JP2008102167A - Method for manufacturing liquid crystal device, and manufacturing apparatus for liquid crystal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device by which a sealing agent can be reliably prevented from reaching to a display face even when a substrate is made thin. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid crystal cell array 250 is held while end faces 252a, 253a of a TFT mother substrate 252 and a counter mother substrate 253, respectively, where liquid crystal injection ports 200 are open are directed downward, and a sealing agent 330 is applied on each end face 252a, 253a directing downward and cured. Even when each of substrates 252, 253 is made thin, the liquid crystal injection port 200 can be sealed without inducing a problem such as the sealing agent 330 hanging on the display face. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device in which liquid crystal is injected into a region inside a sealing material for bonding a pair of substrates through a liquid crystal injection port formed in the sealing material and sealed with a sealing agent, and The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device manufacturing apparatus.

  Generally, a liquid crystal device is configured by sandwiching liquid crystal between two substrates such as a glass substrate and a quartz substrate. In this type of liquid crystal device, active elements such as thin film transistors (hereinafter referred to as TFTs), for example, are arranged in a matrix on one substrate, and a counter electrode is arranged on the other substrate, so that there is no gap between the two substrates. By changing the optical characteristics of the liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the two according to the image signal, it is possible to display an image.

  That is, an image signal is supplied to pixel electrodes (ITO) arranged in a matrix by TFT elements, and a voltage based on the image signal is applied to the liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode to change the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules. Let As a result, the transmittance of the pixel is changed, and light passing through the pixel electrode and the liquid crystal layer is changed according to the image signal to perform image display.

In the assembly process of a liquid crystal device, a so-called liquid crystal injection method is widely used as a technique for sandwiching liquid crystal between two substrates (for example, between a TFT substrate and a counter substrate) (for example, Patent Documents). 1). In the assembly using the liquid crystal injection method, first, two substrates constituting the liquid crystal device are bonded to each other through a sealing material applied in an annular shape in a region surrounding the display region. In the sealing material, a liquid crystal injection port is formed by removing the coating on a part of one side, and the liquid crystal is injected between the substrates through the liquid crystal injection port. And a sealing agent is apply | coated to the position which plugs up a liquid-crystal injection hole, and a liquid crystal is sealed between board | substrates by hardening a sealing agent using an ultraviolet-ray etc.
JP 2001-249347 A

  By the way, the thickness of the substrate constituting the liquid crystal device tends to be reduced. In recent years, for example, a liquid crystal device is manufactured using a substrate whose thickness is reduced to about 0.15 mm to 0.3 mm. May be.

  However, when the thickness of the substrate is reduced in this way, for example, when applying the sealing agent to the end surface of the substrate, it becomes difficult to ensure a sufficient application area to hold the sealing agent, There is a possibility that the sealant may sag on the display surface before being cured by ultraviolet rays or the like. When the sealant is cured on the display surface, a new process for scraping the sealant from the display surface may be required, or the yield of the liquid crystal device may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a liquid crystal device manufacturing method and a liquid crystal device manufacturing apparatus capable of accurately preventing the sealing agent from entering the display surface even when the substrate is thinned. The purpose is to provide.

  The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal injection port that is opened in a part of the sealing material between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding two substrates through the sealing material. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device for sealing the liquid crystal injection port after injecting liquid crystal, wherein each end face of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port opens is directed downward The holding step for holding the liquid crystal cell, the coating step for applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port, and the respective end surfaces coated with the sealing agent directed downward And a curing step for curing the sealing agent as it is.

  According to such a configuration, the liquid crystal cell is held in a state where the respective end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal inlet is opened are directed downward, and the sealing agent is applied to the respective end surfaces directed downward. By applying and curing, the liquid crystal injection port can be sealed without causing problems such as dripping of the sealant on the display surface even when the thickness of each substrate is reduced.

  In the applying step, it is preferable that the sealing agent is applied to each end face of the two substrates by transfer.

  According to such a configuration, the sealant can be easily applied to the end surface of each substrate that is directed downward.

  The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal injection port that is opened in a part of the sealing material between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding two substrates through the sealing material. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device for sealing the liquid crystal injection port after injecting the liquid crystal, wherein each end face of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port opens is oriented in the lateral direction The liquid crystal cell holding step, a coating step for applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port, and the respective end surfaces coated with the sealing agent directed in the lateral direction And a curing step for curing the sealing agent as it is.

  According to such a configuration, the liquid crystal cell is held in a state where the respective end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal inlet is opened are oriented in the lateral direction, and the sealing agent is applied to each end surface oriented in the lateral direction. By applying and curing, the liquid crystal injection port can be sealed without causing problems such as dripping of the sealant on the display surface even when the thickness of each substrate is reduced.

  The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal injection port opened in a part of the sealing material between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding two substrates through the sealing material. A liquid crystal device manufacturing apparatus for sealing the liquid crystal injection port after injecting the liquid crystal in a state in which the respective end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port opens are oriented downward The holding means for holding the liquid crystal cell, the application means for applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port, and the respective end faces coated with the sealing agent directed downward And a curing means for curing the sealing agent as it is.

  According to such a configuration, the liquid crystal cell is held in a state where the respective end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal inlet is opened are directed downward, and the sealing agent is applied to the respective end surfaces directed downward. By applying and curing, the liquid crystal injection port can be sealed without causing problems such as dripping of the sealant on the display surface even when the thickness of each substrate is reduced.

  The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal injection port opened in a part of the sealing material between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding two substrates through the sealing material. A liquid crystal device manufacturing apparatus for sealing the liquid crystal injection port after injecting the liquid crystal in a state where the end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port is open are oriented in the lateral direction. The holding means for holding the liquid crystal cell, the application means for applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port, and the respective end faces coated with the sealing agent directed in the lateral direction And a curing means for curing the sealing agent as it is.

  According to such a configuration, the liquid crystal cell is held in a state where the respective end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal inlet is opened are oriented in the lateral direction, and the sealing agent is applied to each end surface oriented in the lateral direction. By applying and curing, the liquid crystal injection port can be sealed without causing problems such as dripping of the sealant on the display surface even when the thickness of each substrate is reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the main part of the liquid crystal device as viewed from the counter substrate. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH ′ of FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a liquid crystal sealing step, FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sealant coating apparatus, FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the sealant coating apparatus, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cassette, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a cassette holding a plurality of liquid crystal cell arrays, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram when applying a sealing agent by transfer using a sealing agent holding tray. In each of the above-mentioned drawings, the scale is different for each member so that each member has a size that can be recognized on the drawing.

  The liquid crystal device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is, for example, a TFT active matrix driving type transmissive liquid crystal display device with a built-in driving circuit. The liquid crystal device 100 is opposed to a TFT substrate 10 made of glass, quartz, or the like. The liquid crystal 50 is sandwiched between the substrate 20 and the alignment state of the liquid crystal 50 is changed, thereby modulating the light incident on the image display region 10a from the counter substrate 20 side and emitting it from the TFT substrate 10 side. An image is displayed in the image display area 10a. Here, in the present embodiment, the TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are composed of, for example, thin plates having a plate thickness of 0.15 mm to 0.3 mm.

  The TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are disposed to face each other, and are bonded to each other by a seal material 52 provided in a rectangular frame shape in a seal region located around the image display region 10a. A liquid crystal 50 is sealed in a liquid crystal sealing region 55 which is a region between the TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 and surrounded by the sealing material 52. The sealing material 52 is made of an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin, and is applied to at least one of the TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 in the manufacturing process and then cured by ultraviolet irradiation, heating, or the like. is there. Further, in the sealing material 52, gap materials such as glass fibers or glass beads are arranged in a scattered manner to set the distance between the TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 to a predetermined value.

  A light-shielding frame light-shielding film 53 that defines the frame area of the image display region 10a is provided on the counter substrate 20 side in parallel with the inside of the seal region where the seal material 52 is disposed. A part or all of the frame light shielding film 53 may be provided as a built-in light shielding film on the TFT substrate 10 side. In the present embodiment, there is a peripheral region located around the image display region 10a. In other words, particularly in the present embodiment, when viewed from the center of the TFT substrate 10, the distance from the frame light shielding film 53 is defined as the peripheral region.

  A data line driving circuit 101 and an external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided along one side of the TFT substrate 10 in a region located outside the sealing region where the sealing material 52 is disposed in the peripheral region. A scanning line driving circuit 104 is provided at a position along two sides adjacent to one side of the TFT substrate 10 provided with the data line driving circuit 101 and the external circuit connection terminal 102 and covered with the frame light shielding film 53. It has been. Further, the TFT substrate 10 is provided along the remaining side of the TFT substrate 10, that is, along the side opposite to one side of the TFT substrate 10 on which the data line driving circuit 101 and the external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided, and is provided so as to be covered with the frame light shielding film 53. The two scanning line driving circuits 104 are connected to each other by the plurality of wirings 105.

  In addition, vertical conduction members 106 functioning as vertical conduction terminals for electrical connection with the TFT substrate 10 are disposed at the four corners of the counter substrate 20. On the other hand, the TFT substrate 10 is provided with vertical conduction terminals in a region corresponding to the vertical conduction material 106. Electrical connection is made between the TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 via the vertical conductive member 106 and the vertical conductive terminal.

  In FIG. 2, an alignment film 16 is formed on the TFT substrate 10 on the upper layer of the pixel electrode 9 a after the pixel switching TFT, the scanning line, the data line, and the like are formed. On the other hand, on the counter substrate 20, in addition to the counter electrode 21, a light shielding film 23 having a lattice shape or a stripe shape, and an alignment film 22 is formed on the uppermost layer portion. The liquid crystal 50 is made of, for example, a liquid crystal obtained by mixing one kind or several kinds of nematic liquid crystals, and takes a predetermined alignment state between the pair of alignment films 16 and 22. Depending on the alignment state of the liquid crystal 50, the polarization state of the light incident from the counter substrate 20 side and emitted from the TFT substrate 10 side changes.

  Further, for example, a TN (twisted nematic) mode, an STN (super TN) mode, and a D-STN (double-STN) are respectively provided on the side on which the incident light of the counter substrate 20 enters and the side on which the outgoing light of the TFT substrate 10 exits. ) Mode, etc., and a polarizing film, a retardation film, a polarizing plate, and the like are arranged in a predetermined direction depending on whether the mode is normally white mode / normally black mode.

  In the liquid crystal device 100 of this embodiment having such a configuration, the liquid crystal 50 is sealed in a liquid crystal sealing region 55 formed in the gap between the TFT substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 using a so-called liquid crystal injection method. . That is, the sealing material 52 has a liquid crystal injection port 200 that communicates the liquid crystal sealing region 55 and the external region of the liquid crystal device 100 by cutting out a part of one side. Then, after the liquid crystal 50 is injected from the liquid crystal injection port 200 into the liquid crystal sealing region 55, the liquid crystal injection port 200 is sealed with a sealant 210. Here, the liquid crystal injection port 200 is formed on one side other than the side adjacent to the external circuit connection terminal 102 or the like among the sides of the sealing material 52 formed in a rectangular frame shape. Thereby, it is possible to accurately prevent the external circuit connection terminal 102 and the like from being covered with the sealing agent 210 when the liquid crystal injection port 200 is sealed.

Next, a process of sealing the liquid crystal injection port 200 using the sealing agent 210 when manufacturing the liquid crystal device 100 will be described in detail.
In the present embodiment, the sealing step of the liquid crystal injection port 200 is performed using, for example, the sealant coating apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 4 according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Here, in this embodiment, the cell (liquid crystal cell) 251 of the liquid crystal device 100 that is a structure in the middle of the manufacturing process before the sealing step is a liquid crystal cell array 250 in which a plurality of cells are connected in a strip shape, and the sealing agent. The coating device 300 is charged. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal cell array 250 before the sealing step includes a plurality of strip-shaped TFT mother substrates 252 constituting a plurality of TFT substrates 10 and a plurality of counter mother substrates 253 constituting a plurality of counter substrates. The liquid crystal 50 is injected into the liquid crystal sealing region 55 through the liquid crystal injection port 200 that is bonded to each other through the sealing material 52 and opens in each sealing material 52. Note that the liquid crystal injection holes 200 opened in the liquid crystal cells 251 are arranged along one long side of the liquid crystal cell array 250. In addition, the liquid crystal cell array 250 after the sealing step is divided into a plurality of liquid crystal cells 251.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sealant coating apparatus 300 holds and holds a cassette 301 as a holding unit that holds a plurality of liquid crystal cell arrays 250 and a sealant (sealing agent before being cured) 330. The sealing agent holding tray 302 as an application means for applying the sealing agent 330 applied to the liquid crystal cell array 250 by transfer, and ultraviolet irradiation as a curing means for curing the sealing agent 330 applied to the liquid crystal cell array 250 by irradiation of ultraviolet light. Device 303.

  The cassette 301 has a frame 310 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and a cassette rotation mechanism 311 is connected to the frame 310. The cassette 301 can be turned upside down when the frame 310 is rotated 180 degrees, for example, by the cassette rotation mechanism 311. In addition, a cassette lifting / lowering mechanism 312 is connected to the frame 310, and the cassette 301 can be moved up and down by the cassette lifting / lowering mechanism 312 (see FIG. 5).

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a plurality of protrusions 321a extending in the vertical direction of the frame 310 are arranged in a comb-tooth shape at each longitudinal end of the frame 310, and each protrusion 321a. A slide groove 321b that supports an end of the liquid crystal cell array 250 is formed therebetween.

  A stopper plate 322 is extended from each longitudinal end of the frame 310. These stopper plates 322 face the bottom of the frame 310, and are guided by the slide grooves 321b to lock the liquid crystal cell arrays 250 arranged in the frame 310.

  The cassette 301 has a plurality of balloons 325 interposed between the liquid crystal cell arrays 250 arranged in the frame 310. A balloon pressure control mechanism 313 is connected to these balloons 325, and the internal pressure of the balloon 325 is controlled to be increased or decreased by air supplied from the balloon pressure control mechanism 313. Each balloon 325 is pressurized to a predetermined pressure and brought into pressure contact with the liquid crystal cell array 250 to apply a predetermined pressure to each liquid crystal sealing region 55 formed in the liquid crystal cell array 250, and the top and bottom of the cassette 301 is The liquid crystal cell array 250 is held in the frame 310 even when it is inverted.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 8, the sealant holding tray 302 is constituted by an elongated plate extending along the arrangement direction of the liquid crystal cell array 250 held in the cassette 301. The sealant holding tray 302 is disposed at a position where the liquid crystal inlets 200 of the respective liquid crystal cell arrays 250 held in the cassette 301 face each other when the top and bottom of the cassette 301 is reversed. Further, on the sealant holding tray 302, a sealant 330 is disposed at a position corresponding to each liquid crystal inlet 200.

  The ultraviolet irradiation device 303 includes, for example, an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) 303a as a light source and a lens 303b that collects ultraviolet light emitted from the UV-LED 303a. The ultraviolet irradiation device 303 is controlled by the ultraviolet irradiation control unit 314 and irradiates the liquid crystal cell array 250 held in the cassette 301 with ultraviolet light.

Next, according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the detail of a sealing process is demonstrated.
In this sealing step, first, in step S <b> 1, a plurality of liquid crystal cell arrays 250 are set in the cassette 301 of the sealant coating device 300. That is, each liquid crystal cell array 250 is arranged in the frame 310 by inserting both ends into each slide groove 321b with the liquid crystal injection port 200 oriented upward. Further, balloons 325 are interposed between the respective liquid crystal cell arrays 250 arranged in the frame 310.

  In the subsequent step S2, the balloon pressure control mechanism 313 is driven, and the internal pressure of each balloon 325 is increased to the set pressure P1 by the air fed from the balloon pressure control mechanism 313. As a result, each balloon 325 is in pressure contact with the adjacent liquid crystal cell array 250 and pressurizes each liquid crystal sealing region 55 formed in each liquid crystal cell array 250 with a predetermined pressure.

  In subsequent step S3, the cassette rotation mechanism 311 is driven, and the top and bottom of the cassette 301 is reversed (see FIG. 5). At this time, since each balloon 325 is pressed against the adjacent liquid crystal cell array 250, each liquid crystal cell array 250 is held in the cassette 301 without dropping.

  Thereby, the TFT mother substrate 252 and the counter mother substrate 253 constituting each liquid crystal cell array 250 are held in a state where the end surfaces 252a and 253a on the side where the liquid crystal injection port 200 is opened are directed downward, and the sealing agent It faces each sealant 330 arranged on the holding plate 302. In the liquid crystal cell array 250, the gap between the substrates 252 and 253 is about several μm, and the opening width of the liquid crystal injection port 200 is about several mm. Therefore, even when the liquid crystal injection port 200 is oriented downward. The liquid crystal 50 is not dripped.

  In subsequent step S4, a sealant 330 is applied to each region covering the liquid crystal injection port 200 on each of the end faces 252a and 253a directed downward of the TFT mother substrate 252 and the counter mother substrate 253. Specifically, first, the cassette lifting mechanism unit 312 is driven, and the cassette 301 is lowered toward the sealant holding tray 302. When the end surfaces 252a and 253a of the mother substrates 252 and 253 are brought into contact with the sealant 330 disposed on the sealant holding plate 302, the cassette lifting mechanism 312 is driven in the reverse direction, and the cassette 301 Is raised. Thereby, the sealing agent 330 is applied by transfer to a region covering each liquid crystal inlet 200 of the liquid crystal cell array 250.

  Here, in order to realize suitable transfer of the sealant 330 to the liquid crystal cell array 250 and to suppress dripping of the sealant 330 after the transfer, examples of the sealant 330 include a thiol monomer and an allyl monomer. , And an allyl ultraviolet curable resin having a viscosity of about 12,000 to 18000 (mpa · s) mainly composed of a urethane-based polymer or the like, or having a viscosity of 11000 (mpa · mpa) mainly composed of epoxy acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, or the like. s) grade acrylate ultraviolet curable resin, or acrylate type ultraviolet curable resin having a viscosity of about 8800-13500 (mpa · s), mainly composed of urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, etc. It is possible to use.

  In subsequent step S5, the balloon pressure control mechanism 313 is driven, and air is discharged from each balloon 325, whereby the internal pressure of each balloon 325 is reduced to the set pressure P2. Here, the set pressure P2 is a positive pressure lower than the set pressure P1, and is set to a pressure sufficient to hold the liquid crystal cell array 250 in the cassette 301 by the pressure contact of the balloon 325.

  Then, as the internal pressure of the balloon 325 is reduced and the internal pressure of each liquid crystal sealing region 55 is reduced, the sealing agent 330 applied to the end surfaces 252a and 253a of the mother substrates 252 and 253 in each liquid crystal cell array 250 is obtained. Then, the liquid crystal injection port 200 is wrapped around.

  Thereafter, in step S <b> 6, each sealing agent 330 is cured by irradiating the applied sealing agent 330 with ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet irradiation device 303.

  According to such an embodiment, the liquid crystal cell array 250 is held in a state where the end faces 252a and 253a of the TFT mother substrate 252 and the counter mother substrate 253 on the side where the liquid crystal injection port 200 is opened are directed downward. Even when the thickness of each of the substrates 252 and 253 is reduced by applying a sealant 330 to the liquid crystal injection port 200 (each end surface 252a and 253a) that is directed in the direction and curing it, the display surface is sealed. The liquid crystal injection port 200 can be sealed without causing problems such as dripping of the agent 330.

  At that time, by applying the sealant 330 by transfer, even when the end faces 252a and 253a, which are the application surfaces of the sealant 330, are directed downward, the workability can be easily reduced. Sealant 330 can be applied.

  Next, FIGS. 9 and 10 relate to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a sealant coating device, and FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram of the sealant coating device. In the present embodiment, when the sealing agent 330 is applied and cured, the application surface (the end surfaces 252a and 253a of the mother substrates 252 and 253) where the liquid crystal injection port 200 opens is oriented in the lateral direction. However, the liquid crystal cell array 250 is mainly different from the first embodiment described above. Description of other similar points is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the sealant coating apparatus 1300 of this embodiment is a frame 310 in a direction in which the end faces 252 a and 253 a of the liquid crystal cell array 250 are oriented in the horizontal direction as a mechanism unit for operating the cassette 301. Has a cassette rotation mechanism 315 for rotating the cartridge 90 degrees.

  Moreover, the sealing agent application device 1300 includes a dispenser 304 as an application unit instead of the sealing agent holding tray 302. In the present embodiment, a nozzle control mechanism 316 is connected to the dispenser 304, and the nozzle position of the dispenser 304 is automatically controlled when the sealant 330 is applied. Note that the dispenser 304 may be manually moved by the operator or the like when the sealant 330 is applied.

  When performing the liquid crystal sealing step shown in FIG. 3 using the sealant coating apparatus 1300 having such a configuration, when the cassette rotation mechanism unit 315 is driven in the step S3, the cassette 301 is The end surfaces 252a and 253a of the mother boards 252 and 253 are oriented in the horizontal direction by being rotated 90 degrees (see FIG. 10). Specifically, by rotation of the cassette 301, each liquid crystal cell array 250 is erected in a direction in which the longitudinal direction of each end face 252a, 253a of each mother substrate 252, 253 extends vertically (see FIG. 10).

  In step S4, the dispenser 304 is driven and controlled through the nozzle control mechanism 316, and the sealant 330 is sequentially applied to the regions covering the liquid crystal injection ports 200 on the end surfaces 252a and 253a. At that time, until the application of the sealant 330 to all the liquid crystal injection ports 200 is completed, the sealant 330 that has already been applied is held at an appropriate application position. It is desirable to preliminarily cure only the surface by irradiating with ultraviolet light.

  According to such an embodiment, substantially the same effect as that obtained in the first embodiment described above can be achieved.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the sealing agent 330 is applied to the liquid crystal cell array 250 configured by connecting a plurality of liquid crystal cells 251 of the liquid crystal device 100 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The sealing agent may be applied to the liquid crystal cell alone.

  Further, the liquid crystal device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the above-described liquid crystal device has been described by taking an active matrix type liquid crystal device using an active element (active element) such as a TFT (thin film transistor) as an example. The present invention can also be applied to an active matrix liquid crystal device using active elements (active elements).

The top view which looked at the principal part of the liquid crystal device from the side of the counter substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Same as above, H-H 'sectional view of FIG. Same as above, flow chart showing liquid crystal sealing process Same as above, schematic configuration diagram of sealant coating device Same as above, operation illustration of sealant application device Same as above, perspective view showing schematic configuration of cassette Same as above, top view of cassette holding multiple liquid crystal cell arrays Same as above, explanatory diagram when applying sealant by transfer using sealant holding dish Schematic configuration diagram showing a sealant coating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Same as above, operation illustration of sealant application device

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... TFT substrate, 20 ... Opposite substrate, 50 ... Liquid crystal, 52 ... Sealing material, 55 ... Liquid crystal sealing area, 100 ... Liquid crystal device, 200 ... Liquid crystal inlet, 210 ... Sealant, 250 ... Liquid crystal cell array, 251 ... Liquid crystal Cell, 252 ... TFT mother substrate (substrate), 252a ... End surface, 253 ... Counter mother substrate (substrate), 253a ... End surface, 300 ... Sealant coating device, 301 ... Cassette (holding means), 302 ... Sealant holding Plate (applying means), 303 ... UV irradiation device (curing means), 304 ... dispenser (applying means), 310 ... frame, 311 ... cassette rotation mechanism, 312 ... cassette lifting mechanism, 313 ... balloon pressure control mechanism 314: UV irradiation control unit, 315 ... cassette rotation mechanism unit, 316 ... nozzle control mechanism unit, 325 ... balloon, 330 ... sealant, 1300 ... sealant coating Equipment

Claims (5)

The liquid crystal after the liquid crystal is injected between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding the two substrates through the sealing material through the liquid crystal injection port opened in a part of the sealing material. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device for sealing an inlet,
A holding step of holding the liquid crystal cell in a state in which each end face of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal inlet is opened is oriented downward;
An application step of applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port;
And a curing step for curing the sealant with each end face coated with the sealant directed downward.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein in the applying step, the sealing agent is applied to the end faces of the two substrates by transfer. The liquid crystal after the liquid crystal is injected between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding the two substrates through the sealing material through the liquid crystal injection port opened in a part of the sealing material. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device for sealing an inlet,
A holding step of holding the liquid crystal cell in a state in which the end surfaces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port is open are oriented in the lateral direction;
An application step of applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port;
And a curing step of curing the sealant with the end surfaces coated with the sealant oriented in the lateral direction. The liquid crystal after the liquid crystal is injected between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding the two substrates through the sealing material through the liquid crystal injection port opened in a part of the sealing material. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device for sealing an inlet,
Holding means for holding the liquid crystal cell in a state in which each end face of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port is open is oriented downward;
Application means for applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port;
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising: a curing unit configured to cure the sealant while the end surfaces to which the sealant is applied are directed downward. The liquid crystal after the liquid crystal is injected between the two substrates of the liquid crystal cell formed by bonding the two substrates through the sealing material through the liquid crystal injection port opened in a part of the sealing material. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device for sealing an inlet,
Holding means for holding the liquid crystal cell in a state in which the end faces of the two substrates on the side where the liquid crystal injection port is open are oriented in the lateral direction;
Application means for applying a sealing agent for sealing the liquid crystal injection port to the liquid crystal injection port;
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising: a curing unit configured to cure the sealant while the end surfaces to which the sealant is applied are oriented in a lateral direction.

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