Film application device

Abstract

The application aims to provide a film application device capable of applying a film with high quality regardless of the shape of a target object. An exemplary embodiment is directed to a film application device that attaches a film to a target object, containing: a pressing roller that presses a film against an application surface of the target object and moves from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the film in a film application direction; at least two pillar members provided on the trailing edge in the film application direction, mutually separated in the film application direction and a width direction intersecting the vertical direction; and a holding mechanism provided on each pillar member, holding the trailing edge of the film and capable of adjusting the position thereof in the vertical direction relative to the pillar members.

Description

FILM APPLICATION DEVICETechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film application device.Conventional Technology

[0002] In recent years, target objects, such as a vehicle or the like, are in some cases colored with a plurality of colors. In this case, coloring of at least one color of the plurality of colors may be achieved by applying a film to a vehicle body.Japanese PCT Patent Application Publication 2019-531951 describes ways to apply color to target objects.Summary of the Invention Problem to be solved by the Invention

[0004] Herein, in the aforementioned film application device, the film is provided so as to face the upper side of the roof of the vehicle, and is pressed against the roof by a pressing roller, thereby applying the film.However, in recent years, there has been demand for applying a film to various target objects, including not only flat target objects, but also target objects where the application angle changes depending on the position.Therefore, there is a demand for high-quality film application regardless of the shape of the target object.Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The film application device according to one aspect of the present invention is a film application device that applies a film to a target object, containing: a pressing roller that presses a film against an application surface of the target object and moves from a leading edge to an trailing edge of the film in a film application direction; at least two pillar members provided on the trailing edge in the film application direction so as to extend in a vertical direction, mutually separated in the film application direction and a width direction intersecting the vertical direction; and a holding mechanism provided on each pillar member, holding the trailing edge of the film and capable of adjusting the position thereof in the vertical direction relative to the pillar members; wherein the position of the holding mechanism in the vertical direction adjusts so that the application angle of the film at each position on the application surface in the film application direction is an angle that corresponds to the application surface.Effects of the Invention

[0006] The present invention can apply a film with high quality, regardless of the shape of the target object.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] FIGs. 1 A and IB show plan views depicting a vehicle to which a film has been applied using a film application device according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIGs. 2A and 2B show diagrams for describing a procedure for applying a film to a roof rear panel of a vehicle using the film application device according to the present embodiment.FIG. 3 is a front view depicting the film application device according to the present embodiment.FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram depicting an example of a mechanism for independently moving a trailing edge holding mechanism in the width direction.FIG. 5 is a view as seen from above of a state of application of the film.FIGs. 6A, 6B, and 6C show diagrams depicting a state of applying film by the film application device according to the present embodiment.FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing a tangent line.FIGs. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D show diagrams depicting a state of applying the film using the film application device according to the present embodiment.FIGs. 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D show diagrams depicting a state of applying the film by the film application device according to the present embodiment.FIGs. 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D showdiagrams depicting a state of applying the film by the film application device according to the present embodiment.FIGs. 11 A and 1 IB show diagrams depicting a state of applying the film by the film application device according to a comparative example.Embodiments of the Invention

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention is described below in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in the following description, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference symbols, and redundant descriptions of those elements will be omitted.

[0009] FIG. IB is a plan view depicting a vehicle to which a film has been applied using a film application device according to an embodiment of the present invention.As depicted in FIG. 1 A, a vehicle 100 to which a film is to be applied has a side wall 101 and a roof 102.The roof 102 has a roof panel 102 A in a center in a front-back direction, and a roof rear panel 102B on a rear side.The film application device 1 according to the present embodiment applies the film W to an upper surface of the roof rear panel 102B, which serves as an application surface.Note that XYZ coordinates are set for the vehicle 100. The left-right direction is the X- axis direction, the front-back direction of the vehicle is the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis direction.

[0010] FIG. 2 A depicts a procedure for applying the film W to the roof rear panel 102B of the vehicle 100 using the film application device 1 according to the present embodiment.As depicted in FIG. 2A, first, the vehicle 100 is cleaned (step S10).Next, the film W is applied to the vehicle 100 by the film application device 1 (step S20). Next, an operator manually performs a finishing operation of applying an edge part of the film W to the vehicle 100 (step S30).Next, a quality assurance inspection is performed (step S40). The film application step is described below in detail, with reference to FIG. 2B.First, the film W is set in the film application device 1 (step S21).Next, the vehicle 100 is set relative to the film application device 1 (step S22).Next, the film W is applied to the vehicle 100 by the film application device 1 (step S23). Steps S21 to S23 correspond to step S20 in FIG. 2 A.Next, an operator manually performs a finishing operation of applying an edge part of the film W to the vehicle 100 (step S30).

[0011] FIG. 3 is a front view depicting the film application device 1 according to the present embodiment. As depicted in FIG. 3, the film application device 1 applies the film W along the longitudinal direction to the application surface 103 of the roof rear panel 102B, which has a longitudinal direction in the X-axis direction.Therefore, the X-axis direction is the film application direction DI.In the present embodiment, the film W is applied to the application surface 103 from the positive side to the negative side in the X-axis direction.Of the ends of the film W, the end where bonding begins may be referred to as a starting end Wa, and the opposite end may be referred to as a trailing edge Wb.Note that the direction in which the film W is applied is not limited, and may be applied from the negative side to the positive side in the X-axis direction.If a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the film application direction DI is defined as a width direction D2, the Y-axis direction corresponds to the width direction D2.In the width direction D2, the negative side in the Y-axis direction is the front side of the vehicle 100, and the positive side in the Y-axis direction is the rear side of the vehicle 100.

[0012] The material of the film W may be polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), or the like.Furthermore, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer or an adhesive layer may be provided on the surface of the film W on the application surface 103 side.The film W may be a glossy film, or in other words, the gloss at an incident angle of 60° as defined in JIS Z8741 may be, for example, 20 or more, 60 or more, or 80 or more.However, the material and type of the film W are not particularly limited.The film W can be a film having a gloss with a certain value or more, and may be a film having a satin, matte, grained, or patterned surface finish.

[0013] Here, the shape of the application surface 103 where the film W is to be applied will be described. The application surface 103 has a three-dimensional shape.A three-dimensional shape is a shape where the cross-sectional shape is not constant in multiple directions.In the present embodiment, the application surface 103 is curved so as to be convex upward when viewed from the film application direction DI (see, for example, FIG. 6C).In addition, the application surface 103 is curved so as to be convex upward when viewed in the width direction D2 (for example, see FIG. 6B).As depicted in FIG. 5, the roof rear panel 102B has an application surface 103 at a position rising from the edge part of the outer periphery (see FIG. 6C).The application surface 103 has a structure that is left-right symmetrical with respect to a straight line that passes in the width direction D2 through a center part in the film application direction DI.An end 103 a on the leading edge and an end 103b on the trailing edge of the application surface 103 extend linearly along the width direction D2.The application surface 103 has an asymmetric structure in the width direction D2. An end 103 c of the application surface 103 on the front side of the vehicle (negative side in the width direction D2) extends linearly along the film application direction DI.An end 103 d of the application surface 103 on the rear side of the vehicle 100 (positive side of the width direction D2) extends in a curved manner so as to be convex toward the rear side of the vehicle 100 (positive side of the width direction D2) along the film application direction DI.In addition, the roof rear panel 102B is inclined downward from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle 100 (from the negative side to the positive side in the width direction D2).Therefore, the end 103 d of the application surface 103 on the rear side of the vehicle 100 is positioned lower than the end 103c on the front side (see FIG. 6C).

[0014] As depicted in FIG. 3, the film application device 1 includes a pressing roller 2, leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B, trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B (pillar members), leading edge holding mechanisms 6A, 6B, and trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B.

[0015] The pressing roller 2 is a device that presses the film W against the application surface 103 of the vehicle 100 and moves from the leading edge Wa side of the film W to the trailing edge Wb side in the film application direction DI.The film W is pressed against the application surface 103 by the pressing roller 2, and is thereby applied to the application surface 103.The pressing roller 2 includes a first roller 11 and a pair of second rollers 12A and 12B.The first roller 11 presses the entire area of the application surface 103 in the width direction D2.The second rollers 12A and 12B press both trailing edges of the application surface 103 in the width direction D2.The second roller 12A on the front side of the vehicle 100 is provided so as to press at least the vicinity of an end 103 c on the front side (negative side in the width direction D2) of the vehicle 100 (see FIG. 5).The second roller 12B on the rear side of the vehicle 100 (positive side in the width direction D2) is provided so as to press at least the vicinity of the rear end 103d of the vehicle 100 (see FIG. 5).Note that the distance between the second rollers 12B in the width direction D2 may be changed depending on the width of the application surface 103.

[0016] Each of the rollers 11, 12A, 12B is a cylindrical member that rotates around a central axis extending in the width direction D2.Each of the rollers 11, 12A, 12B is held by a moving mechanism 18 (see FIG. 2B) such as a robot arm or the like.The movement mechanism 18 adjusts the angles of the rollers 11, 12A, 12B to correspond to the inclination of the application surface 103, and then moves the rollers 11, 12 A, 12B in the film application direction DI.The surface of each of the rollers 11, 12 A, 12B may be made of sponge, rubber, or other soft material.In this case, the surface of each of the rollers 11, 12 A, 12 B can be deformed to correspond to the curved shape of the application surface 103.

[0017] The leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B are provided to extend in the vertical direction on the leading edge in the film application direction DI.The leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B are provided at positions spaced apart from each other toward the leading edge in the film application direction DI relative to the vehicle 100.The leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction D2.For example, the leading edge pillar member 3A is provided on the front side of the vehicle 100 (negative side in the width direction D2), and the leading edge pillar member 3B is provided on the rear side of the vehicle 100 (positive side in the width direction D2).

[0018] The trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B are provided to extend in the vertical direction on the trailing edge in the film application direction DI.The trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B are provided at positions spaced apart from each other toward the trailing edge of the vehicle 100 in the film application direction DI.The trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction D2.For example, the trailing edge pillar member 4A is provided on the front side of the vehicle 100 (negative side in the width direction D2), and the trailing edge pillar member 4B is provided on the rear side of the vehicle 100 (positive side in the width direction D2).

[0019] The two trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B move independently of each other in the width direction D2. In other words, the trailing edge pillar member 4A is movable in the negative and positive directions of the width direction D2.The trailing edge pillar member 4B is movable in the negative and positive directions of the width direction D2 independent of the trailing edge pillar member 4A.The mechanism for moving the trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B is not particularly limited, but for example, a moving mechanism 14 as depicted in FIG. 4 may be adopted.The moving mechanism 14 includes a guide member 16 fixed to the installation surface, and slide members 17A and 17B guided by the guide member 16.The guide member 16 is a member that extends along the width direction D2. The slide members 17 A, 17B are provided at the lower ends of the trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B.The slide members 17 A, 17B move in the width direction D2 together with the trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B while being guided by the guide member 16.In addition, the two leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B may also move independent of each other in the width direction D2.In this case, the moving mechanism may be provided to move the leading edge pillar members 3A, 3B.The moving mechanism may have a configuration similar to that of the moving mechanism 14 depicted in FIG. 4.

[0020] The leading edge holding mechanisms 6A and 6B are provided on the leading edge pillar members 3 A and 3B, and are mechanisms for holding the leading edge of the film W.In addition, the leading edge holding mechanisms 6A, 6B are capable of adjusting positions independent of each other in the vertical direction, relative to the leading edge pillar members 3A, 3B.The leading edge holding mechanism 6A can adjust position in the vertical direction regardless of the vertical position of the leading edge holding mechanism 6B.The leading edge holding mechanisms 6A, 6B have a holding part 21 and a support part 22.The holding part 21 is a member that holds the film W.A clamp member that clamps and holds the starting end Wa of the film W may be used as the holding part 21.The holding part 21 of the leading edge holding mechanism 6A holds the starting end Wa of the film W near the front comer.The holding part 21 of the leading edge holding mechanism 6B holds the trailing edge Wb of the film W near the rear comer.The support part 22 is a member that is movably provided on the leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B and supports the holding part 21.The distance between the support part 22 and the holding part 21 is adjustable, and a cylinder, for example, may be employed as the support part 22.The cylinder part 22a of the support part 22 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the leading edge pillar members 3 A, 3B.A rod part 22b of the support part 22 is extendable relative to the cylinder part 22a, and the tip part thereof is connected to the holding part 21.The support part 22 does not have to be configured as a cylinder, and may be configured as a wire or the like, similar to the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B.

[0021] The trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B are provided on the trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B, and are mechanisms for holding the trailing edge of the film W.In addition, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B are capable of adjusting positions independent of each other in the vertical direction, relative to the trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B.The trailing edge holding mechanism 7A can adjust position in the vertical direction regardless of the vertical position of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7B.The trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B have a holding part 26 and a support part 27.The holding part 26 is a member that holds the film W.A clamp member that clamps and holds the trailing edge Wb of the film W may be used as the holding part 26.The holding part 26 of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7A holds the trailing edge Wb of the film W near the front corner.The holding part 26 of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7B holds the trailing edge Wb of the film W near the rear comer.

[0022] The support part 27 includes a base member 35, a wire 31, a length adjustment part 32, and a constant tension member 33.The base member 35 is provided so as to be movable in the up-down direction relative to the trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B.The base member 35 is equipped with an electric actuator that moves up and down along the pillar.The wire 31 is an elongated member that extends from the base member 35 and is connected to the holding part 26.The length adjustment part 32 is a member that adjusts the length of the wire 31. A bobbin that winds and unwinds the wire 31 may be used as the length adjustment unit 32.The constant tension member 33 is a member that adjusts the tension of the wire 31.In the present embodiment, the constant tension member 33 may be a constant tension spring in which an S-shaped spring is fixed so as to be wound around two rollers.With the aforementioned configuration, the distance between the support part 27 and the holding part 26 is adjustable.The support part 27 supports the holding part 26 via a wire 31 and pulls the wire 31 by a constant tension member 33.The support part 27 can maintain the tension that pulls the film W constant by the constant tension member 33.The constant tension member 33 may be any member capable of holding the holding part 26 holding the film W at a constant tension, and may be, for example, a constant torque motor, an air cylinder, or the like.

[0023] As depicted in FIG. 5, the angle 01 that the pulling direction of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7A makes with the film application direction DI when viewed from the up-down direction can be adjusted independent of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7B.Moreover, the angle 92 that the pulling direction of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7B makes with respect to the film application direction DI when viewed from the up-down direction can be adjusted independent of the trailing edge holding mechanism 7A.As described above, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A and 7B move independent of each other in the width direction D2.Thereby, the positions of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A and 7B are adjusted in the width direction D2.Thereby, the angles 91 and 92 of the pulling directions of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A and 7B can be adjusted.Note that the direction in which the wire 31 extends is the tensile direction.Larger angles 91 and 92 enable the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A and 7B to strongly pull the film W from the outside in the width direction D2 of the film W.In this case, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B can apply tension to the film W in the film application direction DI as well as outward tension in the width direction D2.In addition, in the roof rear panel 102 according to the present embodiment, stable application is possible when the angle 92 of the pulling direction of the rear trailing edge holding mechanism 7B is greater than the angle 91 of the pulling direction of the front trailing edge holding mechanism 7A.The angles 91 and 92 always change in conjunction with the movement of the pressing roller 2.Note that the dark-shaded areas of the film W in FIG. 5 are areas where the film W is applied to the application surface 103.The lightly colored areas of the film W are areas where the film W is not applied to the application surface 103.

[0024] The film application device 1 adjusts the vertical positions of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B so that the application angle of the film W is an angle corresponding to the application surface 103 at each position on the application surface 103 in the film application direction DI.In addition, FIG. 6 A depicts an application angle 03 near the front end 103c, an application angle 94 at the center position in the width direction D2, and an application angle 95 near the rear end 103d.As depicted in FIG. 6B, the trailing edge side holding mechanisms 7A and 7B hold the film W such that the part of the film W that is on the trailing edge side relative to the pressing roller 2 is separated from the application surface 103.The trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B can adjust the application angles 93, 94, and 95 by adjusting the vertical positions.As depicted in FIG. 6B, the application angles 93, 94, and 95 are defined by angles with respect to the tangent line SL.In FIG. 6B, the application angle 94 is depicted, but the application angles 93, 95, and application angles at other locations are defined in the same manner.

[0025] Now, the tangent line SL will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The tangent line SL is a tangent line to the application surface 103 at the pressing part 30 by the pressing roller 2.The line connecting the center CP of the roller (here, the first roller 11) at the most trailing edge of the pressing roller 2 and the center of the radius of curvature (not depicted) of the curved shape of the application surface 103 in cross-sectional view is defined as the reference line CL.At this time, the point where the reference line CL and the application surface 103 intersect is defined as the pressing part 30.A tangent line set to the pressing part 30 is defined as the tangent line SL.Incidentally, the pressing part 30 can set the tangent line SL even in the case where the pressing roller 2 is compacted and comes into surface contact with the application surface 103.

[0026] As depicted in FIG. 6A, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the height relative to the trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B so that the application angles 93, 94, 95 at each position in the width direction D2 are approximately constant.FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram of the film W before application, projected onto the ZY plane.For example, as depicted in FIG. 6C, the application surface 103 is provided at a lower position on the rear side of the vehicle 100 than on the front side (the positive side in the width direction D2 than the negative side).Therefore, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the vertical position so that the trailing edge Wb of the film W is lower at the rear side than at the front side of the vehicle 100 corresponding to the shape of the application surface 103.It should be noted that the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B do not need to control the application angles 03, 94, 95 to be completely constant, and may adjust the application angles at each position in accordance with the shape of the application surface 103.

[0027] As depicted in FIG. 8B, the allowable angle 9A of the application angle of the film W may be set based on the tangent line SL when viewed from the width direction D2.The trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B may adjust the application angles 93, 94, 95 of the film W so as to be within the allowable angle 0A.In the case of the roof rear panel 103 A, for example, the allowable angle 9A of the application angles 93, 94, 95 may be set to be equal to or greater than 0° and equal to or less than 30°.In the example depicted in FIG. 8A, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the vertical positions so that the application angles 93, 94, 95 are within the range of the allowable angle 0A.As depicted in FIGS. 8(b) to (d), the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the vertical position at each position in the film application direction DI of the film W so that the application angles 93, 94, 95 are within the range of the allowable angle 9 A.In this case, as depicted in FIG. 8A, an air trapping area EA is formed on the trailing edge of the first roller 11.However, the air trapping area EA remains small.Note that the air trapping area EA is an area where the film W adheres to the application surface 103 before being pressed by the pressing roller 2.

[0028] In the example depicted in FIG. 9A, the terminal edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the positions in the vertical direction so that the application angles 93, 94, 95 are in a range below the allowable angle 0A.At this time, the application angles 93, 94, 95 are angles smaller than 0°, or in other words, negative angles.As depicted in FIGS. 9(b) to (d), the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the vertical positions so that the application angles 93, 94, 95 at each position in the film application direction DI of the film W are smaller than the allowable angle 9 A.In this case, as depicted in FIG. 9A, a large air trapping area EA is formed on the trailing edge of the first roller 11.In this manner, a large air trapping area EA can be prevented from being formed by placing the application angles 93, 94, 95 within the range of the allowable angle 9 A.In the example depicted in FIG. 1 A, the terminal edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the positions in the vertical direction so that the application angles 93, 94, 95 are in a range above the allowable angle 9A.At this time, the application angles 93, 94, and 95 are greater than 39°.

[9929] As depicted in FIGS. 19(b) to (d), the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B adjust the vertical positions so that the application angles 93, 94, and 95 at each position in the film application direction DI of the film W are larger than the allowable angle 9 A.In this case, as depicted in FIG. 1 A, the air trapping area EA is not formed on the trailing edge side of the first roller 11.However, the film W is prone to wrinkles after application.In this manner, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed by placing the application angles 93, 94, and 95 within the range of the allowable angle 9 A.

[9939] Next, control details during application by the film application device 1 will be described. During control, as depicted in FIG. 5, teaching points “Tl, T2, T3... Tn” are set at each position in the film application direction DI.First, the film W is held by the holding mechanisms 6A, 6B, and 7A, 7B, and then the tension applied by each of the holding mechanisms 6A, 6B, and 7A, 7B in the initial state (T9) is set.Next, various parameters for pressing the position “Tl” in FIG. 5 with the pressing roller 2 are set.Parameters include the speed of the pressing roller 2, the vertical position of the pressing roller 2, the positions of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B in the width direction D2 (angles 91, 92), and the vertical positions of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B (application angles 93, 94, 95).The parameter setting is performed at each of the positions “T2 to Tn.”The parameters for each position are set before starting work. The film application device 1 applies the film W on the basis of parameters that are set in advance for each position.The number of teaching points is not particularly limited, and preferably the number of teaching points increases as the shape of the application surface 103 becomes more complicated.Furthermore, the number of application angles in the width direction D2 is not limited to three, for example, 93, 94, 95, but may be two, or may be four or more.Note that the control method of the film application device 1 is not limited to the aforementioned control method. For example, 93, 94, 95 may be measured by a sensor, and the positions of the holding mechanisms 7A, 7B may be controlled in real time to achieve appropriate values.

[9931] Next, the operation and effect of the film application device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[9932] The film application device 1 of the present embodiment includes at least two trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B provided to extend in the vertical direction on the trailing side in the film application direction DI and spaced apart from each other in the width direction D2, and the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B provided on the trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B, which hold the trailing edge of the film W and are adjustable in position in the vertical direction relative to the trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B.In response, the film application device 1 adjusts the vertical positions of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B so that at each position on the application surface 1 3 in the film application direction DI, the application angle (93, 94, 95) of the film W is an angle corresponding to the application surface 1 3.Therefore, the film application device 1 has trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B that can be precisely adjusted so that the application angle is appropriate at each position in the film application direction DI and width direction D2, depending on the shape of the application surface.As a result, the film W can be applied with high quality regardless of the shape of the target object.

[9933] For example, FIG. 1 IB depicts a film application device 299 according to a comparative example. In the film application device 299, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 1 7A and 1 7B do not control the application angle of the film W, but hold the film W at a constant height.Therefore, as depicted in FIG. 1 IB, the height of the holding parts 26 on both sides is constant, and the film W is applied with the trailing edge Wb of the film W kept horizontal.FIG. 1 IB is a schematic diagram of the film W prior to being applied, projected onto the ZY plane.In this case, as depicted in FIG. 11 A, a large air trapping area EA is formed on the trailing end side of the first roller 11.In contrast, as depicted in FIG. 6A, in the film application device 1 according to the present embodiment, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B control the application angle of the film W at each position.Therefore, as depicted in FIG. 6B, the height of the holding parts 26 on both sides corresponds to the shape of the application surface 103, and the film W is applied in a state in which the film W is inclined to correspond to the inclination of the application surface 103.In this case, as depicted in FIG. 6A, the occurrence of an air trapping area EA on the trailing edge side of the first roller 11 is suppressed.

[0034] Furthermore, as depicted in FIG. IB, when the film W is to be applied to the entire roof 102, frames can be provided at the front and rear of the vehicle 100, and a pressing roller can be moved in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction) of the vehicle 100 to apply the film W while pressing in a manner that corresponds to the shape of the roof.On the other hand, as depicted in FIG. 1 A, when applying the film W to the roof rear panel 102B, the longitudinal direction of film W is the left-right direction of vehicle 100, so a device that moves a pressing roller in the front-back direction of vehicle 100 cannot be used.On the other hand, if an operator manually attaches the film W to the roof rear panel 102B using a jig or the like, the operator requires skill and there will be variation in quality.In contrast, the film application device 1 of the present embodiment can perform stable, high-quality application by controlling the application angle of the film W to target objects having complex shapes such as the roof rear panel 102B.

[0035] When viewed from the vertical direction, the angle that the pulling direction of one trailing edge holding mechanism 7A makes with respect to the film application direction DI may be adjustable independent of the other trailing edge holding mechanism 7B.In this case, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B can adjust the tension acting on the film W outward in the width direction D2 independent of each other.

[0036] At least two trailing edge pillar members 4 A, 4B may move independent of each other in the width direction D2.In this case, the angles (01, 92) that the pulling direction of the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B make with respect to the film application direction DI can be easily adjusted.

[0037] When viewed from the width direction D2, the allowable angle 9 A of the application angle of the film W is set based on the tangent line SL to the application surface 103 at thepressing part 30 by the pressing roller 2, and the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B may adjust the application angle of the film W to be within the allowable angle 0A.In this case, the occurrence of an air trapping area EA on the trailing edge side of the pressing roller 2 can be suppressed, and the occurrence of wrinkles in the film W can also be suppressed.

[0038] The trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B have a holding part 26 that holds the film W and a support part 27 that is movably provided on the trailing edge pillar members 4A, 4B, and the support part 27 supports the holding part 26 via a wire 31 and may pull the wire 31 using a constant tension member 33.In this case, the trailing edge holding mechanisms 7A, 7B can easily keep the tension with which the wire 31 pulls the film W constant by the constant tension member 33.

[0039] The application surface 103 of the target object may have a three-dimensional shape and may have an asymmetric structure in the width direction D2.By employing to such a complex application surface 103, the effect of the film application device 1 according to the present embodiment becomes more remarkable.

[0040] The film W may be a film having a gloss of 20 or more at an incident angle of 60° as defined in JIS Z8741, or in other words, a glossy film.In the case of glossy films, a higher gloss level increases the probability that lines will remain during the application process as compared to matte films.These lines appear at locations where the adhesive becomes discontinuous when, for example, the pressure applied by the pressing roller 2 is stopped.By employing the film application device 1 according to the present embodiment, the film W can be smoothly applied at an appropriate application angle.Therefore, even when a glossy film is used, the occurrence of lines can be suppressed.

[0041] The pressing roller 2 may include a first roller 11 that presses the entire area of the application surface 103 in the width direction D2, and a pair of second rollers 12 A, 12B that press both end sides of the application surface 103 in the width direction D2.In this case, the film W is pressed overall by the first roller 11, and the portions near the ends in the width direction D2 where the pressing force is likely to be insufficient can be finished by the pair of second rollers 12A, 12B.

[0042] The present invention is not intended to be limited to the present embodiments described above.

[0043] The film application device only needs to have at least the first roller, and the second roller may be omitted.

[0044] Note that, in the present embodiment described above, a vehicle is exemplified as a target object of film application. However, the target object is not limited only to a vehicle, and any object may be the target object of film application.For example, a target object may be a train, a plane, a piece of furniture, or an electrical appliance.

[0045] In the above embodiment, two leading edge pillar members and two trailing edge pillar members are provided.However, the number of each pillar member is not particularly limited and may be increased appropriately depending on the size of the film F in the width direction D2.For example, three or more pillar members may be provided.

[0046] At the leading edge, it is sufficient to at least hold the film W, and the leading edge holding mechanism and leading edge pillar member as described above may be omitted.

[0047] [Aspect 1]A film application device that attaches a film to a target object, comprising: a pressing roller that presses a film against an application surface of the target object and moves from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the film in a film application direction; at least two pillar members provided on the trailing edge in the film application direction so as to extend in a vertical direction, mutually separated in the film application direction and a width direction intersecting the vertical direction; and a holding mechanism provided on each pillar member, holding the trailing edge of the film and capable of adjusting the position thereof in the vertical direction relative to the pillar members; wherein the position of the holding mechanism in the vertical direction adjusts so that the application angle of the film at each position on the application surface in the film application direction is an angle that corresponds to the application surface.[Aspect 2]The film application device according to aspect 1, wherein the angle between a pulling direction of one holding mechanism and the film application direction when viewed in a vertical direction can be adjusted independently of the other holding mechanism.[Aspect 3]The film application device according to aspect 2, wherein at least two of the pillar members independently move in the width direction.[Aspect 4]The film application device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein an allowable angle for the application angle of the film is set based on a tangent line to the application surface at a pressing portion of the pressing roller, as viewed from the width direction; and the holding mechanism adjusts the application angle of the film to be within the allowable angle.[Aspect 5]The film application device according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the holding mechanism includes: a holding portion that holds the film; and a support part movably provided on the pillar member; wherein the support part supports the holding part via a wire, and pulls the wire with a constant tension member.[Aspect 6]The film application device according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the application surface of the target object has a three-dimensional shape and has a left-right asymmetric structure in the width direction.[Aspect 7]The film application device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the film has a gloss of 20 or more at an incident angle of 60° as specified in JIS Z8741.[Aspect 8]The film application device according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the pressing roller is configured of a first roller that presses the entire application surface in the width direction; and a pair of second rollers pressing both ends of the application surface in the width direction.Reference Signs List

[0048] 1. Film application device, 2. Pressing roller, 4A, 4B. Trailing edge pillar member (pillar member), 7A, 7B. Trailing edge holding mechanism, 11. First roller, 12A, 12B. Second roller, 26. Holding part, 27. Support part, W. Film.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A film application device that attaches a film to a target object, comprising: a pressing roller that presses a film against an application surface of the target object and moves from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the film in a film application direction; at least two pillar members provided on the trailing edge in the film application direction so as to extend in a vertical direction, mutually separated in the film application direction and a width direction intersecting the vertical direction; and a holding mechanism provided on each pillar member, holding the trailing edge of the film and capable of adjusting the position thereof in the vertical direction relative to the pillar members; wherein the position of the holding mechanism in the vertical direction adjusts so that the application angle of the film at each position on the application surface in the film application direction is an angle that corresponds to the application surface.

2. The film application device according to claim 1, wherein the angle between a pulling direction of one holding mechanism and the film application direction when viewed in a vertical direction can be adjusted independently of the other holding mechanism.

3. The film application device according to claim 2, wherein at least two of the pillar members independently move in the width direction.

4. The film application device according to claim 1, wherein an allowable angle for the application angle of the film is set based on a tangent line to the application surface at a pressing part of the pressing roller, as viewed from the width direction; and the holding mechanism adjusts the application angle of the film to be within the allowable angle.

5. The film application device according to claim 1, wherein the holding mechanism includes: a holding portion that holds the film; and a support part movably provided on the pillar member; wherein the support part supports the holding part via a wire, and pulls the wire with a constant tension member.

6. The film application device according to claim 1, wherein the application surface of the target object has a three-dimensional shape, and has a left-right asymmetric structure in the width direction.

7. The film application device according to claim 1, wherein the film has a gloss of 20 or more at an incident angle of 60° as specified in JIS Z8741.

8. The film application device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing roller is configured of a first roller that presses the entire application surface in the width direction; and a pair of second rollers pressing both ends of the application surface in the width direction.

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