Imprinting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034108-B2
Application number	US-201916711289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

An imprinting method, which includes following steps. A workpiece is conveyed to a working region by a first conveyer unit. The workpiece is imprinted in the working region through an imprinting segment of a flexible imprinting mold film. The flexible imprinting mold film is driven by a driving roller set, such that at least another one of the imprinting segments of the flexible imprinting mold film rolled around the driving roller set is expanded from the driving roller set and moved to the working region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imprinting method, comprising:
conveying a workpiece to a working region by a first conveyer unit;
imprinting the workpiece in the working region through an imprinting segment of a flexible imprinting mold film; and
driving the flexible imprinting mold film by a driving roller set, such that at least another one of the imprinting segments of the flexible imprinting mold film rolled around the driving roller set is expanded from the driving roller set and moved to the working region,
wherein the working region comprises an imprinting position and at least one mold-release position, the number of the at least one mold-release position is two, the imprinting position is located between the two mold-release positions, the imprinting segments comprise a first imprinting segment and a second imprinting segment adjacent to each other, the two mold-release positions comprise a first mold-release position and a second mold-release position, and the imprinting method further comprises:
making at least two of the imprinting segments to be respectively located at the imprinting position and the at least one mold-release position;
imprinting the workpiece at the imprinting position;
adhering the imprinted workpiece to the corresponding imprinting segment and driving the imprinted workpiece to the at least one mold-release position by the driving roller set;
implementing mold release to the workpiece at the at least one mold-release position; and
driving the flexible imprinting mold film by the driving roller set to perform a reciprocating motion between a first state and a second state when the first imprinting segment and the second imprinting segment are located in the working region,
wherein when the flexible imprinting mold film is in the first state, the first imprinting segment is located at the first mold-release position and the second imprinting segment is located at the imprinting position, and when the flexible imprinting mold film is in the second state, the first imprinting segment is located at the imprinting position and the second imprinting segment is located at the second mold-release position.

2. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
coating an optical layer on the workpiece by an coating unit before the workpiece reaches the working region,
wherein the step of imprinting the workpiece through the imprinting segment comprises:
imprinting the optical layer through an imprinting microstructure of the imprinting segment to form an optical microstructure on the workpiece.

3. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting a surface state of the workpiece uncoated with the optical layer through a first detection unit.

4. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
curing the imprinted optical layer through energy provided by an energy source.

5. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
half-curing the optical layer before imprinted through energy provided by a first energy source; and
completely curing the imprinted optical layer through energy provided by a second energy source.

6. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
pressing the corresponding imprinting segment to the workpiece through an imprinting mold roller.

7. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
driving the workpiece to move up and down relative to the flexible imprinting mold film through a lifting unit.

8. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
clamping the flexible imprinting mold film through a clamping member, and lifting off the flexible imprinting mold film located at the at least one mold-release position from the workpiece.

9. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
using at least one buffer member to lean against the flexible imprinting mold film to bend the flexible imprinting mold film, so as to form at least one buffer segment at a boundary of the imprinting segment located at the at least one mold-release position.

10. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
conveying another workpiece to the imprinting position by the first conveyer unit when the imprinted workpiece is driven to the at least one mold-release position by the driving roller set; and
imprinting the another workpiece at the imprinting position while the workpiece implements mold release at the at least one mold-release position.

11. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the imprinting segments further comprise a third imprinting segment and a fourth imprinting segment adjacent to each other, and the imprinting method further comprises:
driving the flexible imprinting mold film by the driving roller set to make the third imprinting segment and the fourth imprinting segment to be located in the working region; and
driving the flexible imprinting mold film by the driving roller set to perform the reciprocating motion when the third imprinting segment and the fourth imprinting segment are located in the working region.

12. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting the imprinted workpiece through a second detection unit to determine a wearing status of the corresponding imprinting segment.

13. The imprinting method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
conveying the imprinted workpiece by a second conveyer unit to pass through the second detection unit.

Assignees

• Himax Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Chin-Der
• Kuo Han-Yi
• Tsai Jui-Pin

Classifications

• B29C59/046 Primary

  for layered or coated substantially flat surfaces · CPC title

• B29K2105/24

  crosslinked or vulcanised · CPC title

• B29C2037/90

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · CPC title

• G03F7/0017

  for the production of embossing, cutting or similar devices; for the production of casting means · CPC title

• B29C59/026

  of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces · CPC title