Apparatus For and Method of Manufacturing Photosensitive Laminated Bod

1 . An apparatus for manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, comprising:

a web reel-out mechanism for reeling out an elongate photosensitive web comprising a support, a photosensitive material layer disposed on said support, and a protective film disposed on said photosensitive material layer, said protective film having a peel-off section and a residual section;

a processing mechanism for forming a processed region which is transversely severable in said protective film of said elongate photosensitive web which has been reeled out by said web reel-out mechanism, at a boundary position between said peel-off section and said residual section;

a peeling mechanism ( 44 ) for peeling said peel-off section off from said elongate photosensitive web, leaving said residual section;

a substrate feed mechanism for feeding a substrate which has been heated to a predetermined temperature to a joining position;

a joining mechanism for positioning said residual section between said substrates and joining an exposed area of said photosensitive material layer from which said peel-off section is peeled off, to said substrate in said joining position, for producing a joined substrate;

a detecting mechanism disposed closely to said joining position, for directly detecting said boundary position of said elongate photosensitive web or a detecting mark disposed on said elongate photosensitive web in association with said boundary position; and

a control mechanism for adjusting a relative position of said boundary position and said substrate win said joining position, based on boundary position information detected by said detecting mechanism.

2 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said detecting mechanism is disposed upstream of and closely to said joining position.

3 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir mechanism disposed between said processing mechanism and said peeling mechanism, for changing speed or state at which said elongate photosensitive web is fed.

4 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a tension control mechanism disposed between said peeling mechanism and said joining mechanism, for applying tension to said elongate photosensitive web.

5 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cutting mechanism disposed downstream of said joining mechanism, for cutting off said elongate photosensitive web between said substrates.

6 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a support peeling mechanism disposed downstream of said joining mechanism, for peeling said support off from said joined substrate.

7 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said joining mechanism comprises:

a pair of rubber rollers which is heated to a predetermined temperature; and

a roller clamp unit for moving one of said rubber rollers back and forth;

said roller clamp unit comprising:

a cylinder for applying a clamping pressure to said one of said rubber rollers; and

a cam movable by an actuator for moving said cylinder back and forth.

8 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a preheating unit disposed upstream of and closely to said joining mechanism, for preheating said elongate photosensitive web to a predetermined temperature.

9 . A method of manufacturing a photosensitive laminated body, comprising the steps of:

reeling out an elongate photosensitive web comprising a support, a photosensitive material layer disposed on said support, and a protective film disposed on said photosensitive material layer, said protective film having a peel-off section and a residual section;

forming a processed region which is transversely severable in said protective film of said elongate photosensitive web which has been reeled out, at a boundary position between said peel-off section and said residual section;

peeling said peel-off section off from said elongate photosensitive web, leaving said residual section;

obtaining boundary position information by directly detecting said boundary position of said elongate photosensitive web or detecting a mark disposed on said elongate photosensitive web in association with said boundary position;

feeding a substrate which has been heated to a predetermined temperature to a joining position;

adjusting a relative position of said boundary position and said substrate in said joining position, based on said obtained boundary position information; and

positioning said residual section between said substrates and joining said photosensitive material layer from which said peel-off section is peeled off, to said substrate in said joining position, for producing a joined substrate.

10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein said boundary position information is obtained upstream of and closely to said joining position.

11 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

intermittently feeding said elongate photosensitive web through said processing mechanism; and

thereafter, continuously feeding said elongate photosensitive web through reservoir mechanism, in a peeling mechanism and subsequently thereto.

12 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of applying tension to said elongate photosensitive web between said step of peeling said peel-off section and said step of joining exposed area of said photosensitive material layers.

13 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

cutting off said elongate photosensitive web between said substrates after said step of joining exposed areas of said photosensitive material layer; and

thereafter, peeling said support from said joined substrate to produce a photosensitive laminated assembly.

14 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of continuously or intermittently peeling said support from said joined substrate to produce a photosensitive laminated assembly after said step of joining exposed areas of said photosensitive material layer.

15 . A method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of preheating said elongate photosensitive web to a predetermined temperature before said step of joining exposed areas of said photosensitive material layer.