Patent ID: 8460490

Claim:
A method of producing a roll of a continuous web of an optical film laminate with predefined slit lines adapted for use in a system for sequentially manufacturing liquid-crystal display elements by laminating optically functional film sheets to respective ones of liquid-crystal panels, said optically functional film sheet being formed to have a predefined dimension corresponding to a dimension of the liquid-crystal panel of a predefined size, the method comprising steps of: (a) laminating a continuous web of a protective film on at least one of the opposite surfaces of a continuous web of a polarizer film to form a continuous web of an optically functional film; (b) inspecting surfaces and inside of the optically functional film to detect position of any defect existing in the optically functional film; (c) releasably laminating a continuous web of a carrier film on the continuous web of the optically functional film through an adhesive layer to form a continuous web of the optical film laminate; (d) sequentially forming slit lines in a transverse direction of said optical film laminate at a side opposite to said carrier film to a depth reaching a surface of said carrier film adjacent to said adhesive layer, to form at least one defect-free normal sheet having no defect and at least one defective sheet having at least one defect on the carrier film, the at least one defect-free normal sheet and the at least one defective sheet being defined between two longitudinally adjacent one of predefined slit lines and having the predefined dimension; (e) generating identification means to allow identifying said at least one defect-free normal sheet and said at least one defect-containing sheet in the system for sequentially manufacturing liquid-crystal display elements based on a position of defect detected by said preliminary inspection; and (f) winding a produced continuous web of an optical film laminate with predefined slit lines into a roll.