JP4607045B2 - Cleaning pad - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dispenser such as a sealant application device (hereinafter abbreviated as “seal dispenser”) that applies a sealant (mucus) to the surface of a liquid crystal panel substrate such as a color filter substrate (hereinafter abbreviated as “CF substrate”). The present invention relates to a cleaning pad for removing mucus adhering to the tip of a used mucus discharge nozzle.

  Conventionally, various liquid crystal displays have been available as liquid crystal displays, but TFT (thin film transistor) liquid crystal displays are frequently used when classified according to pixel driving methods. In this TFT liquid crystal display, as the liquid crystal panel, a TFT substrate and a CF substrate disposed opposite to each other are bonded together, and then a liquid crystal agent is injected and sealed between the two substrates. It has been.

  In manufacturing such a liquid crystal panel 10 (see FIG. 10), the TFT substrate 11 is manufactured by arranging TFTs on the glass substrate 12 in a regular array. The CF substrate 13 is produced by forming an alignment film (not shown) on the glass substrate 14, then performing a rubbing process, and then sealing the liquid crystal agent so that it does not flow out as shown in FIG. After making a bank 15 (this bank 15 is provided with a liquid crystal agent injection port 16 described later) with an agent, a gap between the TFT substrate 11 and the CF substrate 13 is formed in the bank 15. This is done by spraying spacers (not shown). Then, a CF substrate 13 is placed on the TFT substrate 11 and bonded in a vacuum state, and a bank 15 between the substrates 11 and 13 is utilized by utilizing a capillary phenomenon while keeping the space between the substrates 11 and 13 in a vacuum state. A liquid crystal agent is injected into the inside from the injection port 16 (see the arrow in FIG. 11), and after the injection, the injection port 16 is closed to contain the liquid crystal agent.

  Further, in order to make the bank 15 with the sealant, a seal dispenser (not shown) is used, and a predetermined path programmed in the controller of the seal dispenser (a number of bank formations) is formed on the glass substrate 14 for the CF substrate 13. The dispenser head 17 is moved along a route that passes through the planned portion, and when passing through each bank formation planned portion, the seal agent is discharged from the tip portion 17a of the dispenser head 17 to each bank formation planned portion. The bank 15 is made.

  However, since a viscous thermosetting adhesive or photocurable adhesive is used as the sealing agent, the sealing agent remains on the distal end surface of the distal end portion 17a of the dispenser head 17 after the ejection. On the other hand, the production line of the liquid crystal panel is an automatic line, and since the sealing agent remaining on the tip portion 17a cannot be removed by stopping the production line, each of the above on the upper surface of the glass substrate 14 before the next discharge. The dispenser head 17 is automatically moved to a location away from the bank formation scheduled portion, and the tip surface of the tip portion 17a is brought close to the upper surface of the glass substrate 14 to adhere the sealing agent to the glass substrate 14 (throw away). Thus, the sealant remaining in the previous discharge is removed from the tip portion 17a. However, when a highly viscous material is used as the sealant, the sealant adheres not only to the tip end portion 17a of the dispenser head 17 but also to the outer peripheral side surface thereof, resulting in a disadvantage that the width of the bank 15 is increased. In the above-mentioned throwing shot, the sealing agent attached to the tip portion 17a can be removed, but the sealing agent attached to the outer peripheral side surface of the tip portion 17a cannot be removed. Therefore, it is unavoidable that the production line is stopped once every 20 to 10 minutes and the sealing agent adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion 17a is wiped off with a waste cloth or the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is a cleaning pad that can remove mucus such as a sealant attached to the tip of a mucus discharge nozzle such as a dispenser head 17 without stopping the production line. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the cleaning pad of the present invention is a cleaning pad for removing mucus adhering to the tip of a mucus discharge nozzle for a dispenser, and has a surface elastic layer formed with a plurality of convex portions. The tip of the nozzle is inserted into the gap formed between the convex portions, and the mucus adhering to the outer peripheral surface is adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion and removed. .

  That is, the cleaning pad of the present invention is a cleaning pad for removing mucus adhering to the tip of a mucus discharge nozzle for a dispenser, and has a surface elastic layer on which a plurality of convex portions are formed. The tip of the nozzle is inserted into the gap formed between the convex portions, and the mucus adhering to the outer peripheral surface is adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion and removed. Therefore, when using the cleaning pad of the present invention, prior to use, the cleaning pad is disposed at a portion spaced from the bank formation scheduled portion and within a movable range of the mucus discharge nozzle. Thereby, during operation of the production line, the mucus discharge nozzle is moved from a bank formation scheduled portion above a predetermined position (in the gap formed between the convex portions) of the cleaning pad of the present invention, The mucus discharge nozzle is lowered, its tip is inserted into a predetermined position of the gap, and the tip surface of the tip is brought close to or pressed against the surface of the surface elastic layer. The mucus adhering to the tip surface of the tip part and the mucus adhering to the outer peripheral side surface of the tip part are attached to the surface of the surface elastic layer and the outer peripheral surface of each convex part. The mucus discharge nozzle is raised and returned to the bank formation scheduled portion, and the formation of the bank can be continued with the mucus discharge nozzle obtained by removing the mucus from the tip portion.

  Thus, the cleaning pad of the present invention can remove not only the mucus adhering to the tip surface of the tip portion of the mucus discharge nozzle but also the mucus adhering to the outer peripheral side surface of the tip portion with a simple configuration. Moreover, as described above, the cleaning of the tip of the mucus discharge nozzle can be performed while the production line is in operation, and there is no need to stop the production line. Moreover, since each of the convex portions is formed in the surface elastic layer, when the front end surface or outer peripheral side surface of the front end portion is pressed against the surface of the surface elastic layer or the outer peripheral surface of each convex portion, the impact force at that time Can be buffered by the elasticity of the surface elastic layer, and the tip surface and outer peripheral side surface of the tip portion are sufficiently pressed against the surface of the surface elastic layer and the outer peripheral surface of each convex portion, and mucus adhering to the tip portion is It can be sufficiently adhered to the surface of the surface elastic layer and the outer peripheral surface of each convex portion.

  In the present invention, when the dispenser is a seal dispenser and the mucus discharge nozzle is a dispenser head of the seal dispenser, the cleaning pad of the present invention can be applied to the seal dispenser.

  In the present invention, when the material constituting the surface elastic layer is a rubber elastic body, and the rubber hardness is set within a range of 20 to 70 degrees in Shore A hardness, the surface elastic layer However, it has an excellent buffering action.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it is not limited to this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the cleaning pad of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cleaning pad is separated from a predetermined portion on the upper surface of a liquid crystal panel substrate (for example, a glass substrate used for a CF substrate) (not shown), specifically, a bank formation scheduled portion. It is disposed in a portion and within a movable range of a dispenser head (mucus discharge nozzle) 17 (see FIGS. 4 and 10) that moves under the control of a controller of a seal dispenser (not shown).

  The cleaning pad comprises a rubber elastic layer (surface elastic layer) 1 having cushioning properties and a base film layer 2 adhered and fixed to the lower surface of the rubber elastic layer 1, and the base film layer 2 is a double-sided tape or the like. (Not shown) is detachably bonded and fixed to a predetermined portion of the upper surface of the glass substrate, or the rubber elastic layer 1 is fixed on the upper surface of the glass substrate by fixing means (not shown) such as a metal fitting. Removably fixed to the part.

  The rubber elastic layer 1 is provided with a number of convex portions 3 (formed in a truncated cone shape) extending upwardly from the upper surface thereof so as to taper upward and vertically and horizontally on the upper surface of the rubber elastic layer 1. They are arranged at substantially equal intervals. A series of gaps 4 are formed between the convex parts 3, and the dispenser head 17 is inserted into a part of the gap 4 surrounded by the four convex parts 3 facing each other. The

  In the above configuration, when removing the sealant 6 (see FIG. 4) adhering to the tip 17a of the dispenser head 17, every predetermined time (or every predetermined number of banks formed) set in the control unit of the seal dispenser. In addition, the dispenser head 17 is moved to a predetermined position (a portion surrounded by the predetermined four convex portions 3) of the cleaning pad gap 4 under the control of the control unit of the seal dispenser (see FIG. 5). Then, the dispenser head 17 is lowered and the tip portion 17a thereof is inserted into a predetermined position of the gap 4, and the tip surface of the tip portion 17a is pressed against the upper surface of the rubber elastic layer 1 so as to contact the tip surface of the tip portion 17a. The adhered sealant 6 is adhered to the upper surface of the rubber elastic layer 1 and the outer peripheral side surface of the tip portion 17a is brought close to the outer peripheral side surface of each convex portion 3 to The sealant 6 adhering to the outer peripheral side surface of the portion 17a is attached to the outer peripheral side surface of each convex portion 3 (see FIG. 6). Thereafter (see FIG. 7), the dispenser head 17 from which the sealing agent 6 has been removed from the tip end portion 17a is returned to the bank formation scheduled portion, and the bank formation is continued. The predetermined position of the gap 4 is normally used only for one cleaning.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the tip of the dispenser head 17 is controlled by causing the dispenser head 17 to perform a predetermined operation by controlling the seal dispenser during the operation of the production line. The sealing agent 6 adhering to the bottom surface and the outer peripheral side surface of 17a can be removed. Moreover, it is not necessary to stop the production line when cleaning the tip. In addition, since each of the convex portions 3 is formed in the rubber elastic layer 1, the impact force when pressing the tip surface of the tip portion 17 a against the upper surface of the rubber elastic layer 1 is buffered by the cushioning action of the rubber elastic layer 1. can do. Thereby, the front end surface of the front end portion 17 a can be sufficiently pressed against the upper surface of the rubber elastic layer 1, and the sealing agent 6 attached to the front end portion 17 a can be sufficiently attached to the upper surface of the rubber elastic layer 1.

  The basic configuration of the cleaning pad according to the present invention includes a surface elastic layer 1 having a plurality of convex portions 3 formed thereon. That is, the cleaning pad of the present invention may have any configuration as long as it has the surface elastic layer 1 on its surface, and the entire cleaning pad of the present invention is configured only by the material constituting the surface elastic layer 1. It may be a two-layer structure of a surface elastic layer 1 and a base film layer 2 provided below the surface elastic layer 1 or a multilayer structure having three or more layers. The above-mentioned two-layer structure is used.

  The shape of the cleaning pad of the present invention is usually formed in a rectangular flat plate, but is not limited to this, and can be formed in various shapes. Further, the position of the cleaning pad of the present invention may be located anywhere within the movable range of the mucus discharge nozzle such as the dispenser head 17, or may be on the upper surface of the liquid crystal panel substrate or the like, or separated from the liquid crystal panel substrate. It may be a place.

  When the surface elastic layer 1 presses the front end surface or outer peripheral side surface of the front end portion 17a against the upper surface of the surface elastic layer 1 or the outer peripheral side surface of each convex portion 3, the front end surface, outer peripheral side surface and liquid crystal panel In order to buffer the impact force and the like acting on the substrate, it is necessary to have a predetermined elasticity, and the elastic modulus is set in the range of 20 to 70 degrees in terms of rubber hardness (Shore A hardness). As a material constituting such a surface elastic layer 1, polybutadiene (BR), nitrile rubber (NBR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), natural rubber (NR) or the like is used, and polybutadiene is preferably used. .

  The shape of each convex portion 3 formed on the surface of the surface elastic layer 1 may be any shape, for example, as the shape of each convex portion 3, a portion surrounded by a plurality of opposing convex portions 3 The distal end portion 17a of the dispenser head 17 can be inserted into the outer peripheral side surface of the distal end portion 17a, and the outer peripheral side surface of each convex portion 3 is brought close to or in contact with the outer peripheral side surface of the distal end portion 17a. What can make the mucus adhering to the side surface adhere to the outer peripheral side surface of each convex portion 3 is used. Such a surface elastic layer 1 is preferably formed in a truncated cone shape, a truncated pyramid shape, a cylindrical shape, a prismatic shape, or the like. Each of the convex portions 3 may be arranged in a lattice shape (with substantially equal intervals in the left and right and front and rear directions) (see FIG. 1), or in a staggered manner (two adjacent rows of convex portions). In a group, it may be arranged (so that the convex part of the other convex part group is positioned between two convex parts of one convex part group) (refer to Drawing 8).

  Moreover, each said convex part 3 may be formed in the protruding item | line extended in a straight line, and these each protruding item | line may be arrange | positioned in parallel at substantially equal intervals on the upper surface of the said surface elastic layer 1 (refer FIG. 9). . In this case, the sealing agent adhered to the tip portion 17a by sliding the tip portion 17a along the longitudinal direction in a straight gap 4 formed between a pair of opposing ridges. 6 can be attached to the outer peripheral side surface of the ridge.

Further, the dimensions of the tip portion 17a of the dispenser head 17 is generally the diameter D ₁ of the upper end of about 1.0 to 2.0 mm, the diameter D ₂ of the front end face is about 0.1 to 0.5 mm ( Therefore, when the shape of the convex portion 3 is a truncated cone shape, the size of the convex portion 3 is such that the diameter D _{3 of the} upper end portion is about 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and the diameter of the lower end portion. D ₄ is about 0.7 to 2.7 mm (see FIG. 3), pitch separation L ₁ between the opposing convex portions 3 is about 0.5 to 2.0 mm (see FIG. 7), height H ₁ is set to about 0.7 to 2.5 mm (see FIG. 3).

  When the cleaning pad of the present invention has a two-layer structure having the surface elastic layer 1 and the base film layer 2, as a material constituting the base film layer 2, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or the like is used.

  In addition, when the cleaning pad of the present invention has an underlayer, the underlayer preferably has a cushioning property in order to buffer an impact force and the like during the pressing. As a material constituting such an underlayer, polyurethane, butyl rubber, chloroprene rubber (CR), silicone rubber, or the like is used, and preferably polyurethane is used.

  Examples of the mucus removed with the cleaning pad of the present invention include a sealing agent, an emulsifier, a surfactant, and an antifoaming agent. Moreover, as a sealing agent, if it is a conventionally well-known thing, it will not specifically limit, For example, the sealing agent for building materials, the sealing agent for water circumferences, and an industrial adhesive agent are used. As the mucus discharge nozzle, various nozzles that can discharge the mucus are used. In particular, as the sealant discharge nozzle that discharges the sealant, a sealant that can be applied to the surface of a liquid crystal panel substrate is used. As long as it is any type, for example, a dispenser head 17 of a seal dispenser can be used.

  As the liquid crystal panel substrate, various substrates such as a TFT substrate used as a liquid crystal panel of a TFT liquid crystal display and a glass substrate for a CF substrate are used.

  Next, examples will be described.

[Examples 1-3]
A cleaning pad (see FIG. 1) in which a large number of convex portions 3 formed in a truncated cone shape are arranged in a lattice shape, and a cleaning pad in which a large number of convex portions 3 formed in a regular quadrangular pyramid shape are disposed in a lattice shape. A cleaning pad (see FIG. 9) was prepared in which a large number of convex portions 3 composed of a pad and linearly extending ridges were arranged in parallel at substantially equal intervals. The dimensions of each part of these three types of cleaning pads are shown in Table 1 below.

Next, a cleaning pad was bonded and fixed to a predetermined portion on the glass substrate 14 for the CF substrate 13. Then, using a seal dispenser, the dispenser head 17 is moved along a predetermined path, and the sealant 6 is discharged onto the glass substrate 14 for the CF substrate 13 to make the bank 15, and after 20 minutes, the cleaning pad is used. The sealing agent 6 adhered to the tip 17a of the dispenser head 17 was removed. This operation was performed for each cleaning pad. The diameter D ₁ of the upper end of the dispenser head 17 is 1.0 mm, the diameter D ₂ of the distal end surface is 0.3 mm.

[Comparative Example 1]
Next, using the seal dispenser, the sealant 6 is discharged onto the glass substrate 14 for the CF substrate 13 to make a bank 15, and after 20 minutes, the tip 17a of the dispenser head 17 is applied to the tip 17a by a conventional method (discarding). The adhering sealant 6 was removed. And the sealing agent 6 to which the front-end | tip part 17a of each said dispenser head 17 adhered was observed visually.

  As a result, in Comparative Example 1, the sealant 6 did not adhere to the distal end surface of the distal end portion 17a of the dispenser head 17, but the sealant 6 adhered to the outer peripheral side surface. On the other hand, in Examples 1-3, the sealing agent 6 did not adhere to the front end surface of the front end portion 17a of the dispenser head 17 or the outer peripheral side surface.

It is a top view which shows one Embodiment of the cleaning pad of this invention. It is a perspective view of the principal part of the said cleaning pad. It is sectional drawing of the principal part of the said cleaning pad. It is a perspective view which shows the effect | action of the said cleaning pad. It is sectional drawing which shows the effect | action of the said cleaning pad. It is sectional drawing which shows the effect | action of the said cleaning pad. It is sectional drawing which shows the effect | action of the said cleaning pad. It is a top view which shows the modification of the said cleaning pad. It is a top view which shows the other modification of the said cleaning pad. It is explanatory drawing which shows the preparation methods of the conventional liquid crystal panel. It is explanatory drawing of a bank.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Surface elastic layer 3 Convex part 4 Crevice 6 Sealant 17 Dispenser head 17a Tip part

Claims (3)

  A cleaning pad for removing mucus adhering to the tip of a mucus discharge nozzle for a dispenser, having a surface elastic layer formed with a plurality of convex portions, and a gap formed between the convex portions. A cleaning pad configured to insert and remove mucus adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle by adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion.   The cleaning pad according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is a seal dispenser, and the mucus discharge nozzle is a dispenser head of the seal dispenser. The cleaning pad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material constituting the surface elastic layer is a rubber elastic body, and the rubber hardness thereof is set within a range of 20 to 70 degrees in Shore A hardness.

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