Wet treatment apparatus and method of manufacturing flexible printed circuit board

A wet treatment apparatus configured to treat a continuously moving sheet-shaped workpiece, the wet treatment apparatus comprising:

• a wet treatment tank including a side surface portion having a first slit, the first slit extending in a height direction in such a manner as to allow the workpiece to pass through the first slit;
• a pair of rolls located outside the wet treatment tank, the pair of rolls being arranged in such a manner as to nip the workpiece in a transverse direction;
• a pair of treatment-liquid shield members disposed on a side opposite to a side on which the wet treatment tank is disposed with the pair of rolls interposed between the pair of treatment-liquid shield members and the wet treatment tank in a movement direction of the workpiece;
• an auxiliary chamber provided between the side surface portion and the pair of rolls;
• and
• an additional pair of rolls provided inside the auxiliary chamber,
• wherein the auxiliary chamber includes a side surface portion of the auxiliary chamber having a second slit, the second slit extending in a height direction in such a manner as to allow the workpiece to pass through the second slit,
• wherein the side surface portion of the auxiliary chamber includes a third side surface portion and a fourth side surface portion with the second slit formed between the third side surface portion and the fourth side surface portion,
• wherein the pair of treatment-liquid shield members include a first shield member and a second shield member, and the first shield member and the second shield member are arranged in such a manner as to allow the workpiece to pass between the first shield member and the second shield member,
• wherein the pair of rolls include a first roll located between the first shield member and the third side surface portion and a second roll located between the second shield member and the fourth side surface portion, and
• wherein, in a direction parallel to a width of the second slit, a width of the first shield member is larger than a width of the first roll, and a width of the second shield member is larger than a width of the second roll,
• wherein a distance between the third side surface portion and the first roll in the movement direction of the workpiece and a distance between the fourth side surface portion and the second roll in the movement direction of the workpiece are each larger than the width of the second slit.

A method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board, the method comprising:

• preparing a wet treatment apparatus including a wet treatment tank;
• and
• performing a wet treatment on a flexible printed circuit board base member having a sheet-like shape in the wet treatment tank,
• wherein the wet treatment apparatus is a wet treatment apparatus configured to treat the flexible printed circuit board base member that continuously moves,
• wherein the wet treatment apparatus includes
• a wet treatment tank including a side surface portion having a first slit, the first slit extending in a height direction in such a manner as to allow the flexible printed circuit board base member to pass through the first slit,
• a pair of rolls located outside the wet treatment tank, the pair of rolls being spaced apart from the first slit and being arranged in such a manner as to nip the flexible printed circuit board base member in a transverse direction, and
• a pair of treatment-liquid shield members disposed on a side opposite to a side on which the wet treatment tank is disposed with the pair of rolls interposed between the pair of treatment-liquid shield members and the wet treatment tank in a movement direction of the flexible printed circuit board base member,
• wherein the side surface portion includes a first side surface portion and a second side surface portion with the first slit formed between the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion,
• wherein the pair of treatment-liquid shield members include a first shield member and a second shield member, and the first shield member and the second shield member are arranged in such a manner as to allow the flexible printed circuit board base member to pass between the first shield member and the second shield member,
• wherein the pair of rolls include a first roll located between the first shield member and the first side surface portion and a second roll located between the second shield member and the second side surface portion, and
• wherein, in a direction parallel to a width of the first slit, a width of the first shield member is larger than a width of the first roll, and a width of the second shield member is larger than a width of the second roll,
• wherein a distance between the first side surface portion and the first roll in the movement direction of the flexible printed circuit board base member and a distance between the second side surface portion and the second roll in the movement direction of the flexible printed circuit board base member are each larger than the width of the first slit.

A method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board, the method comprising:

• preparing a wet treatment apparatus including a wet treatment tank;
• and
• performing a wet treatment on a flexible printed circuit board base member having a sheet-like shape in the wet treatment tank,
• wherein the wet treatment apparatus is a wet treatment apparatus configured to treat the flexible printed circuit board base member that continuously moves,
• wherein the wet treatment apparatus includes
• a wet treatment tank including a side surface portion having a first slit, the first slit extending in a height direction in such a manner as to allow the flexible printed circuit board base member to pass through the first slit,
• a pair of rolls located outside the wet treatment tank, the pair of rolls being arranged in such a manner as to nip the flexible printed circuit board base member in a transverse direction,
• a pair of treatment-liquid shield members disposed on a side opposite to a side on which the wet treatment tank is disposed with the pair of rolls interposed between the pair of treatment-liquid shield members and the wet treatment tank in a movement direction of the flexible printed circuit board base member,
• an auxiliary chamber provided between the side surface portion and the pair of rolls, and
• an additional pair of rolls provided inside the auxiliary chamber,
• wherein the auxiliary chamber includes a side surface portion of the auxiliary chamber having a second slit, the second slit extending in a height direction in such a manner as to allow the flexible printed circuit board base member to pass through the second slit,
• wherein the side surface portion of the auxiliary chamber includes a third side surface portion and a fourth side surface portion with the second slit formed between the third side surface portion and the fourth side surface portion,
• wherein the pair of treatment-liquid shield members include a first shield member and a second shield member, and the first shield member and the second shield member are arranged in such a manner as to allow the flexible printed circuit board base member to pass between the first shield member and the second shield member,
• wherein the pair of rolls include a first roll located between the first shield member and the third side surface portion and a second roll located between the second shield member and the fourth side surface portion, and
• wherein, in a direction parallel to a width of the second slit, a width of the first shield member is larger than a width of the first roll, and a width of the second shield member is larger than a width of the second roll,
• wherein a distance between the third side surface portion and the first roll in the movement direction of the flexible printed circuit board base member and a distance between the fourth side surface portion and the second roll in the movement direction of the flexible printed circuit board base member are each larger than the width of the second slit.