example, a roller having a width wider than that of the resin film 52, and is preferably configured to press the entire resin film 52 against the endless belt 11 along the width direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the pressing roller 14b is disposed vertically upward toward the central axis 12a2 of the upstream roller 12a so as to face the upstream roller 12a. The base material sheet feeder 13 feeds out the base material sheet 51 so as to be stacked on the endless belt 11 along the upstream roller 12a at an upstream position along the rotation direction of the endless belt 11 from above the central axis 12a2 of the upstream roller 12a. The fed base material sheet 51 is placed on the endless belt 11 wound around the upstream roller 12a and conveyed along the forward path A1a of the endless belt 11 through the position where the pressing roller 14b faces. The film feeder 14a feeds out the resin film 52 so as to be stacked on the base material sheet 51 at the position where the pressing roller 14b faces. The fed resin film 52 is conveyed along the forward path A1a of the endless belt 11 after being pressed against the base material sheet 51 by the pressing roller 14b.

[0027] In this embodiment, the pressing roller 14b is a roller whose outer peripheral surface is made of rubber. Since the outer peripheral surface of the pressing roller 14b is rubber 14b2, the resin film 52 is less likely to be scratched. Further, the pressing roller 14b is provided with a cooling device 14b3. In this embodiment, the pressing roller 14b is provided with a pipe through which a refrigerant (for example, water) passes in the shaft portion, and the cooling device 14b3 may be, for example, a device that supplies a refrigerant (for example, water) to the shaft portion of the pressing roller 14b. In this case, the pressing roller 14b is cooled by the passage of the refrigerant through the shaft portion of the pressing roller 14b. Note that the cooling device 14b3 of the pressing roller 14b is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, it may be a device that blows cold air onto the outer peripheral surface of the pressing roller 14b.

[0028] 〈Upstream roller 12a〉 The upstream roller 12a is provided with a heater 12a1. For example, the upstream roller 12a may be provided with a mechanism for heating the roller surface to a required temperature. Such rollers may employ, for example, a structure in which a fluid circulates inside the roller, a roll incorporating an electric heater, a structure in which the roller itself (e.g., the jacket constituting the outer peripheral surface of the roller) generates heat by induction heating due to electromagnetic induction, etc. The upstream roller 12a may be provided with a heater that generates heat on the roller surface by electromagnetic induction. For example, a roller utilizing induction heating such as the induction heating jacket roll manufactured by Tokuden Co., Ltd. may be employed.

[0029] According to the roller utilizing induction heating, the surface temperature of the upstream roller 12a can be made uniform, for example, within ±0.5°C. Therefore, it is easy to control the surface temperature of the roll. Thus, appropriate heat can be applied to the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52, and the surface of the resin film 52 on the base sheet 51 side can be appropriately softened. Therefore, the resin film 52 pressed against the base sheet 51 by the pressing roller 14b can be appropriately attached to the base sheet 51. The resin film processing apparatus 10 may be provided with a control device 12a3 for controlling the temperature of the surface of the upstream roller 12a to a predetermined temperature.

[0030] Although not shown, at the position where the pressing roller 14b presses the resin film 52 against the base sheet 51, another sheet may be fed out and stacked on the resin film 52. By stacking another sheet on the resin film 52, it is possible to prevent the resin film 52 from being damaged when the resin film 52 is attached to the endless belt 11. Such another sheet may be a protective sheet for protecting the resin film 52. Another sheet may be, for example, a polyimide film. The polyimide film is suitable, for example, when the resin film 52 to be heat-treated is a liquid crystal polymer film.

[0031] Note that here, it is mentioned that another sheet is further stacked on the resin film 52 stacked on the base sheet 51, but such a process may not be necessary unless otherwise specified. For example, even without such a process, if the resin film 52 is not easily damaged, or if the damage to the resin film 52 is eliminated during the subsequent heat treatment, or if there is no problem even if the resin film 52 is slightly damaged due to the pasting process of pasting the resin film 52 on the endless belt 11, etc., another sheet may not be further stacked on the resin film 52. Thus, in this resin film processing apparatus 10, whether to stack another sheet on the resin film 52 stacked on the base sheet 51 can be arbitrarily selected according to the application.

[0032] 〈Processing area 15〉 The processing area 15 is an area where required processing is performed on the resin film 52 pasted on the base sheet 51. The processing area 15 is set as a part of the traveling path A1. In the form shown in FIG. 1, in the processing area 15, a first shutter 15a, a first air curtain 15b, a heating furnace 15c, a cooling chamber 15d, a second air curtain 15e, and a second shutter 15f are provided in this order.

[0033] The first shutter 15a is arranged at the entrance of the processing area 15 and is a partition that separates the space of the processing area 15 and the external space in the traveling direction. The second shutter 15f is arranged at the exit of the processing area 15 and is a partition that separates the space of the processing area 15 and the external space in the traveling direction. The first air curtain 15b is provided on the entrance side of the heating furnace 15c and is a device that blocks the atmosphere to prevent the atmosphere of the heating furnace 15c from leaking to the outside. The second air curtain 15e is provided on the exit side of the cooling chamber 15d and is a device that blocks the atmosphere to prevent the atmosphere of the cooling chamber 15d from leaking to the outside.

[0034] 〈Heating furnace 15c〉 The heating furnace 15c is a device for heating the resin film 52 attached to the base material sheet 51, and includes a tunnel-shaped furnace body that partitions the space in the running area of the endless belt 11, and a heater 15c1 installed in the furnace body. The heater 15c1 may be, for example, a ceramic heater or an infrared heater. Further, the heater 15c1 may be provided with a blower and blow hot air onto the resin film 52 that is attached to and conveyed by the base material sheet 51. Also, although not shown, the heating furnace 15c may be provided with a gas supply port and a gas discharge port for adjusting the atmosphere in the internal space. A gas supply device for supplying the processing atmosphere may be connected to the gas supply port. For example, the resin film 52 can be heat-treated in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen.

[0035] Further, there may be a partition such as a heat insulating wall inside the heating furnace 15c. By providing a partition so as to partition the space inside the heating furnace 15c with respect to the running path of the endless belt 11, the temperature and atmosphere can be adjusted for each space partitioned by the partition. For example, the internal atmosphere of the heating furnace 15c can be gradually heated up or gradually cooled down along the running path of the endless belt 11. Note that the temperature conditions inside the heating furnace 15c can be appropriately determined according to the material of the resin film 52 to be heat-treated and the conveyance speed.

[0036] The base material sheet 51 is heated in the heating furnace 15c and expands according to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material used for the base material sheet 51. When the base material sheet 51 expands, the resin film 52 attached to the base material sheet 51 expands accordingly. By appropriately expanding the resin film 52 while being heated, the heat resistance of the resin film 52 is improved. From this perspective, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the base material sheet 51 is preferably larger than that of the resin film 52 before the heat treatment.

[0037] For example, in the heat treatment of a liquid crystal polymer film, by applying thermal energy to the liquid crystal polymer film, the fine structure of the copolymer changes to a stronger structure, and the heat distortion temperature of the film increases. Further, by gradually decreasing the temperature of the heat treatment, the heat distortion temperature of the liquid crystal polymer film can be gradually increased. The resin film treatment apparatus 10 can adjust the conveyance speed of the base material sheet 51 (the conveyance speed of the endless belt 11), the atmosphere and temperature in the heating furnace 15c, and the residence time for each atmosphere. Thereby, the base material sheet 51 and the resin film 52 being conveyed can be adjusted to the target temperature. Furthermore, in the resin film treatment apparatus 10, in addition to applying thermal energy to the liquid crystal polymer film, the liquid crystal polymer film is stretched according to the thermal expansion of the base material sheet 51. Thereby, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the liquid crystal polymer film can be adjusted.

[0038] The liquid crystal polymer film is intended to be used as a flexible electronic circuit board. By the above heat treatment, the heat resistance of the liquid crystal polymer film is improved, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the liquid crystal polymer film can be adjusted so that the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion from a laminate made of a metal foil and a mounting component is reduced. Thereby, the reliability of the electronic circuit is improved. When the resin film 52 to be heat-treated is a liquid crystal polymer film, it is preferable that the material used for the base material sheet 51 is selected from the viewpoints of improving the heat resistance of the liquid crystal polymer film and adjusting the coefficient of thermal expansion. From such a viewpoint, the material used for the base material sheet 51 is preferably, for example, stainless steel or aluminum.

[0039] In addition, the base sheet 51 to which the liquid crystal polymer film as the resin film 52 is attached may be a thin foil-like sheet. Since it is used in a roll-to-roll manner, the resin film 52 is attached to a new site each time. Therefore, the surface quality of the resin film 52 attached to the base sheet 51 can be improved. Further, the endless belt 11 functions as a support member for supporting the base sheet 51. The resin film 52 is not directly attached to the endless belt 11. From this perspective, the degree of freedom in material selection for the endless belt 11 is increased. Since the resin film 52 is not directly attached to the endless belt 11, the surface quality of the endless belt 11 is also easily maintained at a high level.

[0040] 〈Cooling chamber 15d〉 The cooling chamber 15d is arranged on the downstream side of the heating furnace 15c, and a space for cooling the resin film 52 and the base sheet 51 heated in the heating furnace 15c is formed. In the cooling chamber 15d, for example, water-cooling pipes may be stretched around, and it may have a structure for maintaining the temperature inside the chamber at a predetermined temperature. Further, the cooling chamber 15d may have a structure for introducing cold air into the chamber. In this embodiment, the resin film 52 and the base sheet 51 exit the processing region 15 in a cooled state in the cooling chamber 15d.

[0041] Here, the configuration of the processing region 15 is illustrated in the form shown in FIG. 1, but the configuration of the processing region 15 is not limited to the form illustrated here. For example, only a heating furnace for heating the resin film 52 and the endless belt 11 may be arranged in the processing region 15.

[0042] 〈Resin film recovery machine 16〉 The resin film 52 attached to the base material sheet 51 is heated and cooled in the processing region 15 while being attached to the base material sheet 51. The resin film 52 that has passed through the processing region 15 is attached onto the base material sheet 51 while the base material sheet 51 is conveyed along the endless belt 11. The endless belt 11 reverses along the downstream roller 12b. In this embodiment, the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base material sheet 51 while the endless belt 11 is reversing along the downstream roller 12b and on the way toward the return path A1b.

[0043] In this embodiment, the point at which the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base material sheet 51 may be set, for example, at a position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the downstream roller 12b by 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction. In other words, the point at which the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base material sheet 51 may be set further on the return path A1b side than the position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the downstream roller 12b by about 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the endless belt z11 is wound from the top to the bottom of the downstream roller 12b (when the top of the downstream roller 12b is defined as 0 degrees and the circumferential direction is defined along the traveling direction of the endless belt 11, in the range of 0 degrees to 180 degrees). In this embodiment, the point at which the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base material sheet 51 is set on the downstream side (in the range of 90 degrees to 180 degrees) of the range where the endless belt 11 is wound around the downstream roller 12b. For example, it may be set in the range of 110 degrees to 150 degrees on the downstream side of the downstream roller 12b. In this embodiment, it is set at the position of 120 degrees on the downstream side of the downstream roller 12b.

[0044] At the point where the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base sheet 51, for example, a guide bar 16a for inverting the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 may be installed. The base sheet 51 is separated from the endless belt 11 with its orientation changed and wound around a take-up shaft 16b along the guide bar 16a. The resin film 52 is peeled off from the base sheet 51 and wound around a take-up shaft 16c at the position where the base sheet 51 is inverted along the guide bar 16a. In this case, the force acting on the base sheet 51 when the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base sheet 51 hardly affects the tension of the base sheet 51 in the forward path where the processing area 15 is set. Therefore, in the processing area 15, the resin film 52 is appropriately processed.

[0045] Thus, in this resin film processing apparatus 10, upstream of the processing area 15 set in a part of the running path A1 of the endless belt 11, a metal base sheet 51 is overlaid on the endless belt 11, and a resin film 52 is further attached on the base sheet 51. Then, after the required processing is performed on the resin film 52 in the processing area 15, the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base sheet 51 and recovered downstream of the processing area 15. In this case, since the base sheet 51 is supported by the endless belt 11, the resin film 52 is appropriately and stably attached, and the resin film 52 is stably conveyed through the processing area 15.

[0046] In the resin film processing apparatus 10, at the position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the upstream roller 12a disposed on the upstream side of the processing region 15, the base material sheet 51 is overlaid on the endless belt 11. Further, at the position where the endless belt 11 is wound around the upstream roller 12a, the resin film 52 is overlaid on the base material sheet 51, and the resin film 52 is pressed against the base material sheet 51 by the pressing roller 14b disposed so as to face the upstream roller 12a. In the portion of the endless belt 11 supported by the upstream roller 12a, the base material sheet 51 is supported along the upstream roller 12a, so that the base material sheet 51 is less likely to bend. Further, since the resin film 52 is pressed against the base material sheet 51 by the pressing roller 14b, the resin film 52 is appropriately overlaid on the base material sheet 51.

[0047] Further, in this embodiment, the upstream roller 12a is provided with a heater, and the surface of the resin film 52 overlaid on the base material sheet 51 is appropriately softened by receiving heat from the upstream roller 12a and adheres to the base material sheet 51 by being pressed against the base material sheet 51 by the pressing roller 14b. In this case, it is preferable that the upstream roller 12a employs a heater that uniformly generates heat on the roller surface. From this viewpoint, the upstream roller 12a may be constituted by a heater that generates heat on the roller surface by electromagnetic induction. According to the heater that generates heat on the roller surface by electromagnetic induction, the roller surface is uniformly heated. Also, temperature control of the roller surface may be easy.

[0048] Further, the resin film 52 is pressed against the endless belt 11 by the pressing roller 14b. In this embodiment, the resin film 52 is pressed against the endless belt 11 by the pressing roller 14b at the position supported by the upstream roller 12a that generates heat. In this case, the resin film 52 receives heat from the upstream roller 12a and the surface thereof is softened at the portion of the endless belt 11 supported by the upstream roller 12a, and is pressed against the endless belt 11 by the pressing roller 14b. Therefore, the resin film 52 can be appropriately attached to the endless belt 11.

[0049] In this embodiment, the pressing roller 14b is a roller with a rubber surface. Therefore, the resin film 52 pressed against the endless belt 11 is less likely to be scratched than when a roller with a metal surface is used. Further, since the pressing roller 14b is provided with a cooling device 14b3, the temperature of the rubber on the surface of the pressing roller 14b is kept low. For this reason, deterioration of the rubber 14b2 on the surface of the pressing roller 14b due to the heat received from the upstream roller 12a is suppressed. Note that the type of the rubber 14b2 on the surface of the pressing roller 14b, the thickness of the rubber 14b2, and the cooling by the cooling device 14b3 may be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the effect of making the resin film 52 less likely to be scratched and the heat received from the upstream roller 12a.

[0050] Here, it is exemplified that the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 are heat-sealed by the heat received from the upstream roller 12a. The resin film processing apparatus is not limited to such a form. For example, an adhesive may be applied in advance to at least one of the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52, and the resin film 52 may be stacked on the base sheet 51 so that the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 are adhered to each other. Further, when an adhesive is applied in advance to at least one of the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 and the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 are adhered to each other, the upstream roller 12a does not need to generate heat. Further, when the upstream roller 12a does not generate heat or when the surface of the pressing roller 14b is not made of rubber, the pressing roller 14b may not be provided with the cooling device 14b3.

[0051] In this embodiment, a drive device 12f for rotating the downstream roller 12b is attached to the downstream roller 12b. For this reason, the endless belt 11 is pulled in the forward path A1a where the processing area 15 is provided. For this reason, in the processing area 15, the endless belt 11 is stably conveyed. Further, in this embodiment, in the resin film recovery machine 16, the point where the resin film 52 is peeled off from the base sheet 51 is set below the downstream roller 12b among the side circumferential surfaces of the downstream roller 12b. The resin film recovery machine 16 includes a guide bar 16a disposed on the downstream side of the downstream roller 12b in the area where the endless belt 11 is wound around the side circumferential surface of the downstream roller 12b. Then, with the guide bar 16a as a reference point, the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 are inverted. According to such a configuration, the guide bar 16a is disposed on the downstream side of the downstream roller 12b in the area where the endless belt 11 is wound around the side circumferential surface of the downstream roller 12b. For this reason, the base sheet 51 overlaid on the endless belt 11 is conveyed in a state where a required tension is applied along the traveling path A1 of the endless belt 11. Therefore, in the forward path A1a of the endless belt 11 where the processing area 15 is provided, the base sheet 51 and the resin film 52 can be appropriately conveyed.

[0052] The heat treatment method of the resin film 52 mentioned here is embodied in the above resin film processing apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The specific form of the heat treatment method of the resin film 52 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified.

[0053] Here, as the heat treatment method of the resin film 52, a so-called belt furnace having a metal endless belt 11, a belt drive mechanism 12 for running the endless belt 11 along a predetermined running path A1, and a processing area 15 set in a part of the running path A1 of the endless belt 11 is used.

[0054] The heat treatment method of the resin film 52 proposed here includes an attachment step S1, a processing step S2, and a recovery step S3.

[0055] In the pasting step S1, on the upstream side of the processing region 15, a metal base sheet 51 is introduced so as to be overlapped on the endless belt 11, and a resin film 52 is further pasted on the base sheet 51. In the processing step S2, required processing may be performed on the resin film 52 in a state where it is pasted on the base sheet 51. Here, for example, the resin film 52 may be heat-treated, or may be stretched in accordance with the thermal expansion of the base sheet 51. In the recovery step S3, on the downstream side of the processing region 15, the resin film 52 may be peeled off from the base sheet 51 and recovered.

[0056] According to the heat treatment method of the resin film 52 proposed here, since the resin film 52 is pasted on the base sheet 51 supported by the endless belt 11, the resin film 52 is stably conveyed to the processing region 15 and is appropriately processed in the processing region 15.

[0057] In this case, in the pasting step S1, at a position where the base sheet 51 is wound around the upstream roller 12a of the endless belt 11, the base sheet 51 may be introduced onto the endless belt 11, and the resin film 52 may be overlapped on the base sheet 51. Thereby, the resin film 52 is overlapped on the base sheet 51 in a more stable state. In this case, as in the form shown in FIG. 1, the endless belt 11 has the base sheet 51 introduced at a first position P1 along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller 12a of the endless belt 11, and the resin film is overlapped on the base sheet 51 at a second position P2 along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller 12a, which is downstream of the first position P1.

[0058] The upstream roller 12a may be a roller that at least its surface generates heat. Thereby, due to the heat received from the upstream roller 12a, the resin film 52 is attached to the base sheet 51 by heat fusion. In this case, the resin film 52 stacked on the base sheet 51 on the upstream roller 12a may be pressed by the pressing roller 14b. In this case, the pressing roller 14b may be a roller at least whose outer peripheral surface is made of rubber. Further, when a roller with an outer peripheral surface made of rubber is used, the pressing roller 14b may be pressed while being cooled. In the processing region 15, the base sheet 51 may be heated, and the resin film 52 may be stretched as the base sheet 51 thermally expands.

[0059] The endless belt 11 may be wound around the downstream roller 12b on the downstream side of the processing region 15. In the step of recovery, the point where the resin film 52 is peeled off from the endless belt 11 may be set on the lower side of the side peripheral surface of the downstream roller 12b among the side peripheral surfaces of the downstream roller 12b.

[0060] As described above, the detailed description of the invention disclosed herein has been given, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. Also, the disclosure herein can be variously modified, and each component and each process mentioned herein can be appropriately omitted or appropriately combined as long as no particular problem occurs.

[0061] This specification includes the inventions specified in the following sections.

[0062] Item 1: An endless belt, A belt drive mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path, A processing region set in a part of the running path of the endless belt, A base sheet introduction machine for introducing a metal base sheet onto the endless belt on the upstream side of the processing region, A resin film attaching machine for attaching a resin film onto the base sheet stacked on the endless belt on the upstream side of the processing region, A resin film recovery machine that peels and recovers a resin film from the base material sheet on the downstream side of the processing area equipped with Resin film processing apparatus

[0063] Item 2: The belt drive mechanism is arranged along the running path and includes a plurality of rollers around which the endless belt is wound Among the plurality of rollers an upstream roller arranged on the upstream side of the processing area in the running path, and a downstream roller arranged on the downstream side of the processing area in the running path are included The base material sheet introducer is configured to feed out the base material sheet so as to overlap the endless belt at a position where the endless belt is wound around the upstream roller The resin film pasting machine is a film feeding device that feeds out a resin film so as to overlap the base material sheet at a position where the endless belt is wound around the upstream roller, and a pressing roller that is arranged to face the upstream roller at a position where the endless belt is wound around the upstream roller and presses the resin film against the base material sheet is provided with The resin film processing apparatus according to Item 1

[0064] Item 3: The upstream roller is provided with a heater. The resin film processing apparatus according to Item 2

[0065] Item 4: The upstream roller is provided with a heater that generates heat on the roller surface by electromagnetic induction. The resin film processing apparatus according to Item 2

[0066] Item 5: The resin film processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressing roller is a roller having at least an outer peripheral surface made of rubber.

[0067] Item 6: The resin film processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressing roller is a roller having at least an outer peripheral surface made of rubber and is provided with a cooling device.

[0068] Item 7: The pressing roller is provided with a pipe through which a refrigerant passes in a shaft portion. The resin film processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cooling device of the pressing roller may be a device that supplies a refrigerant to a shaft portion of the pressing roller.

[0069] Item 8: The resin film processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein a driving device for rotating the downstream roller is attached to the downstream roller.

[0070] Item 9: The resin film recovery machine includes a guide bar disposed downstream of the downstream roller in a region where the endless belt is wound around a side peripheral surface of the downstream roller. The resin film processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the base material sheet and the resin film are inverted with the guide bar as a reference point.

[0071] Item 10: A belt furnace having a metal endless belt, a belt drive mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path, and a processing region set in a part of the running path of the endless belt is used. On the upstream side of the processing region, a metal base material sheet is introduced so as to be overlaid on the endless belt, and further, a resin film is attached onto the base material sheet, and On the downstream side of the processing region, the resin film is peeled off from the base material sheet conveyed along the endless belt and recovered. A resin film processing method including the above.

[0072] Item 11: The endless belt is looped around the upstream roller on the upstream side of the processing area, wherein the base sheet is introduced at a first position along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller in the endless belt, and a resin film is overlaid on the base sheet at a second position along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller that is downstream of the first position. The method according to item 10.

[0073] Item 12: The method according to item 11, wherein at least the surface of the upstream roller generates heat.

[0074] Item 13: The method according to item 12, wherein the resin film is pressed against the base sheet by the pressing roller on the upstream roller.

[0075] Item 14: The method according to item 13, wherein the pressing roller is a roller having at least an outer peripheral surface made of rubber.

[0076] Item 15: The method according to item 14, wherein the pressing roller is pressed while being cooled.

[0077] Item 16: The method according to any one of items 10 to 15, wherein the base sheet is heated in the processing area, and the resin film is stretched as the base sheet thermally expands.

[0078] Item 17: The endless belt is looped around the downstream roller on the downstream side of the processing area, wherein the base sheet is inverted and the resin film is peeled off from the base sheet along a guide bar arranged downstream of the downstream roller within the range where the endless belt is looped around the downstream roller. The method according to any one of items 10 to 16.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0079] 10 Resin Film Processing Apparatus 11 Endless Belt 12 Belt Driving Mechanism 12a Upstream Roller 12a1 Heater 12a2 Central Axis 12a3 Control Device 12b Downstream Roller 12f Driving Device (Motor) 12f1 Power Transmission Mechanism 13 Base Material Sheet Feeding Machine 14 Resin Film Affixing Machine 14a Film Feeding Device 14b Pressing Roller 14b1 Actuator 14b2 Rubber 14b3 Cooling Device 15 Processing Area 15a First Shutter 15b First Air Curtain 15c Heating Furnace 15c1 Heater 15d Cooling Chamber 15e Second Air Curtain 15f Second Shutter 16 Resin Film Recovery Machine 16a Guide Bar 16b Take-up Shaft of Base Material Sheet 51 16c Take-up Shaft of Resin Film 52 51 Base Material Sheet 51a Reel of Base Material Sheet 51 51b Shaft of Reel of Base Material Sheet 51 52 Resin Film 52a Reel of Resin Film 52 52b Shaft of Reel of Resin Film 52 A1 Travel Route A1a Outward Route A1b Return Route C1~C3 Arrows Indicating the Forward Rotation Direction of the Endless Belt 11 Respectively Arrow indicating the forward rotation direction of the downstream roller 12b P1 First position along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller 12a among the endless belt 11 P2 Second position along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller 12a, downstream of the first position P1

Claims

1. An endless belt, a belt drive mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path, a processing area set in a part of the running path of the endless belt, a base material sheet introducing machine for introducing a metal base material sheet onto the endless belt on the upstream side of the processing area, a resin film attaching machine for attaching a resin film onto the base material sheet superposed on the endless belt on the upstream side of the processing area, a resin film recovering machine for peeling off and recovering the resin film from the base material sheet on the downstream side of the processing area and a resin film processing apparatus.

2. The belt drive mechanism includes a plurality of rollers arranged along the running path and around which the endless belt is looped, and the plurality of rollers include an upstream roller arranged on the upstream side of the processing area in the running path, and a downstream roller arranged on the downstream side of the processing area in the running path and are included. The base material sheet introducing machine is configured to feed out the base material sheet so as to be superposed on the endless belt at a position where the endless belt is looped around the upstream roller, The resin film attaching machine includes a film feeding device for feeding out the resin film so as to be superposed on the base material sheet at a position where the endless belt is looped around the upstream roller, and a pressing roller arranged to face the upstream roller at a position where the endless belt is looped around the upstream roller and pressing the resin film against the base material sheet and is provided with. The resin film processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The resin film processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the upstream roller is provided with a heater.

4. The resin film processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the upstream roller is provided with a heater that generates heat on the roller surface by electromagnetic induction.

5. The resin film processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the pressing roller is a roller at least the outer peripheral surface of which is made of rubber.

6. The resin film processing apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the pressing roller is a roller at least the outer peripheral surface of which is made of rubber and is provided with a cooling device.

7. The pressing roller is provided with a pipe through which a refrigerant passes in the shaft portion, The resin film processing apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the cooling device of the pressing roller may be a device for supplying a refrigerant to the shaft portion of the pressing roller.

8. The resin film processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a driving device for rotating the downstream roller is attached to the downstream roller.

9. The resin film recovery machine includes a guide bar disposed on the downstream side of the downstream roller in a region where the endless belt is wound around the side circumferential surface of the downstream roller. The resin film processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the base material sheet and the resin film are inverted with the guide bar as a reference point.

10. A belt furnace having a metal endless belt, a belt drive mechanism for running the endless belt along a predetermined running path, and a processing area set in a part of the running path of the endless belt is used. On the upstream side of the processing area, a metal base material sheet is introduced so as to be overlaid on the endless belt, and further, a resin film is attached on the base material sheet. On the downstream side of the processing area, the resin film is peeled off and recovered from the base material sheet conveyed along the endless belt. A resin film processing method including the above.

11. The endless belt is wound around an upstream roller on the upstream side of the processing area. The base material sheet is introduced at a first position along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller of the endless belt, and the resin film is overlaid on the base material sheet at a second position along the circumferential direction of the upstream roller downstream of the first position. The method according to claim 10.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least the surface of the upstream roller generates heat.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the resin film is pressed against the base material sheet by the pressing roller on the upstream roller.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pressing roller is a roller made of rubber at least on its outer circumferential surface.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pressing roller is pressed while being cooled.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the base material sheet is heated in the processing area, and the resin film is stretched as the base material sheet thermally expands.

17. The endless belt is wound around the downstream roller on the downstream side of the processing area. The method according to claim 10, wherein the base material sheet is inverted and the resin film is peeled off from the base material sheet along a guide bar disposed on the downstream side of the downstream roller within the range where the endless belt is wound around the downstream roller.

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