JP2009294375A - Apparatus for manufacturing panel for information display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for manufacturing a panel for information display, by which the yield of a product can be enhanced by suppressing the discharge of aggregate lumps or the like causing display defects. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus 30 for manufacturing the panel for information display that displays information, such as images, by: forming a plurality of cells partitioned by partition walls, between two substrates, at least one thereof being transparent; sealing display media consisting of particle groups into the cells; and moving the displays medium. The apparatus includes: a particle filling tub 31 internally disposed with a placement table which is placed thereon with the substrate; a nozzle 35 for spraying the particle groups into the particle filling tub; and a particle group housing section 40 for storing the particle groups and supplying the particle groups to the nozzle via a conveying pipe 45. The apparatus is disposed with a filter 50 for regulating the passage of a conveyed object of a prescribed size or above in at least one portion of a conveyance system including the conveying pipe and the nozzle. Filtering can be performed in such a manner that the aggregate of the particles growing greater than the prescribed size or above causative of a display defect is not discharged from the nozzle, and therefore, the yield of the product can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  In the present invention, a plurality of cells partitioned by a partition wall are formed between two substrates, at least one of which is transparent, and a display medium composed of particle groups is externally filled and sealed in the cells. The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus according to an information display panel which is moved to display information such as an image.

  A liquid crystal display (LCD) is widely used as an information display device. However, it is generally known that liquid crystal display devices have drawbacks such as large power consumption and narrow viewing angle. Therefore, as an alternative to the liquid crystal display device, a plurality of cells partitioned by a partition wall are formed between two substrates, at least one of which is transparent, and a display medium composed of a particle group is enclosed in the cell. There is a proposal of an information display panel that displays information such as an image by moving. When producing such an information display panel, first, partition walls (for example, lattice-shaped partition walls) for forming cells are formed on a substrate (for example, a glass substrate). Next, an information display panel is manufactured by filling and encapsulating a particle group as a display medium in a plurality of cells on a substrate partitioned by a partition wall.

As an apparatus for manufacturing the information display panel as described above, there is a manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. And this kind of manufacturing apparatus is provided with the feeder 105 used as the particle group accommodating part which stores and supplies a particle group, for example as shown in FIG. 10, and is connected via this feeder 105 and the conveyance pipe | tube 103. FIG. A nozzle 102 is installed above the chamber 101. The feeder 105 is supplied with a carrier gas pressurized by a pump (not shown), and supplies the gas to the nozzle 102 while mixing particles using this gas as a medium. The particle group 106 is discharged (injected) from the nozzle 102 and the particle group serving as a display medium is filled in the cell of the substrate 104 placed at a predetermined position in the chamber 101 to perform the particle filling process.
JP 2005-258240 A

  As described above, the information display panel manufacturing apparatus connects the feeder to the nozzle that discharges the particle group in the chamber from the feeder that stores the particle group. And generally, a corner part, a joint part, etc. are arranged in a conveyance pipe suitably from a relation with other composition parts or a design reason. Therefore, when this type of manufacturing apparatus is continuously driven to carry out the particle filling process, a group of particles gradually accumulates in the joints and the like, and these agglomerate and become enlarged (hereinafter, the agglomerated particles in this way). Is sometimes referred to as “agglomerate”). The agglomerates generated in the transport pipe in this way are irregularly separated and ride on the transport gas and reach the nozzle. In addition, it cannot be denied that unexpected foreign matter is mixed into the transport pipe from the outside. Such agglomerates and foreign matters become objects to be transported, ride on the transport gas, flow in the transport pipe, and drop onto the substrate when discharged from the nozzle. As a result, the packing state of the particle group in the cell becomes non-uniform, and a display defect of the panel occurs, resulting in a decrease in product yield.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and suppress the discharge of relatively large agglomerates and the like that cause display defects from the nozzle, thereby improving the yield of products. It is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel.

  The object is to form a plurality of cells partitioned by a partition between two substrates, at least one of which is transparent, enclose a display medium composed of particles in the cells, and move the display medium to move an image, etc. A device for manufacturing an information display panel for displaying the information of a particle filling tank in which a mounting table on which the substrate is placed is disposed, and a nozzle for spraying the particle group in the particle filling tank And a particle group storage unit that stores the particle group and supplies the particle group to the nozzle via a conveyance pipe, and at least one place of the conveyance system including the conveyance pipe and the nozzle has a predetermined size or more. This can be achieved by an apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel provided with a filter for restricting the passage of the object to be conveyed.

  And you may make it install the said filter in the base part or front-end | tip part of the said nozzle.

  The filter may be built in a filter unit that is detachable from the transport system, and the filter unit may be provided in the transport system.

  In addition, a vibration unit that vibrates the filter may be further provided, or a static elimination unit that neutralizes the filter may be further provided.

  The aperture of the filter is 30 × 30 μm to 100 × 100 μm when the shape is square, the short side and the long side are each 30 to 100 μm when the shape is rectangular, and the diameter is 30 to 100 μm when the shape is circular. Each of the base and the height is preferably 30 to 100 μm.

  According to the present invention, the particle group stored in the particle group storage unit is transported toward the nozzle using nitrogen gas or the like as a transport gas (medium), and is finally discharged from the tip of the nozzle for dispersion. Is called. Here, in the information display panel manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, since a filter is provided in the transport system, agglomerates and foreign matters of particles having a size larger than a predetermined size that cause display defects (conveyed objects) The product can be filtered so that it is not discharged from the nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the object to be conveyed (agglomerate or foreign matter) that causes display defects from being discharged from the nozzle, so that it is possible to provide an apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel that can improve product yield.

  Hereinafter, an apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, a schematic configuration of an information display panel of an example of a charged particle movement type manufactured by an apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel will be described first.

  In the information display panel, an electric field is applied to a display medium configured as a particle group including charged particles sealed in a space between two opposing substrates. Along with the applied electric field direction, the display medium is attracted by an electric field force or a Coulomb force, and the display medium is moved by a change in the electric field direction, whereby information such as an image is displayed. Therefore, it is necessary to design the information display panel so that the display medium can be moved uniformly and the stability when the display information is rewritten repeatedly or when the display information is continuously displayed can be maintained. Here, as the force applied to the particles constituting the display medium, in addition to the force attracting each other by the Coulomb force between the particles, an electric mirror image force between the electrode and the substrate, an intermolecular force, a liquid cross-linking force, gravity and the like can be considered.

  See FIGS. 1A, 1B, 4A, 4B, and 5A to 5D for examples of information display panels that can be manufactured according to the present invention. To explain.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), at least two or more kinds of displays having different optical reflectivity and charging characteristics are configured as a particle group including particles having at least optical reflectivity and chargeability. A medium 3 (shown here is a white display medium 3W configured as a particle group including white particles 3Wa for display medium and a black display medium 3B configured as a particle group including black particles 3Ba for display medium). In each formed cell, an electric field generated by applying a voltage between a pair of pixel electrodes formed by an electrode 5 (pixel electrode) provided on the substrate 1 and an electrode 6 (pixel electrode) provided on the substrate 2 is generated. Accordingly, the substrate is moved perpendicularly to the substrates 1 and 2. Then, the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 1A, or white dots are displayed, or the black display medium 3B is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. You can display.
In addition, in FIG. 1 (a), (b), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted. The electrodes 5 and 6 may be provided outside the substrates 1 and 2, inside the substrate, or embedded in the substrate.

Further, in the example shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, at least two or more kinds having different optical reflectance and charging characteristics are configured as a particle group including particles having at least optical reflectance and charging property. Display medium 3 (here, a white display medium 3W configured as a particle group including white particles 3Wa for display medium and a black display medium 3B configured as a particle group including black particles 3Ba for display medium) are shown. 4, a voltage is applied between a pair of pixel electrodes formed by an electrode 5 (line electrode) provided on the substrate 1 and an electrode 6 (line electrode) provided on the substrate 2 facing and orthogonally intersecting each other. The substrate is moved perpendicularly to the substrates 1 and 2 in accordance with the electric field generated. Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer and white dot display is performed, or as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the black display medium 3B is visually recognized by the observer. Black dots are displayed.
In addition, in FIG. 2 (a), (b), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted. The electrodes 5 and 6 may be provided outside the substrates 1 and 2, inside the substrate, or embedded in the substrate.

Further, in the example shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a color display that constitutes a display unit (1 dot) by three cells in which pixel electrode pairs formed by line electrodes facing each other are orthogonally crossed. An example is shown. In the example shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, all of the cells 21-1 to 21-3 are filled with the white display medium 3W and the black display medium 3B as the display medium. A red color filter 22R is provided on the observer side of the first cell 21-1, a green color filter 22G is provided on the observer side of the second cell 21-2, and an observer side of the third cell 21-3 is provided. A blue color filter 22B is provided. The three cells of the first cell 21-1, the second cell 21-2, and the third cell 21-3 constitute a display unit (1 dot).
In this example, when performing color display, one of the first cell 21-1 to the third cell 21-3 is displayed as a white dot and the other is displayed as a black dot to display red, green, and blue. I do. And as shown to Fig.3 (a), a white dot is moved with respect to an observer by moving the white display medium 3W in all the 1st cells 21-1-the 3rd cell 21-3 to an observer side. Display. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the black display medium 3B is moved in all of the first cell 21-1 to the third cell 21-3 to the viewer side, thereby black dots are displayed to the viewer. Display is in progress. In the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the front partition is omitted. Multicolor display can be performed by appropriately moving the display medium in each cell.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, at least one type of display medium 3W (here, white particles 3Wa for display medium) configured as a particle group including particles having at least optical reflectance and chargeability is used. An electric field generated by applying a voltage between the electrode 5 and the black electrode 6 provided on the substrate 1 in each cell formed by the partition walls 4. Accordingly, the substrate is moved in the direction parallel to the substrates 1 and 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer and white dot display is performed, or as shown in FIG. 4B, the color of the black electrode 6 is changed by the observer. The black dots are displayed by visually recognizing. In the example shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the front partition is omitted.

  Further, the examples shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D are first configured as a particle group including particles having at least optical reflectance and chargeability, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5C. Display medium 3 having different optical reflectance and charging characteristics from each other (here, white display medium 3W configured as a particle group including white particles 3Wa for display medium and black particles 3Ba for display medium) In each cell formed with the partition walls 4, the external electric field forming means 7 provided outside the substrate 1 and the external electric field forming means 8 provided outside the substrate 2 are shown. The substrate is moved perpendicularly to the substrates 1 and 2 in accordance with an electric field generated by applying a voltage between them. Then, the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 5B, or white dot display is performed, or the black display medium 3B is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 5D. Black dots are displayed. In addition, the partition in the foreground is also omitted in the examples shown in FIGS. A conductive member 9 is provided inside the substrate 1, and a conductive member 10 is provided inside the substrate 2. These conductive members may not be provided.

Next, an information display panel manufacturing apparatus that can be suitably employed in the particle filling step when manufacturing the information display panel described above will be described in detail.
FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the information display panel manufacturing apparatus 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information display panel manufacturing apparatus 30 includes a particle filling tank (chamber) 31 in which a mounting table (stage) 32 on which the above-described transparent substrate 1 is mounted is provided. Further, a nozzle 35 for spraying particle groups is provided in the particle filling tank 31. The nozzle 35 is arranged above the substrate 1 with the tip 35FR for discharging the particle group AP facing downward, as in the case of the conventional manufacturing apparatus.
In FIG. 6, a state in which the lower substrate 1 is mounted on the mounting table 32 in the particle filling tank 31 is illustrated. A spacer, a mask, and the like for forming the partition wall 4 (see FIG. 1 and the like) are provided on the substrate 1, but these are not directly related to the present invention, and the description thereof is omitted here. .

  The manufacturing apparatus 30 includes a feeder 40 as a particle group storage unit that supplies the particle group to the nozzle 35. The feeder 40 and the nozzle 35 are connected by a transport pipe 45. The feeder 40 is fed with a gas such as nitrogen gas, which is set to a predetermined pressure or higher by a booster such as a pump (not shown), as a carrier gas, and the carrier gas serves as a medium to transport the particle group to the nozzle 35. ing. As a result, the particle group AP can be discharged and dispersed from the tip portion 35FR of the nozzle 35.

  The basic structure as described above is the same as that of a conventional manufacturing apparatus, and there is a concern that an object to be transported such as an agglomerate or a foreign substance flows on the transport gas and flows through the transport pipe 45 and is discharged from the nozzle 35. Will be. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment is provided with a filter FL that restricts the passage of a transported object having a predetermined size or more in at least one place of the transport system including the transport pipe 45 and the nozzle 35.

  The filter FL may be provided inside the nozzle 35 itself, but if such a configuration is adopted, the structure of the nozzle becomes complicated. Therefore, it is preferable to install a filter around the root or tip of the nozzle 35. If a filter FL is provided around the nozzle, reliable filtering that restricts the passage of the object to be transported is performed, and the object to be transported that causes display defects is prevented from being ejected from the nozzle 35. it can.

  Note that the filtering described here is not intended only for the function of capturing an object to be conveyed having a certain size or more by using an opening (or mesh) preset in the filter. Initially, even agglomerates that have aggregated and become larger than a predetermined size are crushed by impact when they are carried on the carrier gas and collide with the filter FL, and are made smaller than the filter openings. There is also a function of flowing downstream. This function is also called filtering.

  In FIG. 6, a filter unit 50 including a filter FL is illustrated as a more preferable form of the manufacturing apparatus 30. The filter unit 50 may be formed so as to be detachable with respect to the transport system including the transport pipe 45 and the nozzle 35 and disposed at a desired position. However, as described above, it is preferable to arrange the filter FL around the nozzle 35 from the viewpoint of simplifying the structure. FIG. 6 illustrates the case where the filter unit 50 is arranged at the root of the nozzle 35. Yes.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of the filter unit 50 shown in FIG. The filter unit 50 is formed hollow along the axial direction (vertical direction in FIG. 7), and is formed so that the carrier gas TG carrying the particle group passes therethrough. The filter unit 50 has an inlet side core 51 and an outlet side core 52. A thread 52 a is engraved on the outer periphery of the outlet side core 52. The axial positions of the inlet side core 51 and the outlet side core 52 are fixed by attaching the cores to each other and screwing and screwing the fixing nut 54 into the thread 52a of the outlet side core 52. Yes.
Between the inlet side core 51 and the outlet side core 52, ring-shaped gaskets 53-1, 53-2 are arranged at the front and rear to form a pair, and a disk-like filter FL is sandwiched therebetween. With the filter FL, the above-described filtering can be performed on the carrier gas TG carrying the particle group. Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress a situation in which a relatively large object to be conveyed that causes a display defect from the nozzle 35 is discharged from the nozzle 35. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 7, if the portion related to the filter FL is unitized, a preferable structure that allows easy maintenance can be obtained.

  Further, if a vibration means such as a vibrator that vibrates the filter FL is further provided, it is possible to promote the effect of refining the enlarged aggregate. Thereby, since the particle group which became the agglomerate can be reused, the particle use efficiency can be improved. FIG. 7 illustrates a case where the vibrator 60 is applied to the filter unit 50 as an example.

  Further, if necessary, a static elimination means for neutralizing the filter FL may be further provided. If the particles are agglomerated because they are charged, connecting the ground to the filter FL and removing the charge promotes dissociation of the agglomerates and improves the efficiency of particle usage in the same way as above. Can be planned. In FIG. 7, as an example, a filter unit 50 that performs static elimination by grounding the filter FL via a wiring 65 is shown. Note that a charging device may be employed as the charge eliminating means in the case where the reverse voltage can be applied to promote the separation of the agglomerates.

  As a material of the filter FL, a resin such as nylon or a metal such as stainless steel can be appropriately selected according to the employed particle group. However, from the viewpoint of preventing a situation in which an agglomerate is generated by charging, it is preferable to form the filter FL with a metal material such as stainless steel and to provide a static eliminating means such as ground as described above.

Further, the size of the opening (or mesh) of the filter FL may be determined as appropriate according to the size of the object to be transported.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view illustrating the opening EU in the case of a plain weave filter that can be used as the filter FL.
In the information display panel manufacturing apparatus 30, the size of the object to be transported (agglomerated mass or foreign matter) whose passage needs to be restricted is, for example, about 20 μm, or particles having a particle size of about 20 μm or less. The size is about 150 μm. In this case, 30 × 30 μm to 100 × 100 μm when the aperture shape is square, and the short side and long side are about 30 to 100 μm when rectangular. When the opening is circular, the diameter is 30 to 100 μm, and when it is triangular, the base and height are about 30 to 100 μm.

According to the information display panel manufacturing apparatus of the embodiment described above, even if there is an object to be conveyed that may cause display defects in the conveyance tube from the feeder serving as the particle group accommodation unit, the conveyance is performed. Since it can be regulated by a filter disposed at least at one place in the system, particle filling in the particle filling tank 31 can be performed while discharging a uniform particle group from the tip 35FR of the nozzle 35. Therefore, generation | occurrence | production of the display defect product in the information display panel can be suppressed.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where one filter FL is arranged has been described. However, it may be arranged at a plurality of positions in the transport system as necessary from the viewpoint of enhancing the filtering function.

  In addition, as a board | substrate 1 which provides the said cell, substrates, such as a glass substrate, a resin sheet board | substrate, a resin film board | substrate, can be used. The substrate 1 is provided with electrodes (pixel electrodes or line electrodes 5 described in FIG. 1 and the like) for applying a voltage having a predetermined voltage and polarity (positive / negative). When the particle filling process is completed by the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 6, the upper substrate 2 is set and the laminated structure of the information display panel is completed. The electrodes constituting the pixel electrode pairs are arranged in a matrix on the front and back surfaces of the two substrates 1 and 2 constituting the information display panel manufactured in this way, and when a current is passed, The above-described structure for performing desired display can be realized by moving the display medium (particle group) disposed between the substrates by applying an electric field.

  Below, each member which comprises the information display panel used as the object of this invention is demonstrated further.

  As the substrate described above, at least one of the substrates is a transparent substrate capable of confirming the color of the display medium from the outside of the panel, and a material having high visible light transmittance and good heat resistance is preferable. The back substrate as the other substrate may be transparent or opaque. Examples of substrate materials include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), polyethersulfine (PES), and organic polymer substrates such as acrylic. Alternatively, a glass sheet, a quartz sheet, a metal sheet, or the like is used, and a transparent one is used on the display surface side. The thickness of the substrate is preferably 2 to 2000 μm, more preferably 5 to 1000 μm. If it is too thin, it will be difficult to maintain the strength and the uniformity of the distance between the substrates, and if it is thicker than 2000 μm, it will be a thin information display panel. It becomes inconvenient.

If necessary, the electrode forming material provided on the substrate may be made of metals such as aluminum, silver, nickel, copper, and gold, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc aluminum oxide (AZO). And conductive metal oxides such as indium oxide, conductive tin oxide, antimony tin oxide (ATO), and conductive zinc oxide, and conductive polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene. Can be used. As a method for forming the electrode, a method of patterning the above-exemplified materials into a thin film by sputtering, vacuum deposition, CVD (chemical vapor deposition), coating, or the like, or a method of laminating metal foil (for example, rolled copper foil) Method) and a method of forming a pattern by mixing a conductive agent with a solvent or a synthetic resin binder and applying it.
The electrode provided on the viewing side (display surface side) substrate needs to be transparent, but the electrode provided on the back side substrate does not need to be transparent. In any case, the above-mentioned material that is conductive and capable of pattern formation can be suitably used. In addition, the electrode thickness should just be sufficient if electroconductivity is ensured and there is no trouble in light transmittance, and 0.01-10 micrometers, Preferably 0.05-5 micrometers is suitable. The material and thickness of the electrode provided on the back side substrate are the same as those of the electrode provided on the display surface side substrate described above, but need not be transparent.

The shape of the partition provided on the substrate is appropriately set according to the type of display medium involved in display, the shape and arrangement of the electrodes to be arranged, and is not generally limited. However, the width of the partition is 2 to 100 μm, preferably 3 ˜50 μm, the height is 10 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 200 μm, more preferably 10 to 100 μm, and particularly preferably 10 to 50 μm. In forming the partition wall, a both-rib method in which ribs are formed on each of the opposing substrates 1 and 2 and then bonded, and a single-rib method in which ribs are formed only on one substrate are conceivable. In the present invention, any method is preferably used. The height of the partition wall is adjusted to the distance between the substrates, but may be partially lower than the distance between the substrates.
As shown in FIG. 9, the cells formed by the partition walls made up of these ribs are exemplified by a square shape, a triangular shape, a line shape, a circular shape, and a hexagonal shape as viewed from the plane of the substrate. And a mesh shape. It is better to make the portion corresponding to the cross section of the partition wall visible from the display surface side (the area of the cell frame portion) as small as possible, and the clearness of the display state can be increased.
Examples of the method for forming the partition include a mold transfer method, a screen printing method, a sand blast method, a photolithography method, and an additive method. Any of these methods can be suitably used for an information display panel mounted on the information display device of the present invention, and among these, a photolithography method using a resist film and a mold transfer method are preferably used.

Next, in a charged particle movement type information display panel which is an example manufactured by the apparatus or method of the present invention, display medium particles (optical reflectance and chargeability) constituting a particle group as a display medium. (Particles having) will be described. The display medium particles are used as they are as they are, which are composed of the display medium particles alone or in combination with other particles as a display medium.
The particles can contain a charge control agent, a colorant, an inorganic additive, and the like, if necessary, in the resin as the main component. Furthermore, resin, a charge control agent, a coloring agent, and other additives will be exemplified below.

  Examples of the resin include urethane resin, urea resin, acrylic resin, polyester resin, acrylic urethane resin, acrylic urethane silicone resin, acrylic urethane fluororesin, acrylic fluororesin, silicone resin, acrylic silicone resin, epoxy resin, polystyrene resin, styrene Acrylic resin, polyolefin resin, butyral resin, vinylidene chloride resin, melamine resin, phenol resin, fluororesin, polycarbonate resin, polysulfone resin, polyether resin, polyamide resin and the like can be mentioned, and two or more kinds can be mixed. In particular, acrylic urethane resin, acrylic silicone resin, acrylic fluororesin, acrylic urethane silicone resin, acrylic urethane fluororesin, fluororesin, and silicone resin are suitable from the viewpoint of controlling the adhesive force with the substrate.

  The charge control agent is not particularly limited. Examples of the negative charge control agent include salicylic acid metal complexes, metal-containing azo dyes, metal-containing oil-soluble dyes (including metal ions and metal atoms), and quaternary ammonium salt systems. Examples thereof include compounds, calixarene compounds, boron-containing compounds (benzyl acid boron complexes), and nitroimidazole derivatives. Examples of the positive charge control agent include nigrosine dyes, triphenylmethane compounds, quaternary ammonium salt compounds, polyamine resins, imidazole derivatives, and the like. In addition, metal oxides such as ultrafine silica, ultrafine titanium oxide, ultrafine alumina, nitrogen-containing cyclic compounds such as pyridine and derivatives and salts thereof, various organic pigments, resins containing fluorine, chlorine, nitrogen, etc. are also charged. It can also be used as a control agent.

  As the colorant, various organic or inorganic pigments and dyes as exemplified below can be used. Examples of the black colorant include carbon black, copper oxide, manganese dioxide, aniline black, activated carbon and the like. Examples of blue colorants include C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 3, C.I. I. Pigment Blue 15, Bituminous Blue, Cobalt Blue, Alkaline Blue Lake, Victoria Blue Lake, Phthalocyanine Blue, Metal-free Phthalocyanine Blue, Phthalocyanine Blue Partial Chlorides, Fast Sky Blue, Indanthrene Blue BC, and the like. Examples of red colorants include bengara, cadmium red, red lead, mercury sulfide, cadmium, permanent red 4R, risor red, pyrazolone red, watching red, calcium salt, lake red D, brilliant carmine 6B, eosin lake, rhodamine lake B, Alizarin Lake, Brilliant Carmine 3B, C.I. I. Pigment Red 2 etc.

  Yellow colorants include yellow lead, zinc yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow iron oxide, mineral first yellow, nickel titanium yellow, navel yellow, naphthol yellow S, Hansa yellow G, Hansa yellow 10G, benzidine yellow G, and benzidine yellow. GR, Quinoline Yellow Lake, Permanent Yellow NCG, Tartrazine Lake, C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 12 etc. Examples of green colorants include chrome green, chromium oxide, pigment green B, C.I. I. Pigment Green 7, Malachite Green Lake, Final Yellow Green G, etc. Examples of the orange colorant include red chrome yellow, molybdenum orange, permanent orange GTR, pyrazolone orange, Vulcan orange, indanthrene brilliant orange RK, benzidine orange G, indanthrene brilliant orange GK, C.I. I. Pigment Orange 31 etc. Examples of purple colorants include manganese purple, first violet B, and methyl violet lake. Examples of white colorants include zinc white, titanium oxide, antimony white, and zinc sulfide.

  Examples of extender pigments include barite powder, barium carbonate, clay, silica, white carbon, talc, and alumina white. Examples of various dyes such as basic, acidic, disperse, and direct dyes include nigrosine, methylene blue, rose bengal, quinoline yellow, and ultramarine blue.

Examples of inorganic additives include titanium oxide, zinc white, zinc sulfide, antimony oxide, calcium carbonate, lead white, talc, silica, calcium silicate, alumina white, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, cadmium orange, titanium yellow, Examples include bitumen, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, cobalt green, cobalt violet, iron oxide, carbon black, manganese ferrite black, cobalt ferrite black, copper powder, and aluminum powder.
These pigments and inorganic additives can be used alone or in combination. Of these, carbon black is particularly preferable as the black pigment, and titanium oxide is preferable as the white pigment. The above colorant can be blended to produce display medium particles having a desired color.

  The particles for display medium have an average particle diameter d (0.5) in the range of 1 to 20 μm, and are preferably uniform and uniform. If the average particle diameter d (0.5) is larger than this range, the display is not clear. If the average particle diameter d (0.5) is smaller than this range, the cohesive force between the particles becomes too large, which hinders movement as a display medium.

Furthermore, in the present invention, regarding the particle size distribution of each display medium particle, it is desirable that the particle size distribution Span represented by the following formula is less than 5, preferably less than 3.
Span = (d (0.9) −d (0.1)) / d (0.5)
(However, d (0.5) is a numerical value expressing the particle diameter in μm that 50% of the particles are larger than this and 50% is smaller than this, and d (0.1) is a particle in which the ratio of the smaller particles is 10%. (Numerical value expressed in μm, and d (0.9) is a numerical value expressed in μm for a particle diameter of 90% or less.)
By keeping Span within a range of 5 or less, the size of each particle is uniform, and movement as a uniform display medium becomes possible.

  Furthermore, when a plurality of display media (particle groups) are used, the ratio of d (0.5) of the display medium particles having the minimum diameter to d (0.5) of the display medium particles having the maximum diameter is 10 or less. It is important. Even if the particle size distribution Span is reduced, the display medium particles with different charging characteristics move in opposite directions, so that the particle sizes are the same, and the display medium particles move easily in the opposite direction. It is preferable to be able to do this, and this is the range.

The particle size distribution and the particle size can be obtained from a laser diffraction / scattering method or the like. When laser light is irradiated onto particles to be measured, a light intensity distribution pattern of diffracted / scattered light is spatially generated, and this light intensity pattern has a corresponding relationship with the particle diameter, so that the particle diameter and particle diameter distribution can be measured. .
Here, the particle size and particle size distribution in the present invention are obtained from a volume-based distribution. Specifically, using a Mastersizer2000 (Malvern Instruments Ltd.) measuring instrument, particles are introduced into a nitrogen stream and the attached analysis software (software based on volume-based distribution using Mie theory) The diameter and particle size distribution can be measured.

Furthermore, in a dry information display panel in which a display medium composed of display medium particles is driven in a gas space, it is important to manage the gas in the gap surrounding the display medium between the substrates, which contributes to improved display stability. To do. Specifically, it is important that the relative humidity at 25 ° C. is 60% RH or less, preferably 50% RH or less with respect to the humidity of the gas in the void portion.
This gap portion is from the portion sandwiched between the opposing substrate 1 and substrate 2 in FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b) to 4 (a), 4 (b), and 5 (a) to 5 (d). , Electrodes 5 and 6 (when electrodes are provided inside the substrate), a portion occupied by the display medium 3, a portion occupied by the partition 4, and a gas portion in contact with a so-called display medium excluding a seal portion of the information display panel Shall. The gas in the gap is not limited as long as it is in the humidity region described above, but dry air, dry nitrogen, dry argon, dry helium, dry carbon dioxide, dry methane, and the like are preferable. This gas needs to be sealed in an information display panel so that the humidity is maintained, for example, filling a display medium, assembling an information display panel, etc. in a predetermined humidity environment, It is important to apply a sealing material and a sealing method that prevent moisture from entering from the outside.

The distance between the substrates in the information display panel that is the subject of the present invention is not limited as long as the display medium can be moved and the contrast can be maintained, but is usually 10 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 200 μm. In the information display panel, the thickness is adjusted to 10 to 100 μm, preferably 10 to 50 μm.
The volume occupation ratio of the display medium in the gas space between the opposing substrates is preferably 5 to 70%, more preferably 5 to 60%. Note that if it exceeds 70%, the movement of the display medium is hindered, and if it is less than 5%, the contrast tends to be unclear.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. It can be changed.

The information display panel manufacturing apparatus or the information display panel manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a notebook personal computer, an electronic notebook, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) portable information device, a mobile phone, a handy terminal, etc. Display of mobile devices, electronic books such as electronic books, electronic newspapers, electronic manuals (electronic instruction manuals), signboards, posters, bulletin boards such as blackboards and whiteboards, electronic desk calculators, home appliances, automobile supplies, etc. Card display unit, point card, IC card, etc., electronic advertisement, information board, electronic POP (Point Of Presence, Point Of Purchase advertising), electronic price tag, electronic shelf label, electronic score, RF-ID device display unit In addition, it is suitably used for display units of various electronic devices such as POS terminals, car navigation devices, and watches. In addition, it can be suitably used as a rewritable paper.
The information display panel driving method according to the present invention includes a simple matrix driving method and a static driving method that do not use a switching element in the panel itself, and a three-terminal switching device or a thin film diode represented by a thin film transistor (TFT). Various types of driving methods such as an active matrix driving method using a two-terminal switching element represented by (TFD) and an external electric field driving method using an external electric field forming means can be applied.

(A), (b) is the figure shown in order to demonstrate the fundamental structure of the information display panel used as the object of this invention. (A), (b) is the figure shown in order to demonstrate the other fundamental structure of the information display panel used as the object of this invention. (A), (b) is the figure shown in order to demonstrate the other fundamental structure of the information display panel used as the object of this invention. (A), (b) is the figure shown in order to demonstrate the other fundamental structure of the information display panel used as the object of this invention. (A)-(d) is the figure shown in order to demonstrate the other principle structure of the information display panel used as the object of this invention. It is a sectional side view of the manufacturing apparatus of the information display panel which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which expanded and showed the structural example of the filter unit shown in FIG. It is the enlarged view which illustrated about the mesh opening EU in the case of the plain weave filter employable as a filter. It is a figure which shows an example of the shape of the partition in the information display panel used as the object of this invention. It is the figure shown attached to the manufacturing apparatus of the conventional information display panel.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2 Substrate 3 Display medium (particle group)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Manufacturing apparatus of information display panel 31 Particle filling tank 32 Mounting stand 35 Nozzle 35FR Nozzle tip part 40 Feeder (particle group accommodation part)
45 Transport pipe 50 Filter unit FL filter

Claims (6)

A plurality of cells partitioned by a partition are formed between two substrates, at least one of which is transparent, a display medium composed of particle groups is enclosed in the cells, and the display medium is moved to display information such as images. An apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel,
A particle filling tank in which a mounting table on which the substrate is placed is disposed, a nozzle for spraying the particle group in the particle filling tank, and a nozzle that stores the particle group and passes through a transfer pipe to the nozzle. A particle group container for supplying particle groups,
An apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel, wherein a filter for restricting passage of an object to be conveyed having a predetermined size or more is disposed in at least one place of a conveyance system including the conveyance pipe and the nozzle. The apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel according to claim 1, wherein the filter is installed at a root portion or a tip portion of the nozzle. 2. The information display according to claim 1, wherein the filter is built in a filter unit that is detachably attached to the transport system, and the filter unit is disposed in the transport system. Panel manufacturing equipment. The apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel according to claim 1, further comprising vibration means for vibrating the filter. The apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel according to claim 1, further comprising a discharging unit that discharges the filter. The opening of the filter is 30 × 30 μm to 100 × 100 μm when the shape is square, the short side and the long side are each 30 to 100 μm when the shape is rectangular, the diameter is 30 to 100 μm when the shape is circular, and the bottom side when the shape is triangular 6. The apparatus for manufacturing an information display panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the heights is 30 to 100 μm.

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