Apparatus and method for manufacturing plated film

Abstract

A conductive surface 5 of a film 4 is plated with copper by allowing the film 4 to pass through a plating solution 7 in a plating bath 6 while conveying the film in a direction indicated by the arrow. Air knife devices 20 A and 20 B are disposed between the plating solution 7 and a next cathode roller 1 B so as to face a conductive surface 5 of the film 4 . The air knife devices 20 A and 20 B remove liquid and moisture on the conductive surface 5 by jetting heated air to the conductive surface 5 drawn out of the plating solution 7 . Accordingly, even when the conductive surface 5 comes in contact with the next cathode roller 1 B, developed silver is not dissolved, thereby preventing the silver contamination of the cathode rollers 1 B and 1 C.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . An apparatus for manufacturing a plated film, in which a plated layer is formed on a conductive surface of a film while the film having the conductive surface is conveyed in a predetermined direction, the apparatus comprising:
 a plating bath which contains a plating solution for forming the plated layer on the film and inside of which an anode is provided and the film is conveyed;   a plurality of cathode rollers being disposed above the plating bath;   a moisture removing device for removing the plating solution and moisture on the conductive surface so that the moisture content of the plated layer of the film is 7 g/m 2  or less right before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller.   
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for manufacturing a plated film, in which a plated layer is formed on a conductive surface of a film while the film having the conductive surface is conveyed in a predetermined direction, the apparatus comprising:
 a plating bath which contains a plating solution for forming the plated layer on the film and inside of which an anode is provided and the film is conveyed;   a plurality of cathode rollers being disposed above the plating bath;   an air knife device for removing the plating solution and moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller.   
   
   
       15 . An apparatus for manufacturing a plated film, in which a plated layer is formed on a conductive surface of a film while the film having the conductive surface is conveyed in a predetermined direction, the apparatus comprising:
 a plating bath which contains a plating solution for forming the plated layer on the film and inside of which an anode is provided and the film is conveyed;   a plurality of cathode rollers being disposed above the plating bath;   a squeeze blade for removing the plating solution and moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller.   
   
   
       16 . An apparatus for manufacturing a plated film, in which a plated layer is formed on a conductive surface of a film while the film having the conductive surface is conveyed in a predetermined direction, the apparatus comprising:
 a plating bath which contains a plating solution for forming the plated layer on the film and inside of which an anode is provided;   a plurality of cathode rollers which is disposed above the plating bath and with which the film that has passed through the plating bath contacts at the side of the conductive surface thereof; and   a water-absorbing roller for removing the plating solution or moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller.   
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the moisture removing device cleans both surfaces of the film and then removes the plating solution and the moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the air knife device cleans both surfaces of the film and then removes the plating solution and the moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the squeeze blade cleans both surfaces of the film and then removes the plating solution and the moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the water-absorbing roller removing device cleans both surfaces of the film and then removes the plating solution and the moisture on the conductive surface before the film that has passed through the plating bath comes in contact with the subsequent cathode roller. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 13  or  17 , wherein the moisture removing device is at least one device selected from:
 a device for jetting heated air or dehumidified air to the plated layer;   a device for bringing a heating roller into contact with the back surface of the film and then jetting heated air or dehumidified air to the plated layer;   a device for heating the plated layer with infrared rays and jetting heated air or dehumidified air to the plated layer; and   a device for jetting heated steam to the back surface of the film and jetting heated air or dehumidified air to the plated layer.   
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of any one of  claims 13  to  20 , wherein the plated film is a light-transmitting conductive film which is formed by patterning a conductive metal portion and a visible-ray transmitting portion on a transparent support member. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the plated film is a light-transmitting conductive film which is formed by patterning a conductive metal portion and a visible-ray transmitting portion on a transparent support member. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the light-transmitting conductive film has the patterned conductive metal portion that is formed of mesh-shaped lines having a size of 1 μm to 40 μm, and the pattern is a 3 m or more continuous mesh pattern. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the light-transmitting conductive film has the patterned conductive metal portion that is formed of mesh-shaped lines having a size of 1 μm to 40 μm, and the pattern is a 3 m or more continuous mesh pattern. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the conductive metal portion is formed of developed silver obtained by developing a silver halide photosensitive material. 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the conductive metal portion is formed of developed silver obtained by developing a silver halide photosensitive material. 
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the conductive metal portion is formed of developed silver obtained by developing a silver halide photosensitive material. 
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the conductive metal portion is formed of developed silver obtained by developing a silver halide photosensitive material. 
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of any one of  claims 13  to  20 , wherein the plated layer is a copper layer. 
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of any one of  claims 13  to  20 , wherein the transparent support member comprises polyimide resin or polyester resin. 
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of any one of  claims 13  to  20 , wherein the anode is provided along the path of the film in the plating bath and comprising a case and a group of copper balls filled therein. 
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of any one of  claims 13  to  20 , wherein plated layer formation is repeated in a plurality of times so as to form a plated layer having a predetermined thickness on the conductive surface of the film. 
   
   
       34 . A method for manufacturing a plated film in which a desired thickness of a plated layer is obtained by repeating plural times a process of bringing a conductive surface of a film into contact with a cathode roller and forming the plated layer on the conductive surface in a plating solution conveying the film having the conductive surface,
 wherein the plating solution and moisture on the plated layer formed on the conductive surface is removed so that the moisture content of the plated layer is 7 g/m 2  or less right before the film that has passed through the plating solution comes in contact with a subsequent cathode roller.