Film transport machine, film transport method, and film manufacturing device

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a film transport machine or the like be can provided that appropriately feeds a film by suppressing drooping of the leading end of the film even if the film is thin. The film transport machine according to the present disclosure comprises a feed mechanism (70) including: film transport bases (720, 730) that are capable of moving between a retracted position and a transporting position and on which a film is placed; and an airflow generation device (80) that generates an airflow along the surfaces of the film transport bases. The airflow generation device (80) is configured so as to cause an airflow to flow along the surfaces of the film transport bases by generating the airflow toward the surfaces of the film transport bases.

Description

Film conveying machine, film conveying method, and film manufacturing device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a film conveying machine, a film conveying method, and a film manufacturing apparatus.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stretching machine that conveys an extruded film and stretches the film, and a clipping device that grips the film with clips.

[0003] JP 2012-187788 A

[0004] Until now, because it was not possible to feed the film between the longitudinal stretching region and the transverse stretching region, after longitudinal stretching, the film was placed on a conveyor table and manually fed by multiple people to the vicinity of the clip closer. The conveyor table can be placed close to the clip closer, but it must be slightly separated from the clip closer to avoid physical interference with the clip closer. Film extending from the leading edge of the conveyor table toward the clip closer (especially if the film is thin) will droop as it is conveyed. This can make it difficult for the clip closer to fasten the clip to the film.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a film conveying machine or the like that can properly feed a film, even if it is a thin film, by preventing the leading edge of the film from drooping.

[0006] The film conveying machine according to the present disclosure comprises a feed mechanism including a film conveying table for placing a film, which is movable between a retracted position and a conveying position, and an airflow generating device for generating an airflow along the surface of the film conveying table.

[0007] The film transport method of the present disclosure includes moving a film transport table from a retracted position to a transport position, placing a film on the film transport table, and generating an air flow along the surface of the film transport table using an air flow generating device.

[0008] The film manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an extruder that melts and extrudes an input resin raw material, a die connected to the extruder that forms the molten resin into a film, a cooling roll that cools the film-like molten resin extruded from the die and conveys a resin film formed by solidifying the molten resin, a longitudinal stretching machine that is provided downstream of the cooling roll in the conveying direction and that longitudinally stretches the film and sends it downstream in the conveying direction, a feed mechanism that is movable between a retracted position and a conveying position and includes a film conveying table for placing the film on and an airflow generating device that generates an airflow along the surface of the film conveying table, and a transverse stretching machine that is provided downstream of the feed mechanism in the conveying direction and that transversely stretches the film and sends it downstream in the conveying direction.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a film conveying machine or the like that can prevent the leading edge of a thin film from drooping and appropriately feed the film.

[0010] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a film conveying machine and a film manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a film feed mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a film feed mechanism according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the effect of airflow in film conveyance. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a film conveying machine and a film manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a film feed mechanism according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the operation of a film feed mechanism according to a third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the operation of a film feed mechanism according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a film feed mechanism and a clip device according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a top view illustrating the wrinkle-smoothing operation by a belt conveyor. FIG. 11 is a top view illustrating the wrinkle-smoothing operation by a belt conveyor.

[0011] Specific embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate.

[0012] First Embodiment <Overall Configuration of Film Manufacturing Apparatus> First, the overall configuration of a film manufacturing apparatus including a resin film conveying device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the film manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0013] The xyz Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figure 1 and other drawings is for the convenience of explaining the positional relationship of the components. Typically, the positive z-axis direction is vertically upward, and the xy plane is a horizontal plane, which is common to all drawings. In this specification, the film may be a resin film and may include a resin sheet.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the film production apparatus 1 includes an extruder 10, a T-die 20, a cooler 30, a longitudinal stretching machine 40, a feed mechanism 70, an airflow generating device 80, a transverse stretching machine 50, and a winder 60. The film production apparatus according to the first embodiment is an extrusion molding type film production apparatus that extrudes a film-like molten resin 82a from a gap between the lips of the T-die 20 connected to the extruder 10. Note that detailed portions of the feed mechanism 70 having a belt conveyor 731 are omitted from Figure 1.

[0015] 1 is a screw-type extruder. In the extruder 10, a screw extending in the x-axis direction is housed inside a cylinder 11 extending in the x-axis direction. A hopper 13 for feeding resin pellets, which are the raw material for the resin film 83, is provided above the end of the cylinder 11 on the negative x-axis direction side.

[0016] The resin pellets supplied from the hopper 13 are transported from the base to the tip of the rotating screw, i.e., in the positive direction of the x-axis. The resin pellets are heated inside the cylinder 11 and are sheared and melted by the rotating screw, turning into molten resin 82.

[0017] Although not shown, the screw is connected to a motor as a drive source via a reducer, for example. A heater for heating the inside of the cylinder 11 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder 11 over substantially the entire longitudinal area, and the resin pellets introduced into the cylinder 11 are heated.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , the T-die 20 is connected to the lower side of the tip end (end on the positive x-axis direction) of the extruder 10. A film-like molten resin 82a is extruded downward (negative z-axis direction) through a gap in the lip located at the lower end of the T-die 20. Here, the lip spacing of the T-die 20 can be adjusted. The lip spacing of the T-die 20 can be adjusted at multiple points along the longitudinal direction of the lip (y-axis direction) so that the thickness of the resin film 83 produced in the width direction (y-axis direction) is uniform.

[0019] 1, the cooler 30 includes cooling rolls CR1 to CR4. The cooling roll CR1 cools the film-like molten resin 82a extruded from the T-die 20, and delivers the resin film 83 formed by solidifying the film-like molten resin 82a to the cooling roll CR2. The cooling roll CR1 is also called a cast roll.

[0020] 1, the cooling rolls CR2 to CR4 transport the resin film 83 in this order while cooling it. Each of the cooling rolls CR1 to CR4 may be a drive roll driven by a drive source (not shown). The drive source is, for example, a variable speed motor such as a servo motor.

[0021] Each of the cooling rolls CR1 to CR4 may be provided with a cooling mechanism for cooling the resin film 83. Each of the cooling rolls CR1 to CR4 may be provided with a heating mechanism for heating the resin film 83. The cooling device 30 includes a plurality of drive rolls for transporting the resin film 83, and therefore can be one form of the film transport device according to this embodiment.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the longitudinal stretching machine 40 stretches the resin film 83 carried out from the cooling machine 30 in the longitudinal direction while transporting the film. The longitudinal stretching machine 40 shown in Fig. 1 includes eleven rolls R1 to R11. Each of the rolls R1 to R11 is a drive roll driven by a drive source (not shown). The drive source is, for example, a variable speed motor such as a servo motor. The longitudinal stretching machine 40 is one form of a film transporting machine according to this embodiment.

[0023] The longitudinal stretching machine 40 may be provided with a plurality of drive rolls for transporting the resin film 83, and the number and arrangement of the drive rolls provided in the longitudinal stretching machine 40 may be determined appropriately. Each of the rolls R1 to R11 may be provided with at least one of a cooling mechanism for cooling the resin film 83 and a heating mechanism for heating the resin film 83. Furthermore, the longitudinal stretching machine 40 may be provided with one or more nip rolls for pressing the resin film 83 against any of the rolls R1 to R11. The nip rolls are not drive rolls. In addition, the region in the film transport path where the film is longitudinally stretched by the longitudinal stretching machine 40 is also called the longitudinal stretching region.

[0024] The feeding mechanism 70 assists in feeding the resin film 83 discharged from the longitudinal stretching machine 40 to the subsequent transverse stretching machine 50 (particularly, the clip closer 501 in FIG. 7 ). Previously, the film was placed on a conveying table and manually fed downstream in the conveying direction. However, there was a risk of the film coming into contact with the clip closer or conveying machine. Therefore, in the present disclosure, a film feeding mechanism 70 having the function of feeding the film (although manual labor may be required in some cases) is newly provided. Details of this feeding mechanism 70 will be described later. The feeding mechanism 70 may be one form of the film conveying device according to this embodiment. An airflow generating device 80 that generates an airflow is provided for the belt conveyor 731, which is the film conveying table of the feeding mechanism 70. The airflow generating device 80 may be, for example, a fan, but is not limited thereto and may be any of various forms of devices (e.g., a blower) that generate an airflow that would be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0025] The transverse stretching machine 50 stretches the resin film 83 delivered from the feed mechanism 70 in its width direction (y-axis direction). More specifically, the transverse stretching machine 50 includes a pair of rails RL1 and RL2. A large number of clips (not shown) are slidably arranged in parallel along the entire length of the rails RL1 and RL2.

[0026] In Fig. 1, the arrows on the rails RL1 and RL2 indicate the movement direction of the clips. As shown in Fig. 1, the rails RL1 and RL2 have a loop structure with an outgoing path along which the clips move in the conveying direction of the resin film 83 (positive direction of the x-axis) and a returning path along which the clips move in the opposite direction (negative direction of the x-axis). That is, in the transverse stretching machine 50, the clips revolve around the rails RL1 and RL2 having the loop structure. Although not shown in Fig. 1, a clip closer (501 in Fig. 7) closes the tenter clips on the film. As shown in Fig. 1, the rails RL1 and RL2 have a symmetrical configuration with respect to a plane parallel to the xz plane.

[0027] 1, rails RL1 and RL2 are both arranged substantially parallel to each other on the outgoing path that advances in the conveyance direction (positive direction of the x-axis) and the returning path that advances in the opposite direction (negative direction of the x-axis). The returning path of rail RL1 is arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the resin film 83 (negative direction of the y-axis). The returning path of rail RL2 is also arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the resin film 83 (positive direction of the y-axis).

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the outgoing paths of rails RL1 and RL2 have a pair of parallel portions parallel to the x-axis at both ends in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction), and a slanted portion slanting in the y-axis direction between the parallel portions. The slanted portion of rail RL1 is slanted in the negative y-axis direction, and the slanted portion of rail RL2 is slanted in the positive y-axis direction. That is, in the slanted portions of the outgoing paths of rails RL1 and RL2, the distance between rails RL1 and RL2 in the y-axis direction increases as the rails progress in the positive x-axis direction.

[0029] 1 , in the portions of the rails RL1 and RL2 that come into contact with the resin film 83, the clips grip both ends of the resin film 83 in the width direction (y-axis direction) and move in the positive x-axis direction along the rails RL1 and RL2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , in the oblique portions of the rails RL1 and RL2 that come into contact with the resin film 83, the resin film 83 is transported in the positive x-axis direction and stretched in the width direction (y-axis direction). On the other hand, in the parallel portions of the rails RL1 and RL2 that come into contact with the resin film 83, the resin film 83 is only transported in the positive x-axis direction and is not stretched in the width direction (y-axis direction).

[0030] The transverse stretching machine 50 shown in Fig. 1 has a drive source that drives clips for transporting the resin film 83. The drive source is, for example, a variable speed motor such as a servo motor. The transverse stretching machine 50 can be one form of the film transport machine according to this embodiment.

[0031] The resin film 83 discharged from the transverse stretching machine 50 is taken up by the winder 60. The winder 60 is a drive roll driven by a drive source (not shown). The winder 60 may include a plurality of drive rolls driven by a drive source. In this case, the winder 60 can be one form of the film transport device according to this embodiment. In addition, the region in the film transport path where the film is transversely stretched by the transverse stretching machine 50 is also called the transverse stretching region.

[0032] As described above, in the film conveying machine of this embodiment, some or all of the cooling machine 30, the longitudinal stretching machine 40, the feed mechanism 70, the transverse stretching machine 50, and the winding machine 60 may be one aspect of the film conveying machine of this embodiment.

[0033] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the film feeding mechanism. As an example, the feeding mechanism 70 may be provided downstream of the longitudinal stretching machine 40 in the film feeding direction and upstream of the transverse stretching machine 50 in the film feeding direction in the film feeding path.

[0034] The feed mechanism 70 includes a liftable lower platform 730 having a belt conveyor 731. The belt conveyor 731 includes a plurality of rolls 731R, 731R provided at both ends, and a belt 7311 wound around the plurality of rolls. The roll 731R is a roll with a built-in motor. The belt conveyor may be any of various known belt conveyors.

[0035] The lower table 730 can be raised and lowered vertically by an elevator mechanism 735. When a sensor detects the film 83 fed from the longitudinal stretching machine 40, the elevator mechanism 735 raises the lower table 730 vertically from a retracted position (downward along the vertical arrow from the position in FIG. 2 ) to a conveying position (position in FIG. 2 ). The lower table 730 is normally in the retracted position to prevent contact with the film and damage it. The lower table 730 is raised to the conveying position ( FIG. 2 ) when the film is conveyed between the longitudinal stretching region and the transverse stretching region and when clips are attached (chucking). The belt conveyor 731 is driven (and manually conveyed) to convey the film toward the clip closer ( 501 in FIG. 9 ) downstream in the conveying direction. At this time, the airflow generating device 80 generates an airflow toward the lower table 730, causing the airflow AF to flow along the upper surface of the lower table 730. This prevents the leading edge of the thin film from sagging, allowing the clip closer to properly chuck the film. After chucking is complete, the clip 720 descends to the retracted position.

[0036] Guide rolls 729, 729 are provided to guide the film sent from the longitudinal stretching machine 40. Two meandering detection units 90 are provided after the guide rolls 729, 729. One or more meandering detection units 90 can be disposed immediately after the longitudinal stretching machine 40 or between the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and the transverse stretching machine 50.

[0037] In this way, the belt conveyor 731 can appropriately send the film to be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction together with the airflow from the airflow generating device, thereby enabling appropriate chucking by the clip closer.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a film feed mechanism according to a modified example of the first embodiment. The feed mechanism 70 in FIG. 3 is basically the same as the feed mechanism 70 in FIG. 2. Unlike the lower table 730 having a belt conveyor 731 shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows a lower table 730 that can be raised and lowered (without a belt conveyor). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the lower table 730 is movable between a retracted position and a transport position. The film 83 is manually transported downstream while placed on the lower table 730 in the transport position. The airflow generating device 80 generates an airflow toward the lower table 730, causing the airflow AF to flow along the upper surface of the lower table 730. This prevents the film 83 from sagging, even when the film is thin, as it extends from the leading edge of the lower table toward the clip closer. As a result, there is no need to manually grasp the leading edge of the film; the airflow allows the clip closer to properly attach the clip to the film. This prevents a human hand from being pinched in the clip closer.

[0039] 4 is a side view illustrating the effect of airflow on film transport. As shown on the left side of FIG. 4, when the film 83 is particularly thin (for example, 50 microns or less), the film 83 extending from the leading edge of the transport table 730 toward the clip closer (not shown) hangs down during transport. This makes it difficult for the clip closer to attach a clip to the film.

[0040] 4, when airflow AF1 from airflow generating device 80 hits film 83 and lower base 730 and then becomes airflow AF2 on the upper surfaces of film 83 and lower base 730 due to convection, the leading edge of film 83 does not droop or is suppressed from drooping, and can be transported toward the clip closer. This allows the clip closer to attach a clip to the film.

[0041] The position and form of the airflow generator 80 are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible. In another embodiment, an airflow generator 80b movable between a retracted position and an airflow generating position may be provided downstream of the transported film 83. In this case, after the longitudinal stretching is completed, when the film is transported to a transverse stretching region (e.g., a clip closer), the lower table 730 moves from the retracted position to the transport position, and then the airflow generator 80b moves from the retracted position to near the upper surface of the lower table 730 to generate an airflow AF2 along the upper surfaces of the film 83 and the lower table 730. In another embodiment, in addition to the airflow AF2, an auxiliary airflow generator 80c may be provided to generate an airflow AF3 from below the film 83 extending from the tip of the transport table 730.

[0042] Second Embodiment <Overall Configuration of Film Manufacturing Apparatus> First, the overall configuration of a film manufacturing apparatus including a resin film conveying device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the film manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 5, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 1, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0043] The xyz Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figure 5 and other drawings is for the convenience of explaining the positional relationship of the components. Typically, the positive z-axis direction is vertically upward, and the xy plane is a horizontal plane, which is common among the drawings. In this specification, the film may be a resin film and may include a resin sheet.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the film production apparatus 1 includes an extruder 10, a T-die 20, a cooler 30, a longitudinal stretching machine 40, a feed mechanism 70, an airflow generating device 80, a transverse stretching machine 50, and a winder 60. The film production apparatus according to the first embodiment is an extrusion molding type film production apparatus that extrudes a film-like molten resin 82a from a gap between the lips of the T-die 20 connected to the extruder 10. Note that detailed portions of the robot mechanism 71 and the lower roll mechanism 72 that constitute the feed mechanism 70 are omitted from Figure 5.

[0045] The feeding mechanism 70 automatically feeds the resin film 83 discharged from the longitudinal stretching machine 40 to the subsequent transverse stretching machine 50. Until now, the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and the transverse stretching machine 50 have different feeding mechanisms, so manual work by multiple people was required to feed the resin film 83 discharged from the longitudinal stretching machine 40 to the subsequent transverse stretching machine 50. However, since this work is tedious and inefficient, the present disclosure provides a new film feeding mechanism 70 having the function of gripping and feeding the film. Details of this feeding mechanism 70 will be described later. The feeding mechanism 70 can be one form of a film conveying device according to this embodiment.

[0046] In the film transporting machine according to this embodiment, some or all of the cooling machine 30, the longitudinal stretching machine 40, the feed mechanism 70, the transverse stretching machine 50, and the winding machine 60 may be one aspect of the film transporting machine according to this embodiment.

[0047] <Overall Configuration of Feeding Mechanism> Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a film feeding mechanism. As an example, the feeding mechanism 70 may be provided downstream of the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and upstream of the transverse stretching machine 50 in the film transport path.

[0048] The feeding mechanism 70 includes a robot arm 715 having a belt conveyor 711 below its tip, and a lower roll table 720 that is provided below the belt conveyor 711 and is capable of moving up and down and has multiple rolls UR. The lower roll table 720 is an example of a film transport table and can be moved up and down vertically by a lifting mechanism 725. In FIG. 6 , the lifting mechanism 725 includes three lifting units that can move up and down synchronously. The lower roll table 720 is normally in a retracted position (downward along the vertical arrow from the position in FIG. 6 ) to prevent contact with the film and damage to the film. It rises to the transport position ( FIG. 6 ) when the film is transported between the longitudinal stretching zone and the transverse stretching zone and when clips are attached (chucking). The tip of the robot arm 715 descends, and the film 83 is gripped between the belt conveyor 711 and the lower roll table 720. Drive of the belt conveyor 711 feeds the film toward the downstream clip closer ( 501 in FIG. 9 ). At this time, as described above, the airflow generating device 80 generates an airflow toward the lower roll platform 720, causing the airflow to flow along the upper surface of the lower roll platform 720. This prevents the leading edge of the thin film from sagging, allowing the clip closer to properly chuck the film. After chucking is complete, the lower roll platform 720 descends to the retracted position.

[0049] The robot arm 715 may be a six-axis vertical articulated robot arm. The robot arm 715 includes a base 7150 fixed to the floor, a first link 7151 rotatably and tiltably attached to the base 7150, a second link 7152 tiltably and tiltably attached to the tip of the first link 7151, and a wrist 7153 tiltably attached to the tip of the second link 7152. Various known robot arms may be used as the robot arm.

[0050] The belt conveyor 711 is connected to the tip of a robot arm 715 via a mounting part 712. The belt conveyor 711 includes a plurality of rolls 711R, 711R provided at both ends, and a belt 7111 wound around the plurality of rolls. The roll 711R is a roll with a built-in motor. Various known belt conveyors can also be used as the belt conveyor.

[0051] Guide rolls 729, 729 are provided to guide the film sent from the longitudinal stretching machine 40. Two meandering detection units 90 are provided after the guide rolls 729, 729. One or more meandering detection units 90 can be disposed immediately after the longitudinal stretching machine 40 or between the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and the transverse stretching machine 50.

[0052] <Overall Configuration of Feeding Mechanism> Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a film feeding mechanism. As an example, a feeding mechanism 70 can be provided in the film transport path downstream of the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and upstream of the transverse stretching machine 50. The belt conveyor 711 in Figure 7 is narrower than the belt conveyor 711 in Figure 6 and is configured to grip only one side (the left side) of the film.

[0053] The feeding mechanism 70 includes a robot arm 715 having a belt conveyor 711 below its tip, and a lower roll platform 720 that is provided below the belt conveyor 711 and is capable of moving up and down and has multiple rolls. The lower roll platform 720 can be raised and lowered vertically by a lifting mechanism 725. In FIG. 7 , the lifting mechanism 725 includes three lifting units that can be raised and lowered synchronously. The lower roll platform 720 is normally located in a retracted position (downward along the vertical arrow from the position in FIG. 7 ) to prevent contact with the film and damage it. It rises to the transport position ( FIG. 7 ) when transporting and chucking the film between the longitudinal stretching zone and the transverse stretching zone. The lower roll platform 720 includes multiple lower right rolls RUR and lower left rolls LUR arranged in two rows so that the film can be loaded and transported. The belt conveyor 711 shown in FIG. 7 is provided facing the lower left roll LUR, but it may also be provided facing the lower right roll RUR.

[0054] The robot arm 715 may be a six-axis vertical articulated robot arm. The robot arm 715 includes a base 7150 fixed to the floor, a first link 7151 rotatably and tiltably attached to the base 7150, a second link 7152 tiltably and tiltably attached to the tip of the first link 7151, and a wrist 7153 tiltably attached to the tip of the second link 7152. Various known robot arms may be used as the robot arm.

[0055] The belt conveyor 711 is connected to the tip of a robot arm 715 via a mounting part 712. The belt conveyor 711 includes a plurality of rolls 711R, 711R provided at both ends, and a belt 7111 wound around the plurality of rolls. The roll 711R is a roll with a built-in motor. Various known belt conveyors can also be used as the belt conveyor.

[0056] Airflow generator 80 is installed above lower roll table 720. Airflow generator 80 generates an airflow on the upper surface of the lower roll table when the film is gripped between belt conveyor 711 and lower roll table 720 and sent toward the clip closer (501 in Figure 9) downstream in the conveyance direction by driving belt conveyor 711. This prevents the leading edge of the thin film from drooping, allowing the clip closer to properly chuck the film.

[0057] Guide rolls 729, 729 are provided to guide the film sent from the longitudinal stretching machine 40. Two meandering detection units 90 are provided after the guide rolls 729, 729. One or more meandering detection units 90 can be disposed immediately after the longitudinal stretching machine 40 or between the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and the transverse stretching machine 50.

[0058] <Operation of the Feed Mechanism> Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the operation of the film feed mechanism. As shown in Figure 8, the feed mechanism 70 places the film 83 fed from upstream on the lower roll platform 720 by raising the lower roll platform 720 (from the retracted position to the conveying position). That is, the lower roll platform 720 is movable between the retracted position and the conveying position. Next, the robot arm 715 lowers its tip, gripping the film 83 between the belt conveyor 711 and the lower roll platform 720, while rotating the belt conveyor 711 to convey the film 83 downstream in the conveying direction. That is, the belt conveyor 711 held by the robot arm 715 is movable between the retracted position and the conveying position (gripping position).

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5 , the film 83 fed from the longitudinal stretching machine 40 is fed along guide rolls 729, 729 provided at both ends of the path to above the lower roll platform 720 of the lower roller mechanism 72. When the fed film 83 is detected by a sensor (either from the longitudinal stretching machine 40 or manually), the lifting mechanism 725 is driven, and the lower roll platform 720 is raised from the retracted position to a predetermined position (feeding position), allowing the film 83 to be placed on the lower roll platform 720. The film 83 is moved downstream in the conveying direction on the rolls of the lower roll platform 720 by the longitudinal stretching machine 40. The rolls on the lower roll platform 720 may include a plurality of right lower rolls RUR and a plurality of left lower rolls LUR arranged in two rows. Each roll may be a drive roll driven by a drive source (not shown), or a free roll without a drive source.

[0060] When a sensor detects that the film 83 has been fed to a predetermined position on the roll of the lower roll table 720 by the longitudinal stretching machine 40 (or the drive roll), the robot arm 715 lowers the belt conveyor 711 at its tip from the retracted position to the conveying position (gripping position). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 , the belt conveyor 711 descends substantially parallel to the multiple lower left rolls LUR of the lower roll table 720 and grips the film 83 between them. When the belt conveyor 711 drives the multiple rolls 711R, 711R, the film 83 gripped by the belt 7111 and the multiple lower left rolls LUR is sent downstream in the conveying direction. At this time, the airflow generating device 80 generates an airflow toward the surface of the lower roll table 20, thereby preventing the leading edge of the film from drooping. In addition, if the multiple lower left rolls LUR have drive sources, the multiple lower left rolls LUR may rotate in synchronization with the multiple rolls 711R of the belt conveyor 711.

[0061] Figure 8 shows one robot mechanism 71 corresponding to the multiple lower left rolls LUR shown in Figure 7, but since the operation of the lower roll table 720 and robot mechanism 71 shown in Figure 6 is similar, detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0062] 7 and 8 show one robot mechanism 71 corresponding to multiple lower left rolls LUR, but another robot mechanism corresponding to multiple lower right rolls RUR may be provided. Alternatively, the robot mechanism 71 may have two branched second links 7152, 7152 corresponding to multiple lower right rolls RUR and multiple lower left rolls LUR, respectively. In some embodiments, the lower side of the robot arm may have a first conveyor corresponding to multiple left rolls and a second conveyor corresponding to multiple right rolls. In this case, the first conveyor and the second conveyor are each configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0063] As described above, wrinkles in the film can be smoothed out by sending the film downstream in the transport direction while being held between the multiple lower right rolls RUR and the belt conveyor 711. In addition, the airflow generated by the airflow generating device can prevent the leading edge of the film from sagging.

[0064] In some embodiments, a meandering detection unit 90 (e.g., various sensors such as a camera, laser sensor, edge sensor, etc.) may be provided above the lower roll base 720 to detect whether the film is meandering. For example, in FIG. 7 , the meandering detection unit 90 is an edge sensor that detects both ends of the film after the longitudinal stretching region. If the meandering of the film is detected by the meandering detection unit 90, the robot arm 715 may perform vertical axial rotation while pressing the belt conveyor 711 against the film 83 placed on the lower roll base 720 based on the detection result. For example, if the film is meandering to the left of the traveling direction, the robot arm 715 performs vertical axial rotation clockwise while pressing the belt conveyor 711 against the film 83 placed on the lower roll base 720. This allows the film meandering to be corrected, allowing the subsequent clip closer 501 ( FIG. 9 ) to properly close the clip and perform transverse stretching. The operation of the robot arm 715 is controlled by a control unit (not shown). The control unit receives sensor signals from various sensors such as the meandering detection unit 90, and controls various driving units related to the robot arm, etc., to operate based on the sensor signals. The control unit can execute various controls based on various programs stored in the storage unit, and is realized by a central processing unit (CPU), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), input / output ports (I / O), etc.

[0065] Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a film feed mechanism and clip device according to another embodiment. Clip devices 500 are arranged at both ends of the film after the aforementioned feed mechanism 70. While only the clip device 500 for the left end of the film is shown in Figure 9, the clip device 500 for the right end of the film can also be arranged in a substantially symmetrical manner. As shown in Figure 9, the lower roll base 720 and the clip closer 501 are slightly spaced apart.

[0066] As described above, the feeding mechanism 70, using the belt conveyor 711 and the lower roll table 720, grips the film and feeds the film, along with the airflow, to the position of the clip closers 501. One clip closer 501 closes a clip on one end of the gripped film. Then, the other clip closer 501 closes a clip on the other end of the gripped film. This clip attachment operation is also called chucking. After the left and right clip closers 501, 501 close clips on both ends of the film, the film transport machine can move the film downstream in the transport direction. In this way, the feeding mechanism 70 can assist the clip closers in their clipping operation for transverse stretching. This reduces or eliminates manual work by multiple people, prevents human hands from getting caught in the clip closers, and enables safe and smooth chucking and transport of the film.

[0067] In some embodiments, a wrinkle detection unit 7121 (e.g., a camera) that detects wrinkles in the film 83 may be provided above the lower roll table 720 (e.g., below the mounting portion 712 of the robot arm 715). The wrinkle detection unit 7121 (e.g., a camera or edge sensor) may be provided in a location separate from the robot arm 715 (e.g., on the ceiling) between the longitudinal stretching machine 40 and the robot arm 715. Based on the captured image of the film, the robot arm 715 can also rotate about a vertical axis while pressing the belt conveyor 711 against the film 83 placed on the lower roll table 720, as shown in FIG. 10. This can remove localized wrinkles in the film. In other embodiments, the two belt conveyors 711, 711 can move widely to the left and right while holding down the film, as shown in FIG. 11, to remove wrinkles in the film. It is also possible to remove wrinkles from the film by leaving one of the two belt conveyors fixed near one edge of the film and moving only the other belt conveyor toward the other edge of the film. The operation of the robot arm 715 is controlled by a control unit (not shown). The control unit receives sensor signals from various sensors such as the wrinkle detection unit 7121, and can control the driving of various driving units related to the robot arm, etc., based on the sensor signals.

[0068] In the above examples, the program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0069] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, although a belt conveyor has been described in the above embodiment, a roll conveyor may also be used. From the viewpoint of smoothing out wrinkles in the film, it is more preferable to use a belt conveyor.

[0070] In some embodiments, the film transport method includes moving a film transport table from a retracted position to a transport position, placing a film on the film transport table, and generating an air flow along the surface of the film transport table using an air flow generating device.

[0071] In some embodiments, the film manufacturing apparatus includes an extruder that melts and extrudes an input resin raw material, a die connected to the extruder that forms the molten resin into a film, a cooling roll that cools the film-like molten resin extruded from the die and conveys a resin film in which the molten resin has solidified, a longitudinal stretching machine that is located downstream of the cooling roll in the conveying direction and that longitudinally stretches the film and sends it downstream in the conveying direction, a feed mechanism that is movable between a retracted position and a conveying position and includes a film conveying table for placing the film and an air flow generating device that generates an air flow along the surface of the film conveying table, and a transverse stretching machine that is located downstream of the feed mechanism in the conveying direction and that transversely stretches the film and sends it downstream in the conveying direction.

[0072] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-117636, filed July 23, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0073] 1 Film manufacturing apparatus 10 Extruder 11 Cylinder 13 Hopper 20 T-die 30 Cooler 40 Longitudinal stretching machine 50 Transverse stretching machine 60 Winder 70 Feeding mechanism 71 Robot mechanism 72 Lower roller mechanism 82a Molten resin 83 Film 90 Meandering detection unit 500 Clip device 501 Clip closer 711 Belt conveyor 712 Mounting unit 715 Robot arm 720 Lower roll base 725 Lifting mechanism 729 Guide roll 730 Lower base 731 Belt conveyor 80 Air flow generating device CR1 to CR4 Cooling roll R1 to R11 Roll RL1, RL2 Rail RUR Right lower roll LUR Left lower roll

Claims

1. A film transport machine having a feed mechanism including: a film transport table for placing a film, which is movable between a retracted position and a transport position; and an airflow generating device for generating an airflow along the surface of the film transport table.

2. A film transport machine as described in claim 1, wherein the airflow generating device is configured to generate an airflow toward the surface of the film transport table, thereby causing the airflow to flow along the surface of the film transport table.

3. The film transporter according to claim 1, wherein the film transport table has a belt conveyor capable of transporting the film.

4. The film transporter according to claim 1, wherein the film transport table is a lower roll table having a plurality of rolls and capable of moving up and down.

5. A film transport machine as described in claim 4, wherein a belt conveyor is provided above the lower roll table and is attached to the underside of the tip of a robot arm, and the robot arm is configured to lower the tip to grip the film between the belt conveyor and the lower roll table, and to transport the film downstream in the transport direction by rotating the belt conveyor.

6. The film conveying machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a longitudinal stretching machine provided in a longitudinal stretching region upstream of the film conveying table, which longitudinally stretches the film while conveying it downstream in the conveying direction; and a transverse stretching machine provided in a transverse stretching region downstream of the film conveying table in the conveying direction, which transversely stretches the film while conveying it downstream in the conveying direction.

7. The film transporter according to claim 1, further comprising a clip closer disposed downstream of said film transport table in the transport direction and spaced apart from said film transport table.

8. A film transport machine as described in claim 7, further comprising an auxiliary airflow generating device disposed between the film transport table and the clip closer, which generates an airflow from below toward the leading end of the film extending from the leading end of the film transport table toward the clip closer.

9. The film transport machine according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generating device is movable between a retracted position and a position where it generates an airflow on the surface of the film transport table in the transport position.

10. A film transport method comprising: moving a film transport table from a retracted position to a transport position and placing a film on said film transport table; and generating an air flow along the surface of said film transport table by an air flow generating device.

11. A film manufacturing apparatus comprising: an extruder that melts and extrudes an input resin raw material; a die connected to the extruder that forms the molten resin into a film; a cooling roll that cools the film-like molten resin extruded from the die and carries out a resin film formed by solidifying the molten resin; a longitudinal stretching machine that is provided downstream of the cooling roll in the conveying direction and that longitudinally stretches the film and sends it downstream in the conveying direction; a feeding mechanism that is movable between a retracted position and a conveying position and includes a film conveying table on which the film is placed and an airflow generating device that generates an airflow along the surface of the film conveying table; and a transverse stretching machine that is provided downstream of the feeding mechanism and that transversely stretches the film and sends it downstream.

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