JP2010036070A - Nozzle location correcting mechanism and applicator equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a nozzle location correcting mechanism which requires no special equipment such as cameras and sensors and enables mechanical location adjustment through a simple configuration and an applicator equipped with it. <P>SOLUTION: The nozzle location correcting mechanism is for correcting the location of a nozzle when the nozzle discharging a liquid material and a piece of work laid on a table are moved relatively by a driving mechanism to apply the liquid material to the surface of the work and includes an adjustment section adjusting the location of the nozzle relative to the driving mechanism, a nozzle insertion hole into which the nozzle is inserted and a location determining member having a contact surface which the chip of the nozzle inserted into the nozzle insertion hole comes into contact with. An applicator having the nozzle location correcting mechanism is also provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a nozzle position correction mechanism and a coating apparatus including the same, and more specifically, a nozzle that discharges a liquid material and a work placed on a table are moved relative to each other by a driving mechanism to cause a liquid on the work surface. The present invention relates to a nozzle position correction mechanism that can correct a nozzle position shift accompanying maintenance work when applying a material.

  When performing operations such as replenishment and maintenance of a liquid material, a discharge device including a nozzle and a storage container may be removed from the coating device. Then, when operations such as replenishment and maintenance of the liquid material are completed, the discharge device is attached to the coating device again. At this time, the position of the discharge port formed at the nozzle tip of the discharge device is mostly shifted from the position before removal. If the application operation is resumed in this state, the liquid material is applied to an undesired position, and as a result, the product to which the liquid material has been applied becomes a defective product. In order to avoid the above situation, various mechanisms and methods for adjusting the nozzle tip position when mounting the ejection device have been proposed.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, in a coating apparatus that applies a liquid material to a substrate surface, a nozzle that is attached to a syringe that stores the liquid material and discharges the liquid material toward the substrate surface, and the nozzle is imaged from the lateral direction Then, from the captured image, a position detector for detecting the height position of the nozzle tip and the amount of positional deviation from the vertical line of the nozzle tip, and the height position and the amount of positional deviation from the position detector. Based on this, there is disclosed a coating device comprising a controller for correcting the position of the syringe.

Patent Document 2 discloses a method for detecting a relative position of a coating nozzle and a coating device provided with an imaging device, in which a coating agent is applied to a test coating surface by the coating nozzle, and the imaging device at that time is applied. The first position, which is the position of the imaging center, is obtained, and the imaging agent applied to the test application surface is then imaged by the imaging device, and the position of the center of the coating agent matches the imaging center of the imaging device And obtaining the difference between the first position and the second position in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction as a value representing the relative position of the coating nozzle to the imaging device. And a method for detecting the relative position between the coating nozzle and the coating nozzle.
The position detection device used in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is a camera, but other optical devices such as a laser displacement meter and a photosensor may be used.
Disabling the provision of such special equipment, manually operating the XYZ drive mechanism on which the discharge device is mounted, visually moving the nozzle tip to the target position such as the application position, and the amount of movement The setting of the application work start position and the like is still being corrected due to the difference.

JP 2000-5679 A JP 2003-142816 A

However, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, special devices such as a camera and a sensor are required to detect the position, and arithmetic processing and control based on the detection result are complicated.
Further, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to perform trial application for position detection, and for this purpose, it is necessary to provide a trial application surface separately.
Furthermore, when the alignment is performed visually, the position varies depending on the operator, and the accuracy is limited. Also, this work was complicated and time consuming.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle position correction mechanism that can adjust the position mechanically with a simple configuration without requiring a special device such as a camera or a sensor, and a coating apparatus including the nozzle position correction mechanism.

The first invention is for correcting the position of the nozzle when applying the liquid material to the work surface by relatively moving the nozzle for discharging the liquid material and the work placed on the table by the drive mechanism. A nozzle position correction mechanism, which adjusts a relative position of the nozzle with respect to the drive mechanism; a nozzle insertion hole through which the nozzle is inserted; and a tip portion of the nozzle inserted through the nozzle insertion hole. A nozzle position correction mechanism comprising a positioning member having an abutting surface in contact therewith.
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the positioning member includes a space forming the contact surface therein, and the nozzle insertion hole communicates the surface of the positioning member with the space. It is provided in.
According to a third invention, in the first invention, the positioning member includes a first member having the nozzle insertion hole and a space forming the contact surface, and is joined to the first member. And 2 members.
According to a fourth invention, in the second or third invention, the space constitutes a window through which the contact surface can be visually recognized.
According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the positioning member is provided with a plurality of nozzle insertion holes having different inner diameters.
According to a sixth invention, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, an end portion of the nozzle insertion hole on the nozzle entry side is formed in a tapered shape.
According to a seventh invention, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, the positioning member is made of a plastic material.

An eighth invention is a nozzle position correcting mechanism according to any one of the first to seventh inventions, an ejection device having a nozzle for ejecting a liquid material, a table for placing a work to which the liquid material is applied, and a nozzle And a drive mechanism for relatively moving the workpiece and the workpiece, and a control unit.
According to a ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the control unit grasps the position of the positioning member as a relative position with respect to a reference position of the drive mechanism.

According to the present invention, since positioning is performed mechanically without using a special device such as a camera or a sensor, the configuration can be simplified, and there is no variation in work accuracy by the operator.
Further, since complicated calculation processing and control are not performed, the nozzle position can be adjusted in a short time, and there is no need to correct the setting of the application work start position and the like.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below.
[Positioning member]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a positioning member 101 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. In the configuration example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the positioning member 101 includes two members, a fitting member 102 and a contact member 103. The fitting member 102 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is provided so that a hole 104 through which a tip portion of a nozzle 707 included in the discharge device 705 is inserted penetrates from the upper surface to the lower surface.
The hole 104 is formed to have a slightly larger diameter than the nozzle 707 and has a depth sufficient to correct the displacement of the nozzle 707 (for example, 1/3 to 1/2 of the length of the nozzle). The hole 104 is provided with a tapered portion 105 at the edge on the nozzle entry side. In other words, the entrance portion of the hole 104 has a truncated cone shape, and a cylindrical shape extends from the tip of the truncated cone to the exit portion. By providing the tapered portion 105 in this way, the nozzle 707 can be more easily inserted when the tip of the nozzle 707 is fitted into the hole 104 by the adjusting mechanism 301 described later. The fitting member 102 is preferably made of a plastic material (for example, polyetheretherketone) having excellent thermal properties (particularly expansion and contraction). This is because, firstly, by suppressing expansion and contraction due to heat, it is possible to minimize the error in nozzle position correction caused by heat. This is because there is a possibility of damaging the nozzle 707 when inserted into the nozzle 104. If such an object can be achieved, only a part of the positioning member 101 (for example, only the fitting member 102) may be made of a plastic material.
The shape of the hole 104 may be formed in accordance with the shape of the nozzle 707 and is not limited to a cylindrical shape.

The contact member 103 has a recessed shape having a recessed portion 108 in the center, and the bottom surface of the recessed portion 108 constitutes the contact surface 106 that abuts the surface on which the discharge port of the nozzle 707 is formed. When the contact surface 106 is provided with a gap between the contact member 103 and the fitting member 102, the nozzle 707 is fitted by the adjusting mechanism 301 described later and the tip of the nozzle is abutted against the contact surface. But it can be confirmed (role of windows). 1 and 2, the two members (102, 103) are fixed by a fastening member such as a screw 107 to constitute the positioning member 101. Since the fitting member 102 and the contact member 103 are formed of different members, the liquid material adheres to the inner edge or the outer edge of the hole 104, or the diameter of the nozzle 707 is changed. In some cases, it is possible to remove only the fitting member 102 without removing the entire positioning member 101 and perform cleaning or replacement with other parts.
However, the two parts (102, 103) may not be formed of separate members, and the hole 104 into which the nozzle 707 is fitted and the contact surface 106 with which the nozzle tip comes into contact may be provided in one member. Further, the recess 108 is not an essential configuration and may not be provided.

  The positioning member 101 is disposed at a position (position at a coordinate specified from the reference position) relatively determined with respect to a reference position (for example, the origin) of the drive mechanism (702, 703, 704). For example, the positioning member 101 is disposed at a position that does not overlap the application target 708 on the table 710, but may be installed anywhere as long as the nozzle 707 is movable. Since the positioning member 101 is fixedly arranged at a specific position, if the position of the nozzle 707 is adjusted by the positioning member 101, the position of the nozzle 707 can be adjusted to the position (coordinates) stored in the control unit. Then, since the relationship between the position-adjusted nozzle 707 and the application position on the workpiece is as indicated by the position (coordinates) stored in the control unit, the application start position specifying operation is not necessary.

Further, by providing a relatively deep (long) linear hole in the fitting member 102 of the positioning member 101 in parallel with the straight line perpendicular to the workpiece surface, the vertical axis of the nozzle center axis when the nozzle 707 is replaced is provided. Deviations from straight lines (such as tilt) can be corrected. In the present invention, when the nozzle 707 is adjusted to a position where the tip portion of the nozzle 707 abuts against the contact surface of the contact member 103, the position in the Z-axis direction (height from the reference surface) of the tip portion of the nozzle 707. Are always the same, so there is no need to change the clearance setting required to apply on the workpiece. Therefore, it is easy to cope with variations in the shape of the nozzle tip portion due to the type of nozzle 707 and manufacturing errors.
As described above, by using the positioning member 101 of the present invention, the position can be easily aligned without changing the setting of the application position of the nozzle 707 and the clearance with the workpiece automatically or manually.

[Adjustment mechanism]
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the adjustment mechanism 301 according to the present invention, and FIG. 4A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a top view, and FIG. 4C is a left side view. Here, the directions of the X, Y, and Z axes are the directions of the coordinate axes indicated by reference numeral 302 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the adjustment mechanism 301 is installed between a discharge device 705 (shown by a dotted line) and a connection member 303 attached to a Z-axis drive mechanism 704 (shown by a dotted line). The adjustment mechanism 301 includes an X-direction adjustment unit 304, a Y-direction adjustment unit 305, and a Z-direction adjustment unit 306. Each adjustment unit (304, 305, 306) includes a slide guide (307, 308, 309) and a slide. It consists of members (310, 311, 312). Each slide guide (307, 308, 309) is attached so that each slide member (310, 311, 312) can be moved in each direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. It can be moved in the direction.

In addition, a clamp plate (313, 314, 315) and a clamp screw (316, 317, 318) for fixing each adjustment unit at an arbitrary position are attached to each adjustment unit (304, 305, 306). Yes. The clamp plate (313) is provided so as to cross between the slide member and the connection member, and the clamp plates (314, 315) are provided so as to cross between the two slide members. One of the clamp plates (313, 314, 315) is fixed by a fixing screw 319, and the other is fixed by a clamp screw (316, 317, 318). On the clamp screw (316, 317, 318) side of the clamp plate (313, 314, 315), an oval hole 320 corresponding to the moving direction is formed. The clamp screw (316, 317, 318) is composed of a large-diameter knob portion and a small-diameter screw portion, and the screw portion is inserted with a slight gap with respect to the width of the hole 320. The tip of the part is screwed into the slide member or connecting member.
The functions of the clamp plates (313, 314, 315) and the clamp screws (316, 317, 318) will be described below by taking the Z-direction adjusting unit 306 as an example. When the Z clamp screw 318 is loosened, the force sandwiching the Z clamp plate 315 between the knob portion of the Z clamp screw 318 and the Y slide member 311 is loosened, and the Z slide member 312 on the fixing screw 319 side can move. . On the contrary, when the Z clamp screw 318 is tightened, the Z clamp plate 315 is sandwiched between the knob portion of the Z clamp screw 318 and the Y slide member 311 to restrict the movement, and the Z slide member 312 is fixed. The Z slide member 312 is movable within the length of the oval hole 320 opened in the Z clamp plate 315.

[Correction procedure]
A procedure for correcting the position of the nozzle 707 using the positioning member 101 and the adjustment mechanism 301 will be described below. In the following, for convenience of explanation, a reference numeral may be attached, but a procedure limited to the configuration of the drawing corresponding to the reference sign is not described.
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the first correction procedure of the present invention.
First, the discharge device 705 having a nozzle is attached to the drive mechanism (702, 703, 704) of the coating device 701 via the adjustment mechanism 301 (STEP 11). Here, the nozzle 707 is moved upward in the Z direction by the adjustment mechanism 301 (STEP 12). This is to prevent the tip of the nozzle 707 from colliding with the positioning member 101 when the nozzle 707 is moved in the next step. Next, the nozzle 707 is moved to the preset position of the positioning member 101 (XYZ positioning position) using the drive mechanism (702, 703, 704) (STEP 13). The positioning position is not changed once set, and the adjustment / change of the position of the nozzle 707 is performed using the adjustment mechanism 301 (STEPs 14 to 15). When the nozzle 707 is moved above the positioning member 101, first, the position of the tip of the nozzle 707 is adjusted using the adjustment units 304 and 305 in the X and Y directions so that the tip of the nozzle 707 is aligned with the position of the hole 104 of the fitting member. Tweak the. When this alignment is completed, the clamp screws 316 and 317 are tightened to fix the X and Y direction adjusting portions (STEP 14). Subsequently, the nozzle 707 is inserted into the hole 104 of the fitting member using the Z-direction adjusting unit 306 and is lowered until the tip of the nozzle 707 hits the contact surface 106. At this time, it may be performed while visually checking the tip of the nozzle 707. The clamp screw 318 is tightened at the abutted position to fix the Z-direction adjusting unit 306 (STEP 15). The nozzle 707 is removed from the hole 104 of the fitting member, and the coating operation is started (STEP 16).

As another method, the position of the nozzle 707 can be adjusted by the following procedure.
FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the second correction procedure of the present invention.
First, the discharge device 705 having the nozzle 707 is attached to the drive mechanism (702, 703, 704) of the coating device 701 via the adjustment mechanism 301 (STEP 21). Next, the nozzle 707 is moved to the X and Y positions excluding the Z position among the preset XYZ positioning positions using the drive mechanism (702, 703) (STEP 22). When the nozzle moves above the positioning member 101, the position of the tip of the nozzle 707 is finely adjusted using the adjustment units 304 and 305 in the X and Y directions so that the tip position of the nozzle 707 matches the position of the hole 104 of the fitting member. adjust. When this alignment is completed, the clamp screws 316 and 317 are tightened to fix the X and Y direction adjusting portions (STEP 23). Subsequently, only the movement to the Z position among the preset XYZ positioning positions is performed halfway using the drive mechanism (704) (STEP 24). In STEP 24, the nozzle 707 inserted halfway into the hole 104 of the fitting member is lowered using the Z-direction adjusting unit 306 until the tip of the nozzle 707 hits the contact surface 106. At this time, it may be performed while visually checking the tip of the nozzle 707. The clamp screw 318 is tightened at the abutted position to fix the Z-direction adjusting portion (STEP 25). The nozzle 707 is removed from the hole 104 of the fitting member, and the coating operation is started (STEP 26).
In the above, two procedures are illustrated, but as long as the positioning member 101 and the adjustment mechanism 301 are used, the procedure is not limited to the above two procedures, and other procedures may be used.

  Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the examples.

[Coating equipment]
As shown in FIG. 7, the coating apparatus 701 according to this embodiment includes an X drive mechanism 702, a Y drive mechanism 703, a Z drive mechanism 704, a discharge device 705, and a control unit 709 that controls these operations. ing.
The X drive mechanism 702 is provided with a Z drive mechanism 704. On the Y drive mechanism 703, a table 710 on which the application object 708 is placed is provided. The discharge device 705 includes a storage container 706 that stores a liquid material, and a nozzle 707 that discharges the liquid material at the tip thereof. Although the combination of the storage container 706 and the nozzle 707 is shown as the discharge device 705, any device may be used as long as it has the nozzle 707.
The adjustment mechanism 301 is disposed between the Z drive mechanism 704 and the discharge device 705. At this time, the adjustment mechanism 301, the Z-axis drive mechanism 704, and the discharge device 705 are not attached in series in the Y direction, but the discharge device 705 is arranged at a position in the X direction of the adjustment mechanism 301 (for example, the slide member 312). It is preferable to make it. As a result, the adjustment mechanism 301 can be easily operated. Further, by disposing the discharge device 705 in the X direction of the adjustment mechanism 301, the distance from the X-axis drive mechanism 702 is shortened, and Z is more than in the case where the discharge device 705 and the adjustment mechanism 301 are disposed in series in the Y direction. The load that deflects the shaft driving mechanism 704 can be reduced.

  The positioning member 101 is disposed at a position that does not overlap the application target object 708 on the table 710. In this embodiment, the positioning member 101 is provided on the table 710. However, the positioning member 101 is not necessarily provided on the table 710, and may be installed anywhere within the movable range of the nozzle 707. Further, when the contact member 103 is provided on the table 710, the contact member 103 may be provided integrally with the table 710, and only the fitting member 102 may be detachable. Regardless of the installation method, the positioning member 101 is positioned relative to the reference position (for example, the origin) of the drive mechanism (702, 703, 704) (the position at the coordinates specified from the reference position). ). In order to ensure the reproducibility of the mounting position at the time of replacement or the like, it is preferable to process the mounting surface with high precision or to provide a positioning pin (not shown).

  In the coating operation, first, the prepared discharge device 705 is installed in the coating device 701. Thereafter, the position of the nozzle 707 is adjusted by the method described above. Then, the application object 708 is placed on the table 710 and fixed. Next, it moves below the nozzle 707 to start application. When the application is completed, the table 710 and the discharge device 705 are moved to the standby positions by the drive mechanisms (702, 703, 704), and the application operation for one application object 708 is completed. When the application operation is continued for a plurality of application objects 708, the already applied application object 708 is replaced with an unapplied application object 708, and the above operation is repeated. In addition, when the discharge device 705 is removed and attached to perform operations such as replenishing the liquid material or replacing the nozzle 707, the nozzle position adjustment described above is performed, and the above operation is resumed.

[Configuration example in which a plurality of holes are provided in the positioning member]
In the first embodiment, the number of the holes 104 into which the nozzles of the positioning member 101 are fitted is one. However, in order to correspond to a plurality of types of nozzle diameters assumed to be used, a plurality of holes (805 to 809 having different inner diameters are used. ) May be provided. FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration.
A positioning member 801 shown in FIG. 8 includes two members, a fitting member 802 and an abutting member 803, as in the first embodiment. The fitting member 802 is provided with a hole 805 in the center for fitting the most used nozzle. On the right side, holes (806, 807) having a larger diameter than the central hole 805 are provided, and holes (808, 809) having a smaller diameter than the central hole 805 are provided on the left side. Each hole (805-809) is provided with a tapered portion 810 similar to that described above in accordance with the diameter of the hole. Thus, by providing a plurality of types of holes (805 to 809) in advance, it is possible to cope with changes in the liquid material and changes in the desired amount of application without replacing the positioning member 801. Moreover, if the nozzle diameter to be used is determined in advance, a hole into which the nozzle is fitted may be provided. The contact surface 804 formed on the contact member 803 is formed corresponding to the number of holes (805 to 809).

The present invention can be implemented in various apparatuses that discharge a liquid material from a nozzle.
As an example, not only an air type that applies a regulated air to a liquid material in a storage container having a nozzle at the tip for a desired time, but also, for example, a tubing type that has a flat tubing mechanism or a rotary tubing mechanism, a tip A plunger type that moves a desired amount of a plunger that slides in close contact with the inner surface of a storage container having a nozzle to discharge, a screw type that discharges a liquid material by rotating a screw, and a liquid material to which a desired pressure is applied. The present invention can also be applied to a valve-type apparatus that controls discharge by opening and closing, and a jet-type apparatus that causes a valve element to collide with a valve seat and fly and discharge liquid material from the nozzle tip.

It is a schematic perspective view of the positioning member which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of the positioning member which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the adjustment mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a three-view figure of the adjustment mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart of the 1st correction | amendment procedure which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart of the 2nd correction | amendment procedure which concerns on this invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a coating apparatus according to Example 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a positioning member according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

101 Positioning member 102 Fitting member (first member)
103 Contact member (second member)
104 holes (nozzle insertion holes)
105 Tapered part 106 Contact surface 107 Screw 108 Recessed part (space)
301 Adjustment mechanism 302 Coordinate axis 303 Connection member 304 X direction adjustment unit 305 Y direction adjustment unit 306 Z direction adjustment unit 307 X slide guide 308 Y slide guide 309 Z slide guide 310 X slide member 311 Y slide member 312 Z slide member 313 X clamp Plate 314 Y clamp plate 315 Z clamp plate 316 X clamp screw 317 Y clamp screw 318 Z clamp screw 319 Fixing screw 320 Oval hole 701 Coating device 702 X drive mechanism 703 Y drive mechanism 704 Z drive mechanism 705 Discharge device 706 Storage container (Syringe)
707 Nozzle 708 Application object 709 Control unit 710 Table 801 Positioning member 802 Fitting member 803 Contact member 804 Contact surface 805 Center hole 806, 807 Large diameter hole 808, 809 Small diameter hole 810 Taper part

Claims (9)

This is a nozzle position correcting mechanism for correcting the position of the nozzle when the nozzle that discharges the liquid material and the work placed on the table are moved relative to each other by the drive mechanism to apply the liquid material to the work surface. And
An adjustment unit for adjusting the relative position of the nozzle with respect to the drive mechanism;
A nozzle position correcting mechanism comprising: a nozzle insertion hole through which the nozzle is inserted; and a positioning member having a contact surface that comes into contact with a tip portion of the nozzle inserted through the nozzle insertion hole. The positioning member includes a space forming the contact surface therein,
The nozzle position correcting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle insertion hole is provided to communicate with one surface of the positioning member and the space.   The positioning member includes a first member having the nozzle insertion hole and a second member that includes a space that forms the contact surface and is joined to the first member. Item 2. A nozzle position correction mechanism according to Item 1.   The nozzle position correcting mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the space constitutes a window through which the contact surface can be visually recognized from the outside.   5. The nozzle position correcting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the positioning member is provided with a plurality of nozzle insertion holes having different inner diameters.   The nozzle position correcting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the nozzle insertion hole on a nozzle entering side is formed in a tapered shape.   The nozzle position correcting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the positioning member is made of a plastic material.   8. The nozzle position correcting mechanism according to claim 1, a discharge device having a nozzle for discharging a liquid material, a table on which a work to which the liquid material is applied is placed, and the nozzle and the work are moved relative to each other. A coating apparatus comprising: a drive mechanism that causes the controller to be controlled; and a control unit.   The coating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit grasps the position of the positioning member as a relative position with respect to a reference position of the drive mechanism.