JP2000162622A - Liquid crystal injecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the occurrence of troubles in vacuum pumps, to improve reliability in a liquid crystal injection treatment by preventing invasion of liquids such as liquid crystal or the like into the vacuum pumps and to realize improvement in throughput by reducing he frequency of maintenance of the device. SOLUTION: A collection machinery 10a is arranged between a vacuum chamber 6 and a forward pump (vacuum pump) 8, and a collecting machinery 10b is arranged between the forward pump 8 and a back pump (vacuum pump) 9, which is set at downstream of the forward pump 8. These collecting machineries 10a, 10b collect liquids which flowod out from the chamber 6, such as water, solvents, liquid crystal, oil or the like, and prevent the imfiltcation of the liquids into the vacuum pumps 8, at the downstream side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal injection device for injecting liquid crystal into a liquid crystal display panel in which a pair of transparent electrode substrates are bonded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A liquid crystal display panel is manufactured by bonding a pair of transparent electrode substrates with a predetermined gap, injecting a liquid crystal into an internal gap, and sealing. FIG. 3 shows a conventional liquid crystal injection device. This liquid crystal injection device includes a vacuum chamber 6, a liquid crystal reservoir 5, a valve 7, a forward pump 8 for a vacuum pump for exhausting the vacuum chamber 6, and a vacuum chamber 6 downstream of the forward pump 8. It comprises a back pump 9 of a vacuum pump for evacuating, and a bellows pipe 14 connecting the forward pump 8 and the back pump 9.

A description will be given of liquid crystal injection to a liquid crystal panel using this liquid crystal injection device. The liquid crystal panel 1 is formed by forming a sealing material 2 on the periphery of a pair of transparent electrode substrates except for a liquid crystal injection port 3 and bonding them together via a spacer. The liquid crystal injection into the liquid crystal panel 1 using the liquid crystal injection device is a so-called vacuum injection method. That is, the forward pump 8
And the back pump 9 to control the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 6 to sufficiently reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber 6. The liquid crystal injection port 3 of the liquid crystal display panel 1 before liquid crystal injection is immersed in the liquid crystal 4 of the liquid crystal storage container 5 installed in the vacuum chamber 6, and the valve 7 is adjusted to gradually return to the normal atmospheric pressure state. Then, the pressure applied to the liquid crystal surface in the liquid crystal storage container 5 is increased. Thus, the liquid crystal 4 is introduced into the liquid crystal display panel 1 before liquid crystal injection.
To complete the liquid crystal injection. Then, finally, a liquid crystal is sealed in the liquid crystal display panel by applying a sealing resin near the liquid crystal injection port 3.

[0004]

The conventional liquid crystal injecting apparatus has a vacuum chamber 6, a forward pump 8 for evacuating the vacuum chamber 6, and a back pump 9 which are directly connected through a pipe. Liquids such as water, solvent, liquid crystal, and oil generated in a process such as liquid crystal injection may enter the vacuum pump. Also, vacuum chamber 6
The gas sucked when exhausting the gas is reduced at the atmospheric temperature outside the exhaust pipe, condensed and liquefied in the pipe, or between the operating forward pump 8 and the back pump 9 during the evacuation of the vacuum chamber 6. May cause a pressure difference, which may cause agglomeration and liquefaction in the piping, and may enter the vacuum pump.

[0005] Liquids such as water, solvents, liquid crystals, and oils cause corrosion of the rotating blades of the vacuum pump, and there is a risk that the rotating blades may be damaged during rotation. In addition, due to the corrosion of the rotor blades, the exhaust capacity was reduced, and the ultimate vacuum pressure was sometimes deteriorated. Furthermore, liquids, such as water, a solvent, liquid crystal, and oil, retained in the vacuum pump may evaporate during evacuation, resulting in a lower ultimate vacuum pressure. Therefore, the necessity of the device maintenance accompanying it has arisen, and the throughput has decreased with the maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent a liquid such as a liquid crystal from entering a vacuum pump, thereby reducing the failure of the vacuum pump, improving the reliability of liquid crystal injection processing, and reducing the number of maintenance of the apparatus. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal injection device capable of improving the throughput.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal injection apparatus for injecting liquid crystal into a liquid crystal display panel in a vacuum chamber by a vacuum injection method, wherein the vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump for exhausting the vacuum chamber are provided. , At least one or more liquid collecting mechanisms are installed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the liquid crystal injecting apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein at least one or more of the liquid crystal injecting device is connected to a vacuum pump for evacuating the vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump installed downstream thereof. The liquid collecting mechanism is provided.

The invention according to claim 3 is the liquid crystal injection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one or more drains are provided in the liquid collecting mechanism.

[0010] The invention of claim 4 is the invention of claim 1, 2, or 3.
In the liquid crystal injection device described above, the liquid collecting mechanism has an integrated structure including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. The outer cylinder has an opening at an upper end, and a bottom plate is formed at a lower end to a side surface of the inner cylinder. The inner cylindrical portion has an upper plate formed at an upper end, a vent formed at a side surface at an upper end, and an opening at a lower end. A liquid reservoir is formed between the lower part of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, and the liquid that has fallen from the opening of the outer cylinder collects in the liquid reservoir, and the gas that flows in from the opening of the outer cylinder is It is characterized in that it passes through the inside of the inner cylinder from the vent.

According to the present invention, in a liquid crystal injection device, water, a solvent,
Install liquid crystal and oil liquid collecting mechanism. Therefore, liquids such as water, solvent, liquid crystal, and oil discharged from the vacuum chamber are collected by the collecting mechanism and do not reach the vacuum pump. In addition, by installing the liquid collecting mechanism between the vacuum pump and the vacuum pump arranged downstream, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the downstream vacuum pump.
Further, a drain is provided in the collecting mechanism, and the collected water, solvent, liquid crystal, oil, and the like can be discharged from the drain to the outside.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a liquid crystal injection device according to the present invention. In this liquid crystal injection device, the same parts as those of the liquid crystal injection device of FIG. The liquid crystal injection device of FIG.
The difference from the configuration of the conventional liquid crystal injection device is that a liquid collecting mechanism 10a is arranged in series between a vacuum chamber 6 and a forward pump 8 for exhausting the chamber. 9 is that the liquid collecting mechanism 10b is arranged in series between the two, and the bellows piping 14 is not used. In particular, the liquid collecting mechanism 10a is disposed between the vacuum chamber 6 and the valve 7. The drains 12 are provided in the liquid collecting mechanisms 10a and 10b.
a and 12b are connected.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing the structure of the liquid collecting mechanism 10. As shown in FIG. The liquid collecting mechanism 10 has an integral structure having a double cylindrical shape, and includes an outer cylindrical portion 20 and an inner cylindrical portion 30. The outer cylinder portion 20 has an opening 21 at an upper end portion, and a bottom plate 22 is formed at a lower end portion to a side surface of the inner cylinder portion. The inner cylinder 30 has an upper plate 30 formed at an upper end, a vent 31 formed at an upper side surface, and an opening 32 at a lower end. The drain 12 having the drain valve 16 is connected to the bottom plate 22 of the outer cylinder 20. Outer cylinder 20
A liquid reservoir 23 is formed in a space surrounded by the inner periphery of the base plate 22, the bottom plate 22, and the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical portion 30. The liquid collecting mechanism 10 is connected to upper and lower components by an upper flange 25 and a lower flange 35. The connection portion has a mechanism for securing air tightness by using an O-ring or the like. Since the liquid collector groove 10 has an integral structure and can be directly connected to a pump, the number of components can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to secure a more reliable airtightness.

Next, the collecting operation of the liquid collecting mechanisms 10a and 10b having such a structure will be described. First,
The liquid collecting mechanism 10a prevents the liquid from flowing from the vacuum chamber 6 to the forward pump 8 when the vacuum chamber 6 is evacuated. For example, when the liquid crystal storage container 5 in the vacuum chamber 6 is damaged and a large amount of liquid crystal 4 may flow into the lower valve 7 or the forward pump 8 or when the inside of the vacuum chamber 6 is evacuated, the liquid crystal is sucked. Let us assume that the gas is cooled and liquefied at the outside air temperature in the exhaust pipe. When the gas is being exhausted from the vacuum chamber 6, the gas flows from the opening 21 of the outer cylinder 20 to the side vent 31 of the inner cylinder 30.
Through the opening portion 32 from the hollow portion in the inner cylindrical portion to reach the valve 7. On the other hand, the liquid that has flowed into the liquid collecting mechanism 10a falls from the opening 21 of the outer cylinder 20 and accumulates in the liquid reservoir 23.

Thus, the liquid reservoir 23 of the collecting mechanism 10a
In addition, catching the liquid can prevent the liquid from flowing out to the valve 7. When the liquid crystal storage container 5 is damaged, a large amount of the liquid crystal 4 and fragments of the liquid crystal storage container 5 are retained in the liquid storage portion 23 and do not pass therethrough. And the troubles such as corrosion or damage to the rotor blades caused by mixing in the forward pump 8 can be prevented. A large amount of liquid such as liquid crystal stored in the liquid reservoir 23 is discharged from the drain 12 to the outside by the drain valve 16, thereby making it possible to complete the cleaning operation reliably and in a short time.

The liquid collector side 10b prevents liquid from flowing from the forward pump 8 to the back pump 9 when the vacuum chamber 6 is evacuated. This is because, as described in the above-described liquid collecting mechanism 10a, the liquid reservoir 23
This is because the liquid is held in the liquid and only the gas is passed. And in particular, without using the bellows piping 14 unlike the prior art,
Various effects can be obtained by using the liquid collecting mechanism 10b.

In the conventional liquid crystal injection device shown in FIG. 3, a bellows pipe 1 is used to connect the forward pump 8 and the back pump 9.
Since No. 4 was used, water and oil easily adhered to the groove of the bellows. In particular, the bellows pipe 14 has a large water content in the groove, and when the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 6 is reduced, the action of vaporizing the water-containing liquid leads to a decrease in the ultimate vacuum. In addition, bellows piping 14
Conventionally, the time required for cleaning required a time in a drying step after dip cleaning with an organic solvent.

On the other hand, the liquid collecting mechanism 10b can eliminate the decompression loss by performing dismantling and cleaning at a constant cycle. As a result, the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber due to the vaporization of the attached water and oil is not reduced, and the operation time for maintaining the degree of vacuum is reduced, thereby reducing the power consumption. In the liquid collecting mechanism 10b, the cleaning is completed by drying after wiping and cleaning. This makes it possible to reduce a decrease in the throughput of the liquid crystal injection device.

The liquid reservoir 23 not only catches the liquid generated when the vacuum chamber is evacuated, but also, for example, an internal component of the forward pump 8 such as a broken seal between the rotor and the gear. When the lubricating oil squeezed into the rotor, the lubricating oil can be caught by the liquid reservoir 23 and solid foreign matter such as seal fragments can be caught.

Regarding the liquid crystal injection method using this device,
Since it is as described in the prior art, the description is omitted here.

[0021]

According to the present invention, by arranging the liquid collecting mechanism upstream of the vacuum pump, the liquid and liquid crystal generated at the time of liquid crystal injection are caught by the liquid collecting mechanism and provided to the exhaust system downstream of the vacuum chamber. This prevents the vacuum pump from flowing and deteriorating the performance of the vacuum pump. Further, when the liquid crystal storage container in the vacuum chamber is destroyed, it is possible to prevent a large amount of liquid crystal from flowing into the downstream exhaust system, improve maintenance workability, and extend the operation time of the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a liquid crystal injection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing a structure of a collection mechanism of the liquid crystal injection device.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a conventional liquid crystal injection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid crystal panel 2 Sealing material 3 Liquid crystal injection port 4 Liquid crystal 5 Liquid crystal storage container 6 Vacuum chamber 7 Valve 8 Forward pump 9 Back pump 10a, 10b Liquid collection mechanism 12a, 12b Drain

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kei Omatsu 3-1-1, Takatsukadai, Nishi-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo F-term in Shinko Seiki Co., Ltd. (Reference) 2H088 FA10 MA20 2H089 NA25 QA12

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal injection device for injecting liquid crystal into a liquid crystal display panel by a vacuum injection method in a vacuum chamber, wherein at least one liquid is connected between the vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump for exhausting the vacuum chamber. A liquid crystal injection device having a collection mechanism. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one or more liquid collecting mechanisms are provided between a vacuum pump that exhausts the vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump that is provided downstream of the vacuum pump. The liquid crystal injection device as described in the above. 3. The liquid crystal injection device according to claim 1, wherein at least one or more drains are provided in the liquid collecting mechanism. 4. The liquid collecting mechanism has an integral structure including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, wherein the outer cylinder has an opening at an upper end and a side surface of the inner cylinder at a lower end. A bottom plate is formed up to the inner cylinder portion, an upper plate is formed at an upper end portion, a vent is formed at an upper side surface, and an opening is formed at a lower end portion. A liquid reservoir portion is formed in a space surrounded by, and the liquid dropped from the opening portion of the outer cylinder portion accumulates in the liquid reservoir portion, and gas flowing in from the opening portion of the outer cylinder portion flows into the interior through the vent hole. The liquid crystal injection device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal injection device passes through the inside of the cylindrical portion.