JP2009204607A - Method and apparatus for inspecting optical display unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for inspecting optical display units, which widely detects whether washing includes been fully implemented, without the need for drying in a wet state after washing. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus for inspecting the optical display units includes: a transfer device R capable of horizontally supporting an optical display unit W; a liquid feed device D11 which feeds a wettable liquid to a surface of the optical display unit W so as to come into contact therewith and maintains the liquid on the surface; and an observation area D12 allowing observation of a part which repels the liquid. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inspection method and an inspection apparatus for an optical display unit for inspecting the cleanliness of the surface of an optical display unit such as a glass substrate unit or an organic EL light emitting unit of a liquid crystal cell.

  FIG. 8 conceptually shows a method for manufacturing an optical display unit mounted on a conventional liquid crystal display device. First, an optical film manufacturer manufactures a long (strip-shaped) sheet-like product having an optical film member as a roll stock (# 1). This specific manufacturing process is a known manufacturing process and will not be described. Examples of the “long (strip-shaped) sheet-like product” include a polarizing plate original, a retardation plate original used in a liquid crystal display device, a laminated film original of a polarizing plate and a retardation plate, and the like. Next, the original roll is slit to a predetermined size (a size according to the size of the optical display unit) (# 2). Next, the slit raw material is cut to a fixed length in accordance with the size of the optical display unit to be bonded (# 3). Next, an appearance inspection is performed on the sheet-shaped product (optical film) that has been cut into pieces (# 4). Examples of the inspection method include visual defect inspection and inspection using a known defect inspection apparatus. The defect means, for example, a surface or internal stain, scratch, a special defect such as a dent in which a foreign object is bitten (sometimes referred to as a knick), a bubble, a foreign object, or the like. Next, the finished product is inspected (# 5). The finished product inspection is an inspection that complies with quality standards that are more stringent than the appearance inspection. Next, the end surfaces of the four end surfaces of the sheet-like product are processed (# 6). This is performed to prevent the adhesive or the like from protruding from the end face during transportation. Next, in a clean room environment, the single sheet product is clean-wrapped (# 7). Next, packaging for transportation (transport packaging) (# 8). A sheet-like product is manufactured as described above and transported to a panel processing manufacturer.

  The panel processing manufacturer unpacks and disassembles the sheet-like product that has been transported (# 11). Next, an appearance inspection is performed in order to inspect for scratches, dirt, etc. that occur during transportation or at the time of unpacking (# 12). The sheet-like product that has been determined to be non-defective in the inspection is conveyed to the next process. Note that this appearance inspection may be omitted. An optical display unit (for example, a glass substrate unit in which a liquid crystal cell is sealed) to which a single sheet product is bonded is manufactured in advance, and the optical display unit is cleaned before the bonding step (# 13). In this cleaning step, cullet, foreign matter, sealant, and oil on the surface of the glass substrate were mainly removed.

  The sheet product and the optical display unit are bonded together (# 14). The release film is peeled off from the sheet-like product leaving a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is bonded to one surface of the optical display unit as a bonding surface. Further, it can be similarly bonded to the other surface of the optical display unit. When bonding to both surfaces, the optical film of the same structure may be bonded to each surface of the optical display unit, or an optical film of a different structure may be bonded. Next, the bonded state inspection and defect inspection are performed (# 15). The optical display unit determined to be non-defective in this inspection is transported to the mounting process and mounted on the optical display device (# 16). On the other hand, the optical display unit determined to be defective is subjected to a rework process (# 17). In the rework process, the optical film is peeled from the optical display unit. An optical film is newly bonded to the reworked optical display unit (# 14).

  In the above manufacturing process, end face processing, sheet-by-sheet product packaging, packaging disassembly, etc. are necessary because the optical film manufacturer and the panel processing manufacturer exist in different places. Yes. However, there is a problem of increased manufacturing costs due to multiple processes, problems such as scratches, dust, and dirt caused by multiple processes and transportation, the necessity of inspection processes associated therewith, and other types of single sheet products There is a problem that it must be stored and managed.

As a method for solving this problem, the present applicant has created an invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-140046 (Patent Document 1). According to the present invention, the supply means for pulling out and supplying the belt-like sheet-like product from the roll around which the belt-like sheet-like product having the optical film as the member of the optical display device is wound, and the belt-like sheet shape drawn by the supply means Detection means for detecting defects in the product, cutting means for cutting the strip-like sheet-like product based on the detection result of the detection means, and processing into individual sheet-like products, and sheet-like product cut by the cutting means Transfer means for carrying out the laminating process, and a laminating process means for laminating the sheet-like product transferred by the transfer means and the optical display unit as a member of the optical display device. It arrange | positions on the continuous manufacturing line process, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. In said structure, it cuts directly into a desired size from the strip | belt-shaped sheet-like product which has an optical film, and this cut | disconnected sheet-like product can be bonded together to an optical display unit. Therefore, in the past, the belt-like sheet-shaped product was punched out, the sheet-like product after punching was strictly packed and delivered to the panel processing manufacturer, but the belt-like sheet-like product wrapped around the roll was directly packed. Deliverable.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-140046

  However, since the optical display device manufacturing system of Patent Document 1 does not include a cleaning device for the optical display unit before bonding or an inspection device for the optical display unit after cleaning, the optical display device is supplied before being supplied to the manufacturing system. The unit had to be cleaned and inspected. For this reason, there is room for improving the manufacturing efficiency, such as loading the optical display unit into the apparatus twice.

  On the other hand, if the optical display unit manufacturing system is provided with a cleaning device or an inspection device for the optical display unit, the conventional general inspection method requires the optical display unit to be completely dried in advance. Since it is difficult to detect the remaining oil or the like with a camera or the like, it is not practical to clean and inspect the optical display unit on the continuous production system line (hereinafter referred to as “inline”).

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection method and an inspection apparatus for an optical display unit that can widely detect whether or not the cleaning is sufficiently performed without drying from a wet state after the cleaning. There is.

  As a result of intensive research in order to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that there is an insufficiently cleaned portion of the optical display unit (for example, cullet or oil remaining) in a wet state after cleaning. The present inventors have found that the wetness of the portion is different from the other portions, and have come up with the idea of using this to complete the present invention.

  That is, the inspection method of the optical display unit of the present invention is a state in which a liquid having wettability is supplied to the surface of the optical display unit in a horizontal state so that the liquid is held on the surface. And observing a portion of the liquid where cissing occurs.

  According to the inspection method of the optical display unit of the present invention, a liquid having wettability is supplied to the optical display unit in a horizontal state so that the liquid is held on the surface, so that foreign matter such as cullet or oil remains after cleaning. If this happens, liquid repellency will occur in that area. For this reason, by observing the part where cissing occurs, it can be widely detected whether or not the washing has been sufficiently performed. In addition, since this inspection can be performed from the wet state after the cleaning without drying, it is a particularly suitable inspection method when the optical display unit is cleaned and in-line.

  Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to include a step of determining whether the product is a non-defective product based on the presence or absence of the portion where the repelling occurs.

  In the above, it is preferable to use the rinsing liquid in the washing step and hold the liquid on the surface without going through the liquid drying step. According to this method, it is not necessary to separately provide a liquid supply device, and an inspection process can be performed following the cleaning process. As a result, when the optical display unit is cleaned and in-line, the inspection method is more suitable.

  On the other hand, the inspection device for an optical display unit of the present invention supplies a transport device capable of supporting the optical display unit in a horizontal state and a liquid having wettability to the surface so as to contact the surface of the optical display unit. And a liquid supply device for holding the liquid on the surface, and an observation area in which a portion where the liquid repels can be observed.

  According to the inspection apparatus for an optical display unit of the present invention, while the optical display unit is supported in a horizontal state by the transport device, the liquid having wettability can be supplied and held so as to come into contact with the surface by the liquid supply device. Therefore, when foreign matter such as cullet or oil remains after washing, liquid repellency can be generated in that portion. And since the observation area which can observe the part which a liquid repellency produces is observed, it can test | inspect widely whether the washing | cleaning was fully performed by observing the part which a repellency produces. In addition, since this inspection can be performed from the wet state after cleaning without drying, the inspection apparatus is particularly suitable for in-line cleaning and inspection of the optical display unit.

  In the above, a camera that images the surface of the optical display unit and outputs image information is provided in the observation area, and an image information processing apparatus that determines the presence or absence of a portion where the repelling occurs from the output image information is provided. It is preferable. According to this configuration, it is possible to determine the presence / absence of a portion where repelling is caused by image processing from the image information output from the camera using the image information processing apparatus. For this reason, an inspection process can be automated and it becomes a more suitable inspection device, when cleaning and inspection of an optical display unit in-line.

  At that time, an illumination light is provided above the observation area, and the image information processing apparatus uses image information from a high-intensity part generated by reflection near a boundary between the part where the repelling occurs and another part. It is preferable to implement a process including the step of specifying the boundary portion. By providing an illumination light above the observation area, it is possible to generate a high-intensity part caused by reflection near the boundary between the part where repelling occurs and the other part. By using this image information, the boundary can be extracted with higher sensitivity.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said liquid supply apparatus is provided in the next process side of a washing | cleaning apparatus, or is what also serves as the liquid supply apparatus for the rinse in a washing | cleaning apparatus. According to this configuration, the inspection process can be performed following the cleaning process without passing through the drying process. When the rinsing liquid supply device is also used, it is not necessary to provide a separate liquid supply device. As a result, the inspection apparatus is more suitable for in-line cleaning and inspection of the optical display unit.

The flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the optical display apparatus containing the test | inspection method of this invention The figure for demonstrating an example of the manufacturing system of the optical display apparatus containing the test | inspection method of this invention The figure for demonstrating an example of the laminated structure of a 1st, 2nd optical film The figure for demonstrating the apparatus structure of a manufacturing system The figure for demonstrating an example of the inspection apparatus of this invention The photograph which shows the experimental result for demonstrating the inspection method of this invention The figure for demonstrating the other example of the inspection apparatus of this invention A flowchart of a conventional method for manufacturing an optical display unit

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the order of the entire configuration of an optical display device manufacturing system, an optical display unit inspection device, and the like.

"Overall configuration of manufacturing system"
The optical display unit inspection apparatus and the like of the present invention can be applied to an optical display device manufacturing system described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-140046. That is, the present invention provides a supply means for pulling out and supplying a belt-like sheet-like product from a roll around which the belt-like sheet-like product having an optical film as a member of an optical display device is wound, and a belt-like sheet shape drawn by the supply means Detection means for detecting defects in the product, cutting means for cutting the strip-like sheet-like product based on the detection result of the detection means, and processing into individual sheet-like products, and sheet-like product cut by the cutting means Transfer means for carrying out the laminating process, and laminating means for laminating the sheet-like product transferred by the transfer means and the optical display unit which is a member of the optical display device. The present invention can be applied to an optical display device manufacturing system characterized by being arranged on a continuous manufacturing line process.

  First, the overall configuration of such an optical display device manufacturing system will be described. FIG. 1 shows an example of a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an optical display device. FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the optical display device manufacturing system and a plan layout view.

(Optical display unit)
First, examples of the optical display unit used in the present invention include a glass substrate unit of a liquid crystal cell and an organic EL light emitting unit.

(Optical film)
Examples of the optical film attached to the optical display unit include a polarizer film, a retardation film, a viewing angle compensation film, a brightness enhancement film, and a combination laminated film of two or more of these films. A protective transparent film may be laminated on the surface of these optical films. Moreover, an adhesive is formed on one surface of the optical film so as to be attached to the optical display unit, and a release film for protecting the adhesive is provided. Moreover, a surface protective film is provided on the other surface of the optical film via an adhesive. Hereinafter, an optical film in which a surface protective film and a release film are laminated may be referred to as a sheet product.

(Manufacturing flowchart)
(1) 1st roll original fabric preparation process (FIG. 1, S1). A long first sheet product is prepared as a first roll. The width | variety of a 1st roll original fabric is dependent on the bonding size of an optical display unit. As shown in FIG. 3, the laminated structure of the first sheet product F1 includes a first optical film F11, a first release film F12, and a surface protective film F13. The first optical film F11 includes a first polarizer F11a, a first film F11b having an adhesive layer (not shown) on one side thereof, and a second film having an adhesive layer (not shown) on the other side. F11c.

  The first and second films F11b and F11c are, for example, polarizer protective films (for example, triacetyl cellulose film, PET film, etc.). The second film F11c is bonded to the optical display unit surface side via the first adhesive F14. A surface treatment can be applied to the first film F11b. Examples of the surface treatment include a hard coat treatment, an antireflection treatment, a treatment for the purpose of prevention of sticking, diffusion or antiglare, and the like. The first release film F12 is provided via the second film F11c and the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F14. Moreover, the surface protection film F13 is provided through the 1st film F11b and the adhesive layer F15. Specific configurations of the first and second films F11b and F11c will be described later. Below, the laminated structure of a polarizer and a polarizer protective film may be called a polarizing plate.

  The following steps are performed in an isolation structure isolated from the factory, and the cleanliness is maintained. In particular, it is important that the cleanliness is maintained in the bonding step of bonding the optical film to the optical display unit.

  (2) Transport process (FIG. 1, S2). The first sheet material F1 is fed out from the first roll stock prepared and installed, and is conveyed downstream. The first conveying device 12 that conveys the first sheet product F1 includes, for example, a nip roller pair, a tension roller, a rotation driving device, an accumulation device, a sensor device, a control device, and the like.

  (3) First inspection step (FIG. 1, S3). The first sheet product F1 is inspected for defects using the first defect inspection device 14. The defect inspection method here includes a method of photographing and processing images with transmitted light and reflected light on both sides of the first sheet product F1, and an inspection polarizing film between the CCD camera and the inspection object. A method of taking an image and processing an image by arranging it so as to be crossed Nicols with the polarization axis of the target polarizing plate (sometimes referred to as 0 degree cross), and a polarizing film for inspection between the CCD camera and the inspection object In addition, it is arranged (sometimes referred to as x degree cross) so as to be at a predetermined angle (for example, a range of greater than 0 degree and within 10 degrees) with the polarization axis of the polarizing plate to be inspected, and image photographing / image processing is performed. A method is mentioned. Note that a known method can be applied to the image processing algorithm, and for example, a defect can be detected by density determination by binarization processing.

  In the image capturing / image processing method using transmitted light, foreign matter inside the first sheet product F1 can be detected. In the image photographing / image processing method using the reflected light, the adhered foreign matter on the surface of the first sheet product F1 can be detected. In the image photographing / image processing method using the 0-degree cross, mainly surface foreign matter, dirt, internal foreign matter, etc. can be detected as bright spots. In the image photographing / image processing method using the x-degree cross, a nick can be mainly detected.

  The defect information obtained by the first defect inspection apparatus 14 is linked together with the position information (for example, position coordinates), transmitted to the control apparatus 1, and contributes to a cutting method by the first cutting apparatus 16 described later. be able to.

  (4) 1st cutting process (FIG. 1, S4). The first cutting device 16 cuts the surface protective film F13, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F15, the first optical film F11, and the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F14 into a predetermined size without cutting the first release film F12. Examples of the cutting means include a laser device, a cutter, and other known cutting means. Based on the defect information obtained by the first defect inspection apparatus 14, the cutting is performed so as to avoid the defect. Thereby, the yield of the first sheet product F1 is greatly improved. The first sheet product F1 including the defect is excluded by a first rejection device 19 described later, and is configured not to be attached to the optical display unit W.

  (5) 1st optical film bonding process (FIG. 1, S5). While removing the 1st mold release film F12 using the 1st peeling apparatus 17, the 1st adhesive film is used as the 1st optical film F11 by which the said 1st mold release film F12 was removed using the 1st bonding apparatus 18. Affixed to the optical display unit W via F14. At the time of bonding, as will be described later, the first optical film F11 and the optical display unit W are sandwiched between a pair of rolls and are bonded.

  (6-1) Cleaning step (FIG. 1, S6-1). As shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, the surface of the optical display unit W is cleaned by the polishing cleaning device 10 and the water cleaning device 11. The cleaned panel W is transported to the inspection apparatus D1 by the transport mechanism R. The transport mechanism R includes, for example, a transport roller, a transport direction switching mechanism, a rotation drive device, a sensor device, and a control device. The polishing cleaning device 10 and the water cleaning device 11 will be described later.

  (6-2) Inspection process according to the present invention (FIG. 1, S6-2). As shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the cleaned optical display unit W is inspected by the inspection apparatus D1 of the present invention. The panel W after the inspection is transported to the first bonding device 18 by the transport mechanism R. The inspection device D1 will be described later.

  Each process of these 1st roll original fabric preparation processes, the 1st inspection process, the 1st cutting process, the 1st optical film pasting process, the washing process, and the inspection process by the present invention should be performed by the continuous production line. Is preferred. In the series of manufacturing steps described above, the first optical film F11 was bonded to one surface of the panel W. Below, the manufacturing process which bonds the 2nd optical film F21 to another surface is demonstrated.

  (7) 2nd roll original fabric preparation process (FIG. 1, S11). A long second sheet product F2 is prepared as a second roll material. As shown in FIG. 3, the laminated structure of the second sheet product F2 has the same configuration as that of the first sheet product, but is not limited thereto. The second sheet product F2 includes a second optical film F21, a second release film F22, and a surface protection film F23. The second optical film F21 includes a second polarizer 21a, a third film F21b having an adhesive layer (not shown) on one side thereof, and a fourth film having an adhesive layer (not shown) on the other side. F21c.

  The third and fourth films F21b and F21c are, for example, polarizer protective films (for example, triacetylcellulose film, PET film, etc.). The fourth film F21c is bonded to the optical display unit surface side via the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24. The third film F21b can be subjected to a surface treatment. Examples of the surface treatment include a hard coat treatment, an antireflection treatment, a treatment for the purpose of prevention of sticking, diffusion or antiglare, and the like. The second release film F22 is provided via the fourth film F21c and the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24. Moreover, the surface protection film F23 is provided through the 3rd film F21b and the adhesive layer F25.

  (8) Transporting process (FIG. 1, S12). The second sheet material F2 is fed out from the prepared and installed second roll, and is conveyed downstream. The second conveying device 22 that conveys the second sheet product includes, for example, a nip roller pair, a tension roller, a rotation driving device, an accumulation device, a sensor device, a control device, and the like.

  (9) Second inspection step (FIG. 1, S13). The second sheet material F2 is inspected for defects using the second defect inspection device 24. The defect inspection method here is the same as the method using the first defect inspection apparatus described above.

  (10) Second cutting step (FIG. 1, S14). The second cutting device 26 cuts the surface protective film F23, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F25, the second optical film F21, and the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24 into a predetermined size without cutting the second release film F22. Examples of the cutting means include a laser device, a cutter, and other known cutting means. Based on the information on the defect obtained by the second defect inspection apparatus 24, it is configured to cut so as to avoid the defect. Thereby, the yield of the second sheet product F2 is greatly improved. The second sheet product F2 including the defect is excluded by a second rejection device 29 described later, and is not attached to the optical display unit W.

  (11) 2nd optical film bonding process (FIG. 1, S15). Next, after the second cutting step, the second optical film from which the second release film F22 has been removed using the second laminating apparatus 28 while removing the second release film F22 using the second peeling apparatus 27. The film F21 is bonded to a surface different from the surface to which the first optical film F11 of the optical display unit W1 is bonded via the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24. Before the second optical film F21 is bonded to the optical display unit W1, the optical display unit W1 is rotated 90 degrees by the transport direction switching mechanism of the transport mechanism R, and the first optical film F11 and the second optical film F21 are crossed. There may be a Nicole relationship. At the time of pasting, as will be described later, the second optical film F21 and the optical display unit W1 are sandwiched between rolls and pressure bonded.

  (12) Optical display unit inspection process (FIG. 1, S16). The inspection apparatus inspects the optical display unit W12 having the optical film attached to both sides. Examples of the inspection method include a method of capturing an image and processing an image using reflected light on both surfaces of the optical display unit W12. As another method, a method of installing a polarizing film for inspection between the CCD camera and the inspection object is also exemplified. Note that a known method can be applied to the image processing algorithm, and for example, a defect can be detected by density determination by binarization processing.

  (13) Non-defective product determination of the optical display unit W12 is performed based on the defect information obtained by the inspection apparatus. The optical display unit W12 determined to be non-defective is conveyed to the next mounting process. If a defective product is determined, a rework process is performed, a new optical film is applied, and then inspected.If a good product is determined, the process proceeds to a mounting process. Discarded.

  In the above series of manufacturing steps, the optical display unit can be suitably manufactured by executing the bonding step of the first optical film F11 and the second optical film F21 bonding step in a continuous production line. In particular, by performing each of the above steps inside an isolation structure isolated from the factory, the optical film can be bonded to the optical display unit in an environment in which cleanliness is ensured, and a high-quality optical display unit is manufactured. Can do.

(Skip cut method)
Further, another embodiment of the first cutting step and the second cutting step will be described below. This embodiment is particularly effective when the first inspection process and the second inspection process are not provided. At one end in the width direction of the first and second rolls, defect information (defect coordinates, defect type, size, etc.) of the first and second sheet-like products in a predetermined pitch unit (for example, 1000 mm). It may be attached as code information (for example, QR code, barcode). In such a case, the code information is read and analyzed at a stage prior to cutting, and cut into a predetermined size in the first and second cutting steps (sometimes referred to as skip cut) so as to avoid the defective portion. Then, the part including the defect is removed or bonded to a member that is not an optical display unit, and the non-defective sheet-shaped product cut into a predetermined size is bonded to the optical display unit. . Thereby, the yield of the optical display unit is greatly improved.

"Inspection apparatus for optical display unit of the present invention"
The optical display unit inspection apparatus and inspection method of the present invention, and apparatuses provided before and after the inspection apparatus will be described below. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the polishing cleaning apparatus 10. FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the inspection apparatus D1 of the present invention together with the water washing apparatus 11 and the drying apparatus 113.

  First, the polishing cleaning apparatus 10 of FIG. 4 will be described. The panel W is taken out from the storage box and placed on the transport mechanism R. When the panel W reaches the cleaning position, the conveyance is stopped and the end of the panel W is held by the holding means. The polishing means 101 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the panel W from vertically above, and the polishing means 102 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the panel from vertically below. The respective polishing means 101 and 102 are rotated on both surfaces of the panel W. As a result, the adhered foreign matter on both surfaces of the panel W is removed. Examples of the adhering foreign matter include glass fine pieces (cullet), fiber pieces, and the like.

  Next, the water cleaning apparatus 11 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The panel W that has been polished and cleaned is transported to the water bath 111 by the transport mechanism R, where it is cleaned with water. Pure water wt flows inside the water bath 111. Both surfaces of the panel W conveyed from the water bath 111 are further rinsed with pure water wt flowing out from the flowing water pipe 112.

  Next, the inspection apparatus D1 of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the inspection device D1 of the present invention has a transport device R that can support the optical display unit W in a horizontal state, and a wettability with respect to the surface of the optical display unit W so as to contact the surface. A liquid supply device D11 for supplying the liquid having the liquid and holding the liquid on the surface, and an observation area D12 for observing a portion where the liquid repels. In the present embodiment, an example in which the liquid supply device D11 also serves as the rinsing liquid supply device 112 in the cleaning device 11 is shown. The liquid supply device D11 may be provided on the next process side of the cleaning device 11. In that case, the cleaned optical display unit W may be once dried.

  The transport device R can also be used as the transport mechanism R from the cleaning device 11 to the drying device 113. Thereby, it becomes possible to comprise the conveyance mechanism R of the washing | cleaning apparatus 11, the inspection apparatus D1, and the drying apparatus 113 with one conveyance apparatus. The transport device R only needs to have a portion that can support the optical display unit W in a horizontal state. For example, in the illustrated example, the transport device R includes a transport roller, a rotational drive device, a control device, and the like that are disposed horizontally.

  The liquid supplied from the liquid supply device D11 may be any liquid that has wettability with respect to the surface of the optical display unit W, but water is preferable for effectively inspecting the remaining oil. Of these, water such as pure water, ion-exchanged water, and distilled water is preferred from the viewpoint of using rinse washing as it is.

  Since the optical display unit W is horizontally supported, only by supplying the liquid from the liquid supply device D11 to the surface, the liquid is supplied so as to be in contact with the surface without deviation due to the flow of the liquid on the surface. For example, in the illustrated example, the liquid supply device D11 is configured by flowing pure water wt from the flowing water pipe 112 to the optical display unit W that passes below. The liquid supply device D11 immediately before the observation area D12 is preferably provided with a spray nozzle in order to avoid unevenness of the water flow, and this can accelerate the stabilization of the liquid flow on the surface of the optical display unit W. it can.

  An observation area D12 for observing a portion where liquid repellency occurs is provided at a position where the liquid flow is stabilized to some extent after the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply device D11 to the surface. That is, from the viewpoint of performing a more reliable inspection, it is preferable to provide the observation area D12 at a position where the size and shape of the liquid repellency portion are substantially constant.

  In the observation area D12, the optical display unit W can be observed while being transported, but once the transport device R is stopped and the observation is performed, the liquid fluctuation can be eliminated, and the inspection accuracy can be improved. Can be increased. In the observation area D12, it is possible to visually observe the presence or absence of a portion where repelling occurs, and based on this, it can be determined whether or not it is a non-defective product. However, as described below, detection and determination can be automated. preferable.

  The photograph of FIG. 6 shows the state (presence / absence) of a portion where repelling occurs between (a) the cleaning-accepted product and (b) the cleaning NG product observed in the observation area D12. This experiment was an experiment in which pure water was supplied to a glass substrate of an actual liquid crystal panel and held on the surface.

  In the cleaning-accepted product of (a), a liquid having wettability is supplied to the surface of the optical display unit W in a horizontal state so that the liquid is held on the surface. There is no part where repelling occurs.

  On the other hand, in the (b) washed NG product, liquid repellency occurs at the part where the cullet is attached (left enlarged photograph) and the part where the fibrous foreign matter (right enlarged photograph) is attached. Moreover, when oil remains, it has confirmed that repellency arises because wettability worsens with oil. The reason why repelling occurs due to the adhesion of foreign matter such as cullet is that the surface area differs between the smooth surface and the state where the foreign matter remains, particularly in the state where the liquid is thinly stretched as in the present invention, the effect of the surface area greatly affects. It is speculated that.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a camera D13 that captures an image of the surface of the optical display unit W and outputs image information is provided in the observation area D12, and a portion where repelling occurs from the image information output from the camera D13. An example will be shown in which an image information processing device D14 is provided that identifies a boundary portion and determines the presence or absence of the portion. This makes it possible to automate the detection and determination of defective cleaning parts.

  Even in a normal driving environment, there is a portion where light reflection differs in the vicinity of the boundary between the portion where liquid repellency occurs and other portions, but as shown in FIG. 6, an irradiation light is provided above. As a result, a high-luminance portion caused by reflection can be generated in the vicinity of the boundary between the portion where repelling occurs and the other portion. Such a high-intensity portion not only has a high luminance, but its shape tends to be circular or arc-shaped, so that the boundary portion of the repelling portion can be specified with higher accuracy.

  Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to provide the irradiation light D15 above the observation area D12. In this case, the image information processing apparatus D14 is a high-light caused by reflection near the boundary between the part where the repelling occurs and the other part. It is preferable to perform a process including a step of specifying the boundary using image information from the luminance part.

  The irradiation light D15 is preferably provided with a light diffusing plate in order to avoid erroneous detection by direct light such as a fluorescent tube. Further, the irradiation light D15 is preferably provided at a position in the normal direction with respect to the output image information in order to detect the boundary portion of the repellency portion with higher accuracy. Alternatively, the light from the irradiation light D15 may be vertically irradiated on the upper surface of the optical display unit W12 by reflection of the half mirror, and the reflected light image may be captured by the camera D13 through the half mirror.

  As an image processing algorithm in the image information processing apparatus D14, a known method can be applied. For example, A / D conversion processing, noise removal processing, binarization processing, edge extraction processing, contour extraction processing, labeling processing, pattern matching processing The boundary portion of the repellency portion can be specified from the image information output from the camera D13 by an algorithm appropriately combining the structure analysis processing, the determination processing, and the like, and the presence / absence can be determined. Such image processing can be performed using a function of general-purpose software.

  More specifically, for example, when the whole or part of the surface of the optical display unit W is imaged by a CCD camera, first, a still image is captured by the electronic shutter. The image signal is converted to digital image information by A / D conversion processing, correlated to each pixel by binarization processing, and binarized the part with higher luminance than the threshold (high luminance part) and other parts To do. Next, as necessary, the binary image is subjected to noise removal processing to convert a pixel such as a high luminance portion corresponding to the noise into a low luminance portion or the like to perform noise removal. Next, the arc-shaped high-intensity portion is present by pattern matching using a circular arc having a constant width (radius is set in several patterns) as a template while scanning the connected portion of the pixels in the high-luminance portion. Determine whether.

  In addition, as a method that does not perform pattern matching processing, the length (peripheral length calculation processing) and area (area calculation processing) of the connected portion of the pixels in the high-luminance portion are obtained, and if these are above a certain level, there is a repellency portion Can be performed. It is also possible to detect and determine a defect (high luminance part) having a certain size or more as a repellency part using an algorithm similar to that of the conventional defect inspection.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, it is also possible to scan and capture a two-dimensional image while transporting the optical display unit W using an inspection unit D16 in which a light source and a light receiving element are provided in a line. Image processing in that case can also be performed in the same manner as described above. According to this method, the space of the observation area D12 can be reduced, and erroneous detection due to outside light or the like can be further reduced.

  The inspection method of the optical display unit of the present invention can be suitably performed using the inspection apparatus of the present invention. That is, the inspection method of the present invention supplies the liquid having wettability to the surface of the optical display unit in a horizontal state so that the liquid is held on the surface, and the liquid is held on the surface. This includes a step of observing a portion where cissing occurs.

  In that case, it is preferable to include the process of determining whether it is a non-defective product by the presence or absence of the part where the repelling occurs. Such determination can be performed visually, but it is preferable to automate the determination as described above. As described above, it is preferable to use the rinsing liquid in the cleaning process and hold the liquid on the surface without going through the liquid drying process.

  The optical display unit that is determined to be non-defective (insufficient cleaning) by the optical display unit inspection method of the present invention is subjected to the cleaning process again. Thereby, the yield of the whole manufacturing system of an optical display apparatus can be raised.

  After such an inspection process, the panel W is drained by the blowing of clean air by the drying device 113 and dried. Then, the panel W is conveyed to the 1st bonding apparatus 18. FIG. In addition, it can replace with pure water wt and can also wash | clean using ethanol aqueous solution. Further, the water bath 111 can be omitted.

  The optical display unit inspection method of the present invention may further include an inspection step of inspecting the optical display unit in a dry state after performing such a drying step. In that case, the inspection process which detects the crack of a glass substrate of an optical display unit, a chip, etc. is mentioned.

  The inspection apparatus that performs such inspection mainly includes a light source that emits light, a CCD camera that captures the reflected light image, and an image processing apparatus that determines defects from image data by image processing analysis. Is done.

"Configuration of each part of the manufacturing system"
Next, the configuration of other parts of the manufacturing system will be described in order. The first roll raw material of the long first sheet product F1 is installed on a roller mount device that is linked to a motor or the like so as to rotate freely or at a constant rotational speed. The rotational speed is set by the control device 1 and the drive is controlled.

  The first conveying device 12 is a conveying mechanism that conveys the first sheet product F1 to the downstream side. The first transport device 12 is controlled by the control device 1.

  The first pre-inspection peeling device 13 is configured to peel the release film from the conveyed first sheet product F1 and wind it up on a roll. The winding speed on the roll is controlled by the control device 1. As a peeling mechanism, the tip has a sharp knife edge part, and a release film is wound around the knife edge part and reversed and transferred to peel off the release film and peel off the release film. The first sheet product F1 is configured to be conveyed in the conveyance direction.

  The first defect inspection device 14 performs defect inspection after the release film is peeled off. The first defect inspection device 14 detects the defect by analyzing the image data captured by the CCD camera, and further calculates its position coordinates. The position coordinates of this defect are provided for the skip cut by the first cutting device 16 described later.

  The first release film laminating apparatus 15 removes the release film from the roll original of the release film that bonds the release film to the first optical film F11 via the first adhesive layer F14 after the first defect inspection. The feeding film and the first optical film F11 are sandwiched between one or a plurality of roller pairs and bonded together by applying a predetermined pressure with the roller pairs. The rotation speed, pressure control, and conveyance control of the roller pair are controlled by the control device 1.

  The first cutting device 16 applies the first optical film F11, the surface protective film 15, the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F14, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F15 without cutting the release film after bonding the release film. Cut to size. The first cutting device 16 is, for example, a laser device. Based on the position coordinates of the defect detected in the first defect inspection process, the first cutting device 16 cuts to a predetermined size so as to avoid the defect portion. That is, the cut product including the defective portion is rejected as a defective product by the first rejecting device 19 in a subsequent process. Alternatively, the first cutting device 16 may continuously cut into a predetermined size while ignoring the existence of the defect. In this case, it can be configured such that the portion is removed without being bonded in the bonding process described later. Control in this case also depends on the function of the control device 1.

  Moreover, the 1st cutting device 16 arrange | positions the holding table which adsorbs and hold | maintains the 1st sheet product F1 from the back surface, and is equipped with a laser apparatus above the 1st sheet product F1. The first sheet product F1 is horizontally moved so as to scan the laser in the width direction, and the first optical film F11, the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F14, the surface protective film F13, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F15 are left leaving the lowermost release film. Is cut at a predetermined pitch in the conveying direction (hereinafter, referred to as “half cut” as appropriate). In addition, this laser device collects gas (smoke) generated from the air nozzle that blows warm air toward the cutting site and the cutting site conveyed by the hot air so as to be sandwiched from the width direction of the first sheet product F1. It is preferable that the smoke collecting duct that smokes is configured integrally. When the first sheet product F1 is sucked by the holding table, the accumulation device of the transport mechanism is moved in the vertical direction so as not to stop the continuous transport of the downstream and upstream first sheet products F1. It is configured. This operation is also controlled by the control device 1.

  The 1st bonding apparatus 18 optically transmits the 1st sheet product F1 (1st optical film F11) from which the release film was peeled by the 1st peeling apparatus 17 through the 1st adhesive layer F14 after the said cutting process. Affix to the display unit W. The conveyance path of the first sheet product F1 is above the conveyance path of the optical display unit W.

  When bonding, the first optical film F11 is bonded to the surface of the optical display unit W while being pressed by the pressing roller and the guide roller. The control device 1 controls the pressing pressure and driving operation of the pressing roller and the guide roller.

  The peeling mechanism of the first peeling device 17 has a knife edge portion with a sharp tip. The release film is wound around the knife edge portion and transferred in reverse, thereby peeling the release film and releasing the release film. The first sheet product F1 (first optical film F11) after peeling off the film is configured to be sent out to the optical display unit W surface. The peeled release film is wound around a roll. The roll winding control is controlled by the control device 1.

  The laminating mechanism is composed of a pressing roller and a guide roller arranged to face the pressing roller. The guide roller is composed of a rubber roller that is rotationally driven by a motor, and is arranged to be movable up and down. In addition, a pressing roller made of a metal roller that is rotationally driven by a motor is disposed directly above it. When the optical display unit W is fed to the bonding position, the pressing roller is raised to a position higher than the upper surface so as to open a gap between the rollers. Note that the guide roller and the pressing roller may both be rubber rollers or metal rollers. As described above, the optical display unit W is cleaned by various cleaning devices and is transported by the transport mechanism R. The transport control of the transport mechanism R is also controlled by the control device 1.

  The first rejection apparatus 19 that excludes the first sheet product F1 including the defect will be described. When the first sheet product F1 including the defect is conveyed to the bonding position, the guide roller moves vertically downward. Next, the roller around which the adhesive tape is stretched moves to a fixed position of the guide roller. By moving the pressing roller vertically downward, the first sheet product F1 including the defect is pressed against the adhesive tape, the first sheet product F1 is attached to the adhesive tape, and the first sheet product F1 including the defect together with the adhesive tape is a roller. Take up around.

  The optical display unit W1 manufactured above is conveyed to the downstream side, and the second optical film F21 (second sheet product F2) is bonded thereto. In the following, the description of the same device configuration will be briefly described.

  When the second optical film F21 is bonded to the first optical film F11 in a 90 ° relationship (crossed Nicols relationship), the optical display unit W1 is rotated 90 ° by the conveyance direction switching mechanism of the conveyance mechanism R, and then the first optical film F21 is rotated. Two optical films F21 are bonded together. In the method of laminating the second sheet product F2 described below, each step is processed in a state where the second sheet product F2 is inverted (with the release film on the upper surface), and the second optical film F21 is processed. Is configured to be bonded from the lower side of the optical display unit W1.

  The second roll of the long second sheet product F2 is installed on a roller gantry that is linked to a motor or the like so as to rotate freely or at a constant rotational speed. The rotation speed is set by the control device 1 and the drive is controlled.

  The second conveying device 22 is a conveying mechanism that conveys the second sheet product F2 to the downstream side. The second transport device 22 is controlled by the control device 1.

  The second pre-inspection peeling device 23 has a configuration in which the release film is peeled off from the second sheet product F2 that has been conveyed and wound on a roll. The winding speed on the roll is controlled by the control device 1. As a peeling mechanism, the tip has a sharp knife edge part, and a release film is wound around the knife edge part and reversed and transferred to peel off the release film and peel off the release film. The second sheet product F2 is configured to be conveyed in the conveyance direction.

  The second defect inspection device 24 performs defect inspection after the release film is peeled off. The second defect inspection device 24 analyzes the image data picked up by the CCD camera, detects the defect, and calculates its position coordinates. The position coordinates of this defect are provided for the skip cut by the second cutting device 26 described later.

  The second release film laminating device 25 bonds the release film to the second optical film F21 via the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24 after the second defect inspection. The release film is unwound from the roll of the release film, and the release film and the second optical film F21 are sandwiched by one or a plurality of roller pairs, and are bonded together by applying a predetermined pressure with the roller pairs. The rotation speed, pressure control, and conveyance control of the roller pair are controlled by the control device 1.

  The second cutting device 26 applies the second optical film F21, the surface protective film 25, the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F25 without cutting the release film after the release film is bonded. Cut to size. The second cutting device 26 is, for example, a laser device. Based on the position coordinates of the defect detected in the second defect inspection process, the second cutting device 26 cuts to a predetermined size so as to avoid the defect portion. That is, the cut product including the defective portion is rejected as a defective product by the second rejection device 29 in a later process. Or the 2nd cutting device 26 may ignore the presence of a fault, and may cut continuously to a predetermined size. In this case, it can be configured such that the portion is removed without being bonded in the bonding process described later. Control in this case also depends on the function of the control device 1.

  In addition, the second cutting device 26 is provided with a holding table that sucks and holds the second sheet product F2 from the back surface, and a laser device is provided below the second sheet product F2. The second sheet product F2 is moved horizontally so as to scan in the width direction, and the second optical film F21, the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F24, the surface protective film F23, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer F25, leaving the lowermost release film. Are cut at a predetermined pitch in the conveying direction. When the second sheet product F2 is sucked by the holding table, the accumulation device of the transport mechanism is moved in the vertical direction so as not to stop the continuous transport of the downstream and upstream second sheet products F2. It is configured. This operation is also controlled by the control device 1.

  The 2nd bonding apparatus 28 optically displays the 2nd sheet product F2 (2nd optical film F21) from which the release film was peeled by the 2nd peeling apparatus 27 after the cutting process through the 2nd adhesive layer F24. Affix to unit W1. In the case of bonding, the second optical film F21 is bonded to the surface of the optical display unit W1 while being pressed by the pressing roller and the guide roller. The control device 1 controls the pressing pressure and driving operation of the pressing roller and the guide roller.

  The peeling mechanism of the second peeling device 27 has a knife edge portion with a sharp tip, and the release film is wound around the knife edge portion and transferred in reverse, thereby peeling the release film and releasing the mold. The second sheet product F2 (second optical film) after peeling the film is configured to be sent out to the surface of the optical display unit W1. The peeled release film is wound around a roll. The roll winding control is controlled by the control device 1.

  The laminating mechanism is composed of a pressing roller and a guide roller arranged to face the pressing roller. The guide roller is composed of a rubber roller that is rotationally driven by a motor, and is arranged to be movable up and down. In addition, a pressing roller made of a metal roller that is rotationally driven by a motor is disposed directly below it. When the optical display unit W1 is sent to the bonding position, the pressing roller is moved to a lower position so as to open a roller interval. Note that the guide roller and the pressing roller may both be rubber rollers or metal rollers.

  The 2nd rejection apparatus 29 which excludes the 2nd sheet material F2 containing a fault is demonstrated. When the second sheet material F2 including the defect is conveyed to the bonding position, the guide roller moves vertically upward. Next, the roller around which the adhesive tape is stretched moves to a fixed position of the guide roller. By moving the pressing roller vertically upward, the second sheet product F2 including the defect is pressed against the adhesive tape, the second sheet product F2 is attached to the adhesive tape, and the second sheet product F2 including the defect is rolled with the adhesive tape. Take up around.

  The optical display unit W12 to which the first and second sheet products are bonded is conveyed to the inspection apparatus. The inspection apparatus performs inspection on both sides of the optical display unit W12 that has been conveyed. The light source irradiates the upper surface of the optical display unit W12 perpendicularly with a half mirror, and the reflected light image is picked up as image data with a CCD camera. The light source and the CCD camera perform an inspection of the opposite surface. The light source irradiates the surface of the optical display unit W12 at a predetermined angle, and the reflected light image is captured as image data by a CCD camera. The light source and the CCD camera perform an inspection of the opposite surface. Defects are subjected to image processing analysis from these image data, and non-defective products are determined.

  The operation timing of each device is calculated by, for example, a method of detecting by arranging a sensor at a predetermined position, or calculated by detecting a rotation member of the transfer device or the transfer mechanism R with a rotary encoder or the like. . The control device 1 may be realized by a cooperative action between a software program and a hardware resource such as a CPU and a memory. In this case, a memory is stored in advance for the program software, processing procedure, various settings, and the like. Further, it can be configured by a dedicated circuit or firmware.

  The optical film according to the present invention can be preferably used for forming an image display device (corresponding to an optical display device) such as a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, and a PDP.

  The optical film of the present invention can be preferably used for forming various devices such as a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device can be formed according to the conventional method. That is, a liquid crystal display device is generally formed by appropriately assembling components such as a liquid crystal cell (corresponding to an optical display unit), an optical film, and an illumination system as necessary, and incorporating a drive circuit. In the present invention, there is no particular limitation except that the optical film according to the present invention is used. As the liquid crystal cell, any type such as a TN type, an STN type, or a π type can be used.

  An appropriate liquid crystal display device such as a liquid crystal display device in which an optical film is disposed on one side or both sides of a liquid crystal cell, or a backlight or a reflector used in an illumination system can be formed. In that case, the optical film according to the present invention can be installed on one side or both sides of the liquid crystal cell. When providing an optical film on both sides, they may be the same or different. Further, when forming a liquid crystal display device, for example, a single layer or a suitable part such as a diffusing plate, an antiglare layer, an antireflection film, a protective plate, a prism array, a lens array sheet, a light diffusing plate, a backlight, etc. Two or more layers can be arranged.

  The optical film according to the present invention can be preferably used for forming various devices such as a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device may be formed as a transmission type or a reflection type in which the optical film according to the present invention is arranged on one side or both sides of the liquid crystal cell, or an appropriate structure according to the conventional type of a transmission / reflection type. it can. Accordingly, the liquid crystal cell forming the liquid crystal display device is arbitrary, and for example, a liquid crystal cell of an appropriate type such as a simple matrix driving type typified by a thin film transistor type may be used.

  Moreover, when providing a polarizing plate and an optical member in the both sides of a liquid crystal cell, they may be the same thing and may differ. Furthermore, when forming the liquid crystal display device, for example, appropriate components such as a prism array sheet, a lens array sheet, a light diffusing plate, and a backlight can be arranged in one or more layers at appropriate positions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Polishing cleaning apparatus 11 Water cleaning apparatus D1 Inspection apparatus D11 Liquid supply apparatus D12 Observation area D13 Camera D14 Image information processing apparatus D15 Irradiation light R Conveyance mechanism (conveyance apparatus)
W panel (optical display unit)

Claims (7)

  A step of observing a portion where repellency of the liquid occurs in a state in which a liquid having wettability is supplied to the surface of the optical display unit in a horizontal state so that the liquid is held on the surface. Inspection method of optical display unit including   The optical display unit inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether the product is a non-defective product based on the presence or absence of the portion where the repellency occurs.   The method for inspecting an optical display unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid for rinsing in the cleaning step is used to hold the liquid on the surface without going through the step of drying the liquid.   A transport device capable of supporting the optical display unit in a horizontal state, and a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid having wettability to the surface of the optical display unit so as to contact the surface of the optical display unit and holding the liquid on the surface An inspection apparatus for an optical display unit, comprising: an observation area capable of observing a portion where the liquid repelling occurs.   5. An image information processing apparatus for providing a camera for imaging the surface of the optical display unit and outputting image information in the observation area, and for determining the presence or absence of a portion where the repelling occurs from the output image information. The inspection apparatus of the optical display unit described in 1.   An illumination light is provided above the observation area, and the image information processing apparatus uses the image information from a high-intensity part generated by reflection near the boundary between the part where the repelling occurs and the other part. The inspection apparatus for an optical display unit according to claim 5, wherein a process including a step of specifying a part is performed.   The optical display unit according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the liquid supply device is provided on a next process side of the cleaning device, or serves also as a liquid supply device for rinsing in the cleaning device. Inspection equipment.

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