Film peeling method and apparatus for practicing same

A film peeling apparatus comprising:

• a base plate conveyance means for conveying the base plate stuck with the film;
• a base plate centering start position sensor for detecting that the base plate is conveyed forward on the conveyance means and reaches a prescribed position upstream of the position of peeling of the film from the base plate;
• a base plate centering unit which is put into action on the basis of the output from the centering start position sensor for moving the center of the width of the base plate to the center line of the conveyance means;
• a base plate leading edge sensor for detecting a position of a leading edge of the base plate at the film peeling position;
• a film contact tightness reduction means for reducing a contact tightness of a leading edge of the film to said base plate, an operation of said reduction means being started in accordance with the output of the base plate leading edge sensor;
• a fluid blowing means for blowing fluid into gaps between the film end leading edge whose tightness has been reduced by said reduction means and said base plate, to thereby separate the film;
• a support frame on which said reduction means and said fluid blowing means are provided, said support frame being movable in an advance direction of the base plate;
• means for moving said support frame for a prescribed time period in synchronism with the rotation of base plate conveyance rollers so that the conveyance speed of the base plate is kept substantially unchanged during the film tightness reduction operation;
• a film peeling sensor for detecting that the separated film has entered into a film discharge passage;
• and
• a film pinch means for discharging the film while pinching the separated film and peeling the separated film from the base plate;
• wherein said support frame moving means includes a crank means for being driven in synchronism with the rotation of said base plate conveyance rollers;
• and
• wherein said crank means includes a crank member connected at one end to said support frame, and a one-way clutch mechanism for synchronizing, during the film tightness reduction operation, the movement of the crank member and the rotation of the base plate conveyance rollers with each other.