Method and apparatus for continuously producing optical panel assemblies

A lamination apparatus for, using a carrier film-attached optical film laminate prepared by releasably attaching a carrier film to an optical film laminate including at least a polarizing film which consists of a polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer and has a thickness of 10 μm or less and an absorption axis in a lengthwise direction of the optical film laminate, through an adhesive layer, sequentially laminating the polarizing film laminate to a rectangular-shaped panel having a short side and a long side, wherein:

• the polarizing film is formed by performing a steps of subjecting a laminate comprising a continuous web of a thermoplastic resin substrate and a polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer formed on the substrate, to a uniaxial stretching in a lengthwise direction of the laminate based on a 2-stage stretching consisting of a preliminary in-air stretching and an in-boric-acid-solution stretching, to attain a total stretching ratio of 5.0 to 8.5 to thereby reduce a thickness of the polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer to 10 μm or less, and a step of causing a dichroic material to be absorbed in the polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer;
• and an adhesion force of the carrier film with respect to the adhesive layer is weaker than an adhesion force between the optical film laminate and the adhesive layer, the lamination apparatus comprising:
• an optical film laminate feeding mechanism for feeding the carrier film-attached optical film laminate in the lengthwise direction;
• a slit forming mechanism for sequentially forming a plurality of slits in the carrier film-attached optical film laminate being fed in the lengthwise direction by the feeding mechanism, in a width direction thereof at lengthwise intervals corresponding to one of the long and short sides of the panel, to extend from a surface of the optical film on a side opposite to the carrier film to a depth reaching a surface of the carrier film adjacent to the optical film to thereby form an optical film sheet supported by the carrier film, between lengthwisely adjacent two of the slits;
• a panel feeding mechanism for sequentially feeding a plurality of the panels to a lamination position;
• a carrier film peeling mechanism for, with respect to each of the optical film sheets being fed toward the lamination position in synchronization with a respective one of the panels being sequentially fed to the lamination position, peeling the optical film sheet from the carrier film just before the lamination position, while allowing the adhesive layer to be left on the side of the optical film sheet, and feeding the peeled optical film so as to superimpose it on the panel fed to the lamination position;
• and
• a laminating mechanism disposed at the lamination position to laminate the optical film sheet to the panel fed to the lamination position, through the adhesive layer.