Roller, film laminating device, and film laminating method

Abstract

To compromise design quality, which is the aesthetic appearance of the film after application, and in which the roller, which applies a load and presses the film against the object to which it is attached, has the shape of a cylinder extending in a specified axial direction, then if the length of the roller in the rotational axial direction is shorter than the width of the film, distortion and deformation defects of the adhesive layer of the film occur at the edge where the roller and the film contact when the roller needs to move axially and press the roller again after pressing a part of the film with the roller, and these cause appearance problems called shock lines on the surface of the film.SOLUTION: The roller has a cylindrical core, a support portion located on the central axis of the core and supporting the core in a rotatable manner, a foam covering the entire circumference of the core and having a flat outer surface, an actuator for operating the foam, and a fixing portion for fixing the support portion and the actuator, with at least one end of the outer surface bent toward the central axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a roller, a film application device, and a film application method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a film application device described in Patent Document 1 and an application tool described in Patent Document 2 are known as technologies for applying decorative films with colors, patterns, etc. to objects such as the ceiling of a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-196154 [Patent Document 2] Registered Utility Model No. 3220260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The roller that applies a load to the film and presses it against the object to be attached has a cylindrical shape extending in a specific axial direction. If the length of the roller in the direction of rotation axis is shorter than the width of the film, after pressing a portion of the film with the roller, it is necessary to move the roller axially and press it again. In such cases, distortion or deformation defects occur in the adhesive layer of the film at the edge where the roller and the film contact. This causes an appearance problem called a shock line on the surface of the film, which impairs the aesthetic appearance of the film after application. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A roller according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a cylindrical core, a support portion located on the central axis of the core and supporting the core so that it can rotate freely, a foam body covering the entire circumference of the core and having a flat outer surface, an operating portion for operating the foam, and a fixing portion for fixing the support portion and the operating portion, and at least one end of the outer surface is bent toward the central axis.

[0006] In another embodiment of the roller, the bubbles on the outer peripheral surface may have a diameter of 1.5 mm or less.

[0007] In the roller according to another embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the foam may have a hardness measured with an Asker C hardness tester of C7 or more and C20 or less.

[0008] In another embodiment of the roller, the radius of the curved end may be 5 mm or more.

[0009] In another embodiment of the roller, the fixed portion may include a weight capable of adjusting the load for pressing the foam.

[0010] In a roller according to another embodiment, there may be a plurality of weights, each of which may be provided near the support portion.

[0011] A film application device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film application device that applies a film to an object, and includes a roller that applies the film to the object, and a control unit that controls the movement of the roller, wherein the roller includes a cylindrical core, a support unit located on the central axis of the core and supporting the core so that it can rotate freely, a foam that covers the entire circumference of the core and has a flat outer peripheral surface, an operation unit that operates the foam, and a fixing unit that fixes the support unit and the operation unit, and at least one end of the outer peripheral surface bends toward the central axis, and the control unit controls the roller in six axes.

[0012] In another aspect, the film application device may further include a sensor that detects a load for pressing the roller, and the control unit may apply the load to the roller based on data from the sensor.

[0013] In a film application device according to another embodiment, the load may be greater than 0.4 N / cm and less than 1.8 N / cm.

[0014] In another embodiment, the film application device may have a convex or concave portion on the object, and may include a local pressure tool that applies the film to the base of the convex or concave portion, and the control unit may independently control the roller and the local pressure tool along six axes.

[0015] In the film application device according to another embodiment, the pressure surface of the topical pressure device may have a hardness of A20 or more as measured with an Asker A hardness tester.

[0016] A film application method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a film application method in which a roller is used to apply a film to an object, the roller comprising a cylindrical core, a support portion located on the central axis of the core and supporting the core so as to be able to rotate freely, a foam covering the entire circumference of the core and having a flat outer peripheral surface, an operation portion for manipulating the foam, and a fixing portion for fixing the support portion and the operation portion, wherein at least one end of the outer peripheral surface is bent toward the central axis, a portion of the film is applied using the roller, the roller is moved to a position where the outer peripheral surface of the foam is located on the portion of the film and other portions that contact the portion of the film, and the portion of the film and other portions are pressed with the outer peripheral surface of the foam.

[0017] In a film applying method according to another embodiment, the load for pressing the roller may be set in the range of more than 0.4 N / cm and less than 1.8 N / cm.

[0018] A film application method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method of applying a film to an object having a concave or convex portion using a roller and a local pressure tool for pressing the base portion of the concave or convex portion, wherein the roller comprises a cylindrical core portion, a support portion located on the central axis of the core portion and rotatably supporting the core portion, a foam covering the entire circumference of the core portion and having a flat outer peripheral surface, an operation portion for operating the foam, and a fixing portion for fixing the support portion and the operation portion, and at least one end of the outer peripheral surface is bent toward the central axis, and the roller is used to apply the film to the object other than the base portion, and the local pressure tool is used to apply the film to the base portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, even if the roller is moved in the axial direction and the film is pressed again, the occurrence of shock lines is prevented, and the aesthetic appearance of the applied film is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a front view showing a roller according to this embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the roller according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a front view showing a foam according to this embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing a foam according to this embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a front view illustrating a film attachment method (part 1) according to this embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a perspective view illustrating a film attachment method (part 1) according to this embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a front view illustrating a film attachment method (part 2) according to this embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a perspective view illustrating a film attaching method (part 2) according to this embodiment. [Figure 5A]FIG. 5A is a front view illustrating a film attachment method (part 3) according to this embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a perspective view illustrating a film attachment method (part 3) according to this embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a top perspective view of an adjustable weighted roller according to this embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a bottom perspective view of an adjustable weighted roller according to this embodiment. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a front view showing a local pressure device (part 1) according to this embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a local pressure device (part 1) according to this embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a front view showing a topical pressure device (part 2) according to this embodiment. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a side view showing a second pressure device for localized use according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the film sticking device according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the film according to this embodiment and an object to which the film is attached. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the six-axis controllable roller and local pressure device according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the operating directions (part 1) of the six-axis controllable roller and local pressure device according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operating directions (part 2) of the six-axis controllable roller and the local pressure device according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the operating directions (part 3) of the six-axis controllable roller and local pressure device according to this embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the operating directions (part 4) of the six-axis controllable roller and local pressure device according to this embodiment. [Figure 16A]FIG. 16A is a diagram showing a modified example of the rounding of the foam according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a diagram showing another modified example of the rounded processing of the foam according to this embodiment. [Figure 16C] FIG. 16C is a diagram showing yet another modified example of the rounding of the foam according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0022] The configuration of the roller according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B. Figures 1A and 1B show the roller according to this embodiment, with Figure 1A being a front view and Figure 1B being a perspective view. Roller 100 is a roller that applies a decorative film (hereinafter simply referred to as a film) that has been given a color, pattern, or the like to an object, and may also be called a film application roller.

[0023] The film used in this embodiment is a decorative film that has an adhesive portion (a portion coated with adhesive (pressure-sensitive adhesive)) on the back and is colored, patterned, etc. The decorative film is used as a paint substitute film, for example, in applications where the film is attached instead of painting. The object to which it is attached can be any object that requires the formation of a designed surface.

[0024] When decorating the exterior of a vehicle such as an automobile, the object to which the film is applied is the ceiling (also called the roof), side walls, pillars, hood, trunk lid, or back door. The ceiling is generally flat and has a curved surface with a gentle inclination angle from the horizontal. The ceiling may also have a partially uneven shape. In this embodiment, the portion of the ceiling excluding the uneven shape is referred to as a generally flat surface. Furthermore, the side walls and pillars have elongated convex curved surfaces with a steep inclination angle.

[0025] The roller 100 includes a cylindrical core 110, support portions 121 and 122 located on the central axis AA' of the core 110 and supporting the core 110 for rotation, a foam 130 covering the entire periphery of the core 110 and having a flat outer peripheral surface 135, an operating portion 140 for operating the foam 130, and a fixing portion 150 for fixing the support portions 121 and 122 to the operating portion 140. At least one of the ends 131 and 132 of the outer peripheral surface 135 is curved toward the central axis AA'. Both ends may be curved toward the central axis AA'.

[0026] The core 110 has a cylindrical shape. It is sufficient that the core 110 is located on the central axis AA'. The core 110 may penetrate the foam 130. Furthermore, the core 110 may protrude from the ends 131, 132 of the foam 130.

[0027] The support parts 121 and 122 rotatably support the core part 110 located on the central axis AA'. For example, the support parts 121 and 122 have holes formed on the central axis AA'. Both ends of the core part 110 fit into these holes, allowing the core part 110 to rotate freely.

[0028] The foam 130 covers the entire circumference of the core 110. The outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam 130 is flat. At least one of the ends 131, 132 of the outer peripheral surface 135 is curved toward the central axis AA'. Both ends may be curved toward the central axis AA'. The dimensions of the cylindrical foam are, for example, an outer diameter (outside diameter) of approximately 50 mm, an inner diameter (inside diameter) of approximately 10 mm (corresponding to the diameter of the core 110), and a length in the direction of the central axis AA' of approximately 80 mm. Here, there are no particular restrictions on the length in the direction of the central axis AA'; for example, in the case of an adjustable weighted roller described below, it is 110 mm. Furthermore, if the target object does not have a bead described below, the length may be approximately the width of the vehicle.

[0029] The operating unit 140 operates the foam 130. When an operator holds the roller 100 in his / her hand to apply a film to an object, the operating unit 140 serves as a handle, facilitating the process of applying the film to the object. The operating unit 140 can also be attached to a robot arm, which will be described later.

[0030] The operating unit 140 can operate the roller 100 in six axial directions. The operating unit 140 can also be attached to a robot arm, which will be described later.

[0031] When the object to which the film is to be attached is the ceiling of an automobile vehicle, the ceiling is not a two-dimensional plane that simply extends in the vehicle length and width directions, but rather a gently curved three-dimensional surface with a slight curvature in the vehicle height direction. To attach a film to such a curved ceiling, first, the periphery of the film is pulled at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the ceiling in the vehicle height direction, and then the operating unit 140 is lowered in the vehicle height direction from a position further away in the vehicle height direction. With the foam 130 pressing against the film and the ceiling with a predetermined load, the operating unit 140 is moved, for example, in the vehicle length direction, so that the foam 130 rotates. Next, the operating unit 140 is operated in the vehicle height direction to move the roller away from the film, return to the position where the pressing began, and then move a predetermined distance in the vehicle width direction (corresponding to the direction of the central axis AA'). The operating unit 140 is then lowered in the vehicle height direction, and with the foam 130 pressing against the film with a predetermined load, the operating unit 140 is again moved in a direction parallel to the previous pressing operation so that the foam 130 rotates. This movement can be repeated on a ceiling having a gentle three-dimensional curve.

[0032] The fixing portion 150 fixes the support portions 121 and 122 and the operation portion 140.

[0033] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a foam according to this embodiment, where FIG. 2A is a front view of foam 130, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of foam 130 cut along line BB' as viewed from the direction of the arrow.

[0034] The outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam is flat. Here, the outer peripheral surface 135 may be smooth. The outer peripheral surface 135 may also be called a smooth surface skin layer. Bubbles 136 may be present on the outer peripheral surface 135. There is no particular limit to the number of bubbles 136, and there may be multiple bubbles. The diameter of the bubbles 136 is preferably 1.5 mm or less. If the diameter exceeds 1.5 mm, the shape of the bubbles 136 may be transferred to the film. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam 130 may be provided with a thin non-foamed layer as long as the flexibility of the foam 130 is not impaired.

[0035] The hollow portion 139, depicted by a dotted line, is large enough for the core portion 110 to pass through. The end portion 131 of the outer peripheral surface 135 is bent toward the hollow portion 139. The entire circumference of the end portion 131 is chamfered, for example, with a radius of 5 mm. The forming method is not particularly limited, and molding, cutting, polishing, and other methods can be used. From the perspective of mass production, polishing may be used. This chamfering process connects the end face of the foam 130 (the end face whose interior is hollow due to the hollow portion 139) to the outer peripheral surface 135 with a curved surface having a radius of 5 mm. The radius of this curved surface may be 5 mm or greater. Depending on the radius of the chamfer, the connection with the end face may be discontinuous, or the entire end may be encompassed by the chamfer and the chamfered area may be directly connected to the core portion 110. Note that if the radius is less than 5 mm, a shock line may appear.

[0036] 2B, foam 130 covering the entire periphery of hollow portion 139 contains multiple bubbles, and many of the bubbles are independent. For example, bubbles 137 and 138 are independent. Note that there is no practical problem even if some of the bubbles are connected to each other.

[0037] The material of the foam 130 is a foamable polyurethane resin. When the material is polyurethane, the surface skin layer that forms the outer circumferential surface 135 is thin and soft. In this disclosure, the roller 100 may be referred to as a soft roller. The material of the foam 130 may also be acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), silicone, chloroprene rubber (CR), or ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM).

[0038] The value of outer surface 135 of foam 130 measured with an Asker C hardness scale should be between C7 and C20. If the value is less than C7, when foam 130 (as a pressing part) applies a load to the film and presses it, the viscosity of foam 130 may cause the film to stick to roller 100. If the value exceeds C20, a shock line may appear when the film is attached to an object. Here, the Asker C hardness scale is a hardness scale specified in JIS standard K7312.

[0039] The operation and effects of the roller according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 3A to 5B. Here, we will explain how to apply a film by rotating the roller while it is pressed with a load. Part of the roller is drawn to explain the load F and movement M applied to the roller.

[0040] 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining a film sticking method (part 1) according to this embodiment, where FIG. 3A is a front view of a part of the roller and FIG. 3B is a perspective view.

[0041] Before being attached, film 300 is pulled at its periphery so as not to come into contact with object 200 (here, the roof of a car), and is kept floating above object 200. Film 300 is composed of adhesive layer 310 that adheres to object 200, and film surface layer 320 that is colored, patterned, or the like.

[0042] 3A, outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam is pressed by load F in a direction perpendicular to object 200 via fixing portion 150 and support portions 121 and 122. As outer peripheral surface 135 rotates in this state, object 200 and adhesive layer 310 are bonded together, and object 200 is given a color, pattern, or the like by film surface layer 320. Here, the asterisk indicates the boundary between the area under outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam where bonding is complete and the unbonded area under end portion 131. The unbonded area refers to the area where adhesive layer 310 is not bonded to object 200, i.e., the area is floating.

[0043] 3B is a perspective view, seen from diagonally above, of a state in which a portion of the film has been adhered by a roller. Trajectory line 322 virtually shows the path of movement of a star mark (the boundary between outer surface 135 of the foam and end 131). No mark like trajectory line 322 is left on film surface layer 320, but one side of trajectory line 322 is adhered to object 200, and the other side is not adhered to object 200. Therefore, the boundary between the adhered area and the unadhered area at approximately the same position as trajectory line 322 simply appears as a line due to the influence of light, and is not a shock line.

[0044] Similarly, trajectory line 321 virtually shows the trajectory of movement of the boundary between outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam and the other end 132. No mark like trajectory line 321 is left on film surface layer 320, but one side of trajectory line 321 is bonded to object 200, and the other side is not bonded to object 200. For this reason, it is a line that is temporarily visible due to the influence of light, and is not a shock line.

[0045] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a film sticking method (part 2) according to this embodiment, where FIG. 4A is a front view of a part of the roller and FIG. 4B is a perspective view.

[0046] As explained in FIGS. 3A and 3B, after a portion of the film was adhered with the roller, the roller was moved in the direction M and adhered again with the roller. D indicates the distance moved in the direction M. Distance D may be within the range of the length of outer peripheral surface 135 in the direction M. The roller may be moved to a position that straddles the boundary line between the adhered area and the unadhered area, which is located at approximately the same position as trajectory line 322. Here, the straddling position is a position that outer peripheral surface 135 can pass through.

[0047] Here, the positioning of the roller in the height direction after movement in the direction M may be performed while the roller is in contact with the film 300 so as not to apply a load to the film 300, or may be performed while the roller is spaced apart from the film. Alternatively, the surface of the object 200 may be wetted with water before the film 300 is applied. Such wet application may be necessary in some cases for temporary application or for air release. If the object does not have a bead, which will be described later, the film may be applied once in the vehicle width direction and then again in the vehicle length direction, as appropriate.

[0048] Figure 4B is a view from diagonally above showing the state in which a portion of the film has been adhered as a result of the roller rotating twice. The boundary line between the adhered area and the unadhered area, which is located at approximately the same position as trajectory line 322 shown in Figure 3B, cannot be seen in Figure 4B. This is because both sides of the boundary line shown in Figure 3B are adhered to object 200. Note that trajectory lines 321 and 323 are lines that are temporarily visible due to the influence of light, and are not shock lines, as explained in Figure 3B.

[0049] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of a film application method (part 3) according to this embodiment. Fig. 5A is a front view of film 300 applied to object 200, and Fig. 5B is a perspective view. It can be seen that when the film is applied using the roller according to this embodiment, no shock lines appear on film surface layer 320.

[0050] 3A to 5B illustrate an example in which application with a roller begins from the center of film 300. However, if application begins from a corner of film 300 and continues to other corners as the roller moves in the direction of M in FIG. 4A, no shock line will appear on film surface 320 even if end 132 is not chamfered as long as the entire periphery of only end 131 in FIG. 3A of the outer surface of the foam is chamfered.

[0051] Figures 6A and 6B show an adjustable weighted roller according to this embodiment, with Figure 6A being a top perspective view and Figure 6B being a bottom perspective view. What differs from the roller in Figures 1A and 1B is that it includes an adjustable weight for adjusting the load used to press against foam 130. Components having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0052] Supporting portions 121 and 122 are wider than those shown in Figures 1A and 1B to provide space for placing weights. In Figures 6A and 6B, weight 161 on the supporting portion 121 side is larger and heavier than weight 162 on the supporting portion 122 side. Therefore, through core 110, foam 130 bears a heavier load on the supporting portion 121 side than on the supporting portion 122 side.

[0053] By using such an adjustable weight, even if the object is a slope of different heights, by rotating and moving foam 130 so that support part 121 side of foam 130 is at a higher position than support part 122 side, it becomes possible to press and attach the film to the object within an appropriate range of load applied to the roller described below.

[0054] By using such a weight with adjustable load, it becomes possible to experimentally determine the optimum value of the load for attaching the film to the object. Furthermore, in the mass production stage of attachment, the roller 100 may be adjusted to an appropriate weight. For example, the support units 121 and 122, the operation unit 140, and the fixing unit 150 may be adjusted to appropriate weights. This makes it possible to adjust the weight in advance for so-called manual attachment, in which an operator moves the roller 100 by hand. Furthermore, when a work robot operates the operation unit 140 of the roller 100, there is no need for load control, and only six-axis coordinate control is required.

[0055] By providing a plurality of weights such as weights 161 and 162 and providing adjusted weights near supports 121 and 122, it becomes possible to apply an appropriate range of load to foam 130 by moving roller 100 along the curved surface when the object has a curved surface. Here, the vicinity of supports 121 and 122 may be on the extension of the axis of core 110 supported by supports 121 and 122.

[0056] The object to which the film is to be attached may have a convex or concave portion. A local pressure tool for attaching a film to the base portion of such a convex or concave portion will be described using Figures 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B. Here, the base portion of a convex or concave portion refers to the boundary between the first approximate plane and an inclined surface that connects a first approximate plane at a relatively low position and a second approximate plane at a relatively high position. Specifically, the base portion of a convex portion refers to the periphery of the entire convex portion, and the base portion of a concave portion refers to the periphery of the surface that becomes the bottom of the concave portion.

[0057] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing a local pressure device (part 1) according to this embodiment, with Fig. 7A being a front view and Fig. 7B being a perspective view. When the object to which the film is to be applied is the ceiling of an automobile vehicle, multiple rows of reinforcing beads (convex or concave beads, hereinafter simply referred to as beads) may be provided at regular intervals to impart rigidity to the large-area ceiling panel. Bead roller 400 will be described as an example of a local pressure device that applies a film to the base portions of the convex or concave portions of these beads.

[0058] The bead roller 400 includes a cylindrical core portion 410, a support portion 420 located on the central axis CC' of the core portion 410 and supporting the core portion 410 so that it can rotate freely, a pressing portion 430 covering the entire circumference of the core portion 410, an operating portion 440 for operating the pressing portion 430, and a fixing portion 450 for fixing the support portion 420 and the operating portion 440 together.

[0059] The pressing portion 430 does not have a portion corresponding to the outer peripheral surface 135 of the foam 130, and is composed of two hard end portions 431 and 432. When viewed from the front (the direction in which the pressing portion 430 rotates and adheres), the long sides of the two trapezoidal end portions 431 and 432 overlap, and both ends of the pressing portion 430 are bent toward the central axis CC'. Because the two end portions 431 and 432 have sharp tips in the circumferential direction, it is possible to adhere a film to the base of the protrusions or recesses of the bead. Here, it is preferable that the value of the pressing surface of the pressing portion 430 measured with an Asker A hardness tester is A20 or higher. Here, the Asker A hardness tester is a hardness tester specified in JIS K6253-3.

[0060] Similar to the operating unit 140 of the roller 100, the operating unit 440 may serve as a handle when the operator holds the bead roller 400 in his / her hand, or the operating unit 440 may serve as an attachment to a robot arm.

[0061] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a second local pressure device according to this embodiment, with Fig. 8A being a front view and Fig. 8B being a side view. As an example of a local pressure device that applies a film to the base of a protrusion or recess of a bead, a squeegee 500 will be described.

[0062] The squeegee includes a thin, rectangular, spatula-shaped main body 510, a lower cloth 520 that covers the lower surface of the main body, and an upper cloth 530 that covers the upper surface of the main body. The lower and upper surfaces of the main body 510 are curved, with the lower surface having a smaller curvature than the upper surface. For this reason, the lower cloth 520 is more suitable than the upper cloth 530 for applying a film when the base of the bead's protrusions or depressions is narrow or deep.

[0063] The squeegee 500 is made of wood for the main body 510 and felt for the lower cloth 520 and upper cloth 530. Here, it is preferable that the pressing surfaces of the lower cloth 520 and upper cloth 530 have a hardness of A20 or higher when measured with an Asker A hardness tester. Alternatively, A20 sponge sheets may be used as the lower cloth 520 and upper cloth 530.

[0064] A method for attaching a film to a roof having eight convex beads (four in the front and four in the rear) on an automobile vehicle will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 15. Here, a case using a six-axis control unit of roller 100 (soft roller) and local pressure tool 400 (bead roller) is described, but a similar attachment method can also be used when manually controlled.

[0065] 9 is a diagram illustrating the film application device according to this embodiment. The robot arm 600 cooperates with a six-axis control circuit or control program to operate as a control unit capable of controlling the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 in six axis directions. That is, the film application device according to this embodiment includes the robot arm 600 and the soft roller 100 and / or the bead roller 400.

[0066] Robot arm 600 has a mounting unit 620 that is attached to the upper side (Z axis) of a work space where an automobile vehicle is to be placed. Mounting unit 620 may also be attached to a platform provided on the floor near the work space. In either case, six-axis control may be performed based on the position of mounting unit 620. Here, the six axes refer to the Z axis in the same direction as the vehicle height direction, its rotation axis γ, the X axis perpendicular to the Z axis, its rotation axis α, the Y axis perpendicular to the Z axis and X axis, and its rotation axis β.

[0067] If the ceiling of the automobile vehicle is wide, the film may be attached to the wide ceiling by moving the mounting portion 620 of the robot arm 600. Alternatively, multiple robot arms 600 may be installed and the film may be attached to the wide ceiling by the multiple robot arms.

[0068] A dual gripper 610 may be provided as an end effector at the tip of the robot arm 600. The dual gripper 610 fixes (or chucks) the operating parts of the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400. In this way, it becomes possible to tilt the rotation axes of the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 without changing their weights.

[0069] When using the soft roller 100, the robot arm 600 can be controlled in six axial directions to adjust the angle of the bead roller 400 to a position where it will not interfere. Alternatively, the dual gripper 610 can be moved to a position where it will not interfere. Similarly, when using the bead roller 400, the angle of the robot arm 600 can be adjusted or the dual gripper 610 can be moved.

[0070] The tip of the robot arm 600 or the dual gripper 610 may be provided with a sensor for detecting load, such as a pressure sensor, at each of the locations where the operating parts of the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 are fixed. By providing sensors for detecting the load of the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 and performing feedback control based on the data detected by the sensors, the robot arm 600 can adjust the load of the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400. The sensors may also detect physical quantities other than pressure (e.g., load, strain, electrical resistance, displacement). Here, the load applied to the roller is a value converted into a load per unit length in the axial direction of the roller.

[0071] It is preferable that the lower limit of the load applied to the soft roller 100 is greater than 0.4 N / cm. If it is less than this, the film may not adhere properly to the object. The upper limit of the load should be less than 1.8 N / cm. This is because this can prevent the occurrence of shock lines. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the load is 0.9 N / cm or less. This is because a stable shock line prevention effect can be expected immediately after application.

[0072] 10 is a diagram illustrating a film according to this embodiment and an object to which the film is attached. Film 300 is placed (in the vehicle height direction) on object 200 (the roof of an automobile vehicle), and film 300 is pulled in the vehicle length and width directions. Object 200 has four convex beads 211, 212, 213, and 214 on the front side and four convex beads 221, 222, 223, and 224 on the rear side.

[0073] Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the six-axis controllable roller (soft roller 100) and local pressure tool (bead roller 400) according to this embodiment. Fig. 11 explains which parts of the target object 200 (the roof of an automobile vehicle) the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 press.

[0074] The soft roller 100 applies pressure to the approximately flat surface 200(a) of the ceiling portion 200 (the portion without beads 213 and 214) and the convex flat surfaces 200(b) and 200(c) of the beads 213 and 214. The convex flat surfaces are generally convex curved surfaces with a gentle curvature, or a combination of a generally convex curved surface with a gentle curvature and a flat surface, giving an overall gently convex shape, and are suitable for application of pressure by the soft roller 100.

[0075] Convex flat surfaces 200(b) and 200(c) refer to the parts of beads 213 and 214 other than base portions 200(d), 200(e), 200(f), and 200(g). Soft roller 100 can be controlled in six axes, and is soft and rotates with the foam in a slightly depressed state, so convex flat surfaces 200(b) and 200(c) can rotate while bearing a load.

[0076] On the other hand, for the base portions of the convex or concave beads (in the case of Figure 11, base portions 200(d), 200(e), 200(f), and 200(g) of the convex beads), the bead roller 400 presses against the base portions 200(d), 200(e), 200(f), and 200(g). The soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 can be freely controlled to adhere in the directions of the six axes (three coordinate axes and three rotation axes) shown in the figure, and can move while pressing against the complex curved surface of the ceiling portion 200.

[0077] Here, because the bead roller 400 is a hard roller, shock lines may occur in the film. However, please note that because the load is applied to the base portions of the convex or concave beads (200(d), 200(e), 200(f), and 200(g) in the case of FIG. 11), even if shock lines occur on such peripheral edges, they have little effect on the appearance of the object 200, unlike a substantially flat surface.

[0078] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the operating direction (part 1) of the six-axis controllable roller (soft roller 100) and local pressure device (bead roller 400) according to this embodiment. Arrows 1 to 9 in the figure indicate the movement direction of the soft roller 100. In this example, there are four convex front beads and four convex rear beads, so the film is first applied while applying pressure between the front and rear beads (arrow 1) with the soft roller 100. Next, the soft roller 100 applies pressure to the approximately flat surface of the front bead in the outward direction of the ceiling (arrows 2 to 5). Furthermore, the soft roller 100 applies pressure to the approximately flat surface of the rear bead in the outward direction of the ceiling (arrows 6 to 9).

[0079] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operating direction (part 2) of the six-axis controllable roller (soft roller 100) and local pressure device (bead roller 400) according to this embodiment. Arrows 10 to 25 in the figure indicate the movement direction of the bead roller 400. First, the bead roller 400 loads the base of the convex portion of the front bead toward the outside of the ceiling portion (arrows 10 to 17). This allows the film to be attached to the ceiling portion of the front bead portion without leaving any air bubbles. Next, the bead roller 400 loads the base of the convex portion of the rear bead toward the outside of the ceiling portion (arrows 18 to 25). This allows the film to be attached to the ceiling portion of the rear bead portion without leaving any air bubbles.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the operating direction (part 3) of the six-axis controllable roller (soft roller 100) and local pressure device (bead roller 400) according to this embodiment. Arrows 26 to 35 in the figure indicate the movement direction of the soft roller 100. First, the soft roller 100 loads the substantially flat surface between the front beads toward the outside of the ceiling (arrows 26 to 30). This allows the film to be attached to the ceiling without leaving any air bubbles on the substantially flat surface between the front beads. Next, the soft roller 100 loads the substantially flat surface between the rear beads toward the outside of the ceiling (arrows 31 to 35). This allows the film to be attached to the ceiling without leaving any air bubbles on the substantially flat surface between the rear beads.

[0081] Here, when the width between the beads is approximately equal to the width of the soft roller, as in (a), one stroke is sufficient. On the other hand, when the width between the beads is wider than the width of the soft roller, as in (b), two or more strokes are required. The soft roller 100 prevents the formation of a shock line between the first stroke and the second or subsequent strokes.

[0082] FIG. 15 shows the operating direction (part 4) of the six-axis controllable roller (soft roller 100) and local pressure device (bead roller 400) according to this embodiment. Arrows 36 and 37 in the figure indicate the movement direction of the soft roller 100. Arrows 38 and 39 indicate the movement direction of the bead roller 400. First, the soft roller 100 applies pressure to the generally flat surface of the front portion of the forward bead toward the outside of the ceiling (arrow 36). This allows the film to be attached to the generally flat surface of the front portion of the forward bead without leaving any air bubbles. Next, the soft roller 100 applies pressure to the generally flat surface of the rear portion of the rear bead toward the outside of the ceiling (arrow 37). This allows the film to be attached to the generally flat surface of the rear portion of the rear bead without leaving any air bubbles. Next, the bead roller 400 applies pressure to the areas corresponding to the roof moldings on both sides of the ceiling (arrows 38 and 39).

[0083] As described above, by moving the soft roller 100 and the bead roller 400 toward the outside of the ceiling while applying a load, it is possible to properly remove air from the adhesive layer of the film and prevent shock lines from being formed in the film portions that correspond to the flat surface of the ceiling. Furthermore, it is possible to reliably apply the film to the base of the bead convexity and the roof molding, where shock lines are less noticeable.

[0084] The order and direction of film application described above can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this embodiment. For example, if the gap between beads is wide, the soft rollers may be used to press the beads first, and then the bead rollers may be used to press the bases of the beads. However, if the gap is narrow, the bead rollers may be used to press the bases of the beads first, and then the soft rollers may be used to press the gap between the beads.

[0085] Furthermore, when the bead of the ceiling portion 200 is concave, only the base portion of the concave portion of the bead may be loaded with the bead roller 400, and the remaining substantially flat portion may be loaded with the soft roller 100.

[0086] Figures 16A, 16B, and 16C are diagrams showing modified examples of R processing of foam 130 according to this embodiment. Figure 16A shows the case where R is 5 mm (R1). There is no particular upper limit to R, and it may be large enough to reach core 110. Figure 16C shows the radius (R3) when R reaches core 110. Of course, an intermediate R is also acceptable. Figure 16B shows the case of an intermediate R (R2). Furthermore, the R on the outer circumferential surface 135 side may be larger than the R of core 110.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, a vehicle is used as an example of an object to which a film is applied. However, the object to which the film is applied is not limited to a vehicle, and may be any object. For example, the object may be a train, an aircraft, furniture, electrical appliances, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100...Roller (soft roller), 200...Object, 300...Film, 400...Bead roller, 500...Squeegee

Claims

1. A cylindrical core portion; a support portion located on a central axis of the core portion and rotatably supporting the core portion; a foam covering the entire periphery of the core and having a flat outer circumferential surface; An operation unit for operating the foam; a fixing portion that fixes the support portion and the operation portion, At least one end of the outer circumferential surface of the roller is curved toward the central axis.

2. 2. The roller according to claim 1, wherein the bubbles on the outer peripheral surface have a diameter of 1.5 mm or less.

3. 2. The roller according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the foam has a hardness of C7 or more and C20 or less as measured by an Asker C hardness tester.

4. 2. The roller of claim 1, wherein the radius of the curved end is 5 mm or greater.

5. The roller according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion includes a weight capable of adjusting a load for pressing the foam body.

6. 6. The roller according to claim 5, wherein there are a plurality of weights, each of which is provided near the support portion.

7. A film application device that applies a film to an object, a roller that attaches the film to the object, and a control unit that controls the movement of the roller; The roller is A cylindrical core portion; a support portion located on a central axis of the core portion and rotatably supporting the core portion; a foam covering the entire periphery of the core and having a flat outer circumferential surface; An operation unit for operating the foam; a fixing portion that fixes the support portion and the operation portion, At least one end of the outer circumferential surface is bent toward the central axis, The control unit controls the rollers along six axes of the film bonding device.

8. Further, a sensor for detecting a load for pressing the roller is provided, The film applying device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit applies a load to the roller based on data from the sensor.

9. 9. The film application device according to claim 8, wherein the load is greater than 0.4 N / cm and less than 1.8 N / cm.

10. The object has a protrusion or a recess, and the film is attached to a base portion of the protrusion or the recess, The film application device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit controls the roller and the local pressure device independently along six axes.

11. The film application device according to claim 10, wherein the pressure surface of the pressure device for topical application has a hardness of A20 or more as measured by an Asker A hardness tester.

12. A film application method for applying a film to an object using a roller, comprising: The roller is A cylindrical core portion; a support portion located on a central axis of the core portion and rotatably supporting the core portion; a foam covering the entire periphery of the core and having a flat outer circumferential surface; An operation unit for operating the foam; a fixing portion that fixes the support portion and the operation portion, At least one end of the outer circumferential surface is bent toward the central axis, using the roller to adhere a portion of the film; The roller is moved to a position where an outer peripheral surface of the foam comes into contact with a portion of the film and another portion that contacts the portion of the film; A film application method in which a portion of the film and the other portion are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the foam.

13. The film sticking method according to claim 12, wherein the load for pressing the roller is set in the range of more than 0.4 N / cm and less than 1.8 N / cm.

14. A film application method for applying a film to an object having a concave or convex portion using a roller and a local pressure tool for pressing a base portion of the concave or convex portion, the method comprising: The roller is A cylindrical core portion; a support portion located on a central axis of the core portion and rotatably supporting the core portion; a foam covering the entire periphery of the core and having a flat outer circumferential surface; An operation unit for operating the foam; a fixing portion that fixes the support portion and the operation portion, At least one end of the outer circumferential surface is bent toward the central axis, Using the roller, the film is attached to the object other than the root portion; A film application method in which the film is applied to the root portion using the topical pressure device.

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