JP2009103850A - Device for manufacturing display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for manufacturing display panel, capable of readily regulating a control part and a light source, and can readily carrying out maintenance thereof. <P>SOLUTION: An application unit 20 is provided with a stool 24 contacting with its body comprising a casing 22 and a cover 23, accompanying size enlargement of the application unit 20. A control part 120 for controlling a dispenser part 112 in the body is further provided inside the stool 24. The control part 120 is thereby precluded from being arranged, at a position inconvenient for an operation by a worker, when compared to the case, where the control part 120 is assembled in the body. Work for laying a cable is not required, as compared with the case where the control part 120 is assembled in a control panel at the outside of the application unit 20. Furthermore, performance is restrained from deteriorating at controlling, and the regulation and the maintenance are restrained from becoming inefficient. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel made of a substrate.

A liquid crystal display panel as a display panel used for image display is manufactured by applying a paste to one of two substrates and bonding the paste to the other substrate. When applying the paste to the substrate, the display panel manufacturing apparatus mounts the substrate on the substrate stage and appropriately moves the substrate stage. The display panel manufacturing apparatus discharges the paste from the dispenser unit toward the substrate while appropriately moving a dispenser unit having a syringe filled with the paste and a nozzle attached to the syringe (for example, Patent Documents). 1). In addition, when the two substrates are bonded together, the display panel manufacturing apparatus detects a positioning mark (alignment mark) formed on the substrate by camera photographing, and the two substrates are detected based on the position of the detected alignment mark. Then, after further overlapping the substrates, light is irradiated around the photocurable adhesive formed on one substrate to temporarily fix the substrates.
JP 2004-290972 A

  The operations of the substrate stage and the coating head described above are controlled by the control unit. This control unit is conventionally provided in the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus or in an external control panel. However, when the control unit is provided in the main body, in order to ensure the rigidity of the display panel manufacturing apparatus, a plurality of pillars and the like are installed in the main body. Is difficult to arrange at a position that is easy for the operator to operate.

  On the other hand, when the control unit is provided on the control panel outside the display panel manufacturing apparatus, it is necessary to install a rack for housing the control panel and to lay a cable connecting the display panel manufacturing apparatus and the control panel. The laying work takes time. Further, depending on the length of the cable, there is a possibility that the performance at the time of control is deteriorated due to a decrease in voltage or mixing of noise. Furthermore, since the display panel manufacturing apparatus and the control panel are separated from each other, it is necessary to perform these adjustments and maintenance in another place, which is inefficient.

  Moreover, when irradiating and hardening light with respect to the photocurable adhesive for temporarily fixing the two board | substrates piled up, the light source is conventionally provided in the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus. In response to the increase in the size of the display panel and the increase in the amount of the photocurable adhesive formed on the substrate, a large number of light sources are also required. In addition, since a large amount of heat is generated during operation of the light source, a cooling fan is required. Therefore, when the light source is installed in the main body, it occupies a large area of the main body, and as a result, the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus becomes larger than necessary. In addition, there is a limit to cooling the inside of the main body using a cooling fan, and there is a possibility that the accuracy of bonding is deteriorated, the life of equipment in the main body is reduced, and the cleanliness in the main body is deteriorated due to thermal convection.

  On the other hand, with respect to the above-described problem, it is conceivable to provide a light source in an external box away from the display panel manufacturing apparatus. However, even in this case, it is necessary to perform adjustment and maintenance in another place, which is inefficient and an optical fiber that guides light from the light source to the display panel manufacturing apparatus becomes long, resulting in light attenuation. For this reason, the illuminance of the light source is increased, or an optical fiber with a small attenuation is required, resulting in an increase in cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a display panel manufacturing apparatus capable of easily adjusting and maintaining a control unit and a light source.

  A display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel comprising a substrate according to the present invention is provided with a main body, a substrate stage provided on the main body, on which the substrate is mounted, and provided on the main body and mounted on the substrate stage. And a head that performs predetermined processing on the substrate, a step that is provided in contact with the main body, and a control unit that is provided in the step and controls the operation of the head.

  In recent years, as the size of the display panel has increased, the size of the display panel manufacturing apparatus tends to increase, and it is essential for the operator to provide a step board in contact with the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus in order to facilitate adjustment and maintenance. It has become. In the present invention, by providing a control unit for controlling the head in the step, the control unit is not disposed at a position where it is difficult for the operator to operate compared to a case where the control unit is incorporated in the main body. Also, compared to the case where the control unit is incorporated in the control panel outside the display panel manufacturing apparatus, cable laying is unnecessary, and further, the performance at the time of control deteriorates, and adjustment and maintenance are inefficient. It is suppressed.

  A display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel comprising a substrate according to the present invention includes a main body, a substrate stage provided on the main body, on which the substrate is mounted, and provided on the main body, the paste facing the substrate. It has a dispenser part which discharges, a step board provided in contact with the main part, and a control part which is provided in the step board and controls operation of the dispenser part.

  According to this configuration, by providing the control unit that controls the operation of the dispenser unit in the platform, the control unit can be arranged at a position that is difficult for the operator to operate compared to the case where the control unit is incorporated in the main body. Absent. Also, compared to the case where the control unit is incorporated in the control panel outside the display panel manufacturing apparatus, cable laying is unnecessary, and further, the performance at the time of control deteriorates, and adjustment and maintenance are inefficient. It is suppressed.

  In the display panel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the step board may include an intake port for taking in an airflow from the main body and an exhaust port for exhausting the airflow taken in from the intake port.

  According to this configuration, the inside of the platform can be cooled by the airflow from the main body.

  Moreover, the display panel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention may include a current plate that guides the airflow from the main body to the intake port.

  According to this configuration, the airflow from the main body can be guided to the intake port, and the control unit can be appropriately cooled.

  A display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel comprising a substrate according to the present invention includes a main body, a substrate stage provided on the main body, on which the substrate is mounted, a step board provided in contact with the main body, and the step board. And a light source that irradiates light toward the periphery of the photo-curable adhesive formed on the substrate mounted on the substrate stage.

  According to this configuration, the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus is required by providing the light source in the step board provided in contact with the display panel manufacturing apparatus as compared with the case where the light source is provided in the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus. As described above, it is possible to suppress an increase in size, deterioration in bonding accuracy, a reduction in the life of equipment in the main body, and deterioration in cleanliness in the main body due to thermal convection. Moreover, the increase in cost is suppressed compared with the case where the light source is provided outside the display panel manufacturing apparatus.

  In the display panel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the step platform may have an exhaust port for exhausting an airflow inside the step platform.

  According to this structure, it becomes possible to discharge the gas in the step platform.

  Moreover, the display panel manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention may make it the said step have a cover part.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to improve the maintainability of the control unit and the light source in the platform.

  According to the present invention, in view of the necessity of providing a step board in contact with the main body of the display panel manufacturing apparatus with an increase in the size of the display panel, a control unit and a light source are installed in the step board. Thus, the display panel manufacturing apparatus capable of easily adjusting and maintaining the control unit and the light source can be configured to be suitable for manufacturing a large display panel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, a display panel manufacturing apparatus for applying a paste to a glass substrate will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a paste coating system to which a display panel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is applied. A paste application system 10 shown in FIG. 1 applies a liquid crystal sealing paste to a glass substrate 50 when a liquid crystal display panel as a display panel is manufactured. The paste application system 10 includes application units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, and 20-4, a substrate delivery mechanism 30, and a transfer robot 40 that constitute the display panel manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

  The glass substrate 50 to be applied with paste is disposed at the upstream end 32 of the substrate delivery mechanism 30. The transfer robot 40 can move in the extending direction of the substrate delivery mechanism 30 (direction A in FIG. 1), and can further rotate in the direction B in FIG. The transport robot 40 transports the glass substrate 50 disposed at the upstream end 32 of the substrate delivery mechanism 30 and places it on the coating units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3 and 20-4 as needed.

  The coating units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, and 20-4 apply a paste to the surface of the glass substrate 50 that is disposed. Since paste application takes time compared with conveyance of the glass substrate 50 by the conveyance robot 40, etc., by operating these application units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3 and 20-4 in parallel, Time can be shortened and productivity can be improved.

  After the paste is applied to the glass substrate 50, the transfer robot 40 takes out the glass substrate 50 after applying the paste from the application units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, and 20-4 as needed, and transfers it. In order to send it out to the bonding process or the like, it is arranged at the downstream end 34 in the substrate delivery mechanism 30. By such a series of operations, the paste is applied to the surface of the glass substrate 50.

  FIG. 2 shows coating units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, and 20-4 (hereinafter, these coating units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, and 20-4 are collectively referred to as “coating unit”. 20 ").

  The coating unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 includes a housing 22 as a main body, a cover 23 as a main body, and a step platform 24. In view of the fact that the size of the coating unit 20 accompanying the increase in the size of the display panel makes it difficult for the operator to perform adjustment and maintenance of the coating unit 20. , Provided so as to be in contact with the housing 22.

  On the housing 22, a dispenser unit 112, a laser sensor 113, a column 114, a substrate stage 115, and a camera 116 are provided. Among these, the dispenser part 112 is comprised by the syringe which fills a paste, and the nozzle which discharges the paste with which the said syringe was filled from the front-end | tip. The cover 23 covers members such as the column 114 and the substrate stage 115 provided on the housing 22.

  The dispenser unit 112, the laser sensor 113, and the camera 116 integrally form a head 110, and are attached to the column 114 so as to be movable in the Z direction shown in FIG. Two heads 110 are provided on the column 114. Such a head 110 executes application of paste as a predetermined process to the substrate 50. The substrate stage 115 can be moved in the X and Y directions in FIG. 2 by an XYθ moving device 118, and can be slightly rotated in the θ direction. The glass substrate 50 transported by the transport robot 40 shown in FIG. 1 is vacuum-sucked on the upper surface of the substrate stage 115. The camera 116 is provided in the substrate stage 115 and images a positioning mark (alignment mark) 51 formed on the glass substrate 50 mounted on the substrate stage 115.

  On the other hand, a control unit 120 is provided in the platform 24. Further, a door 25 serving as a lid is provided on the step platform 24 to facilitate maintenance of the control unit 120. The control unit 120 controls the operation of the above-described dispenser unit 112 and substrate stage 115 and the camera 116 in accordance with an operator's instruction and the like.

  Specifically, prior to applying the paste, the control unit 120 controls the camera 116 to image the alignment mark 51 formed on the glass substrate 50. Further, the control unit 120 detects the position of the alignment mark 51 based on the image captured by the camera 116, and specifies the position where the paste should be applied on the surface of the glass substrate 50 based on the relative position from the alignment mark 51.

  After specifying the position where the paste is to be applied, the control unit 120 controls the dispenser unit 112 to discharge the paste from the tip of the nozzle toward the surface of the glass substrate 50 disposed immediately below. At the time of applying the paste, the control unit 120 performs control to move the substrate stage 115 in the X direction and the Y direction as appropriate in FIG.

  Further, the control unit 120 detects the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the glass substrate 50 based on the measurement value of the laser sensor 113. When the detected value is not within a predetermined range, it is highly possible that the cross-sectional area of the paste applied to the glass substrate 50 is not a desired cross-sectional area. For this reason, the control unit 120 moves the head 110 having the dispenser unit 112 in the Z direction in FIG. 2 based on the measurement value obtained by the laser sensor 113, so that the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the glass substrate 50. Control is performed so that the distance between the two is within a predetermined range.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the vicinity of the step 24 of the coating unit 20, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration viewed from the side surface of the coating unit 20 near the step 24. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hole 26 is formed on the side surface of the cover 23 corresponding to the side of the main body that contacts the platform 24. Further, a hole 27 as an intake port is formed on the upper surface of the step platform 24. Further, a hole 28 as an exhaust port is formed on the side where the control unit 120 is installed on the lower surface of the step 24, and a hole 29 as an exhaust port is formed on the side where the control unit 120 is not installed. Has been. Further, a rectifying plate 26a is provided on the outlet side of the hole portion 26 (the outer surface of the cover 23) so that the gas flowing out from the cover 23 through the hole portion 26 flows downward.

  The clean gas stream supplied into the cover 23 from above the cover 23 flows out from the hole 26 to the outside. The flow direction of the air flow is changed downward by the rectifying plate 26a, and flows into the step 24 from the hole portion 27 formed in the step 24 along the arrow 61 in FIG. A part of the airflow flowing into the step 24 flows in the step 24 along the arrow 62 and flows out of the step 24 from the hole 28 via the control unit 120. The other airflow flows along the arrow 63 in the step 24 and flows out from the hole 29 to the outside of the step 24.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, as the display panel increases in size, the application unit 20 tends to increase in size, and the operator touches the main body of the application unit 20 so that adjustment and maintenance can be easily performed. In view of the fact that it is essential to provide 24, a control unit 120 that controls operations of the substrate stage 115 and the dispenser unit 112 is provided in the step platform 24. Thereby, compared with the case where the control part 120 is integrated in a main body, it is not arrange | positioned in the position where an operator is hard to operate. Moreover, compared with the case where the control unit 120 is incorporated in a control panel outside the coating unit 20, cable laying is unnecessary, and further, performance during control is deteriorated, and adjustment and maintenance are inefficient. It is suppressed. Further, by allowing a clean gas flow supplied into the cover 23 to flow into the step 24, the inside of the step 24, in particular, the control unit 120 can be cooled.

  Next, the display panel manufacturing apparatus which bonds a glass substrate is demonstrated. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration viewed from the front of the bonding unit 21. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the internal configuration of the footrest portion.

  The bonding unit 21 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes a casing 72 as a main body, a cover 73 as a main body, and a step platform 74. In view of the fact that the size of the bonding unit 21 accompanying the increase in size of the display panel makes it difficult for the operator to adjust and maintain the bonding unit 21, the stepping board 74 can be easily adjusted and maintained. In order to do so, it is provided in contact with the housing 72.

  On the housing 72, a substrate stage 125, a camera 126, a head 130, a support portion 132, and a column 133 are provided.

  The substrate stage 125 is movable in the X direction and the Y direction in FIG. 6, and can be slightly rotated in the θ direction. The lower glass substrate 52 is supplied onto the substrate stage 125 by a transfer robot (not shown).

  The head 130 is supported by the support portion 132. The support portion 132 is attached to the column 133 so that the head 130 can move in the Z direction of FIG. The upper glass substrate 54 is supplied to the head 130 by a transfer robot (not shown). A suction mechanism (not shown) built in the head 130 sucks and holds the upper glass substrate 54 supplied to the head 130. Such a head 130 executes a process of superposing the upper glass substrate 54 on the lower glass substrate 52 supplied to the substrate stage 125 as a predetermined process.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing the upper surface of the lower glass substrate 52, in other words, the surface facing the upper glass substrate 54. As shown in FIG. 7, on the upper surface of the lower glass substrate 52, an ultraviolet ray that is a photo-curable adhesive for temporarily fixing the alignment mark 51-d and the two superimposed glass substrates 52 and 54 together. A (UV) curable adhesive 53 and a rectangular frame-shaped paste pattern 57 for sealing a liquid crystal are formed.

  On the other hand, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a lower surface of the upper glass substrate 54, in other words, a surface facing the lower glass substrate 52. As shown in FIG. 8, alignment marks 51-u are formed on the lower surface of the upper glass substrate 54.

  The camera 126 is provided in the substrate stage 125, and the alignment mark 51-d formed on the lower glass substrate 52 sucked on the substrate stage 125 and the upper glass substrate 54 sucked on the head 130. The formed alignment mark 51-u is imaged. When the alignment mark 51-d and the alignment mark 51-u are imaged by the camera 126, the lower glass substrate 52 and the upper glass are based on the relative positions of the alignment mark 51-d and the alignment mark 51-u. The position at the time of bonding with the substrate 54 is adjusted.

  After the positions of the lower glass substrate 52 and the upper glass substrate 54 are properly adjusted, the head 130 is lowered with the upper glass substrate 54 adsorbed on the lower surface. As a result, the lower glass substrate 52 adsorbed on the upper surface of the substrate stage 125 and the upper glass substrate 54 adsorbed on the lower surface of the head 130 are overlapped.

  On the other hand, an irradiation unit 143 including a UV lamp 140 serving as a light source and a cooling fan 142 corresponding to the UV lamp 140 is provided in the step stand 74. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, six irradiation units 143 are provided in the step 74 corresponding to the six UV curable adhesives 53 formed on the lower glass substrate 52. It has been. Further, the step stand 74 is provided with a door 75 as a lid portion for facilitating replacement of the UV lamp 140 and the like. Furthermore, a hole portion 145 is formed in the step platform 74 as an exhaust port for exhausting the gas in the step platform 74 corresponding to each irradiation unit 143. The cooling fan 142 is disposed so as to face the hole 145. Therefore, the cooling fan 142 sucks and exhausts the gas in the stepped bed 74 heated by the lighting of the UV lamp 140 through the hole 145.

  The UV lamp 140 is connected with an optical fiber 144 that goes into the main body. The UV lamp 140 is formed on the upper surface of the lower glass substrate 52 via the optical fiber 144 in a state where the lower glass substrate 52 and the upper glass substrate 54 adsorbed on the lower surface of the head 130 are stacked. The UV curable adhesive 53 is irradiated with UV light. Thereby, the UV curable adhesive 53 is cured, and the lower glass substrate 52 and the upper glass substrate 54 are temporarily fixed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, as the display panel increases in size, the bonding unit 21 tends to increase in size, and the operator touches the main body of the bonding unit 21 for easy adjustment and maintenance. In view of the fact that it is essential to provide the step 74, an irradiation unit 143 including the UV lamp 140 and the cooling fan 142 is provided in the step 74. Thereby, compared with the case where the UV lamp 140 is provided in the main body (the casing 72 and the cover 73), the main body of the bonding unit 21 becomes larger than necessary, or heat is generated in the main body. Deterioration of alignment accuracy, reduction in the life of devices in the main body, and deterioration in cleanliness in the main body due to thermal convection are suppressed, and adjustment and maintenance of the UN lamp 140 can be easily performed. Further, compared with the case where the UV lamp 140 is provided outside the bonding unit 21, it is not necessary to increase the illuminance of the UV lamp 140 or use the optical fiber 144 having a small attenuation amount, thereby increasing the cost. Can be suppressed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the UV lamp 140 is provided so as to correspond to the UV curable adhesive 53 on a one-to-one basis. However, one UV lamp 140 is provided for the plurality of UV curable adhesives 53. The present invention can be similarly applied to a configuration in which one UV lamp 140 is provided for one UV curable adhesive 53.

  In addition, the present invention can be similarly applied when a photocurable adhesive other than the UV curable adhesive 53 is formed on the glass substrate. In this case, a light source that emits light suitable for curing the photocurable adhesive may be used instead of the UV lamp 140. In addition, the irradiation unit 143 is disposed in the step 74 of the bonding unit 21, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit of the bonding unit 21 may be disposed instead of the irradiation unit 143, or the irradiation unit Both 143 and the control unit may be arranged.

  The display panel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention can easily adjust and maintain the control unit and the light source, and is useful as a display panel manufacturing apparatus.

It is a top view which shows embodiment of the paste application | coating system to which the display panel manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention is applied. It is a perspective view of an application unit. It is an external appearance perspective view of the coating unit vicinity of the application unit. It is a figure which shows the internal structure seen from the side surface of the application stand vicinity. It is a figure which shows the internal structure seen from the front of the bonding unit. It is a cross-sectional top view which shows the internal structure of the step part of a bonding unit. It is a top view of a lower glass substrate. It is a bottom view of an upper glass substrate.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Paste application system 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4 Application unit 21 Bonding unit 22, 72 Case 24, 74 Step 25, 75 Door 26, 27, 28, 29, 145 Hole 30 Substrate delivery mechanism 32 Upstream end 34 Downstream end 40 Transfer robot 50 Glass substrate 51 Alignment mark 52 Lower glass substrate 53 UV curable adhesive 54 Upper glass substrate 57 Paste pattern 112 Dispenser part 113 Laser sensor 114, 133 Column 115, 125 Substrate Stage 116, 126 Camera 120 Control unit 132 Support unit 140 UV lamp 142 Cooling fan 143 Irradiation unit 144 Optical fiber

Claims (7)

A display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel comprising a substrate,
The body,
A substrate stage provided on the main body and on which the substrate is mounted;
A head that is provided in the main body and that performs a predetermined process on a substrate mounted on the substrate stage;
A platform provided in contact with the body;
A display panel manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a control unit that is provided in the step and controls the operation of the head. A display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel comprising a substrate,
The body,
A substrate stage provided on the main body and on which the substrate is mounted;
A dispenser part that is provided in the main body and that discharges a paste toward the substrate;
A platform provided in contact with the body;
A display panel manufacturing apparatus comprising: a control unit that is provided in the platform and controls the operation of the dispenser unit. The platform is
An intake port for taking in airflow from the main body;
The display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust port that exhausts the airflow captured from the intake port.   The display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a current plate that guides an airflow from the main body to the intake port. A display panel manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display panel comprising a substrate,
The body,
A substrate stage provided on the main body and on which a substrate is mounted;
A platform provided in contact with the body;
A display panel manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a light source that is provided in the step and irradiates light toward the periphery of a photo-curable adhesive formed on a substrate mounted on the substrate stage.   The display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the step has an exhaust port for exhausting an airflow inside the step.   The display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the step has a lid.

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