Coating Equipment

Abstract

To provide a coating unit capable of suppressing a difference in elongation of a film depending on the region of an adherend.SOLUTION: A jig used in a coating unit for coating an adherend with a film includes a placement surface on which the adherend is placed and a protrusion protruding from the placement surface. The protrusion protrudes at a position higher than the adherend placed on the jig relative to the placement surface. The film comes into contact with the protrusion, so that a closed space surrounded by the film, the protrusion, the placement surface and the adherend is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to covered Concerning the cover device. [Background technology]

[0002] A molding method for covering a film onto an adherend having a three-dimensional shape is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for covering an automobile or the like with a film in a flat, stretched state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-62625 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a film is stretched out flat and applied to an adherend having a three-dimensional shape, the distance between the adherend and the film varies depending on the part of the adherend, which changes the amount of stretch of the film and causes wrinkles.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress variation in the amount of elongation of a film depending on the location of an adherend. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A conveying means for conveying the film from the film supplying device onto the adherend; a jig for placing the adherend, The jig is A mounting surface on which the adherend is placed; Along a first side edge of the film conveyed onto the substrate, The position is fixed relative to the mounting surface. a first protrusion protruding from the mounting surface and provided at a position higher than the adherend placed on the jig; Along a second side edge of the film conveyed onto the substrate, the second side edge being opposed to the first side edge, The position is fixed relative to the mounting surface. a second protrusion protruding from the mounting surface and provided at a position higher than the adherend placed on the jig; and a protrusion including A coating device is provided, characterized in that when the film is lowered toward the substrate, the film comes into contact with the convex portion, forming an enclosed space surrounded by the film, the convex portion, the placement surface, and the substrate. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the film and the adherend can be kept close to each other before they come into contact with each other, thereby preventing the amount of elongation of the film from varying depending on the location on the adherend. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of part of a production line. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 4A to 4D are explanatory diagrams of the configuration of the gripping unit. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a detailed configuration of a jig on which an adherend is placed. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of covering a jig on which an adherend is placed with a film. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of covering a jig on which an adherend is placed with a film. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of a jig on which an adherend is placed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Production line configuration> 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of a production line 100 to which a coating apparatus 2 of the present invention can be applied. In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates a vertical direction (height direction of the coating apparatus). In this embodiment, the adherend 5 is described as a member such as a front bumper or rear bumper of a vehicle (e.g., a four-wheeled vehicle), but the adherend 5 is not limited to these, and the present invention can be applied to various objects.

[0011] The production line 100 includes a conveying system 1 that conveys an adherend 5, a coating device 2 that coats the adherend 5 with a film 4, and a control device 3 that controls the entire production line 100. The arrows in the figure indicate the conveying direction. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the adherend 5 is conveyed from a conveying path 10 on the upstream side of the conveying system 1, and after the adherend 5 is coated with the film 4 inside the coating device 2, it is conveyed to a conveying path 11 on the downstream side.

[0012] The conveying system 1 is, for example, a conveying device such as a belt conveyor. The adherend 5 is conveyed by the conveying system 1 while being held by a jig 7 loaded on a conveying table 6 such as a pallet. The conveying system 1 may further include, for example, a conveying position adjustment unit that adjusts the conveying position of the conveying table 6. The conveying system 1 is not limited to the conveying device described above, and may convey the adherend 5 using a robot arm or the like.

[0013] The coating device 2 is a device that coats the adherend 5 with the film 4 by a configuration described later. In this embodiment, the film 4 is coated on a member such as a vehicle bumper, which is the adherend 5. This allows the vehicle member to be easily decorated, for example, by changing the color of the film 4 according to the vehicle color. In addition, the vehicle member can be given a design by using the film 4 having a printed pattern such as wood grain, or a texture such as metallic, matte, or glass. Alternatively, the vehicle member can be given functionality by using the film 4 having functionality such as water repellency, weather resistance, heat insulation, and electromagnetic wave transmission.

[0014] The control device 3 controls the entire production line 100. The control device 3 includes a processing unit, a memory unit, an input / output interface (I / O), and a communication unit. The processing unit is a processor such as a CPU, and controls each device of the production line 100 by executing a program stored in the memory unit. The memory unit is a storage device such as a ROM, RAM, or HDD, and stores various control information in addition to the program executed by the processing unit. The I / O interface is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit and an external device. The communication unit is a communication device that communicates with the above devices or other control devices via a communication line.

[0015] The production line 100 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may include, for example, a robot device for replacing the adherend 5 and the jig 7, a dust removal device for removing contamination from the adherend 5, a light irradiation unit for irradiating the adherend 5 and the film 4 with light such as ultraviolet light, a drying unit for drying the adherend 5 and the film 4, and a trimming unit for partially removing the film 4 covering the adherend 5 using a laser or a trimming cutter.

[0016] <Coating device> As shown in Fig. 1, the coating device 2 in this embodiment includes a film support unit 20, a film transport unit 21, a chamber 22, and an air pressure adjustment unit 23. In the coating device 2, the film 4 supported by the film support unit 20 is transported into the chamber 22 by the film transport unit 21. The dotted line portion of the chamber 22 shown in Fig. 1 represents the interior of the chamber 22. The coating device 2 includes a configuration described below inside the chamber 22, and coats the adherend 5 with the film 4. During coating, the air pressure inside the chamber 22 is adjusted by the air pressure adjustment unit 23.

[0017] Hereinafter, each component of the coating device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in addition to Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a cross section of the coating device 2 in the transport direction of the film 4. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a cross section of the coating device 2 in the transport direction of the adherend 5. In the following description, for convenience, the transport direction of the film 4 may be referred to as the X direction, and the transport direction of the adherend 5 may be referred to as the Y direction.

[0018] The film support unit 20 supports the film 4 to be coated on the adherend 5. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the film support unit 20 includes a support table 200, a support shaft 201, a winding shaft 202, a guide shaft 203, a cutter 204, and a winding shaft 205. The support shaft 201 provided on the support table 200 is a shaft that rotatably supports the film 4 wound in a roll. The winding shaft 202 and the winding shaft 205 are shafts for winding up the release film, for example, when the front and back surfaces of the film 4 to be coated on the adherend 5 are laminated with a release film or the like. The guide shaft 203 is a shaft that pulls out the film 4 supported by the support shaft 201 and supplies it horizontally. The cutter 204 cuts the film 4 after the film 4 is transported by the film transport unit 21 described later. The cutter 204 may be, for example, a trimming cutter or a laser that slides in the width direction of the film 4 to cut the film 4. The width direction of the film 4 is the axial direction of the film 4 wound in a roll.

[0019] The film 4 may be, for example, a film including a layer of a thermoplastic resin. The layer of the thermoplastic resin may be formed, for example, from a plurality of types of thermoplastic resin. The layer of the thermoplastic resin may contain additives such as an antiblocking agent, a lubricant, an antioxidant, a light stabilizer, a pigment, a dye, and an inorganic substance. The film 4 may include a deposition layer, a printing layer, a peeling layer, and the like. For example, an adhesive may be applied to one side of the film 4. The film 4 may be laminated with, for example, a protective film having peelability. The surface of the film 4 may be formed with a fine pattern or unevenness by shaping or laser processing.

[0020] The film transport unit 21 transports the film 4 onto the adherend 5 transported inside the chamber 22. As shown in Fig. 2, the film transport unit 21 includes a leading end gripping section 210 and a film moving mechanism 211. The leading end gripping section 210 grips the leading end of the film 4 that has been pulled out in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the film 4 wound into a roll. The leading end gripping section 210 is switchable between a gripping state in which it grips the leading end of the film 4, and an open state in which it does not grip the leading end of the film 4 but opens it.

[0021] The film transport unit 21 is provided in the upper chamber 220, which will be described later, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and moves up and down in the vertical direction of the covering device 2 together with the upper chamber 220. The film moving mechanism 211 includes a tip support member 211a that movably supports the tip gripper 210 as shown in FIG. 3, and an actuator 211b arranged on both side walls of the upper chamber 220. The actuator 211b is provided horizontally along the transport direction of the film 4 as shown in FIG. 2. The transport direction of the film 4 is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the film 4 wound in a roll shape. The actuator 211b may be, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric ball screw mechanism. This allows the tip gripper 210 supported by the tip support member 211a to pull out the film 4 horizontally. The length of the actuator 211b is longer than the length of the upper chamber 220 in the transport direction of the film 4 as shown in FIG. 2. This prevents the tip gripper 210 from contacting the lower chamber 221 when the upper chamber 220 descends.

[0022] The chamber 22 is a box-shaped device capable of maintaining a vacuum atmosphere inside. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the chamber 22 includes an upper chamber 220 with an open bottom and a lower chamber 221 with an open top. The upper chamber 220 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction of the coating device 2, and is raised and lowered by an actuator (not shown), such as an electric cylinder or an electric ball screw mechanism, provided on the outer walls of the lower chamber 221 and the upper chamber 220. When the adherend 5 or the film 4 is transported, the upper chamber 220 rises and separates from the lower chamber 221, as shown in Fig. 2. When the air pressure inside the chamber 22 is adjusted by the air pressure adjustment unit 23 described later, the upper chamber 220 descends and comes into contact with the lower chamber 221, thereby keeping the inside of the chamber 22 airtight (see Figs. 10 to 13).

[0023] 1, the coating apparatus 2 includes a plurality of first gripping units 24, a plurality of second gripping units 25, a plurality of first lifting units 26, a plurality of second lifting units 27, and an adherend lifting unit 28 inside a chamber 22. In addition, the coating apparatus 2 includes a plurality of heating units 29 inside the chamber 22, as shown in FIGS.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are arranged along the film transport direction and grip the film 4 transported by the film transport unit 21. The multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are disposed in positions facing each other. The multiple first gripping units 24 grip the side edge of the film 4. The multiple second gripping units 25 grip the side edge opposite to the side edge of the film 4 gripped by the multiple first gripping units 24.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the multiple first gripping units 24 are provided on multiple first lifting units 26 described later, and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction of the coating apparatus 2. Fig. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the multiple first gripping units 24 side, but as shown in Fig. 3, the multiple second gripping units 25 side also has a configuration similar to the configuration of the multiple first gripping units 24 side shown in Fig. 2. That is, the multiple second gripping units 25 are provided on multiple second lifting units 27, and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction of the coating apparatus 2.

[0026] Next, each of the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 will be described with reference to Figs. 4(A) to 4(D). Although the first gripping unit 24 will be described in Figs. 4(A) to 4(D), the second gripping unit 25 has a similar configuration. Fig. 4(A) is a schematic diagram of the gripping unit 24 as viewed in the X direction, and corresponds to an enlarged view of each gripping unit 24 in Fig. 3. Figs. 4(B) to 4(D) are schematic diagrams of the first gripping unit 24 as viewed in the Y direction, and correspond to an enlarged view of the first gripping unit 24 in Fig. 2.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the first gripping unit 24 includes a gripping portion 240 and a support portion 241. The gripping portions 240 in this embodiment are a pair of plate-shaped elastic members having elasticity that sandwich the film 4. The elastic members may be, for example, a plate-shaped member made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. By sandwiching the film 4 with the elastic members, even if the film is curved as the multiple first gripping units 24 and multiple second gripping units 25 rise and fall, the film can be gripped along the curved shape.

[0028] The gripping section 240 in this embodiment can be switched between a gripping state in which the film 4 is gripped as shown in FIG. 4(B) and an open state in which the film 4 is not gripped but is open as shown in FIG. 4(C). The gripping state is, in other words, a state in which the gripping section 240 is closed, and the open state is, in other words, a state in which the gripping section 240 is open. The gripping state of the gripping section 240 can be switched between the gripping state and the open state by, for example, an actuator provided inside the support section 241 as shown in FIG. 4(A). The actuator can be an electric cylinder, an electric ball screw mechanism, or the like. By configuring the gripping section 240 to be switchable between the gripping state and the open state, it becomes easier to adjust the shape of the film 4 by raising and lowering the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25.

[0029] The gripping portion 240 in this embodiment may be rotatable about an axis in the Y direction. The support portion 241 may include, for example, a rotation shaft as shown in FIG. 4(A). Rotation of the rotation shaft may be controlled by an actuator provided on the support portion 241. Because the gripping portion 240 is rotatable, when the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are raised and lowered, each of the gripping units 24 to 25 can adjust the attitude at which the film 4 is gripped. In other words, the attitude at which the film 4 is gripped is the angle of the gripping portion 240 with respect to the X direction when gripping the film 4.

[0030] 1, the multiple first lifting units 26 are arranged along the side of the film 4 transported inside the chamber 22, and the multiple second lifting units 27 are arranged along the side of the film 4 opposite to the side of the film 4 on the side of the multiple first lifting units 26. The multiple first lifting units 26 and the multiple second lifting units 27 are disposed opposite to each other.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first lifting units 26 have a plurality of first support members 261 that individually support the first gripping units 24, and a plurality of first moving mechanisms 260 that individually move the first support members 261 in the vertical direction. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the first lifting units 26, but the second lifting units 27 have the same configuration. That is, the second lifting units 27 have a plurality of second support members 271 that individually support the second gripping units 25, and a plurality of second moving mechanisms 270 that individually move the second support members 271 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 3). The first moving mechanisms 260 and the second moving mechanisms 270 may be, for example, actuators. In this embodiment, the actuator is rod-shaped and may be an electric cylinder, an electric ball screw mechanism, or the like. The first moving mechanisms 260 and the second moving mechanisms 270 may be, for example, members that can expand and contract in the vertical direction of the covering device 2.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 3, the first lifting units 26 and the second lifting units 27 in this embodiment lift up and down pairs of the first gripping units 24 and the second gripping units 25 arranged in opposing positions to the same height, among the first gripping units 24 and the second gripping units 25 arranged in opposing positions. This makes it possible to adjust the height of the film 4 in the transport direction to match the shape of the adherend 5. Therefore, compared to a case in which the film 4 is stretched out flat and applied to the adherend 5, the covering device 2 in this embodiment can suppress the amount of stretch of the film 4 from changing depending on the location of the adherend 5.

[0033] 3, among a plurality of first gripping units 24 and a plurality of second gripping units 25 arranged in positions facing each other, pairs of first gripping units 24 and second gripping units 25 arranged in positions facing each other (the same position in the X direction) may be raised and lowered to different heights. This makes it possible to adjust the shape of the film 4 to various shapes of the adherend 5.

[0034] The lifting and lowering of the first lifting units 26 and the second lifting units 27 may be controlled by the control device 3, for example, by measuring the shape of the adherend 5 in advance and storing the heights of the adherend 5 at different locations in the control device 3. Alternatively, a detection unit such as a sensor that detects the shape of the adherend 5 may be further provided inside the chamber 22 or in each of the first lifting and lowering units 26 and second lifting and lowering units 27, and the lifting and lowering units may be lifted and lowered according to the detection result of the detection unit.

[0035] The adherend lifting unit 28 includes an adherend lifting part 280 and an adherend transport part 281 supported by the adherend lifting part 280. The adherend lifting part 280 lifts and lowers the adherend 5 carried inside the chamber 22 in the vertical direction of the coating device 2, thereby adjusting the position of the adherend 5 or bringing the adherend 5 into contact with the film 4. The adherend transport part 281 transports the adherend 5 by a plurality of rotatable shafts. The adherend lifting part 280 and the adherend transport part 281 may be actuators such as electric cylinders or electric ball screw mechanisms.

[0036] The multiple heating units 29 heat the film 4 transported inside the chamber 22. As shown in Fig. 3, each heating unit 29 is disposed corresponding to a pair of a first gripping unit 24 and a second gripping unit 25 disposed opposite each other, and can be raised and lowered to adjust the heating position. By heating the film 4 with the multiple heating units 29, the ability of the film 4 to follow the adherend 5 can be improved.

[0037] Each of the multiple heating units 29 includes a heating element 290 and a support plate 291 that supports the heating element 290. The support plate 291 is provided on a first moving mechanism 260 that raises and lowers the first gripping unit 24 and a second moving mechanism 270 that raises and lowers the second gripping unit 25, which are disposed at positions opposite to each other, and is raised and lowered in synchronization with the corresponding pair of the first gripping unit 24 and the second gripping unit 25. By raising and lowering each heating unit 29 in synchronization with the corresponding first gripping unit 24 and the second gripping unit 25, the distance between each heating unit 29 and the film 4 can be kept constant.

[0038] In the present embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the heating units 29 are provided on the first moving mechanism 260 that raises and lowers the first gripping unit 24 and the second moving mechanism 270 that raises and lowers the second gripping unit 25, which are disposed at positions facing each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of heating units 29 may be disposed on the side surface or the top surface inside the upper chamber 220. Furthermore, the heating unit 29 may be configured to adjust the heating position according to the shape of the film 4 using, for example, a deformable sheet-like heater such as a ceramic heater. Furthermore, each heating unit 29 may be set to a different temperature.

[0039] The air pressure adjustment unit 23 includes an air pressure adjustment section 230, a pipe 231, a valve 232, etc., and adjusts the air pressure inside the chamber 22. The air pressure adjustment section 230 includes, for example, a vacuum pump that reduces the pressure inside the chamber 22 to create a vacuum state, and a compressor that pressurizes the inside of the chamber 22 with compressed air or the like. In this embodiment, the pipe 231 is connected to the lower chamber 221, and the reduction or pressurization by the air pressure adjustment section 230 can be adjusted by opening and closing the valve 232. The air pressure adjustment unit 23 adjusts the air pressure inside the chamber 22 with the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 gripping the film 4, and causes the film 4 to cover the adherend 5.

[0040] With the above configuration, in this embodiment, the multiple first gripping units 24 are raised and lowered by the multiple first lifting units 26, and the multiple second gripping units 25 are raised and lowered by the multiple second lifting units 27. This allows the height of the film 4 held by the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 relative to the adherend 5 to be adjusted according to the shape of the adherend 5. Therefore, compared to the case where the film 4 is stretched out in a flat state and covered on the three-dimensional adherend 5, it is possible to suppress the distance between the adherend 5 and the film 4 from varying depending on the part of the adherend 5, and to suppress the amount of stretch of the film 4 from changing. This allows the film 4 to be prevented from being wrinkled.

[0041] <Example of coating device operation> An example of the operation of the coating device 2 to coat the adherend 5 with the film 4 will be described. Figures 5 to 15 are explanatory views of the operation of the coating device 2, showing an example of the operation from the loading of the film 4 and the adherend 5, to coating and loading.

[0042] First, reference is made to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a state in which the adherend 5 and the film 4 are transported inside the chamber 22. Figure 6 shows the inside of the chamber 22 in the X direction of Figure 5. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the transport of the adherend 5 and the film 4 is performed in a state in which the upper chamber 220 is raised and the upper chamber 220 and the lower chamber 221 are separated from each other.

[0043] The adherend 5 is carried onto the adherend lifting unit 28 provided in the lower chamber 221, for example, by the above-mentioned conveying system 1 or the like. After being carried into the chamber 22, the position of the adherend 5 may be adjusted by the adherend lifting unit 28. The film 4 is conveyed onto the adherend 5 by the film conveying unit 21.

[0044] 5 and 6, film transport unit 21 transports film 4 such that a side edge of the film 4 being transported passes through a path that can be gripped by multiple first gripping units 24, and a side edge of the film 4 opposite to the side edge on the side of the multiple first gripping units 24 passes through a path that can be gripped by multiple second gripping units 25. In this embodiment, when transporting film 4, multiple first gripping units 24 and multiple second gripping units 25 are arranged horizontally, and film 4 is transported horizontally. This makes it possible to easily transport and grip film 4 even in a configuration in which film 4 is gripped at multiple positions.

[0045] Next, reference is made to Fig. 7 to Fig. 9. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 show a state in which the film 4 transported inside the chamber 22 is raised and lowered according to the shape of the adherend 5. Fig. 9 shows the inside of the chamber 22 in the X direction of Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 7, the plurality of first lifting units 26 and the plurality of second lifting units 27 raise and lower the corresponding plurality of first gripping units 24 and the plurality of second gripping units 25 according to the shape of the adherend 5. In this embodiment, when the plurality of first gripping units 24 are raised and lowered by the plurality of first lifting units 26 and when the plurality of second gripping units 25 are raised and lowered by the plurality of second lifting units 27, each of the first gripping units 24 and the second gripping units 25 does not grip the film 4.

[0046] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the multiple first lifting units 26 and the multiple second lifting units 27 each raise and lower a pair of first gripping units 24 and second gripping units 25 arranged in opposing positions to the same height, among the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 arranged in opposing positions to each other.

[0047] 8, in this embodiment, after the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are raised and lowered to a height corresponding to the shape of the adherend 5, the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 grip the film 4. In this embodiment, the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are in an open state when raised and lowered, and then in a gripping state, but this is not limited thereto. For example, when the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are raised and lowered, some of the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 may grip the film 4.

[0048] 7 and 9, the multiple heating units 29 move up and down to maintain a constant distance in conjunction with the movement of the corresponding pairs of first gripping unit 24 and second gripping unit 25. This makes it possible to maintain a constant distance between the multiple heating units 29 and film 4, and prevents certain parts of film 4 from being overheated or underheated when the multiple heating units 29, which will be described later, heat the film 4.

[0049] Next, reference is made to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 shows a state in which the upper chamber 220 has been lowered after the heights of the plurality of first gripping units 24 and the plurality of second gripping units 25 have been adjusted in Figure 7. Figure 11 shows the inside of the chamber 22 in the X direction of Figure 10. When the upper chamber 220 is lowered, the film 4 may be cut by the trimming unit 204, for example, as shown in Figure 10. When the upper chamber 220 is lowered and comes into contact with the lower chamber 221, the internal space enclosed by the upper chamber 220 and the lower chamber 221 can be kept sealed.

[0050] 10 and 11, while the chamber 22 is kept sealed, the pressure inside the chamber 22 is reduced by the air pressure adjustment unit 23 shown in Fig. 1. During reduction in pressure, the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25 are positioned at a height where the film 4 and the adherend 5 are separated from each other. This allows the pressure inside the entire chamber 22 to be reduced.

[0051] 10 and 11, for example, after the pressure inside the chamber 22 is reduced, the film 4 is heated by the heating unit 29. The film 4 is softened by being heated, and the ability to conform to the adherend 5 can be improved.

[0052] Next, reference is made to Figs. 12 and 13. Fig. 12 shows a state in which the first gripping units 24 and the second gripping units 25 are lowered. Fig. 13 shows the inside of the chamber 22 in the X direction of Fig. 12. As shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the first lifting units 26 lower the first gripping units 24. The second lifting units 27 lower the second gripping units 25. As shown in Fig. 13, the first gripping units 24 and the second gripping units 25 lower, so that the film 4 comes into contact with a protrusion 70 provided on the jig 7 on which the adherend 5 is placed. The protrusion 70 is a portion formed to protrude along the conveyance direction of the film 4, and is provided on both sides of the adherend 5. The height of the protrusion 70 is formed to be higher than the adherend 5 placed on the jig 7. When the film 4 and the protrusion 70 come into contact with each other, the area surrounded by the film 4, the protrusion 70, the jig 7, and the adherend 5 is separated from the outside area. In other words, the area surrounded by the film 4 and the jig 7 on which the adherend 5 is placed is a sealed space.

[0053] The air pressure adjustment unit 23 shown in Fig. 1 pressurizes the inside of the chamber 22. On the other hand, the space sealed by the film 4 and the jig 7 shown in Fig. 13 remains in a reduced pressure state because it is sealed. Therefore, a pressure difference occurs between the space sealed by the film 4 and the jig 7 and the outer space outside the sealed space. This pressure difference causes the film 4 to cover the adherend 5.

[0054] Next, reference is made to Figures 14 and 15. Figures 14 and 15 show a state in which the film 4 has been coated on the adherend 5. Figure 15 shows the inside of the chamber 22 in the X direction of Figure 14. After the film 4 has been coated on the adherend 5 in Figures 12 and 13, the upper chamber 220 rises. When the upper chamber 220 rises, the tip gripping portion 210 puts the film 4 in an open state. After the upper chamber 220 has risen, the adherend 5 coated with the film 4 is carried out to the outside of the chamber 22. This completes the operations from carrying in the film 4 and the adherend 5 to coating and carrying them out.

[0055] <Detailed configuration of the jig and operation before coating> Next, with reference to Figs. 16 to 18, a detailed configuration of the jig according to this embodiment and an operation before the film is coated on the jig on which the adherend is placed will be described. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the jig. In Fig. 16, half of the jig 7 is drawn from the center, but the opposite side actually has a similar configuration. The jig 7 is a jig used in a coating device 2 that coats the adherend 5 with the film 4. The jig 7 includes a placement surface 1601 on which the adherend 5 is placed, and a protrusion 70 protruding from the placement surface 1601. The protrusion 70 includes a first protrusion 70a and a second protrusion 70b that extend along the conveying direction (X direction) in which the film 4 is conveyed onto the adherend 5.

[0056] FIG. 17 shows a state where the film 4 is transported above the jig 7 on which the adherend 5 is placed. The film 4 is configured to have an adhesive layer 1701 in the area covered by the adherend 5, and not have an adhesive layer 1601 in the area abutting the convex portion 70 (first convex portion 70a, second convex portion 70b). This allows the film 4 to slide against the convex portion 70, making it possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring. FIG. 18 shows a state where the film 4 transported above the jig 7 is lowered toward the adherend 5. In this state, the film 4 abuts against the convex portion 70, forming an enclosed space surrounded by the film 4, the convex portion 70, the placement surface 1601, and the adherend 5. In this way, by configuring the convex portion 70 to protrude at a position higher than the adherend 5 placed on the jig 7 relative to the placement surface 1601, it becomes easy to form an enclosed space. 18, the film 4 is kept out of contact with the adherend 5. The tool according to this embodiment can keep the film and the adherend close to each other before they come into contact with each other. This can prevent the amount of stretch of the film from varying depending on the location of the adherend.

[0057] 16, the protrusion 70 may further include a third protrusion 70c that hermetically connects an end of the first protrusion 70a and an end of the second protrusion 70b. A fourth protrusion similar to the third protrusion 70c may be provided on the opposite side not shown in FIG. 16. By providing the third protrusion 70c and the fourth protrusion, an area surrounded by the protrusions 70 is formed, and the film 4 comes into contact with the protrusions 70 to reliably form a sealed space.

[0058] In addition, in the case of a film that is tensioned in the Y direction due to residual stress during film production, as shown in FIG. 17, a deflection occurs in the center of the film 4. On the other hand, in the case of a film that is not tensioned in the Y direction, when the film 4 is brought into contact with the protrusion 70 as shown in FIG. 18, tension is applied in the Y direction and the deflection of the film 4 disappears. In the case of a configuration having an adhesive layer 1601 in the region that contacts the protrusion 70, the film 4 is not allowed to move in the Y direction, so the deflection remains. However, by adopting a configuration in which the adhesive layer 1601 is not provided in the region that contacts the protrusion 70 as in this embodiment, the deflection can be easily eliminated. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to provide an adhesive layer in a part of the region of the film 4, the amount of adhesive layer used can be reduced. This contributes to cost reduction.

[0059] 16 to 18 have been described with respect to the case where the adherend 5 and the jig 7 have a curved shape, but a box-shaped jig 1900 as shown in Fig. 19 may also be used. A protruding portion 1901 protrudes circumferentially from the mounting surface 1902 so as to surround the adherend 1903, and protrudes to a position higher than the height of the adherend 5. When the film 4 abuts against the protruding portion 1901, an enclosed space surrounded by the film 4, the mounting surface 1902, the adherend 1900, and the protruding portion 1901 can be formed.

[0060] <Air pressure adjustment operation> Next, the air pressure adjustment operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 13 and other figures, the chamber 22 accommodates the adherend 5 with the film 4 as a boundary, and forms a space sealed by the film 4 and the jig 7 (sealed space) and an outer space outside the space. The air pressure adjustment unit 23 adjusts the inside of the chamber 22 to a vacuum state before the space sealed by the film 4 and the jig 7 (sealed space) is formed. Then, after the space sealed by the film 4 and the jig 7 (sealed space) is formed, the outer space outside the space is adjusted to an atmospheric pressure state or a compressed air state (i.e., pressurized). The film 4 is covered by the pressure difference generated between the two spaces.

[0061] According to the jig of this embodiment, when adjusting the air pressure in the chamber 22, there is no pressure difference above and below the jig 7, and the same pressure is applied, so there is no need to make the jig 7 itself strong. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the jig 7 by hollowing out the jig 7, for example. Furthermore, according to the jig of this embodiment, there is no need to raise the jig 7 to bring the adherend 5 into contact with the film 4, so there is no need to provide the adherend lifting unit 28. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts, thereby reducing costs.

[0062] In the present embodiment, the film 4 is conveyed in accordance with the shape of the adherend 5 using the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When the jig 7 does not have a protruding portion 70, the film 4 is conveyed in accordance with the shape of the adherend 5, and when the jig 7 has a protruding portion 70, such conveyance does not have to be performed. For example, when the jig 7 (or the jig 1900) shown in Figs. 16 to 19 has a protruding portion 70 (or a protruding portion 1901), the film 4 may be conveyed in the horizontal direction (X direction) onto the adherend 5 in the chamber 22 using the film conveying unit 21 described in Fig. 2 and the like, without using the multiple first gripping units 24 and the multiple second gripping units 25.

[0063] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the inside of the chamber 22 is depressurized and then pressurized by the air pressure adjustment unit 23, and the film 4 is coated on the adherend 5. The method of coating the adherend 5 with the film 4 is not limited to this. For example, the film 4 may be coated on the adherend 5 without heating. Alternatively, the lower chamber 221 may be depressurized via the film 4, the upper chamber 220 may be kept at atmospheric pressure, and the film 4 may be coated on the adherend 5 by the pressure difference between the lower chamber 221 and the upper chamber 220. Alternatively, the film 4 may be coated on the adherend 5 without depressurizing the inside of the chamber 220. For example, the film 4 may be coated on the adherend 5 by pressurizing the film 4 with compressed air or the like from the side opposite to the side of the film 4 facing the adherend 5. Alternatively, the film 4 may be pressed against the adherend 5 by a mold or the like.

[0064] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 100 production line, 1 conveying system, 2 coating device, 3 control device, 4 film, 5 adherend, 6 conveying table, 7 jig, 20 film support unit, 21 film conveying unit, 22 chamber, 23 air pressure adjustment unit, 24 first gripping unit, 25 second gripping unit, 26 first lifting unit, 27 second lifting unit, 28 adherend lifting unit, 29 heating unit, 70 convex portion, 1601 placement surface

Claims

1. A conveying means for conveying the film from the film supplying device onto the adherend; a jig for placing the adherend, The jig is A mounting surface on which the adherend is placed; a first protrusion provided along a first side edge of the film transported onto the adherend, the first protrusion being fixed to the placement surface, protruding from the placement surface and positioned higher than the adherend placed on the jig; a second protrusion provided along a second side edge of the film conveyed onto the adherend, the second protrusion being fixed to the placement surface and protruding from the placement surface at a position higher than the adherend placed on the jig, the second protrusion being provided along the second side edge of the film conveyed onto the adherend, the second protrusion being fixed to the placement surface and protruding from the placement surface at a position higher than the adherend placed on the jig; and a protrusion including a coating device characterized in that, when the film is lowered toward the adherend, the film comes into contact with the convex portion, forming an enclosed space surrounded by the film, the convex portion, the placement surface, and the adherend.

2. 2. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the film is not in contact with the adherend when the sealed space is formed.

3. 2. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion further includes a third convex portion connecting one end of the first convex portion and one end of the second convex portion, and a fourth convex portion connecting the other end of the first convex portion and the other end of the second convex portion.

4. The covering device according to claim 3 , wherein the protrusion protrudes circumferentially from the placement surface.

5. 2. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the film has an adhesive layer in an area that is to be coated on the adherend, and does not have the adhesive layer in an area that is in contact with the first convex portion or the second convex portion.

6. a chamber that defines the sealed space and an outer space outside the sealed space, with the film as a boundary; an air pressure adjusting means for adjusting the air pressure in the sealed space and the outer space; an adherend lifting means for lifting and lowering the adherend in the chamber; The coating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

7. 7. The coating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the air pressure adjusting means adjusts the inside of the chamber to a vacuum state before the sealed space is formed.

8. 8. The coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the air pressure adjusting means pressurizes the outer space after the sealed space is formed.

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