CURING METHOD AND CURING APPARATUS FOR COATING FILM, AND OPTICAL FILM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curing method for a coating film capable of enhancing quality (hardness, adhesion property, and the like) of a coating layer by curing the coating film under a low oxygen concentration and suppressing an amount of an inert gas used, a curing apparatus and an optical film. SOLUTION: In the curing method for the coating film, the coating film is cured by irradiating the coating film formed on a surface of a traveling band-like support 16 with UV rays by a UV ray irradiation means 50. In the irradiation method with UV rays, the surface of the support is arranged so as to be opposed to an irradiation surface of the UV ray irradiation means with a predetermined gap, a projection member 56A is extended from a peripheral edge of the irradiation surface toward the support, a closed space is formed between the irradiation surface and the support by the projection member and it is irradiated with UV rays while feeding an inert gas into the closed space. A distal end of the projection member 56A is formed with a resin material having heat-resistance of 150°C or higher or a rubber material having heat-resistance of 150°C or higher and a gap between the distal end of the projection member and the surface of the support is made to 5 mm or shorter. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI