An air-floating thin film bonding apparatus and its air-floating roller is provided. The apparatus is composed of an air-floating rollers, which can blow out airflow at a specific angle to be applied to the base film with three-dimensional obstacles. The positive pressure provided by the airflow can be utilized to fill the gap space caused by the three-dimensional obstacles. Therefore, the base film can bond to the bonding film tightly to overcome the wrinkles and defects caused by the three-dimensional obstacle and the problem of unflatness of the film-bonding can be solved.

An air-floating thin film bonding apparatus and its air-floating roller is provided. The apparatus is composed of an air-floating rollers, which can blow out airflow at a specific angle to be applied to the base film with three-dimensional obstacles. The positive pressure provided by the airflow can be utilized to fill the gap space caused by the three-dimensional obstacles. Therefore, the base film can bond to the bonding film tightly to overcome the wrinkles and defects caused by the three-dimensional obstacle and the problem of unflatness of the film-bonding can be solved.

Methods and apparatus for transporting a flexible substrate are provided. In one embodiment, an air turn is disclosed that includes a body, a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body, and two seals. Each of the two seals are positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone. The second zone and third zone are each positioned outside of a respective seal. The body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body, and a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

A belt-form body conveyor that conveys a belt-form body includes a plurality of non-contact guide portions over which portions of the belt-form body are wound, and that support the belt-form body in a non-contact manner, a drive unit that moves at least one non-contact guide portion out of the plurality of non-contact guide portions, and a control unit that causes the non-contact guide portion to be moved by the drive unit such that a length of a path in which a first edge in a width direction of the belt-form body travels is different from a length of a path in which a second edge which is opposite to the first edge in the width direction of the belt-form body travels.

Methods and apparatus for transporting a flexible substrate are provided. In one embodiment, an air turn is disclosed that includes a body, a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body, and two seals. Each of the two seals are positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone. The second zone and third zone are each positioned outside of a respective seal. The body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body, and a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

A belt-form body conveyor that conveys a belt-form body includes a plurality of non-contact guide portions over which portions of the belt-form body are wound, and that support the belt-form body in a non-contact manner, a drive unit that moves at least one non-contact guide portion out of the plurality of non-contact guide portions, and a control unit that causes the non-contact guide portion to be moved by the drive unit such that a length of a path in which a first edge in a width direction of the belt-form body travels is different from a length of a path in which a second edge which is opposite to the first edge in the width direction of the belt-form body travels.

The present disclosure provides a tension control device including a turn bar which is disposed between an upstream device delivering a belt-shaped web and a downstream device receiving the web and of which a pressing member presses the web and a control unit which feedforward-controls a pressing force applied from the turn bar to the web on the basis of a schedule relating to a conveying speed of the web of any one of the upstream device and the downstream device.

The present disclosure provides a tension control device including a turn bar which is disposed between an upstream device delivering a belt-shaped web and a downstream device receiving the web and of which a pressing member presses the web and a control unit which feedforward-controls a pressing force applied from the turn bar to the web on the basis of a schedule relating to a conveying speed of the web of any one of the upstream device and the downstream device.

Methods and apparatuses for steering flexible glass webs are disclosed. In one embodiment, a steering device for non-contact steering of a glass web having a conveyance direction and a cross direction normal to the conveyance direction includes a fluid injection bar having an elongate axis oriented in a cross direction of the glass web. The steering device also includes a pivot bearing assembly coupled to the fluid injection bar such that the fluid injection bar is pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the glass web, an actuator coupled to the fluid injection bar for adjusting the orientation of the fluid injection bar with respect to the glass web, and an edge detection device positioned proximate to an edge of the glass web for evaluating a position of an edge of the glass web.

A floatation roll supports a work to be conveyed contactlessly using a force applied to the work contactlessly. The floatation roll has a cylindrical shape extending in a direction of width of the work, and at least a surface of the floatation roll facing the work being formed by a circumferential surface. A driving unit rotates the floatation roll in a yaw direction. Of a wrap angle of the work supported by the floatation roll contactlessly, a wrap angle on an entry side with respect to an apex point and a wrap angle on an exit side with respect to the apex point are set to be different.