Thin Polarizing Plate Substrate Stretching Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing thin polarizing plates often result in phase differences in the substrate film after stretching, leading to unnecessary material waste and the need for separate protective films, and face challenges in producing wide-width polarizers due to difficulties in handling large substrate films.

Innovation Solution

A layered body comprising a polarizer material film and a substrate film, where the polarizer material film is stretched at a specific ratio and the substrate film at a smaller ratio, with a controlled angle between their stretching directions, allowing the substrate film to be used as a protective film and enabling efficient production of thin polarizing plates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If a thin polarizer is produced from polyvinyl alcohol by a prior art production method, then the thickness of the polarizer is reduced, but melt-breakage of the polarizer frequently occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethickness of polarizerVSAvoidmelt-breakage resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a polyvinyl alcohol-based film (polarizer) and a substrate film. The substrate film provides mechanical support during the stretching process, preventing melt-breakage of the thin polarizer while allowing the final product to achieve the desired thin thickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The substrate film is prepared in advance and the polyvinyl alcohol-based film is attached to it before stretching. This preliminary arrangement ensures that the thin polarizer has sufficient mechanical strength during the stretching process to prevent rupture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If a layered body is obtained by attaching an unstretched polyvinyl alcohol-based film to an unstretched high-density polyethylene substrate film and then subjected to stretching treatment, then the polarizer can be produced, but phase difference is generated in the substrate film after stretching at high stretching ratio

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolarizer productionVSAvoidphase difference control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameters of the substrate film by selecting specific resin types (cycloolefin resin, amorphous polyester resin, polyolefin resin, or acrylic resin) with appropriate physical properties. These material parameter changes allow the substrate film to withstand high stretching ratios while minimizing phase difference generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality requirements to different parts of the system: the polyvinyl alcohol-based film requires high stretching ratio for polarization, while the substrate film is selected with specific resin properties to maintain low phase difference under the same stretching conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Area of stationary object

If the width of the substrate film is made extremely large to obtain a thin polarizing plate with sufficiently wide width, then the polarizer width is sufficient, but difficulty in production arises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewidth of polarizerVSAvoidproduction difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the production process into: (1) attaching the polyvinyl alcohol-based film to a manageable-sized substrate film, and (2) performing stretching treatment that simultaneously achieves both width expansion and polarization. This segmentation allows production to proceed with smaller, more manageable substrate films rather than requiring extremely wide films from the start.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses stretching treatment to transform the substrate film in the width dimension, converting a smaller initial width into the desired large final width through controlled deformation. This dimensional transformation approach avoids the need to handle and process extremely wide films directly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach minimizes phase differences in the substrate film, prevents rupture, and allows the substrate film to be used as a protective film, facilitating the efficient production of thin polarizing plates without the need for separate protective films and reducing warping.

Implementation Method 1

a polarizer material film that is a product of stretching in one or more directions, and a substrate film provided on the polarizer material film, the substrate film being a product of stretching in one or more directions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectStretching: Deformation

Data Source

PatentEP3660556B1laminate
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 ZEON CORP
  • EP3660556B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3660556B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3660556B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A layered body including a polarizer material film that is a product of stretching in one or more directions, and a substrate film provided on the polarizer material film, the substrate film being a product of stretching in one or more directions, wherein a stretching ratio X of the polarizer material film is 1.5 or more and 5.5 or less, a thickness T2 is 20 µm or less, the thickness T2 being a thickness of the polarizer material film as a result of free end uniaxial stretching of the layered body at a stretching ratio 6.0/X, an angle θ2 formed by a stretching direction of the polarizer material film and a stretching direction of the substrate film is less than 1°, and a stretching ratio Y of the substrate film is smaller than the stretching ratio X of the polarizer material film.