FILM CONVEYING APPARATUS

Abstract: A film conveying apparatus comprises first conveyor belts for conveying a film by contacting with one side of the film and a second conveyor belt for conveying the film by contacting with the other side of the film, plurality of the first conveyor belts being arranged with fixed intervals in a cross­ wise direction of the film being conveyed crossing the con­ veyance direction, the second conveyor belt being disposed between the first conveyor belts.

Description: The invention relates to a film conveying apparatus which can effectively be used for conveying a protective film peeled off from a substrate or panel. In a printed circuit board used in an electronic device such as a computer, a predetermined circuit is formed with copper on one or both sides of an insulated substrate or panel. A printed circuit board of this type can be manufactured as follows: First, a laminate consisting of a photosensitive resin (photo-resist) layer and a translucent resin film (protective film) for protecting the photosensitive resin layer are thermally formed on the conductive layer of the insulated substrate under pressure. Thereafter, a circuit pattern film is laid over the laminate thus formed, and the photosensitive resin layer is exposed to light through the circuit pattern film and the translucent resin film for a predetermined period of time. After the translucent resin film has been peeled off, the photosensitive resin layer thus exposed to light is subjected to developing to form an etching mask pattern. Thereafter, the unnecessary parts of the conductive layer are removed by etching in order to obtain a printed circuit board having the predetermined circuit pattern. In the above-described printed circuit board manufacturing method, in developing the photosensitive resin layer it is necessary to peel off the translucent resin film. In PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, Vol. 9, No. 67 (M-366), 1790, 27 March 1985 (JP-A-59 198 244), a sheet conveying device is disclosed having the features stated in the precharacterising portion of claim 1 . A set of upper and lower belts is arranged staggered with each other in the direction of the breadth and their positional relation is such that they each enter a gap between two of the opposing belts, respectively. The object underlying the invention is to provide a film conveying apparatus which can effectively and accurately convey the thin film peeled off. This object is solved by a film conveying apparatus having the features of claim 1. Since according to the present invention the thin film being conveyed by the first and the second conveyor belts is supplied with tension in the crosswise or transverse direction of the film crossing the conveyance direction, the thin film can be securely sandwiched with uniform force by the first and the second conveyor belts so that the thin film can be securely conveyed. The invention will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view showing a schematic construction of an apparatus for peeling off a protective film from a board and conveying the peeled-off film; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the principal portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view showing the projecting press mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged exploded view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of the projecting press member of Fig. 4; Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of the principal portions of the board of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the principal portions of the peel angle setting plate of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the film conveyance mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 9A shows a toothed pulley and a toothed belt used in the present invention; and Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views of the principal portions of the film conveyance mechanism of Fig. 9. The invention will be described in detail with reference to an apparatus for peeling off a protective film from a printed circuit board having a protective film conveyance apparatus to which the technical concept of the present invention is applied. In the accompanying drawings, like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters. Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a construction of an apparatus for peeling off a protective film from a board for making a printed circuit board and delivering the peeled film according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the principal portion of Fig. 1. A mechanism for conveying a board in the film peeling apparatus mainly comprises conveyance driving rollers 2 for conveying a board 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this conveyance mechanism a projecting press mechanism 3, a fluid injection mechanism 4, a peel angle setting plate (auxiliary peeling plate) 5 and a film delivery mechanism (film conveyance apparatus) 6 are arranged along the conveyance path A-A. In the board 1, a conductive layer 1B of copper or the like is formed on one or both sides of an insulated substrate 1A, as shown in Fig. 2. A laminate consisting of a photosensitive resin layer 1C and a translucent resin film protective film) 1D is thermally formed on the conductive layer 1B of the board 1 under pressure. The photosensitive resin layer 1C has been exposed to light in a predetermined circuit pattern. The conveying rollers 2 are designed so as to convey the board 1 in the direction of the arrow A, as shown in Fig. 1. The projecting press mechanism 3 is constructed as shown in Figs. 3 to 5. The projecting press mechanism 3 comprises a plurality of projecting press members 3A installed on both sides of the board 1. The projecting press members 3A are arranged in the direction across the conveyance direction (the crosswise or transverse direction of the printed circuit board 1). The projecting press member 3A is needle-shaped as shown in Fig. 5 and it is formed so that the end of the laminated body comprising the photosensitive resin layer 1C and the translucent resin film 1D is pressed by the front end or the projecting press member 3A. The projecting press member 3A is arranged so that it is not entered into the interface between the conductive layer 1B and the photosensitive resin layer 1C when it presses the end of the laminated body. The tip end angle of the projected press member 3A is about 60 degrees. The projecting press members 3A arranged opposite to each other are supported by projecting press member supporting rotary shafts 3C through holders 3B, respectively. The holder 3B is installed in such a manner as to slide along the through-hole (which is not supplied with a numeral or character) of the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C. A resilient member 3D is installed between the projecting press member 3A and the holder 3B. A resilient member 3E having a resiliency which is the same with or different from that of the resilient member 3D is installed between the holder 3B and the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C. The resilient members 3D and 3E are installed in the direction of an arrow B and act in the direction close to the printed circuit board 1. Accordingly, the position of the front end of the projecting press member 3A with respect to the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C can be changed by application of pressures in the direction of the arrow B. One end (or both ends) of the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C is, as shown in Figs. 3,4, rotatably coupled to one end of a moving arm member 3G through a guide slit 3f made in a guide member 3F. The guide member 3F is fixed to the apparatus body with machine screws and the like (not shown). The guide slit 3f is formed in the direction (of an arrow C) approaching to or departing from the board 1 so as to guide the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C, i.e., the projecting press member 3A in the direction of the arrow C. The other end of each moving arm member 3G is rotatably secured to one of the opposite ends of a rotary arm member 3H secured rotatably on the rotary shaft 3h in the direction of an arrow D. The rotary arm member 3H is capable of moving each moving arm member 3G in the longitudinal direction of the arrow C. The guide member 3F, the moving arm member 3G and the rotary arm member 3H for guiding the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C constitute the link mechanism of the projecting press mechanism 3 for causing the projecting press members 3A installed on both sides of the printed circuit board 1 to move close to and away from each other by the movement of the shaft 3J of the driving source for both side use in the direction of an arrow E. The shaft 3J is coupled to one end of the rotary arm member 3H through an arm coupling member 3I. The members constituting the link mechanism each are prepared from material relatively hardly deformable against external force, such as iron, aluminum alloy and rigid plastics. As a driving source a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, or a solenoid can be used. The shaft 3J is not limited to be coupled to one end of the rotary arm member 3H. The shaft 3J may be coupled to one end of the moving arm member 3G through the arm coupling member 3I. By thus coupling the projecting press member 3A to the driving source by means of the link mechanism, the projecting press members 3A installed on both sides of the board 1 each may be caused to contact or depart from the surface of the board 1. The projecting press member 3A moves in the direction of the arrow C. In other words, the link mechanism is capable of driving the projecting press members 3A on both sides by one driving source for both side use. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide individual driving sources for driving the projecting press members 3A on each side of the board 1. Material forming the guide member 3F, the moving arm members 3G and the rotary arm member 3H constituting the link mechanism are rigid. The operating range of them is defined by the guide slit 3f and the rotary shaft 3h. Therefore, the projecting press members 3A on both sides of the board 1 can be controlled accurately, with the operating amount and operating time of the projecting press members 3A on both sides being almost equal to each other. The link mechanism for coupling the projecting press member 3A and the driving source for both side use can be made simpler in construction than a mechanism formed with a rack and pinion or a gear mechanism, since the number of parts required is smaller and each part is simpler in configuration. A projecting press member rotating arm member 3K is installed at the end (or both ends) of each projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C linked with the moving arm member 3G in such a manner that one end of the projecting press member rotating arm member 3K is fixed to the end of the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C. At the other end of each projecting press member rotating arm member 3K, a slit 3K is provided. The shaft 3m of the arm coupling member 3M connected to the shaft 3L of the driving source for both side use is passed through the slit 3k. In other words,the projecting press member rotating arm member 3K is coupled to the shaft 3L of the driving source for both side use through the coupling arm member 3M. As the driving source for both side use, a driving source similar to that applied to the above-described link mechanism may be used. When the shaft 3L moves in the direction of an arrow F, the projecting press member rotating arm member 3K rotates in the direction of the arrow G and the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C rotates in the direction of an arrow H so that the projected press member 3A presses the end of the laminated body. In other words, the projecting press member rotating arm member 3K and the arm coupling member 3M constitute the projecting press member pressing mechanism of the projecting press mechanism 3. The projecting press member pressing mechanism thus constructed is capable of operating the projecting press members 3A on both sides of the printed circuit board 1 by means of one driving source and it is capable of accurately controlling the operating quantity and time thereof as in the case of the link mechanism for approaching and parting the projected press members 3A. Moreover, the projecting press member pressing mechanism can simplify the coupling mechanism for coupling the projecting press member 3A and the driving source for both side use. The projecting press mechanism 3 thus comprises the projecting press members 3A, the link mechanism for causing the projecting press member 3A to approach and depart from the board 1, and the projecting press member pressing mechanism for pressing the end of the laminated body with the projecting press member 3A. Although the link mechanism or projecting press member pressing mechanism and the driving source for both side use are installed on one side of the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C, they may be installed on both sides according to the present invention. Referring to Figs. 1 through 7, the operation of the projecting press mechanism 3 will be described briefly. A thin film end detector (not shown) is used first. As a thin film end detector, a contact sensor for electrically detecting the end of a thin film laid on the board 1 or a photosensor for detecting the same optically can be used. When the end of a thin film stuck onto the board is detected by the thin film end detector, the pinch roller 2A shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is pressed against the board 1 by means of a press means (not shown), and the conveyance of the board 1 is temporarily stopped by the pinch roller 2A and the conveyance driving roller 2. At this time, the board is prevented from moving, since a material such as rubber having a high coefficient of friction is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance driving roller 2 opposite to the pinch roller 2A. Therefore, the conveyance of the board 1 is stopped securely so that the board 1 is fixed. The shaft 3J of the driving source for both side use coupled to the link mechanism is moved in the direction of an arrow E (upward in the Fig. 3). This operation allows the link mechanism constituted by the rotary arm member 3H, the moving arm member 3G and the guide member 3F to operate, so that the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C is caused to move in the direction of the arrow C. As a result of which each of the front ends of the projecting press members 3A on both sides of the printed circuit board 1 contacts the surface of the conductive layer 1B at the end of the laminated body as shown in Fig. 6. The tip end of the projecting press member 3A is brought into contact with the surface of the conductive layer 1B by a suitable pressing force such that the resilient member 3D (3E) may have energy. While the projecting press member 3A is in contact with the conductive layer 1B, the shaft 3L of the driving source for both side use coupled to the projecting press member pressing mechanism is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow F (to the left in the Fig. 3). This movement or the shaft 3L causes the projecting press member pressing mechanism comprising the projecting press member rotating arm member 3K and the arm coupling member 3M to operate so that the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C is rotated in the direction of the arrow H. By the rotation of the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C, the front ends of the projecting press members 3A on both sides of the board 1 press the end of the laminated body, as shown in Fig. 7. The end of the laminated body comprising the photosensitive resin layer 1C and the translucent resin film 1D is pressed by the projecting press members 3A of the projecting press mechanism 3 so that a part of the translucent resin film 1D is peeled off from the photosensitive resin layer 1C, and a gap is produced at the interface between the film 1D and the layer 1C, as will be described hereinafter. The photosensitive resin layer 1C is prepared from material softer than that of the translucent resin film 1D Therefore, the film 1C is more apt to be subjected to plastic deformation by the pressure applied by the projecting press member 3A then the layer 1D. Therefore, first, only the film 1C is deformed. The adhesion of the layer 1D to the film 1C is reduced, before the layer 1D is deformed. Therefore, a gap is produced between the film 1C and the layer 1D. Moreover, the end of the translucent resin film 1D can be peeled off by the needle-shaped projecting press member 3A which is simple in configuration. Since the projecting press member 3A is installed in the conveyance path of the board, the end of the translucent resin film 1D can automatically be peeled off. In the above described embodiment of the invention a plurality of projected press members 3A are provided in the direction crossing (crosswise direction) the conveyance direction of the printed circuit board 1 so that the film of the laminated body which is heat-bonded distortedly on the printed circuit board 1 can be peeled off surely. However, the present invention is not limited to the above structure. In other words, the projecting press mechanism 3 may be so arranged as to have only one projecting press member 3A on the respective sides of the board 1, if the end portion of the photosensitive resin layer 1C and the translucent resin film 1D is pressed so that the film 1D can be surely peeled off. Although in this embodiment of the invention the projecting press members 3A are arranged in the direction transverse to the conveyance direction of the board 1, the projecting press members 3A may be arranged at the end portions or portions close to the corner of the laminated body, in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the board 1. In this case, the nozzle 4A of the fluid injection mechanism. 4 is set close to the projecting press member 3A. The above described projecting press member pressing mechanism of the projecting press mechanism 3 is arranged in the form of a link mechanism. However, the projecting press member pressing mechanism according to the present invention may also be constructed in such a manner that the board 1 is carried slightly by the rotation of the conveyance driving roller 2 (or the pinch roller 2A) with the projecting press member 3A being in contact with the surface of the board 1 at the end of the laminated body, and the end of the laminated body is pressed by the projecting press member 3A. That is, the projecting press member pressing mechanism may be constructed using a conveyance mechanism. Moreover, according to the invention the cross section of the projecting press member supporting rotary shaft 3C in the direction across the axis of the shaft may be square, in order to increase the accuracy of processing the through-hole into which the holder 3B is fitted and in order to facilitate the processing. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fluid injection mechanism 4 may be arranged so as to send a jet of pressurized fluid such as air or inactive gas or liquid such as water out of a nozzle 4A directly to the gap between the photosensitive resin layer 1C and the peeled-off translucent resin film 1D. The fluid injection mechanism is also positioned close to the projected press mechanism 3 so that the fluid can instantly be sent to the gap. The fluid injection mechanism 4 is provided with the nozzle 4A with its set angle being variable in the direction of an arrow J. As a result, the fluid injection mechanism 4 sets its nozzle 4A close to the gap between the layers 1C and 1D at the time of injecting the fluid, and after the fluid has been injected, the fluid injection mechanism 4 moves the nozzle 4A back to the position where the nozzle is prevented from touching the board 1. By the fluid injection mechanism 4, fluid is blown into the gap between the photosensitive resin layer 1C and the translucent resin film 1D produced under the pressure of the projected press member 3A, as a result of which it is ensured to instantly peel off the translucent resin film 1D from the photosensitive resin layer 1C. As shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the front end 1d in conveyance direction of the translucent resin film 1d which has been peeled off by the fluid injection mechanism 4, is stuck to the peel angle setting plate (auxiliary peeling plate) 5 by the fluid pressure, and the peel angle ϑ for the peel position and direction is set. The translucent resin film 1d is shown by one-dot-and-dash line of Figs. 2 and 8. The peel angle ϑ is the angle of the translucent resin film 1d pulled up with respect to the translucent resin film 1D stuck on the board 1 (or the board 1). The peel angle ϑ is set to about 90 degrees. The peel angle setting plate 5 is installed such that its front end (peel position) on the peeling side is apart from the translucent resin film 1D stuck to the printed circuit board 1 and such that the setting plate may not brush with the resin film 1D to prevent the photosensitive resin layer 1C from being damaged or broken down. Furthermore, the peel angle setting plate 5 is movably arranged so that its end sticks tightly to the translucent resin film 1D during the time the fluid is being sprayed, for preventing reduction of the peel effect, since a reduction of the peel effect would occur, if the fluid is blown between the end of the peel angle setting plate 5 and the board 1. Moreover, the front end of the peel angle setting plate 5 is in a circular arc form with its curvature radius being small, that is, less than 3 mm. Moreover, the peel angle setting plate 5 has its front end located closer to the printed circuit board 1 than the thin film delivery mechanism 6. The peel angle setting plate 5 extends in the peel direction (film delivery direction) with a predetermined length. The peel angle setting plate 5 extends in a direction transverse to the film peeling direction having a length sufficient to cover the width of the conveyance path of the printed circuit board 1 or the fluid injection width in the peel direction. In other words, with the direction of the fluid flown being shown by arrows K in Fig. 8, the peel angle setting plate 5 is capable of increasing the peeling effects, by preventing the fluid from being blown to the rear side of the peel angle setting plate 5 and it is capable of increasing the adhesion of the peeled-off translucent resin film 1d to the peel angle setting plate 5. The peel angle setting plate 5 is fixed to the apparatus body at a predetermined position apart from the nozzle 4A in the fluid flowing direction. The peel angle setting plate 5 is able to stabilize the peel position and to apply an uniform peeling force to the translucent resin film 1D. Accordingly, the peel angle setting plate 5 prevents the peel position from shifting when the translucent resin film 1D is being peeled off and it prevents the peel stress from distorting the photosensitive resin layer 1C so that it is not damaged or broken. The peel angle ϑ of the peel angle setting plate 5 with respect to the translucent resin film 1D may be set variable within the range of an obtuse to right angle, according to changes in conditions, such as a change of material for the translucent resin film 1D, a change of the fluid pressure in the fluid spray mechanism 4, etc. Moreover, the peel angle setting plate 5 may be arranged so as to be movable, corresponding to the thickness of the printed circuit board 1, the photosensitive resin layers 1C or the translucent resin films 1C. The peel angle setting plate 5 may be moved or transferred by an air or hydraulic cylinder. The translucent resin film 1d stuck to the peel angle setting plate 5 by the fluid injection mechanism 4 is, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 9, carried out by the film carrying out mechanism (thin film conveyance mechanism) 6, while the thin film is being peeled off. The thin film conveyance mechanism 6 comprises an upper conveyor belt mechanism and a lower conveyor belt mechanism installed on both sides of the printed circuit board 1, respectively. As it is shown in Fig. 9 in detail, the upper conveyor belt mechanism consists of, fixed conveyor belts 6A, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F and of moving conveyor belts 6B. The fixed conveyor belt 6A consists of a roller 6Aa supported by a driven shaft I, a roller 6Ab supported by a driving shaft II and a belt 6a wound on the rollers 6Aa, 6Ab. The moving conveyor belt 6B consists of a roller 6Ba supported by a driven shaft III, a roller 6Bb supported by a driving shaft IV and a belt 6b wound on the rollers 6Ba, 6Bb. The moving conveyor belt 6B is rotated on the driving shaft IV in the direction of an arrow L as shown in Fig. 2. The moving conveyor belt 6B facilitates the adhesion of the peeled-off translucent resin film 1d to the peel angle setting plate 5 and it is capable of carrying the translucent resin film 1d by sandwiching it between the moving conveyor belt 6B and the fixed conveyor belt 6A. The operation of sandwiching the translucent resin film 1d between the fixed and the moving conveyor belts 6A, 6B is conducted through a cut 5A provided in the peel angle setting plate 5, as shown in Fig. 8. The cut 5A is designed to support the conveyor belts 6A, 6B sandwiching the translucent resin film 1d whose peel position and angle have been set by the peel angle setting plate 5, when both the belts 6A, 6B reach the translucent resin film 1d. As a result, it is assured that the translucent resin film 1d is sandwiched between the fixed and the moving conveyor belts 6A, 6B. The fixed conveyor belt 6C consists of a roller 6Ca supported by the driving shaft II, a roller 6Cb supported by a driven shaft in and a belt 6c wound on rollers 6Ca, 6Cb. The fixed conveyor belt 6D consists of a roller 6Da supported by the driven shaft IV, a roller 6Db supported by the driven shaft VI, a roller 6Dc rupported by a driven shaft VII, a roller 6Dd supported by a driven shaft VIII, a roller 6De supported by the driven shaft V and a belt 6d wound on rollers 6Da to 6De. The fixed conveyor belts 6C and 6D are arranged so as to further carry away the translucent resin film 1d conveyed by the fixed and the moving conveyor belts 6A and 6B. The roller 6De of the fixed conveyor belt 6D is intended to comply with the change of the conveyance direction at a large angle, when the translucent resin film 1d is delivered from the fixed conveyor belts 6C, 6D to the fixed conveyor belts 6E, 6F, as shown in Fig. 10. In other words, the curvature radii of the belts 6c and 6d, on their surfaces contacting with the translucent rest film 1d at the position where the conveyance direction is changed, are made equal to each other by the roller 6De. Accordingly, the translucent resin film 1d is prevented from producing wrinkles and further trouble such as a jam occuring during conveyance. As shown in Fig. 11 (a partial sectional view), a plurality of fixed conveyor belts 6C (or 6D) brought into contact with one side of the translucent resin film 1d are installed at fixed intervals transversely to the conveyance direction of the translucent resin film 1d crossing. The fixed conveyor belts 6D (or 6C) brought in to contact with the other side of the translucent resin film 1d is installed between the plurality of the fixed conveyor belts 6C (or 6D). In other words, the fixed conveyor belts 6C, 6D are arranged in a staggered manner transversely to the translucent resin film 1d so that the surfaces of the bolts 6c, 6d (the contacting faces with the translucent resin film 1d) are in a common plane. Since the fixed conveyor belts 6C, 6D are thus arranged in a staggered manner, the translucent resin film 1d being carried away is supplied with tension in its transverse direction, so that the translucent resin film 1d can be sandwiched securely and uniformly between the fixed conveyor belts 6C, 6D. Moreover, as can be seen from Fig. 11, the translucent resin film 1d sandwiched between the fixed conveyor belts 6C, 6D is carried having such a form so as to wrap the surfaces and the sides of the belts 6c, 6d, respectively. In consequence, the rollers 6Ca, 6Cb, 6Da to 6De are not allowed to shift from the belts 6c and 6d in the axial direction of the rollers, respectively. The sandwiching force applied to the translucent resin film 1d during conveyance is thus made uniform, whereas occuring of wrinkles and accordingly of jamming are prevented. The thin film conveyance mechanism according to the present invention has a container 7A for receiving the peeled-off upper translucent resin films which have been conveyed by the upper conveyance belt mechanism and which are discharged, as will be described later, and furthermore the conveyance path of the upper conveyance belt mechanism is longer than that of the lower conveyance belt mechanism. So that the film conveying mechanism is effective to form the fixed conveyor belts 6C, 6D in such a manner as described above. The fixed conveyor belt 6E consists of a roller 6Ea supported by a driven shaft IX, a roller 6Eb supported by the driven shaft V and a belt 6a wound on the rollers 6Ea, 6Eb. The fixed conveyor belt 6F consists of a roller 6Fa supported by a driven shaft X, a roller 6Fb supported by the driven shaft VIII and a belt 6f wound by the rollers 6Fa, 6Fb. As it is shown in Figs. 1, 2, the fixed conveyor belts 6E and 6F are arranged so as to discharge the translucent resin film 1d carried by the fixed conveyor belts 6C and 6D from the apparatus body in the direction of an arrow M. The translucent resin film 1d discharged from the apparatus body is received in the container 7A, as shown in Fig. 1. The container 7A is detachably mounted in the upper portion of the apparatus body. As rollers carried by the driving and driven shafts, toothed pulleys as shown in Fig. 9A are used, Accordingly, toothed belts are used having teeth for engagement with the teeth of the toothed pulleys, as shown in Fig. 9A. The lower conveyor belt mechanism comprises a fixed conveyor belt 6G and a moving conveyor belt 6H as shown in Fig. 2. The fixed conveyor belt 6G consists of rollers 6Ga, 6Gc supported by different driven shafts (not shown), a roller 6Gb supported by a driven shaft (not shown) and a bolt 6g wound on the rollers 6Ga to 6Gc. The moving conveyor belt 6H comprises of rollers 6Ha and 6Hc supported by different driven shafts (not shown) a roller 6Hb supported by a driven shaft (not shown) and a belt 6h wound on the rollers 6Ha to 6Hc. The fixed conveyor belts 6G and the moving conveyor belt 6H carry a translucent resin film 1d peeled off from the lower side of the board 1, with the peel position and angle of the film 1d being set by the peel angle setting plate 5 as in the case of the above-described upper conveyor belt mechanism. The conveyor belts 6G and 6H discharge the translucent resin film 1d from the apparatus body in the direction of an arrow O. The translucent resin film 1d discharged from the apparatus body is received in a container 7B for receiving the discharged lower translucent resin film as shown in Fig. 1. The container 7B is detachably mounted on the apparatus body. Moreover, the container 7A for containing the discharged upper translucent resin films is installed above the container 7B so that the area occupied by the containers 7A and 7B is reduced thereby rendering apparatus body compact. Moreover, a roll-in preventing member 9 is installed close to the conveyance path on the discharge side, between the two conveyor belts 6E and 6E 6F and 6F, 6G and 6G, or 6H and 6H, respectively. Accordingly, the translucent resin film 1d is prevented from being wound on the fixed conveyor belts 6E, 6F, 6G or 6H. As shown in Fig. 2, static eliminators 10 and ion dispersion devices 11 are installed close to the fixed conveyor belt 6A and the moving conveyor belt 6H, respectively. The static eliminator 10 is used to discharge ions so that a static electrification of the translucent resin film 1d occuring, while the film 1d is peeled off or conveyed can be reduced. The ion dispersion device 11 disperses the ions discharged by the static eliminator 10, in order to efficiently reduce the static electrification of the film 1d. The device 11 disperses ions using pressurized fluid such air, for example. The projecting press member 3A of the projecting press mechanism 3 may be wedge-shaped or plate-shaped instead of needle-shaped. The present invention is applicable to a thin film conveyance apparatus for a thin film peeling apparatus equipped with a thin film raising mechanism for raising the end of a translucent resin film 1D by a brush having a plurality of needles on the circumference of a rotary body. The present invention is also applicable to a thin film delivery apparatus for a thin film peeling apparatus equipped with a thin film raising mechanism for pressing the end of a translucent resin film 1D with a knurl roll and raising that portion. The present invention is further applicable to a thin film delivery apparatus for a thin film peeling apparatus for peeling off a translucent resin film 1d by raising an end portion of the film by the projecting press mechanism 3 and pressing the end portion by an adhesion member for stucking thereto. The present invention is further applicable to a thin film conveyance apparatus for an apparatus for peeling off a protective film stuck to a decorative laminated sheet used as a building material. Although the invention is described in its preferred form having a certain degree of particularity, it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the teaching of the invention. As set forth above, the present invention has the following effects: The thin film being conveyed by the first, and the second conveyor belts having their conveyance surfaces in the same plane is supplied with tension in the transverse direction of the film. As a result, the film can be securely sandwiched by the first and second conveyor belts applying a uniform force, so that the film can be securely conveyed. Furthermore, the conveyor belts are prevented from shifting from the rollers in the axial direction of the rollers by the reaction force reacting to the tension force applied to the film. Furthermore, according to the present invention, instead of rollers, conveyor belts are used for conveying thin films. Therefore, maintenance of securely conveying the film is facilitated. Furthermore, occurring of wrinkles in the film being conveyed can be prevented.

Claims: A film conveying apparatus comprising: a plurality of first conveyance means (6C) for conveying a film (1D) by contacting one side of the film, the first conveyance means being disposed at predetermined intervals in the transverse direction of the film which is conveyed crossing the conveyance direction; and at least one second conveyance means (6D) for conveying the film (1D) by contacting the other side of the film, the second conveyance means being disposed between the first conveyance means, the first and the second conveyance means comprising a plurality of conveyor belts, characterised in that the conveyance surfaces of the first conveyance means (6C) contacting the one side of the film (1D) being conveyed and the conveyance surfaces of the second conveyance means (6D) contacting the other side of the film are arranged in a single plane.

Inventors: SUMI, SIGEO
Applicants: SOMAR CORPORATION
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65H20
IPC codes: B65H41, H05K3, B65H20, G03F7