JP3455759B2 - Apparatus and method for producing polymer dispersed liquid crystal display element - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display element, and more particularly to a manufacturing apparatus and a method for continuously producing a polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display element on one line. Regarding the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display element is a kind of light scattering type liquid crystal display element, and displays by controlling the scattering and transmission of light without using a polarizing plate.
The polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display element generally does not require twist alignment of the liquid crystal due to the property of controlling the scattering / transmission of light to perform display. Therefore, TN (twist nematic) and STN (super twist nematic) Since the accuracy of the cell gap is not required as compared with liquid crystal or the like, it is easy to increase the area of the screen and it is also easy to use a film-like substrate for the substrate.

In the polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device having such characteristics, conventionally, a pair of substrates having electrodes formed on opposite surfaces thereof are bonded to each other via a sealing material to form a liquid crystal cell, and a liquid crystal is formed in the cell. It is manufactured by a method in which a mixed solution of a polymer material is injected using a vacuum injection method, and after the injection is completed, the polymer material is polymerized to cause phase separation of liquid crystal and polymer resin.

[0004]

However, in the conventional manufacturing method in which the liquid crystal cell is formed and then the mixed solution is vacuum-injected into the cell, even when a film substrate is used,
The injection of the mixed solution has only to be performed by batch processing, and there is a drawback that a consistent production process cannot be realized by using a film substrate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method capable of consistently manufacturing polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display elements. Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method capable of efficiently manufacturing a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display device using a film substrate.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in a polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention, a pair of electrodes having electrodes formed at equal intervals on opposing surfaces is provided. And a sealing member made of a curable resin, at least one opening on at least one electrode surface side of the pair of films.
Sealing material arranging means arranged by printing in a frame shape having a mouth, and mixed solution arranging for arranging a mixed solution of a liquid crystal and a curable resin inside a region corresponding to the sealing material on the one film or the other film. Means for pressing the one film and the other film against each other through the sealing material and the mixed solution , the sealing material and the mixing
Set the layer thickness of the solution to the desired value and
A bonding means for causing the mixed solution to overflow the opening of the sealing material and bonding the same, and forming a composite film of the liquid crystal and the polymer resin by curing the curable resin in the mixed solution and the sealing material. And a cutting means for cutting the pair of films bonded together at a predetermined interval.

For example, the laminating means includes a roller for pressing the one film and the other film sandwiching the mixed solution or the composite film against each other.
Seen, before Symbol mixture locating means may comprise a means for printing the mixed solution on either the film of the one film or on the other hand, further, the curable resin and the mixed solution of the sealing material The curable resin may be an ultraviolet curable resin, and the curing means may include means for irradiating the sealant and the mixed solution with ultraviolet rays.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device, wherein a pair of strip-shaped films having electrodes formed at equal intervals on respective opposite surfaces are conveyed to obtain a curable resin. At least one opening on at least one electrode surface side of the pair of films.
Arranged by printing in the shape of a frame having a mouth, and arranging a mixed solution of liquid crystal and a curable resin inside the region corresponding to the sealing material on the one film or the other film, the sealing material and the mixture The one film and the other film are pressed against each other via a solution, and the sealing material
And setting the layer thickness of the mixed solution to a desired value
The excess mixed solution from the opening of the sealing material.
Bonded are brought out, and curing the sealing material to form a composite film of the liquid crystal and the polymer resin by curing the curable resin of the mixed solution, bonding predetermined said pair of films Characterized by cutting at intervals

[0009] More, the curable resin of the curable resin and the mixed solution of the sealing material is an ultraviolet-curable resin
Is preferred.

[0010]

With the above-mentioned structure, according to the polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the first and second aspects of the present invention, the sealing material is formed while transporting the film. It is possible to apply a solution for forming a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer, join a pair of films, and form a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer by phase separation of liquid crystal and polymer resin. Type liquid crystal display elements can be continuously formed on one line, which can contribute to streamline production.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are schematic configuration diagrams of a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view and FIG. 2 is a side view. This manufacturing apparatus includes an upper substrate roll 11,
Lower substrate roll 13, sealing material placement (printing) section 15, mixed solution placement (printing) section 17, pair of cell thickness control rollers 1
9, an ultraviolet irradiation device 21, a pair of stabilizing rollers 23, a cutter 25, and a conveyor 27 are arranged in this order. Here, at least the sealing material placement portion 15, the mixed solution placement portion 17, the cell thickness control roller 19, and the ultraviolet irradiation device 21 are shielded from the outside.

Further, the transport gear 29 can be installed at any position on the line.
And a conveyance roller 31 are arranged, and these are connected to a drive unit 33 including a motor through a mechanism unit (not shown).
The drive unit 33 is controlled by the control unit 35.

On the upper substrate roll 11 and the lower substrate roll 13, strip-shaped flexible film substrates 3 and 5 are respectively wound. Both of the film substrates 3 and 5 have ultraviolet transparency. Transparent electrodes 51 and 53 are formed on the lower film substrate 5 and the upper film substrate 3, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B). Upper and lower film substrate 3,
5, a hole 55 for transportation is formed, and this hole 55
And the transport gear 29 are engaged with each other, and the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 are transported in synchronization so that the electrodes 51 and 53 face each other in accordance with the rotation of the transport gear 29.

The seal material placement portion 15 is composed of a relief printing machine, and prints an uncured seal material 57 made of a photocurable resin such as a monomer or an oligomer on the lower film substrate 5 as shown in FIG. The uncured sealing material 57 has an escape port for a mixed solution of a liquid crystal and a photocurable resin described later. In addition, the photocurable resin has spacers (5 to 5) for ensuring a predetermined space between the upper film substrate 3 and the lower film substrate 5.
Fine particles (about 20 μm) are added.

The mixed solution arranging section 17 is also composed of a relief printing machine. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a mixed solution 59 of a liquid crystal as a material of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer and a photopolymerizable material such as a monomer or an oligomer is placed as shown in FIG. Print on the film substrate 5. Spacers are also added to this mixed solution 59.

Each letterpress printing machine is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. First, a pair of rollers 301 and 302 are arranged so as to be in almost contact with each other, and the nozzle 303 is arranged so that
02 is arranged on the upper part of the contact portion. The drum 305 is arranged close to the roller 301, and a convex pattern 306 in which a depression having a shape corresponding to the pattern to be printed is formed is arranged on the surface of the drum 305. The convex pattern 306 contacts the roller 301. Drum 3
The lower film substrate 5 is transported under 05 in the horizontal direction.

When a material to be printed 308, for example, a curable resin solution containing spacers is dropped from the nozzle 303, it spreads on the surfaces of the rollers 301 and 302, and then is injected into the depressions of the convex pattern 306. It The drum 305 rotates in synchronization with the conveyance of the lower film substrate 5, and the material to be printed in the convex pattern 306 is transferred to the lower film substrate 5.

The pair of cell thickness control rollers 19 are a kind of rolling rollers and rotate according to the conveyance of the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5. The upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 are pressed and joined when passing between the cell thickness control rollers 19, and the distance between them is a constant value limited by the spacer, and the layer thickness of the uncured sealing material 57 and the mixed solution 59. Is set to a value approximately equal to the diameter of the spacer.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ultraviolet ray irradiating device 21 is provided with an ultraviolet ray irradiating lamp 213 and a reflecting plate 215 in a case 211, and irradiates the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 with ultraviolet rays through a slit 217. Irradiation with ultraviolet rays cures the uncured sealing material 57 into a hard sealing material 63, polymerizes the polymer material in the mixed solution 59, and causes phase separation between the liquid crystal and the polymer resin.
1 is formed. During this curing, the upper and lower film substrates 3,
5, the sealing material 63 and the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer 61 are also adhered.

The stabilizing roller 23 is used for the upper and lower film substrates 3
The distance between the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 is stably maintained during photopolymerization together with the cell thickness control roller 19.

The cutter 25 cuts the film substrates 3 and 5 and separates them into individual cells 65.
Reference numeral 7 is for carrying the cut cells 65.
The transport gear 29 engages with the transport hole 55 and is rotated by the driving force from the driving unit 33 including a motor to transport the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 at a constant speed. Further, the drive unit 33 drives the cutter 25 to cut the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5. The control unit 35 controls the driving unit 33 to control the rotation speed of the conveyance gear 29 and the operation of the cutter 25, and controls the light emission amount of the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 213 in the ultraviolet irradiation device 21.

Next, the operation of this manufacturing apparatus will be described. First, the upper substrate roll 11 and the lower substrate roll 13 are preliminarily subjected to IT by sputtering and patterning.
Transparent electrode 5 made of O (indium tin oxide) or the like
Rolls of the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 formed as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B are set.

Next, the drive unit 33 is controlled by the control unit 35.
Is driven to rotate the transport gear 29, and the upper and lower film substrates 3
And 5 are conveyed in synchronization so that the transparent electrodes 51 and 53 face each other. In synchronization with the transport of the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5, the letterpress printing device that configures the seal material placement unit 15 and the mixed solution placement unit 17 also operates, and the seal material placement unit 15 does not cure the lower film substrate 5 that is being transported. The seal material 57 is printed as shown in FIG. 4, and then the mixed solution 59 is printed as shown in FIG.

Next, the cell thickness control roller 19 joins (bonds) the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5 with the seal material 57 via the mixed solution 59. At this time, the cell thickness is set to a constant value by the pressure of the cell thickness control roller 19 and the diameter of the spacer, and along with this, the uncured sealing material 57 and the mixed solution 59 are also set to the desired thickness. Further, the distance between the stabilizing rollers 23 is set to the same value as the distance between the cell thickness control rollers 19, and the cell thickness is kept substantially constant between the cell thickness control roller 19 and the stabilizing roller 23.

Cell thickness control roller 19 and stabilizing roller 23
Ultraviolet rays are radiated by the ultraviolet ray radiating device 21 while the cell thickness is kept substantially constant during the period. As a result, the uncured sealing material 57 is cured and the polymerized material of the mixed solution 59 is polymerized to cause phase separation between the liquid crystal and the polymer resin obtained by the polymerization, and the hard sealing material 63 and the liquid crystal and the polymer are polymerized. A polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer 61 formed of a composite film with a resin is formed. As a result, the upper and lower film substrates 3 and 5, the hard sealing material 63, and the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer 61 are adhered to each other. In addition, depending on the transport speed (the rotation speed of the transport gear 29), the width of the slit 217 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 21, and the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet irradiation device 21,
The irradiation amount of ultraviolet rays can be controlled to control the internal structure of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer.

After that, the cutter 25 turns the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer 6 into
The display device completed with No. 1 is cut into individual cells, and as shown in FIG. 8, a cell 65 in which a pair of film substrates 3 and 5 having counter electrodes 51 and 53 formed on their inner surfaces are joined via a sealing material 63. A polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display element formed by disposing a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer 61 made of a composite film of liquid crystal and a polymer resin therein is completed. The cut cells 65 are conveyed by the conveyor 27 for a post process.

At the stage where the cell thickness is controlled by the cell thickness control roller 19, the mixed solution 59 is mixed with the uncured sealing material 5.
Although it overflows to the outside of the uncured sealing material 57 from the escape port of 7 ,
This overflowed mixed solution is wiped off and removed.

Further, at the time when the sealing material 63 and the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer are formed, or after the film substrates 3 and 5 are cut by the cutter 25 and separated into individual cells 65, the liquid crystal of the sealing material 63 is formed. The escape port is sealed with a photocurable resin or the like. The sealing treatment may be performed after the cell thickness is controlled by the cell thickness control roller 19 and then the overflowed portion of the mixed solution is removed. By doing so, the ultraviolet irradiation device 2
Sealing can also be realized at the same time by the ultraviolet rays emitted by 1. Further, the cutter 25 may simultaneously cut both end portions where the cell transport holes 55 are provided.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device can be produced on a consistent line from the patterning of the sealing material 57 to the cutting into the individual cells 65, and the production time is shortened. It is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the ultraviolet irradiation device 21 may be a light emitting device that emits light other than ultraviolet light.
Further, the sealing material and the mixed solution may be, for example, a thermosetting resin or a liquid crystal and a thermopolymerizable resin. In this case, a heating device (device that transfers heat to the film substrates 3 and 5) is used instead of the ultraviolet irradiation device 21.

Although the liquid crystal is a nematic liquid crystal,
A cholesteric liquid crystal, a smectic liquid crystal, a ferroelectric liquid crystal, an antiferroelectric liquid crystal, a guest-host type liquid crystal containing a dye, or the like may be used. 3A and 3B show an electrode structure for a simple matrix type polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display element, the present invention is an active matrix type such as a TFT (thin film transistor) polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display element. It can also be applied to the polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device. In the case of an active matrix type polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display element, for example, T film is provided on one film substrate.
An FT, a gate line, and a data line are formed, a counter electrode is formed on the other film substrate, and this is set on a roll.

The sealing material 57 is not limited to the illustrated shape, but may have a double or triple shape as shown in FIG. 9, and the shape and the direction thereof are not shown. Not limited. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the uncured seal material 57 is printed on the lower film substrate 5 by the seal material placement portion 15, but a hard seal material may be attached to the lower film substrate 5. Further, the sealing material placement unit 15 and the mixed solution placement unit 17 may be a printing device other than the letterpress printing device, or a device other than the printing device.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device can be continuously manufactured on a consistent line, the manufacturing time can be shortened and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a main part of a polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus of the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display element shown in FIG.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of a transparent electrode pattern formed on a film substrate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a seal material printed by a seal material arrangement portion.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a mixed solution printed by a mixed solution arranging unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printing device that configures a sealant placement unit and a mixed solution placement unit.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an ultraviolet irradiation unit.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a completed polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the sealing material.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... upper film substrate, 5 ... lower film substrate, 11 ...
Upper substrate roll, 13 ... Lower substrate roll, 15 ... Sealing material arranging portion, 17 ... Mixed solution arranging portion, 19 ... Cell thickness control roller, 21 ... Ultraviolet irradiation device, 23 ...・ Stabilizing rollers,
25 ... Cutter, 27 ... Conveyor, 29 ... Conveyor gear,
31 ... conveying rollers, 33 ... driving unit, 35 ... control unit,
51 ... Transparent electrode, 53 ... Transparent electrode, 55 ... Transport hole,
57 ... Sealing material (before curing), 59 ... Mixed solution of liquid crystal and photocurable resin (before phase separation), 61 ... Polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer (after phase separation), 63 ... Seal Material (after curing), 65 ... Cell

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A transporting means for transporting a pair of strip-shaped films each having electrodes formed on opposite surfaces at equal intervals, and a sealing material made of a curable resin, at least one electrode surface side of the pair of films. At least one opening in
A sealing material arranging means arranged by printing in a frame shape having, and a mixed solution arranging means for arranging a mixed solution of liquid crystal and a curable resin inside a region corresponding to the sealing material on the one film or the other film. , The one film and the other film are pressed against each other through the sealing material and the mixed solution,
If the layer thickness of the lumber and the mixed solution is set to a desired value,
At the same time, the excess mixed solution is removed from the opening of the sealing material.
A sticking means for sticking out and sticking, and a hardening means for forming a composite film of the liquid crystal and the polymer resin by hardening a curable resin in the mixed solution and hardening the sealing material; An apparatus for manufacturing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device, comprising: a cutting unit that cuts the pair of films at a predetermined interval. Wherein said bonding means is, the mixed solution or the composite film saw including a roller for pressing each other and said one film sandwiched with the other film, prior Symbol mixture locating means, said 2. The apparatus for producing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising means for printing the mixed solution on either one of the films or the other film. 3. The curable resin of the sealing material and the curable resin of the mixed solution are ultraviolet curable resins, and the curing means includes means for irradiating the seal material and the mixed solution with ultraviolet rays. The polymer dispersion type liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1. 4. A pair of strip-shaped films having electrodes formed at equal intervals on opposite surfaces are respectively conveyed, and a sealing material made of a curable resin is provided at least at one position on the electrode surface side of at least one of the pair of films. For printing on a frame with an opening
More , the mixed solution of the liquid crystal and the curable resin is arranged inside the region corresponding to the sealing material on the one film or the other film, and the one of the one is interposed via the sealing material and the mixed solution. Pressing the film and the other film against each other , the layer thickness of the sealing material and the mixed solution
Is set to the desired value and the excess of the mixed solution is
The sealing material was made to overflow from the opening and bonded, and the curable resin in the mixed solution was cured to form a composite film of the liquid crystal and the polymer resin, and the sealing material was cured and bonded. A method for producing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device, which comprises cutting the pair of films at a predetermined interval. 5. A process for producing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the curable resin of the curable resin and the mixed solution of the sealing material is a UV-curable resin.