System and method for peeling a polarized film
AssigneesSharp Microelectronics Technology, Inc., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorGary F. Stadtmueller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polarizer film tool, for removal of polarizer film from an LCD panel, is provided. The tool includes a take-up cylinder whose rotational action pulls the film from the LCD and wraps the removed film around itself. Two padded rotating stabilization cylinders guide the LCD in a preferred path through the tool to equally distribute the force used to hold the LCD as the polarizer film is pulled from its surface. The padded cylinders allow for deviations in the preferred path to accommodate any discrete parts mounted on the LCD that have a higher profile than the LCD surface. A method for removing the polarizer film with the above-mentioned tool is also provided.
Claims14
A system for peeling a sheet of polarizer film adhered to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, the system comprising:
- a take-up roller having a rotational axis and a surface to accept polarizer film as it is peeled, with the rotation of said take-up roller peeling the polarizer from the LCD and advancing the position of the LCD panel along a first plane tangent to said take-up roller surface;
- at least one alignment roller having a rotational axis parallel to the rotational axis of said take-up roller, and including a cylindrical non-compressible core with a surface, and a cushioned tube having an inside surface adjoining said core and an outside surface, said first alignment roller aligning the LCD in the first plane, which is tangent to the compressed outside surface of said cushioned tube when the polarizer film is engaged with said take-up roller, whereby alignment in the first plane helps distribute forces on the LCD more equally as the polarizer is peeled.
In a system including a take-up roller and at least one alignment roller having a rotational axis parallel to the rotational axis of the take-up roller, and including a cylindrical non-compressible core with a surface, and a cushioned tube having an inside surface adjoining the core and an outside surface, a method for peeling polarizer film adhered to an LCD panel comprising the steps of:
- a) engaging the polarizer film with the take-up roller;
- b) aligning the LCD on a first plane tangent to the take-up roller and to the compressed outside surface of the first alignment roller cushioned tube;
- c) rotating the take-up roller;
- and
- d) simultaneously wrapping polarizer film peeled from the LCD around the take-up roller, and pulling the LCD along the first plane past the take-up roller, whereby the alignment roller helps distribute the forces on the LCD as the polarizer is peeled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.