Apparatus and method for recovering the edges of protective films for polarizing plates, apparatus and method for manufacturing protective films for polarizing plates, apparatus and method for manufacturing polarizing plates

Abstract

To provide an apparatus for recovering an end of a protective film which can recover an end of a protective film without requiring manual work and can be also incorporated into a manufacturing line of the protective film.SOLUTION: An apparatus for recovering an end of a protective film for a polarizing plate includes a conveyance roller for conveying a protective film for a polarizing plate, a cutting part for cutting an end in a width direction of the protective film in a conveyance direction of the protective film, a suction pipe for sucking a cut end that is the end of the protective film cut by the cutting part, a suction machine which is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe and generates suction air in the suction pipe, a crushing machine which is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe and crushes the cut end sucked from the suction pipe, and a connection pipe for connecting the suction pipe and the crushing machine, wherein the connection pipe has a fallen-down S shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recovering an end portion of a protective film for a polarizing plate, an apparatus and a method for producing a protective film for a polarizing plate, and an apparatus and a method for producing a polarizing plate.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-131208 (Patent Document 1), in the production of an optical film such as a protective film for a polarizing plate, an end portion of the optical film has been cut in accordance with the product width of the optical film. And a method of winding the cut end portion of the optical film (hereinafter referred to as a cut end) by a winding roller has been widely used.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the conventional method as described above, after a predetermined amount of the cut end is wound by the winding roller, it is often recovered by an operator. In this case, the operator needs to recover the cut end every predetermined amount, which requires labor. Further, when the cut end is wound by the winding roller, the cut end may be broken due to the tension of the winding roller, and the operator needs to wind the cut end around the winding roller again, which requires labor.

[0005] Furthermore, every time the cut end wound around the winding roller is recovered, the winding operation of the cut end by the winding roller must be temporarily stopped, and incorporating the recovery of the cut end into the production line of the protective film requires stopping the entire production line of the protective film, which has been difficult.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a protective film edge recovery apparatus and recovery method that can recover the edges of protective films without requiring human intervention and can also be incorporated into a protective film manufacturing line, as well as a protective film manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method that can easily and quickly produce protective films as products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, an apparatus for collecting the edges of a protective film for a polarizing plate, according to one aspect of this disclosure, A conveyor roller for transporting protective film for polarizing plates, A cutting section that cuts the end of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction pipe for sucking up the cut end, which is the end of the protective film cut by the aforementioned cutting section, A suction device is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe and generates suction air into the suction pipe, A crusher connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe, which crushes the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe, The suction pipe and the connecting pipe that connects the crusher Equipped with, The aforementioned connecting pipe is in a horizontal S-shape.

[0008] According to the above embodiment, the connecting pipe is S-shaped when laid on its side, and therefore has a valley that curves downwards. In this way, the connecting pipe has a valley, so the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe comes into contact with the inner surface of the valley before being sent to the crusher. As a result, the cut end is sent to the crusher in contact with the inner surface of the valley. Therefore, even if vibrations from the crusher are transmitted to the cut end while it is being crushed by the crusher, the vibrations from the crusher are blocked by the inner surface of the valley and are less likely to be transmitted to the protective film upstream of the cut end. As a result, the cut end can be sent to the crusher while the protective film is transported stably.

[0009] Furthermore, since the connecting pipe is horizontally S-shaped, it has a curved peak that is convex upward on the downstream side of the valley. In this way, because the connecting pipe has an additional peak, the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe comes into contact with the inner surfaces of the valley and peak before being sent to the crusher. As a result, the cut end is sent to the crusher in contact with the inner surfaces of the valley and peak. Therefore, even if vibrations from the crusher are transmitted to the cut end, the vibrations are blocked by the inner surfaces of the valley and peak, making it less likely for them to be transmitted to the protective film upstream of the cut end. As a result, the cut end can be sent to the crusher while the protective film is transported more stably.

[0010] Therefore, the edges of the protective film can be collected continuously, eliminating the need for manual labor. Furthermore, because the edges of the protective film can be collected continuously, there is no need to stop the collection process, and the collection of protective film edges can be incorporated into the protective film manufacturing line.

[0011] Preferably, in a device for collecting the end of a protective film for a polarizing plate, the inner surface of the connecting tube has an uneven shape.

[0012] According to the above embodiment, since the inner surface of the connecting pipe has an uneven shape, it is possible to prevent the cut end from sticking to the inner surface of the connecting pipe, and the cut end can be smoothly fed into the crusher.

[0013] Furthermore, a manufacturing apparatus for a protective film for a polarizing plate, which is one aspect of this disclosure, A manufacturing apparatus for producing protective films for polarizing plates in sheet form from raw materials, A device for collecting the edges of the protective film for polarizing plates, which cuts and collects the edges from the protective film manufactured by the manufacturing device, A winding device that winds the protective film, whose end has been recovered by the recovery device, as a product. It is equipped with.

[0014] According to the above embodiment, protective films as products can be manufactured easily and in a short time.

[0015] Furthermore, a method for recovering the edges of a protective film for a polarizing plate, which is one aspect of this disclosure, A transport process for transporting protective films for polarizing plates, A cutting step of cutting the edges of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction step involves sucking up the cut end of the protective film, which is the end of the protective film cut in the cutting step, from a suction pipe. The suction step involves sending the cut end, which was sucked in from the suction pipe in the suction step, to a crusher via a connecting pipe, and crushing it using the crusher. Equipped with, The aforementioned connecting pipe is in a horizontal S-shape.

[0016] According to the above embodiment, the connecting pipe is S-shaped when laid on its side, and therefore has a valley that curves downwards. In this way, the connecting pipe has a valley, so the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe comes into contact with the inner surface of the valley before being sent to the crusher. As a result, the cut end is sent to the crusher in contact with the inner surface of the valley. Therefore, even if vibrations from the crusher are transmitted to the cut end while it is being crushed by the crusher, the vibrations from the crusher are blocked by the inner surface of the valley and are less likely to be transmitted to the protective film upstream of the cut end. As a result, the cut end can be sent to the crusher while the protective film is transported stably.

[0017] Further, since the connecting pipe has a horizontally inverted S-shape, it has a crest curved to protrude further upward on the downstream side of the trough. Since the connecting pipe further has a crest as described above, the cut end sucked from the suction pipe contacts the inner surfaces of the trough and the crest before being fed into the crusher. Accordingly, the cut end is fed into the crusher while being in contact with the inner surfaces of the trough and the crest. Therefore, even if the vibration of the crusher propagates to the cut end, the vibration of the crusher is blocked by the inner surfaces of the trough and the crest, and is less likely to propagate to the protective film on the upstream side of the cut end. As a result, the cut end can be fed into the crusher while the protective film is conveyed more stably.

[0018] Therefore, since the end portions of the protective film can be continuously collected, the end portions of the protective film can be collected without requiring manual labor. Further, since the end portions of the protective film can be continuously collected, there is no need to stop the collection work of the end portions of the protective film, and the collection of the end portions of the protective film can also be incorporated into the production line of the protective film.

[0019] Further, a method for producing a protective film for a polarizing plate, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, comprises: a production step of producing a sheet-shaped protective film for a polarizing plate from a raw material; a collection step of collecting end portions of the protective film by the above collection method; and a winding step of winding the protective film from which the end portions have been collected in the collection step as a product .

[0020] According to the above aspect, the protective film as a product can be produced easily and in a short time.

[0021] Further, an apparatus for producing a polarizing plate, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, is an apparatus for producing a polarizing plate having a protective film and a polarizing film, comprising: a production apparatus for producing the sheet-shaped protective film from a raw material; and a collection apparatus for collecting end portions of the protective film; A winding device for winding up the protective film whose end has been recovered by the recovery device, A feeding device that feeds out the protective film wound up by the aforementioned winding device, A supplying device for supplying the polarizing film, A bonding device that bonds the protective film fed out by the aforementioned dispensing device and the polarizing film supplied by the aforementioned supply device via an adhesive layer. Equipped with, The aforementioned recovery device is A transport roller for transporting the protective film, A cutting section that cuts the end of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction pipe for sucking up the cut end, which is the end of the protective film cut by the aforementioned cutting section, A suction device is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe and generates suction air into the suction pipe, A crusher connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe, which crushes the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe, The suction pipe and the connecting pipe that connects the crusher Equipped with, The aforementioned connecting pipe is in a horizontal S-shape.

[0022] According to the above embodiment, polarizing plates can be manufactured easily and in a short time.

[0023] Furthermore, a polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus, which is one aspect of this disclosure, A method for manufacturing a polarizing plate having a protective film and a polarizing film, A manufacturing process for producing the protective film in sheet form from raw materials, A recovery step for collecting the edges of the protective film, A winding step in which the protective film whose end portion has been recovered in the above recovery step is wound up, A feeding process for feeding out the protective film that has been wound up in the winding process, A supply process for supplying the polarizing film, A bonding step in which the protective film sent out in the above-mentioned sending step and the polarizing film supplied in the above-mentioned supply step are bonded together via an adhesive layer. Equipped with, The aforementioned recovery process is, A transport process for transporting the protective film, A cutting step of cutting the edges of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction step involves sucking up the cut end of the protective film, which is the end of the protective film cut in the cutting step, from a suction pipe. The suction step involves sending the cut end, which was sucked in from the suction pipe in the suction step, to a crusher via a connecting pipe, and crushing it using the crusher. Equipped with, The aforementioned connecting pipe is in a horizontal S-shape.

[0024] According to the above embodiment, polarizing plates can be manufactured easily and in a short time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a device and method for recovering the edges of protective films for polarizing plates can recover the edges of protective films without requiring manual labor, and can also be incorporated into a protective film manufacturing line.

[0026] According to a manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for a protective film for polarizing plates, which is one aspect of this disclosure, a protective film as a product can be manufactured easily and in a short time.

[0027] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method can be used to manufacture polarizing plates easily and in a short amount of time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing embodiments of a manufacturing apparatus for protective films for polarizing plates and an apparatus for collecting the edges of protective films for polarizing plates. [Figure 2]This is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of a device for collecting the edges of protective films for polarizing plates. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged view of a partial cross-section of a connecting pipe. [Figure 4] This is a magnified view of the inner surface of the connecting pipe. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Hereinafter, an apparatus and method for recovering the edges of protective films for polarizing plates, an apparatus and method for manufacturing protective films for polarizing plates, and an apparatus and method for manufacturing polarizing plates, which are embodiments of this disclosure, will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Note that some of the drawings are schematic and may not reflect actual dimensions or proportions.

[0030] <Embodiment> [Summary configuration] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing embodiments of a manufacturing apparatus for protective films for polarizing plates and an apparatus for collecting the edges of protective films for polarizing plates. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing embodiments of an apparatus for collecting the edges of protective films for polarizing plates. In this specification, "downward" refers to the downward direction in the vertical direction (direction of gravity), and "upward" refers to the upward direction in the vertical direction (direction of gravity).

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the manufacturing apparatus 1 for protective films for polarizing plates comprises a manufacturing apparatus 2, a device for recovering the edges of the protective films for polarizing plates (hereinafter referred to as the recovery apparatus 3), and a winding apparatus 4.

[0032] The manufacturing device 2 produces a sheet-like protective film (hereinafter referred to as the sheet-like protective film 10) from raw materials. The recovery device 3 cuts off the ends of the sheet-like protective film 10 produced by the manufacturing device 2 and recovers them. The winding device 4 winds up the protective film (hereinafter referred to as the protective film body 12) from which the ends have been recovered by the recovery device 3 as a product.

[0033] Here, the sheet-like protective film 10 is the protective film before edge cutting. The protective film body 12 is the protective film after edge cutting and is treated as a product thereafter.

[0034] The recovery device 3 comprises conveyor rollers 21 and 22, a cutting section 31, a suction pipe 50, a suction machine 61, a crusher 62, and a connecting pipe 70.

[0035] The transport rollers 21 and 22 transport the sheet-like protective film 10 along the transport direction A. The cutting section 31 cuts the end portion 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 in the width direction B along the transport direction A of the sheet-like protective film 10. The width direction B is the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (transport direction A) of the sheet-like protective film 10.

[0036] The suction pipe 50 sucks in the cut end 11, which is the end 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 that has been cut by the cutting section 31. The cut end 11 is also called the trim and is waste material that has been cut to match the product width of the protective film.

[0037] The suction unit 61 is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe 50 and generates suction air in the suction pipe 50. The downstream side refers to the downstream side in the suction direction (the direction in which the suction air flows).

[0038] The crusher 62 is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe 50 and crushes the cut end 11 that is sucked in from the suction pipe 50. The cut end 11 is collected after crushing.

[0039] The connecting pipe 70 connects the suction pipe 50 and the crusher 62. The connecting pipe 70 has a valley 75 that curves downwards.

[0040] According to the recovery device 3, since the connecting pipe 70 has a valley 75, the cut end 11 sucked in from the suction pipe 50 comes into contact with the inner surface of the valley 75 before being sent to the crusher 62. As a result, the cut end 11 is sent to the crusher 62 in contact with the inner surface of the valley 75. Therefore, even if vibrations from the crusher 62 are transmitted to the cut end 11 while the cut end 11 is being crushed by the crusher 62, the vibrations from the crusher 62 are blocked by the inner surface of the valley 75 and are less likely to be transmitted to the protective film (sheet-like protective film 10 or protective film body 12) upstream of the cut end 11. As a result, the cut end 11 can be sent to the crusher 62 while the protective film is transported stably.

[0041] Therefore, the edges of the protective film can be collected continuously, eliminating the need for manual labor. Furthermore, because the edges of the protective film can be collected continuously, there is no need to stop the collection process, and the collection of protective film edges can be incorporated into the protective film manufacturing line.

[0042] According to the protective film manufacturing apparatus 1, since the recovery device 3 is incorporated into the protective film manufacturing apparatus 1, protective films as products can be manufactured easily and in a short time.

[0043] (Protective film) The protective film is a protective film used for polarizing plates. A polarizing plate is formed by laminating the protective film and the polarizing film via an adhesive layer. Examples of protective films include single-layer resin films made of cycloolefin resins, cellulose acetate resins, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate resins, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and olefin resins such as polypropylene. Furthermore, the single-layer resin film can be given optical functions such as the function of a phase difference resin film, the function of a brightness-enhancing resin film, the function of a reflective resin film, the function of a semi-transparent reflective resin film, the function of a diffusion resin film, and the function of an optical compensation resin film. Alternatively, a laminated resin film may be made by laminating an optically functional resin film such as a phase difference resin film, a brightness-enhancing resin film, a reflective resin film, a semi-transparent reflective resin film, a diffusion resin film, or an optical compensation resin film onto the surface of the single-layer resin film. The thickness of the resin film used in the present invention is, for example, 5 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 300 μm.

[0044] (Manufacturing apparatus 2) The manufacturing apparatus 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is an apparatus for manufacturing single-layer or laminated protective films. For example, it may be an apparatus for manufacturing protective films by melt extrusion or solvent casting, an apparatus for manufacturing laminated protective films by bonding multiple protective films with a pair of laminating rolls, an apparatus for manufacturing stretched protective films by stretching protective films, a rewinder apparatus, etc.

[0045] (Take-up device 4) The winding device 4 has a winding roller 40. The winding roller 40 winds the protective film body 12 around it and turns it into a roll. The protective film body 12, once wound into a roll, is subsequently collected as a product.

[0046] (Conveyor rollers 21, 22) The first conveyor roller 21 is positioned upstream of the second conveyor roller 22 in the conveying direction A. The first conveyor roller 21 has an upper roller 21a and a lower roller 21b. The upper roller 21a and the lower roller 21b are in contact with each other, gripping the sheet-like protective film 10, and are rotated by a motor (not shown) to convey the sheet-like protective film 10 in the conveying direction A.

[0047] The second conveyor roller 22, like the first conveyor roller 21, has an upper roller 22a and a lower roller 22b. The upper roller 22a and the lower roller 22b convey the protective film body 12 in the conveying direction A while holding it between them.

[0048] Furthermore, if the sheet-like protective film 10 can be conveyed in the conveying direction A, the device may have either the first conveying roller 21 or the second conveying roller 22.

[0049] (cutting section 31) The cutting section 31 is positioned between the first transport roller 21 and the second transport roller 22 in the transport direction A of the sheet-like protective film 10. When viewed from the planar direction, the cutting section 31 is positioned inward from the edge of the sheet-like protective film 10 in the width direction B. In other words, the cutting section 31 is positioned opposite the end 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10.

[0050] The cutting section 31 has an upper blade roller 31a and a lower blade roller 31b. The upper blade roller 31a and the lower blade roller 31b are in contact with each other, gripping the end 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10, and are rotated by a motor (not shown) to cut the end 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 along the transport direction A. The cutting section 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is equipment for cutting protective film, and may be, for example, a razor blade, an ultrasonic cutter, a laser cutter, etc.

[0051] The cutting section 31 is positioned opposite each of the two ends 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 and cuts both ends 10a, but it may also be positioned at only one end 10a and cut only that end 10a. Furthermore, the cutting section 31 may be installed to be movable along the width direction B of the sheet-like protective film 10, allowing its position to be adjusted to match the product width of the protective film.

[0052] (Suction pipe 50) The suction pipe 50 is positioned downstream in the direction in which the cut end 11, cut by the cutting section 31, is transported. Specifically, the cut end 11, cut by the cutting section 31, is supported by the support roller 25 and transported below the support roller 25. The suction pipe 50 is positioned below the support roller 25, and the suction port 51 of the suction pipe 50 receives the cut end 11 hanging down from the support roller 25. The suction port 51 of the suction pipe 50 opens upward, and the discharge port 52 of the suction pipe 50 opens downward. The discharge port 52 of the suction pipe 50 is connected to the connecting pipe 70.

[0053] Note that in Figure 2, for convenience, the cut end 11 is depicted as being separated from the protective film body 12, but in reality, the cut end 11 and the protective film body 12 may overlap when viewed from a planar direction.

[0054] (Crusher 62) The crusher 62 is connected to the suction pipe 50 via a connecting pipe 70. The cut end 11, sucked in from the suction pipe 50, reaches the crusher 62 via the connecting pipe 70 and is crushed by the crusher 62. The crushed cut end 11 is collected as crushed material in a collection container (not shown) connected downstream of the crusher 62.

[0055] Although there is only one crusher 62, multiple crushers may be connected in series to further crush the cut end 11.

[0056] (Suction machine 61) The suction unit 61 is connected to the crusher 61 and generates suction air from the suction pipe 50 towards the crusher 62 via the connecting pipe 70. The suction unit 61 consists of, for example, a fan and a motor that rotates the fan. The suction unit 61 is connected to the crusher 62, but it may be connected to any location that can generate suction air in the suction pipe 50.

[0057] (Connecting pipe 70) Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a partial cross-section of the connecting pipe 70. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting pipe 70 includes an upstream first end 71 and a downstream second end 72. The first end 71 opens upward, and the second end 72 opens downward. The first end 71 of the connecting pipe 70 is connected to the discharge port 52 of the suction pipe 50. The second end 72 of the connecting pipe 70 is connected to the crusher 62.

[0058] The connecting pipe 70 has a valley section 75 and a peak section 76 between the first end 71 and the second end 72. The valley section 75 is located on the side of the first end 71. The peak section 76 is located downstream of the valley section 75 and on the side of the second end 72. The valley section 75 is curved so as to be convex downwards. The peak section 76 is curved so as to be convex upwards.

[0059] Specifically, the connecting pipe 70 is composed of a lower semicircular portion 70a, which is a semicircular arc shape that is convex downwards, and an upper semicircular portion 70b, which is a semicircular arc shape that is convex upwards. The lower semicircular portion 70a and the upper semicircular portion 70b are connected in series from the first end 71 to the second end 72. In other words, the connecting pipe 70 is in the shape of a horizontal S, which simplifies the structure of the connecting pipe 70. The area near the lowest point of the lower semicircular portion 70a constitutes the valley portion 75. The area near the highest point of the upper semicircular portion 70b constitutes the peak portion 76.

[0060] Thus, since the connecting pipe 70 has valleys 75 and peaks 76, the cut end 11 sucked in from the suction pipe 50 comes into contact with the inner surfaces 73 of the valleys 75 and peaks 76 before being sent to the crusher 62. In other words, the cut end 11 passes through the inside of the connecting pipe 70 by the shortest distance, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, and for this reason, the cut end 11 is particularly likely to come into contact with the inner surfaces 73 of the valleys 75 and peaks 76.

[0061] As a result, the cut end 11 is fed into the crusher 62 in contact with the inner surfaces 73 of the valleys 75 and peaks 76. Therefore, even if vibrations from the crusher 62 are transmitted to the cut end 11, these vibrations are blocked by the inner surfaces 73 of the valleys 75 and peaks 76, making it difficult for them to be transmitted to the protective film (sheet-like protective film 10 or protective film body 12) upstream of the cut end 11. As a result, the cut end 11 can be fed into the crusher 62 while the protective film is transported stably.

[0062] In contrast, if the connecting pipe 70 is a straight pipe, the crusher 62 will be positioned directly below the suction pipe 50. In this case, the cut end 11 sucked in from the suction pipe 50 will be sent to the crusher 62 without coming into contact with the inner surface 73 of the connecting pipe 70. Therefore, if vibrations from the crusher 62 are transmitted to the cut end 11, there is a risk that these vibrations will also be transmitted to the protective film upstream of the cut end 11. As a result, it is not possible to send the cut end 11 to the crusher 62 while stably transporting the protective film.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, since the connecting pipe 70 has a valley 75, the cut end 11 sucked in from the suction pipe 70 is struck against the inner surface 73 of the valley 75 by the suction air. As a result, the cut end 11 is broken and sent to the crusher 62. Therefore, vibrations from the crusher 62 are less likely to propagate to the protective film upstream of the cut end 11.

[0064] Furthermore, since the connecting pipe 70 has a valley 75, even if a heavy part (for example, a tool such as scissors) is accidentally inserted into the connecting pipe 70 from the suction pipe 50, it will be stopped at the valley 75. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the part that was accidentally inserted from the suction pipe 50 from entering the crusher 62, thereby preventing damage to the crusher 62.

[0065] Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the inner surface 73 of the connecting pipe 70. As shown in Figure 4, the inner surface 73 of the connecting pipe 70 preferably has an uneven shape. This prevents the cut end 11 from sticking to the inner surface 73 of the connecting pipe 70 and allows the cut end 11 to be smoothly fed into the crusher 62.

[0066] Specifically, the inner surface 73 of the connecting pipe 70 includes a plurality of protrusions 74, which form an uneven surface. In this case, the cut end 11 comes into contact with the vertices of the protrusions 74, reducing the contact area of ​​the cut end 11 with the inner surface 73. As a result, the frictional resistance of the cut end 11 with the inner surface 73 is reduced, the sliding of the cut end 11 against the inner surface 73 becomes smoother, and static electricity is less likely to be generated on the cut end 11 against the inner surface 73, preventing the cut end 11 from sticking to the inner surface 73. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the connecting pipe 70 be made of stainless steel.

[0067] Furthermore, the uneven shape of the inner surface 73 of the connecting pipe 70 may be composed of multiple recesses rather than multiple protrusions 74, or it may be composed of multiple protrusions and recesses.

[0068] The manufacturing apparatus of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the design can be modified without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, the connecting pipe is composed of a lower semicircular portion and an upper semicircular portion, but it may have corners instead of being an arc shape. Also, the connecting pipe has one valley and one peak, but the number of at least one of the valleys and peaks may be increased, or the connecting pipe may have only a valley and no peaks.

[0069] [Collection Method] Next, an embodiment of a method for collecting the edges of a protective film will be described using Figures 1 and 2.

[0070] First, the sheet-like protective film 10 is transported (referred to as the transport process). Then, the end portion 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 in the width direction B is cut along the transport direction A of the sheet-like protective film 10 that has been transported in the transport process (referred to as the cutting process). After that, the cut end portion 11, which is the end portion 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 that was cut in the cutting process, is sucked in from the suction pipe 50 (referred to as the suction process). Then, the cut end portion 11 that was sucked in from the suction pipe 50 in the suction process is sent to the crusher 62 via the connecting pipe 70 and crushed by the crusher 62 (referred to as the crushing process). The connecting pipe 70 has a valley portion 75 that is curved so as to be convex downwards.

[0071] According to the recovery method described above, since the connecting pipe 70 has a valley 75, the cut end 11 sucked in from the suction pipe 50 comes into contact with the inner surface of the valley 75 before being sent to the crusher 62. As a result, the cut end 11 is sent to the crusher 62 in contact with the inner surface of the valley 75. Therefore, even if vibrations from the crusher 62 are transmitted to the cut end 11 while the cut end 11 is being crushed by the crusher 62, the vibrations from the crusher 62 are blocked by the inner surface of the valley 75 and are less likely to be transmitted to the protective film (sheet-like protective film 10 or protective film body 12) upstream of the cut end 11. As a result, the cut end 11 can be sent to the crusher 62 while the protective film is transported stably.

[0072] Therefore, the edges of the protective film can be collected continuously, eliminating the need for manual labor. Furthermore, because the edges of the protective film can be collected continuously, there is no need to stop the collection process, and the collection of protective film edges can be incorporated into the protective film manufacturing line.

[0073] The recovery method described herein is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the design can be modified without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, the recovery method described herein is not limited to being implemented by the recovery device 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2, but may be implemented by other different devices.

[0074] [Method for manufacturing protective film] Next, an embodiment of a method for manufacturing the edge of a protective film will be described using Figures 1 and 2.

[0075] First, a sheet-like protective film 10 is produced from raw materials by a melt extrusion method (referred to as the production process). Then, the end portion 10a of the sheet-like protective film 10 produced in the production process is cut and recovered using the recovery method described above (referred to as the recovery process). After that, the protective film body 12 from which the end portion was recovered in the recovery process is wound up as a product (referred to as the winding process).

[0076] According to the above manufacturing method, the above-mentioned recovery method can be incorporated into the method for manufacturing protective films, and protective films as products can be manufactured easily and quickly.

[0077] The manufacturing method of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in design without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, the manufacturing method of this disclosure is not limited to being implemented by manufacturing apparatus 1 in Figures 1 and 2, but may be implemented by other different apparatuses.

[0078] [Polarizing plate manufacturing equipment] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus. As shown in Figure 5, the polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus 9 manufactures a polarizing plate 17 including a protective film 15 and a polarizing film 16. Specifically, the polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus 9 comprises a manufacturing apparatus 2, a recovery apparatus 3, a winding apparatus 4, a delivery apparatus 5, a supply apparatus 6, and a lamination apparatus 7. The manufacturing apparatus 2, recovery apparatus 3, and winding apparatus 4 have been described in the above-mentioned protective film manufacturing apparatus 1 for polarizing plates, so their description is omitted here.

[0079] The dispensing device 5 dispenses the protective film 15 that has been wound up by the winding device 4. The dispensing device 5 is composed of, for example, rollers. The supply device 6 supplies the polarizing film 16. The supply device 6 is composed of, for example, rollers.

[0080] The lamination device 7 laminates the protective film 15, which is fed out by the dispensing device 5, and the polarizing film 16, which is supplied by the supply device 6, via an adhesive layer. The lamination device 7 is composed of, for example, two opposing rollers. The protective film 15 and the polarizing film 16 are laminated to produce a polarizing plate 17. The polarizing plate 17 is wound up by the winding device 8.

[0081] According to the polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus 9 described above, since it is equipped with the recovery device 3, the recovery device 3 can be incorporated into the protective film manufacturing apparatus 1, and the protective film can be manufactured easily and quickly, and as a result the polarizing plate 17 can be manufactured easily and quickly.

[0082] [Manufacturing method for polarizing plates] Next, an embodiment of the method for manufacturing a polarizing plate will be described using Figure 5.

[0083] The method for manufacturing a polarizing plate comprises a manufacturing step, a recovery step, a winding step, a delivery step, a supply step, and a lamination step. The manufacturing step, recovery step, and winding step are described in the above-mentioned method for manufacturing a protective film for polarizing plates, so their description is omitted here.

[0084] The discharge process discharges the protective film 15 that was wound up in the winding process. The supply process supplies the polarizing film 16. The lamination process laminates the protective film 15 discharged in the discharge process and the polarizing film 16 supplied in the supply process via an adhesive layer. This manufactures a polarizing plate 17.

[0085] According to the above-described method for manufacturing polarizing plates, since it includes the above-described recovery step, the recovery step can be incorporated into the method for manufacturing protective films, and protective films can be manufactured easily and quickly. As a result, polarizing plates 17 can be manufactured easily and quickly.

[0086] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and design modifications are possible without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, the manufacturing method of this disclosure is not limited to being implemented by the manufacturing apparatus 9 in Figure 5, but may be implemented by other different apparatuses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Protective film manufacturing equipment 2. Manufacturing apparatus 3. Device for collecting the edges of the protective film 4 Winding device 5 Delivery device 6 Feeding device 7 Laminating device 8 Winding device 9. Polarizing plate manufacturing equipment 10 Sheet-type protective film 10a end 11 Cut end 12 Protective film body 15 Protective film 16 Polarizing film 17 Polarizing plate 21,22 First and second conveyor rollers 31 Cut section 50 Suction pipe 51 Inlet 52 Discharge port 61 Suction machine 62. Crusher 70 Connecting pipe 73 Inner self 74 Convex part 75 Tanibe 76 Yamabe A Conveying direction B Width direction

Claims

1. A conveyor roller for transporting protective film for polarizing plates, A cutting section that cuts the end of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction pipe for sucking up the cut end, which is the end of the protective film cut by the aforementioned cutting section, A suction device is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe and generates suction air into the suction pipe, A crusher connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe, which crushes the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe, The suction pipe and the connecting pipe that connects the crusher Equipped with, The connecting pipe is a device for collecting the end of a protective film for a polarizing plate, having a valley section that curves so as to be convex in the vertical downward direction and a peak section that curves so as to be convex in the vertical upward direction downstream of the valley section.

2. The end-of-film collection device for a polarizing plate according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the connecting tube has an uneven shape.

3. A manufacturing apparatus for producing protective films for polarizing plates in sheet form from raw materials, A device for recovering the edges of a protective film for a polarizing plate according to claim 1 or 2, which cuts and recovers the edges from the protective film produced by the manufacturing device, A winding device that winds the protective film, whose end has been recovered by the recovery device, as a product. A manufacturing apparatus for protective films for polarizing plates, equipped with the following features.

4. A transport process for transporting protective films for polarizing plates, A cutting step of cutting the edges of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction step involves sucking up the cut end of the protective film, which is the end of the protective film cut in the cutting step, from a suction pipe. The suction step involves sending the cut end, which was sucked in from the suction pipe in the suction step, to a crusher via a connecting pipe, and crushing it using the crusher. Equipped with, A method for retrieving the end of a protective film for a polarizing plate, wherein the connecting pipe has a valley portion that is curved so as to be convex in the vertical downward direction, and a peak portion that is curved so as to be convex in the vertical upward direction downstream of the valley portion.

5. The manufacturing process involves creating a protective film for polarizing plates in sheet form from raw materials, A recovery step of recovering the edge of the protective film by the recovery method described in claim 4, A winding step in which the protective film whose ends have been recovered in the above recovery step is wound up as a product; A method for manufacturing a protective film for polarizing plates, comprising the features described above.

6. A polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus having a protective film and a polarizing film, A manufacturing apparatus for producing the aforementioned protective film in sheet form from raw materials, A collection device for collecting the edges of the protective film, A winding device for winding up the protective film whose end has been recovered by the recovery device, A feeding device that feeds out the protective film wound up by the aforementioned winding device, A supplying device for supplying the polarizing film, A bonding device that bonds the protective film fed out by the aforementioned dispensing device and the polarizing film supplied by the aforementioned supply device via an adhesive layer. Equipped with, The aforementioned recovery device is A transport roller for transporting the protective film, A cutting section that cuts the end of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction pipe for sucking up the cut end, which is the end of the protective film cut by the aforementioned cutting section, A suction device is connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe and generates suction air into the suction pipe, A crusher connected to the downstream side of the suction pipe, which crushes the cut end sucked in from the suction pipe, The suction pipe and the connecting pipe that connects the crusher Equipped with, A polarizing plate manufacturing apparatus, wherein the connecting pipe has a valley section curved so as to be convex in the vertical downward direction, and a peak section curved so as to be convex in the vertical upward direction downstream of the valley section.

7. A method for manufacturing a polarizing plate having a protective film and a polarizing film, A manufacturing process for producing the protective film in sheet form from raw materials, A recovery step for collecting the edges of the protective film, A winding step in which the protective film whose end portion has been recovered in the above recovery step is wound up, A feeding process for feeding out the protective film that has been wound up in the winding process, A supply process for supplying the polarizing film, A bonding step in which the protective film sent out in the above-mentioned sending step and the polarizing film supplied in the above-mentioned supply step are bonded together via an adhesive layer. Equipped with, The aforementioned recovery process is, A transport process for transporting the protective film, A cutting step of cutting the edges of the protective film in the width direction along the transport direction of the protective film, A suction step involves sucking up the cut end of the protective film, which is the end of the protective film cut in the cutting step, from a suction pipe. The suction step involves sending the cut end, which was sucked in from the suction pipe in the suction step, to a crusher via a connecting pipe, and crushing it using the crusher. Equipped with, A method for manufacturing a polarizing plate, wherein the connecting pipe has a valley portion that is curved so as to be convex in the vertical downward direction, and a peak portion that is curved so as to be convex in the vertical upward direction downstream of the valley portion.

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