JP2013058458A - Adhesion device, and display device manufactured using the adhesion device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent mingling of bubbles to an adhesive material to well adhere an adhesion surface of a light guide plate and a coating surface of a member in a structure which the light guide plate and the member are adhered using the adhesive material.SOLUTION: A member adhesion device 100 adheres the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 so as to expand gradually an adhesion area by changing relative positions of a light guide plate holding part 41 for holding the light guide plate 13 in a bent state and an object member holding part 43 for holding the optical coupling member 30 by a moving means 44, and finally, an energy irradiation part 45 performs pressing and energy irradiation to the adhered region and cures the adhesive material 49.

Description

  The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus that bonds a light guide plate and a target member using an adhesive material that is cured by energy irradiation, and a display device that is manufactured using the bonding apparatus.

  In recent years, in order to reduce the thickness of a liquid crystal display device, a backlight including a side edge (also referred to as a sidelight) type light guide plate that emits light from a light source in a planar shape by a light guide plate is frequently used.

  In such a side-edge type light guide plate, light sources such as LEDs are arranged at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate, light is incident from each end face in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate, and the light source plate enters the inner center of the light guide plate. Light is emitted to the surface of the light guide plate while totally reflecting the light.

  In such a liquid crystal display device, there is a step of bonding and fixing the light guide plate and the light source through an adhesive material in the manufacturing process. However, an optical path as designed at the time of use cannot be secured due to air bubbles mixed in the adhesive layer. There is a problem. For this reason, in a display using an optical member in which bubbles are mixed, uneven luminance, bright spot light emission, and the like occur, and there is a risk that the display quality of the display is deteriorated.

  Here, Patent Document 1 describes a light guide plate integrated with an optical member that does not generate bright spot light emission due to mixed bubbles.

JP 2001-228309 A (released on August 24, 2001)

  However, Patent Document 1 describes the detoxification effect by the diffusion and dispersion of bubbles in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer by applying pressure, but in the step of bonding and fixing the light guide plate and the light source via an adhesive material, No consideration is given to the point that bubbles are mixed in the layer (adhesive material). That is, since it adheres in a state where air bubbles are mixed, it is insufficient to solve the problem of air bubbles mixing.

  In addition, it is possible to prevent bubbles from entering the adhesive layer by adding a process such as evacuation, but this leads to an increase in cost and cannot be said to be an effective means in actual use.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to bond a plate-like member (for example, a light guide plate) and a target member (for example, a light source) using an adhesive material. In the configuration, an adhesive device capable of easily avoiding bubbles from being mixed into the adhesive material and capable of realizing low-cost bonding between optical members, and a display device manufactured using the adhesive device It is to provide.

  That is, in order to solve the above problems, the bonding apparatus according to the present invention is cured by energy irradiation in which the plate-like member and the target member are attached to the surface of one of the plate-like member and the target member. An adhesive device for adhering via an adhesive material to be bent, wherein the plate-like member is bent so that the surface of the adhesive material is inclined with respect to the surface of the other member of the plate-like member and the target member The adhesive area is gradually expanded while changing the relative positions of the plate-like member holding portion that is held in a state, the target member holding portion that holds the target member, and the plate-like member holding portion and the target member holding portion. The surface of the other member and the surface of the adhesive material are bonded to each other, and after the bonded area reaches a predetermined size, the bonded region is pressurized and irradiated with the energy. Energy irradiation It is characterized in that it comprises, when.

  According to said structure, in the state which bent the plate-shaped member, by performing relative movement with a plate-shaped member and an object member using a moving means, an adhesive material of the surface of the other member is carried out. It is possible to adhere the other member and the adhesive material while the surface has an inclination.

  And according to said structure, since it has a slope, a contact area can be expanded gradually, and there exists an effect that the bubble mixing to an adhesion | attachment area | region can be prevented.

  Moreover, according to said structure, since pressurization and energy irradiation are performed after an adhesion area becomes a predetermined magnitude | size, only expanding the contact area gradually, the other member and adhesive material Even if the bonding is insufficient, both members can be firmly bonded and the bonded region can be fixed. That is, by performing the pressurization and energy irradiation, the adhesion region can be firmly adhered and fixed while maintaining a state in which no bubbles are mixed.

  Therefore, by using the bonding apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to easily avoid the mixing of bubbles in the adhesive material, it is possible to realize an inexpensive bonding between optical members, and a display in which bubbles are not mixed There exists an effect that an apparatus etc. can be manufactured.

  In addition to the above configuration, the bonding apparatus according to the present invention preferably has a configuration in which the energy irradiation unit simultaneously performs the pressurization and the energy irradiation.

  According to said structure, by performing a pressurization and energy irradiation simultaneously, after a plate-shaped member and an object member contact, the time until an adhesion | attachment area | region is fixed can be shortened, and it is efficient. In addition, there is an effect that a display device can be manufactured.

  Further, since the energy irradiation is performed during the pressurization, it is possible to fix the adhesive region firmly bonded by the pressurization at the same time and to prevent the bubbles from being mixed.

  In the bonding apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the plate-like member holding portion supports two edge portions facing each other across the center of the plate-like member, and the two edge portions The parts are preferably at the same height from the horizontal plane.

  According to the above configuration, the plate-like member held by the plate-like member holding portion can be bent symmetrically from the center toward the respective edge portions at and near the center by its own weight.

  Therefore, when the plate member is bent, the surface of the adhesive material is inclined with respect to the surface of the other member by moving the plate member and the target member relative to each other using the moving means. The surface of the other member and the surface of the adhesive material can be adhered to each other as it is, and there is an effect that bubbles can be prevented from being mixed into the adhesion region.

  In addition to the above-described configuration, the bonding apparatus according to the present invention preferably has a configuration in which the moving means moves the plate-shaped member holding portion up and down along the vertical direction.

  According to the above configuration, by simply moving the plate-shaped member holding portion up and down, the surface of the adhesive material and the surface of the other member remain inclined with respect to the surface of the other member. It is possible to adhere to the surface.

  Since the contact area can be gradually increased while maintaining the inclination, there is an effect that air bubbles can be prevented from being mixed into the adhesion region.

  The present invention also provides a display device comprising a backlight having the plate-like member that is a light guide plate, the target member that is a light coupling member, and a light source that emits light to the light coupling member. And the display apparatus manufactured using the adhesion | attachment apparatus which comprises said structure is also included.

  According to the said structure, there exists an effect that the display apparatus of the favorable quality in which the bubble is not mixed can be provided.

  In the configuration in which the plate member and the target member are bonded using the adhesive material, the present invention has an effect of preventing the bubbles from being mixed into the adhesive material and favorably bonding the plate member and the target member.

It is a schematic diagram of the member bonding apparatus according to the present invention. (A)-(d) is the figure showing the outline | summary of the manufacturing process of a backlight using the member bonding apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the figure showing the other example of the outline | summary of the manufacturing process of a backlight. It is the figure showing the other example of the outline | summary of the manufacturing process of a backlight. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of an adhesive material application apparatus. (A)-(d) is explanatory drawing which shows the application | coating process of the photocurable resin solution with respect to the optical coupling member with which a light source module is equipped. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the liquid crystal display device manufactured using the member bonding apparatus of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the light source module in the said liquid crystal display device. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the junction part of the LED board and optical coupling member in the said light source module. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a liquid crystal display device provided with a light source module. (A) is sectional drawing which shows an optical path when the light radiate | emitted from the LED chip injects into a light-guide plate via the optical coupling member which has an elliptical surface, (b) is an enlarged view which shows a LED chip vicinity. It is explanatory drawing which shows the optical path of the light which the light radiate | emitted from two LED chips injects into a light-guide plate through the optical coupling member which has a paraboloid or an elliptical surface. (A) is sectional drawing which shows an optical path when the light radiate | emitted from the LED chip injects into a light-guide plate via the optical coupling member which has a paraboloid, (b) is an enlarged view which shows a LED chip vicinity. . (A) is a front view showing the structure of a liquid crystal display device, (b) is the side view.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment relating to a bonding apparatus according to the present invention and a display device manufactured using the bonding apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, with reference to FIG. 2, the outline of the bonding method by the bonding apparatus according to the present invention will be described in the manufacturing process of the backlight mounted on the liquid crystal display device which is one form of the display device manufactured by using the bonding method. This will be explained based on.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the bonding methods are roughly classified as follows: (a) arrangement of the optical coupling member 30 (target member) on the pallet, (b) application of a photo-curing resin (adhesive material), (c) a light guide plate 13 steps (set of plate-like member) and (d) adhesion of the light coupling member and the light guide plate by light irradiation and pressing.

  Here, although mentioned later for details, the optical coupling member 30 and the light-guide plate 13 are demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 14A is a front view showing the configuration of the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment, and FIG. 14B is a side view thereof. The liquid crystal display device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a liquid crystal panel 4 and a backlight 10. The backlight 10 includes a light guide plate 13 on the back side of the liquid crystal panel 4 and a strip-shaped light source disposed across the liquid crystal panel 4 and the light guide plate from the left end portion to the right end portion of the liquid crystal panel 4 and the light guide plate 13. Module 20. The light source module 20 is provided with an LED chip (not shown) on the side away from the light guide plate 13, and light emitted from the LED chip is guided between the light guide plate 13 and the LED chip. An optical coupling member 30 that couples light so that light enters from the top flat surface 31 on the lower surface of 13 is provided. That is, the light emitted from the LED chip enters the light guide plate 13 through the optical coupling member 30. The light guide plate 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is a plate-like member such as a light guide plate, an optical member such as a film, a sheet, or an optical disc, a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, or the like.

  In the bonding method shown in FIG. 2, the optical coupling member 30 is arranged on the pallet 40 serving as a workbench as shown in FIG. The following steps 2 to 4 are performed on the pallet 40. In FIG. 2, the optical coupling member 30 is divided into six division members 30a, and the division members 30a are regularly arranged in a straight line.

  In step 2 subsequent to step 1, an adhesive material 49 is discharged onto the surface of the optical coupling member 30 using an adhesive material application device 50 that discharges a predetermined adhesive material, as shown in FIG. As the adhesive material 49, a photocurable resin solution containing a photocurable resin can be used. Thereby, light irradiation can be used for adhesion between the optical coupling member 30 and the light guide 13.

  Further, the photocurable resin solution is applied on the optical coupling member 30, more specifically, on the top flat surface 31 while the adhesive material application device 50 is moved relative to the optical coupling member 30.

  In step 3 following step 2, the light guide plate 13 to be bonded to the optical coupling member 30 is set as shown in FIG. In this step 3, in order to prevent air bubbles from entering a region where the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 are in contact with each other, the member bonding apparatus 100 which is a form of the bonding apparatus according to the present invention (FIG. Use 1).

  Note that the adhesive material application device 50 that performs the step 1 or the step 2 may exist as a device different from the member bonding device 100 (FIG. 1). Further, the optical coupling member 30 may be arranged and the adhesive material 49 may be applied using a conventionally known method. Alternatively, the function of the adhesive material applying device 50 is incorporated into the member bonding apparatus 100, and the steps 1 and 2 may be performed by the member bonding apparatus 100.

  In step 4 following step 3, as shown in FIG. 2D, the region where the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 are in contact is pressed and irradiated with light using the energy irradiation unit 45. Thus, the optical coupling member 30 and the light guide plate 13 are bonded, and the adhesive material in the bonded region is cured. Also in this process 4, the member bonding apparatus 100 (FIG. 1) is used as in the previous process 3.

  Through the steps 1 to 4, the backlight 10 can be manufactured by bonding the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 shown in FIG. Here, only the outline of backlight manufacturing using the member bonding apparatus according to the present invention is described. Therefore, details regarding the method for ejecting the adhesive material 49 in an appropriate amount and evenly onto the optical coupling member 30 in Step 2, the method for preventing air bubbles from being mixed in Step 3, and the pressing and light irradiation method in Step 4 will be described later.

[Configuration of the member bonding apparatus 100]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a member bonding apparatus 100 which is an embodiment of the bonding apparatus according to the present invention. The member bonding apparatus 100 is an apparatus for bonding and fixing without mixing bubbles. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the member bonding apparatus 100 includes a light guide plate holding part 41, a target member holding part 43, a moving unit 44, and an energy irradiation part 45.

  The light guide plate holding portion 41 is for holding the light guide plate 13. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the light guide plate holding portion 41 has support portions 41 a and 41 b that make a pair, and the support portions 41 a and 41 b move the edges of the light guide plate 13 left and right. Hold in.

  The target member holding portion 43 is for holding the optical coupling member 30. The target member holding part 43 is installed in the lower part of the optical coupling member 30. An adhesive material 49 is applied to the surface of the optical coupling member 30 facing the optical coupling member 30. Note that the adhesive material 49 does not need to be applied to the optical coupling member 30 and may be applied to the light guide plate 13. Hereinafter, the surface of the adhesive material 49 in the optical coupling member 30 is referred to as an adhesive material attachment surface 46, and the surface of the light guide plate 13 that adheres to the optical coupling member 30 (adhesive material attachment surface 46) is referred to as the adherend surface 47. A region where the adhesive material attachment surface 46 and the adherend surface 47 are bonded is referred to as a bonding region 48.

  The moving means 44 changes the relative positions of the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 by changing the position of at least one of the light guide plate holding part 41 and the target member holding part 43. Thereby, the adhesion region 48 can be formed as described later, and the area of the adhesion region 48 can be gradually enlarged. The structure of the moving means 44 is not specifically limited, For example, the conventionally well-known drive device technique which combined the actuator, the motor, the gear, etc. can be used. In addition, the light guide plate 13 may be moved with respect to the optical coupling member 30, and the relative positions of these two members may be changed by moving both the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30.

[About step 3]
In the present embodiment, the step 3 is one of characteristic features. In particular, in step 3, the light guide plate 13 is bent, and the adherend surface 47 of the light guide plate 13 is inclined with respect to the adhesive material attachment surface 46. Examples of the method for bending the light guide plate 13 and inclining the adherend surface 47 of the light guide plate 13 include the following three methods.

(Method 1 of bending light guide plate 13 in step 3)
As described above, the support portions 41 a and 41 b of the light guide plate holding portion 41 support two edge portions that face each other with the center of the light guide plate 13 in between. The support part 41a and the support part 41b are spaced apart. The light guide plate holding portion 41 having such a configuration supports the two edge portions of the light guide plate 13, so that the center of the light guide plate 13 and the vicinity thereof are curved downward (deflection) due to the weight of the light guide plate 13. ) Occurs. The support part 41a and the support part 41b are at the same height from the horizontal plane. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1A, bending occurs symmetrically near the center of the light guide plate 13.

  Here, in order to increase the curvature due to its own weight, the light guide plate holding portion 41 preferably holds the edge portion of the light guide plate 13 as shown in FIG. This is because it is possible to increase the curvature by separating the holding portions of the light guide plate 13 as much as possible, and when the distance between the holding portions is too close, the bending due to its own weight does not occur sufficiently. However, it is not always necessary to support the edge portion, and the support position of the support portion may be closer to the center than the edge portion as long as the bending due to its own weight can be generated. Moreover, in this embodiment, although it has two support parts (support part 41a, 41b), if the curvature by self-weight can be produced, the number is not limited to two. Moreover, each support part does not need to be hold | maintained at the exact same height from a horizontal surface, and may be substantially the same height.

  On the other hand, the adhesive material adhering surface 46 formed on the upper portion of the optical coupling member 30 is held by the target member holding portion 43 so as to spread in parallel to the horizontal plane. As shown to (a) of FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the optical coupling member 30 is arrange | positioned below the light-guide plate 13, and an adhesion process (process 3) is advanced. Therefore, since the light guide plate 13 is bent by its own weight, the adhesive material attachment surface 46 and the adherend surface 47 of the light guide plate 13 are not in a parallel relationship, and the adhesive material attachment surface 46 (or the adherend surface 47) is not. It has a relationship inclined with respect to the adherend surface 47 (or the adhesive material attachment surface 46).

  When the light guide plate holding portion 41 is moved in the vertical direction so as to approach the optical coupling member 30 by using the moving means 44 in the inclined state as described above, the adherend surface 47 with respect to the adhesive material attachment surface 46. Since has an inclination, it starts to contact the adherend surface 47 from the end of the adhesive material attachment surface 46. As the movement proceeds, the contact area gradually increases. Here, at the same time as the area of the adhesion region 48 gradually increases, the bending of the light guide plate 13 is gradually eliminated. When the area of the adhesion region 48 is maximized, that is, when the entire adhesive material attachment surface 46 is adhered to the adherend surface 47, the light guide plate 13 is parallel to the horizontal plane and no bending occurs. ing.

  Then, the adherend surface 47 having an inclination starts to contact (adhere) with the end portion of the adhesive material adhesion surface 46, and the area of the adhesion region 48 gradually increases, thereby preventing air bubbles from entering the adhesion region 48. Can do. Therefore, when the area of the adhesive region 48 becomes equal to the area of the adhesive material attaching surface 46 as described above, that is, when the area of the adhesive region 48 becomes the maximum, without introducing bubbles into the adhesive region 48, Step 3 can be completed.

  In addition, the relative movement of the light guide plate holding unit 41 and the target member holding unit 43 is not necessarily limited to the vertical direction, and may be combined with moving in the horizontal direction. Also in this case, the adhesion region 48 can be enlarged while eliminating the bending.

  The member to which the adhesive material 49 is applied need not be limited to the optical coupling member 30, but is applied to the light guide plate 13, and the surface thereof is used as the adhesive material adhesion surface, and the surface of the corresponding optical coupling member 30 is the surface to be bonded. It is good. Further, in FIG. 1A, the light guide plate 13 is described above and the optical coupling member 30 is described below, but the reverse may be possible. Also in this case, the light guide plate can be bent, and air bubbles can be prevented from being mixed.

  Note that the deflection due to its own weight increases as the mass of the light guide plate 13 increases or the total length increases, but the deflection due to its own weight decreases as the thickness of the light guide plate 13 increases. In consideration of this, it is necessary to form an appropriate deflection.

(Method 2 of bending light guide plate 13 in step 3)
In the method 1 described above, the light guide plate 13 is curved symmetrically with respect to the center of the light guide plate 13, but the light guide plate with respect to the adhesive material adhering surface 46 of the optical coupling member 30 also when the light guide plate 13 is not symmetrical. By bringing both surfaces into contact with each other while the 13 adherend surfaces 47 are inclined, the object of the present invention can be achieved. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the height of the light guide plate 13 may be different at two edge portions. This is because a difference in height is provided between the support portion 41a and the support portion 41b.

  Even when the height at which the light guide plate holding portion 41 holds the light guide plate 13 is different on the left and right, the light guide plate 13 can be bent by its own weight. Further, since the holding height is different on the left and right, there is also an inclination due to the height difference.

  That is, when the light guide plate holding portion 41 is moved relative to the optical coupling member 30 in the vertical direction due to the bending due to the weight of the light guide plate 13 and the inclination due to the height difference, the end portion of the adhesive material attachment surface 46 is covered. It is possible to contact the adhesive surface 47.

  Therefore, as in the case where the height at which the light guide plate holding portion 41 holds the light guide plate 13 is the same on the left and right, it is possible to gradually increase the area of the adhesion region 48 while preventing air bubbles from being mixed. In this case, the height difference at which the light guide plate holding portion 41 holds the light guide plate 13 may be gradually reduced by using the moving means 44. By gradually reducing the height difference, the bending is eliminated, and when the height difference disappears, the area of the adhesion region 48 is maximized and the bending is eliminated. In this case as well, it is possible to prevent bubbles from entering the bonding region 48. Moreover, it is necessary to move the target member holding | maintenance part 43 to a perpendicular direction as needed.

  Further, when the method 1 causes the light guide plate 13 to bend symmetrically from the center, the inclination is gentle at the center and the vicinity thereof, in other words, the state is almost horizontal, so the object of the present invention is realized. For this purpose, the optical coupling member 30 is desirably adhered in the vicinity of the edge portion of the light guide plate 13 that is greatly inclined. However, when bending is caused by the present method 2, the center of the light guide plate 13 is also relatively inclined, so that the optical coupling member 30 can be satisfactorily adhered to the center. is there. That is, it is possible to adhere the adhesive material attachment surface 46 to the light guide plate 13 better in the method 2 than in the method 1 over a wide range including the center.

(Method 3 of bending light guide plate 13 in step 3)
In the above method 1 and method 2, the light guide plate 13 is bent by its own weight, but it is possible to cause the light guide plate 13 to bend (bend) due to factors other than the weight of the light guide plate 13.

  For example, as in Method 3, as shown in FIG. 4, the support part 41a and the support part 41b may move in the direction of narrowing the interval, and the bending may be caused by applying a compressive stress. That is, the bend formed in the light guide plate 13 may be a bend formed by physically applying force, and need not be limited to bend due to its own weight. In addition, when the light guide plate 13 formed by its own weight is not sufficiently bent, applying the pressure to the light guide plate 13 can assist in forming sufficient deflection.

  As described above, when the light guide plate 13 being held is bent by pressurization, the adherend surface 47 of the light guide plate 13 is inclined with respect to the adhesive material attachment surface 46 positioned horizontally. Can do.

  The magnitude of the compressive stress is appropriately adjusted so that the light guide plate 13 does not cause buckling, plastic deformation due to strain, cracks, or the like.

  When the present method 3 is adopted, if the light guide plate 13 is securely held and fixed by the support portion 41a and the support portion 41b, the support portion 41a and the support portion 41b are arranged in the vertical direction, and the light guide plate 13 The light guide plate 13 may be installed with the surface spreading in the vertical direction.

  The formation of the adhesion region 48, prevention of air bubble mixing, and the like are the same as in the above two methods, and thus description thereof is omitted.

[About Step 4]
Next, the fixing of the adhesion region by pressurization and energy irradiation to the adhesion region 48 in the above step 4 will be described based on FIG.

  The energy irradiation unit 45 shown in FIG. 1B is for applying pressure to the bonding region 48 to irradiate energy.

  The pressurization by the energy irradiation unit 45 is performed after the area of the adhesion region 48 becomes a predetermined size by the relative movement by the moving unit 44. In the present embodiment, when the area of the adhesive region 48 is equal to the application area of the adhesive material 49, that is, when the adhesive area is maximized, “the area of the adhesive region 48 has become a predetermined size”. To do. Even if the adhesion is insufficient, it is possible to strengthen the adhesion between the adhesion material adhesion surface 46 and the adherend surface 47 by pressurizing the adhesion region 48 using the energy irradiation unit 45.

  Pressurization by the energy irradiation unit 45 can be performed by applying pressure to the light guide plate 13 from above the light guide plate 13 as shown in FIG. In addition, the energy irradiation part 45 may contact the optical coupling member 30 from the lower part of the optical coupling member 30 to apply pressure, or may apply pressure from both the upper part of the light guide plate 13 and the lower part of the optical coupling member 30. .

  The structure of the contact portion with the light guide plate 13 in the energy irradiation unit 45 may be a flat structure or a curved structure. For example, if a curved structure having a convex shape toward the light guide plate 13 is used, the light guide body 13 is gradually brought into contact with the convex end, so that even if bubbles are mixed into the adhesive material 49 by the step 3, The air bubbles can be expelled from the adhesive material by pressing.

  The energy irradiation unit 45 is cured by irradiating energy to the adhesive material 49 in the bonding region 48 to fix the adhesion between the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30.

  The energy irradiation unit 45 may perform energy irradiation while applying pressure (simultaneous pressurization and energy irradiation), or may perform energy irradiation after sufficient pressurization is completed. In addition, when energy irradiation is performed after releasing the pressure of the energy irradiation unit 45, there is a possibility that the strong adhesion of the bonding region 48 may be released. Therefore, it is desirable to perform the energy irradiation while applying pressure. Therefore, it is desirable that the pressurization and irradiation of the energy irradiation unit 45 be performed simultaneously.

  By simultaneously pressing and irradiating the energy irradiation unit 45, the bonding region 48 can be cured efficiently and in a short time, and an adhesive member such as a display device can be manufactured.

  As an energy irradiation direction, an arbitrary direction is possible depending on the transparency of the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30. That is, when one of the light guide plate 13 and the light coupling member 30 is a substance that does not transmit energy such as light, the energy irradiation unit 45 is configured to irradiate energy from the direction of the transparent member. Install.

  The energy irradiation by the energy irradiation unit 45 ends after the adhesive material 49 is cured and the adhesion between the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 is completed. Whether or not the bonding is completed is determined based on whether or not the adhesive material 49 having almost no change in appearance after curing is irradiated with a light amount capable of obtaining a necessary bonding strength in the bonding region 48. The relationship between the adhesive strength and the light irradiation amount can be derived by conducting a test on how much light irradiation amount completes the curing. For example, the relationship between the adhesive strength and the light irradiation amount can be derived by preparing a large number of samples and irradiating each with a different amount of light.

  In addition, regarding the photocurable resin, the amount of light irradiation required for curing depends not only on the amount of simple light energy but also on the wavelength suitable for curing. Therefore, even if the target amount of energy to be irradiated described in the data sheet of the adhesive is irradiated to the bonding region 48, there is a possibility that it will not be cured sufficiently. Therefore, it is preferable to derive the relationship between the light irradiation amount corresponding to the light source used for curing and the adhesive strength. When the bonding is finished, the above-described step 4 is finished.

  By using the member bonding apparatus according to the present invention, a liquid crystal display device such as a backlight can be manufactured efficiently and inexpensively.

[Configuration of Adhesive Material Application Device 50]
Next, the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 used in step 2 will be described. As the adhesive material applying apparatus 50, for example, an apparatus described below can be used, and an adhesive material applying method using the above apparatus will be described.

  Here, the amount of the adhesive material 49 applied to the optical coupling member 30 is appropriately adjusted and set so that bubbles are not mixed at the time of bonding. Note that when the amount of the adhesive material 49 is insufficient, a gap may be formed after the adhesion between the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 is completed. Similarly, even when the application surface is uneven and the adhesive material 49 is not evenly applied, there is a risk of uneven adhesion in relation to the viscosity of the adhesive material 49.

  In this embodiment, as the adhesive material 49, an adhesive material having a relatively high viscosity that is relatively thick after application and that does not flow down to the adhesion is used.

  However, it is also possible to use an adhesive material having a low viscosity as the adhesive material 49. When the adhesive material 49 having a low viscosity is used, it is necessary to prevent the adhesive material 49 from leaking to an external region other than the adhesive material attachment surface 46 by applying the adhesive material 49 to the optical coupling member 30 excessively. is there.

  In particular, when a low-boiling point / low-viscosity adhesive material is applied accurately and evenly, an adhesive material application device 50 described later is useful. In addition, the member bonding apparatus 100 according to the present invention may include an arbitrary adhesive material applying apparatus including the following adhesive material applying apparatus 50.

  The adhesive material 49 is a material having adhesiveness that cures when irradiated with energy. It is necessary to select an appropriate adhesive material 49 according to the properties of the light guide plate 13 and the optical coupling member 30 to be bonded. Examples of the energy to be irradiated include ultraviolet rays, visible rays, infrared rays, and electron beams. As the adhesive material 49, a photocurable resin that is cured by visible rays, ultraviolet rays, or the like, for example, an acrylic resin can be used. Similarly, a thermosetting resin that is cured by infrared rays or an electron beam curable resin that is cured by an electron beam can also be used for the adhesive material 49. Specifically, an epoxy resin can be employed as the thermosetting resin, and an acrylic resin can be employed as the electron beam curable resin. Note that what is adopted as the energy to be irradiated depends on the transmittance of the light guide plate 13 and the properties of the adhesive material 49 (transmittance, cost, bonding time, thickness of the bonding region, and the like).

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an adhesive material applying apparatus 50 used for applying a photocurable resin solution to the optical coupling member 30 (each divided member 30a). As shown in FIG. 5, the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 includes a tank (storage unit) 51 that stores a coating liquid (photocurable resin solution), and a pump (pressurizing unit) 52 that pressurizes the inside of the tank 51. , A pressurizing pipe (pressurizing means) 53 for supplying air pressurized by the pump 52 to the tank 51, a supply pipe (supplying path) 54 for supplying the coating liquid from the tank 51, and a supply pipe 54 A valve 55 for opening and closing a pipe line and a member to be coated by contacting a member to be coated (a divided member 30a and a dummy coating member D described later) in a state impregnated with a coating liquid, connected to the tip of the supply pipe 54 A coating unit 56 (coating liquid holding member) for coating the coating liquid, a conveying device 57 for moving (scanning) the member to be coated relative to the coating unit 56, and a control unit 58 are provided.

  The configuration of the coating unit 56 is maintained by impregnating the coating solution supplied (supplemented) from the tank 51 through the supply pipe 54 and bringing the coated member into contact with the coating unit 56 to thereby apply the coating solution. There is no particular limitation as long as a part of the coating solution impregnated on the coating member can be applied. For example, a brush, a brush, a cloth, a sponge, or the like can be used. Further, the shape of the application portion 56 is not particularly limited, and may be set as appropriate according to the shape of the application region in the application member.

  The control unit 58 includes a tank pressure control unit 61 that controls the operation of the pump 52, a valve control unit 62 that controls the operation of the valve 55, and a relative position control unit 63 that controls the operation of the transport device 57. .

  The tank pressure control unit 61 controls the pump 52 to pressurize the tank 51 when supplying the coating liquid from the tank 51 to the coating unit 56. As a result, even if the coating liquid is a low-boiling liquid (for example, a liquid whose main component is a liquid having a lower boiling point than water such as lower alcohol (alcohol having 5 or less carbon atoms in the chemical formula)), It is possible to prevent the evaporation amount from increasing due to the decrease in pressure. The pressurizing pressure of the tank 51 can suppress evaporation of the coating liquid in the tank 51 according to the boiling point and viscosity of the coating liquid, the opening area of the supply pipe 54, and the like, and is appropriate for the supply pipe 54 from the tank 51. What is necessary is just to set suitably so that the quantity of coating liquid can be discharged | emitted. Further, a pressure sensor (not shown) for detecting the pressure in the tank 51 may be provided, and the tank pressure control unit 61 may control the operation of the pump 52 according to the detection result. Further, the pump 52 and the pressurizing pipe 53 are not essential components, and may be omitted, for example, when it is not necessary to consider the evaporation of the coating liquid in the tank 51. Further, when the pump 52 and the pressurizing pipe 53 are omitted, air around the tank 51 is introduced into the tank 51 so that the inside of the tank 51 does not become negative pressure (pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure around the tank 51). Ventilation holes (not shown) may be provided.

  The valve control unit 62 opens the valve 55 when performing the process of supplying the coating liquid from the tank 51 to the coating unit 56, and closes the valve 55 in other cases. The time for which the valve 55 is opened by the valve control unit 62 is set so that the supply amount of the coating liquid from the tank 51 to the coating unit 56 does not exceed the holdable amount of the coating unit 56. . Thereby, the coating liquid is supplied in excess of the holdable amount of the coating unit 56, and excessive coating liquid is prevented from dripping from the coating unit 56.

  The relative position control unit 63 controls the operation of the transport device 57 and moves the member to be coated relative to the coating unit 56. Specifically, the relative position control unit 63 determines that the contact state (the pressing amount or the pressing force of the application unit 56 against the application member) and the contact time between the application unit 56 and the application target region of the application target member. The operation of the conveying device 57 is controlled so that the contact state and the contact time according to the target application amount of the coating liquid with respect to the application region are obtained. In addition, the structure of the conveying apparatus 57 is not specifically limited, For example, the conventionally well-known conveying apparatus technique which combined the actuator, the motor, the gear, etc. can be used. In the present embodiment, the transport device 57 moves the position of the application target. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the application unit 56 may be moved relative to the application target. You may make it move the relative position of these both members by moving both the application part 56 and an application target object.

  FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D are explanatory views showing a coating process of the photocurable resin solution (coating liquid) to the divided members 30a and 30a.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the control unit 58 (valve control unit 62) opens the valve 55 in a state where the coating unit 56 is separated from the member to be coated, and the tank 51 is moved to the coating unit 56. Supply (supplement) the coating solution. At this time, the control unit 58 (tank pressure control unit 61) may control the pump 52 to pressurize the tank 51 as necessary. As described above, the time for which the valve 55 is opened can be set as appropriate so that the supply amount of the coating liquid from the tank 51 to the coating unit 56 does not exceed the holdable amount of the coating unit 56. That's fine.

  When a predetermined amount of coating liquid in a range not exceeding the holdable amount of the coating unit 56 is supplied to the coating unit 56, the control unit 58 closes the valve 55 as shown in FIG. Then, the supply of the coating liquid to the coating unit 56 is stopped.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the relative position control unit 63 brings the application unit 56 into contact with the dummy member D with the valve 55 closed, so that the application liquid held in the application unit 56 A part (excess coating liquid) is transferred to the dummy member. That is, when the application unit 56 is brought into contact with the divided member 30a while the application unit 56 holds an amount of the coating liquid that is close to the upper limit of the holdable amount, it is more than necessary for the divided member 30a at the beginning of contact. The coating liquid may adhere. Therefore, after supplying (replenishing) the application liquid to the application unit 56, before applying the application liquid to the divided member 30a, the application unit 56 is brought into contact with the dummy member D to transfer a part of the application liquid. Let Thereby, the quantity of the coating liquid currently hold | maintained at the application part 56 can be adjusted, and the appropriate quantity of application liquid can be apply | coated from the beginning of contact | abutting with the application part 56 and the division member 30a.

  The structure of the dummy member D is not specifically limited, For example, the structure similar to the division member 30a may be sufficient, and the structure different from the division member 30a may be sufficient. The surplus coating liquid is removed by moving the dummy member D about 2 cm to 3 cm with respect to the coating portion 56 in a state where the coating portion 56 and the dummy member D are in contact with each other. In addition, the contact process of the application part 56 and the dummy member D is not essential, for example, it is not necessary to consider the transfer of the excess coating liquid to the division member 30a at the beginning of the contact between the application part 56 and the division member 30a. In some cases, it may be omitted.

  After that, as shown in FIG. 6D, the relative position control unit 63 brings the application unit 56 and the divided member 30a into contact with the valve 55 closed, and moves the divided member 30a into contact with the application unit 56. By moving relatively with respect to the application part 56, an application liquid is apply | coated to the to-be-coated area | region in the division member 30a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), the divided members 30a arranged in series are moved relative to the application section 56 in a connected state, and the coating liquid is sequentially applied to the divided members 30a. Apply.

  When applying the photocurable resin solution to the member to be coated, the member to be coated is fixed to a jig provided in the transport device 57 so that the region to be coated is horizontal with respect to the moving direction, The relative position control unit 63 controls the operation of the transport device 57 so as to move the application target member relative to the application unit 56 while keeping the relative height of the application unit 56 to the application region constant. In addition, the relative position control unit 63 sets the contact time between the application unit 56 and each part of the application region of the application member to the contact time for applying the target application amount of the coating liquid to each part of the application region. The operation of the transport device 57 is controlled so that

  In addition, when the divided members 30 a that are connected and connected are moved relative to the application portion 56 in a state where the divided members 30 a are connected, the application is performed when the connection portion between the divided members 30 a passes through the portion facing the application portion 56. The portion 56 and each divided member 30a may be separated from each other. That is, the application unit 56 may not be in contact with the connecting portion between the divided members 30a. Thereby, it can prevent that a coating liquid is apply | coated to the connection part of the division members 30a.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6D, at least one of the opposing surfaces of the adjacent divided members 30a has liquid repellency (property to repel the coating liquid) with respect to the coating liquid. The liquid material 42 is applied or pasted in advance. Thereby, it can prevent that the coating liquid transfers to the opposing part (connection part) of the division members 30a, and the malfunction that the area | region colored with the coating liquid arises in the optical coupling member 30 can arise. That is, when a low-viscosity coating liquid is applied in the vicinity of the connecting portion between the divided members 30a, the coating liquid may move to a minute gap between the divided members 30a due to a capillary phenomenon or the like. By applying the liquid repellent material 42 to the surface, it is possible to prevent the coating liquid from moving to the gap. The liquid repellent material 42 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can realize a liquid repellent force stronger than the force that the coating liquid tries to penetrate into the gap between the divided members 30a due to a capillary phenomenon or the like. For example, a fluororesin can be used. The liquid repellent material 42 is more preferably a transparent material so that it does not affect the performance of the optical coupling member 30 (or has little influence on the performance of the optical coupling member 30).

  After applying the photocurable resin solution as described above, the light guide plate is applied to the application region of the application member to which the photocurable resin solution is applied while the application target member is fixed to the transport device 57 with a jig. Each of the divided members 30a and the light guide plate 13 are bonded to each other by irradiating energy rays (light) in a state where the members 13 are in contact with each other.

  As described above, the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 includes the tank 51 that stores the coating liquid (photocurable resin solution), the coating unit 56 that coats the coating liquid on the divided member (coating member) 30a, and the tank 51. And a valve 55 for opening and closing the supply path of the coating liquid to the coating section 56, and the coating path is opened from the tank 51 to the coating section 56 by opening the supply path in a state where the coating section 56 is separated from the dividing member 30a. Is applied to impregnate the application unit 56, and the supply path is closed to stop the supply of the application liquid to the application member. After the supply of the application liquid is stopped, the application unit 56 and the dividing member 30a A part of the coating liquid impregnated in the coating part 56 is applied to the dividing member 30a by contacting the part.

  Thereby, by controlling the opening / closing timing of the valve 55, the amount of the coating liquid supplied to the coating unit 56 can be accurately controlled even when the viscosity of the coating liquid is low. In addition, the holding power of the coating solution by the coating unit 56 is hardly affected by the boiling point of the coating solution, and is stable even when the viscosity of the coating solution is low. For this reason, the application amount of the application liquid from the application unit 56 to the dividing member 30a is determined by the amount of the application liquid impregnated in the application unit 56 and the contact state (pushing between the application unit 56 and the division member 30a). The amount of contact) and the contact time (scanning speed) between the application portion 56 and the application area of the divided member 30a.

  Therefore, by adjusting these values, even when the coating liquid has a low boiling point and low viscosity, an appropriate amount of the coating liquid can be accurately applied to the coated area (top flat surface 31) of the dividing member 30a. It is possible to prevent the coating liquid from being applied to a region other than the top flat surface 31.

  In addition, when the photocurable resin solution is applied to the member to be coated (each divided member 30 a constituting the optical coupling member 30), the region to be coated is moved to the jig provided in the transport device 57. While fixing so that it may become horizontal with respect to a direction, the relative position control part 63 makes a to-be-coated member relatively with respect to the application part 56 so that the relative height with respect to the application area | region of the application part 56 may be kept constant. The operation of the transfer device 57 is controlled so as to be moved. In addition, the relative position control unit 63 is configured so that the contact time between the application unit 56 and each part of the application region of the application member is a target application amount of application liquid (photo-curable resin solution) with respect to each part of the application region. The operation of the conveying device 57 is controlled so that the contact time during which the coating can be applied is reached. Thereby, the application quantity of the coating liquid with respect to a to-be-coated member can be controlled easily and appropriately.

  Moreover, although the case where the to-be-coated member to which the coating liquid is applied is the optical coupling member 30 (each divided member 30a) provided in the backlight 10 of the liquid crystal display device 1 has been described, the to-be-coated member is not limited to this. In addition, it can be used for any members used in optical disks, film wiring plates, lighting devices, and the like.

  Moreover, it can apply when apply | coating the liquid which has a viscosity of the grade which can be hold | maintained to the application part 56 with respect to a to-be-coated member, and the structure of a to-be-coated member is not specifically limited. Note that, as described above, the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 and the liquid coating method have a characteristic that the coating amount can be accurately controlled even when a low boiling point / low viscosity liquid is coated on the coated member. Yes. For this reason, the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 and the liquid coating method according to the embodiment are, for example, a liquid coating mainly composed of a low boiling point / low concentration liquid such as a lower alcohol which is an alcohol having 5 or less carbon atoms in a chemical formula. Especially suitable for.

  Moreover, although the control part 58 shall control operation | movement of the pump 52, the valve | bulb 55, and the conveying apparatus 57, you may control part or all of operation | movement of each of these members manually.

  Further, the control unit 58 provided in the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 may be realized by software using a processor such as a CPU. In this case, the adhesive material application device 50 includes a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program that realizes each function, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program, and a random access memory (RAM) that expands the program. memory), a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing the program and various data. The operation by the adhesive material application device 50 is recorded so that the program code (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of the control program of the adhesive material application device 50, which is software for realizing the above-described functions, can be read by a computer. The recording medium is supplied to the adhesive material coating apparatus 50, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) reads and executes the program code recorded on the recording medium.

  Examples of the recording medium include a tape system such as a magnetic tape and a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk / hard disk, and an optical disk such as a CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. Card system such as IC card, IC card (including memory card) / optical card, or semiconductor memory system such as mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM.

  Further, the adhesive material application device 50 may be configured to be connectable to a communication network, and the program code may be supplied via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited. For example, the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication. A net or the like is available. Also, the transmission medium constituting the communication network is not particularly limited. For example, even in the case of wired such as IEEE 1394, USB, power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL line, etc., infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth ( (Registered trademark), 802.11 wireless, HDR, mobile phone network, satellite line, terrestrial digital network, and the like can also be used. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a computer data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  In addition, the control unit 58 of the adhesive material application device 50 is not limited to that realized using software, and may be configured by hardware logic. It may be a combination of arithmetic means for executing software for controlling the wear and the remaining processing.

  Note that, as described above, the member bonding apparatus 100 of the present embodiment may be configured such that the function of the adhesive material coating apparatus 50 is incorporated and Step 1 or Step 2 is performed by the member bonding apparatus 100. In this case, one apparatus is used for steps (steps 2 to 4 in FIG. 2) such as application of the adhesive material 49 to the optical coupling member 30, adhesion of the optical coupling member 30 and the light guide plate 13, and fixation of the adhesion region 48. This is possible. Further, the moving means 44 for moving the optical coupling member 30 relative to the light guide plate 13 is shared with the conveying device 57 for moving the material to be coated (optical coupling member 30) relative to the coating portion 56. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a display device and the like more efficiently.

[Configuration of Liquid Crystal Display Device 1]
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal display device (display device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The liquid crystal display device 1 can be manufactured by using the member bonding apparatus according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the liquid crystal display device 1 includes a backlight 10 as a light source module, a diffusion sheet 2, a prism sheet 3, a liquid crystal panel 4, and a bezel 5 in order from the bottom.

  The backlight 10 includes, in order from the bottom, a light source module 20, a chassis 11 having a single opening 11 a, a reflection sheet 12 having a single opening similar to the chassis 11, and a light guide plate 13.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the light source module 20, FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a joint portion between the LED substrate and the optical coupling member in the light source module, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display device 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the light source module 20 includes a light source holder 21, a heat sink 22, LED chips 23a and 23b, LED substrates 24a and 24b, spacers 25a and 25b, and an optical coupling member 30. As shown in FIG. 9, the light coupling member 30 is formed so as to protrude from a part of the lower flat surface 33, and is fixed to the LED substrate 24a with an adhesive.

  Further, LED boards 24 a and 24 b are provided on the heat sink 22, and semiconductor LED (Light Emitting Diode) chips 23 a and 23 b as light sources are provided on the LED boards 24 a and 24 b of the light source module 20. It arrange | positions along the extending | stretching direction.

  A plurality of the LED chips 23a and 23b are provided in parallel to each other in two rows along the extending direction of the light source module 20, and the light coupling member 30 is provided on the surface side of the plurality of LED chips 23a and 23b. Is provided.

  In addition to the LED chips 23a and 23b, spacers 25a and 25b for providing a gap between the LED boards 24a and 24b and the optical coupling member 30 are provided between the LED boards 24a and 24b and the optical coupling member 30. Is formed. Due to this gap, it is possible to prevent the light coupling member 30 from coming into contact with the LED chips 23a and 23b and damaging the LED chips 23a and 23b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the LED chips 23 a and 23 b may be in close contact with the optical coupling member 30 as long as the LED chips 23 a and 23 b are not damaged. Since the semiconductor LED chip has a very fine size, the description of the LED chips 23a and 23b is omitted in FIG. 8 to prevent the drawing from being complicated.

  In FIG. 10, the light source holder 21 and the heat sink 22 are attached and fixed by a plastic rivet 29 as a fixing member for fixing, and a recess 34 is formed in the optical coupling member 30. In addition, a lower frame 6a is provided as a shielding member that shields the light guide plate 13 from outside the exit region.

  Moreover, although the LED chip is used as a light source, this is because a semiconductor chip-shaped LED has a small shape and can be arranged in a narrow region. For example, even when an inexpensive low-power LED chip is used, the illuminance can be improved by arranging a large number of LEDs at close intervals, and the LED chip can be used as a light source for a highly functional backlight. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an LED housed in a package may be used as a light source, and an organic EL light emitting element or an inorganic EL light emitting element may be used as a light source.

  The light coupling member 30 makes light emitted from the LED chips 23a and 23b incident on the light guide plate 13 from a predetermined angle range (from the back side of the light guide plate 13 (the back side of the substrate)). The light source module 20 is guided to the inside of the light guide plate 13 so that the light reaching the side (substrate surface side) is incident on the light guide plate 13 in an angle range where the light is totally reflected on the light emitting surface side. It is arrange | positioned so that it may extend | stretch in the direction parallel to.

  The material of the optical coupling member 30 is such that light can propagate through the optical coupling member 30, and the traveling direction of the light so that the light incident from the light source is incident on the light guide plate 13 within the predetermined angle range. The resin material is not particularly limited as long as it can be changed. For example, the same resin material as that of the light guide plate 13 can be used. In this embodiment, an optical coupling member 30 made of acrylic resin is used. The optical coupling member 30 includes a plurality of divided members 30 a (FIG. 2) arranged along the extending direction, and each of the divided members 30 a is bonded to the light guide plate 13.

  Incidentally, the material of the optical coupling member 30 is preferably made of the same resin as the material of the light guide plate 13. That is, if the same material is used, the refractive index can be made the same, so that light is smoothly incident on the light guide plate 13 from the optical coupling member 30. In addition, the light guide plate 13 may have a refractive index slightly higher than that of the optical coupling member 30. The material is not limited to resin, and may be a material such as glass.

  FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction in the optical coupling member 30. As shown in this figure, the cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical coupling member 30 has flat portions 33 and 33 obtained by cutting a part of a substantially elliptical ring in a straight line, and the substantially elliptical shape described above. It is the shape which has the top part flat surface 31 obtained by notching a part of outer peripheral part of this part along the straight part 33 * 33 and a substantially parallel straight line. The width of the top flat surface 31 (the width in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical coupling member 30) is set to 5 mm.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11A, the optical coupling member 30 has a rod shape, specifically a substantially U-shaped cross section, and has a height of about 0.5 mm on the two lower flat surfaces 33 and 33. Each has spacers 25a and 25b. The spacers 25a and 25b are configured to prevent the LED chip 23a and the optical coupling member 30 from colliding with each other.

  FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the LED chip 23a shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, LED chips 23 a and 23 b are disposed at positions close to the flat portions 33 and 33 of the optical coupling member 30. These LED chips 23a and 23b are arranged on the outer peripheral surface side of the optical coupling member 30 with respect to the focal position F of the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 shown in FIG. 11B (on the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 in the flat portions 33 and 33). It is arranged at a position facing the near side.

  As a result, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the light emitted from the LED chips 23 a and 23 b is totally reflected (substantially totally reflected) by the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 of the optical coupling member 30. Then, the reflected light enters the light guide plate 13 via the top flat surface 31. The shapes of the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 are set so that incident light from the LED chips 23a and 23b can be incident on the light guide plate 13 in the predetermined angle range. As described above, the light incident on the light guide plate 13 from the back side of the light guide plate 13 via the light coupling member 30 is totally reflected on the light emitting surface side of the light guide plate 13 as shown in FIG. Is propagated in the in-plane direction.

  In addition, the shape of the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 in the cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical coupling member 30 is not necessarily limited to the elliptical arc shape, and the light incident from the LED chips 23a and 23b is reflected on the total reflection surface 32. Any shape that can be totally reflected (substantially totally reflected) by 32 and incident on the light guide plate 13 within a predetermined angle range may be used. For example, the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 may have a curved shape such as a circular arc shape, a bow shape, or a parabola shape in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical coupling member 30. It may be a straight line inclined with respect to 33.

  Further, a recess 34 is formed in the central portion on the lower end side of the optical coupling member 30. In the present embodiment, it is only necessary to secure an optical path to the light guide plate 13 for the light reflected by the curved surfaces 32 a and 32 b, so that the portion that does not become the optical path can be cut out as a recess 34. Thereby, cost reduction and weight reduction can be achieved. However, the recess 34 region is not necessarily limited to this, and the cross section where the recess 34 does not exist may have a substantially semicircular configuration.

  In addition, it is possible to provide reflection means such as a reflection sheet (not shown) in the recess 34. Thereby, even if stray light may be generated in the vicinity of the top flat surface 31, a part of the stray light can be reflected to the light guide plate 13 side to improve the irradiation to the liquid crystal panel 4.

  FIG. 13A is an explanatory view showing a modification of the optical coupling member 30, and the shape of the cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical coupling member 30 on the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 of the optical coupling member 30 is made a parabolic shape. An example is shown.

  Further, a reflection sheet (not shown) for returning light leaking from the optical coupling member 30 to the outside into the optical coupling member 30 may be provided around the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32. Thereby, even when a part of the light emitted from the LED chips 23a and 23b leaks from the total reflection surfaces 32 and 32 to the outside of the optical coupling member 30, the light leaking to the outside of the optical coupling member 30 is emitted. Returning to the optical coupling member 30, the light utilization efficiency can be further increased by increasing the amount of light incident on the light guide plate 13.

  The light guide plate 13 is a flat plate member made of a light guide material capable of transmitting light through the light guide plate 13. The material of the light guide plate 13 is not particularly limited as long as it has a light guide property. For example, a conventionally known resin material can be used.

  In addition, light propagating in the light guide plate 13 is scattered on at least one of the light coupling member 30 side surface (back surface) or the surface opposite to the light coupling member 30 (front surface) in the light guide plate 13. A large number of dot patterns (light scattering portions) for emitting light from the light emitting surface side of the light guide plate 13 are provided. The method for forming the dot pattern is not particularly limited, and can be formed by a conventionally known method. For example, the light-diffusing reflective material may be formed by printing on one or both surfaces of the light guide plate 13 or may be formed by processing a part of the light guide plate 13 by laser processing or the like. . In this embodiment, the dot pattern is formed as the light scattering portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a part of the light propagating in the light guide plate 13 is scattered and emitted from the light emitting surface side of the light guide plate 13. Anything that can do. Further, the arrangement (size and arrangement pitch) of each dot pattern is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately arranged so that the luminance distribution of light emitted from the light emitting surface of the backlight 10 can be a desired luminance distribution. Good.

  As a result, in the backlight 10 in the liquid crystal display device 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, a strip-shaped light source module 20 is provided across the edge of the screen of the liquid crystal display device 1. Thus, a uniform and smooth luminance distribution can be obtained in the liquid crystal panel 4.

  Thus, in the liquid crystal display device 1 of this embodiment, the liquid crystal panel 4, the light guide plate 13, the optical coupling member 30, and the LED chips 23a and 23b are arranged in this order. That is, in the liquid crystal display device 1 of the present embodiment, the LED chips 23a and 23b are provided below the light guide plate 13, and the light is emitted from the LED chips 23a and 23b between the light guide plate 13 and the LED chips 23a and 23b. An optical coupling member 30 that couples the light so that the light is incident from the top flat surface 31 on the lower surface of the light guide plate 13 is provided. For this reason, the light emitted from the LED chips 23 a and 23 b below the light guide plate 13 is incident on the light guide plate 13 via the optical coupling member 30, and is reflected from the end of the light guide plate 13 while totally reflecting the inside of the light guide plate 13. The total reflection condition is broken by an optical path conversion element (not shown) in the middle of the movement, and the light is emitted from the light guide plate 13, reflected by the reflection sheet 12, and further passed through the light guide plate 13. The light exits from the surface of the liquid crystal panel 4 and travels toward the liquid crystal panel 4 through the diffusion sheet 2 and the prism sheet 3.

  As a result, unlike the conventional side edge type light guide plate, the backlight is directly under the light guide plate, so that the frame size can be reduced and the design effect can be improved. Further, since the gap between the LED chips 23a and 23b and the light guide plate 13 for avoiding the thermal expansion necessary for the side edge type light guide plate is not required, light does not leak from the gap. That is, in this embodiment, since the optical coupling member 30 and the LED chips 23a and 23b are disposed below the light guide plate 13, the thickness direction of the light guide plate 13 has a smaller thermal expansion than the long or short planar direction. The expansion and contraction of the light guide plate 13 is small, and, for example, the gap between the light coupling member 30 and the LED chips 23a and 23b can be reduced to 0.5 mm or less, for example. Since the optical coupling member 30 is in contact with the light guide plate 13, there is no gap. For this reason, the coupling efficiency from LED chip 23a * 23b to the light-guide plate 13 can be improved, and light utilization efficiency can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, by providing the light coupling member 30 that is separate from the light guide plate 13, light is incident on the flat light guide plate 13 at an angle, so that incident light is incident inside the light guide plate 13. The light is guided while being totally reflected.

  In other words, in this embodiment, the optical coupling member 30 is a strip-like body having a substantially U-shaped cross section in which the top flat surface 31 contacts the light guide plate 13.

  In the present embodiment, the optical coupling member 30 is provided at the end of the light guide plate 13. As a result, light from the LED chips 23a and 23b is incident on the end of the light guide plate 13, so that the light guide plate 13 guides light in one direction, and the light is extracted from the entire surface of the light guide plate 13. The entire surface of the liquid crystal panel 4 can be irradiated.

  Therefore, the backlight 10 and the liquid crystal display device 1 that can increase the coupling efficiency from the LED chips 23a and 23b to the light guide plate 13 and improve the light utilization efficiency without processing the light guide plate 13 can be provided.

  Therefore, the backlight 10 and the liquid crystal display device 1 that can increase the coupling efficiency from the LED chips 23a and 23b to the light guide plate 13 and improve the light utilization efficiency without processing the light guide plate 13 can be provided.

  In the backlight 10 of the present embodiment, the light coupling member 30 causes light to enter the light guide plate 13 obliquely. Accordingly, light is incident on the flat light guide plate 13 at an angle, so that the incident light is guided inside the light guide plate 13 while being totally reflected. As a result, it is not necessary to process the light guide plate, the coupling efficiency from the LED chips 23a and 23b to the light guide plate 13 can be improved, the light utilization efficiency can be improved, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the backlight 10 of this embodiment, the optical coupling member 30 has the curved surfaces 32a and 32b which are reflective surfaces, and reflects the incident light from LED chip 23a and 23b by the curved surfaces 32a and 32b, and is a light-guide plate. Light is incident on 13. Thereby, the light radiate | emitted from LED chip 23a * 23b injects into the optical coupling member 30, and reflects on the curved surfaces 32a * 32b. The light reflected by the curved surfaces 32 a and 32 b is coupled so as to enter the light guide plate 13 from the top flat surface 31 on the lower surface of the light guide plate 13.

  As a result, the light from the LED chips 23a and 23b can be efficiently coupled and incident on the light guide plate 13 by the light coupling member 30 having the curved surfaces 32a and 32b without processing the light guide plate 13.

  Further, in the backlight 10 of the present embodiment, the light coupling member 30 causes light to enter the light guide plate 13 so as to be totally reflected in the light guide plate 13. Thereby, the backlight 10 which can improve light utilization efficiency can be provided.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the LED chips 23 a and 23 b are arranged so that the optical axis direction of the incident light to the optical coupling member 30 is orthogonal to the flat light guide plate 13. For this reason, since it is not necessary to make LED chip 23a * 23b arrangement | positioning with respect to the flat light-guide plate 13, arrangement | positioning of LED chip 23a * 23b is also easy and a structure and an assembly method are simple.

  Therefore, the backlight 10 and the liquid crystal display device 1 that can increase the coupling efficiency from the LED chips 23a and 23b to the light guide plate 13 and improve the light utilization efficiency without processing the light guide plate 13 can be provided.

  Further, in the backlight 10 of the present embodiment, the LED chips 23 a and 23 b are provided in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the optical coupling member 30. Specifically, the LED chips 23a and 23b are provided in two rows in parallel along the center line immediately below both ends of the lower end chord in the optical coupling member 30 having a substantially U-shaped cross section.

  As a result, when the light is incident on the light guide plate 13, the two rows of LED chips 23a and 23b emit light in opposite directions, so that the line passing through the midpoint between the two rows is axially symmetric and both sides of the optical coupling member 30. That is, the light can be guided to both ends of the light guide plate 13. Therefore, the luminance distribution can be made uniform in the light guide plate 13 with a simple structure. That is, when the LED chip 23a is single, there is a possibility that the portion directly above the LED chip 23a does not transmit light and becomes a dark part. This can be supplemented with light from another LED chip 23b.

  Moreover, in the backlight 10 of this embodiment, the light source consists of a plurality of LED chips 23a and 23b. The LED chips 23a and 23b are small in shape and can be densely arranged at a minute interval. As a result, the LED chips 23a and 23b are small in shape and large in illuminance, and thus are suitable as a light source for the backlight 10.

  In the present embodiment, the light guide plate 13 is not processed and light is incident from below, so that the liquid crystal display device 1 of the light guide plate 13 can be thinned. Specifically, a certain amount of thickness is required for processing the light guide plate 13. In this case, the conventional edge light system has a limit in reducing the thickness because the light coupling rate decreases when the light guide plate is made thinner than the width of the light source. In this regard, in the present embodiment, if the light guide plate 13 is thinned, the television is thinned and lightened. Moreover, since the material of the light guide plate 13 can be saved, the cost can be reduced from the point that processing is unnecessary. Further, since the LED chips 23a and 23b only need to be mounted upward, in the assembly of each group of members constituting the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 2 including the LED chips 23a and 23b, the assembly direction is one direction. Therefore, the construction of the assembly manufacturing apparatus and the assembly work are simplified. That is, in the case of the conventional edge light, since it is necessary to attach the light source from the side, the liquid crystal display device 1 as a whole does not have to be assembled in one direction, and is somewhat difficult to manufacture.

  Moreover, in the liquid crystal display device 1 of this embodiment, the optical coupling member 30 is provided in a strip shape. Further, the optical coupling member 30 provided in the belt shape is provided in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 13 having a rectangular flat plate shape.

  Thereby, it is not necessary to make the relationship between the optical coupling member 30 and the plurality of LED chips 23a and 23b 1: 1, and the plurality of LED chips 23a and 23b are covered with one optical member. It can be simplified. Moreover, since LED chip 23a * 23b can also be provided along the optical coupling member 30, the wiring of LED chip 23a * 23b becomes easy.

  In addition, the optical coupling member 30 may be composed of a single linear member in the longitudinal or lateral direction, that is, the longitudinal direction or the lateral direction in the rectangular flat light guide plate 13. The separated pieces of the optical coupling member may be arranged in a straight line in a strip shape.

  Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide one optical element for one light source, and a plurality of light sources are covered with one optical member, so that the structure of the optical system can be simplified. In addition, the light source may be of the type housed in a package, but a semiconductor chip shape can also be applied. The light source is disposed along the optical coupling member, and wiring of the light source is facilitated.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and the embodiments can be obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiments. The form is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The bonding apparatus according to the present invention can bond members to each other without mixing bubbles in the bonding material.

  By using the bonding apparatus according to the present invention, an optical disk, a film wiring plate, a liquid crystal display device, a lighting device, and the like can be manufactured at low cost and efficiently.

1 Liquid crystal display device (display device)
2 Diffusion sheet 3 Prism sheet 4 Liquid crystal panel 5 Bezel 6a Lower frame 10 Backlight 11 Chassis 11a Opening 12 Reflective sheet 13 Light guide plate (plate member)
20 Light source module 21 Light source holder 22 Heat sink 23a, 23b LED chip 24a, 24b LED substrate 25a, 25b Spacer 29 Plastic rivet 30 Optical coupling member (target member)
30a Dividing member 31 Top flat surfaces 32, 32 Total reflection surfaces 32a, 32b Curved surface 33 Bottom flat surface 34 Recess 40 Pallet 41 Light guide plate holding portions 41a, 41b Support portion 42 Liquid repellent material 43 Target member holding portion 44 Moving means 45 Energy Irradiation unit 46 Adhesive material attachment surface 47 Adhered surface 48 Adhesive region 49 Adhesive material 50 Adhesive material application device 51 Tank 52 Pump 53 Pressurization pipe 54 Supply pipe 55 Valve 56 Application unit 57 Conveying device 58 Control unit 61 Tank pressure control unit 62 Valve Control unit 63 Relative position control unit 100 Member bonding apparatus (bonding apparatus)
D dummy material

Claims (5)

A bonding apparatus that bonds a plate-like member and a target member to each other through an adhesive material that is cured by energy irradiation, attached to the surface of one of the plate-like member and the target member,
A plate-like member holding portion that holds the plate-like member in a bent state so that the surface of the adhesive material is inclined with respect to the surface of the other member of the plate-like member and the target member;
A target member holding unit for holding the target member;
A moving means for bonding the surface of the other member and the surface of the adhesive material so that the bonding area gradually increases while changing the relative positions of the plate-like member holding portion and the target member holding portion;
An adhesive device comprising: an energy irradiating unit that applies pressure and irradiates the energy to the bonded region after the bonded area reaches a predetermined size.   The said energy irradiation part becomes a structure which performs the said pressurization and the said energy irradiation simultaneously, The bonding apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The plate-like member holding portion supports two edge portions facing each other across the center of the plate-like member, and the two edge portions are at the same height from the horizontal plane. The bonding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.   The said moving means becomes a structure which moves the said plate-shaped member holding | maintenance part up and down along a perpendicular direction, The bonding apparatus of Claim 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The plate-like member which is a light guide plate;
The target member being an optical coupling member;
A display device comprising a backlight having a light source that emits light to the optical coupling member,
A display device manufactured using the bonding apparatus according to claim 1.

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