JP2020179378A - Coating mechanism and coating equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a coating mechanism which can improve a coating speed, alleviate effect of variations in a height position of a substrate to which a coating liquid is applied and a height position of a bottom surface of a well, and suppress variations in pitch of the coating liquid which is applied to the substrate.SOLUTION: A coating mechanism comprises plural coating needles, and a coating needle holder for holding the coating needle. The coating needle has a tip, and a base end which is an end on a side opposite to the tip, and the tip is held by the coating needle holder so as to expose from the coating needle holder. The coating needle holder has: a housing; plural stationery members to which the coating needles are fixed; and a height displacement absorption mechanism which individually absorbs displacement of the plural coating needles in a direction from the base end toward the tip.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a coating mechanism and a coating device.

Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-11257) describes a coating mechanism. The coating mechanism described in Patent Document 1 includes a coating needle and a coating needle holder. The coating needle holder holds the coating needle so that the tip of the coating needle is exposed.

Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-317189) describes a transcription mechanism. The transfer mechanism described in Patent Document 2 has a plurality of transfer members and a holding member. A plurality of holes are formed in the holding member. The holding member holds the transfer member by inserting the transfer member into the hole.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-11257 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-317189

The number of coating needles of the coating mechanism described in Patent Document 1 is one. Therefore, the coating mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of speeding up coating. In the transfer mechanism described in Patent Document 2, the holes of the holding member are formed so as to have a predetermined fitting tolerance with respect to the transfer member. When this fitting tolerance becomes large, the transfer member can easily slide with respect to the holding member, but the transfer member may rattle with respect to the holding member. When the transfer member rattles with respect to the holding member, the pitch of the liquid material applied to the substrate varies. If this fitting tolerance becomes small, sliding defects may occur in the holding member of the transfer member.

Further, in the transfer mechanism described in Patent Document 2, no particular consideration is given to the fact that the height position of the substrate on which the liquid material is applied varies from transfer member to transfer member.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. More specifically, the present invention improves the coating speed, alleviates the influence of variations in the height position of the substrate to which the coating liquid is applied and the height position of the bottom surface of the well, and reduces the pitch of the coating liquid applied to the substrate. It provides a coating mechanism capable of suppressing variation.

The coating mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of coating needles and a coating needle holder for holding the coating needles. The coating needle has a tip and a base end opposite to the tip, and is held by the coating needle holder so that the tip is exposed from the coating needle holder. The coating needle holder has a housing, a plurality of fixing members to which the coating needles are fixed, and a height displacement absorbing mechanism that individually absorbs displacements of the plurality of coating needles in the direction from the base end to the tip end.

In the above-mentioned coating mechanism, the coating needle holder may further have a linear motion mechanism that movably supports the fixing member in the direction from the base end to the tip end inside the housing.

The coating mechanism may further include a container filled with the coating liquid applied by the coating needle. The container may have a lid that closes the upper end of the container and a bottom wall that closes the lower end of the container. The lid may be formed with a first through hole through which the coating needle can be inserted. A second through hole through which the coating needle can be inserted may be formed in the bottom wall.

In the above coating mechanism, the coating needle holder may further include a plurality of elastic members that urge the fixing member along the direction from the proximal end to the distal end.

In the above coating mechanism, the housing may include a first housing portion to which the linear motion mechanism is attached and a second housing portion attached to the first housing portion. The elastic member may be attached to the fixing member at one end and may be attached to the second housing portion at the other end. The second housing portion may be configured so that the relative position in the direction from the base end to the tip end with respect to the first housing portion can be changed.

In the above coating mechanism, the coating needle may include planes at the tip that intersect in the direction from the proximal end to the distal end.

In the above coating mechanism, the flat surface may be formed with a recess that is recessed toward the proximal end side.

In the above coating mechanism, the flat surface may be formed with a convex portion protruding along the direction from the base end to the tip end.

In the above coating mechanism, the coating needle may be configured to apply the coating liquid to the wells formed on the surface of the well plate. The spacing between two adjacent coating needles may be equal to the spacing between two adjacent wells.

The coating device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-mentioned coating mechanism.

According to the coating mechanism and the coating apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, variations in the pitch of the coating liquid applied to the substrate are suppressed, and the coating speed is improved.

It is a front view of the coating mechanism 100. It is a side view of the coating mechanism 100. It is a front view of the coating mechanism 100 which omitted the illustration of the coating needle 8 and the coating needle holder 9. It is a perspective view of the housing 91. It is an exploded perspective view of the housing 91. It is a rear view of the coating needle holder 9. It is a front view of the coating needle holder 9 which omitted the illustration of the holder lid 91g. It is a perspective view of the coating apparatus 200. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip 8a of the coating needle 8 in the coating mechanism 300. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip 8a of the coating needle 8 in the 1st modification of the coating mechanism 300. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip 8a of the coating needle 8 in the 2nd modification of the coating mechanism 300. It is an exploded perspective view of the housing 91 in the coating mechanism 400. It is a front view of the coating needle holder 9 in the coating mechanism 300 (not shown) of the holder lid 91g.

The details of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will not be repeated.

(First Embodiment)
The configuration of the coating mechanism (hereinafter referred to as “coating mechanism 100”) according to the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the coating mechanism 100. FIG. 2 is a side view of the coating mechanism 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of coating mechanisms 100 include a gantry 1, a servomotor 2, a cam 3, a bearing 4, a cam connecting plate 5, a movable portion 6, and an elastic member 7. It has a coating needle 8 of the above, a coating needle holder 9, and a plurality of containers 10. The number of containers 10 matches the number of coating needles 8.

The servomotor 2 has a main body 21 and a shaft 22. The main body 21 rotates the shaft 22 around the central axis. The extending direction of the shaft 22 (the direction along the central axis of the shaft 22) is referred to as the first direction DR1. The servomotor 2 is attached to the gantry 1.

The cam 3 is attached to the shaft 22. The cam 3 has a first surface 31 and a second surface 32. The cam 3 is attached to the shaft 22 on the first surface 31. Therefore, as the shaft 22 rotates, the cam 3 also rotates. The second surface 32 is the opposite surface of the first surface 31.

The first surface 31 has a first flat region, a slope region, and a second flat region along the circumferential direction. In the first flat region, the distance between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 is constant. In the second flat region, the distance between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 is constant. The distance between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 in the first flat area is larger than the distance between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 in the second flat area. The slope region is located between the first flat region and the second flat region in the circumferential direction. The slope region is continuous with the first flat region and the second flat region. The distance between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 in the slope region gradually decreases from the first region side to the second region side.

The bearing 4 is arranged so that the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 4 is in contact with the first surface 31. The cam connecting plate 5 has one end and the other end. The cam connecting plate 5 is connected to the bearing 4 at one end.

The movable portion 6 is connected to the other end of the cam connecting plate 5. The movable portion 6 has a movable base 61. FIG. 3 is a front view of the coating mechanism 100 in which the coating needle 8 and the coating needle holder 9 are not shown. As shown in FIG. 3, a magnet 61a and a magnet 61b are attached to the movable base 61. The movable base 61 has a reference surface 61c and a reference surface 61d. A coating needle holder 9 is attached to the movable base 61.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic member 7 is fixed to a fixing pin attached to the gantry 1 at one end and fixed to a fixing pin attached to the movable portion 6 at the other end. The elastic member 7 urges the movable portion 6 so that the bearing 4 is pressed against the first surface 31. The elastic member 7 is, for example, a coil spring.

The cam 3 is rotated by the main body 21 rotating the shaft 22. Since the distance between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 changes along the circumferential direction, the position of the bearing 4 in contact with the first surface 31 in the first direction DR1 as the cam 3 rotates. Fluctuates. The bearing 4 is connected to the movable portion 6 via the cam connecting plate 5. The coating needle holder 9 is attached to the movable portion 6 (movable base 61). Therefore, the position of the coating needle holder 9 in the first direction DR1 changes due to the position change of the bearing 4 in the first direction DR1.

The coating needle holder 9 has a housing 91. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the housing 91. As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 91 has an upper wall 91a, a first side wall 91b, a second side wall 91c, a third side wall 91d, and a fourth side wall 91e. The first side wall 91b and the second side wall 91c face each other in the second direction DR2, and the third side wall 91d and the fourth side wall 91e face each other in the third direction DR3. The second direction DR2 is a direction orthogonal to the first direction DR1 and the third direction DR3, and the third direction DR3 is a direction orthogonal to the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the housing 91. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 91 has a holder base 91f (first housing portion) and a holder lid 91g (second housing portion).

The holder base 91f is composed of a first side wall 91b, a first upright wall 91h, and a second upright wall 91i. The first upright wall 91h and the second upright wall 91i project from the first side wall 91b toward the second side wall 91c and extend along the first direction DR1. The first upright wall 91h and the second upright wall 91i are arranged at intervals along the third direction DR3. A screw hole 91ha is formed in the first upright wall 91h, and a screw hole 91ia is formed in the second upright wall 91i.

The holder lid 91g is composed of a second side wall 91c, a third side wall 91d, a fourth side wall 91e, and a spring receiving portion 91j. The spring receiving portion 91j constitutes the upper wall 91a together with the ends of the first standing wall 91h and the second standing wall 91i in the first direction DR1.

A through hole 91ca and a through hole 91cc are formed in the second side wall 91c. The through hole 91ca and the through hole 91cc penetrate the second side wall 91c in the thickness direction. The through hole 91ca and the through hole 91cc are arranged at positions overlapping the screw hole 91ha and the screw hole 91ia in a state where the holder lid 91g is assembled to the holder base 91f. The holder lid 91g is formed by passing a screw (not shown) through the through hole 91ca and screwing it into the screw hole 91ha, and passing a screw (not shown) through the through hole 91cc and screwing it into the screw hole 91ia. , Attached to the holder base 91f.

The width of the through hole 91ca in the first direction DR1 is larger than the width of the through hole 91ca in the third direction DR3. The width of the through hole 91ca in the first direction DR1 is larger than the width of the through hole 91ca in the third direction DR3. The through hole 91ca has, for example, an elliptical shape having a long axis along the first direction DR1. The width of the through hole 91cc in the first direction DR1 is larger than the width of the through hole 91cc in the third direction DR3. The width of the through hole 91cc in the first direction DR1 is larger than the width of the through hole 91cc in the third direction DR3. The through hole 91cc has, for example, an elliptical shape having a long axis along the first direction DR1. Since the through hole 91ca and the through hole 91cc have the above-mentioned shapes, the holder lid 91g can change the position relative to the holder base 91f in the first direction DR1.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the coating needle holder 9. As shown in FIG. 6, a magnet 91k and a magnet 91l are attached to the surface of the first side wall 91b opposite to the second side wall 91c. The housing 91 is attached to the movable base 61 by attracting the magnet 91k to the magnet 61a and attracting the magnet 91l to the magnet 61b. As a result, the housing 91 and the movable base 61 can be easily attached. The housing 91 may be attached to the movable base 61 by using bolts, nuts, or the like.

In a state where the housing 91 is attached to the movable base 61, the upper wall 91a is in contact with the reference surface 61c, and the third side wall 91d is in contact with the reference surface 61d. In a state where the upper wall 91a is in contact with the reference surface 61c and the third side wall 91d is in contact with the reference surface 61d, the magnet 61a is arranged at a position shifted to the reference surface 61c side from the position facing the magnet 91k. The magnet 61b is arranged at a position shifted to the reference surface 61d side from the position facing the magnet 91l. As a result, the attractive force of each of the above magnets acts in the direction in which the upper wall 91a and the third side wall 91d are pressed against the reference surface 61c and the reference surface 61d, respectively, so that the positioning accuracy of the housing 91 with respect to the movable base 61 is improved. Can be done.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the coating needle holder 9 in which the holder lid 91g is not shown. As shown in FIG. 7, the coating needle holder 9 further includes a plurality of fixing members 92, a plurality of linear motion mechanisms 93, and a plurality of elastic members 94. The number of fixing members 92, the number of linear motion mechanisms 93, and the number of elastic members 94 are equal to the number of coating needles 8. That is, a fixing member 92, a linear motion mechanism 93, and an elastic member 94 are provided for each coating needle 8.

The coating needle 8 is fixed to the fixing member 92. The coating needle 8 has a tip end 8a and a base end 8b. The direction from the base end 8b to the tip end 8a is along the first direction DR1. The coating needle 8 is held by the coating needle holder 9 so that the tip 8a is exposed from the coating needle holder 9 by being fixed to the fixing member 92.

The linear motion mechanism 93 is arranged inside the housing 91. The linear motion mechanism 93 is attached to the surface of the first side wall 91b facing the second side wall 91c. The linear motion mechanism 93 is arranged at intervals along the third direction DR3. The linear motion mechanism 93 is arranged between the first standing wall 91h and the second standing wall 91i. The linear motion mechanism 93 movably supports the fixing member 92 along the first direction DR1. The movement of the fixing member 92 in a direction other than the first direction DR1 is regulated by the linear motion mechanism 93. The linear motion mechanism 93 is, for example, a linear guide.

The elastic member 94 is attached to the fixing member 92 at one end and attached to the spring receiving portion 91j at the other end. The elastic member 94 urges the fixing member 92 along the direction from the base end 8b toward the tip end 8a. The elastic member 94 functions as a height displacement absorbing mechanism that absorbs a change in the position of the substrate SUB to which the coating liquid is applied in the first direction DR1. The urging force of the elastic member 94 can be adjusted by changing the position of the holder lid 91g relative to the holder base 91f in the first direction DR1. The urging force of the elastic member 94 is preferably as small as possible to hold the position of the fixing member 92. The elastic member 94 is, for example, a coil spring.

In the above, the case where the number of the coating needles 8 held by the coating needle holder 9 is four has been described as an example, but the number of the coating needles 8 is not limited to this. The coating needle holder 9 may hold a plurality of sets of coating needles 8 arranged along the third direction DR3 along the second direction DR2.

The container 10 is arranged at a position closer to the substrate SUB than the coating needle holder 9 in the first direction DR1. The container 10 is filled with a coating liquid. The upper end of the container 10 is closed with a lid. A through hole is formed in the lid of the container 10, and the coating needle 8 is passed through the through hole. The coating liquid is a paste containing conductive particles when drawing a circuit pattern on the substrate SUB. The coating solution may be a solution containing cells or proteins. The substrate SUB may be a well plate in which a plurality of wells (bottomed holes) are formed on the surface. On the surface of the well plate, for example, 6 to 384 wells are formed in a grid pattern. A specific example of a well plate is a micro well plate (registered trademark of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.). In the well plate, the position of the bottom surface of the well in the first direction DR1 may vary from well to well. When a well plate is used as the substrate SUB, it is preferable that the distance between the two adjacent wells is equal to that between the two adjacent coating needles 8. The lower end of the container 10 is closed by a bottom wall. By operating the servomotor 2, the tip 8a to which the coating liquid is attached protrudes from the through hole formed in the bottom wall of the container 10. The diameter of the through hole formed in the bottom wall of the container 10 is set to a size such that the coating liquid does not flow out due to the surface tension of the coating liquid.

The container 10 is arranged for each coating needle 8. Each container 10 is filled with different coating liquids. Each container 10 may be filled with the same coating liquid. The container 10 may be integrally formed.

The effect of the coating mechanism 100 will be described below.
In the coating mechanism 100, the coating needle holder 9 holds a plurality of coating needles 8. Therefore, according to the coating mechanism 100, the coating liquid can be applied to a plurality of locations at once, so that the coating speed is improved.

The position of the substrate SUB on which the coating liquid is applied in the first direction DR1 may vary depending on the coating needle 8. In the coating mechanism 100, since the height position absorbing mechanism (elastic member 94) is provided for each coating needle 8, the fluctuation of the position of the substrate SUB to which the coating liquid is applied in the first direction DR1 is changed for each coating needle 8. Can be absorbed by.

In the coating mechanism 100, the fixing member 92 to which the coating needle 8 is fixed is guided along the first direction DR1 by the linear motion mechanism 93, and movement in a direction other than the first direction DR1 is restricted. Therefore, according to the coating mechanism 100, the rattling of the coating needle 8 and the variation in the pitch at which the coating liquid is applied due to the rattling are suppressed.

In the coating mechanism 100, the coating needle holder 9 has an elastic member 94. Since the elastic member 94 urges the fixing member 92 along the direction from the base end 8b to the tip end 8a, when the coating needle holder 9 is moved up and down by operating the servomotor 2, the fixing member 94 is used. It is possible to suppress fluctuations in the position of the 92 (coating needle 8) relative to the coating needle holder 9. Further, when the coating needle 8 comes into contact with the substrate SUB, the elastic member 94 is elastically deformed, so that excessive stress can be suppressed from being applied to the coating needle 8.

In the coating mechanism 100, since the relative position of the holder lid 91g in the first direction DR1 with respect to the holder base 91f can be adjusted, the urging force of the elastic member 94 on the fixing member 92 can be optimized. The urging force of the elastic member 94 on the fixing member 92 affects the stress applied to the coating needle 8 when the coating needle 8 comes into contact with the substrate SUB.

In the coating mechanism 100, since the container 10 has a lid, drying of the coating liquid is suppressed. Since the coating mechanism 100 has a container 10 for each coating needle 8, it is suppressed that different coating liquids are mixed with each other.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the coating device (hereinafter referred to as “coating device 200”) according to the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the coating device 200. As shown in FIG. 8, the coating device 200 includes a coating mechanism 100, a first stage 210, a second stage 220, a third stage 230, an optical system 240, a camera 250, and a control computer 260. It has a monitor 270 and an operation panel 280.

The coating mechanism 100 is attached to the first stage 210. As a result, the coating mechanism 100 can move along the first direction DR1. A substrate SUB is placed on the second stage 220 and the third stage 230. The second stage 220 and the third stage 230 can move the substrate SUB to the second direction DR2 and the third direction DR3, respectively.

The optical system 240 observes the coating position on the substrate SUB. The camera 250 converts the image on the substrate SUB observed by the optical system 240 into an electric signal. The camera 250 is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, or the like.

The control computer 260 controls the coating mechanism 100, the first stage 210, the second stage 220, the third stage 230, the optical system 240, and the camera 250. The control computer 260 moves the coating needle 8 up and down at a predetermined speed by determining the rotation speed of the servomotor 2 based on the coating speed command value of the control program. The coating operation is performed by the vertical movement of the coating needle 8. When the control computer 260 is communicating with a higher control system (not shown), the above coating speed command value may be received from the higher control system. The control computer 260 stores parameters according to the type of coating liquid in the storage unit, and calculates the above-mentioned coating speed command value according to the specified type of coating liquid and the coating amount or coating dimension. You may.

The monitor 270 displays an image signal acquired by the camera 250 and an image of the control computer 260. The operation panel 280 is configured so that commands to the control computer 260 can be input.

When the circuit pattern is drawn on the substrate SUB using the coating device 200, first, by operating the second stage 220 and the third stage 230, the region on the substrate SUB on which the circuit pattern is drawn is the optical system. The substrate SUB is moved so as to be located directly below the 240. Secondly, the drawing start position is determined by observing and confirming the drawing start position by the optical system 240.

Thirdly, based on the determined drawing start position, the first stage 210 is operated to lower the coating mechanism 100 to a position where the tip 8a comes into contact with the substrate SUB when the coating needle 8 is projected from the container 10. Let me. Since the relationship between the descending end position of the coating needle 8 and the focus position of the optical system 240 is stored in advance in the control computer 260, the descending amount of the coating mechanism 100 is determined with reference to the focus position of the optical system 240. You just have to decide. Fourth, by operating the servomotor 2 to project the coating needle 8 from the container 10, the coating liquid adhering to the tip 8a is brought into contact with the substrate SUB.

In the case of continuous coating, the second stage 220 and the third stage 230 are operated so that the next drawing position is located directly below the coating mechanism 100, and the fourth operation described above is performed. By repeating the above operation, a circuit pattern is drawn on the substrate SUB using the coating material. After all the coating is completed, the coating mechanism 100 is raised by operating the first stage 210.

When the area for drawing the circuit pattern is large and the height fluctuation on the surface of the substrate SUB during drawing is large, the focus position of the optical system 240 is confirmed during drawing, and the position of the coating needle 8 is determined as necessary. The coating operation may be continued while making corrections. The adjustment of the focus position at this time may be automatically performed by using image processing. The position of the coating needle 8 may be adjusted in real time by constantly detecting the height of the surface of the substrate SUB using a laser sensor or the like.

In the above, an example of drawing a circuit pattern on the substrate SUB has been described, but when a plurality of wells are formed on the substrate SUB (the substrate SUB is a well plate), the pitch of the wells is adjacent to 2 By matching the intervals of the two coating needles 8, the coating can be collectively applied to the number of wells equal to the number of the coating needles 8 in one coating operation.

(Second Embodiment)
The configuration of the coating mechanism (hereinafter referred to as “coating mechanism 300”) according to the second embodiment will be described below. Here, the points different from the configuration of the coating mechanism 100 will be mainly described, and the overlapping description will not be repeated.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip 8a of the coating needle 8 in the coating mechanism 300. As shown in FIG. 9, the coating needle 8 has a flat surface 8aa at the tip 8a. The plane 8aa intersects the first direction DR1 (that is, the direction from the base end 8b toward the tip end 8a). The plane 8aa is preferably orthogonal to the first direction DR1. The plane 8aa has, for example, a circular shape. The diameter of the plane 8aa is, for example, 50 μm or more and 330 μm or less.

<First modification>
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip 8a of the coating needle 8 in the first modification of the coating mechanism 300. As shown in FIG. 10, a recess 8ab is formed in the flat surface 8aa. The recess 8ab is recessed toward the base end 8b.

<Second modification>
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip 8a of the coating needle 8 in the second modification of the coating mechanism 300. As shown in FIG. 11, a convex portion 8ac is formed on the plane 8aa. The convex portion 8ac projects from the flat surface 8aa along the direction from the base end 8b toward the tip end 8a.

(Third Embodiment)
The configuration of the coating mechanism (hereinafter referred to as “coating mechanism 400”) according to the third embodiment will be described below. Here, the points different from the configuration of the coating mechanism 100 will be mainly described, and the overlapping description will not be repeated.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the housing 91 in the coating mechanism 400. As shown in FIG. 12, the holder base 91f is composed of an upper wall 91a, a first side wall 91b, a first standing wall 91h, and a second standing wall 91i. The holder lid 91g is composed of a second side wall 91c, a third side wall 91d, and a fourth side wall 91e.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the coating needle holder 9 in the coating mechanism 300 (not shown) of the holder lid 91g. As shown in FIG. 13, in the coating needle holder 9 of the coating mechanism 300, the other end of the elastic member 94 is attached to the upper wall 91a by the spring receiving screw 95. The urging force of the elastic member 94 on the fixing member 92 is adjusted by adjusting the tightening state of the spring receiving screw 95.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is possible to modify the above-described embodiment in various ways. Moreover, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

The above-described embodiment is particularly advantageous for a coating mechanism and a coating apparatus having the coating mechanism.

1 gantry, 2 servomotor, 3 cam, 4 bearing, 5 cam connecting plate, 6 moving part, 7 elastic member, 8 coating needle, 8a tip, 8aa flat surface, 8ab recess, 8b base end, 9 coating needle holder, 10 container , 21 Main body, 22 axes, 31 1st surface, 32 2nd surface, 61 movable base, 61a, 61b magnet, 61c, 61d reference surface, 91 housing, 91a upper wall, 91b 1st side wall, 91c 2nd side wall , 91ca, 91cc through hole, 91d 3rd side wall, 91e 4th side wall, 91f holder base, 91g holder lid, 91h 1st standing wall, 91ha screw hole, 91i 2nd standing wall, 91ia screw hole, 91j spring receiving part, 91k, 91l magnet, 92 fixing member, 93 linear motion mechanism, 94 elastic member, 95 spring bearing screw, 100 coating mechanism, 200 coating device, 210 1st stage, 220 2nd stage, 230 3rd stage, 240 optical system, 250 camera, 260 control computer, 270 monitor, 280 operation panel, 300,400 coating mechanism, DR1 1st direction, DR2 2nd direction, DR3 3rd direction, SUB board.

Claims (10)

With multiple coating needles
A coating needle holder for holding the coating needle is provided.
The coating needle has a tip and a proximal end opposite to the tip, and is held by the coating needle holder so that the tip is exposed from the coating needle holder.
The coating needle holder is a height displacement absorbing mechanism that individually absorbs a housing, a plurality of fixing members to which the coating needle is fixed, and a plurality of displacements of the coating needle in a direction from the base end to the tip end. A coating mechanism having and. The coating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the coating needle holder further has a linear motion mechanism that movably supports the fixing member in a direction from the base end to the tip inside the housing. .. Further provided with a container filled with the coating liquid applied by the coating needle,
The container has a lid that closes the upper end of the container and a bottom wall that closes the lower end of the container.
The lid is formed with a first through hole through which the coating needle can be inserted.
The coating mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a second through hole through which the coating needle can be inserted is formed in the bottom wall. The coating mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the height displacement absorbing mechanism is composed of an elastic member that urges the fixing member along a direction from the base end to the tip end. The housing includes a first housing portion to which the linear motion mechanism is attached and a second housing portion attached to the first housing portion.
The elastic member is attached to the fixing member at one end and is attached to the second housing portion at the other end.
The coating mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the second housing portion is configured such that the relative position in the direction from the base end to the tip end with respect to the first housing portion can be changed. The coating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coating needle includes a plane intersecting at the tip in a direction from the base end to the tip. The coating mechanism according to claim 6, wherein a recess recessed toward the base end side is formed on the flat surface. The coating mechanism according to claim 6, wherein a convex portion is formed on the flat surface so as to project from the base end toward the tip end. The coating needle is configured to apply the coating liquid to the wells formed on the surface of the well plate.
The coating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the distance between the two adjacent coating needles is equal to the distance between the two adjacent wells. A coating device comprising the coating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images