JP2009116172A - Panel assembling device and method, and liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an assembling-manufacturing line for forming a display panel compact, to improve the throughput, and to increase the manufacturing efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: Connection stages at four places and direction changing sections at three places among them are provided along a pitch feeding means 60 so as to connect electronic circuit components 2 to a panel substrate 1, which is pitch-fed at a pitch equal to an interval P1 or P2 between successive electrode groups 4 and 4. Each connection stage is provided with an electrode cleaning means 22 of cleaning electrode groups 4 of the panel substrate 1, an ACF sticking means 23 of sticking an ACF 5, and an electronic component connecting means 24 of connecting electronic circuit components 2. Those operation means are operative to perform operations in parallel simultaneously or with a slight time difference, and at each of the direction changing sections, a side of the panel substrate 1 where electronic circuit components 2 are connected is directed to a connecting operation unit 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling a display panel constituting a so-called flat panel display, such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, and an organic EL display, and a panel assembling method. The present invention relates to a manufactured liquid crystal display panel.

  A liquid crystal display as a flat display device is composed of, for example, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) substrate and a CF (Color Filter) substrate, and liquid crystal is sealed in a minute gap formed between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate. A panel substrate is formed. The TFT substrate in this panel substrate has a portion protruding from the CF substrate, and a large number of electrodes are drawn out from this protruding portion. These electrodes are grouped into a predetermined number to form a plurality of electrode groups, and each electrode group is connected to an electronic circuit component comprising a driver IC circuit, and a PCB (Print Circuit Board) is connected to these electronic circuit components. Will be assembled as is. Electronic circuit components and PCBs are provided on two or more sides of the panel substrate, and are preferably assembled on four sides in order to improve the image quality of the display image.

  Some electronic circuit components connect IC circuit elements directly to a panel substrate, but those in which an IC circuit element is mounted on a film substrate are generally used. This electronic circuit component is punched out from a TCP (Tape Carrier Package) and connected to the panel substrate. A predetermined number of electrodes are formed on the film substrate, and are fixed so as to be electrically connected to the respective electrodes constituting the electrode group of the panel substrate described above. Similarly, a predetermined number of electrodes are provided on the connection side of the electronic circuit component film substrate to the PCB, and these electrodes are electrically connected to the electrodes of the PCB.

  In the film substrate, the number of electrodes in the connection portion to the panel substrate side is larger than that in the connection portion to the PCB side, and the electrodes are formed with extremely small intervals. A plurality of electronic circuit components are connected to each side of the panel substrate. As a method of connecting the electronic circuit components to the panel substrate, a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) connection method is generally employed. That is, an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film) is attached to the position of the electrode group on the panel substrate side, and an electronic circuit component is thermocompression-bonded on the ACF, thereby achieving electrical connection between the electrodes and the electronic circuit component. Is affixed and fixed to the panel substrate. On the other hand, the connection between the electronic circuit component and the PCB can be performed by other methods such as soldering because the electrode pitch interval is relatively wide. However, the connection is also made through the ACF. It is common.

  As described above, the electronic circuit component and the PCB are connected to the panel substrate to form a liquid crystal panel. For this purpose, the ACF is attached to the panel substrate, the TAB connection of the electronic circuit component, and the PCB connection are performed. It is also important to clean the portion of the panel substrate where the electrodes are formed before attaching the ACF. As an apparatus configuration for this purpose, for example, the one shown in Patent Document 1 is known.

The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of stages, and these stages are arranged in a line. First, the first stage is a carry-in stage, and the ACF attachment area of the panel substrate is cleaned at this carry-in stage. Next, the ACF adhering stage, the TAB connection stage of the electronic circuit components, and the pressure bonding stage of the electronic circuit components to the panel substrate are followed. Further, the PCB is connected to the panel substrate to which the electronic circuit components are TAB-connected in the subsequent stage. In order to convey the panel substrate to each of these stages, a method using a conveyor is usually used. However, in Patent Document 1, each stage is provided with a panel holder composed of a fork-shaped holder arm, and these panels are used. The panel substrate is sequentially transferred to the holder so that the stage is shifted.
JP 2007-99466 A

  As described in Patent Document 1, when the panel substrate is transferred between the stages with the panel holder, not only the damage to the panel substrate is reduced, but also the transfer can be performed at high speed. Although there are problems, it is not without problems.

  In other words, each stage is independent, so that the work at each stage does not affect the other stages, and the panel holder is used to transfer between the stages of the panel substrate. A certain amount of space is required between them. And since the electronic circuit components are TAB-connected to at least two sides, three sides, or four sides on the panel substrate, a cleaning stage, an ACF attaching stage, and a TAB of the electronic circuit components are provided for TAB connection on each side. Up to 4 groups of side stages consisting of a connection stage and a crimping stage for electronic circuit components to the panel substrate will be arranged in parallel, but as described above, with the necessary spacing between the stages, If the stage configurations for four sides are arranged in a line, the size will increase considerably. In particular, in recent years, there has been a demand for an increase in panel size, and there is a problem that the production line becomes extremely long when dealing with this. In addition, the transfer between each stage involves taking out the panel substrate from the previous stage with the panel holder, transferring between the panel holders, and carrying the panel substrate to the subsequent stage. Since the connection work itself is not involved and becomes an invalid time, the manufacturing time becomes longer as a whole, and there is room for improvement in terms of manufacturing efficiency.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to make a panel assembly that can downsize an assembly / production line for forming a display panel, improve throughput, and increase production efficiency. It is to provide an apparatus and method.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, a configuration of a panel assembly apparatus for a flat display for connecting electronic circuit components for each electrode group to a panel substrate having a plurality of electrode groups formed at equal pitch intervals. As described above, the panel substrate is placed in a horizontal state, and is disposed in the middle of the conveyance path by the conveyance means, substrate conveyance means for pitch-feeding the interval between the electrode groups or an integral multiple thereof as one pitch, A position adjustment means for adjusting the position in at least one direction in the horizontal direction, a direction orthogonal thereto, and a rotation direction. A plurality of working means are mounted on each of the working means, and these working means are spaced apart by an interval between the electrode groups or an integral multiple thereof. It is an its features that it has a structure in which.

  The first invention related to the panel assembling method is to connect electronic circuit components for each electrode group to a panel substrate in which a plurality of electrode groups are formed at equal pitch intervals. Each time the electrode group interval or an integral multiple of the interval between the electrode groups is fed by one pitch, cleaning and ACF bonding are performed on different electrode groups provided on one side of the panel substrate. 1 side electronic circuit component connection work consisting of attachment and electronic circuit component connection is executed in parallel, and after the one side electronic circuit component connection work is completed, the panel substrate is rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees. Further, while feeding the panel substrate to a pitch, the electronic circuit comprising cleaning of the electrode group, attachment of ACF and connection of electronic circuit components to the other side of the panel substrate. To continue parallel operations of the component connection work is set to its features.

  Further, the second invention related to the panel assembling method is to connect an electronic circuit component for each electrode group on each side to a panel substrate in which a plurality of electrode groups are formed at equal intervals on four sides, Each time the substrate is placed in a horizontal state and the interval between the electrode groups or an integral multiple of the interval is fed by one pitch, cleaning and ACF are performed on the different electrode groups on one long side of the panel substrate. The electronic circuit component connecting operation consisting of the operations of attaching the electronic circuit component and connecting the electronic circuit component is executed in parallel, and the panel substrate is rotated 180 degrees to connect the electronic circuit component to the other long side portion. Perform the work in parallel, further rotate the panel substrate by 90 degrees, perform the electronic circuit component connection work in parallel for one short side, and then rotate the panel substrate by 180 degrees, On the other short side It is characterized by performing in parallel the electronic circuit part connection work with.

  When performing the electronic circuit component connection work, the panel substrate is conveyed by pitch feed. The feed pitch interval is set to the interval between the front and rear electrode groups provided on each side of the panel substrate or an integer multiple thereof. The panel substrate is connected to the electronic circuit components while being pitch-fed along the conveyance path by the conveyance means. For this purpose, a plurality of working means are mounted on the position adjusting means. However, the connecting operation of the electronic circuit component to the panel substrate is performed by cleaning the electrode group of the panel substrate and then attaching the ACF to the connecting portion of the electronic circuit component. Since an electronic circuit component is connected to the attachment position of the ACF and further to the ACF, the working means generally includes an electrode cleaning means, an ACF attachment means, and an electronic circuit component connection means. It is. These operations are performed in parallel. Here, performing work in parallel may be performed at the same time or slightly before or after the time. Preferably, the work is finished almost simultaneously.

  Each of the working means described above may be configured to be individually attached to the positioning means, but in order to simplify the structure and reduce the size, these three means are provided in a single position adjusting means, It is desirable that the position is adjusted integrally with the panel substrate. In this case, whether the electronic circuit element is directly connected to the panel substrate or the electronic circuit component having the film substrate is TAB-connected, the position adjustment with respect to the panel substrate requires the most accurate positioning. The electronic circuit component connecting means is used as a reference. Each means mounted on the position adjusting means is configured to contact and separate from the panel substrate independently. Accordingly, the respective working means can be operated simultaneously or substantially simultaneously, and the work can be finished at least simultaneously.

  The electronic circuit components are connected to the panel substrate not only on one side but on at least two sides, but since the panel substrate used for the display is a rectangle, the electronic circuit components are connected on the maximum to four sides. . Therefore, when the connection of the electronic circuit component to one side is completed, the electronic circuit component is sequentially connected to the other side. Since the panel substrate is usually rectangular, when electronic circuit components are connected to all four sides, the work may be performed in the order of long side, short side, other long side, and other short side. , One long side, the other long side, one short side, the other short side work in this order, and the mechanism for connecting the electronic circuit components to these four sides is arranged on the same line It is desirable to do. When the operation of connecting the electronic circuit components to the panel substrate is shifted from one side to the other side, the panel substrate is horizontally rotated by 90 degrees or 180 degrees. For this purpose, a substrate direction changing means is provided. The substrate direction changing means can vacuum-adsorb the panel substrate from above to change the direction, or push up the panel substrate from below and rotate it horizontally. When the panel substrate is rotated 180 degrees, the connection position of the electronic circuit components does not change, but when the panel substrate is rotated 90 degrees, that is, from the connection work for the long side to the connection work for the short side, or vice versa. In the case of transition, the connection position is not located on the same line. Therefore, when rotating by 90 degrees, it is necessary to adjust the position of the panel substrate in the direction orthogonal to the pitch feed direction, and it can be adjusted by the position adjusting means described above, but this direction is added to the substrate direction changing means. It is desirable to have a mechanism for adjusting the position of the head.

  The length of the line for connecting the electronic circuit components to the plurality of sides of the panel board can be shortened, and the time required for the connection work can be shortened, and the panel board can be assembled with high efficiency. There is an effect such as being able to.

    Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 is a plan view of an assembled panel, in which 1 is a panel substrate. The panel substrate 1 is obtained by bonding two upper and lower glass substrates, and is a display panel for a liquid crystal display, for example. As is well known, a predetermined number of electronic circuit components 2 are connected to the periphery of the panel substrate 1, and one or a plurality of PCBs 3 are bonded to the electronic circuit components 2 on each side.

  Accordingly, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the panel substrate 1 and the PCB 3 is connected to the electronic circuit component 2. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the electronic circuit component connecting apparatus. In the figure, 10 is a loading stage for the panel substrate 1, 11 is a first connection stage for connecting the electronic circuit component 2 to the first long side of the panel substrate 1, and 12 is a first for horizontally rotating the panel substrate 1 by 180 degrees. , A second connection stage that connects the electronic circuit component 2 to the second long side, 14 a second direction conversion unit that horizontally rotates the panel substrate 1 by 90 degrees, and 15 an electron on the first short side. A third connection stage for connecting the circuit component 2, 16 is a third direction changing unit for horizontally rotating the panel substrate 1 by 180 degrees, and 17 is a fourth connection stage for connecting the electronic circuit component 2 to the second short side. A predetermined number of electronic circuit components 2 are connected to the four sides of the panel substrate 1 by the four connection stages.

  Further, the electronic circuit component 2 connected as described above is fixed by thermocompression bonding to the panel substrate 1 at the subsequent crimping stage. Further, a PCB bonding stage is provided after the crimping stage, and the other end portion of the electronic circuit component 2 and the PCB 3 are bonded at this stage. In addition, illustration and detailed description of these crimping stages and PCB bonding stages are omitted.

  Each stage described above is arranged along a straight line, and the panel substrate 1 is sequentially carried into each stage, and a predetermined operation is performed on each stage. For this purpose, a transport line L for transporting the panel substrate 1 is formed between the carry-in stage 10 and the fourth connection stage 17, and the panel substrate 1 is transported to the transport line L by pitch feeding. Substrate conveying means is provided, which will be described later.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of electrode groups 4 are provided on one glass substrate 1 a of the panel substrate 1, and an ACF 5 is attached to each electrode group 4, and an IC circuit is mounted on the ACF 5. The film substrate 2b of the electronic circuit component 2 composed of the element 2a and the film substrate 2b is attached. A large number of electrodes are formed on the film substrate 2 b of the electronic circuit component 2, and these electrodes are mounted so as to be fixed in an electrically connected state with the respective electrodes constituting the electrode group 4 of the panel substrate 1. The Therefore, in order to mount the electronic circuit component 2 on the panel substrate 1, first, the portion of the panel substrate 1 where the electrode group 4 is formed is cleaned, the ACF 5 is attached, and then the electronic circuit component 2 is connected. Moreover, when the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the panel substrate 1, it is necessary to accurately align the electrodes provided on the electronic circuit component 2 so as to coincide with the respective electrodes constituting the electrode group 4 of the panel substrate 1. . For this purpose, the first connection stage 11, the second connection stage 13, the third connection stage 15 and the fourth connection stage 17 are each equipped with a connection work unit 20 composed of three working means.

  Here, in the first connection stage 11 and the second connection stage 13, a predetermined number of electronic circuit components 2 are connected to the long side of the panel substrate 1, and in the third connection stage 15 and the fourth connection stage 17, the panel substrate 1. The electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the short side. In the panel substrate 1 shown in FIG. 1, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected every pitch interval P1 on the long side portion side and every pitch interval P2 different from the long side side on the short side portion side.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the connection work unit 20 that performs the connection work of the electronic circuit component 2 includes a position adjustment mechanism 21, and the position adjustment mechanism 21 includes an electrode group on the panel substrate 1 using a cleaning tape. 4, the electrode cleaning means 22 for cleaning each arrangement portion, the ACF attaching means 23 for individually attaching the ACF 5 to each electrode group 4, and the electronic circuit component 2 are positioned and placed on the ACF 5. Each working means of the electronic component connecting means 24 is configured. The first connection stage 11 and the second connection stage 13 are provided with the respective working means described above for every pitch interval P1, and the third connection stage 15 and the fourth connection stage 17 are provided for each pitch interval P2.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the transport direction of the panel substrate 1 is the X-axis direction, the direction orthogonal to this is the Y-axis direction, and the rotational direction on the horizontal plane is the θ direction. In the position adjusting mechanism 21, a Y-axis adjusting unit 31 is mounted on a base 30 installed on each of the first connection stage 11, the second connection stage 13, the third connection stage 15, and the fourth connection stage 17, and this Y An X-axis adjustment unit 32 is provided on the axis adjustment unit 31. Each of the Y-axis adjusting unit 31 and the X-axis adjusting unit 32 has a table that can move along the guide rail, and the table is configured by a well-known unit that is equipped with a driving member such as a ball screw feeding member. . A θ adjustment member 33 is provided on the X-axis adjustment unit 32, and the θ adjustment member 33 can rotate the work table 34 in the horizontal direction by a rotary actuator or the like.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the electrode cleaning means 22. In the drawing, reference numeral 35 denotes a slide base, and the slide base 35 can reciprocate in the Y-axis direction along a guide 34 a provided on the work table 34. A support plate 36 is erected on the slide base. A supply reel 38 of a cleaning tape 37 and a take-up reel 39 are mounted on the support plate 36, and a drive motor (not shown) is mounted on a support shaft of the take-up reel 39. The shaft is a drive shaft 39a. Further, the support plate 36 is provided with guide rollers 40a to 40c for routing the cleaning tape 37 between the supply reel 38 and the take-up reel 39. The guide roller 40b is provided between the guide roller 40c and the guide roller 40c. The part comes into contact with the panel substrate 1, and the part where the electrode group 4 of the panel substrate 1 is formed is rubbed. For this purpose, a pressing head 41 is provided on the support plate 36. The pressing head 41 is attached to the tip of a rotating arm 42 that can rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure. It is pressed against the part where the group 4 is formed. Then, by moving the support plate 36 back and forth along the slide base 35, the cleaning tape 37 can be slid back and forth in the direction parallel to the electrode drawing direction in the electrode group 4, that is, in the Y-axis direction.

  FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the ACF attaching means 23. The ACF 5 is configured as an ACF tape 6 laminated on separator paper. The ACF 5 is cut from the ACF tape 6 at a predetermined pitch interval and attached to the panel substrate 1. The ACF tape 6 is wound around a supply reel 44 mounted on the support plate 43. The ACF tape 6 delivered from the supply reel 44 is bent 90 degrees by the reversing roller 45, and the direction is changed to a direction parallel to the arrangement direction of the electrode groups 4 on the panel substrate 1 (X-axis direction). The ACF tape 6 that has passed through the reversing roller 45 is drawn around the guide rollers 46a and 46b, and a pressure block 47 is disposed at a position above the ACF tape 6 at this position so as to be movable up and down. The pressure block 47 can be moved up and down by an elevating drive means 48. When the pressure block 47 is lowered, the ACF tape 6 can be pushed down and pressed against the panel substrate 1. A half-cut member (not shown) is provided between the supply reel 44 and the reversing roller 45, and the half-cut member leaves only the ACF 5 portion of the ACF tape 6, leaving the separator paper. Is to be cut. Further, a travel drive roller 49 is provided at a position further downstream of the guide roller 46b on the downstream side of the guide rollers 46a and 46b. The travel drive roller 49 peels off the ACF 5 from the ACF tape 6. The separator paper is discharged. Further, the support plate 43 provided with the functional member of the ACF adhering means 23 can reciprocate in the Y-axis direction. For this purpose, the support plate 43 is attached to the slide member 50, and this slide member 50 is guided by a guide 34 b provided on the work table 34.

  The front and rear cutting positions of the ACF tape 6 coincide with the length of the pressure block 47. Therefore, after the ACF tape 6 is pressed against the panel substrate 1 by the pressure block 47, the pressure block 47 is pulled up and driven to travel. When the separator paper is pulled by the roller 49, only the separator paper rises. As a result, the ACF 5 is attached to the panel substrate 1, and the ACF 5 is attached individually for each electrode group 4. Here, by incorporating a heater in the pressure block 47, the ACF 5 can be pressed against the panel substrate 1 under heating, and the ACF 5 can be securely bonded to the panel substrate 1 and the separator paper can be peeled off. .

  Further, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show the configuration of the electronic component connecting means 24. The electronic component connecting means 24 has a platform 51, and a support plate 52 is provided on the platform 51. The support plate 52 has a suction head 54 attached to an elevating drive member 53, and this suction head 54 is for vacuum-sucking the film substrate 2b in the electronic circuit component 2, and has a length that covers almost the entire length of the film substrate 2b. The suction head 54 has a built-in heater, and by moving the lifting drive member 53 up and down, the suction head 54 is lifted and a receiving position of the electronic circuit component 2 held at an intermediate height. In this configuration, the lowered electronic circuit component 2 can be displaced to a connection position where the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the panel substrate 1. Further, a guide 55 is provided on the platform 51 so as to extend in the Y-axis direction, and a shuttle member 56 is provided along the guide 55 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the Y-axis direction.

  The electronic circuit component 2 is placed on the shuttle member 56. When the shuttle member 56 is positioned rearward, the electronic circuit component 2 is placed by an appropriate transfer means. become. The shuttle member 56 moves forward after receiving the electronic circuit component 2 and is displaced by the elevating drive member 53 to the lower position of the suction head 54 disposed at the retracted position. In this state, the elevating drive member 53 is lowered to the receiving position, and the electronic circuit component 2 placed on the shuttle member 56 is sucked and held by the suction head 54. Then, the suction head 54 is once raised to the retracted position, the shuttle member 56 is displaced rearward, and the lower part of the suction head 54 is opened. Thereafter, the electronic circuit component 2 sucked by the suction head 54 is connected to the panel substrate 1 by lowering the elevating drive member 53 to the connection position. Accordingly, the platform 51 is provided with a notch 51a in this portion so that the electronic circuit component 2 sucked by the suction head 54 can be moved downward without interference.

  The electrode cleaning means 22, the ACF adhering means 23, and the electronic component connecting means 24, which are work means constituting the connection work unit 20, are configured as described above. These work means constitute work that constitutes the position adjusting mechanism 21. The table 34 is provided. This connection work unit 20 is disposed at a predetermined position on each of the first connection stage 11, the second connection stage 13, the third connection stage 15 and the fourth connection stage 17, and the panel substrate 1 is pitch-fed. Meanwhile, the electrode group 4 portion of the panel substrate 1 is cleaned by the electrode cleaning means 22, the ACF 5 is attached by the ACF attaching means 23, and the electronic circuit component 2 is connected by the electronic component connecting means 24. For this purpose, the transport line L is provided with a pitch feed means 60 for the panel substrate 1 as a substrate transport means.

  The pitch feeding means 60 is configured as shown in FIGS. As is apparent from these drawings, each of the plurality of fixed rails 61 and the movable rails 62 are configured. In the illustrated example, four fixed rails 61 are provided at predetermined intervals. The movable rail 62 is provided at a position between the adjacent fixed rails 61 and 61.

  The fixed rail 61 is continuous over the entire length from the carry-in stage 10 to the connection portion to the crimping stage (not shown) downstream of the fourth connection stage 17 (however, in the first, second, and third directions). At the positions of the converters 12, 14, and 16, the fixed rail 61 located in the middle is missing as described later). On the other hand, the movable rail 62 is divided every predetermined length. As shown in FIG. 10, the plurality of movable rails 62 are connected to a common intermittent feed mechanism 63, and the intermittent feed mechanism 63 includes an elevating means 64 and a forward / backward moving means 65. Further, panel positioning members 66a and 66b are provided on both the left and right sides in the feed direction of the panel substrate 1, and these panel positioning members 66a and 66b sandwich both side portions in the transport direction of the panel substrate 1 from the left and right. It is possible to contact and separate. Therefore, in the pitch feed means 60, the pitch feed interval can be set to P1 in the first and second connection stages 11 and 13, and the pitch feed interval can be set to P2 in the third and fourth connection stages 15 and 17.

  The raising / lowering means constituting the intermittent feed mechanism 63 is capable of raising and lowering the transport surface of the movable rail 62 to a position below and above the support surface of the panel substrate 1 in the fixed rail 61. The back-and-forth movement means moves the movable rail 62 back and forth by the length of the pitch interval P1 (in the case of the long side portion) or P2 (in the case of the short side portion) of the electrode group 4. That is, the movable rail 62 can pitch-feed the panel substrate 1 by performing a movement with ascending-advancing-descending-retreating as one cycle. The panel positioning members 66a and 66b are released from being held before the panel substrate 1 is lifted, and are held again after being lowered. As a result, the panel substrate 1 is fixed while being held at a substantially predetermined position.

  In the first connection stage 11 and the second connection stage 13, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the long side portion of the panel substrate 1, and in the third connection stage 15 and the fourth connection stage 17, the short side portion of the panel substrate 1 is connected. The electronic circuit component 2 is connected. Here, in the position adjustment mechanism 21, an electrode cleaning means 22, an ACF attaching means 23, and an electronic component connecting means 24, which are working means, are arranged within one pitch interval P1 or P2, respectively. Each time the panel substrate 1 is intermittently conveyed by the intermittent feeding mechanism 63, the electrode group 4 portion of the panel substrate 1 is cleaned by the electrode cleaning means 22, and the ACF 5 is attached by the ACF attaching means 23. The electronic circuit component 2 is connected by the component connecting means 24. The electrode cleaning means 22, the ACF attaching means 23, and the electronic component connecting means 24 perform these operations when the pitch interval P1 or P2 interval is changed, for example, when changing the product type including changing the size of the panel substrate. It is preferable to provide an interval adjusting mechanism for changing the interval of the means.

  Further, FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the substrate direction changing means 70 provided at the positions of the first, second and third direction changing portions 12, 14 and 16. As is clear from this figure, the substrate direction changing means 70 is provided at the position where the pitch feeding means 60 is disposed, and has a lifting platform 73 provided on a rotary table 72 mounted on the lifting drive member 71. The lifting platform 73 is provided with a suction platform 75 that sucks and holds the back side of the panel substrate 1 that can be moved in one direction by a guide 74. In order to prevent the substrate direction changing means 70 from interfering with the pitch feeding means 60, the fixed rail 61 in the pitch feeding means 60 is partially missing at the arrangement position, and is located in the middle. The movable rail 62 is removed.

  Here, in the substrate position converting means 70, the support table 72 is disposed at the same height position as the transport surface of the panel substrate 1 in the fixed rail 61 when the lifting drive member 71 is in the lowered position. In this lowered position, the lifting / lowering platform 73 provided in the above-mentioned structure exhibits the support function of the panel substrate 1 together with the fixed rail 61. In addition, when the panel substrate 1 is placed on the lifting platform 73, the lifting drive member 71 is operated to lift the lifting platform 73 and rotate in a state of being positioned above the support surface of the fixed rail 61. The panel substrate 1 is rotated in the horizontal direction by rotating the table 72. In the first direction changing unit 12 and the third direction changing unit 16, the panel substrate 1 is rotated by 180 degrees, and in the second direction changing unit 14, the panel substrate 1 is rotated by 90 degrees. It is like that. In addition, in the second direction changing unit 14, the position of the lifting platform 73 can be adjusted along the guide 74.

  In the panel assembling apparatus having the above configuration, when the panel substrate 1 is carried into the carry-in stage 10, pitch feed is started and first moves toward the first connection stage 11. Regardless of when the first panel substrate 1 is carried in, the panel substrates 1 are conveyed one after another, and the panel substrate 1 advances to the position of the first connection stage 11. Here, from the carry-in stage 10 to immediately before the second direction changing section 14, the panel substrate 1 is intermittently conveyed by the pitch feeding means 60 at every pitch interval P1. Accordingly, the interval between the panel substrates 1 and 1 before and after being carried into the carry-in stage 10 is made to coincide with the pitch interval P1.

  When the pitch feed means 60 stops the pitch feed, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected. First, position adjustment with respect to the work table 34 constituting the position adjustment mechanism 21 of the panel substrate 1 is performed. In this position adjustment, it is desirable that the electronic circuit component 2 is sucked and held by the suction head 54 constituting the electronic component connecting means 24 so that the electronic circuit component 2 and the panel substrate 1 are aligned. . Generally, an alignment mark is formed on each of the electronic circuit component 2 and the panel substrate 1, and the Y-axis adjustment member 31, the X-axis adjustment member 32, and the θ adjustment member 33 are arranged so that the positions of these alignment marks coincide with each other. Adjust the position. Since the electrode cleaning means 22 and the ACF attaching means 23 are mounted on the work table 34 together with the electronic component connecting means 24, and these do not require as strict position adjustment as the electronic component connecting means 24, By aligning the electronic component connecting means 24 with the panel substrate 1, the electrode cleaning means 22 and the ACF adhering means 23 are also substantially adjusted in position.

  In a state where the position of the connection work unit 20 is adjusted, the electrode cleaning means 22, the ACF attaching means 23, and the electronic component connecting means 24 are driven. That is, when the cleaning tape 37 in the electrode cleaning means 22 is brought into contact with the panel substrate 1 by the pressing head 41 and the slide base 35 is moved, the portion of the electrode group 4 on the panel substrate 1 is cleaned. When the ACF adhering means 23 is operated, the pressure block 47 is lowered, and the ACF tape 6 is moved to the next electrode group 4 on the panel substrate 1 (this electrode group 4 is the electrode cleaning means 22 during the previous operation). ACF 5 that has been half-cut is attached to (has been cleaned). Further, when the electronic component connecting means 24 is operated, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the portion of the electrode group 4 where the ACF 5 has already been pasted on the electronic circuit component 2 held by the suction head 54. Since the connection of the electronic circuit component 2 is accurately aligned between the electronic component connection means 24 and the panel substrate 1, the electrodes of the electronic circuit component 2 constitute an electrode group 4 of the panel substrate 1. Securely connected to each electrode.

  Here, the operation of connecting the electronic circuit component 2 by driving the electrode cleaning means 22, the ACF adhering means 23 and the electronic component connecting means 24 is performed almost simultaneously, and these three operations are overlapped to operate in parallel. By performing the above, the operation time from the cleaning of the electrode group 4 to the connection of the electronic circuit component 2 is shortened. The electronic circuit components 2 are sequentially connected to the panel substrate 1 by repeating the parallel operation described above every time the panel substrate 1 is pitch-fed by the pitch feeding means 60.

  The panel substrate 1 is sequentially transferred from the carry-in stage 10 to the first connection stage 11, but the front and rear panel substrates 1 are transferred in a state separated by a pitch interval P 1, so that the pitch feeding means 60 operates once. The connection work of the electronic circuit component 2 is performed every time, and the work including the breaks of the front and rear panel substrates 1 is continuously performed without any pause. When a predetermined number of electronic circuit components 2 are connected to one side in the first connection stage 11, the panel substrate 1 has moved to the first direction changing unit 12. Therefore, when stopping by pitch feed, the substrate direction changing means 70 is operated to rotate the panel substrate 1 horizontally by 180 degrees and return it to the transport path.

  Then, at the next pitch feed, the panel substrate 1 in which the connection of the electronic circuit component 2 is completed on one side moves to the second connection stage 13. At this time, the first connecting portion 11 of the next panel substrate 1 is started. Accordingly, the connection work unit 20 arranged on both the connection stages 11 and 13 is operated, and the connection work of the electronic circuit component 2 is continued.

  Further, when the panel substrate 1 in which the connection work of the electronic circuit components 2 has been completed on both long side portions shifts to the second direction changing portion 14, the substrate direction changing means 70 provided in the second direction changing portion 14 is activated. Then, the panel substrate 1 is rotated 90 degrees, and the connection work of the electronic circuit component 2 at the short side portion in the third connection stage 15 is started. However, if the panel substrate 1 is only horizontally rotated, the short side portion is located at the position and the long side portion where the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the panel substrate 1 by the first and second connection stages 11 and 13. Since the second direction changing unit 14 is different, the electronic circuit for the panel substrate 1 in the third connection stage 15 is obtained by horizontally rotating the panel substrate 1 and moving the lifting platform 73 along the guide 74. The connection position of the component 2 is adjusted. In the third connection stage 15, the pitch feed interval by the pitch feed means 60 is P2.

  By the way, in the first and second connection stages 11 and 13, the panel substrate 1 has a pitch feed interval P1, and in the third and fourth connection stages 15 and 17, the pitch feed interval of the panel substrate 1 is P2, which is longer than P1. The number of electronic circuit components 2 to be connected is also small. Therefore, the moving speed of the panel substrate 1 at the first and second connection stages 11 and 13 and the moving speed of the panel substrate 1 at the third and fourth connection stages 15 and 17 are different, but the moving speed is different. Is faster in the direction of the third and fourth connection stages 15 and 17 located on the downstream side of the transport path, so that inconvenience such as jamming does not occur.

  When the panel substrate 1 moves from the third connection stage 15 to the fourth connection stage 17, the substrate direction changing means 70 provided in the third direction changing unit 16 rotates the panel substrate 1 by 180 degrees. In the fourth connection stage 17, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the other short side portion. Therefore, the electronic circuit component 2 is connected to the four sides of the panel substrate 1 by passing through the fourth connection stage 17.

  As described above, the four connection stages 11, 13, 15, and 17 are simultaneously operated, so that the connection operation of the electronic circuit component 2 to the four sides of the panel substrate 1 is performed at the same time. The operations of cleaning the electrode group 4 and attaching the ACF 5 necessary for the above are performed in parallel when the electronic circuit component 2 is connected. Therefore, the panel can be assembled very efficiently and at high speed without causing unnecessary movement of the panel substrate 1, and the electrode cleaning means 22, the ACF attaching means 23, and the electronic component connecting means 24 can be assembled. As a result, the panel assembly line can be significantly shortened compared to the case where independent work stages are provided to perform each of these operations. Is achieved.

  The panel substrate 1 with the electronic circuit components 2 connected to the four sides in this way moves to the crimping stage, the electronic circuit components 2 are thermocompression bonded, and further moves to the PCB bonding stage to connect the PCB 3. Is done.

It is a top view of the panel for liquid crystal displays as an example for flat displays. It is explanatory drawing which shows the stage structure of a panel assembly apparatus. It is an external view which shows the state before the connection of a panel board | substrate and an electronic circuit component. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of a connection work unit. It is a side view which shows an electrode cleaning means. It is a front view of an ACF sticking means. It is a front view of an electronic component connection means. FIG. 8 is a left side view of FIG. 7. It is a top view of the conveyance means of a panel board | substrate. It is a front view which shows the operating state of a pitch feed means. It is a structure explanatory drawing of a board | substrate direction conversion means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Panel substrate 2 Electronic circuit component 3 PCB 4 Electrode group 5 AFC 10 Carry-in stage 11 1st connection stage 12 1st direction change part 13 2nd connection stage 14 2nd direction change part 15 3rd connection stage 16 3rd Direction changing section 17 Fourth connection stage 20 Connection work unit 21 Position adjusting mechanism 22 Electrode cleaning means 23 ACF attaching means 24 Electronic component connecting means 60 Pitch feeding means 70 Substrate direction changing means

Claims (8)

In a panel assembly device for a flat display that connects electronic circuit components for each electrode group to a panel substrate in which a plurality of electrode groups are formed at equal pitch intervals,
Substrate transport means for placing the panel substrate in a horizontal state and feeding the pitch between the electrode groups or an integral multiple thereof as one pitch;
A connection work unit that is arranged in the middle of the transport path by the transport means and performs the work of connecting the electronic circuit component to the panel substrate;
The connection work unit comprises a plurality of work means mounted on a position adjustment means that enables position adjustment in at least one direction in the horizontal direction, a direction orthogonal thereto, and a rotation direction. A panel assembling apparatus characterized in that it is arranged so as to be spaced apart by an interval between electrode groups or an integral multiple thereof. The plurality of work means provided in the position adjusting means of the connection work unit perform different works, and the plurality of work means are each in contact with the panel substrate independently for working independently. The panel assembly apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the panel assembly apparatus is configured to be separable. The plurality of working means include an electrode cleaning means, an ACF attaching means, and an electronic component connecting means, and the electronic component connecting means among these means is connected to the electrode group of the panel substrate by the position adjusting means. The panel assembling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the position is adjusted with respect to the position. A plurality of electronic circuit components are connected to each of the two or more sides of the panel substrate, and the connection work unit for each side is arranged before and after the conveying direction of the conveying path of the conveying means, 2. A panel assembling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising substrate direction changing means for horizontally rotating the panel substrate by 180 degrees or 90 degrees between the front and rear connection work units. When the panel substrate is rotated 90 degrees by the substrate direction changing means, the electronic circuit component connection position of the panel substrate is on the same line as the electronic circuit component connection position when the electronic circuit component is connected by the previous connection work unit. The panel assembling apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a position adjusting member to be arranged. A method for assembling a panel substrate for a flat display, in which an electronic circuit component is connected to each electrode group with respect to a panel substrate in which a plurality of electrode groups are formed at equal pitch intervals,
Each time the panel substrate is placed in a horizontal state and the interval between the electrode groups or an integral multiple of the interval is fed by one pitch, cleaning is performed for different electrode groups provided on one side of the panel substrate. And one-side electronic circuit component connection work consisting of ACF pasting and electronic circuit component connection,
After completing the one-side electronic circuit component connection work, the panel substrate is rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees,
Furthermore, while the panel substrate is pitch-fed, the parallel operation of the electronic circuit component connecting operation including the cleaning of the electrode group, the attachment of the ACF, and the connection of the electronic circuit component to the other side of the panel substrate is continued. A panel assembling method characterized by the above. An assembly method of a panel substrate for a flat display, wherein an electronic circuit component is connected to each of the electrode groups on each side to a panel substrate in which a plurality of electrode groups are formed at equal intervals on four sides,
Each time the panel substrate is placed in a horizontal state and the interval between the electrode groups or an integral multiple of the interval is fed by one pitch, cleaning is performed on different electrode groups on one long side of the panel substrate. , Executing the electronic circuit component connection work including the operations of attaching the ACF and connecting the electronic circuit parts in parallel,
The panel substrate is rotated 180 degrees, and the electronic circuit component connection work is performed in parallel with respect to the other long sides,
Furthermore, the panel substrate is rotated by 90 degrees, and the electronic circuit component connection work is executed in parallel for one short side part.
Thereafter, the panel substrate is rotated 180 degrees, and the electronic circuit component connecting operation is performed in parallel with respect to the other short side portion. The panel assembled by the panel assembling apparatus according to claim 1 or the panel assembling method according to claim 6 or 7 is a panel for a liquid crystal display, and the liquid crystal display panel assembled by the panel assembling apparatus or the panel assembling method.

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