JP3108770B2 - Display panel manufacturing method and gap material spraying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a display panel having a gap material as a spacer for maintaining a constant gap between two substrates, and a gap material spraying apparatus.

[Conventional technology]

In a liquid crystal display panel or the like, a spacer is arranged to secure a certain gap between two substrates. As such a spacer, for example, a gap material formed of fine true spherical beads (hard plastic balls) is used. After dispersing such a gap material on the surface of one of the substrates, the other substrate is laminated to secure a certain gap between them.

Here, a method of spraying the gap material on the panel substrate surface of the liquid crystal display panel will be described below with reference to FIG. 9 (a).

In the figure, 101 is a device for spraying a gap material,
It comprises a supply section 103 for the gap material 102 and a spray nozzle 104. The supply unit 103 includes a container 103a in which a CFC-alcohol mixed solvent 102a in which the gap material 102 is dispersed, and the container 103a are placed, and the gap material 102 is uniformly formed in the CFC-alcohol mixed solvent 102a. Magnet stirrer 10 to keep it dispersed
3b and the cap 103a 'of the container 103a,
It is composed of a blow-off pipe 103c for air introduced into the air layer of 103a, and a suction pipe 103d for sending the chlorofluorocarbon-alcohol mixed solvent 102a to the spray nozzle 104 with the air fed from the blow-off pipe 103c. The spray nozzle 104 connected to the other end of the suction pipe 103d has a valve 104a
The pressure air supply pipe 104b in which is disposed is connected, and by the air pressure-fed from the pressure air supply pipe 104b, the Freon-alcohol mixed solvent 102a is conveyed by the conveying device 105 to a position below the spray nozzle 104. Sprayed onto the surface of the substrate 106.

Here, the chlorofluorocarbon and the alcohol in the chlorofluorocarbon-alcohol mixed solvent 102a volatilize, and the gap material 102 is scattered on the surface of the panel substrate 106 as shown in FIG. 9B. When another panel substrate (not shown) is laminated on the panel substrate 106 on which the gap material 102 is scattered, a gap to be filled with the liquid crystal by the gap material 102 is formed therebetween.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional spraying method, a large amount of chlorofluorocarbon is used for spraying. Moreover, this fluorocarbon cannot be recovered and is released into the atmosphere. Freon discharged into the atmosphere destroys the upper ozone layer in the atmosphere, increases the amount of ultraviolet light contained in surface solar radiation, and causes natural destruction.

In addition, since alcohol blended to uniformly disperse the gap material 102 has a low flash point, special consideration for safety is required.

Further, it is desirable that a plurality of gap materials are uniformly distributed without uneven distribution, but according to the above-described method, a plurality of gap materials 102 are solidified and dispersed on the surface of the panel substrate 106. . Such a state causes a display point defect in the liquid crystal display panel.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a display panel and a device for dispersing a gap material that can uniformly disperse a gap material on a panel substrate surface without using Freon.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a display panel having a gap material as a spacer for maintaining a constant interval between two substrates, wherein the gap material is sequentially supplied and supplied. And charging the gap material onto the substrate while sequentially charging the gap material. Preferably, the charged gap material is blown out by an air flow.

Further, the gap material spraying device of the present invention includes a gap material supply unit for sequentially supplying the gap material, and a spray nozzle for spraying toward the substrate while sequentially charging the supplied gap material. Features. The spray nozzle preferably blows out the gap material charged by the air flow. As the gap material supply unit, a configuration having a stirring chamber for stirring the gap material and a discharge chamber for discharging the gap material to the spray nozzle can be adopted. The stirring chamber is provided with a stirring rotor, and the discharge chamber is provided with a grooved feed rotor for supplying the gap material supplied from the stirring chamber to the spray nozzle. In addition, the gap material supply unit includes a scraping plate that scrapes the gap material from the discharge chamber and discharges the gap material to the spray nozzle. The gap material supply unit and the spray nozzle are integrated. A plurality of feed blades are formed in the agitation rotor, and a communication portion that connects the internal spaces adjacent to each other in the agitation chamber partitioned by the feed blades is formed. The stirring rotor and the grooved feed rotor are driven by a pulse motor. In addition, the gap material spraying device has an ion gun and a power supply device for the ion gun, and the ion gun can form, near the substrate, an ion charge layer for relaxing or releasing the charged state of the charged gap material to be sprayed. It is. Further, the gap material spraying device includes an electrode plate that supports the substrate and is held in the opposite polarity or ground state with respect to the charged gap material, and a mask portion around the substrate that can prevent the gap material from scattering. And an elevating unit for elevating and lowering the electrode plate in the direction in which the gap material is sprayed. The elevating unit causes the electrode plate to support the substrate on the upstream side in the direction of spraying the gap material from the mask portion, and It can be moved to a position where it is supported downstream of the mask section. In addition to this, the gap material spraying device has a metal mesh plate arranged in the gap material spraying path between the spray nozzle and the substrate, and a vibration means for applying vibration to the metal mesh plate.

The spraying direction by the spraying means may be any direction. For example, the spraying may be performed in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity.

[Action]

Since the present invention is characterized in that the gap material supplied sequentially is sprayed while being sequentially charged, a large number of minute gap materials to be sprayed can be reliably charged with the same polarity, The charged gap members repel each other electrostatically, and are dispersed and dispersed on the substrate surface. Therefore, the plurality of gap members do not adhere to the substrate surface while being hardened.

When such a gap material is sprayed by an air flow sprayed from a spray nozzle arranged toward the substrate, the gap material can be surely sprayed on the substrate surface.

In addition, when the gap material is stirred by the stirring rotor and filled in the groove of the grooved feed rotor, then scraped from the groove and supplied into the spray nozzle, the gap material is sprayed quantitatively. Therefore, the gap material is uniformly spread on the substrate surface. When the stirring rotor and the grooved feed rotor are driven by a pulse motor, the vibration of the pulse motor is transmitted to the gap material. Therefore, the supply is more stabilized. Here, in the case where the feed blade of the stirring rotor has a communicating portion between the spaces formed with the stirring chamber, even if the stirring rotor rotates, the space is not in a reduced pressure state, so the gap material is clogged. It is transported to the discharge chamber stably without any trouble. In addition, when such a gap material supply unit and the spray nozzle are integrated, setup such as changing the gap material to be sprayed can be performed in a short time, so that an improvement in production efficiency can be realized. .

Further, an electrode plate is arranged opposite to the surface of the substrate on which the gap material is to be sprayed, and the electrode plate is held in the opposite polarity to the charged gap material or in a ground state. In this case, a line of electric force is generated between the spray nozzle and the electrode plate, and the charged gap material advances toward the electrode plate along the line of electric force. Here, since the substrate is located between the spray nozzle and the electrode plate, the advanced gap material is reliably sprayed on the substrate.

When a gap is formed between the electrode plate and the substrate, the voltage generated by charging the gap material can be reduced when the substrate is removed from the electrode plate. Distribution is not disturbed, and the spray quality can be improved. Such an effect can be obtained even when the charged gap material is dispersed or released on the substrate surface by relaxing or releasing the charged state by the ionic charge layer formed near the substrate surface.

Further, when the electrode plate has an electrode portion corresponding to a portion where the gap material of the substrate is to be sprayed, for example, the substrate is supported by an electrode portion protruding at a position corresponding to the portion to be sprayed. If so, the gap material can be selectively sprayed. Therefore, the gap material can be uniformly dispersed, and unnecessary consumption of the gap material does not occur.

Further, when an auxiliary electrode that is held in the opposite polarity to the charged gap material or is in a ground state is arranged at a position corresponding to those vertexes around the substrate, the auxiliary electrode is formed by the auxiliary electrode. The gap material charged by the generated lines of electric force is sprayed while being drawn to the auxiliary electrode side. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the spray nozzle,
Gap material can be spread evenly.

When the inner wall is charged to the same polarity as the gap material and the outer wall is defined by an insulated cover, the gap material spray path and the cover When the gap with the inner wall of the cover is blocked by the air knife layer, the charged gap material does not adhere to or accumulate on the inner wall of the cover. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the spraying quality caused by the gap material attached and deposited on the inner wall of the cover dropping on the substrate surface. Alternatively, even in the case where the periphery of the side surface of the spraying path is defined by the detachable inner cover, the inner wall can be held clean by replacement, so that the above-described operation is obtained.

Further, on the peripheral surface of the substrate, a mask portion capable of preventing the gap material from being scattered is provided. When the substrate is supported on the upstream side of the mask portion from which the gap material is scattered, the gap material is removed at this position. By spraying, it is possible to prevent the gap material from scattering outside the space to be sprayed, and to surely spray the gap material on the substrate surface. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the gap material adhered / deposited on the mask surface from being secondarily adhered to the surface of the substrate, and to improve the spraying quality. Further, when a substrate transfer means is provided, an automation line can be formed.

Further, when a vibrating metal mesh plate is arranged between the spray nozzle and the substrate, the vibration can further disperse the gap material and uniformly spread the material over the entire substrate.

When the gap material is sprayed on the substrate from below, dust, fluff and the like hardly adhere to the surface of the substrate, so that it is possible to improve the quality of spraying.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Although the embodiment is for dispersing the gap material on the substrate for the liquid crystal panel, the present invention is not limited to the liquid crystal panel, but may be used for maintaining the gap between the two plates at a constant interval. It can be applied when spraying materials.

1. First Embodiment (Overall Configuration) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a device for spraying a gap material.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the apparatus for distributing the gap material, and the inside of the housing 2 of the dispersing apparatus 1 is a supply chamber 11 for the gap material. A gap material supply unit 12 is arranged in the supply chamber 11, and the supply unit 12 is configured by a gap material container 13 in which the gap material is accommodated, and a gap material supply unit 14 arranged below the gap material container 13. I have.

A gap material sprinkling chamber 21 is arranged with respect to the supply chamber 11 with a partition plate 11a interposed therebetween, and the sprinkling chamber 21 serves as a gap material sprinkling section 22. A spray nozzle 23 integrated with the gap material supply unit 14 protrudes downward from the opening 11a 'of the partition plate 11a in the spray chamber 21, and a pressure air supply pipe is provided on a side of the spray nozzle 23. 24 are connected. A panel substrate 3 of a liquid crystal display panel made of transparent glass is arranged at a position below the spray nozzle 23 so as to face the nozzle. The space between them is defined by the inner surface cover 25. The panel substrate 3 is placed on the upper surface of a metal electrode plate 26, and the metal electrode plate 26 is connected to an elevating unit 27 that moves the metal electrode plate 26 up and down.
A plurality of transport rollers 28 for transporting the panel substrate 3 are arranged in parallel between the metal electrode plate 26 and the elevating unit 27.

In addition, a gap material supply controller 31 for controlling the operation of the gap material supply unit 14 and a voltage application to an electrode unit, which will be described later, disposed inside the spray nozzle 23 are provided below the housing 2 of the spraying device 1. A spray nozzle controller 32 to be controlled is provided.

(Gap Material Supply Unit) Here, the configuration of the gap material supply unit 12 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b).

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the configuration of the supply unit 12, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view thereof.

In these figures, a lower opening 13a of a gap material container 13 into which a gap material 4 is loaded communicates with a stirring chamber 15 'of a gap material supply unit 14, and includes four feed blades 15a therein. A stirring rotor 15 is disposed.
The tip 15a 'of the feed blade 15a of the rotor is disposed substantially in contact with the inner wall of the stirring chamber 15'. This stirring rotor 15 is connected to a rotating shaft 15b. The feed blade 15a has cutouts 15a ″ shown in FIG. 2C at its tip 15a ′. These cutouts are used to feed the stirring rotor 15 when the stirring rotor 15 rotates. This is to prevent the space defined by the blades 15a and the inner wall of the stirring chamber 15 'from becoming in a decompressed state.
5 'is communicated with a cylindrical discharge chamber 16' disposed immediately below. Inside the discharge chamber 16 ', a single groove 16a is formed on the side.
A cylindrical feed rotor 16 having a groove is connected to the rotating shaft 16b while being in contact with the inner wall of the discharge chamber 16 '. Below that, a scraping plate 17 is disposed with its tip 17a positioned inside the groove 16a of the grooved feed rotor 16, and the gap material 4 which is filled in the groove 16a of the grooved feed rotor 16 and conveyed. And can be discharged to the injection holes 23a of the spray nozzle 23.

Here, cylindrical gears 15c, 16c are attached to the rotating shaft 15b of the stirring rotor and the rotating shaft 16b of the feed rotor in a meshing state, respectively, and the cylindrical gear 15c has a cylindrical gear having a smaller diameter than this. 18b is engaged. The cylindrical gear 18b is connected to a rotation shaft 18a of the pulse motor 18, and can transmit the rotation of the rotation shaft 18a of the pulse motor 18 at a reduced speed.

The supply unit 12 having such a configuration is integrated with the spray nozzle 23 below the spray unit 23, and the spray hole 23 of the spray nozzle 23
The gap material 4 discharged from the supply unit 12 can be sprayed from the injection holes 23a by the air ejected from the pressure air supply pipe 24 which is inclined and communicates with the a. Also,
A high voltage electrode 29 is arranged inside the injection hole 23a, and the gap material 4 is formed by an electrostatic field formed by the high voltage electrode 29.
Are chargeable.

(Spreading part of gap material) Next, the configuration of the spreading part 22 of the gap material is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sprinkling section 22. In FIG.
From 1a ', the spray nozzle 23 makes the spray holes 23a
Projecting toward the center of the Here, the high voltage output from the high voltage generator 30 including the power supply 30a, the controller 30b, and the high voltage generation circuit 30c is applied to the high voltage electrode 29 disposed inside the injection hole 23a of the spray nozzle 23. You are in a led state. On the other hand, the metal electrode plate 26 is grounded so that the lines of electric force 31 are generated between the spray nozzle 23 and the metal electrode plate 26, and the side of the lines of electric force 31 is defined from the surroundings. An inner cover 25 is placed on the partition plate 21a.

In such a spraying unit 22, the metal electrode plate 26 is connected to an elevating unit 27 that moves the metal electrode plate 26 up and down,
At the time of spraying, the metal electrode plate 26 rises and moves the panel substrate 3 to the inside of the spraying chamber 21, where it is positioned. It can be placed. Here, the transport rollers 28 are disposed horizontally, passing through the carry-in port 2b from the carry-in port 2a opened in the housing 2, and have a small diameter shaft portion as shown in FIG. 3 (b). 28a and large-diameter pulleys 28b and 28c connected to both ends thereof. On the other hand, on the lower surface of the metal electrode plate 26, a semicircular groove 26a having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft 28a of the transport roller 28 is formed corresponding to the position of the shaft 28a. The metal electrode plate 26 is connected to the elevating unit 27 by a support piece 27a projecting upward through a gap between the shaft portions 28a. Further, the metal electrode plate 26 has its groove formed with the panel substrate 3 mounted thereon. The shaft portion 28a can be lowered so that the shaft portion 28a is inserted into the metal electrode plate 26 even if the end of the panel substrate 3 is lowered to a state where it is placed on the pulleys 28b and 28c of the transfer roller 28. The structure does not interfere with the roller 28-.

The inner cover 25 of the spraying unit 22 having such a structure is
As shown in FIG. 3 (c), the front cover 2d, 2d 'attached to the front of the housing 2 by a hinge 2c is detachable from the front.

(Operation) The operation of the gap material spraying apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described below.

In the initial state of the spraying apparatus 1, the metal electrode plate 26 is in the lowered state by the elevating unit 27, and the gap material 4 is loaded in the gap material supply unit 12, but by the shutter mechanism (not shown). The gap material 4 is not discharged to the spray nozzle 23 and the stirring rotor 15
The pulse motor 18 for driving the grooved feed rotor 16 is also in a stopped state. Furthermore, the high voltage electrode of the spray nozzle 23
The 29 high voltage generators 30 are also in a stopped state.

From this state, after the transport roller 28 detects that the panel substrate 3 has been transported from the transport entrance 2a to just above the metal electrode plate 26, and the transport roller 28 stops,
The metal electrode plate 26 is raised by the elevating unit 27, the panel substrate 3 is placed, and further raised, and stops at a predetermined position. In this state, under the instruction of the spray nozzle controller 32, the pressurized air is sent from the pressurized air supply pipe 24 to form a spray air flow downward from the spray hole 23a of the spray nozzle 23, and the high voltage generator 30 Works, 100k
Vdc negative high voltage is sprayed Nozzle 23 high voltage electrode 2
Guided to 9. Thus, an electrostatic field is formed between the high-voltage electrode 29 and the grounded metal electrode plate 23. In this state, the rotation shaft 18a of the pulse motor 18 rotates by an instruction of the gap material supply controller 31, and this rotation drive is transmitted at a reduced speed, and the stirring rotor 15 and the grooved feed rotor 16 are rotated by the respective rotation shafts 15b, Start rotating around 16b. Here, the stirring rotor 15 rotates in the direction of arrow A inside the stirring chamber 15 ', and the grooved feed rotor 16 rotates in the direction of arrow B opposite to the stirring rotor 15 inside the discharge chamber 16'. The gap material 4 is filled in the groove 16a of the grooved feed rotor 16. These gap materials 4
It is scraped out from the groove 16a by the tip 17a of the scraping plate 17 arranged in the groove 16a of the grooved feed rotor 16, and is discharged to the injection hole 23a of the spray nozzle 23.

In the injection hole 23a, an injection air flow is formed downward from the pressurized air supply pipe 24, and by this injection air flow,
The gap member 4 is transported downward. Here, the gap material 4 transported by the jet airflow is negatively charged when it collides with or passes near the high voltage electrode 29, and is grounded along the electric force lines 31 in the electrostatic field. To the metal electrode plate 26 which is located. At this time, the gap members 4 are all negatively charged, repel each other, and proceed in a dispersed state. The panel substrate 3 is placed on the metal electrode plate 26, and the gap material 4 in a negatively charged state is scattered on the surface of the panel substrate 3.

According to the above process, after the predetermined amount of the gap material 4 has been sprayed, the spraying of the gap material 4 is interrupted, and the metal electrode plate 26 descends while the panel substrate 3 is placed. While the metal electrode plate 26 is descending, the end of the panel substrate 3 is supported on pulleys 28b and 28c on both sides of the transport roller 28, and is removed from the metal electrode plate 26 that descends further. When the lowering of the metal electrode plate 26 is completed, the transport roller 28 is operated, and the panel substrate 3 is carried out of the spraying device 1 from the outlet 2b, and the panel substrate 3 on which the gap material 4 is to be next sprayed. (Not shown) is carried into the spraying apparatus 1 from the carry-in port 2a, and the gap material 4 is similarly sprayed.

(Effects of the First Embodiment) As described above, in the spraying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, a dry spraying method that does not use a solvent for spraying the gap material 4 is used, and a process operation generated by using Freon and alcohol. The above disadvantages, for example, the problem of safety against alcohol and the problem of the working environment due to evaporation of the solvent can be solved. In particular, since chlorofluorocarbon, which has a serious problem with respect to environmental destruction, is not used at all, it is possible to meet social demands.

Further, the gap material 4 sprayed on the surface of the panel substrate 3 is negatively charged inside the spray nozzle 23, and the gap materials 4 are charged to the same polarity, so that they repel each other and do not solidify. Sprayed on the surface of the panel substrate 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a display point defect or the like of the liquid crystal display panel caused by the mass of the gap material 4.

Further, in the supply section 12, the agitation rotor 15, the grooved feed rotor 16 and the scraping plate 17 for stirring, filling, and discharging the gap material 4 are connected to the gap material supply unit.
14 and the spraying nozzle 23 is also integrally connected.
Just load into 13 and a certain amount will be automatically supplied. Moreover, a cutout portion 15a ″ is formed in the stirring rotor 15 to prevent a space formed by the stirring rotor 15 and the wall surface of the stirring chamber 15 ′ from being depressurized. The supply amount of the gap material 4 does not fluctuate due to the clogging of the gap material 4. Further, the vibration of the pulse motor 18 used as the drive source of the stirring rotor 15 and the grooved feed rotor 16 is reduced by the gap material 4. , So that the movement is smooth and the supply is stabilized.
By setting the frequency of the pulse motor 18 arbitrarily between 100 and 1000 pps, it is possible to operate under optimum conditions according to the properties of the gap material to be sprayed. In this example, 1 mg of the gap material 4 was discharged, but the accuracy was ± 1%, which was extremely stable. Therefore, a liquid crystal display panel with a high quality level can always be manufactured.

If the gap material 4 adheres to and accumulates on the inner wall of the inner cover 25 due to the repetition of the spraying operation, the inner cover 25 can be easily attached and detached by opening the front covers 2d and 2d 'of the housing 2. Since the inner wall can always be kept clean because it can be replaced, the deposited mass of the gap material 4 does not fall off on the surface of the panel substrate 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a defect of the liquid crystal panel due to the mass of the gap material 4, and the maintenance is easy.

By using such a spraying device, the spraying process can be automated, and the in-line production of the liquid crystal display panel can be realized.

Second Embodiment Next, an apparatus for spraying a gap material according to a second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c).

FIG. 4 (a) is a schematic plan view of a liquid crystal display panel,
FIG. 4 (b) is a perspective view showing the structure of the electrode plate of the spraying apparatus of the present example, and FIG. 4 (c) is a sectional view showing the mode of use.

As shown in FIG. 4A, a liquid crystal display panel 41 is a glass panel substrate 43 on which a plurality of transparent X electrode layers 42 are formed.
And a glass panel substrate 45 on which a plurality of transparent Y electrode layers 44 are formed, and a liquid crystal layer is disposed in a gap formed by a gap material 46, and the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer overlap. The portion becomes the display unit 47. Therefore, the gap material 46
Is ideally spread over the area excluding the display unit 47.

(Structure) Therefore, the electrode plate of the spraying apparatus of the present example is provided with the structure shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, an electrode portion 48 ′ protruding from the surface of the electrode plate 48.
These electrode portions 48 ′ are formed in a portion 4 of the liquid crystal display panel 41 which does not have the X electrode layer 42 and the Y electrode layer 44.
7 ', that is, the position corresponding to the portion where the gap material 46 is to be sprayed. Another configuration of the spraying apparatus of this example is the first configuration.
This is the same as the embodiment.

(Operation) As shown in FIG. 4 (c), the usage of the electrode plate 48 is such that the gap material 46 is provided on the tip of the projection 48 'of the electrode plate 48.
Is mounted thereon, and the metal electrode plate 48 is grounded as in the first embodiment.

When such an electrode plate 48 is used, the gap material 46 sprayed in a negatively charged state is sprayed on the surface of the panel substrate 43 along the lines of electric force formed between the electrode plate 48 and the spray nozzle. Is done. Here, in the vicinity of the surface of the panel substrate 43, the lines of electric force are concentrated at positions corresponding to the electrode portions 48 'of the electrode plate 48, and therefore, at the positions corresponding to the electrode portions 48' on the surface of the panel substrate 43. The gap material 46 can be selectively sprayed.

(Effect of Second Embodiment) As described above, the electrode plate 48 has the protruding electrode portion 48 'for guiding the gap member 46 to a predetermined spraying position.
The gap material 46 can be surely sprayed at positions other than the display unit 47 of the liquid crystal display panel. Moreover, since the gap material 46 is charged and does not solidify and is not sprayed, efficient spraying can be realized, and the display quality of the liquid crystal display panel 41 can be improved and the amount of the gap material 46 used can be reduced.

Third Embodiment Next, a spraying device according to a third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the spraying device of the present example.

(Configuration) In the figure, reference numeral 51 denotes a spraying apparatus main body, and a spraying nozzle provided with a high-voltage working electrode 53 in a spraying chamber 52 for a gap material.
54 projects downward, and below the spraying chamber 52,
A panel substrate 55 on which the gap material is sprayed is placed on the transport roller 56 so as to face the spray nozzle 54. Between the spray nozzle 54 and the panel substrate 55, a pair of vibrators 58, 58 ′ installed on a support 57 ′ horizontally provided from the housing 57 inside the spray chamber 52, Body 58,5
A metal mesh plate 59 whose both ends are supported by 8 'is arranged, and the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

(Operation) In the spraying apparatus 51 having such a configuration, all the gap materials ejected from the spraying nozzles 54 toward the lower panel substrate 55 are negatively charged, and are repelled from each other and dispersed. Blasted first, metal mesh plate
Sprinkled over 59. Here, the metal mesh plate 59 is laterally vibrated by the vibrators 58 and 58 ', and the lateral vibration further diffuses the gap material and drops downward through the mesh, so that the panel substrate 55 Sprayed on the surface.

(Effects of Third Embodiment) In such a spraying device 51, the gap material sprayed from the spraying nozzle 54 is dispersed by the electrification, and further diffuses in the horizontal direction by the lateral vibration of the metal mesh plate 59. Is done. Therefore, a uniform amount of the gap material is also spread on the surface of the panel substrate 55 in the horizontal direction, so that the uniform spread of the gap material can be realized.

Other Embodiments As a spraying device according to another embodiment, for example, the shape of a stirring rotor used for supplying and blowing a gap material may have a structure shown in FIG. 6 (a).

The same figure is a perspective view of the stirring rotor, and the stirring rotor 61
Each feed blade 61a has a recess 61
a ". The recess 61a" allows the stirring rotor
When the 61 rotates while stirring the gap material, the tip
A gap is secured between 61a 'and the inner wall of the stir chamber to prevent the inside of the stir chamber from being decompressed and to smoothly transport the gap material. Further, if the space on both sides of the feed blade can communicate with each other, as shown in FIG.
May be provided with a communication hole 62 '.

In the first embodiment, the double cover structure is adopted for the purpose of preventing the gap material adhered and deposited on the wall surface of the spray chamber from dropping on the surface of the panel substrate. However, the single structure is adopted. Is also good. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7A, a structure for preventing the adhesion of the gap material may be added.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a gap material spraying chamber provided with an adhesion preventing structure, and a cover 63 ′ defining a spray chamber 63.
In this structure, the outer surface is insulated by a resin layer 63a, and the inner surface is provided with an electrode layer 63b charged by the high voltage generator 64 to the same polarity as the gap material.

In the spray chamber 63 having such a structure, when the charged gap material is sprayed toward the panel substrate 65, the electrode layer 63b of the spray chamber cover 63 'is charged to the same polarity as the gap material, The gap material is scattered while receiving a repulsive force from the electrode layer 63b. Therefore, the gap material does not adhere to and deposit on the electrode layer 63b.

Here, the voltage guided to the electrode layer 63b may be derived from the same device as the electrode 66 ′ disposed inside the flanged injection nozzle 66, or may be derived from another device. Good. Note that the flange of the injection nozzle 66 prevents the gap material from scattering around it.

Further, instead of such an adhesion preventing structure, a structure shown in FIG. 7B may be adopted.

This figure is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the spray chamber for the gap material. The spray chamber 67 is defined by a bell-shaped spray chamber cover 67 '. A spray nozzle 68 for spraying a gap material is disposed above the spray chamber cover 67 ', and a plurality of air knife layer generators 69 are provided around the spray nozzle 68 along the inner wall of the spray chamber cover 67'. It is arranged so that an air flow can be formed.

On the other hand, a plurality of air suction pipes are provided below the spray chamber cover 67 '.
70 is arranged so that the air flow injected from the air knife layer generator 69 can be sucked.

In such a spraying chamber 67, the air flow sprayed from the air knife layer generator 69 is formed on the spraying path of the gap material from the spraying nozzle 68 to the panel substrate 71 and the inner wall of the spraying chamber cover 67 '. It is blocked by the air knife layer 72. Therefore, even if the gap material scatters toward the inner wall of the spraying chamber cover 67 ′, the gap material that has entered the air knife layer 72 is sucked into the air suction pipe 70. Therefore, no gap material adheres or accumulates on the inner wall of the spray chamber cover 67 ',
It is possible to prevent the display quality of the liquid crystal display panel from deteriorating due to the dropout.

The panel substrate 71 is mounted on a metal electrode plate 71 ′, and the metal electrode plate 71 ′ is connected to a lifting unit 73 that can move it up and down to positions C and D. Thus, when the panel substrate 71 is transported, the metal electrode plate 71 'descends to the position D, moves the panel substrate 71 onto the transport roller 74, and the gap material is sprayed on the surface of the panel substrate 71. Sometimes, the metal electrode plate 71 'is raised to the position C, and the panel substrate 71 is raised to a position higher than the upper surface of the bottom partition plate 67 "of the spray chamber cover 67' of the spray chamber 67.
Push up to stop.

Here, when the gap material is irradiated, the bottom partition plate 67 ″ functions as a mask for the gap material, and can prevent the gap material from adhering to the transport roller 74 and the like. , Bottom partition plate 6
It is higher than the top of the 7 ", so the bottom partition 67"
The gap material adhered and deposited on the panel substrate is scattered, and the panel substrate 71
Can be prevented from being adhered to the surface of the surface, so that the spray quality can be improved and the display contrast can be prevented from lowering.

Furthermore, in order to spread the gap material more evenly,
A spraying chamber having the following configuration may be employed.

FIG. 8 (a) is a cross-sectional view of a spraying apparatus having a function of releasing a charge of a gap material.

In the figure, reference numeral 75 denotes a spraying chamber, in which a DC ion gun 76 is arranged so as to protrude from a side wall thereof, and these DC ion guns 76 are connected to a DC ion generating power supply 76 '. I have. By these DC ion guns 76, an ion charge layer 76 ″ having a polarity opposite to the polarity with which the gap material is charged is formed near the surface of the panel substrate 77, and the gap material sprayed from the spray nozzle 78 is formed. Are released on the surface of the panel substrate 77 after the charged state is released by the ionic charge layer 76 ".

As described above, since the charged state is released and the gap material is sprayed, no static electricity is generated on the surface of the panel substrate 77. Therefore, the panel substrate 77 on which the gap material is
Is removed from the metal electrode plate 77 ', the distribution of the uniformly distributed gap material is not disturbed by the static electricity of the gap material.

In addition, even if a metal electrode plate as shown in FIG. 8B is used, it is possible to prevent the gap material from being disturbed by static electricity.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the metal electrode plate. A plurality of substrate support portions 78 ″ that can support the panel substrate 78 ′ from the lower surface while a certain gap is secured protrude from the metal electrode plate 78. I have.

When the metal electrode plate 78 having such a structure is used, even if the charged gap material is sprayed on the surface of the panel substrate 78 ', the voltage generated when the panel substrate 78 "is removed from the metal electrode plate 78 is reduced. It can be lowered and the distribution of the gap material is not disturbed.

Then, auxiliary electrodes may be arranged as shown in FIG. 8 (c).

This figure is a plan view of a spraying chamber in which auxiliary electrodes are arranged in the spraying apparatus according to the first embodiment, and a square tubular inner cover 80 is arranged around a square panel substrate 79. The apex of the panel substrate 79 and the apex of the inner surface cover 80 are arranged in a corresponding positional relationship, and the auxiliary electrode 81 is arranged at a corner of the inner surface cover 80 corresponding to the apex of the panel substrate 79. These auxiliary electrodes 81 are grounded similarly to the metal electrode plate 82.

When such an auxiliary electrode 81 is arranged, an electrostatic field is formed between the auxiliary electrode 81 in addition to the lines of electric force formed between the spray nozzle and the metal electrode plate 82. Therefore, the gap material, which is sprayed in a charged state, is also drawn to the four corners of the inner cover 80 by the lines of electric force of the electrostatic solution. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the spray hole of the spray nozzle, the spray surface of the panel substrate 79 is not affected. Can be formed according to the shape of the material, and the gap material can be uniformly spread over the entire surface.

The arrangement of such auxiliary electrodes is not limited to the case of the rectangular panel substrate, and is not limited to the structure arranged as a part of the inner cover at the arrangement position, as long as it is arranged according to the shape of the panel substrate. Good.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the spraying device has a structure in which the gap material is sprayed from above to below, but on the contrary, the gap material is sprayed from below to above. It may be a spraying device having a blow-up structure.

In the spraying apparatus having such an arrangement, dust, fluff, and the like from the inside of the cover and the atmosphere can be prevented from adhering to the surface of the panel substrate, and the spraying quality can be improved.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention is characterized in that the gap material supplied sequentially is sprayed while being sequentially charged. Therefore, according to the present invention, the charged gap members repel each other and are dispersed and scattered, so that a plurality of gap materials are not scattered in a solid state on the substrate surface.
Therefore, a dry spraying method can be realized instead of a wet spraying method using Freon or the like. Therefore, it is possible to comply with social demands such as chlorofluorocarbon regulations.

When the charged gap material is sprayed by an air flow jetted from a spray nozzle arranged toward the substrate, the gap material is surely sprayed on the substrate surface while being dispersed during the spraying by the charging.

In the case of having a supply unit having a rotating stirring rotor and a grooved feed rotor, and a scraping plate for discharging the gap material from the groove into the spray nozzle, the spraying is performed quantitatively, so that stable spraying quality is achieved. Can be obtained. In addition, when these are integrated with the spray nozzle, setup such as changing the model of the gap material can be easily performed in a short time.

When the stirring rotor and the grooved feed rotor are driven by a pulse motor, their vibrations are transmitted to the gap material, so that their supply is stabilized. Furthermore, in the case where the stirring rotor has a structure capable of communicating the spaces in which the stirring chamber is defined by the feed blades,
Since this space is not in a reduced pressure state, the gap material is stably supplied without clogging. Therefore, the automatic supply can be realized together with the fixed supply of the gap material.

On the opposite side of the surface of the substrate on which the gap material is sprayed, if an electrode plate which is maintained at the opposite polarity to the charged gap material or is in the ground state is disposed, the ejection nozzle and the electrode plate are connected to each other. The gap material advances along the lines of electric force generated therebetween and is spread on the surface of the substrate disposed therebetween, so that the gap material is reliably spread on the substrate.

When a gap is formed between the electrode plate and the substrate, when the substrate is removed from the electrode plate, the voltage generated due to the charging of the gap material can be lowered, so that the distribution of the dispersed gap material is disturbed. Absent.

Even when an ion charge layer that relaxes or cancels the charge state of the gap material is provided in the vicinity of the substrate surface, when the substrate is removed from the electrode plate, the distribution of the gap material caused by the charging of the gap material is disturbed. Can be prevented.

When the electrode plate has a minute electrode portion corresponding to the portion where the gap material of the substrate is to be sprayed, for example, the substrate is supported by an electrode portion protruding at a position corresponding to the portion to be sprayed. If so, the gap material is sprayed only to the essential parts. Therefore, it can be sprayed at a predetermined position, and unnecessary consumption of the gap material does not occur.

When the gap material is sprayed on the polygonal substrate, auxiliary electrodes that are held in the opposite polarity to the charged gap material or in the ground state are placed at positions corresponding to these vertices around the substrate. When the gap member is arranged, the gap material charged by the lines of electric force in the electrostatic field formed by the auxiliary electrode is drawn to the auxiliary electrode side. Therefore, the gap material can be evenly sprayed regardless of the shape of the spray nozzle.

When the periphery of the side surface of the gap material distribution path is an inner wall charged to the same polarity as the gap material, and the outer surface wall is defined by an insulated cover, or between the distribution path and the inner surface wall of the cover. When the gap is interrupted by the air knife layer, the charged gap material does not adhere and accumulate on the inner wall surface of the cover. In the case of a structure having a detachable inner cover, the inner wall can be kept clean by replacement. As a result, the gap material adhered and deposited on the inner wall of the cover does not fall on the substrate surface.

Around the substrate, a mask portion capable of preventing the gap material from scattering is provided, and when the substrate can be supported on the upstream side of the gap material from the mask portion, the gap material is sprayed. It is possible to prevent the gap material from scattering outside the space. Further, at the time of spraying, it is possible to prevent the gap material adhered / deposited on the mask portion from being secondarily adhered to the surface of the substrate, thereby realizing improvement of the spraying quality. Further, when a substrate transfer means is provided, automation of the spraying step can be realized.

When a vibrating metal mesh plate is arranged between the spray nozzle and the substrate, the gap material is further diffused and dispersed by the vibration, so that the gap material can be evenly distributed over the entire substrate.

When gap material is sprayed on the substrate from below,
Since dust, lint and the like hardly adhere to the surface of the substrate, it is possible to improve the quality of spraying.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,51 spraying device 3,43,45,55,65,71,77,78 ', 79 ... panel substrate 4,46 gap material 12 gap material supply unit 14 gap material Supply unit 15,61 Stirring rotor 16 Groove feed rotor 17 Scrape plate 21,52,63,67,75 Spray chamber 22 Spray section 23,54,66,68,78 Spray nozzle 25 …… Inner cover 26,48,71 ′, 77 ′, 78,82… Metal electrode plate 27… Elevating unit 28,56,74… Transport roller 59… Metal mesh 69… Air knife layer Generator 76: DC ion gun.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-54-103365 (JP, A) JP-A-63-77025 (JP, A) JP-A-63-231317 (JP, A) JP-A 64-64 88430 (JP, A) JP-A-3-2832 (JP, A) JP-A-3-23420 (JP, A) JP-A-3-81732 (JP, A) JP-A-3-158829 (JP, A) JP-A-3-158827 (JP, A) JP-A-2-920 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02F 1/1339 500

Claims (14)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of manufacturing a display panel having a gap material as a spacer for maintaining a constant interval between two substrates, wherein the gap material is sequentially supplied, and the supplied gap material is sequentially charged. A method of manufacturing the display panel, wherein the liquid crystal is sprayed onto the substrate while causing the liquid crystal to spread. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said charged gap material is blown out by an air flow. 3. A gap material spraying device for spraying a gap material on a substrate, a gap material supply unit for sequentially supplying the gap material, and a gap material supply unit for sequentially charging the supplied gap material on the substrate. And a spray nozzle for spraying toward the gap material. 4. A gap material spraying device according to claim 3, wherein said spray nozzle blows out the charged gap material by an air flow. 5. The gap according to claim 3, wherein the gap material supply unit has a stirring chamber for stirring the gap material and a discharge chamber for discharging the gap material to the spray nozzle. Lumber spraying equipment. 6. The stirring chamber according to claim 5, wherein the stirring chamber includes a stirring rotor, and the discharge chamber includes a grooved feed rotor that supplies the gap material supplied from the stirring chamber to the spray nozzle. A gap material spraying device characterized by the above-mentioned. 7. The gap material according to claim 6, wherein the gap material supply unit includes a scraping plate for scraping the gap material from the discharge chamber and discharging the gap material to the spray nozzle. Spraying device. 8. A gap material spraying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said gap material supply unit and said spray nozzle are integrated. 9. The stirring rotor according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of feed blades are formed in the stirring rotor, and the internal spaces adjacent to the stirring chamber partitioned by the feed blades communicate with each other. A gap material spraying device, wherein a communication portion is formed. 10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the stirring rotor and the grooved feed rotor are driven by a pulse motor. 11. The ion gun according to claim 3, further comprising an ion gun and a power supply for the ion gun, wherein the ion gun relaxes or releases the charged state of the charged gap material to be sprayed by the ion gun. An apparatus for spraying a gap material, wherein a charge layer can be formed near the substrate. 12. An electrode plate according to claim 3, wherein said electrode plate supports said substrate and is held in the opposite polarity or ground state with respect to said charged gap material. A mask portion capable of preventing the gap material from scattering, and an elevating unit for elevating and lowering the electrode plate in a direction in which the gap material is scattered. The elevating unit allows the electrode plate to mask the substrate. A gap material spraying apparatus characterized in that the gap material spraying apparatus is movable between a position where the substrate is supported on the upstream side in the spraying direction of the gap material and a position where the substrate is supported on the downstream side of the mask portion. 13. A metal mesh plate arranged in a gap material spraying path between said spray nozzle and said substrate, and a vibration means for applying vibration to said metal mesh plate, according to any one of claims 3 to 12, A gap material spraying device comprising: 14. A gap material spraying device according to claim 3, wherein said spraying nozzle is arranged below said substrate.