Apparatus and method for removing adhesive sheet with release sheet

Abstract

To provide a take-out device for adhesive sheets with release sheets, capable of reliably separating and taking out adhesive sheets with release sheets from a stacked state. [Solution] An apparatus for removing adhesive sheets with release sheets (1) that separates and removes adhesive sheets with release sheets from a stacked state, and is equipped with: a holding device (10) that holds one end of a stack of adhesive sheets with release sheets (101) placed on a placing surface using a holding member (11); an adsorption device (20) that adsorbs the top surface of the other end of the stack using an adsorption member (21) and lifts up the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet (101) with release sheet; a pressing device (30) that presses the other end of the stack from above using a pressing member (31) below the adhesive sheet (101) with release sheet whose other end has been lifted up; and a clamping and conveying device (40) that clamps the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with release sheet using a pair of clamping parts (41, 42) and pulls out one end.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for removing a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet, which can separate and remove pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets with a release sheet from a stacked state. [Background technology]

[0002] In various industries, including the automotive industry, it has been common practice to stock multiple adhesive sheets with release sheets in a stacked state in advance, and when using them, take them out one by one starting from the top, peel the release sheet off the adhesive sheet, and apply them to the object.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus in which a plurality of sheet members whose adhesive surfaces are covered with release paper are stacked on a table, and the topmost sheet member is vacuum-adsorbed and lifted by a robotic holding device, thereby removing the sheet members with release paper one by one. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-227358 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when sheet members with release papers are placed in a stacked state, the adhesive may protrude from the sheet members due to changes in temperature, etc., causing the release papers to adhere to each other above and below, or the protruding adhesive may cause the sheet members to adhere to other sheet members or release papers above and below. For this reason, even if an attempt is made to remove the top sheet member by suction, as with the above-mentioned conventional device, it may be difficult to remove it because it will not peel properly from the sheet members below.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for removing a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet, which can reliably separate and remove a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet from a stacked state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is achieved by an apparatus for removing adhesive sheets with release sheets, which separates and removes adhesive sheets with release sheets from a stacked state, and which comprises: a holding device that holds one end of a stack of adhesive sheets with release sheets placed on a loading surface with a holding member; an adsorption device that adsorbs the top surface of the other end of the stack with an adsorption member and lifts up the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with release sheet; a pressing device that presses the other end of the stack from above with a pressing member below the adhesive sheet with release sheet whose other end has been lifted up; and a clamping and conveying device that clamps the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with release sheet with a pair of clamping members and pulls out one end from the holding member.

[0008] In this device for taking out an adhesive sheet with a release sheet, the clamping and transporting device preferably pushes the clamped adhesive sheet with a release sheet toward one end while lifting it, and then pulls it out from the holding member.

[0009] It is preferable that the clamping and conveying device lifts the clamped pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with release sheet while twisting it, and then pulls it out from the holding member.

[0010] Furthermore, the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by a method for removing adhesive sheets with release sheets, which separates and removes adhesive sheets with release sheets from a stacked state, comprising: a holding step of holding one end of a stack of adhesive sheets with release sheets placed on a placing surface with a holding member; an adsorption step of adsorbing the top surface of the other end of the stack with an adsorption member to lift up the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with release sheet; a pressing step of pressing the other end of the stack from above with a pressing member below the adhesive sheet with release sheet whose other end has been lifted up; and a clamping and transporting step of clamping the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with release sheet with a pair of clamping members and pulling out one end from the holding member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the device and method for removing a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet of the present invention, the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet can be reliably separated from the stacked state and removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a take-out device for a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is a front view of the device for dispensing the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is an enlarged plan view of a main part showing the device for taking out a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet in operation. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10 is an enlarged plan view of a main part showing another state during operation of the take-out device for the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with release sheet. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion showing still another state during operation of the device for taking out a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 3 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the main part of the operation of the take-out device for the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for dispensing adhesive sheets with release sheets (hereinafter simply referred to as "dispensing apparatus") according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the dispensing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, dispensing apparatus 1 is equipped with a holding device 10, a suction device 20, a pressing device 30, and a clamping and conveying device 40, which are operated and controlled by a control device (not shown), thereby separating and dispensing adhesive sheets 101 with release sheets one by one from a stacked state. The adhesive sheets 101 with release sheets dispensed by dispensing apparatus 1 are transported to a peeling table 50, where the adhesive sheets are peeled from the release sheets by a suction and conveying device 60 equipped with an articulated robot, and then transported to the next process, where they are attached to the body of a vehicle or the like.

[0014] Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a main portion of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a main portion of Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, adhesive sheet 101 with release sheet has a rectangular adhesive sheet 103 removably attached to the upper surface of rectangular release sheet 102. Adhesive sheet 103 is made of a butyl-based or epoxy-based thermosetting resin, similar to the sheet material disclosed in Patent Document 1, and is arranged in the center of release sheet 102 in the left-right direction so that release sheet 102 extends beyond both left-right ends in Fig. 3. The width of adhesive sheet 103 (the vertical length in Fig. 3) is approximately the same as the width of release sheet 102 (the vertical length in Fig. 3).

[0015] A plurality of release-sheet-attached adhesive sheets 101 are placed in a stacked state on the mounting surface, which is the upper surface of the mounting table 2, to form a laminate of release-sheet-attached adhesive sheets (hereinafter simply referred to as "laminate") 100. Both widthwise sides of the laminate 100 are held by a pair of guide members 3 and 4.

[0016] The holding device 10 includes a holding member 11 formed in an inverted L-shape when viewed from the front as shown in Fig. 4, and an air cylinder 12 that supports the holding member 11 so that it can move up and down. The lower surface of the horizontal part of the holding member 11 abuts against the top surface of the stack 100, thereby holding one end of the stack 100 (the right side in Fig. 4). The height of the holding member 11 is adjusted according to the thickness of the stack 100 by operation of the air cylinder 12 based on detection of the top surface of the stack 100 by a height sensor (not shown). The holding member 11 may be configured to hold one end of the stack 100 by its own weight.

[0017] The suction device 20 is equipped with a suction member 21 capable of suctioning the uppermost surface of the laminate 100. The suction member 21 is equipped with a plurality of suction sections 22 made up of vacuum suction pads, and an air cylinder 23 that supports the suction sections 22 so that they can move up and down. A plurality of suction sections 22 (four in this embodiment) are arranged along the width direction of the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet so that the entire width direction of the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet can be suctioned. The suction member 21 is attached to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder 24, and is supported so that it can move back and forth in an oblique direction.

[0018] The pressing device 30 includes a pressing member 31 supported by a plurality of linear actuators so as to be able to advance and retreat in the vertical and horizontal directions in Fig. 4. The pressing member 31 is formed in an upside-down L shape when viewed from the front as shown in Fig. 4, and is advanced from the other end of the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 to one end (from left to right in Fig. 4) and is lowered based on detection of the laminate 100 by a height sensor (not shown), so that the lower surface of the horizontal part of the pressing member 31 presses the laminate 100 downward.

[0019] The clamping and conveying device 40 includes an articulated robot 43 and a pair of clamping units 41, 42 provided on an end effector 43a of the articulated robot 43, with the lower clamping unit 42 being supported by the end effector 43a via a support unit 44. A linear actuator 45 is attached to the support unit 44, which moves the upper clamping unit 41 up and down relative to the lower clamping unit 42. The articulated robot 43 has a multi-axis (e.g., four to seven axes) structure in which multiple arms are rotatably connected via joints, and the end effector is detachably attached to a rotation mechanism at the tip of each arm. The pair of clamping units 41, 42 clamp the protruding portion of the release sheet 102 protruding from the adhesive sheet 103 at the other end of the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101, and the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 is conveyed by operation of the articulated robot 43. The upper clamping portion 41 has a notch 32 formed at a position that interferes with the suction portion 22 so that the adsorption member 21 can clamp the other end of the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet while adsorbing it.

[0020] Next, a method for separating and removing the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet from the stacked state using the removal device 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a holding step is performed in which the laminate 100 is placed on the mounting surface of the mounting table 2 and one end of the laminate 100 is held by the holding member 11.

[0021] 5 and 6, air cylinder 24 is operated to advance rod 24a, moving suction member 21 to directly above the other end of stack 100, and air cylinder 23 is operated to lower suction unit 22. As a result, suction unit 22 comes into contact with the other end of release sheet 102 exposed on the top surface of stack 100.

[0022] 7 and 8, vacuum suction by suction unit 22 is started to adsorb the other end of release sheet 102, and then air cylinder 23 is operated to raise suction unit 22. This performs the adsorption step of pulling up the other end of release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 at the top of laminate 100 with adsorption member 21.

[0023] 8, the clamping and conveying device 40 is operated to clamp the entire width of the pulled-up other end of the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 between the pair of clamping units 41, 42. Furthermore, the linear actuators 32, 33 of the pressing device 30 are operated to advance and lower the pressing member 31 toward the right side in FIG. 8, thereby performing a pressing step in which the pressing member 31 presses the other end of the laminate 100 from above below the pulled-up other end of the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101. In this embodiment, the pressing step is performed after the other end of the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 is clamped between the pair of clamping units 41, 42, but the pressing step may be performed simultaneously with or before the clamping by the pair of clamping units 41, 42.

[0024] 9 and 10, the adsorption of adhesive sheet 101 with adsorption member 21 is released, and air cylinder 24 is operated to retract adsorption member 21 to its original position, after which clamping and conveying device 40 is operated to convey clamped adhesive sheet 101 with release sheet toward peeling table 50. This completes the clamping and conveying step of pulling out one end of adhesive sheet 101 with release sheet clamped between pair of clamping sections 41, 42 from holding member 11. Pressing member 31 retracts to its original position in preparation for removal of the next adhesive sheet 101 with release sheet.

[0025] When adhesive sheets 101 with release sheets are placed in a stacked state on a placement surface, the adhesive of adhesive sheet 103 may overflow to both sides in the width direction due to changes in temperature, etc., and stick to release sheets 102 and 103 of the adhesive sheets 101 with release sheets below, which may make it difficult to remove only the top adhesive sheet 101 with release sheet. According to the removal device 1 of this embodiment, while one end of the laminate 100 is held by the holding member 11, the other end of the topmost adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet is adsorbed and pulled up by the adsorption member 21, and then the other end of the topmost adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet is clamped by a pair of clamping sections 41, 42, and the other end of the laminate 100 consisting of the remaining adhesive sheets 101 with release sheets is pressed by the pressing member 31.By this means, even if the topmost adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet is stuck to the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet below, only the topmost adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet can be reliably removed by operating the clamping and conveying device 40.

[0026] As shown in Figure 11(a), when the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 held by the pair of clamping units 41, 42 is pulled out from the holding member 11, it is preferable to move the pair of clamping units 41, 42 in the direction of arrow A so as to lift the clamped release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 while pushing it toward one end (the right side of Figure 11(a)). At this time, it is also preferable to rotate the pair of clamping units 41, 42 about a horizontal axis to scoop up the other end of the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101, as shown in Figure 11(b). This allows for early cutting of the adhesive, even if it becomes stringy due to the adhesive agent protruding from both sides of the width of the adhesive sheet 103 as the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 is lifted. Then, by moving the pair of clamping units 41, 42 in the direction of arrow B, the release-sheet-attached adhesive sheet 101 can be quickly and reliably pulled out from the holding member 11 shown in Figure 11(c).

[0027] Furthermore, when pulling out the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet from the holding member 11, the pair of clamping parts 41, 42 can be rotated in the direction of arrow C in Figure 11(b) to twist the clamped adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet and lift it in the direction of arrow B, which also encourages thread breaking of the adhesive, allowing the adhesive sheet 101 with a release sheet to be removed quickly and reliably. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 Adhesive sheet removal device 10 Holding device 11 Retaining member 20 Adsorption device 21 Adsorption member 30 Pressing device 31 Pressing member 40 Clamping and conveying device 41,42 Clamping part 100 Laminate of adhesive sheet with release sheet 101 Adhesive sheet with release sheet 102 Peel-off sheet 103 Adhesive Sheet

Claims

1. A device for removing a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet, which separates and removes a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet from a stacked state, comprising: a holding device that holds one end of a laminate of pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets with release sheets placed on a placement surface using a holding member; a suction device that uses a suction member to suction the top surface of the other end of the laminate and lift up the other end of the topmost release-sheet-attached pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet; a pressing device that presses the other end of the laminate from above with a pressing member below the adhesive sheet with a release sheet whose other end has been pulled up; a clamping and conveying device that clamps the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with a pair of clamping parts and pulls out one end from the holding member;

2. 2. The device for removing an adhesive sheet with a release sheet according to claim 1, wherein the clamping and transporting device pushes the clamped adhesive sheet with a release sheet toward one end while lifting it, and then pulls it out from the holding member.

3. 3. The take-out device for adhesive sheets with release sheets according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clamping and conveying device lifts the clamped adhesive sheet with release sheet while twisting it, and then pulls it out from the holding member.

4. A method for removing a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet, which separates and removes a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet from a laminated state, comprising the steps of: a holding step of holding one end of a laminate of pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets with release sheets placed on a placement surface with a holding member; a suction step of suctioning the top surface of the other end of the laminate with a suction member to lift up the other end of the uppermost release-sheet-attached pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet; a pressing step of pressing the other end of the laminate from above with a pressing member below the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet with a release sheet, the other end of which has been pulled up; a clamping and transporting step of clamping the other end of the uppermost adhesive sheet with a release sheet using a pair of clamping members and pulling out one end from the holding member.

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