TW202446698A - Thin sheet forming device and thin sheet forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

A casting machine 100 includes a cast roller R1 and a touch roller R2 arranged side by side; a plurality of conveying rollers 11 for conveying a sheet S; a guide rod 20 for adhering the sheet S by being in contact with the front end surface of the sheet S in molten state discharged from a T-die 103; and a guide driving mechanism 30 for moving the guide rod 20 to move by having the adhered sheet S passing through a roll interval between the cast roller R1 and the touch roller R2 and winding around the plurality of conveying rollers 11.

Description

Thin sheet forming device and thin sheet forming method

The present invention relates to a contact roller type sheet forming device and a sheet forming method.

In the past, a device for passing a film between a plurality of conveying rollers has been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-1855). The film passing device of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-1855 comprises: a plurality of guide members, which are respectively arranged in areas away from the two ends of the conveying roller relative to the conveying area for conveying the film, and the linear guide member moves along the conveying path of the film; and a fixing part, which is respectively arranged on the linear guide member and is used to connect the wire for threading to the linear guide member.

In the film passing device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-1855, it is necessary to connect the wire passing through a plurality of conveying rollers to the film to be conveyed. In addition, in such a film passing device, after the film and the wire are connected, the wire is pulled from the device outlet side and the product film is passed through a plurality of rollers. This operation is usually performed manually.

On the other hand, in the manufacture of film, the resin material melt-kneaded by the extruder is formed into a sheet through a T-die, and the formed sheet is then transported and stretched to manufacture the film. Since the sheet needs to be formed by the T-die at a high temperature, there is a need to avoid manual operation of the film passing through the device as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-1855 when transporting the sheet formed by the T-die.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for automatically transporting a sheet ejected from a T-die in a contact roll type sheet forming process.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a sheet forming device comprises: a first roller and a second roller, which are arranged side by side with a specified roller gap between them; a transfer roller, which is used to transfer the sheet that has passed through the roller gap between the first roller and the second roller; a guide part, which has a non-flexible component and is connected to the sheet by contacting the front end of the molten sheet ejected from the T-die; and a guide driving mechanism, which moves the guide part in such a way that the subsequent sheet passes through the roller gap between the first roller and the second roller and is hung on the transfer roller.

In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, a contact roller type sheet forming method includes the following steps: connecting the front end of the molten sheet ejected from the T-die by contacting the non-flexible member of the guide part; and moving the guide part by hanging the connected sheet on a transport roller, thereby guiding the sheet into the transport path.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 12 , a sheet forming device and a film manufacturing device 1000 having the sheet forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, for the convenience of explanation, the scales of the structures in the drawings are appropriately changed and may not be exactly as shown in the drawings. In addition, for multiple identical structures, only a part is given a symbol, and the symbols are omitted for the other parts.

The film manufacturing device 1000 is, for example, a device for manufacturing PMMA stretched film products. As shown in FIG1 , the film manufacturing device 1000 includes: a raw material supply device 101, an extruder 102, a T-die 103, a casting machine 100 as a sheet forming device, and a winder 104. Since the raw material supply device 101, the extruder 102, the T-die 103, and the winder 104 can respectively adopt known structures, detailed illustrations and descriptions are omitted, and a brief description is given below.

The raw material supply device 101 supplies raw materials (such as resin and plastic material) for film products and supplies the supplied raw materials to the extruder 102.

The extruder 102 melt-kneads the raw materials supplied from the raw material supply device 101 and supplies the raw materials to the T-die 103. The extruder 102 may be, for example, a single-screw extruder having one screw. Alternatively, the extruder 102 may be a double-screw kneading extruder.

The T-die 103 forms the molten material into a sheet (ribbon) by discharging the molten material supplied by the extruder 102 from the slot 103a (see FIG. 2 ). Hereinafter, the material formed into a sheet is simply referred to as "sheet S". The T-die 103 continuously discharges the sheet S in the longitudinal direction.

The casting machine 100 cools and hardens the thin sheets S continuously ejected from the T-die 103 . The structure of the casting machine 100 will be described in detail later. The thin sheets S cooled and hardened by the casting machine 100 are guided to the coiler 104 .

The coiler 104 coils up the sheet S conveyed by the casting machine 100 .

The specific structure of the casting machine 100 is described below. Hereinafter, the direction of conveying the sheet S is also referred to as the "conveying direction", the direction defining the thickness of the sheet S is referred to as the "thickness direction", and the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the thickness direction is referred to as the "left-right direction". The conveying direction is equivalent to the long side direction of the sheet S and is equivalent to the longitudinal direction mentioned above. The left-right direction is the direction that defines the sheet surface of the sheet S together with the conveying direction, and the width direction of the sheet S is equivalent to the transverse direction.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the casting machine 100 comprises: a casting roller R1 (first roller) and a contact roller R2 (second roller), which are arranged in parallel with each other with a specified roller gap between them; a transport device 10 having a plurality of transport rollers 11 for transporting a sheet S, and the sheet S passes through the roller gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2; a stand 5 for supporting the casting roller R1, The contact roller R2 and the plurality of transport rollers 11 of the transport device 10 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "roller group"); the platform moving mechanism 7, which moves the platform 5 in the horizontal direction; the advance and retreat mechanism 8, which makes the contact roller R2 advance or retreat relative to the casting roller R1; and the control device 80, which controls the operation of each structure of the casting machine 100 (refer to Figure 3). In addition, in Figures 2, 4, 8 to 11, for the convenience of explanation, only a single transport roller 11 is shown.

The casting machine 100 has two cooling rolls, namely a casting roll R1 and a contact roll R2. The sheet S is supplied between the casting roll R1 and the contact roll R2 and cooled. This is a so-called contact roll type.

The casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 are arranged such that their central axes extend in the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2 ). The width of the portions of the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 contacting the sheet S in the left-right direction is formed to be at least larger than the width of the sheet S.

The casting roller R1 cools the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 and transfers the sheet S to the plurality of transfer rollers 11 of the transfer device 10 .

The contact roller R2 is formed in the same shape as the casting roller R1. The contact roller R2 pushes the sheet S toward the casting roller R1 and rotates with the rotation of the casting roller R1. The contact roller R2 is configured to be able to move forward or backward relative to the casting roller R1. The contact roller R2 is driven in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2 ) by the advancing and retreating mechanism 8 to press the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 toward the casting roller R1. In this way, the sheet S is sandwiched between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2.

Specifically, the contact roller R2 is mounted on the platform 5 via a linear motion-guiding slider mechanism 6 in such a manner that it can move forward or backward relative to the casting roller R1. The size of the roller gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 is adjusted by moving the contact roller R2 forward or backward relative to the casting roller R1.

The stand 5 is configured to be movable in parallel (horizontally) with respect to the installation surface (ground) of the casting machine 100. For example, the stand 5 is mounted on the installation surface via a slide block (not shown). Roller groups are provided on the stand 5 via support platforms 5a.

Although not shown in the figure, a primary recovery device for recovering the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 is installed on the frame 5. The primary recovery device is, for example, a roller conveyor, which carries out and recovers the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 to the outside of the casting machine 100. The primary recovery device moves together with the frame 5 by the frame moving mechanism 7. In addition, the primary recovery device is not limited to the roller conveyor, and can be any structure.

Since the stage moving mechanism 7 can utilize a known structure, a detailed description is omitted. For example, it is a linear motion mechanism, and the aforementioned linear motion mechanism has an electric motor 7a and a ball screw mechanism 7b driven by the electric motor 7a.

Since the advance and retreat mechanism 8 can utilize a known structure, a detailed description is omitted. For example, it is a linear motion mechanism having a two-way pump 8b and a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 8c. The aforementioned two-way pump 8b is driven by an electric motor 8a, and the aforementioned hydraulic cylinder 8c advances or retreats by the operating oil (operating fluid) discharged from the two-way pump 8b.

The control device 80 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU (central processing unit), a ROM (read-only memory), a RAM (random access memory), and an I/O interface (input-output interface). The RAM stores data processed by the CPU, the ROM stores the control program of the CPU in advance, and the I/O interface is used to input or output information of the connected machine. In order to at least implement the control related to the present embodiment or the variant, the control device 80 is programmed to implement the necessary processing. In addition, the control device 80 can be configured as a single device, or it can be configured to be divided into a plurality of devices, and each control is processed in a distributed manner by the plurality of devices.

As shown in Fig. 3, the control device 80 controls the operation of each structure of the casting machine 100 to implement the following method of transporting and forming the sheet S. In addition, the control device 80 is not limited to being set exclusively for the casting machine 100, but can also be used in common with other devices of the film manufacturing device 1000.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the transport device 10 is configured to be installed on the platform 5 and to move together with the platform 5. The transport device 10 includes: a plurality of transport rollers 11; a guide rod 20 as a guide portion that contacts the front end of the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 and then contacts the sheet S; a guide drive mechanism 30 that moves the guide rod 20; and a cutting mechanism 40 that cuts the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 at the front and rear of the long side direction.

The plurality of transport rollers 11 are arranged on the downstream side relative to the casting roller R1 in the transport direction, and transport the sheet S transported by the casting roller R1 further downstream. The plurality of transport rollers 11 form a transport path for transporting the sheet S downstream. The width of the portion of the plurality of transport rollers 11 contacting the sheet S is formed to be at least larger than the width of the sheet S. The plurality of transport rollers 11 are driven to rotate around the center axis in a specified direction and speed by a drive source such as an electric motor (not shown). The center axis of the plurality of transport rollers 11 is respectively set to be parallel to the center axis of the casting roller R1. In addition, the conveying device 10 is not limited to the form having a plurality of conveying rollers 11, and only needs to have at least one conveying roller 11. In this case, a conveying path for conveying the sheet S downstream is formed by a single conveying roller 11.

Although not shown in the figure, a pressure roller may be provided in the transport device 10. The pressure roller clamps the sheet S together with the casting roller R1 or the transport roller 11 and pushes the sheet S toward the casting roller R1 or the transport roller 11. By providing the pressure roller, the driving force generated by the casting roller R1 or the transport roller 11 effectively acts on the sheet S. In addition, one or more free rollers around which the transported sheet S is hung may be provided between the transport rollers. The free roller is not driven by a motor or the like, but is driven to rotate as the sheet S hung thereon is transported.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the guide rod 20 is a rod-shaped member (shaft member) having: a rod portion 21 which is a non-flexible member formed of metal and has no flexibility; and a connecting film portion 26 which is a connecting portion provided on the outer periphery of the rod portion 21 .

The rod 21 has a circular cross section, and the outer diameter is substantially uniform along the longitudinal direction. The rod 21 has a connecting rod structure in which a first connecting rod member 22, a second connecting rod member 23, a third connecting rod member 24, and a fourth connecting rod member 25 are rotatably connected in a straight line in this order.

Specifically, one end of the second connecting rod member 23 is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod member 22. One end of the third connecting rod member 24 is rotatably connected to the other end of the second connecting rod member 23, and one end of the fourth connecting rod member 25 is connected to the other end of the third connecting rod member 24. The other end of the first connecting rod member 22 on the opposite side to the end connected to the second connecting rod member 23 and the other end of the fourth connecting rod member 25 on the opposite side to the end connected to the third connecting rod member 24 are respectively supported by a bracket 31 of a guide drive mechanism 30 described later. By having the link structure in this manner, the rod portion 21 is configured to be deformable between a rod shape ( FIG. 4( a ) ) and a bent shape ( FIG. 4( b ) ) bent from the rod shape.

The connecting film portion 26 is a film-like (sheet-like) member wound around the outer periphery of the rod portion 21. The connecting film portion 26 is preferably wound around the rod portion 21 across the entire periphery with a length greater than or equal to the width of the sheet S in the left-right direction. In addition, the connecting film portion 26 is formed of the same material as the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103. Thereby, when the molten sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 contacts the connecting film portion 26, the connecting film portion 26 can be well connected. In addition, although the connecting film portion 26 is not limited to the same material as the sheet S, it is desirable to be a material (resin) having a glass transition point less than or equal to the glass transition point of the sheet S. Thereby, a part of the connecting film portion 26 is melted by contacting the molten sheet S, so that the sheet S and the connecting film portion 26 can be well bonded.

The guide drive mechanism 30 is installed on the stage 5 and moves along with the movement of the stage 5. The guide drive mechanism 30 includes a pair of brackets 31 ( FIG. 4 ) that hold the guide rods 20 and a bracket moving mechanism 35 ( FIG. 2 ) that moves the brackets 31.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 , the carriage moving mechanism 35 includes: a pair of chains 36 formed endlessly and constituting a circulating path, a sprocket 37 engaged with the chain 36 and driving the chain 36 in a circulating manner, and an electric motor 38 driving the sprocket 37 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the pair of chains 36 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction of the sheet S, and are symmetrically arranged in the left-right direction of the sheet S. Specifically, the left chain 36 is located further to the left than the left end of the sheet S being transported, and the right chain 36 is located further to the right than the right end of the sheet S. In other words, the pair of chains 36 are arranged further to the left-right direction outside than both ends of the sheet S in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG2 , a pair of chains 36 form a loop path, and the loop path includes a path along the transport path of the sheet S. The loop path of the chain 36 is configured such that the sheet S passes between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 in a state where the contact roller R2 is far away from the casting roller R1 (the state shown in FIG2 ), and thereafter, the sheet S is hung on the transport roller 11 along the transport path formed by the transport roller 11. The loop path of the chain 36 is configured such that the guide rod 20 passing through the roller gap does not contact the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2. In addition, the circulation path of the chain 36 is configured such that the guide rod 20 moving on the circulation path passes through a position closer to the upper side of the contact roller R2 (for example, near the center between the contact roller R2 and the T-die 103 in the vertical direction) within the range where the guide rod 20 does not contact the contact roller R2. In this way, the sheet S pulled by the guide rod 20 can be cooled by the contact roller R2. The chain 36 is driven in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow in the figure.

A pair of chains 36 are respectively engaged with sprockets 37, and the sprockets 37 are driven by electric motors 38 to generate a driving force for circulating the chain 36 engaged with the sprockets 37. A plurality of sprockets 37 are provided to move the chain 36 along a specified circulation path. In other words, the chain 36 is hung around a plurality of sprockets 37 to form a specified circulation path, and the aforementioned circulation path includes a path along the conveying path of the sheet S. Therefore, although not shown in the figure, a sprocket 37 is provided at a position corresponding to the conveying roller 11 so that a part of the circulation path of the chain 36 is along the conveying path of the sheet S by the conveying roller 11 .

Among the plurality of sprockets 37 , the driving force generated by the electric motor 38 may be transmitted to all of the sprockets 37 , or the driving force of the electric motor 38 may be transmitted to only a portion of the sprockets 37 , and the remaining portion may rotate drivenly along with the drive of the chain 36 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , a pair of brackets 31 are respectively provided on the left and right chains 36 in a manner of being arranged in a left-right manner. The pair of brackets 31 have holding holes 31a that are respectively opened toward the inner side in the left-right direction (toward the bracket 31 on the opposite side). The diameter (maximum width) of the holding hole 31a is formed to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the guide rod 20. Thereby, the end portion (the first link member 22, the fourth link member 25) of the guide rod 20 is inserted (pressed) into the holding hole 31a in a manner of having interference fits, so that the guide rod 20 is held in the holding hole 31a.

When the guide rod 20 is mounted on the bracket 31, the second link member 23 and the third link member 24 are rotated, and the guide rod 20 is bent (Fig. 4(b)), so that one of the first link member 22 and the fourth link member 25 is inserted into the holding hole 31a of the bracket 31. And, while the second link member 23 and the third link member 24 are rotated so as to form a rod shape, the other of the first link member 22 and the fourth link member 25 is inserted into the holding hole 31a of the bracket 31. Thereby, the guide rod 20 is formed into a rod shape that spans the left and right links 36 and extends in a straight line, and both ends are held by the bracket 31 (Fig. 4(a)).

On the contrary, when the guide rod 20 is rotated to bend the second link member 23 and the third link member 24 from the rod shape with both ends held by the bracket 31 to present a bent shape, the first link member 22 and the fourth link member 25 are pulled toward the center in the left-right direction in a manner of being pulled out from the bracket 31. Thereby, the guide rod 20 can be easily removed from the bracket 31.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the cutting mechanism 40 includes a cutter 41 for cutting the sheet S and a cutter driving mechanism 45 for driving the cutter 41 .

The cutter 41 is mounted on the base 42 and is a plate-shaped member. The material of the cutter 41 can be metal, resin, wood, bamboo, etc., as long as it can withstand the temperature of the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 without being damaged. In addition, the cutter 41 is not limited to a plate shape, and can be any shape. For example, the cutter 41 can also be a rod-shaped member with a circular cross section.

The cutter drive mechanism 45 causes the cutter 41 to cross in the left-right direction across the sheet S. Thus, the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 and contacting the cutter 41 is cut by the cutter 41 in the front and back of the long side direction. Since the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 is softened due to the high temperature, it can be easily cut by causing the cutter 41 to cross in the left-right direction. The cutting method of the sheet S will be described in detail later.

Since the cutter drive mechanism 45 can adopt a known structure as long as it has an actuator that can move the cutter 41 in a spanning manner in the left and right directions across the sheet S, detailed illustrations and descriptions are omitted. For example, a linear motion mechanism (slider mechanism) that combines an electric motor (servo motor) and a ball screw mechanism can be used. In addition, although the cutter drive mechanism 45 can also have a structure of an electric motor and a belt mechanism, or a structure of an air cylinder, in order to implement the cutting method described later with high precision, it is desired to have a structure that can control the position of the cutter 41. The position of the cutter 41 can be position-controlled or speed-controlled by a servo motor, and can also be sensed by various sensors. In addition, the cutter drive mechanism 45 may also be configured to move the cutter 41 in the vertical direction. Thereby, when the casting machine 100 is not in operation or in preparation, the cutter 41 can be retracted to a position that does not hinder the operation.

Furthermore, at the exit portion of the transport path formed by the transport roller 11, a separation mechanism 60 for separating the guide rod 20 from the bracket 31 and a recovery device 70 (secondary recovery device) for recovering the sheet S are provided.

The separation mechanism 60 cuts the sheet S guided to the recovery device 70 and separates the guide rod 20 from the sheet S. The separation mechanism 60 includes: a separation cutter 61 that cuts the sheet S connected to the guide rod 20; and a separation cutter drive unit 62 that moves the separation cutter 61 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The separation cutter drive unit 62 is composed of a two-axis actuator that moves the separation cutter 61 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. Since the structure of each actuator can adopt a known structure, detailed illustrations and descriptions are omitted.

The recovery device 70 recovers the sheet S separated from the guide rod 20. The recovery device 70 is, for example, a winder that winds the sheet S on a bobbin. After the sheet S transported to the exit has stable properties, the sheet S is not recovered by the recovery device 70 but is transported by another transport device (not shown) and supplied to the winder 104 (see FIG. 1 ).

Next, the sheet forming method of this embodiment is described.

Before the sheet S is formed, as shown in FIG2 , the casting roller R1 is in a position retreated from directly below the T-die 103. In addition, the contact roller R2 is in a retreated position where the distance from the casting roller R1 is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the guide rod 20. In addition, the guide rod 20 is on standby at a position further to the rear of the circulation path from directly above the contact roller R2 to directly below the T-die 103 (hereinafter referred to as the "standby position"). In this state, the primary recovery device (not shown) is located directly below the T-die 103, and the sheet S is ejected downward from the T-die 103 and recovered by the primary recovery device.

After the properties of the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 are stabilized, the operator operates the action start button or the like and inputs a start signal to the control device 80. Thereby, the cutter 41 is moved by the cutter drive mechanism 45 of the cutter mechanism 40 to cut the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103.

The following is a detailed description of the method for cutting the sheet S in the present embodiment with reference to Figures 5 to 7. The control device 80 is programmed to implement the following cutting method, and controls the operation of the cutter drive mechanism 45 according to the program.

In the state before the start of cutting shown in FIG. 5 (a), the cutter 41 is on standby at a standby position on one side of the sheet S in the left-right direction (the left side in FIG. 5 (a)). After the start signal is input into the control device 80, the cutter 41 moves along the left-right direction toward the other side of the sheet S (the right side in FIG. 5 (a)). Specifically, the cutter 41 moves to a designated position (hereinafter referred to as the "cutting position") of the sheet S before it is separated as a whole in the transverse width direction (left-right direction) and at the front and rear in the long side direction (in other words, a part of the sheet S in the width direction is not cut and is still connected at the front and rear in the long side direction) (refer to FIG. 5 (b)). The sheet S is cut by contacting the cutter 41 moving in this manner.

After the cutter 41 moves to the cutting position, the cutter 41 moves in a manner of reversing the moving direction and returning to the standby position again, and retreating from the sheet S. In other words, the cutter 41 moves in a manner of reciprocating between the standby position (refer to (a) of FIG. 5 ) and the cutting position (refer to (b) of FIG. 5 ). As a result, as shown in (c) of FIG. 5 , the sheet S is in a connected state in which a portion of the width direction is not cut. The connected portion C that is not cut and still remains is extended in the vertical direction by the self-weight of the sheet S at the cut front side (the downstream side of the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103), and is finally cut. In this way, the sheet S is separated in the long side direction across the entire width direction. In other words, the cutting position at which the cutter 41 retreats from the sheet S is set so that the remaining connection portion C can be cut by the self-weight of the front sheet S. Such a cutting position is set based on experiments or the like.

The cutting position of the cutter 41 is desirably set so that the cutter 41 does not extend beyond the end of the sheet S in the width direction. To explain the cutting position more specifically, as shown in FIG6 , in the width direction of the sheet S, the position of the end of the end side of the cut sheet S (in other words, the end of the slit 103a) is defined as the origin 0 (zero), the starting side is defined as positive, and the opposite side is defined as negative. In this case, the cutting position is desirably such that the position of the end E of the cutter 41 on the side of the cut sheet S is above 0, and more desirably a positive value. However, as long as the connecting portion C can be left on the sheet S, the position of the end E of the cutter 41 in the cutting position may also be a negative position.

In addition, the cutter 41 is moved in the left-right direction so that the height in the vertical direction does not change from the standby position to the cutting position. The height of the cutter 41 in the vertical direction is preferably set to be close to the T-die 103 to such an extent that the cutter 41 does not contact the T-die 103 and form a gap. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the cut sheet S from contacting and adhering to the T-die 103.

Here, when the viscosity of the resin used as the material of the sheet S is high, as shown in FIG7 , even if the front end of the cutter 41 is moved to pass through the entire sheet S in the width direction, the end of the sheet S in the width direction may not be cut. In this case, in order to cut the end of the sheet S, it is considered to increase the movement amount of the cutter 41, extend and tear the remaining portion that has not been cut to perform cutting. However, in this method, since the end will extend greatly in the width direction, the cut of the sheet S cannot be formed in a straight line along the width direction, and there is a risk that the accuracy of the process after the front end of the sheet S is connected to the guide rod 20 will be reduced. In addition, since the cutter 41 is moved beyond the width of the sheet S and greatly in the width direction, there is a risk that the cut sheet S may fall to the outside of the casting machine 100 and contaminate the surrounding area of the device.

In contrast, in the cutting method of the present embodiment, the sheet S is cut from one side in the width direction by the cutter 41, and the cutter 41 is retracted before the entire sheet S in the width direction is cut, so that a portion of the sheet S in the width direction remains in a connected state. The connected portion C that is not cut and still remains is extended by the weight of the sheet S on the front side cut by the cutter 41, and is cut. In this way, the sheet S is cut in the entire width direction and separated in the front and back of the long side direction. In the cutting method of this embodiment, since the cutter 41 does not need to be moved in a manner that passes through the entire width direction of the sheet S, the risk of the cut sheet S falling to the outside of the casting machine 100 can be reduced. In addition, according to this embodiment, even if the resin has a high viscosity, the sheet S can be cut in a manner that the front and rear of the long side direction are reliably separated, and the cut can be made straighter.

As long as the sheet S can be cut, the moving speed of the cutter 41 in the forward route from the standby position to the cutting position can be set arbitrarily. The moving speed of the cutter 41 in the return route from the cutting position to the standby position is set so as not to deform the sheet S on the rear side after the cutter 41 completes the cutting. The moving speeds of the cutter 41 in the forward route and the return route can be the same or different. The cutting method of this embodiment is implemented in the above manner. In addition, the cutting method of the sheet S of this embodiment is not limited to the sheet forming of the contact roller type, and can also be applied to the sheet forming without the contact roller.

Thus, as the sheet S is cut, the casting roller R1 moves the frame 5 horizontally toward the T-die 103 to a forming position directly below the T-die 103 by the frame moving mechanism 7 (see FIG. 8 ). Then, the chain 36 of the guide drive mechanism 30 is rotated to move the guide rod 20 from the standby position toward the bottom of the T-die 103 and toward the front of the transport path (downstream side of transport) so that the sheet S, which has been separated in the longitudinal direction, contacts the guide rod 20. The movement of the stage 5, the cutting of the sheet S by the cutter 41, and the movement timing of the guide rod 20 are set in advance based on experiments, etc., so that the cut sheet S contacts the guide rod 20. Specifically, the operation of the stage 5, the cutter 41 (cutting mechanism 40), and the guide rod 20 is controlled so that the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 does not contact the contact roller R2 (before contact), and the front end of the sheet S cut by the cutting mechanism 40 contacts the guide rod 20.

After the molten sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 contacts the guide rod 20, the film-attached portion 26 of the guide rod 20 is also melted (see FIG. 4 ), and the sheet S and the film-attached portion 26 are connected to each other as they are cooled. Furthermore, the bracket 31 (see FIG. 4 ) and the guide rod 20 continue to move along the circulation path by the rotation drive of the chain 36 of the guide drive mechanism 30. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9 , the guide rod 20 passes between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 (for example, approximately in the center of the roller gap) in a state of contacting the sheet S, and is guided to the transport path formed by the transport roller 11. Thereby, the sheet S guided by the guide rod 20 passes between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 and is introduced into the transport path of the transport roller 11.

After the guide rod 20 passes through the roller gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2, the contact roller R2 is moved toward the casting roller R1 so that the gap between the contact roller R2 and the casting roller R1 presents a specified gap, as shown in FIG10. Specifically, the contact roller R2 is moved while the position sensor (not shown) detects the passage of the guide rod 20 toward the roller gap and the other position sensor (not shown) detects the position of the contact roller R2. The movement of the contact roller R2 performed by the advancing and retreating mechanism 8 is position-controlled by the control device 80 so that the gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 presents a specified size. Thereby, the sheet S guided by the guide rod 20 is clamped and formed by the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2.

As shown in FIG11 , when the leading end of the sheet S that has been attached to the guide rod 20 moves to the exit of the conveying path, the guide rod 20 and the sheet S are separated by the separation mechanism 60 . The separated sheet S is recovered by the recovery device 70 .

The sheet S is separated from the guide rod 20, and after the guide rod 20 is moved to a position that does not hinder the conveyance of the sheet S, the operation of the guide drive mechanism 30 is stopped. After the sheet forming is completed, the guide rod 20 is removed from the bracket 31 by the operator.

In addition, after the sheet S is separated, the guide rod 20 can be removed (disassembled) from the bracket 31 by a disassembly mechanism (not shown). The disassembly mechanism can utilize, for example, a robot mechanism, which grasps the second link member 23 and the third link member 24 of the guide rod 20 and pulls the guide rod 20 in a specified direction along the diameter of the guide rod 20.

As described above, the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 and cut by the cutter 41 is introduced into the transport path by the guide rod 20 and the guide drive mechanism 30, and then transported downstream by the transport roller 11. In addition, the sheet S is separated from the guide drive mechanism 30 by the separation mechanism 60 and recovered to the recovery device 70. In this way, in this embodiment, the sheet S can be automatically introduced into the transport path and transported downstream. In addition, in this embodiment, the so-called transport path is a path from the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103, from the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 through the transport roller 11 to the recovery device 70.

In addition, in the prior art using a rope, the rope needs to span the entire length of the transport path. If part of the rope is contaminated by falling or interfering with the equipment, there is a risk of contaminating the transport rollers or even the sheets. When the sheets are contaminated, the equipment needs to be stopped and cleaned, which reduces productivity and work efficiency.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the sheet S can be introduced into the transport path by the guide rod 20 and the guide drive mechanism 30 for moving the guide rod 20, a rope that spans the entire length of the transport path is not required. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, contamination of the sheet S can be suppressed, thereby reducing the risk of stopping the device due to contamination.

In addition, in the contact roll type sheet forming, since the forming roll and the contact roll are provided just below the T-die, there is no space for installing a cooling mechanism, etc., and the cooling capacity may be reduced compared to sheet forming without a contact roll.

In addition, in the past, when the size of the film product to be manufactured is relatively large and the film manufacturing device and casting machine are relatively large, there is also a casting machine in which a cooling roller is set just below the T-die and the thin film is supplied from the T-die to the cooling roller. In this case, in order to improve the cooling capacity, the cooling roller is formed to be larger, but on the other hand, the cooling roller is configured to be fixed relative to the T-die instead of moving in the horizontal direction as in the above-mentioned embodiment. In the process of being supplied from the extruder and discharged from the T-die, this casting machine is provided with an exhaust valve to discharge (drain) the contaminated resin containing impurities at the beginning of manufacturing. By exhausting the resin through the exhaust valve at the beginning of production, it is possible to prevent contaminated resin from spitting out of the T-die.

However, in the case of a small device, there is a case where an exhaust valve is not provided, and as a result, the contaminated resin is discharged from the T-die at the beginning of production until the properties are stabilized. In addition, even in the case of an exhaust valve, there is still a risk that the resin (flakes) will be entangled when the resin contacts the roller, thereby affecting the operation of the device. In this case, since it is necessary to prevent the resin from contacting the roller, it is difficult to adopt a structure in which a cooling roller is installed directly below the T-die and flakes are supplied to the cooling roller. Therefore, in the case of a small device, a contact roller type is adopted in which the stage moves in the horizontal direction.

Here, in the present embodiment, the casting roller R1 is retracted from directly below the T-die 103 to discharge the contaminated resin (sheet S) from the T-die 103, and after the properties are stabilized, the guide rod 20 and the stand 5 are moved so that the sheet S does not contact the contact roller R2, and the sheet S contacts the molten sheet S ejected from the T-die 103. Furthermore, by further moving the guide rod 20, the sheet S passes through the roller gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 and is hung between the transport rollers 11. In other words, in this embodiment, the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 and sent to the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 is connected to the guide rod 20 and hung between the transport rollers 11. Thus, even in the contact roller type sheet forming, the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 can be automatically introduced into the transport path.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the guide rod 20 has a contact film portion 26 to be contacted with the molten sheet S. In addition, the contact film portion 26 is formed of a material having a glass transition point less than or equal to the glass transition point of the sheet S (for example, the same resin material as the sheet S). Thus, the molten sheet S can be easily contacted with the guide rod 20.

Next, the modified examples of this embodiment are described. The following modified examples are also within the scope of the present invention, and the structures shown in the modified examples can be combined with the structures described in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the structures described in the following different modified examples can also be combined with each other.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the guide rod 20 is formed by a non-flexible member made of metal. In contrast, the material of the guide rod 20 (non-flexible member) is not limited to metal, and may also be resin or wood.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the guide rod 20 is a double-end holding structure in which both ends are held by the bracket 31. In contrast, it may be a single-end holding structure in which only one end of the guide rod 20 is held by the bracket 31. In addition, the guide rod 20 may be composed of a single rod-shaped member without a connecting rod structure. In the case of the single-end holding structure, even if the guide rod 20 does not have a connecting rod structure, it is possible to easily load and unload the guide rod 20 to the bracket 31.

In addition, the guide portion of the present embodiment can also be configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the left-right direction of the sheet S. In addition, the guide portion is not limited to a rod shape, and can be any shape. For example, in the modification shown in (a) of FIG. 12 , the guide portion is formed in a rectangular frame shape, and is a carrier member 120 that rotates around a rotation axis. According to this structure, since the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 can be rolled up and connected by the carrier member 120, the sheet S can be connected to the carrier member 120 more reliably.

In addition, as shown in (b) of FIG. 12 , the guide portion may be, for example, a film member 121 having a specified length in the transport direction and disposed on a portion of the transport path. The so-called specified length may be sufficient as long as it can be connected to the front end of the sheet S, and may be shorter than the width of the sheet S. At least, the film member 121 does not exist as a whole across the transport path, but has a length that only spans a portion of the transport path. In this variant, the bracket 131 is configured as a clamp for gripping the film member 121, and one or more brackets are provided on the left or right side of the sheet S. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a cutting device 160 for separating the film member 121 from the bracket 131 is provided at the exit of the transport path, instead of the separating mechanism 60 for separating the guide rod 20 from the sheet S. In this modification, the film member 121 is separated from the bracket 131 by cutting the portion between the portion to which the sheet S is attached and the bracket 131 by the cutting device 160. And, the film member 121 attached to the sheet S is recovered together with the sheet S by the recovery device 70. In this modification, since the film member 121 can be easily separated from the bracket 131 by being cut by the cutting device 160, and recovered together with the sheet S, it can be easily recovered. The film member 121 is similar to the connecting film portion 26 and is preferably formed of a material having a glass transition point less than or equal to that of the sheet S (for example, the same resin material as that of the sheet S).

In addition, the guide rod 20 does not need to be a structure that is attached to the film portion 26. As a structure for improving the adhesion with the sheet S, the guide rod 20 may also be subjected to surface processing.

In addition, the casting machine 100 may also be provided with a heating device for heating the guide rod 20, and the guide rod 20 is heated by the heating device to improve the adhesion with the sheet S. The heating device, for example, has a heater for heating the guide rod 20 in the standby position. The guide rod 20 is heated to a specified temperature by the heating device before being bonded with the sheet S, so that the sheet S becomes easier to bond with the guide rod 20. In addition, when the guide rod 20 is heated by the heating device, it is desirable that the guide rod 20 is formed of a material with excellent heat resistance.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, after the properties of the sheet S are stabilized, the operator operates a transport start button or the like to transport the sheet S. Alternatively, the transport of the sheet S may be started while the properties of the sheet S are not stabilized. In this case, for example, the sheet S is recovered by one recovery device while the properties are not stabilized, and after the properties of the sheet are stabilized, the sheet S is cut, and the cut sheet S is gripped and transported to another recovery device for recovery.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the cutting mechanism 40 that cuts the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 cuts the sheet S by causing the cutter 41 to cross in the left-right direction across the sheet S through the cutter driving mechanism 45. More specifically, the cutter 41 is crossed to a cutting position where a portion of the sheet S in the width direction is not cut but remains connected, and then the cutter 41 is withdrawn from the sheet S. Thereby, the remaining connected portion C is cut by the weight of the sheet itself, and the sheet is cut as a whole in the width direction and separated in the front and rear of the long side direction. In addition, the front end of the cut sheet S is connected to the guide rod 20. In contrast, the structure and cutting method of the cutting mechanism 40 are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

Hereinafter, with reference to Figs. 13 to 18, a modified example of the method of cutting the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 toward the guide portion will be described. The dotted lines in Figs. 13 to 15 schematically represent the center of the sheet S in the width direction (left-right direction). In addition, in Figs. 13 to 15, the sheet S is simplified without considering the deformation.

The first modification of the cutting method shown in FIG. 13 is the same as the above-mentioned embodiment, and is a method in which a portion of the sheet S in the width direction is not cut and is left in a connected state, and the remaining connected portion C is cut by the weight of the sheet S itself. In the modification of the first cutting method, the cutting mechanism 40 has: a pair of cutters 41a, 41b; and a cutter driving mechanism (omitted from the figure), which moves the pair of cutters 41a, 41b independently in the left and right directions of the sheet S. As shown in FIG. 13 (a), the pair of cutters 41a, 41b are respectively provided on both sides of the sheet S in the left and right directions as the standby position. The pair of cutters 41a, 41b are arranged to be staggered in the vertical direction so that they do not interfere with each other (contact) when they move in the left and right directions. The cutter drive mechanism includes, for example, an actuator that moves the pair of cutters 41a, 41b in the left and right directions of the sheet S.

In the first variant of the cutting method, the sheet S is cut from the left and right sides along the left-right direction by a pair of cutters 41a and 41b. The pair of cutters 41a and 41b are respectively moved to a cutting position where a portion of the sheet S in the width direction is not cut and remains, as in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, as shown in (b) and (c) of Figure 13, the cutting positions of the pair of cutters 41a and 41b are respectively set as follows: the cutters 41a and 41b are moved from the standby position to a position slightly beyond the center of the sheet S in the width direction (dashed line in the figure), and a portion of the cuts of the pair of cutters 41a and 41b overlap (lap) each other in the vertical direction (long side direction of the sheet S). In other words, the cutting position of the pair of cutters 41a, 41b is set to be between the center of the sheet S in the left-right direction and the end of the sheet S on the side opposite to the standby side when the end E of the cutters 41a, 41b (see FIG. 6 ) is located. And after the pair of cutters 41a, 41b move to the cutting position, the pair of cutters 41a, 41b move to the standby position again and retreat from the sheet S (see FIG. 13 (c)). In this modification, after the pair of cutters 41a, 41b retreat from the cutting position, a connecting portion C is formed on the sheet S, and the aforementioned connecting portion C has a width corresponding to the offset amount of the pair of cutters 41a, 41b in the vertical direction. And, after a pair of cutters 41a, 41b retreat, this connecting part C is cut by the self weight of the front sheet S. Even in this method, the sheet S can be cut in the front and back of the long side direction.

In the first modification of this cutting method, since the sheet S is cut from both sides in the left and right directions by a pair of cutters 41a, 41b, the amount of the sheet S cut per unit time is increased compared to the case where the cutters 41a, 41b are used for cutting, even if the moving speeds of the cutters 41a, 41b are the same. Therefore, the time required for cutting the sheet S can be shortened. In addition, in this modification, since the width of the connection portion C corresponds to the offset of the pair of cutters 41a, 41b, by setting a smaller offset, even if the pair of cutters 41a, 41b are not moved to the vicinity of the end of the sheet S opposite to the standby side as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the width (cross-sectional area) of the connection portion C of the sheet S can be reduced. In other words, in the first modification, the amount of movement of each cutter 41a, 41b can be smaller than that in the above-mentioned embodiment. According to the first modification, even if the movement amount of each cutter 41a, 41b is small (for example, even if it slightly exceeds half the width of the sheet S), the width of the connecting portion C can be reduced and the connecting portion C can be easily cut by the weight of the sheet S. Therefore, even by such an action, the time required for cutting the sheet S can be shortened. In addition, according to this modification, since the cutters 41a, 41b do not need to be moved to the vicinity of the end of the sheet S on the opposite side, it is particularly advantageous for a sheet S with a wider width.

In addition, the modification of the first cutting method is not limited to the overlapping incisions of a pair of cutters 41a and 41b. As shown in FIG. 14 (a), the position of the end of a pair of cutters may be consistent with the long side direction of the sheet S (in other words, the cutting position is set so that the end E of the cutters 41a and 41b is located at the center of the sheet S in the width direction). In addition, as shown in FIG. 14 (b), the pair of cutters may not overlap and their ends may be separated in the left-right direction (in other words, the cutting position is set so that the end E of the cutters 41a and 41b is located between the end of the sheet S on the side where each cutter 41a and 41b is on standby and the center of the sheet S in the width direction).

In addition, the second variation of the cutting method shown in FIG15 is the same as the first variation, and the cutting mechanism 40 has a pair of cutters 41a, 41b. The second variation is shown in FIG15 (a), and is different from the first variation in that the pair of cutters 41a, 41b are not staggered with each other in the vertical direction, and move on the same straight line along the left-right direction.

In the second modification, the cutting position of the pair of cutters 41a, 41b is set between the end of each cutter 41a, 41b on the standby side and the center of the sheet S in the width direction (refer to (b) and (c) of Figure 15). By setting the cutting position in this way, while preventing the pair of cutters 41a, 41b from contacting each other, a connection portion C that is not cut and remains is formed between the ends of the cuts made by the pair of cutters 41a, 41b. This second modification can also achieve the same effect as the first modification.

In the first modification shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 and the second modification shown in FIG. 15 , a pair of cutters 41a and 41b are operated in the same manner in a symmetrical manner with respect to the sheet S. In other words, the cutters 41a and 41b are different only in the standby position and the moving direction, and the moving amount and the moving speed are set to be the same. In contrast, the cutters 41a and 41b may be operated independently of each other, in other words, the moving amount and the moving speed are controlled so as to be operated individually in different manners.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the cutter drive mechanism 45 has a single (single-axis) actuator, and the cutter 41 is a structure that reciprocates between the standby position and the cutting position. In contrast, although not shown in the figure, for example, in addition to having an actuator that moves the cutter 41 in the left-right direction of the sheet S, the cutter drive mechanism 45 may also have an actuator that moves the cutter 41 in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the left-right direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 2. In other words, the thickness direction of the sheet S falling in the vertical direction). In this case, the cutter 41 that moves to the cutting position moves along the horizontal direction, for example, toward the left side in FIG. 2 and retreats from the sheet S. According to this configuration, compared to the above-mentioned embodiment of reciprocating from the cutting position to the standby position, it is possible to suppress interference between the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 and the cutter 41 in the return path, thereby preventing unexpected changes in the cut shape of the sheet S.

In addition, the cutting method of the sheet S may not be the following method: a portion of the sheet S in the width direction is left uncut but still connected, and the remaining connected portion C is cut by the weight of the sheet S itself.

For example, when the sheet S can be cut, the cutter 41 may be made to cut the sheet S entirely across the left-right direction of the sheet S, rather than leaving a portion of the sheet S in the width direction as the connecting portion C and retracting the cutter 41.

In addition, the cutting mechanism 40 is not limited to a structure in which the cutter 41 is extended in the left-right direction to cut the thin sheet S. For example, in the third modification shown in FIG. 16 , the cutting mechanism 40 may also include a cutting rod 141a provided on the stand 5 in a manner extending in the left-right direction of the thin sheet S. In this case, the thin sheet S can be cut in a manner of shearing the thin sheet S by the guide rod 20 and the cutting rod 141a moving toward the front of the transport path (refer to the arrow in the figure). For example, the cutting rod 141a is fixed to the stand 5 at a position vertically lower than the guide rod 20 moving in the transport path. The guide rod 20 moves on the transport path to move the cutting rod 141a relatively, and the guide rod 20 and the cutting rod 141a cut the thin sheet S, so that the thin sheet S can be cut. In this way, since the driving force of the guide rod 20 can be used for cutting, an actuator such as the cutter driving mechanism 45 of the cutting mechanism 40 is not required. Therefore, the device structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

In the fourth modification shown in FIG. 17 , the cutting mechanism 40 may be configured as follows: the cutting rod 141 a is provided as in the third modification shown in FIG. 16 , and the sheet S is pulled by the guide rod 20 and the cutting rod 141 a as the guide rod 20 moves, thereby cutting the sheet S. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17 (a), the sheet S from the T-die 103 is connected to the cutting rod 141 a, and in this state, the guide rod 20 is moved from the front side to the rear side (right side in FIG. 17 ) in the conveying direction of the sheet S to connect the sheet S. Next, as shown in FIG17( b ), the guide rod 20 is reversed in its moving direction and moved forward in the conveying direction (leftward in the figure), so that the sheet S is pulled by the guide rod 20 and the cutting rod 141 a . Thus, the sheet S is cut.

In the fifth modification shown in FIG. 18 , the cutting mechanism 40 may also be a structure in which the cutter 141b is rotated around the rotation shaft 43 to cut the sheet S. In this case, it is desirable that the cutter 141b is configured to be movable relative to the stage 5 along the moving direction of the stage 5 by an actuator (not shown). In addition, as shown in FIG. 18 , one cutter 141b may be provided, or two or more cutters may be provided.

As described above, the structure of the cutting mechanism 40 and the method of cutting the sheet S are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the rod portion 21 of the guide rod 20 has a link mechanism, and the guide rod 20 is removed from the bracket 31 by deformation of the link mechanism. On the other hand, the attachment and detachment mechanism of the guide rod 20 is not limited to the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment.

For example, the guide rod 20 may be configured to be extendable in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) thereof, and to be loaded and unloaded to the bracket 31 by extension. In addition, the guide rod 20 may be formed as a simple rod-shaped member that is not deformed by a link mechanism such as opening and closing or extension and contraction. In this case, it is sufficient to configure the pair of chains 36 to have a region where the distance is enlarged and a region where the distance is narrowed, respectively, corresponding to the size of the guide rod 20, in the transport path. In this way, when one end of the guide rod 20 has been inserted into one side of a pair of brackets 31, the pair of brackets 31 are transported on the transport path, and by narrowing the spacing of the chain 36 from a state wider than the size of the guide rod 20 to a spacing roughly consistent with the size of the guide rod 20, the other end side of the guide rod 20 that is not installed on the bracket 31 can be inserted into the other bracket 31. On the contrary, when both ends of the guide rod 20 are held by the bracket 31, the conveying path is moved, and the interval of the chain 36 is gradually expanded from the interval corresponding to the size of the guide rod 20, so that one end of the guide rod 20 is separated from one bracket 31, and the guide rod 20 can be easily removed from the bracket 31. In this way, the guide rod 20 can be attached to and detached from the bracket 31.

In order to improve the cooling capability of the sheet S, a cooling device for cooling the sheet S being transported by blowing air may be provided, for example, below the casting roller R1.

In addition, the structure of the separation mechanism 60 is not limited to the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, although not shown in the figure, the separation mechanism 60 (separation cutter 61) may be set at a position to cut the sheet S hung on the transport roller 11, and the aforementioned transport roller 11 is immediately behind the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2. In this case, the transport roller 11 is configured to move relative to the stage 5 along the moving direction of the stage 5, and a bonding material such as a double-sided tape is provided on the outer periphery of the transport roller 11. Then, the transfer roller 11 is moved and connected to the sheet S that has passed between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2, and then the sheet S between the guide rod 20 and the transfer roller 11 is cut by the separation cutter 61, so that the guide rod 20 is separated from the sheet S. The guide rod 20 is directly transferred to the downstream side, and the sheet S separated from the guide rod 20 can be transferred to the downstream side by the transfer roller 11.

According to the above implementation form, the following effects can be achieved.

The contact roller casting machine 100 comprises: a casting roller R1 and a contact roller R2, which are arranged in parallel with each other with a specified roller gap between them; a plurality of transfer rollers 11, which are used to transfer the sheet S that has passed through the roller gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2; a guide rod 20, which has a non-flexible component and is connected to the sheet S by contacting the front end of the molten sheet S ejected from the T-die 103; and a guide drive mechanism 30, which moves the guide rod 20 in a manner that the subsequent sheet S passes through the roller gap between the casting roller R1 and the contact roller R2 and is hung on the plurality of transfer rollers 11.

In this structure, since the guide rod 20 is in contact with the sheet S, the sheet S is guided by the guide rod 20 and introduced into the transport path by moving the guide rod 20 that has been in contact with the sheet S along the transport path of the sheet S. In this way, the sheet S ejected from the T-die 103 can be automatically transported. In this way, manpower can be saved and the sheet ejected from the T-die 103 can be safely transported. In addition, since the sheet S can be automatically transported, it is possible to suppress transport failure and prevent damage to the transport roller 11.

In addition, in the casting machine 100, the guide rod 20 is formed of a non-flexible member having no flexibility.

In this structure, since the guide rod 20 has high rigidity rather than flexibility, it can be easily inserted into the holding hole 31a of the bracket 31, thereby facilitating the installation and removal of the guide drive mechanism 30 (bracket 31).

In the casting machine 100, the guide rod 20 has a thin film-shaped contact film portion 26 provided on the outer periphery of the rod portion 21 and contacting the sheet S. The contact film portion 26 is formed of a material having a glass transition point less than or equal to that of the sheet S.

In this structure, the adhesion force of the sheet S to the guide rod 20 can be improved.

In addition, in the casting machine 100, the guide drive mechanism 30 has: a pair of chains 36, which are arranged on both sides of the left and right directions perpendicular to the long side direction of the sheet S and the thickness direction of the sheet S; and a pair of brackets 31, which are respectively arranged on the pair of chains 36 and have retaining holes 31a for inserting the end portions of the guide rods 20 from the left and right directions. The guide rod 20 has a connecting rod structure, which includes: a first connecting rod member 22 inserted into a bracket 31 on one side; a second connecting rod member 23, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first connecting rod member 22; a third connecting rod member 24, one end of which is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod member 23 and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the fourth connecting rod member 25; and the fourth connecting rod member 25 inserted into the bracket 31 on the other side.

In this structure, by pulling the guide rod 20 in the long-side direction of the sheet S, each link member rotates, and both ends of the guide rod 20 are pulled out from the holding holes 31a of the bracket 31. In this way, since the guide rod 20 has a link structure, it can be easily removed from the bracket 31.

In addition, the cutting method of the sheet S of the present embodiment is to move the cutter 41 in the width direction of the sheet S in such a manner as to cut the molten sheet S ejected from the T-die 103, and to withdraw the cutter 41 from the sheet S before the sheet S is separated in the front and rear directions of the long side direction as a whole across the width direction, and the connection portion C that is not cut and still remains is separated in the front and rear directions of the long side direction by the weight of the sheet S itself.

In this structure, since the cutter 41 does not need to be moved in a manner that passes through the entire width direction of the sheet S, the cut sheet S can be reduced from falling to the outside of the casting machine 100. In addition, according to this embodiment, even if the resin has a high viscosity, the sheet S can be cut in a manner that the front and rear of the long side are surely separated, and the cut can be made straighter.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments described above represent only a part of the applicable examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific structures of the embodiments described above.

1: Forming roller 5: Platform 5a: Support platform 6: Slider mechanism 7: Platform moving mechanism 7a: Electric motor 7b: Ball screw mechanism 8: Advance and retraction mechanism 8a: Electric motor 8b: Bidirectional pump 8c: Hydraulic cylinder 10: Transport device 11: Transport roller 20: Guide rod 21: Rod part 22: First connecting rod member 23: Second connecting rod member 24: Third connecting rod member 25: Fourth connecting rod member 26: Connecting film part 30: Guide drive mechanism 31: Bracket 31a: Holding hole 35: Bracket moving mechanism 36: Chain 37: Sprocket 38: Electric motor 40: Cutter 41: Cutter 41a: Cutter 41b: Cutter 42: Base 43: Rotary shaft 45: Cutter drive mechanism 60: Separation mechanism 61: Separation cutter 62: Separation cutter drive unit 70: Recovery device 80: Control device 100: Casting machine 101: Raw material supply device 102: Extruder 103: T-die 103a: Slit 104: Winder 120: Carrier component 121: Film component 131: Bracket 141a: Cutting rod 141b: Cutter 160: Cutting device 1000: Film manufacturing device C: Connecting part E: End R1: Casting roller R2: Contact roller S: Thin sheet

The block diagram shown in FIG1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of a thin film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram shown in FIG2 is a diagram showing a casting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state of the thin film before it is attached to the guide rod. The block diagram shown in FIG3 is a diagram showing a casting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The top view of FIG4 is a view of the guide rod of the casting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention observed from a plane parallel to the plane of the thin film, (a) showing the state in which the guide rod has been installed on the bracket, and (b) showing the state in which the guide rod has been removed from the bracket. The schematic diagram shown in FIG5 is a diagram showing a thin sheet cutting method included in a thin sheet forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows the T-die and the cutter observed from the direction indicated by the arrow V in FIG2, (a) showing the state of the cutter in the standby position, (b) showing the state of the cutter in the cutting position, and (c) showing the state of the cutter retreating from the cutting position to the standby position. The enlarged diagram shown in FIG6 is a diagram showing the cutting position of the cutter in the cutting method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The enlarged diagram shown in FIG7 is a diagram showing a thin sheet cutting method according to a comparative example. The schematic diagram of FIG8 is a diagram for explaining a thin sheet forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state of the thin sheet being connected to the guide rod. The schematic diagram of FIG. 9 is used to illustrate the sheet forming method related to the embodiment of the present invention, and discloses the state in which the guide rod passes between the forming roller and the contact roller. The schematic diagram of FIG. 10 is used to illustrate the sheet forming method related to the embodiment of the present invention, and discloses the state in which the contact roller pushes the sheet toward the forming roller. The schematic diagram of FIG. 11 is used to illustrate the sheet forming method related to the embodiment of the present invention, and discloses the state in which the sheet is separated from the guide rod and recovered by the recovery device. The schematic diagram shown in FIG. 12 shows the guide part of the modification of the sheet forming device related to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) discloses the first modification of the guide part, and (b) discloses the second modification of the guide part. The schematic diagram shown in FIG13 shows the first variant of the cutting mechanism of the sheet forming device related to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) reveals the state of the cutter in the standby position, (b) reveals the state of the cutter in the cutting position, and (c) reveals the state of the cutter retreating from the cutting position to the standby position. The schematic diagram shown in FIG14 shows other aspects of the first variant of the cutting mechanism of the sheet forming device related to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) reveals the state in which the position of the end of the cut caused by the cutter is consistent with the long side direction of the sheet, and (b) reveals the state in which the end of the cut caused by the cutter does not overlap. The schematic diagram shown in FIG15 shows the second variant of the cutting mechanism of the sheet forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) showing the state of the cutter in the standby position, (b) showing the state of the cutter in the cutting position, and (c) showing the state of the cutter retreating from the cutting position to the standby position. The schematic diagram shown in FIG16 shows the third variant of the cutting mechanism of the sheet forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram shown in FIG17 shows the fourth variant of the cutting mechanism of the sheet forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram shown in FIG18 shows the fifth variant of the cutting mechanism of the sheet forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5:Standing

5a: Support platform

6: Slider mechanism

7: Platform moving mechanism

7a: Electric motor

7b: Ball screw mechanism

8: Advance and retreat mechanism

8a: Electric motor

8b: Bidirectional pump

8c: Hydraulic cylinder

10: Transport device

11: Transport roller

20: Guide rod

30: Guidance and drive mechanism

35: Bracket moving mechanism

36: Chain

37: Sprocket

38: Electric motor

40: Cutting mechanism

41: Cutter

42: Base

45: Cutter drive mechanism

60: Separation mechanism

61: Separation cutter

62: Separation cutter drive unit

70: Recovery device

100: Casting machine

103: T-type mold

103a: Groove seam

R1: Casting roller

R2: Contact roller

S: Thin slices

Claims (7)

A sheet forming device is a contact roller type sheet forming device for forming a sheet ejected from a T-die, comprising: a first roller and a second roller, which are arranged in parallel with each other with a specified roller gap between them; a transfer roller, which is used to transfer the sheet that has passed through the roller gap between the first roller and the second roller; a guide part, which has a non-flexible member and is in contact with the front end of the sheet in a molten state ejected from the T-die; and a guide drive mechanism, which moves the guide part in such a way that the subsequent sheet passes through the roller gap between the first roller and the second roller and is hung on the transfer roller. The sheet forming device as described in claim 1, wherein the guide portion further comprises a film-shaped connecting portion, the connecting portion being arranged on the outer periphery of the non-flexible member and connecting to the sheet in a molten state. The thin sheet forming device as described in claim 2, wherein the aforementioned connecting portion is formed by a material having a glass transition point less than or equal to that of the aforementioned thin sheet. The sheet forming device as described in claim 1 is further provided with: A cutting mechanism for cutting the sheet ejected from the T-die and connected to the guide portion in the front and back of the long side direction; and A control device for controlling the operation of the cutting mechanism; The cutting mechanism comprises: A cutter for cutting the sheet; and A cutter driving mechanism for driving the cutter; The control device is for moving the cutter in the width direction of the sheet to cut the sheet, and controlling the operation of the cutter driving mechanism so that the cutter is retracted before the sheet is separated in the front and back of the long side direction across the entire width direction. A sheet forming device as recited in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the guide drive mechanism comprises: a pair of chains disposed on both sides of the left-right direction perpendicular to the long side direction of the sheet and the thickness direction of the sheet; and a pair of brackets disposed on the pair of chains respectively and having holding holes for inserting the end of the guide portion from the left-right direction; the guide portion comprises a connecting rod structure, the connecting rod structure comprising: a first connecting rod member inserted into the bracket on one side; a second connecting rod member, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first connecting rod member; a third connecting rod member, one end of which is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod member and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the fourth connecting rod member; and a fourth connecting rod member inserted into the bracket on the other side. A sheet forming method is a contact roller type sheet forming method for forming a sheet ejected from a T-die, comprising the following steps: Connecting the sheet ejected from the T-die by making the front end of the sheet in a molten state contact with a non-flexible member of a guide portion; and Hanging the sheet after connection on a conveying roller to move the guide portion, thereby guiding the sheet into a conveying path. A sheet forming method as described in claim 6, wherein: the cutter is moved in the width direction of the sheet to cut the sheet, and the cutter is withdrawn from the sheet before the sheet is separated in the front and rear of the long side direction across the entire width direction, so that the remaining portion that has not been cut is separated in the front and rear of the long side direction by the weight of the sheet itself; the front end of the separated sheet is connected to the guide portion.