Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Detailed holder for original
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-06-05
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Detailed holder for original
C355S027000, C355S028000, C355S040000, C396S595000, C396S598000, C250S548000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243160
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for exposure of a continuous workpiece with a great length (hereinafter called a “strip-like workpiece”), such as a film of organic compound, lightweight metal, or the like. The invention relates especially to an exposure device for a strip-like workpiece which is used for exposure of a mask pattern onto a strip-like workpiece and for similar purposes.
2. Description of Related Art
Exposure of a strip-like workpiece, such as a film of organic compound, lightweight metal or the like is performed by the workpiece being unrolled from the rolled state, exposed and wound again onto a reel.
To transport the strip-like workpieces which are used for the above described exposure device, generally a tensile force is always applied to the workpiece between a takeoff reel and a take-up reel in order to ensure the stability and positioning accuracy of the workpiece during the workpiece transport and to correct bulging and waviness of the workpiece.
FIG. 6
is a schematic of a conventional example of the above described exposure device for a strip-like workpiece. In the figure, a takeoff reel part
10
is shown in which a takeoff reel
1
, a spacer take-up reel
1
a
and a guide roller R
1
are located. Furthermore, a strip-like workpiece Wb is conventionally located on a spacer S which is wound in the manner of a roll around the takeoff reel
1
. When the strip-like workpiece Wb is unrolled from the takeoff reel
1
, the spacer S is wound up by the spacer take-up reel
1
a.
The strip-like workpiece Wb is relatively thick (t≧150 microns, often t=250 microns). For example, a workpiece is used which was produced by a resin film being coated with a copper foil (conventionally thicker than the resin film). Therefore, there are strip-like workpieces Wb which have bulges in the direction of their width.
To transport a strip-like workpiece, for example, the process described in published Japanese Patent Application HEI 3-19249 is used in which the peripheral edge of the strip-like workpiece Wb is clamped using a grip feeding device described below, is pulled by a preset amount, and the strip-like workpiece Wb is transported by a predetermined amount (hereinafter this transport process is called a “grip feeding method”).
The grip feeding method is effective when a strip-like workpiece which is thick and has a bulge in the direction of the width is transported without contact with the area to be exposed. In this method, the two edges of the workpiece are gripped and the workpiece is pulled in the fixed state. The workpiece therefore does not fall out of the transport means even if a workpiece with a bulge is transported at high speed.
The strip-like workpiece Wb which has been pulled off the takeoff reel
1
by a grip feeding device
11
is supplied to an exposure part
3
which has a workpiece carrier WS and the like, via the guide roller R
1
, an edge sensor S
1
which determines the edge position of the strip-like workpiece, and a guide roller R
2
. If a predetermined area of the strip-like workpiece reaches the exposure part
3
, transport of the strip-like workpiece Wb is stopped and the strip-like workpiece is exposed.
The strip-like workpiece Wb which is exposed in the exposure part
3
is wound up via guide rollers R
3
and R
4
by a take-up reel
2
. When the strip-like workpiece Wb is wound up, a spacer
5
is supplied from a spacer takeoff reel
2
a
and the already exposed, strip-like workpiece Wb, together with the spacer S, is wound up by the take-up reel
2
.
Here, it is desirable to always apply a tensile force to the strip-like workpiece Wb to prevent waviness and folds from forming in the strip-like workpiece Wb. Therefore, the takeoff reel
1
is always exposed to a force which is opposite to the transport direction of the strip-like workpiece Wb (in
FIG. 6
, to the right), so that, between the takeoff reel
1
and the take-up reel
2
, the strip-like workpiece Wb is always exposed to a tensile force during its transport and also when stopped.
The take-up reel
2
is likewise always subjected to a force and turned in a direction in which the strip-like workpiece Wb is wound up. Between the takeoff reel
1
and the take-up reel
2
, therefore, the strip-like workpiece Wb is always subjected to a tensile force.
In the above described exposure device for a strip-like workpiece, the strip-like workpiece Wb is transported in the manner described below, exposed and subjected to serpentine correction:
(1) Transport and Exposure of the Strip-like Workpiece Wb by the Grip Feeding Device
The peripheral edge of the strip-like workpiece Wb is clamped by the grip feeding device and the strip-like workpiece Wb is transported by a stipulated amount.
FIG. 7
shows an enlarged view of the grip feeding device which is shown in FIG.
6
. As is shown in the drawings, the grip feeding device
11
has a feed grip part
12
which holds the edge of the strip-like workpiece Wb, and a feed grip drive part
13
which moves the feed grip part
12
by a predetermined amount.
The feed grip drive part
13
, for example, has a ball-circulating spindle
13
b
which is turned by a feed motor
13
a
and a drive belt
13
c
, as is shown in the drawing. The motor
13
a
turns the ball-circulating spindle
13
b
, and the feed grip part
12
which engages the ball-circulating spindle
13
b
moves in the direction of the arrow in the representation.
FIG. 8
is a schematic of the arrangement of a specific example of the above described grip feeding device
11
, a workpiece carrier WS, which is viewed here from the transport direction, being shown in cross section, and the grip feeding device
11
also being shown. In the figure, a feed grip part
12
is shown only on one side, although on the other side there is also a feed grip part
12
with the same arrangement. The two edges of the strip-like workpiece Wb are held and the strip-like workpiece Wb is transported in this state. As is shown in the drawings, the feed grip part
12
engages the above described ball-circulating spindle
13
b
and is installed in a holding frame
12
b
for a grip device which is located on both sides of a movement part
12
a
which is guided using a feed guide
13
d
which moves forward and backward in the drawing. The edge area of the strip-like workpiece Wb is clamped from the bottom and top by a grip part Gr
1
of a top component
12
c
and a grip part Gr
2
of a bottom component
12
d.
A guide shaft
12
e
, which is slidably installed in the holding frame
12
b
, is installed in the bottom component
12
d
. Furthermore, in the holding frame
12
b
, there is a first pneumatic piston
12
f
with a drive rod which has been installed in the bottom component
12
d
. When the first pneumatic piston
12
f
is being driven, therefore, the bottom component
12
d
is moved up.
The top component
12
c
is attached via a shaft
12
g
to the bottom component
12
d
and turns around the shaft
12
g
. On the side opposite the grip parts Gr
1
, Gr
2
of the top component
12
c
and the bottom component
12
d
there is a spring
12
h
by which the top component
12
c
and the bottom component
12
d
are prestressed in a direction in which the grip parts Gr
1
and Gr
2
open.
In the bottom component
12
d
, there is a second pneumatic piston
12
i
, with a drive rod which penetrates the bottom component
12
d
and projects from it, and with a tip which borders the top component
12
c
. When the second pneumatic piston
12
i
is being driven, therefore the top component
12
c
turns around the shaft
12
g
and the grip parts Gr
1
and Gr
2
close.
On the other hand, the workpiece carrier WS is provided with vacuum suction openings O, as is shown in the drawings. When the strip-like workpiece Wb is exposed, a vacuum is applied by a vacuum part VP and the strip-like workpiece Wb is attached by suction through the vacuum suction openings O.
The strip-like workpiece Wb is clamped and is transported by the feed grip device
12
as follows:
Proceeding from the
Adams Russell
Brown Khaled
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
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