Method and apparatus for manufacturing optical display device

An apparatus for manufacturing an optical display device by sequentially peeling a plurality of optical film sheets together with an adhesive layer from a carrier film, the optical film sheets being continuously supported via the adhesive layer on one of opposite surfaces of a long web of the carrier film which configures an optical film laminate, and laminating the plurality of optical film sheets to one of opposite surfaces of respective ones of a plurality of panel components via the adhesive layer at a predetermined laminating position, the apparatus comprising:

• a laminating unit operating to laminate the optical film sheet to one of opposite surfaces of the panel component via the adhesive layer at the predetermined laminating position;
• a peeling member acting to forwardly feed the optical film sheet to the predetermined laminating position while peeling the optical film sheet together with the adhesive layer from the carrier film by winding the carrier film, the peeling member comprising a tip-end configuring a head portion where another surface of the carrier film is folded to inside and a body where the carrier film is passed around;
• a film leading end detecting unit operating to read a leading end of the optical film sheet establishing a first head-out state where the leading end of the optical film sheet forwardly fed to a leading end detecting position defined between the tip-end of the peeling member and the predetermined laminating position, by winding the carrier film in a state where another surface thereof is folded to inside at the tip-end of the peeling member and the carrier film is passed around the peeling member;
• a carrier film feeding unit interlockingly operating to wind or unwind the carrier film without slacking the carrier film in a state where another surface thereof is folded to inside at the tip-end and the carrier film is passed around the peeling member;
• a panel component conveying unit operating to forwardly feed the panel component to be laminated to the optical film sheet establishing a second head-out state where the leading end of the optical film sheet is forwardly fed from the leading end detecting position to the predetermined laminating position, from a predetermined waiting position to the predetermined laminating position;
• and
• a control means for associating and operating each of the laminating unit, the film leading end detecting unit, the carrier film feeding unit and the panel component conveying unit to laminate the optical film sheet and the panel component via the adhesive layer while further peeling the optical film sheet together with the adhesive layer from the carrier film, when the leading end of the optical film sheet peeled together with the adhesive layer from the carrier film under peeling action of the peeling member, forwardly fed to the leading end detecting position to establish the first head-out state and further forwardly fed to the predetermined laminating position to establish the second head-out state, and the panel component conveyed to the predetermined laminating position arrive at the predetermined laminating position.