JP2000251650A - Image forming device, and its manufacture and manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably provide a high-reliability image forming device by forming it into a structure capable of sufficiently enduring various pressing force conditions in a sealing lid manufacturing process. SOLUTION: This image forming device comprises a vacuum container composed of a set of opposed flat panels 101, 102, and an outer frame 103 and a carrier 10 for defining the distance between the flat panels 101, 102, and an image forming means 106 arranged in the vacuum container. In this case, the device has an evacuation port 104 for the vacuum container and a sealing lid 105 for sealing the evacuation port 104, and the carrier 10 is arranged below the sealing lid 105.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flat-type image forming apparatus, a method of manufacturing the same, and a manufacturing apparatus thereof, and more particularly, to a vacuum sealing method, a vacuum sealing device, and a vacuum exhaust device for a flat-type image display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art
In a large-area display (more than 40 inches) mainly composed of a PDP, weight reduction is considered as one of the issues. One direction is to reduce the thickness of substrates, and each company is working on it. At present, a 2.8 mm thickness is mainly used, but studies on a 1.1 mm thick substrate are underway with the aim of greatly reducing the weight.

On the other hand, a vacuum panel such as a PDP requires an exhaust port, and a glass tube is connected to the exhaust port, exhausted therefrom, and then chipped off to complete the panel. In addition, there is a problem that the protrusion of the chip-off tube is not suitable for thinning and is weak against impact. However, when a thin substrate is used, in the process of connecting the chip-off tube and the lid, the substrate is deformed at the pressed part due to the pressing force for bonding, causing stress, and stress concentration due to substrate deformation near the lid due to atmospheric pressure. This causes cracks or breaks in the glass or separation at the bonding interface, which causes a reduction in yield.

[0004] Further, if the connection is made with a low pressing force so as not to break the glass, the bonding force cannot be given sufficiently,
When assembled, there is a danger of vacuum leaks, leading to a reduction in reliability.

There has been a demand for providing a highly reliable image forming apparatus suitable for a thin structure that solves the above-mentioned problems.

[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to stably provide a highly reliable image forming apparatus by adopting a structure which can sufficiently withstand various pressing force conditions in a sealing lid manufacturing process. is there.

[0007] This also eliminates the need to control the pressing conditions in the vacuum sealing step with high precision, thereby making it possible to reduce the cost of the manufacturing apparatus and the cost of the production process and the image forming apparatus. It is to be.

[0008] Further, the support provided in the vacuum vessel is formed as a plate-like body, and the arrangement is such that the exhaust gas from the exhaust hole does not directly hit the image forming means, thereby providing a shielding function. To improve the characteristics of the image forming apparatus.

[0009]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, a pair of opposing planes is provided.
An image forming apparatus comprising: a vacuum container including an outer frame defining a space between the planes and a support; and an image forming unit disposed in the vacuum container. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having a sealing lid for sealing an exhaust hole, wherein a support member is arranged below the sealing lid. Further, the support member may be either or both of the outer frame and the support.

Further, the sealing lid is provided on two sides of the outer frame corner,
Alternatively, the image forming apparatus is arranged on one side of the outer frame.

Further, the support is an atmospheric pressure support structure of the vacuum vessel, and the support has a columnar shape.
Alternatively, the image forming apparatus has a plate shape.

[0012] The exhaust hole may be an image forming apparatus included in the sealing lid.

The image forming means is also an image forming apparatus having an electron source and an image forming member for forming an image by irradiating electrons from the electron source.

Further, according to a method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus including a vacuum container and image forming means disposed in the vacuum container, the exhaust hole of the vacuum container is sealed. A step of airtightly connecting an exhaust pipe in which a sealing lid for stopping is movably stored around an exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel, a step of exhausting the exhaust pipe and the inside of the vacuum vessel, and Moving the sealing lid over the exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel and disposing it at a predetermined sealing position on a support member inside the vacuum vessel, and pressing the sealing lid around the exhaust hole And a step of separating the exhaust pipe from the vacuum vessel after the sealing lid is adhered to the image forming apparatus.

The step of airtightly connecting the exhaust pipe around the exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel is performed by cooling and solidifying an adhesive member that is melted by heating, and the step of separating the exhaust pipe from the vacuum vessel is as follows. This is also a method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus in which the adhesive member is melted by heating.

Further, the step of hermetically bonding the sealing lid to the periphery of the exhaust hole is a method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus in which an adhesive member placed in advance is melted by heating and then solidified.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing an image forming apparatus, comprising: a vacuum container; and an image forming means disposed in the vacuum container. First heating means for air-tightly connecting an exhaust pipe having a sealing lid for stopping to move around an exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel, and means for exhausting the exhaust pipe and the inside of the vacuum vessel; Means for moving the sealing lid over the exhaust hole of the evacuated vacuum vessel and disposing the sealing lid at a predetermined sealing position on a support member inside the vacuum vessel; An apparatus for manufacturing an image forming apparatus, comprising: a second heating unit that presses a lid and hermetically adheres the same; and a unit that separates the exhaust pipe from the vacuum container after the sealing lid is adhered. It is.

[0018]

According to the present invention, by disposing a part of the outer frame and the supporting member below the sealing lid of the vacuum container in the above-mentioned image forming apparatus, various pressing force conditions in the sealing lid manufacturing step can be obtained. , And a highly reliable image forming apparatus can be provided.

Further, the support is disposed in the vacuum vessel in a plate-like shape, and the arrangement is such that the exhaust gas from the exhaust hole does not directly enter the image forming means, thereby providing a shielding function. Thereby, the characteristics of the image forming apparatus can be improved.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a sealed portion of the vacuum sealed container.
FIG. 1A is a plan view, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along the line AA ′. The vacuum-sealed container shown in the figure comprises a rear plate 102 formed by an electron-emitting device (not shown) and a lead-out line 107, a face plate 101 having an image forming member 106 on the opposite surface, and an outer frame 103. Plate 101, rear plate 102 and outer frame 10
3. The support 10 is produced by fusing the frit glass 180 at about 430 ° C. by a heating means (not shown). In addition, although the columnar glass was formed as the shape of the support 10, a plate-like body may be used.

Face plate 101, rear plate 1
02 is made of a material such as soda lime glass and has a thickness of 1.1 mm in consideration of weight reduction.
Reference numeral 105 denotes a sealing lid for closing the exhaust hole 104 of the vacuum sealed container, and has a thickness of about 0.2 to 3 mm, preferably 0.5 to 2 m.
A metal plate of about m is a circular plate. A 426 alloy material was used for this metal plate.

The thickness and the shape of the sealing lid 105 are not limited to the above, and can be appropriately selected. Further, the sealing lid 105 is attached to the outer frame 10.
3 is arranged so as to partially overlap the two sides of the substrate 3, so that the outer frame 103 can support the pressing force at the time of the bonding step of the sealing lid 105 to be described later. Cracks can be prevented. Furthermore, by arranging the support 10 so as to overlap, it is possible to reduce stress concentration caused by substrate deformation due to atmospheric pressure near the lid.

Reference numerals 108 and 109 denote A which joins the sealing lid 105 and the face plate 101 for closing the exhaust hole of the sealed container.
A metal film such as u, Sn, Cu, or the like is provided in a ring shape around the exhaust hole 104 on the face plate 101 side, and the metal film 108 is provided on the sealing lid 105 side. Here, the metal films 108 and 109 are formed by, for example, Au plating and have a thickness of about 1 μm to 50 μm, preferably 2 μm.
Is a metal film having a thickness of about 30 μm. As a method for producing this metal film, in addition to plating, it may be formed by printing or by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering if a certain thickness can be formed. Reference numeral 110 denotes a preform ring material such as solder or brazing material for hermetically sealing the sealing lid 105 to the face plate 101. The material is Au-Sn,
An alloy material such as Au-Si is used.

Next, a process of attaching the sealing lid 105 of FIG. 1 to the face plate 101 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the entire sealing and mounting apparatus in the exhaust preparation stage. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a face plate 101 having a display panel, a rear plate 102,
A vacuum-sealed container composed of an outer frame 103 and a support 10;
Reference numeral 09 denotes a vapor-deposited film in which metal is vapor-deposited on the vacuum-sealed container 1 in advance;
Reference numeral 105 denotes a sealing lid for closing the exhaust hole 104, reference numeral 108 denotes a vapor-deposited film that has been metal-deposited on the sealing lid 105 in advance, reference numeral 201 denotes a sealing material for hermetically bonding the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 202,
Reference numeral 0 denotes a preform ring for bonding a sealing lid 105 for closing an exhaust hole of the vacuum-sealed container 1, 202 denotes an exhaust pipe provided in an exhaust unit, and 203 denotes a nichrome wire for heating the end of the exhaust pipe in contact with the vacuum-sealed container 1. Etc., 205 is a current introduction line for supplying electric power from an external heating power supply device (not shown) to the second heating means 204, 204 is a second heating means for heating the sealing lid 105, and 206 is exhaust gas A lid holding means for holding the sealing lid 105 therein. The lid holding means has a configuration capable of holding or separating the sealing lid 105 arbitrarily, and includes, for example, a structure for gripping a side wall of a lid member (not shown), a vacuum suction disk, an electromagnet, and the like.

Reference numeral 207 denotes a lid support rod for moving the second heating means 204, the sealing lid 105, and the holding means 206 up and down in the exhaust pipe 202, and 208 denotes the exhaust pipe 202 and the sealing lid 1.
The bellows movable vacuum partition which expands and contracts when moving up and down 05, 20
9 is a driving means for appropriately moving the exhaust pipe 202 and the sealing lid holding means 206 up and down, 210 is a driving guide shaft supporting the driving means 209, and 211 is a driving guide shaft 210
Is a base on which the apparatus and the vacuum sealed container 1 are placed. Note that, as described above, the exhaust pipe 202
The outer frame 103 and the support 1
It was arranged so as to overlap with zero.

(Exhaust Preparation) Next, as an exhaust preparation stage,
This will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, an exhaust hole 104 is previously formed in the exhaust portion of the vacuum vessel 1 made of flat glass such as soda glass by machining. A metal such as Ag, Cu, Sn or the like is vapor-deposited on a portion to which the sealing lid 105 is adhered by a vacuum vapor deposition device.
8 is formed on the sealing lid 105 side, a metal film 109 is formed concentrically on the exhaust hole 104 on the face plate 101 side, and a ring-shaped preform ring 110 made of Au-Sn alloy or the like is formed on the metal film 109. It is placed on the contact position of the sealing lid 105.

Next, a sealing material 201, which is a low melting point frit material, is disposed at a position where the exhaust pipe 202 contacts, and the exhaust pipe 202 is lowered by the driving means 209. Electric power is supplied to the first heating means 203 to raise the temperature of the contact portion of the exhaust pipe 202 to 390 degrees, thereby melting the sealing material 201 and hermetically connecting the exhaust pipe 202 and the airtight container 1. In this state, the inside of the sealed container 1 can be evacuated.

(Evacuation Step) Next, the evacuation step will be described with reference to FIG. The inside of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 202 are connected by a vacuum exhaust device (not shown) connected to the exhaust pipe 202.
Evacuate and evacuate the interior. At this time, unnecessary gas components can be more efficiently removed by heating the vacuum-sealed container 1 itself. Further, by using an evacuation device of an ion pump or a sorption pump for evacuation, unnecessary mixing of gas components can be further removed, and a high vacuum sealed container suitable for a cold cathode electron source requiring a high vacuum can be produced. .

(Sealing lid bonding step) Next, the sealing bonding step will be described with reference to FIG. When the inside of the vacuum-sealed container 1 reaches a predetermined vacuum, the lid supporting rod 207 installed in the exhaust pipe 202 suspended by the driving means 209 corresponding to the exhaust hole 104 of the vacuum-sealed container 1 Then, the held sealing lid 105 is moved downward, and the lid supporting rod 20 is moved.
7, a power is supplied from a heating power supply (not shown) to the second heating means 204 to raise the temperature of the sealing lid 105, and
05 to the preform ring 11 around the exhaust hole 104
Contact 0. At this time, a pressing force is simultaneously applied to the preform ring 110. In this state, the preform ring 110 is melted, and solder bonding is performed between the metal films 108 and 109.

Thereafter, the supply of power is cut off and the solder solidifies. After the solidification is completed, the pressing force is released by slightly lifting the lid supporting rod 207 upward, the lid holding means 206 is released, and the lid is separated from the sealing lid 105, and the second heating means 204,
The lid holding means 206 is moved and retracted to the upper end, and then the evacuation by a vacuum evacuation device (not shown) is stopped.

(Step of Separating Vacuum Vessel and Sealing Device) FIG.
The separation step between the vacuum container and the sealing device will be described with reference to FIG.

The temperature of the connecting portion with the exhaust pipe 202 is increased by the first heating means 203 by supplying power from a heating power supply device (not shown), and the exhaust pipe bonding member (frit glass) 201 is melted. The exhaust pipe 202 is moved upward by the driving means 209. In this state, the separation between the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 202 is completed.

FIG. 5 shows this detached state.
In addition, there are other possible methods of withdrawal, for example,
When the temperature of the adhesive at the connection portion of the sealing lid 105 rises due to the heating temperature of the exhaust pipe adhesive member (frit glass) 201 and a danger of a vacuum leak occurs, the adhesive strength between the frit and the glass float surface is reduced by shearing. Taking advantage of the fact that the strength is low, a method of applying a peeling starting point force to the frit and the glass surface and separating at a normal temperature may be adopted, and the film is produced appropriately in accordance with sealing conditions.

In this manner, the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be taken out in a state where the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 is evacuated and the sealing lid 105 closing the exhaust hole 104 is adhered and fixed to the vacuum sealed vessel 1.

The vacuum sealed container 1 is used for a display device in which an image is formed by an electron-emitting device, an ultraviolet-emitting device, or the like. The inside of the vacuum-sealed container 1 may be exhausted to mix a specific gas. In some cases, the treatment after exhaust may be slightly different from case to case.

According to the present sealing device, as a means for keeping the degree of vacuum inside the vacuum sealed container 1 constant for a long period of time, a thin and firm sealing means can be realized only with the sealing lid. Etc. are achieved.

The exhaust pipe 202 and the sealing lid 105 are preferably made of an alloy mainly composed of iron, nickel and chromium.
For example, as a metal, NRS (an alloy mainly composed of about 42% of nickel and about 6% of chromium) made of Sumitomo Special Metals is used, and if its periphery is covered with a vapor deposition film of Ag, Cu, Sn, etc., Easy bonding with solder or brazing material.

The feature of the present invention is a structure for suppressing cracks in the thin glass material of the sealed container due to the pressure applied when the sealing lid 105 is joined. It is not limited to any configuration.

In the above steps, the sealed container could be manufactured stably without cracking or cracking.

FIG. 6 is another schematic configuration diagram relating to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view (a) of a sealed portion of a vacuum-sealed container, and a sectional view taken along line AA 'of FIG. It is.

In the first embodiment, the sealing lid 105 is arranged so as to overlap the two corners of the outer frame 103. However, as shown in FIG. A configuration in which a part of the lid overlaps (overlaps) may be used.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The joining step of the sealing lid is the same means as that described in the first embodiment, and is omitted here, and another configuration that can withstand the pressing force of the sealing lid will be described.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic structural views of a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 7A is a plan view, and FIG.
It is A 'sectional drawing.

The structure other than the support 701 in FIG. The support 701 of FIG.
Is a cylindrical glass material that has been configured in advance when producing a sealed container so as to overlap with the sealing lid 105.

FIG. 8 illustrates a process for producing a support made of a cylindrical glass material. Fig. 3 shows a portion of a sealing lid. A frit material 180 is previously attached to one end of the support 701.
Is formed by preliminary firing, and is positioned and mounted on the rear plate 102 at a position where the sealing lid 105 overlaps (FIG. 8A).

Next, the face plate 101 is aligned with the rear plate 102 in the plane, and the frit formed at the position of the outer frame is melted to produce a panel (FIG. 8B).

The produced panel is as shown in FIG. 8C, and the frit 180 on the support 701 is melted together to form a support. The support 701 is provided with three cylindrical materials in consideration of the exhaust efficiency, but the number and shape of the support are not limited at all.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
It is a schematic block diagram of embodiment of (a), (a) is a top view,
(B) is an AA ′ sectional view of (a).

FIG. 9 shows another example of the sealing lid supporting member.
As shown in FIG. In this case, since the gas due to the backflow at the time of exhaust does not directly hit the electron-emitting device, the configuration is useful as a shielding means. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the characteristic deterioration of the image forming unit, and thus it is possible to extend the life.

As described above, since the support is formed under the sealing lid, it is possible to support the pressing force in the sealing lid connecting step, thereby suppressing the occurrence of cracks and cracks in the panel. Was completed.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the structure sufficiently withstands various pressing force conditions in the sealing lid manufacturing process, a highly reliable image forming apparatus can be stably provided.

As a result, it is not necessary to control the pressing conditions in the vacuum sealing step with high precision, so that it is possible to reduce the cost of the manufacturing apparatus and also reduce the cost of the production process and the image forming apparatus. .

Further, the support may be provided with a shielding function by forming the support in the vacuum vessel into a plate-like shape and arranging the support so that the exhaust gas from the exhaust hole does not directly reach the image forming means. As a result, the characteristics of the image forming apparatus could be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a sealed portion of a vacuum-sealed container, (a) is a plan view,
(B) is an AA 'cross-sectional view thereof.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the entire sealing and mounting apparatus in an exhaust preparation stage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an exhaust process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a sealing and bonding step according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the exhaust pipe of the embodiment of the present invention has been detached.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are other schematic structural views related to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a sealing portion of the vacuum-sealed container, wherein FIG. 6A is a plan view and FIG. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a sealed portion of a vacuum-sealed container, (a) is a plan view,
(B) is an AA 'cross-sectional view thereof.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a process for producing a support made of a cylindrical glass material of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention, showing a sealed portion of a vacuum-sealed container, (a) is a plan view,
(B) is an AA 'cross-sectional view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Face plate 102 Rear plate 103 Outer frame 104 Exhaust hole 105 Sealing lid 106 Image forming member 107 Outgoing wiring 108,109 Metal film 110 Preform ring 701,901 Support

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) H01J 29/87 H01J 29/87 31/12 31/12 CF term (reference) 5C012 AA05 5C032 AA01 BB16 BB17 BB18 CC04 CC10 CD04 5C035 EE04 EE10 5C036 EE14 EE17 EG05 EG07 EH02 EH26 5C094 AA14 AA15 AA31 AA36 AA42 AA43 AA47 AA48 BA31 DA12 EB02 EC02 FA01 FA02 GB01

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum vessel comprising: a pair of opposing planes; an outer frame defining a gap between the planes; and a support;
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit disposed in the vacuum container; and an exhaust hole of the vacuum container and a sealing lid for sealing the exhaust hole, and a support member is provided below the sealing lid. An image forming apparatus having an arrangement configuration. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is the outer frame. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is the support. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is the outer frame and the support. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing lid is arranged on two sides of the corner of the outer frame. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing lid is disposed on one side of the outer frame portion. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is an atmospheric pressure support structure of the vacuum vessel. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support has a cylindrical shape. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support has a plate shape. 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust hole is included in the sealing lid. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit has an electron source and an image forming member that forms an image by irradiating electrons from the electron source. 12. A method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus comprising a vacuum container and an image forming means disposed in the vacuum container, wherein a sealing lid for sealing an exhaust hole of the vacuum container is movable. Airtightly connecting the exhaust pipe stored in the vacuum vessel around the exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel; exhausting the exhaust pipe and the inside of the vacuum vessel; and sealing the exhaust pipe on the exhaust hole of the evacuated vacuum vessel. Moving the stop lid and arranging it at a predetermined sealing position on the support member inside the vacuum vessel; pressing the sealing lid around the exhaust hole and air-tightly bonding the sealing lid; Separating the exhaust pipe from the vacuum vessel after the lid is bonded. 13. The step of airtightly connecting the exhaust pipe around the exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel is performed by cooling and solidifying an adhesive member that is melted by heating, and the step of separating the exhaust pipe from the vacuum vessel is as follows: The method according to claim 12, wherein the bonding is performed by melting the adhesive member. 14. The manufacturing method of an image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the step of hermetically bonding the sealing lid to the periphery of the exhaust hole is performed by melting and solidifying a bonding member disposed in advance by heating. Method. 15. An apparatus for manufacturing an image forming apparatus, comprising: a vacuum container; and an image forming unit disposed in the vacuum container, wherein a sealing lid for sealing an exhaust hole of the vacuum container is movable. First heating means for hermetically connecting an exhaust pipe stored in the vacuum vessel around the exhaust hole of the vacuum vessel; means for exhausting the exhaust pipe and the inside of the vacuum vessel; and the exhaust hole of the evacuated vacuum vessel. Means for moving the sealing lid upward and arranging the sealing lid at a predetermined sealing position on a support member inside the vacuum vessel; and pressing the sealing lid around the exhaust hole and airtightly bonding the sealing lid. And a means for separating the exhaust pipe from the vacuum vessel after the sealing lid is adhered.