Space-saving optical functional film lamination apparatus

A lamination apparatus for laminating a sheet of a first optical functional film and a sheet of a second optical functional film respectively with each of opposite surfaces of a panel member, comprising:

• a panel member conveying line, having an entrance part of the panel member, and an exit part of the panel member which each of opposite surfaces is laminated with the sheets of the first and second optical functional films respectively for conveying the panel member from the entrance part to the exit part;
• a first lamination unit provided between the entrance part and the exit part of the panel member conveying line;
• a second lamination unit provided between the entrance part and the exit part of the panel member conveying line, at the exit part side of the first lamination unit;
• a first film conveying line having a first film supplying unit for supplying a first optical film laminate in which the first optical functional film is laminated on a first carrier film from a transverse direction with respect to the panel member conveying line between the first lamination unit and the second lamination unit, a first direction change unit for changing a conveying direction of the first optical film laminate supplied from the first film supplying unit toward the first lamination unit, a first pre-direction-change conveying unit for conveying the first optical film laminate from the first film supplying unit to the first direction change unit, and a first post-direction-change conveying unit for conveying the first optical film laminate from the first direction change unit to the first lamination unit;
• a second film conveying line having a second film supplying unit arranged in parallel with the first film supplying unit for supplying a second optical film laminate in which the second optical functional film is laminated on a second carrier film from a transverse direction with respect to the panel member conveying line between the first film supplying unit and the first lamination unit, a second direction change unit for changing a conveying direction of the second optical film laminate supplied from the second film supplying unit toward the second lamination unit, a second pre-direction-change conveying unit for conveying the second optical film laminate from the second film supplying unit to the second direction change unit, and a second post-direction-change conveying unit for conveying the second optical film laminate from the second direction change unit to the second lamination unit;
• a first laminating means provided in the first lamination unit for laminating the sheet of the first optical functional film peeled from the first carrier film with one of opposite surfaces of the panel member conveyed to the first lamination unit, and
• a second laminating means provided in the second lamination unit for laminating the sheet of the second optical functional film peeled from the second carrier film with the other of opposite surfaces of the panel member conveyed to the second lamination unit.