CN113156713B

CN113156713B - Optical alignment device and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN113156713B
Application number: CN202110386611.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 赵仁堂
Original assignee: TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-04-12
Filing date: 2021-04-12
Publication date: 2022-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-12
Also published as: CN113156713A

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses an optical alignment device and a control method thereof, wherein the optical alignment device comprises the following steps: aligning a light source; a first driving device; the polaroid is connected with the first driving device so as to move between a first position and a second position relative to the alignment light source; the machine table is positioned below the alignment light source; when the polaroid is located at the first position, the polaroid is located between the alignment light source and the machine and is opposite to the alignment light source; by driving the polarizer to be located at the third position, a polarized alignment light source can be provided, and by driving the polarizer to be located at the fourth position, the polarized alignment light source can be normally aligned, so that the method can be suitable for different optical alignment modes.

Description

Optical alignment device and control method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of display, and in particular, to an optical alignment apparatus and a control method thereof.

Background

The display panel with polymer stabilized vertical alignment (PS-VA) alignment has high contrast, the display panel with In-Plane Switching (IPS) viewing angle is wide, and the display panel with UV-induced multi-domain vertical alignment (UV 2A) has high yield.

However, in the current production mode of the display panel industry, due to the limitation of the alignment equipment, only one alignment technology panel can be produced in one production line, which results in the limitation of the application of the alignment technology of the display panel.

Therefore, in the existing photo-alignment device technology, there is a problem that the photo-alignment device can only provide one light source and can only adapt to one photo-alignment mode, and an improvement is urgently needed.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention relates to a photo-alignment device and a control method thereof, which are used for solving the problem that the photo-alignment device in the prior art can only provide one light source and can only adapt to one photo-alignment mode.

In order to solve the above problems, the technical scheme provided by the invention is as follows:

the invention provides a light alignment device, comprising:

aligning a light source;

a first driving device;

the polaroid is connected with the first driving device so as to move between a first position and a second position relative to the alignment light source;

the machine platform is positioned below the alignment light source;

when the polaroid is located at the first position, the polaroid is located between the alignment light source and the machine and is opposite to the alignment light source.

In some embodiments, the first driving device includes a first body and a first connection shaft rotatably connected to the first body, and the polarizer is connected to the first connection shaft to move between the first position and the second position.

In some embodiments, further comprising a second driving device and a uv mask connected to the second driving device to move between a third position and a fourth position for the alignment light source; when the ultraviolet mask is located at the third position and the polaroid is located at the first position, the ultraviolet mask is located between the polaroid and the machine and is opposite to the polaroid.

In some embodiments, the second driving device includes a second body and a second connecting shaft movably connected to the second body, and the ultraviolet mask is connected to the second connecting shaft to move between the third position and the fourth position.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a third driving device and a slide rail, the stage is slidably mounted on the slide rail, and the stage is connected to the third driving device to slide in a horizontal direction with respect to the alignment light source.

In some embodiments, the third driving device includes a third body and a third connecting shaft movably connected to the third body, and the stage is connected to the third connecting shaft to be in a static state or a moving state relative to the alignment light source.

In some embodiments, the alignment light source further includes a fourth driving device, the alignment light source includes a box and a plurality of lamps, the box includes a housing and a plurality of reflective plates, the plurality of reflective plates are connected to the fourth driving device to move between a fifth position and a sixth position, when the plurality of reflective plates are located at the fifth position and the polarizer is located at the first position, the plurality of reflective plates and the housing enclose a plurality of receiving cavities and a plurality of openings, each opening communicates with a corresponding receiving cavity and faces the machine, and each lamp is received in the corresponding receiving cavity; when the plurality of reflecting plates are located at the fifth position and the polaroid is located at the first position, the polaroid shields the opening.

In some embodiments, the fourth driving device includes a fourth body and a fourth rotating shaft rotatably connected to the fourth body, and the plurality of reflective plates are connected to the fourth rotating shaft to move between the fifth position and the sixth position.

The present application further provides a method for controlling an optical alignment apparatus, which is applied to the optical alignment apparatus described above, and includes:

receiving a control signal;

controlling the first driving device, the second driving device and the third driving device according to the control signal to enable the optical alignment device to be in a first state, a second state or a third state;

when the optical alignment device is in the first state, the polarizer is located at the second position, the ultraviolet mask is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflecting plates are located at the fifth position, and the machine table is in a moving state; when the optical alignment device is in the second state, the polarizer is located at the first position, the ultraviolet mask is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflecting plates are located at the fifth position, and the machine is in the motion state; when the optical alignment device is in a third state, the polarizer is located at the first position, the ultraviolet mask is located at the third position, the plurality of reflecting plates are located at the fifth position, and the machine is in the moving state.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: the controller is electrically connected to the first driving device, the second driving device, the third driving device and the fourth driving device, the memory is used for storing instructions, and the controller is used for executing the instructions to realize the control method of the optical alignment device.

Compared with the prior art, the optical alignment device provided by the invention comprises: aligning a light source; a first driving device; the polaroid is connected with the first driving device so as to move between a first position and a second position relative to the alignment light source; the machine table is positioned below the alignment light source; when the polaroid is located at the first position, the polaroid is located between the alignment light source and the machine and is opposite to the alignment light source; by driving the polarizer to be located at the third position, a polarized alignment light source can be provided, and by driving the polarizer to be located at the fourth position, the polarized alignment light source can be normally aligned, so that the method can be suitable for different optical alignment modes.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a scene of a photoalignment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an optical alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first structure of a light alignment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 (a) is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 (b) is a schematic diagram of a third structure of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (a) is a first flowchart of a control method of an optical alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (b) is a second flowchart of the control method of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (c) is a third flow chart of the control method of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (d) is a fourth flowchart illustrating a control method of an optical alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (e) is a fifth flowchart illustrating a control method of an optical alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (f) is a sixth flowchart illustrating a control method of an optical alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, and not restrictive of the full scope of the invention. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", and the like, indicate orientations or positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, merely for convenience of description and simplification of the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed in a particular orientation, and be operated, and thus, are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically defined otherwise.

The present invention provides an optical alignment apparatus and a control method thereof, and particularly, refer to fig. 1 to 5 (f).

In the production mode of the current display panel industry, due to the limitation of alignment equipment, one production line can only produce a panel of one alignment technology, so that the application of the alignment technology of the display panel is limited, and one optical alignment device can only provide one light source and can only adapt to the problem of one optical alignment mode. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a photo-alignment device and a control method thereof to solve the above problems.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a scene of a photo-alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an optical alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a first structure of an optical alignment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one aspect, the present invention provides a photo-alignment device 1, where the photo-alignment device 1 includes: aligning a light source; a first driving device; a polarizer 144 connected to the first driving device to move between a first position and a second position relative to the alignment light source; a machine table 121 located below the alignment light source; when the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the polarizer 144 is located between the alignment light source and the machine 121 and faces the alignment light source; when the polarizer 144 is located at the second position, the polarizer 144 is not located between the alignment light source and the stage 121.

It is understood that from a control point of view the photoalignment device comprises: a control unit 11, a transmission unit 12, a detection unit 13, and an illumination unit 14; the control unit 11 is configured to control all action processes of the photo-alignment apparatus 1 to ensure that the photo-alignment apparatus 1 completes various alignment processes; the transmission unit 12 is composed of a machine table 121, a slide rail 122 and a preset rail; the detection unit 13 is configured to detect a current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus, and feed back the detected current alignment mode to the control unit 11, so that the control unit 11 controls the optical alignment apparatus 1 to call corresponding components to adapt to the current alignment mode; the alignment light source is the illumination unit 14, and is configured to provide different light sources, so that the display panel can complete multiple optical alignment modes; the light source 141 is an ultraviolet light source, and the light source 141 may be an ultraviolet light source composed of a plurality of lamps or an ultraviolet lamp box; the first driving device is used for driving the polarizer 144, and controlling the first driving device to move the position of the polarizer 144 according to different photo-alignment modes so as to adapt to the different photo-alignment modes; the polarizer is used for converting a multi-directional light source into a unidirectional light source, and the polarizer 144 is connected to the first driving device to move between the first position and the second position relative to the alignment light source; the machine table is positioned below the alignment light source and used for bearing the display panel to be aligned; when the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the polarizer 144 is located between the alignment light source and the machine 121 and faces the alignment light source, that is, the first position is that the polarizer 144 is located right below the alignment light source; when the polarizer 144 is located at the second position, the polarizer 144 is not located between the alignment light source and the machine 121, that is, the polarizer 144 is not located below the alignment light source at the second position, at this time, the light source received by the display panel to be aligned is directly the alignment light source in multiple directions, and the polarizer 144 does not block the light emitted by the alignment light source.

Further, since the light source 141 is composed of a plurality of lamps or an integral light box, the number of the reflection plate 142 at least includes two, including but not limited to two, for example, in an embodiment, when the light source 141 is a plurality of the lamps, the reflection plate 142 may be disposed only at the outer sides of the two outermost lamps among the light sources 141, see fig. 4 (a); in another embodiment, the light source 141 is a plurality of lamps, and the reflective plate 142 'includes a plurality of pieces disposed at the outer sides of both ends of the entire light source 141 and between two adjacent lamps, so that the light source emitted from each lamp is more focused, and it is preferable to dispose a plurality of reflective plates 142' in the illumination unit 14 to increase the focusing performance of the light source 141, see fig. 4 (b).

Further, in one embodiment, the polarizer 144 is an integral polarizer, that is, the length of the polarizer 144 along the second direction X is less than or equal to the length of the alignment light source along the second direction X, as shown in fig. 4 (a); in another embodiment, the polarizer 144 is a segmented polarizer, that is, the length of the polarizer 144 along the second direction X is less than or equal to the length of each of the cavities along the second direction X; the polarizer 144 is preferably the segmented polarizer, such that the polarizer 144 is moved between the first position and the second position, see FIG. 4 (b).

Further, the first driving device includes a first body and a first connection shaft rotatably connected to the first body, and the polarizer is connected to the first connection shaft to move between the first position and the second position.

Wherein the first driving device is a driving device which converts other potential energy (for example, electric energy, solar energy, chemical energy and the like) into kinetic energy, thereby changing the motion state of some objects. In some embodiments, the first driving device may be a motor, such as a spindle motor, which drives some static objects (e.g., the polarizer in the present invention) by converting electric energy into kinetic energy to change the position or state of some static objects.

It is understood that the first driving device includes a first body and a first connecting shaft rotatably connected to the first body, the first body is used for driving the first connecting shaft and a component connected with the first connecting shaft to move; the polarizer 144 is connected to the first connection shaft to move between the first position and the second position, that is, the polarizer 144 is connected to one end of the first connection shaft, and the first connection shaft and the polarizer 144 are driven by the first body to move, so that the polarizer 144 is in the first position and the second position. When the polarizer 144 is at the first position, the alignment light source emitted by the optical distribution device 1 passes through the polarizer 144 and then is converted into a light source in a single direction by a multi-directional light source; when the polarizer 144 is at the second position, the alignment light emitted from the photo-alignment device 1 does not pass through the polarizer 144, and the alignment light is not changed.

Further, the photo-alignment apparatus 1 further comprises a second driving device and a uv mask 143, the uv mask 143 is connected to the second driving device to move between a third position and a fourth position with respect to the alignment light source; when the UV mask 143 is at the third position and the polarizer 144 is at the first position, the UV mask 143 is located between the polarizer 144 and the machine 121 and faces the polarizer 144; when the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the uv mask 143 is not located between the alignment light source and the stage 121.

The second driving device is similar to the first driving device and is a driving device for converting other potential energy into kinetic energy so as to change the motion state of other objects; in an embodiment of the present invention, the second driving device is used for driving the uv mask 143 to change the position of the uv mask 143.

The ultraviolet mask 143 is configured to provide a mask plate for the corresponding photo-alignment mode, so that the display panel to be aligned forms a desired photo-alignment display panel.

It is understood that the photoalignment device 1 further comprises the second driving device and the uv mask 143, the uv mask 143 is connected to the second driving device, and the movement of the second driving device causes the position of the uv mask 143 to change, i.e. causes the uv mask 143 to move between the third position and the fourth position relative to the alignment light source; when the ultraviolet mask 143 is located at the third position and the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, that is, the polarizer 144 and the ultraviolet mask 143 are both located below the alignment light source, and the ultraviolet mask 143 is located below the polarizer 144, the ultraviolet mask 143 is located between the alignment light source and the machine table 121 and is opposite to the polarizer 144; when the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the uv mask 143 is not located between the alignment light source and the stage 121, and the uv mask 143 is not needed to be used in the current photo-alignment mode of the display panel to be aligned.

Further, the second driving means includes a second body and a second connecting shaft movably connected to the second body, and the ultraviolet mask 143 is connected to the second connecting shaft to move between the third position and the fourth position.

It is understood that the second driving device comprises a second body and a second connecting shaft movably connected to the second body, the second body is used for driving the second connecting shaft and a component connected with the second connecting shaft to move; the uv mask 143 is connected to the second connecting shaft to move between the third position and the fourth position, that is, the uv mask 143 is connected to one end of the second connecting shaft, and the second connecting shaft and the uv mask 143 are driven to move by the second body such that the uv mask 143 is in the third position and the fourth position. When the ultraviolet mask 143 is in the third position, the ultraviolet mask 143 is located below the alignment light source and the polarizer 144, and the ultraviolet mask 143 is required to be used in the photoalignment mode of the panel to be aligned; when the uv mask 143 is at the fourth position, the uv mask 143 is not located between the alignment light source and the stage 121, i.e. the photo-alignment mode of the panel to be aligned does not require the uv mask 143. In one embodiment, the driving of the uv mask 143, i.e., the second driving means, may be a lead screw stepping motor, which is rotated by a magnetic rotor core through interaction with a pulsed electromagnetic field generated by a stator, and converts the rotational motion into a linear motion inside the motor. In another embodiment, the driving of the uv mask 143, i.e., the second driving device, may also be a cylinder, and the gas is compressed by a piston in a compressor cylinder to increase the pressure, so that the air expands in an engine cylinder to convert the thermal energy into mechanical energy, thereby pushing the uv mask 143 to move.

Further, the optical alignment apparatus 1 further includes the third driving device and a sliding rail 122, the stage 121 is slidably mounted on the sliding rail 122, and the stage 121 is connected to the third driving device to slide in a horizontal direction relative to the alignment light source.

Similarly, the third driving device is similar to the first driving device and the second driving device and is used for changing the position or the state of some static objects; in the embodiment of the present invention, the third driving device is configured to change the position of the machine 121, so that the to-be-aligned panel placed on the machine 121 completes a complete photo-alignment process.

It can be understood that the photo-alignment apparatus 1 further includes the third driving device and the slide rail 122, the third driving device is configured to drive the machine 121 to move under the alignment light source, so that the to-be-aligned panel completes the photo-alignment process; the slide rail 122 is a preset movement route of the machine 121, so that the machine 121 moves in the preset movement route; the stage 121 is slidably mounted on the sliding rail 122, so that the stage 121 slidably moves in the preset movement path, and the stage 121 is connected to the third driving device to slide in a horizontal direction relative to the alignment light source.

Further, the third driving device includes a third body and a third connecting shaft movably connected to the third body, and the stage 121 is connected to the third connecting shaft to be in a static state or a moving state relative to the alignment light source.

It can be understood that the third driving device includes a third body and a third connecting shaft movably connected to the third body, the third body is used for driving the third connecting shaft and other connecting members to move, and the stage 121 is connected to the third connecting shaft to be in a static state or a moving state relative to the alignment light source.

Further, the optical alignment apparatus 1 further includes a fourth driving device, the alignment light source includes a box and a plurality of lamps 141, the box includes a housing and a plurality of reflective plates 142, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are connected to the fourth driving device to move between a fifth position and a sixth position, when the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position and the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 and the housing enclose a plurality of receiving cavities and a plurality of openings, each opening communicates with the corresponding receiving cavity and faces the machine table 121, and each lamp 141 is received in the corresponding receiving cavity; when the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the sixth position, the polarizer 144 blocks the opening; when the plurality of the reflection plates 142 are located at the sixth position, each of the reflection plates 142 is not located between two corresponding adjacent lamps 141.

It is understood that the light alignment device 1 further includes a fourth driving device for driving the reflection plate 142 such that the reflection plate 142 is located at one side of the lamps 141 to prevent light leakage from the side edges of the lamps 141; the alignment light source comprises a box body and a plurality of lamps 141, the box body comprises a shell and a plurality of reflecting plates 142, the shell is in one side edge of the box body or in a cavity shape, when the box body is in one side edge of the shell, the shell is arranged on one side, away from the machine table, of the alignment light source and used for preventing light leakage above the alignment light source, and the reflecting plates 142 are arranged at the left end and the right end of the alignment light source and between every two adjacent lamps 141 and used for preventing light leakage around each lamp 141; when the housing is a cavity, the housing is used to prevent light leakage from three directions, i.e., above and at the left and right sides of the alignment light source, and the reflective plate 142 is disposed between two adjacent lamps 141 to prevent light leakage from two sides of each lamp 141. The plurality of reflective plates 142 are connected to the fourth driving device to move between a fifth position and a sixth position, that is, the fourth driving device drives the reflective plates 142 to move between two adjacent lamps 141 or not between two adjacent lamps 141; when the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position and the polarizer 144 is located at the second position, that is, the reflective plates 142 are located between two adjacent lamps 141, and the polarizer 144 is located at a side of the alignment light source opposite to the machine table 121, the plurality of reflective plates 142 and the housing enclose a plurality of accommodating cavities and a plurality of openings, one or both sides of each accommodating cavity are the reflective plates 142, one or both sides of each accommodating cavity are the housing, each accommodating cavity includes one opening, each opening communicates with the corresponding accommodating cavity and faces the machine table 121, and each lamp 141 is accommodated in the corresponding accommodating cavity; when the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position and the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the polarizer 144 blocks the opening; when the plurality of the reflection plates 142 are located at the sixth position, each of the reflection plates 142 is not located between two corresponding adjacent lamps 141.

Further, the fourth driving means includes a fourth body and a fourth rotation shaft rotatably connected to the fourth body, and the plurality of reflection plates 142 are connected to the fourth rotation shaft to move between the fifth position and the sixth position.

It is understood that the fourth body is used for driving the fourth rotating shaft connected to the fourth body and various components connected to the fourth rotating shaft, and a plurality of the reflective plates 142 are connected to the fourth rotating shaft, that is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the fourth driving device drives the reflective plates 142 to move through the fourth rotating shaft, so that the reflective plates 142 are located between two adjacent lamps 141 or not located between two adjacent lamps 141.

Further, the photoalignment device 1 further comprises a power supply unit 15; when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1 is the PS-VA alignment mode (i.e. in the first state), the control unit 11 controls the power supply unit 15 to supply power to the panel to be aligned, so that the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned generates a certain pretilt angle.

It can be understood that, during each kind of photo-alignment process, the photo-alignment apparatus 1 needs to detect a current alignment mode first, and different photo-alignment modes require different components and environments, so that, after the detection unit 13 detects the current photo-alignment mode, the current photo-alignment mode is fed back to the control unit 11, and then the control unit 11 controls the photo-alignment apparatus 1 to call corresponding components to complete the current photo-alignment process, and therefore, a full-closed-loop feedback is provided between the control unit 11 and the detection unit 13 (the closed-loop feedback control is an automatic control established based on a feedback principle, and the full-closed-loop feedback can continuously correct an actual error, so that the precision is higher, and the stability is better). In the first state, a pretilt angle needs to be generated for the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned, and a certain voltage needs to be applied to the panel to be aligned, so that the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned is tilted under the action of the voltage, and a certain pretilt angle is generated, therefore, the optical alignment device 1 further needs to include a power supply unit 15, where the power supply unit 15 is configured to apply a voltage to the panel to be aligned in a PS-VA alignment mode, so as to generate a certain pretilt angle for the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned, and then under the irradiation of a subsequent ultraviolet light source, initiate a polymerization reaction of the liquid crystal reactive monomer in the panel to be aligned, so that a product after the reaction is deposited on two sides of the panel to be aligned, and fix the liquid crystal tilted in the panel to be aligned, so as to form a PS-VA alignment panel; therefore, when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1 is the PS-VA alignment mode, the control unit 11 controls the power supply unit 15 to supply power to the panel to be aligned, so that the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned generates a certain pretilt angle.

Similarly, the power supply unit 15 is mainly used for applying a voltage to the panels to be aligned in the PS-VA alignment mode, and the panels to be aligned are placed on the machine 121 of the transmission unit 12 in the whole alignment process, and the machine 121 has a larger volume, so that the power supply unit 15 is preferably disposed in the machine 121 in the transmission unit 12, so as to supply power to the panels to be aligned in the PS-VA alignment mode more quickly and conveniently.

Further, the illumination unit 14 further includes a polarizer 144; when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is the horizontal photo-alignment mode (IPS, i.e. in the second state) or the UV-induced mva mode (UV 2A, i.e. in the third state), the control unit 11 controls the illuminating unit 14 to emit the second light source, and the control unit 11 controls the polarizer 144 to move below the second light source, i.e. the polarizer 144 is perpendicular to the reflective plate 142, so as to convert the light emitted from the second light source into polarized light in a single direction.

It is understood that the IPS alignment technology is also one of the liquid crystal display panel technologies, and the industry starts to align the IPS panel by using a horizontal photo-alignment technology, where a single plate PI (i.e. a polyimide alignment layer including only an array substrate or a color film substrate) is aligned in a direction that provides a single direction of uv polarized light by the light source of the illumination unit 14 in combination with the polarizer 144 to realize the IPS alignment process. In the IPS alignment mode, the light source 141 of the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is disposed in a lamp box, and then the polarizer 144 is installed below the light source 141, so that ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 141 passes through the polarizer 144 to form ultraviolet polarized light in a single direction, and when the panel to be aligned passes through the irradiation region of the light source 141 in a specific direction, the alignment of the polyimide alignment layer (PI) on the panel to be aligned is completed by the action of the ultraviolet light. Therefore, the photoalignment device 1 needs to further comprise the polarizer 144; when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned is IPS alignment or UV2A alignment, the control unit 11 controls the illuminating unit 14 to emit a second light source, and the control unit 11 controls the polarizer 144 to move below the second light source, i.e. the polarizer 144 is perpendicular to the reflective plate 142, so as to convert the light emitted by the second light source into polarized light in a single direction; at this time, the second light source is different from the first light source, the first light source is direct light emitted by the light source 141, and the second light source is indirect light emitted by the light source 141, that is, light emitted by the light source 141 is filtered by the polarizer 144.

Further, in order to ensure the stability and the safety of the alignment of the panel to be aligned, a distance between the light source 141 of the illumination unit 14 in the optical alignment apparatus 1 and the machine 121 in the transmission unit 12 along a direction perpendicular to the bearing surface of the panel to be aligned (i.e., the first direction Z) is a first distance H1, the first distance H1 has a certain preset length range, and the preset length range of the first distance H1 is: 5 cm to 100 cm.

Further, in the second state or the third state, the light source 141 emits the second light source, the second light source also has a certain preset wavelength range, and the preset wavelength range of the second light source is: 250 nm to 370 nm, preferably 254 nm, 313 nm or 365 nm; when in use, the user can adjust according to the use requirement.

It is understood that the polarizer 144 is differently configured according to the number of the reflection plates 142 in the illumination unit 14, and when the number of the reflection plates 142 in the illumination unit 14 is two, the polarizer 144 is an integral polarizer; when the reflection plate 142 in the illumination unit 14 includes a plurality of pieces, which are disposed at the outermost side of both ends of the light source 141 and between two adjacent lamps, the number of the polarization plates 144 is equal to the number of the lamps, so as to ensure that the ultraviolet light emitted from each of the lamps is converted into light in a single direction.

Further, the illumination unit 14 further includes an ultraviolet mask 143; when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus is the UV2A alignment mode, the control unit 11 controls the second driving apparatus to drive the ultraviolet mask 143 to move to a position right below the second light source, so that the panel to be aligned performs multi-domain alignment to form a patterned alignment layer.

It can be understood that UV2A alignment is also a common technique for LCDs, and is also performed for a single plate PI, unlike IPS alignment, in which UV2A is vertical optical alignment, and a certain pretilt angle is formed by polarized light to the PI side chain, thereby implementing alignment. In the vertical photo-alignment of UV2A, light emitted from the light source 141 passes through the polarizer 144 to form ultraviolet polarized light, in order to perform multi-domain directional alignment on UV2A, the ultraviolet mask 143 is additionally installed below the polarizer 144, and the existence of the ultraviolet mask 143 enables each panel to be aligned to perform multi-directional alignment, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the viewing angle. The vertical photo-alignment is also achieved by the light source 141 illuminating the panel to be aligned under the light source 141 by the movement of the light source 141. Therefore, in order to realize the multi-directional alignment of the photo-alignment device, the illumination unit 14 further includes the ultraviolet mask 143, and when the photo-alignment device performs UV2A alignment on the panel to be aligned, the control unit 11 controls the ultraviolet mask 143 to move to a position right below the second light source, so that the panel to be aligned aligns the panel to be aligned according to the pattern on the mask plate to form a patterned alignment layer with multi-domain alignment.

Further, the transmission unit 12 includes a machine table 121 and a slide rail 122; the machine 121 is configured to bear the panel to be aligned and complete an alignment process under the action of the illumination unit 14; the slide rail 122 is configured to enable the machine 121 to move within a preset track.

It can be understood that the transmission unit 12 mainly includes two blocks, one of which is a machine table 121 for placing the panel to be aligned, so that the panel to be aligned performs an alignment process; the other is that the slide rail 122 is used for moving the machine 121, so that the panel to be aligned moves along with the movement of the machine 121, thereby ensuring the stability and integrity of the whole alignment process.

It should be noted that, in order to ensure that the panels to be aligned can be aligned stably and efficiently in each alignment mode, the machine 121 in the transmission unit 12 can move on the slide rail 122 along four directions, namely, front, back, left and right, the left and right direction of the slide rail 122 is set as a second direction X, the front and back direction of the slide rail 122 is set as a third direction Y, the second direction X is perpendicular to the third direction Y, and the first direction Z is perpendicular to both the second direction X and the third direction Y. Further, in order to facilitate the photo-alignment apparatus to switch between various alignment modes, the reflective plate 142, the polarizer 144 and the uv mask 143 are all movable.

On the other hand, referring to fig. 5 (a), a first flowchart of the control method of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. An embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for controlling an optical alignment apparatus 1, which is applied to any one of the optical alignment apparatuses 1 described above, and includes:

s100, receiving a control signal;

it should be noted that the control signal is sent by a control unit 11, and the control unit 11 controls each unit in the optical alignment apparatus 1: a transmission unit 12, a detection unit 13 and an illumination unit 14, i.e. from a control point of view, the photoalignment device 1 comprises: the device comprises a control unit 11, a transmission unit 12, a detection unit 13 and an illumination unit 14, wherein each unit specifically controls corresponding parts in the corresponding unit, that is, the photoalignment device 1 controls the parts in the photoalignment device 1 to move in a corresponding photoalignment mode time period through the control signal, so that the photoalignment device 1 completes various corresponding alignment processes.

S200, controlling the first driving device, the second driving device and the third driving device according to the control signal to make the optical alignment apparatus 1 in a first state, a second state or a third state;

it is understood that the first driving device drives the polarizer 144, the second driving device drives the uv mask 143, the third driving device drives the stage 121, and the fourth driving device drives the reflective plate 142; in the first state, the first driving device drives the polarizer 144 to move between the alignment light source and the machine 121, the second driving device drives the uv mask 143 not to be located between the alignment light source and the machine 121, the third driving device drives the machine 121 to slide under the alignment light source to complete a PS-VA alignment process, and the fourth driving device drives the reflective plate 142 to move between two adjacent lamps and between the outside of the alignment light source; in the second state, the first driving device drives the polarizer 144 to move between the alignment light source and the machine table 121, the second driving device drives the uv mask 143 to move below the alignment light source, the polarizer 144 is between the polarizer 144 and the machine table 121, the third driving device drives the machine table 121 to slide below the alignment light source to complete a PS-VA alignment process, and the fourth driving device drives the reflective plate 142 to move between two adjacent lamps and between the outside of the alignment light source; in the third state, the first driving device drives the polarizer 144 to move to the alignment light source, the second driving device drives the uv mask 143 to move below the alignment light source, the polarizer 144 and the stage 121 are located therebetween, the third driving device drives the stage 121 to slide below the alignment light source to complete a PS-VA alignment process, and the fourth driving device drives the reflector 142 to move between two adjacent lamps and between the outside of the alignment light source; the ultraviolet mask 143 in the first state is different from the ultraviolet mask 143 in the second and third states, a wavelength range of light passing through the ultraviolet mask 143 in the first state is 300nm to 380nm, and a wavelength range of light passing through the ultraviolet mask 143 in the second and third states includes, but is not limited to, 300nm to 380nm.

When the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is in the first state (PS-VA alignment), the polarizer 144 is located at the second position, the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the sixth position, and the stage 121 is in a moving state; when the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is in the second state (IPS alignment), the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the stage 121 is in the moving state; when the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is in the third state (UV 2A alignment), the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the UV mask 143 is located at the third position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the machine 121 is in the moving state.

It is understood that the second position is that the polarizer 144 is not located between the alignment light source and the machine 121, the fourth position is that the uv mask 143 is not located between the alignment light source and the machine 121, the fifth position is that the reflective plate 142 is located between two corresponding adjacent lamps, in the first state, the polarizer 144 is located at the second position, the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the machine 121 is in a moving state; the first position is that the polarizer 144 is located between the alignment light source and the machine 121, in the second state, the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the ultraviolet mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the machine 121 is in the moving state; in a third state, the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the uv mask 143 is located at the third position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the machine 121 is in the moving state.

Specifically, referring to fig. 5 (b), a second flow chart of the control method of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. S210, the control unit 11 sends a transmission enable signal to the transmission unit 12 at a first moment, so that the transmission unit 12 transmits the panel to be aligned in a preset track, that is, the control unit 11 sends the transmission enable signal to the transmission unit 12 at the first moment, so as to control the third driving device to drive the machine 121 to move along the sliding rail 122 in the preset track; s220, the control unit 11 sends a light-shielding enable signal to the illumination unit 14 at a second time, so that the rotation motor (i.e. the fourth driving device) drives the reflection plate 142 to move to both sides of the light source 141, and lateral light leakage is prevented from occurring on both sides of the light source 141, that is, the control unit 11 sends a light-shielding enable signal to the illumination unit 14 at the second time, so as to control the fourth driving device to drive the reflection plate 142 to move between two corresponding adjacent lamps 141, so as to prevent light leakage on both sides of each lamp 141, and enhance the light-condensing performance of each lamp 141; s230, the control unit 11 sends a detection enable signal to the detection unit 13 at the third time to enable the detection unit 13 to detect the current alignment mode of the photo-alignment device 1, that is, the control unit 11 sends a detection enable signal to the detection unit 13 at the third time to detect whether the current alignment mode of the photo-alignment device 1 is the PS-VA alignment mode, the IPS alignment mode or the UV2A alignment mode; s240, the control unit 11 sends an illumination enable signal to the illumination unit 14 at a fourth time, and controls the illumination unit 14 to send different ultraviolet light sources according to the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1 detected by the detection unit 13, so as to illuminate the panel to be aligned, so that the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned undergoes an alignment reaction.

It should be noted that the transmission unit 12, that is, a unit composed of the machine table 121, the slide rail 122 and the preset rail, represents a unit for transmitting the panel to be aligned, and the transmission unit 12 includes a plurality of components, and the components are mutually matched to transmit the panel to be aligned; the preset track represents a path that is planned in advance and used for moving parts in the transmission unit 12 to transmit the panel to be aligned, for example, when performing a photo-alignment process, factors for planning the preset path at least include an alignment time, an alignment speed, and the like in a current alignment mode.

It can be understood that, firstly, the alignment of each panel to be aligned needs to be completed in an alignment area, so as to ensure that the panel to be aligned can be aligned only after entering the alignment area, and therefore, the alignment of the panel to be aligned is performed on the condition that the panel to be aligned enters the alignment area first, that is, the first step of starting the photoalignment operation of the photoalignment device 1 is to use the transmission unit 12 to make the panel to be aligned enter the alignment area, and the transmission unit 12 needs to include a sensing device, such as a photo sensing device or a weight sensing device, and when the panel to be aligned is placed in the transmission unit 12, the photoalignment device 1 can sense the panel to be aligned, and then the control unit 11 controls the photoalignment device 1 to send a transmission enabling signal to the transmission unit 12, so that the transmission unit 12 transmits the panel to be aligned in the preset track, and therefore, the position of the sensing device is preferably set in the transmission unit 12, so as to improve the sensitivity of the panel to be aligned; then, when the panels to be aligned are aligned, the light source emitted by the illumination unit 14 is divergent, and in order to enhance the light-condensing property of the illumination unit 14 and ensure that the panels to be aligned are stably and efficiently aligned, the reflection plates 142 generally need to be additionally arranged around the illumination unit 14 so as to make the light in the illumination unit 14 more concentrated; therefore, when alignment is performed, the control unit 11 in the optical alignment apparatus 1 is further configured to send a light-shielding enable signal to the illumination unit 14, so that the rotating motor drives the reflective plate 142 to move to two sides of the light source 141, thereby preventing the light source 141 from generating side light leakage; since the main function of the rotation motor (i.e., the fourth driving means) is to drive the movement of the reflection plate 142, and the main function of the reflection plate 142 is to prevent light leakage from the illumination unit 14, the rotation motor, the reflection plate 142, and the light source 141 are all required to be disposed in the illumination unit 14; further, the photo-alignment apparatus 1 can be used to fabricate alignment panels of three different processes, i.e., a polymer-stabilized vertical alignment (PS-VA) alignment panel, a horizontal photo-alignment (IPS) panel, and an ultraviolet induced multi-domain vertical alignment (UV 2A) panel; when each different alignment panel is produced, the parts required to be used by the photoalignment device 1 are different, and the alignment environments thereof are also different, so that when the photoalignment device 1 aligns each panel to be aligned, the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned needs to be detected first, the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned is determined, and then the parts required to be used by the panel to be aligned and the alignment environments thereof are adjusted according to the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned; further, after the photo-alignment apparatus 1 detects the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned, the photo-alignment apparatus 1 selects the components and the alignment environment to be used for the panel to be aligned according to the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned, for example, when the photo-alignment apparatus selects a PS-VA alignment mode, an IPS alignment mode or a UV2A alignment mode, the wavelength range of the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source of the illumination unit 14 is different, especially the PS-VA alignment mode, which needs to be performed in a preset ultraviolet wavelength range; when the photo-alignment apparatus selects the UV2A alignment mode, the parts used by the photo-alignment apparatus 1 are different, and the photo-alignment apparatus 1 further needs to use the UV mask 143 in the UV2A alignment mode; therefore, after the optical alignment device 1 detects the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned, the optical alignment device 1 is controlled to send out an illumination enabling signal, and the illumination unit 14 sends out different ultraviolet light sources according to the current alignment mode detected by the optical alignment device 1 to illuminate the panel to be aligned, so that the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned generates an alignment reaction.

Further, when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is the polymer-stabilized vertical alignment mode, the control unit 11 controls the illuminating unit 14 to emit a first light source, where the ultraviolet wavelength of the first light source has a certain preset wavelength range.

Specifically, the first light source is direct light emitted by the light source, and the ultraviolet light source which does not pass through any filter layer belongs to light containing multiple wavelengths; the preset wavelength range of the ultraviolet wavelength emitted by the first light source is as follows: 300nm to 380nm.

It is understood that the detecting unit 13 is mainly used for detecting the current alignment mode of the panel to be aligned, in order to avoid damage to the panel to be aligned, a non-destructive detection should be selected for the panel to be aligned, for example, including but not limited to a photosensitive detection, a sound-sensitive detection, etc., and such a non-destructive detection should enable the position of the detecting unit 13 to be set in the transmission unit 12 and the illumination unit 14 without being affected, so the position of the detecting unit 13 can be set in both the illumination unit 14 and the transmission unit 12, and since the transmission unit 12 includes the machine 121, and the machine 121 has a large volume, various parts are convenient to set, therefore, the position of the detecting unit 13 is preferably set in the transmission unit 12.

It should be noted that PS-VA alignment is a technology of Thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), and the key process of PS-VA alignment is as follows: negative liquid crystal material is adopted, and liquid crystal molecules are arranged perpendicular to the surface of the panel to be aligned when no electric field is applied. Therefore, in the cell forming process of PS-VA alignment, the liquid crystal contains a Reactive Monomer (RM), where RM is a monomer that is added to the liquid crystal material and can undergo polymerization reaction under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, so the PS-VA alignment has a link of liquid crystal curing (LC curing), after the liquid crystal is dropped on the panel to be aligned for combination, a signal with appropriate frequency, waveform and voltage is applied to the panel to be aligned, so that the liquid crystal molecules tilt in a preset direction, and then the reactive monomer in the liquid crystal reacts by irradiating the panel to be aligned with ultraviolet light (UV), so that the liquid crystal forms a pre-tilt angle under the synergistic effect of voltage, which is called as ultraviolet alignment. The ultraviolet alignment of the liquid crystal is realized by an alignment ultraviolet irradiation machine, wherein the panel to be aligned is fixedly arranged on a machine table, voltage is applied to the panel to be aligned, and ultraviolet light is emitted by a lamp to irradiate the panel to be aligned, so that RM in the liquid crystal reacts to form a pretilt angle.

Further, referring to fig. 5 (c), a third flow chart of the control method of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. Since the transmission unit 12 includes: a machine table 121 and a slide rail 122; the step that the control unit 11 sends a transmission enabling signal to the transmission unit 12 at a first moment so that the transmission unit 12 transmits the panel to be aligned in a preset track includes: s211, the control unit 11 sends a transmission enable signal to the transmission unit 12; s212, after the transmission unit 12 receives the transmission signal, the control unit 11 controls the machine 121 to be transmitted along a preset track on the slide rail 122.

Further, referring to fig. 5 (d), a fourth flowchart of the method for controlling an optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. The step of the control unit 11 sending a light blocking enable signal to the illumination unit 14 at the second time to enable the fourth driving device to drive the reflection plate 142 to move to the two sides of the light source 141 includes: s221, the control unit 11 sends a light-shielding enable signal to the illumination unit 14; s222, after the illumination unit 14 receives the light-shielding enable signal transmitted by the control unit 11, the control unit 11 controls the rotation motor to drive the reflection plate 142 to move to one side of the light source 141, so as to prevent light leakage from the light source 141 in a lateral direction.

Further, referring to fig. 5 (e), a fifth flowchart of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. The photoalignment device further comprises a detection unit 13; the detection unit 13 is configured to detect a current alignment mode of the photo-alignment device; the step of the control unit 11 sending an illumination enable signal to the illumination unit 14 at a third time, controlling the illumination unit 14 to send an ultraviolet light source, and illuminating the panel to be aligned to enable the liquid crystal in the panel to be aligned to perform an alignment reaction includes: s231, the control unit 11 sends out an illumination enable signal to the illumination unit 14; s232, after the illumination unit 14 receives the illumination enabling signal sent by the control unit 11, the detection unit 13 detects the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1, and determines whether the illumination unit 14 sends the first light source or the second light source according to the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1.

Further, referring to fig. 5 (f), a sixth flowchart of the optical alignment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. After the illumination unit 14 receives the illumination enabling signal, the detecting unit 13 detects a current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1, and determines whether the illumination unit 14 emits the first light source or the second light source according to the current alignment mode of the optical alignment apparatus 1, including: s2321, the detecting unit 13 detects a current alignment mode of the photoalignment device 1; s2322, when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the photoalignment device 1 is the vertical alignment mode with stable polymer, the control unit 11 controls the illumination unit 14 to emit the first light source; s2323, when the detecting unit 13 detects that the current alignment mode of the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is the horizontal photo-alignment mode or the uv-induced multi-domain vertical alignment mode, the controlling unit 11 controls the illuminating unit 14 to emit the second light source.

Further, the photo-alignment apparatus 1 further comprises: the controller and the memory are all parts in the control unit 11, the controller is electrically connected to the first driving device, the second driving device, the third driving device and the fourth driving device, the memory is used for storing instructions, and the controller is used for executing the instructions to implement the control method of the optical alignment apparatus 1, so as to implement the control of the optical alignment apparatus 1:

receiving a control signal;

when the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is in the first state, the polarizer 144 is located at the second position, the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the machine 121 is in a moving state; when the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is in the second state, the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the uv mask 143 is located at the fourth position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the machine 121 is in the moving state; when the photo-alignment apparatus 1 is in the third state, the polarizer 144 is located at the first position, the uv mask 143 is located at the third position, the plurality of reflective plates 142 are located at the fifth position, and the stage 121 is in the motion state.

The optical alignment apparatus and the control method thereof provided by the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, and the principle and the implementation manner of the present invention are explained in this document by applying specific examples, and the description of the above embodiments is only used to help understanding the technical scheme and the core idea of the present invention; those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some technical features may be equivalently replaced; and such modifications or substitutions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the corresponding technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A photoalignment device, comprising:

aligning a light source;

a first driving device;

the machine table is positioned below the alignment light source;

when the polaroid is located at the first position, the polaroid is located between the alignment light source and the machine and is opposite to the alignment light source; when the polaroid is located at the second position, the polaroid is not located between the alignment light source and the machine table;

a second driving device;

the ultraviolet mask is connected to the second driving device to move between a third position and a fourth position relative to the alignment light source; when the ultraviolet mask is located at the third position and the polaroid is located at the first position, the ultraviolet mask is located between the polaroid and the machine and is opposite to the polaroid; when the ultraviolet mask is located at the fourth position, the ultraviolet mask is not located between the alignment light source and the machine table.

2. The photoalignment device of claim 1, wherein the first driving device comprises a first body and a first connection shaft rotatably coupled to the first body, the polarizer being coupled to the first connection shaft for movement between the first position and the second position.

3. The photo-alignment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second driving device includes a second body and a second connecting shaft movably connected to the second body, the UV mask being connected to the second connecting shaft to move between the third position and the fourth position.

4. The photo-alignment device of claim 1, further comprising a third driving device and a sliding rail, wherein the stage is slidably mounted on the sliding rail, and the stage is connected to the third driving device to slide in a horizontal direction with respect to the alignment light source.

5. The photo-alignment apparatus of claim 4, wherein the third driving device comprises a third body and a third connecting shaft movably connected to the third body, and the stage is connected to the third connecting shaft to be in a static state or a moving state with respect to the alignment light source.

6. The optical alignment device according to claim 4, further comprising a fourth driving device, wherein the alignment light source comprises a housing and a plurality of lamps, the housing comprises a housing and a plurality of reflective plates, the plurality of reflective plates are connected to the fourth driving device to move between a fifth position and a sixth position, when the plurality of reflective plates are located at the fifth position and the polarizer is located at the second position, the plurality of reflective plates and the housing enclose a plurality of receiving cavities and a plurality of openings, each opening communicates with a corresponding receiving cavity and faces the machine table, and each lamp is received in the corresponding receiving cavity; when the plurality of reflecting plates are located at the fifth position and the polaroid is located at the first position, the polaroid blocks the opening.

7. The light directing arrangement of claim 6, wherein the fourth driver includes a fourth body and a fourth shaft rotatably coupled to the fourth body, the plurality of reflective plates being coupled to the fourth shaft for movement between the fifth position and the sixth position.

8. A control method of an optical alignment apparatus applied to the optical alignment apparatus of claim 6, comprising:

receiving a control signal;

9. An optical alignment device as claimed in claim 6, comprising: a controller electrically connected to the first driving device, the second driving device, the third driving device and the fourth driving device, and a memory for storing instructions, wherein the controller is configured to execute the instructions to implement the method according to claim 8.