JP4371593B2 - Liquid crystal injection hole sealing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal injection hole sealing device for sealing a liquid crystal injection hole of a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal has been injected, and in particular, has a structure in which a sealing agent is collectively transferred and sealed to a plurality of liquid crystal panels. The present invention relates to a liquid crystal injection hole sealing device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The liquid crystal panel used for the liquid crystal display device is bonded with two transparent substrates on which electrodes, liquid crystal driving elements, light distribution films, etc. are formed facing each other with a frame-shaped sealing material in between, The basic structure is a structure in which liquid crystal is enclosed in an internal space surrounded by a sealing material. The liquid crystal inside the panel is injected through an opening (liquid crystal injection hole) provided in advance in a part of the sealing material after the two substrates are bonded together in the middle of manufacturing. Therefore, in order to contain the liquid crystal inside the panel, the step of sealing the liquid crystal injection hole after injecting the liquid crystal is indispensable.
[0003]
The above-described liquid crystal injection hole is sealed by applying a sealing agent such as an ultraviolet curable resin to the liquid crystal injection hole after the liquid crystal has been injected into the panel, and curing the liquid crystal injection hole. The application of the sealing agent to the liquid crystal injection hole can be most easily realized by a method in which the panel is held with the liquid crystal injection hole facing upward, and the sealing agent is dropped onto the liquid crystal injection hole with, for example, a dispenser. . This method is based on the idea of dropping a sealing agent with a dispenser for each panel even when there are many panels to be sealed. It is.
[0004]
On the other hand, there is a method that should be called a batch sealing method in which a plurality of liquid crystal panels are simultaneously sealed. In the sealing using the above-described single-wafer sealing method, the alignment of the liquid crystal injection hole and the dispenser must be performed for each panel. Although a large amount of processing time is required for sealing the panel, the processing time can be greatly shortened with a batch sealing type apparatus. The present invention relates to such a batch sealing type liquid crystal injection hole sealing device.
[0005]
An example of a collective sealing type liquid crystal injection hole sealing device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-206545. In FIG. 2, the perspective view described in FIG. 1 of the above publication is shown again. For convenience of explanation, the names and symbols of the parts in FIG. 2 may be different from those used in the above publication. Some symbols and names are omitted. Referring to FIG. 2, the illustrated liquid crystal injection hole sealing device includes a sealant supply unit 20. The sealant supply unit 20 supplies the sealant simultaneously to the sealing region for sealing the liquid crystal injection hole 11 of each of the liquid crystal panels 10 after the liquid crystal has been injected. It is. The sealant supply unit 20 includes a single base plate 21, a large number of pins 22 planted downward on the base plate, and a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the pins 22 together with the base plate 21. 23, a container 25 for storing the sealing agent 24, and a positioning unit 26 for setting a large number of liquid crystal panels to be sealed in a predetermined arrangement.
[0006]
The liquid crystal injection hole is sealed using the collective sealing type apparatus shown in FIG. 2 by the following operation. First, the tip of each pin 22 is brought into contact with the sealant 24 stored in the container 25 by the reciprocating mechanism 23. As a result, the sealant 24 adheres to the tips of all the pins 22 at once. Next, the pin 22 to which the sealant 24 is attached is moved to the position of the injection hole of the liquid crystal panel 10 by the reciprocating mechanism 23, and each pin 22 is brought into contact with the injection hole 11 of each liquid crystal panel. Thereby, since the sealing agent adhering to the front-end | tip of each pin 22 adheres to the sealing area | region of each liquid crystal panel 10, a sealing agent can be transcribe | transferred collectively to all the panels. Thereafter, the sealing agent transferred to the injection hole 11 is cured by a method suitable for this. If the used sealing agent is, for example, an ultraviolet curable adhesive, it can be cured simultaneously by simultaneously irradiating the sealing region of all liquid crystal panels with ultraviolet rays having a predetermined wavelength.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
According to the batch sealing type liquid crystal injection hole sealing device as shown in FIG. 2, the processing capability in the injection hole sealing step can be greatly improved as compared with the single wafer sealing type sealing device.
[0008]
However, in the batch sealing type apparatus, since a certain amount or more of the sealing agent must be stored in the container 25, a large amount of sealing agent is required as compared with the single wafer sealing type apparatus. Further, because the pin 22 for transferring the sealant directly contacts the liquid crystal injection hole 11 of the panel, a large amount of the sealant 24 in the container 25 is contaminated with the liquid crystal. That is, when the sealant attached to the tip end surface of the pin 22 is transferred to the liquid crystal injection hole of the panel, the liquid crystal attached to the liquid crystal injection hole is brought into direct contact between the pin 22 and the liquid crystal injection hole 11. Reversely adheres to the tip of the pin 22, and then when the pin 22 is returned to the container 25 side and brought into contact with the sealant 24, the liquid crystal adhered to the pin 22 is mixed into the sealant in the container 25. To do.
[0009]
In addition to the one using pins as shown in FIG. 2, there is also a device having a structure as shown in FIG. The roller 27 is immersed in the container 25 in which the sealant 24 is accumulated to about half of its diameter, and the roller is rotated so that the sealant is collectively transferred to the liquid crystal injection hole 11 of the panel. . Such a system also requires a larger amount of sealant than a single-wafer sealing system, and the fact that the sealant 24 in the container is contaminated by liquid crystal is shown in FIG. Same as in the device.
[0010]
Accordingly, the present invention provides a liquid crystal injection hole sealing device having a configuration in which a sealant is collectively transferred to each liquid crystal injection hole for a plurality of liquid crystal panels. The purpose is to prevent the sealing agent from being contaminated by the liquid crystal.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The liquid crystal injection hole sealing device of the present invention is an apparatus for sealing a liquid crystal injection hole of a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal has been injected with a sealing agent, and has a structure in which an object is conveyed by circulating movement of an endless transport band. A conveyor, a long plate-like member passed in the width direction of the transport band, a sealant transfer means fixed to the transport band and moving together with the transport band along with the circulation movement of the transport band, and a moving transport A sealing agent supplying means for supplying a sealing agent over the entire upper surface of the sealing agent transfer means provided at a position fixed to the belt and moved to the position; and from the sealing agent supply means Liquid crystal panel holding fixedly provided at a position away from the transport direction of the transport band, and holding the liquid crystal panel to be sealed so that the liquid crystal injection hole faces the transport band while keeping a distance from the transport band Means and liquid crystal panel to be sealed with a sealant supplied And it includes at least a mechanism contacting the sealant coating region of the crystal sealing agent transfer unit has moved to the position of the injection hole and the liquid crystal panel.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the sealing device shown in this figure includes a conveyor having a structure in which an endless belt 1 in which both ends are connected is stretched between two right and left belt driving rollers 7L and 7R, and a belt. A sealant cradle 2 fixed to the sealant, a dispenser 4 for supplying a sealant to the sealant cradle, a spatula 5 provided below the conveyor, and a left side of the spatula 5 below the conveyor The wiping tool 8 provided on the belt 1, the roller 7C provided between the upper horizontal running portion and the lower horizontal running portion of the belt 1, and the liquid crystal panel 10 to be sealed, although not shown, are attached to the belt. And a panel holder for holding the upper side. The dispenser 4, panel holder, spatula 5, wiper 8, rollers 7 </ b> L, 7 </ b> C, 7 </ b> R other than the sealant cradle 2 are provided at positions fixed with respect to the movement of the belt 1. The dispenser 4 and the spatula 5 are structured to be movable in the width direction (Z-axis direction) of the belt 1 as indicated by a double-pointed arrow at the upper right in the drawing. The wiping tool 8 has a structure in which the waste 6 is fed by a roller 9. As indicated by a double-pointed arrow at the upper right in the drawing, the wiper 6 is moved upward from below while the roller 9 moves in the width direction of the belt 1. It is structured to feed from the top to the bottom.
[0013]
The belt 1 of the conveyor is predetermined by three rollers 7L, 7C and 7R so that the upper horizontal running portion is in the right direction on the paper and the lower horizontal running portion is in the left direction on the paper as shown by thick arrows in the figure. It moves intermittently at a time interval of circulatory movement. Accordingly, as the belt 1 moves, the sealant cradle 2 sequentially passes through the dispenser 4 → the injection hole 11 (that is, the roller 7C) of the liquid crystal panel → the spatula 5 → the cloth 6 of the wiper, Further, the movement of returning to the position of the dispenser 4 is repeated.
[0014]
The liquid crystal injection hole is sealed using the apparatus according to the present embodiment as follows. First, the rollers 7L, 7C, and 7R are driven to move the belt 1, the sealant cradle 2 is moved to the position of the dispenser 4, and then the belt is stopped. Then, as indicated by the upper right arrow in the figure, the UV curable resin (sealing agent 3) is dropped onto the entire surface of the cradle 2 while moving along the width direction of the belt. Go. In this example, the dispenser 4 is moved in the width direction of the belt 1, but the dispenser outlet is made as wide as the width of the cradle 2, and the dispenser is moved in the longitudinal direction of the belt (X-axis). Direction).
[0015]
Next, the belt 1 is moved, the cradle 2 to which the sealant has been supplied is moved to the position of the injection hole 11 of the liquid crystal panel 10, and then the belt is stopped. Then, the roller 7C is pushed up, thereby pushing up the belt 1 and the sealant cradle 2 at the position of the liquid crystal injection hole 11 to bring the sealant cradle 2 and the liquid crystal injection hole 11 into contact with each other for sealing. The agent is transferred to the sealant application area of the liquid crystal panel. After the transfer is completed, the roller 7C is lowered.
[0016]
Next, the belt 1 is moved, the sealant cradle 2 is moved to the position of the spatula 5, and the belt is stopped. Then, the spatula 5 is moved in the width direction of the belt 1 as shown by the upper right arrow in FIG. 1, and the sealing agent remaining on the sealing agent cradle 2 is scraped off.
[0017]
Thereafter, the belt 1 is moved again to move the sealant cradle 2 to the position of the waste 6 of the wiping tool 8, and then the belt is stopped. Then, while wiping the surface of the sealant cradle 2 by sending the waste 6 from below to above with the roller 9 and wiping the surface of the sealant cradle 2, the roller 9 is moved to the width of the belt as indicated by the arrow at the upper right in the figure. Move in the direction. All the sealing agent remaining on the sealing agent cradle 2 is removed by scraping with the spatula 5 and wiping with the waste cloth 6 thereafter. At the same time, the liquid crystal transferred from the liquid crystal panel 10 to the cradle 2 is also removed, so that the sealant cradle 2 is sent to the position of the dispenser 4 in the next cycle. When 3 is supplied, the liquid crystal is not mixed in the supplied sealing agent, and the sealing agent having a constant purity is always transferred to the liquid crystal panel. The sealant remaining on the sealant pedestal after the sealant is transferred to the liquid crystal panel can be removed with either the spatula 5 or the waste cloth 6, but both should be used in combination. It can be removed more reliably.
[0018]
In the liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to the present invention, the sealant 3 is supplied to the sealant cradle 2 by the dispenser 4. Therefore, the consumption of the sealing agent is larger than that of a single-wafer type device that supplies a sealing material for each liquid crystal panel, but a conventional batch sealing device that stores in a liquid storage container. Less than that.
[0019]
Moreover, when the sealing agent 3 is supplied to the cradle 2, it is only necessary to continuously move the dispenser 4 in the belt width direction or the belt longitudinal direction, which is different from the single wafer type sealing device. Therefore, it is not necessary to align each liquid crystal panel, and the operation speed of supplying the sealant is not extremely reduced as compared with the conventional batch sealing type apparatus.
[0020]
Here, in the device using the pins 22 such as the conventional batch sealing device shown in FIG. 2, the pins 22 and the injection holes of the liquid crystal panels 10 are so-called dots (pins 22) and dots ( Since the contact is made with the liquid crystal injection hole 11), the pin 22 and the liquid crystal injection hole 11 must be aligned with high accuracy, and the transfer speed must be reduced accordingly. Alternatively, the alignment mechanism of the apparatus becomes complicated. On the other hand, in the sealing device according to the present invention, the sealant cradle 2 and the injection hole of each liquid crystal panel 10 are so-called lines (sealant cradle 2) and dots (individual liquid crystal injection holes 11). ) Contact. Therefore, the alignment of the sealant cradle 2 and the liquid crystal injection hole in the transfer in the Z-axis direction (the direction in which the liquid crystal panels are arranged: the width direction of the belt 1) is not necessary.
[0021]
From the above, the liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to the present embodiment has almost the same efficiency as the conventional device using the roller shown in FIG. It can be understood that there is no contamination of the sealant due to.
[0022]
In this embodiment, an example using a conveyor having a structure in which the belt 1 circulates in a vertical plane has been described. However, the belt may be circulated in a horizontal plane. However, considering the area occupied by the device, it is better to have a structure in which the belt is circulated in the vertical plane as in the device according to the present embodiment.
[0023]
Moreover, although the example which drives the belt 1 with the three rollers 7L, 7C, and 7R was described, the middle roller 7C does not need to be a structure which drives a belt in particular. However, it is necessary to have a function of pushing up the sealant cradle 2 coming to the position of the liquid crystal panel 10 and bringing the cradle 2 into contact with the liquid crystal panel 10.
[0024]
In addition, the sealant cradle 2, the dispenser 4, the panel holder, the spatula 5, and the wiping tool 8 may be plural, not one each. Each number may be determined in consideration of the time required for the operation of each unit.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in the collective sealing type liquid crystal injection hole sealing device having a structure in which the sealing agent is collectively transferred to the injection holes of a plurality of liquid crystal panels, the consumption of the sealing agent In addition, the sealing agent can be prevented from being contaminated by the liquid crystal.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional batch sealing type liquid crystal injection hole sealing device.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another example of a conventional batch sealing type liquid crystal injection hole sealing device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Belt 2 Sealant receptacle 3 Sealant 4 Dispenser 5 Spatula 6 Wess 7L, 7C, 7R Roller 8 Wiping tool 9 Roller 10 Liquid crystal panel 11 Injection hole

Claims (6)

A device for sealing a liquid crystal injection hole of a liquid crystal panel after liquid crystal injection with a sealant,
Conveyor with a structure that conveys objects by circulating the endless conveyor belt,
A sealant transfer means that is fixed to the transport band and moves with the transport band along with the circulation movement of the transport band, with a long plate-like member passed in the width direction of the transport band,
A sealant supply means which is provided at a fixed position with respect to the moving transport band and supplies the sealant over the entire upper surface of the sealant transfer means which has moved to that position;
A liquid crystal panel to be sealed is fixedly provided at a position away from the sealant supply means in the moving direction of the transport band, and the liquid crystal injection hole faces the transport band while keeping a distance from the transport band. Liquid crystal panel holding means for holding,
Liquid crystal injection hole sealing provided with at least a mechanism for bringing the sealant transfer means that has been supplied to the liquid crystal injection hole of the liquid crystal panel to be sealed and the sealant application region of the liquid crystal panel into contact with each other apparatus. A sealant removing means for removing the sealant remaining on the upper surface of the sealant transfer means is provided at a position away from the liquid crystal panel holding means in the moving direction of the transport band. The liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to claim 1. The sealant removing means is fixedly provided at a position away from the liquid crystal panel holding means in the moving direction of the transport band, and remains on the upper surface of the sealant transfer means that has moved to that position. The liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to claim 2, comprising a spatula for scraping off the sealing agent. The sealant removing means is fixedly provided at a position away from the liquid crystal panel holding means in the moving direction of the transport band, and remains on the upper surface of the sealant transfer means that has moved to that position. A spatula for scraping off the sealant, and means for wiping the upper surface of the sealant transfer means fixedly provided at a position away from the spatula in the moving direction of the transport band with a waste cloth The liquid crystal injection hole sealing device according to claim 2, comprising: 5. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor has a width direction in a horizontal plane, and the conveyor has a structure that circulates in a vertical plane. 6. Liquid crystal injection hole sealing device. A device for sealing a liquid crystal injection hole of a liquid crystal panel after liquid crystal injection with a sealant,
An endless belt-like belt that connects two upper and lower horizontal running parts and two left and right folded parts;
A long plate-like member passed in the width direction of the belt, fixed to the upper surface of the belt, and fixed with respect to the movement of the belt and a sealant cradle that moves with the belt as the belt circulates. A dispenser that is provided above the position and supplies the sealant over the entire upper surface of the sealant cradle that has moved to that position;
The liquid crystal panel to be sealed is fixedly provided above the position away from the dispenser in the belt moving direction, and the liquid crystal panel surface is parallel to the belt moving direction and the liquid crystal injection hole is predetermined from the belt. A liquid crystal panel holder that faces the belt while maintaining a distance of and holds the liquid crystal panel in a row in the width direction of the belt when there are a plurality of liquid crystal panels;
When a sealant cradle provided with a sealant is provided at a position corresponding to a position where the liquid crystal injection hole of the liquid crystal panel should be on the lower surface side of the belt, the belt moves. A push-up mechanism that pushes up the sealant cradle together with the belt at that position from below to bring the sealant cradle and the sealant application area including the liquid crystal injection hole of the liquid crystal panel into contact with each other,
The sealant on the upper surface of the sealant cradle, which is fixedly provided at a position below the conveyor and away from the liquid crystal panel holder in the moving direction of the belt and has moved to that position, is scraped off. Spatula,
A wiping tool which is fixedly provided at a position below the conveyor in the moving direction of the belt from the spatula and which wipes the upper surface of the sealant cradle which has moved to that position with a waste cloth. Liquid crystal injection hole sealing device.

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