Method and apparatus for manufacturing adhesive patch

A method for manufacturing an adhesive patch including a support, a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer provided on one surface of the support, a release sheet which is releasably attached to the pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer, and a weakened part which is formed in the release sheet, the weakened part is for easily dividing the release sheet into two parts, the adhesive patch in which a pinching piece forming sheet is fixed on the release sheet such that the pinching piece forming sheet covers the weakened part, and portions of the pinching piece forming sheet which are other than the at least one fixed portion function as pinching pieces, and in the pinching piece forming sheet, a weakened part for easily dividing the release sheet into two parts is formed at a position corresponding to the weakened part of the release sheet,

• the method comprising:
• a first step of unwinding a first continuous web which will be the support from a first original roll, to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer on the first continuous web;
• a second step of unwinding a second continuous web which will be the release sheet from a second original roll, unwinding a third continuous web which will be the pinching piece forming sheet from a third original roll, and superposing the third continuous web on the second continuous web to fix both sheets;
• a third step of forming a weakened part in the second continuous web and the third continuous web which are fixed;
• a fourth step of releasably adhering the second continuous web to which the third continuous web is fixed, that has been obtained in the third step, to the pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer on the first continuous web, that has been obtained in the first step, so as to form a laminated body;
• and
• a fifth step of cutting out the laminated body obtained in the fourth step to a predetermined size, to form the desired adhesive patch.

An apparatus for manufacturing an adhesive patch including a support, a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer provided on one surface of the support, a release sheet which is releasably attached to the pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer, and a weakened part which is formed in the release sheet, the weakened part being for easily dividing the release sheet into two parts, the adhesive patch in which a pinching piece forming sheet is fixed on the release sheet such that the pinching piece forming sheet covers the weakened part, and portions of the pinching piece forming sheet which are other than the at least one fixed portion function as pinching pieces, and in the pinching piece forming sheet, a weakened part for easily dividing the release sheet into two parts is formed at a position corresponding to the weakened part of the release sheet,

• the apparatus comprising:
• a spreading and adhering unit which spreads and adheres a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent on a first continuous web which is unwound from a first original roll, to be the support, to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer;
• a fixing unit which superposes a second continuous web which is unwound from a second original roll, to be the release sheet, and a third continuous web which is unwound from a third original roll, to be the pinching piece forming sheet, to fix both sheets;
• a weakened part forming unit which forms a weakened part in the second continuous web and the third continuous web fixed by the fixing unit;
• a laminated body forming unit which releasably attaches the second continuous web to which the third continuous web is fixed, which has passed through the weakened part forming unit, on the pressure-sensitive adhesive agent layer on the first continuous web, which has passed through the spreading and adhering unit, so as to form a laminated body;
• and
• a cutting unit which cuts out the laminated body obtained by the laminated body forming unit, to a predetermined size, so as to form the adhesive patch.