Abstract:
A film running device which enables the film to run stably, which as a whole is small in size, simple in construction and requires easy maintenance. A long film  1  is delivered from a delivery roll  2.  A drive rotor R of the delivery roll incorporates an outer rotor-type electric motor  25 M therein, and is rotated by the motor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a film running device for handling long films in a step of producing, for example, magnetic recording media, photographic films, film capacitors, collector films of film electrodes in the secondary cells, etc.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    In the production of, for example, magnetic recording media, photographic films, film capacitors and collector films in the secondary cells, use is made of long films such as various resin films or metal films as base films for constituting the above films. While the long films are running at a predetermined speed, various operations are executed such as applying a magnetic coating material, evaporating a metal magnetic material, sputtering, calender treatment, heat treatment, forming a surface protection layer, forming a back layer, applying a photographic emulsion, depositing an electrode layer, and applying an activated depolarizing mix for cell of an electrode-constituting agent.  
           [0005]    The film running device usually includes a delivery roll for delivering and feeding a film, a take-up roll for taking up the film, and regions for varying the running speed or the tension along a passage where the film runs in order to accomplish a running speed or a tension adapted to executing various treatments along the passage between the above rolls. In this case, a feed roll is often arranged between the regions to cut the tension or to execute a so-called connection cutting. There are further provided many rolls such as pinch rolls, touch rolls and guide rolls.  
           [0006]    It is desired that these rolls are rotated at a peripheral speed in agreement with the running speed of the film from the standpoint of controlling the running speed of the film, and avoiding damages to the surfaces of the films or to the coated films formed on the surfaces of the films, that may be caused by slip between the films and the rolls.  
           [0007]    When the film running device is so constituted that the individual rolls rotate by themselves, provision is made of electric motors for the rolls to rotate them, and their rotational motions are transmitted to the rolls by pulley-belt mechanisms.  
           [0008]    This, however, is accompanied by many problems such as noise due to the pulley-belt mechanisms, dispersion in the rotational speed due to slipping causing a change in the tension of the running film and developing wrinkles.  
           [0009]    Further, large space is required for arranging the electric motors and rotation transmission mechanisms, the number of parts increases, the device as a whole becomes bulky occupying increased areas and space, and requiring cumbersome maintenance.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention is to provide a film running device which enables the film to run stably, features a decrease in the size of the device as a whole, simplicity and easy maintenance avoiding the above inconvenience.  
           [0011]    The present invention is concerned with a film running device for running a long film delivered from a delivery roll, wherein a rotary shaft of the delivery roll is a drive rotor which incorporates an outer rotor-type electric motor therein, and the drive rotor is rotated by the motor.  
           [0012]    The invention is further concerned with a film running device for running a long film delivered from a delivery roll so as to be taken up by a take-up roll, wherein a rotary shaft of the take-up roll is a drive rotor which incorporates an outer rotor-type electric motor therein, and the drive rotor is rotated by the motor.  
           [0013]    The invention is further concerned with a film running device in which a region where a long film runs at a different speed is arranged via a feed roll on a passage along which the long film runs, wherein the feed roll is a drive rotor which incorporates an outer rotor-type electric motor therein, and the drive rotor is rotated by the motor.  
           [0014]    The invention is further concerned with a film running device in which a pinch roll is disposed on a passage along which a long film runs, wherein the pinch roll is a drive rotor which incorporates an outer rotor-type electric motor therein, and the drive rotor is rotated by the motor.  
           [0015]    The invention is further concerned with a film running device for running a long film delivered from a delivery roll so as to be taken up by a take-up roll, and including a touch roll so disposed as to come into rotational contact with the film taken up by the take-up roll, wherein the touch roll is a drive rotor which incorporates an outer rotor-type electric motor therein, and the drive rotor is rotated by the motor.  
           [0016]    According to the film running device of the present invention, the motor is controlled by controlling the frequency to control the rotational speed of the drive rotor in order to bring the circumferential speed of the delivery roll, circumferential speed of the take-up roll or circumferential speed of the feed roll, pinch roll or touch roll into nearly agreement with the predetermined film running speed.  
           [0017]    As described above, the present invention deals with a film running device having at least any one of a delivery roll for delivering the film, a take-up roll, a feed roll, a pinch roll or a touch roll, wherein the drive rotor of these rolls is rotated by an electric motor incorporated therein, avoiding a structure in which a motor is arranged at a position separate from the roll and the rotational motion thereof is transmitted via a rotation transmission mechanism.  
           [0018]    The rotational speed of the roll is controlled by controlling the drive motor relying upon the frequency, so that the rotation of the roll is brought into agreement with the film running speed at all times to stably run the film. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the constitution of a film running device according to the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically illustrating the constitution of a drive rotor in the film running device according to the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically illustrating a roll for delivering or taking up a long film in the film running device according to the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the constitution of a control circuit device in the device of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the control circuit device in the device of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the control circuit device in the device of the present invention; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the constitution of the control circuit device in the device of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    The film running device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a form of executing various production line works by running various long films such as resin films or metal films which are base films in the production of, for example, magnetic recording media, photographic films, film capacitors and collector films in the secondary cells, and applying a magnetic coating material, evaporating a metal magnetic material, effecting the sputtering, calender treatment, heat treatment, forming a surface protection layer, forming a back layer, applying a photographic emulsion, depositing an electrode layer, and applying an activated depolarizing mix for cell of an electrode-constituting agent.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating the constitution of a film running device according to an embodiment of the present invention to which only, however, the invention is in no way limited.  
         [0028]    In a step of producing a magnetic recording medium according to this embodiment, a long film  1  constituting a magnetic recording medium having, for example, a magnetic coating material formed on a nonmagnetic film such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, is delivered from a delivery roll  2  on which the long film  1  is wound and runs toward a take-up roll  3  being guided by a plurality of guide rollers  4 .  
         [0029]    The delivery roll  2  and the take-up roll  3  have rotary shafts that are constituted by drive rotors R 1  and R 2 .  
         [0030]    On a passage along which the long film  1  runs, a treating unit  5  is provided to execute various treatments such as calender treatment for the long film  1  to produce the magnetic recording medium.  
         [0031]    The treating unit  5  has a pair of elastic rolls  15  that come into rotational contact with, for example, a metal roll  14 , and the long film  1  runs passing through the metal roll  14  and the elastic rolls  15  being pressed thereby so as to be calender-treated.  
         [0032]    In a running portion between, for example, the treating unit  5  and the take-up roll  3 , there are provided a drive rotor R 3  constituting a so-called feed roll  6  which execute the so-called connection cutting of tension of the long film  1  and a drive rotor R 4  constituting a pinch roll  7  that comes into rotational contact therewith to nip the long film  1 .  
         [0033]    On the subsequent stage of the drive rotor R 3  which is the feed roll, there are provided a pair of guide rolls  4  and a tension-adjusting roll  8  between them.  
         [0034]    Further, a so-called touch roll  9 , i.e., a drive rotor R 5  that constitutes the touch roll  9  is provided to come into rotational contact with the take-up peripheral surface of the take-up roll  3 , so that the long film  1  is taken up by the take-up roll  3  under a predetermined take-up pressure without developing slackness.  
         [0035]    In the film running device, the drive rotors R (R 1  to R 5 ) are rotated by outer rotor type motors incorporated therein, and their rotational speeds are controlled by controlling the frequency so as to come into agreement with the film running speed.  
         [0036]    Referring to FIG. 2 which is a sectional view schematically illustrating the constitution, each of the drive rotors R (R 1  to R 5 ) is constituted by a cylinder  20  having a fixed shaft  21  along the center axis thereof.  
         [0037]    Rotary bearings  22 ,  23  and  24  which are ball bearings, for example, are provided between the cylinder  20  and the fixed shaft  21  at both ends and, as required, at an intermediate portion thereof, enabling the cylinder  20  to rotate about the fixed shaft  21 .  
         [0038]    Outer rotor-type electric motors  25 M ( 25 M 1  to  25 M 5 ) are disposed on the fixed shafts  21  of the drive rotors R (R 1  to R 5 ). That is, a stator or a coil  26  of the motor  25 M is secured onto the fixed shaft  21 , and a rotor or a magnet  27  along the outer circumference thereof is secured to the cylinder  20 .  
         [0039]    The coil terminals of the motor  25 M in the drive rotor R are connected to the inner ends of a power cable  28  that is guided from an end of the cylinder  20  running through a hole perforated in the fixed shaft  21  in the axial direction thereof. The outer end of the power cable  28  is electrically connected to a power cable connector  29   c  ( 29   c   1  to  29   c   5 ).  
         [0040]    The fixed shaft  21  of the drive rotor R (R 1  to R 5 ) is provided with a pulse generator  30 PG ( 30 PG 1  to  30 PG 5 ) to generate pulses in a required number depending upon the rotation of the cylinder  20 . The pulse generator  30 PG is a known one placed in the market, and has, for example, a source of light and a light detector element, and shuts off light and transmits light depending upon the rotation of the cylinder  20 , so that electric signals of a required frequency are picked up from the light detector element. The pulse generator  30 PG is guided to an external unit through a cable (PG cable)  31  guided along the fixed shaft  21  and is connected to a PG cable connector  32   c  ( 32   c   1  to  32   c   5 ).  
         [0041]    As required, further, a gas introduction port  37  is formed at one end of the cylinder  20  to introduce the external air or the cooling gas into the cylinder  20 , and a gas outlet port  38  is formed at the other end, so that heat generated by the motor  25 M and the pulse generator  30 PG can be radiated.  
         [0042]    Referring to FIG. 3 which schematically illustrates the constitution, the roll  2  or  3  for delivering or taking up the long film  1  is detachably attached to the drive rotor R 1  or R 2 , and rotates, in its mounted state, together with the drive rotor R 1  or R 2  constituting a chucking mechanism.  
         [0043]    For example, the drive rotor R 1  or R 2  is chucked on at least the one end of the delivery roll  2  or the take-up roll  3 . The drive rotors R 1  and R 2  incorporate outer rotor-type motors  25 M 1  and  25 M 2  in a manner as described with reference to FIG. 2, and include pulse generators  30 PG 1  and  30 PG 2 .  
         [0044]    Here, the drive rotor R of a similar constitution may be chucked on the ends on the other side of the delivery roll  2  and the take-up roll  3 . Here, however, rotary shafts that freely rotate without rotary drive function may be fitted to the ends on the other side.  
         [0045]    There are provided chucking mechanisms  36  for detachably and rotatably coupling the delivery roll  2  and the take-up roll  3 , the rotary drive shaft R provided for at least either one of them, and the freely rotating shaft.  
         [0046]    The chucking mechanism  36  may be constituted by spline shafts  34  provided at the ends of the drive rotor R or of the rotary shaft at both ends of the delivery roll  2  or of the take-up roll  3 , and bosses  35  that fit to the spline shafts  34  at both ends of the delivery roll  2  or of the take-up roll  3 .  
         [0047]    In the constitution of FIG. 1, some or all guide rolls  4  may incorporate the outer rotor-type motor as explained with reference to FIG. 2.  
         [0048]    According to the present invention as described above, the delivery roll  2 , take-up roll  3 , feed roll  6 , pinch roll  7 , touch roll  9  and, depending upon the cases, guide rolls  4  have drive motors  25 M incorporated in the drive rotors R thereof, and the drive rotors R are directly rotated by the motors  25 M, avoiding slipping, vibration and increased space for arrangement that are inherent in the rotation transmission mechanism in which motors are arranged separately from the rotary members to drive them, i.e., that are inherent in the rotation transmission mechanism in which the rotary members are rotated relying upon the belt-pulley mechanisms.  
         [0049]    In the present invention, in particular, a control circuit device is provided for controlling the rotational speed of the drive rotor R by controlling the frequency so as to be brought into agreement with the desired running speed of the long film  1 .  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 4 is a view schematically illustrating the constitution of the control circuit device  300 , and FIG. 5 is a control flowchart thereof. The invention, however, is in no way limited thereto only.  
         [0051]    For simplicity, FIGS. 4 and 5 representatively illustrate three drive rotors R 1 , R 2  and R 3 , i.e., delivery roll  2 , take-up roll  3  and feed roll  6 . By using this control circuit device, however, it is allowable to control many drive rotors R, e.g., fourteen drive rotors R.  
         [0052]    The control circuit device  300  includes a controller (CPU)  100 , an analog input device (analog input module)  80 , first to third drive amplifiers  61  to  63  for driving the motors  25 M of the drive rotors R, and encoder signal converters  71  to  73 .  
         [0053]    Except the motors  25 M and the drive rotors R, the circuitries may be those placed in the market.  
         [0054]    Outputs of the first to third amplifiers  61  to  63  are fed to power cable connectors  29   c   1  to  29   c   3  of the motors  25 M 1  to  25 M 3  through power cables  41  to  43 .  
         [0055]    The encoder signal converters  71  to  73  are connected to the PG cable connectors  32   c   1  to  32   c   3  of the drive rotors R 1  to R 3  through the PG cables  51  to  53 .  
         [0056]    The controller  100 , analog input device and amplifiers  61  to  63  are connected together through a communication cable LC, and the encoder signal converters  71  to  73  and the corresponding amplifiers  61  to  63  are connected together through connection cables  91  to  93 .  
         [0057]    The operation of the control circuit device  300  will now be described with reference to FIG. 5 wherein the portions corresponding to those of FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals but their description is not repeated.  
         [0058]    The operation instruction, stop instruction and speed adjustment instruction are issued from the controller  100  of FIG. 4. In case an abnormally occurs, an abnormal signal detecting this fact is transmitted from the controller  100  to the host controller  200 , then, host controller  200  issues predetermined operation instruction such as on/off instruction or emergency stop.  
         [0059]    Thus, a so-called multi-axis control is executed in which an operation instruction issued from the controller  100  and data signals representing the contents of instructions such as speed instructions as a result of operating changes in the outer diameter caused by the running of the long film  1  in relation to the delivery roll  2  and take-up roll  3 , are transmitted to their respective addresses of the first to third drive amplifiers  61  to  63  through the communication cable LC. Accordingly, the motors  25 M 1  to  25 M 3  of the drive rotors R 1  to R 3  are driven by the outputs of the drive amplifiers  61  to  63 , and the drive rotors R 1  to R 3  are rotated.  
         [0060]    When the operator wishes to suitably set reference speeds of the drive rotors R 1  to R 3 , he sets desired numerical data as reference speeds through the analog input device  80 .  
         [0061]    Then, the numerical data that are input are fed to the controller  100  and are, then, sent, through the communication cable LC to the first to third drive amplifiers  61  to  63  to drive the drive rotors R 1  to R 3 .  
         [0062]    As described above, predetermined signal data are sent to execute desired operation.  
         [0063]    The rotational speeds or the rotational peripheral speeds from the pulse generators  30 PG 1  to  30 PG 3  provided in the drive rotors R 1  to R 3 , i.e., detection pulse signals based on the rotational speeds of the motors  25 M 1  to  25 M 3 , are input to the first to third encoder signal converters  71  to  73  and are converted, usually, through commercially available amplifiers into signals that are adapted as inputs to the first to third drive amplifiers  61  to  63 , and are input to the first to third drive amplifiers  61  to  63 .  
         [0064]    The outputs from the first to third drive amplifiers  61  to  63  are fed back as, for exmaple, abnormal signals and are transmitted to the controller  100 .  
         [0065]    Thus, the drive rotors R 1  to R 3  can be controlled to rotate at desired speeds.  
         [0066]    [0066]FIGS. 4 and 5 have illustrated the case of driving three drive rotors R 1  to R 3 , i.e., delivery roll  2  for feeding the long film  1 , take-up roll  3 , and feed roll  6 . When the drive rotors R 4  and R 5  of the pinch roll  7  and touch roll  9  are to be driven or when the guide rolls  4 , too, are to be driven in addition to those described above, the drive amplifiers and encoder converters may be connected to the controller  100  through the cable LC to realize four-stage or more-stage constitution. Or, conversely, only one or more of these drive members may be controlled.  
         [0067]    In the above-mentioned constitution, further, the controller  100  may be provided with a graphic panel GP to make it possible to visually monitor the rotational speeds of the drive rotors R, to set the draw and to display abnormal condition, so that the setpoint value can be quickly transmitted to the controller  100  and that manual operation signals can be transmitted.  
         [0068]    That is, the plural drive rotors R can be separately operated, and a difference in the speed of the drive rotors R can be set by setting the draw in operating the line. In operating the line, however, it is desired that the speed that serves as a reference is given from the analog input module as described above.  
         [0069]    As a control circuit device for the drive rotor R, a commercially available inverter  400  may be used as shown in, for example, FIG. 6.  
         [0070]    In this case, a pulse generator may or may not be used.  
         [0071]    Referring, for example, to FIG. 7, the inverter  400  includes a converter  401  and an inverter  402 , inputs an alternating current from an AC power source S which may be a commercial power source of 50 Hz or 60 Hz, controls the inverter  402  by a voltage-frequency instruction signal based on a preset speed of the drive rotor R, produces an output of which the voltage and frequency are controlled, and controls the motor  25 M of the drive rotor R, i.e., controls the rotational speed by controlling the frequency.  
         [0072]    [0072]FIG. 1 has dealt with the case where the long film  1  was a magnetic recording medium and the treating unit  5  has executed the calender treatment. Not being limited to the case of executing the calender treatment, however, the film running device can be used for forming, for example, magnetic layer, i.e., for applying a magnetic coating material, evaporating a metal magnetic material, for effecting the sputtering, for forming a surface layer, a protection layer, a back layer, or for executing the drying. Not being limited to the production of magnetic recording medium, further, the running device of the invention can be used for executing various works such as applying a photographic emulsion, depositing an electrode layer or applying an activated depolarizing mix for cell of the electrode-constituting agent in the step of producing, for example, photographic films, film capacitors, collector films of film electrodes in the secondary cells and the like.  
         [0073]    As described above, the present invention deals with a film running device having at least any one of a delivery roll for delivering the film, a take-up roll, a feed roll, a pinch roll or a touch roll, wherein the drive rotor which is the roll is rotated by an electric motor incorporated therein, avoiding a structure in which a motor is arranged at a position separate from the roll and the rotational motion thereof is transmitted via a rotation transmission mechanism. This saves space for providing motors and rotation transmission mechanisms, makes it easy to design the facilities and installation thereof, to decrease the number of parts, to eliminate vibration and slipping caused by the rotation transmission mechanism and, hence, to accomplish stable drive.  
         [0074]    Besides, the rotation of the drive rotors such as delivery roll, take-up roll, feed roll, pinch roll and touch roll are controlled by controlling the frequency, and the long film is brought into agreement with the running speeds that are suitably set in each of the operation regions. Accordingly, the long film is not damaged and can be stably worked at optimum speeds in each of the working portions.  
         [0075]    The frequency can be easily controlled by using a commercially available inverter, and the device can be simply constructed and produced at a reduced cost, offering a great industrial effect.