JP5020681B2 - Flexible substrate bending machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bending equipment of the flexible substrate, in particular, it relates to a bending equipment for flexible substrate subjected to multi-stage bending the flexible substrate.

  Conventionally, bending of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) has been performed using a mold or by providing a groove or a slit in the base of the flexible substrate. An example of bending a flexible substrate using a mold is described in Patent Document 1. Further, Patent Document 2 describes an example of a processing method in which a groove or slit is provided in the base of a flexible substrate to perform bending.

  An apparatus for performing multi-stage bending on a linear member is described in Patent Document 3. The processing apparatus described in Patent Document 3 includes a material holding portion that penetrates a material insertion hole, and a bending pressing body that is movable in the center direction of the material holding portion. And the multistage bending process with respect to a linear material is implement | achieved by the linear reciprocating motion of a bending press body, and the delivery motion of a linear material.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-190751 (FIG. 1) JP 2004-14880 (paragraphs 0008-0015) JP-A-9-295065 (paragraphs 0010-0050)

  After the flexible substrate is connected to the circuit substrate, the flexible substrate is incorporated into an exterior case of the device. At that time, the flexible substrate is bent using the flexibility of the flexible substrate. However, in recent years, there is a demand for space saving and thinning of devices, and there is also a demand for narrowing the space inside devices that incorporate flexible substrates. As a result, it is necessary to bend the flexible substrate in multiple stages at right angles and incorporate it into the device. That is, it is necessary to bend a plurality of locations of the flexible substrate at right angles.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing an example of a flexible substrate in which a plurality of portions are bent at right angles. FIG. 12A is a top view of the flexible substrate, and FIG. 12B is a side view. FIG. 13 shows a mold for forming the flexible substrate illustrated in FIG. The mold 102a has a convex part, and the mold 102b has a concave part. By sandwiching and pressing the flexible substrate between the molds 102a and 102b, it is possible to form a flexible substrate in which a plurality of locations shown in FIG. 12 are bent at right angles.

  However, when bending a plurality of portions of the flexible substrate with a mold at a right angle, there is a problem that a bending position on the flexible substrate (hereinafter referred to as a bending fulcrum) cannot be determined. FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a problem of multi-stage bending with a mold. The flexible substrate 101 is sandwiched between the molds 102a and 102b. At this time, a portion of the convex portion of the mold 102a that is in contact with the corner 103 that is closest to the mold 102b is the first bending fulcrum (FIG. 14A). From this state, when the mold 102a is pushed into the mold 102b, the flexible substrate is bent at the first bending fulcrum (FIG. 14B). When the mold 102a is further pushed into the mold 102b, the corner 104 on the opposite side to the corner 103 of the mold 102a and the portion sandwiched between the molds 102b become the second bending fulcrum (FIG. 14C). ). However, when the mold 102a is further pushed into the mold 102b, the second bending fulcrum is drawn into the recess of the mold 102b, and the portion of the flexible substrate that contacts the corner 104 is displaced (FIG. 14 ( d)). As a result, there is a problem in that a portion to be bent by the corner portion 104 and the mold 102b is not determined, and the bending fulcrum varies depending on the flexible substrate.

  In addition, a dedicated mold has to be manufactured for a flexible substrate having a desired shape, resulting in a cost for manufacturing the mold. Further, depending on the shape of the flexible substrate, it may be difficult to manufacture a mold.

  When bending is performed by providing grooves or slits in the base of the flexible substrate, the bent portion does not become a right angle, and a curved curve is not preferable. There is also a problem that the strength of the flexible substrate is reduced by providing the grooves and slits.

  Since the invention described in the cited document 3 uses a linear material as an object of multi-stage bending, the flexible substrate cannot be bent.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible substrate bending apparatus and a flexible substrate bending method capable of performing multi-stage bending on the flexible substrate so that the bending position on the flexible substrate does not shift.

A bending apparatus for a flexible substrate according to the present invention is a bending apparatus for a flexible substrate that performs bending on a flexible substrate, and includes a support table that supports the flexible substrate (for example, the support table 1), a support table, and an interval. Is a plate-like member that is provided with a gap between the lower presser part (for example, the lower presser plate 12) that supports the flexible substrate protruding from the support table from below and can be moved up and down arranged above the lower presser part. An upper presser part (for example, the upper presser plate 11) that sandwiches the flexible substrate between the lower presser part and the lower presser part. A first bending roller (e.g., an upper bending roller 21) that bends the flexible substrate sandwiched between the upper pressing portions downward, and is movable up and down. A second bending roller (for example, the lower bending roller 22) that bends the flexible substrate sandwiched between the lower pressing portion and the upper pressing portion upward, and a table moving portion that moves the support table to the lower pressing portion side (for example, For example, the table moving unit 3) includes a plurality of cylinders, and each cylinder sequentially moves the support table to move the support table step by step. Each time the support table is moved, a bending process is performed on a predetermined portion of the flexible substrate by lowering the first bending roller or raising the second bending roller .

The table moving unit may be controlled by a control device .

The first bending roller and the second bending roller are arranged on the opposite side of the support table around the upper presser portion and the lower presser portion, respectively, and the diameters of the first bending roller and the second bending roller are the same. It is preferable.

It is preferable that the surface of the upper pressing portion on the first bending roller side and the surface of the lower pressing portion on the second bending roller side exist on the same plane.

  According to the present invention, when the first bending roller is lowered, the flexible substrate sandwiched between the lower presser portion and the upper presser portion is bent downward, and when the second bending roller is raised, the lower presser portion and the upper presser are moved. The flexible substrate sandwiched between the portions is bent upward, and the table moving portion moves the support table to the lower pressing portion side. Therefore, the flexible substrate can be bent in multiple stages so that the bending position on the flexible substrate does not shift, and the flexible substrate can be accurately bent at a right angle.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the bending apparatus of the present invention. The bending apparatus of the present invention supports a support table 1 that supports a flexible substrate 51 to be bent, a table moving unit 3 that moves the support table, and a flexible substrate 51 that protrudes from the support table 1 from below. A lower presser plate 12, an upper presser plate 11 provided above the lower presser plate 12, a first roller 21, and a second roller 22.

  The thickness of the flexible substrate 51 is, for example, 0.14 mm, but the thickness of the flexible substrate 51 to be bent is not limited to 0.14 mm.

  The support table 1 includes a vacuum pump 2 that sucks and fixes the flexible substrate 51 by sucking air. For example, the flexible substrate 51 may be dug and fixed to the support table 1 and then adsorbed and fixed by the vacuum pump 2 thereon.

  The table moving unit 3 includes a plurality of cylinders, and each cylinder moves a support table 1 by moving a piston (not shown in FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, a case where the table moving unit 3 includes a first cylinder 31, a second cylinder 32, and a third cylinder 33 will be described as an example. When the table moving unit 3 moves the support table 1, the flexible substrate 51 fixed on the support table 1 also moves. The table moving unit 3 moves the flexible substrate 51 together with the support table 1 horizontally in the direction of the lower presser plate 12.

  The lower presser plate 12 is a plate-like member provided with a space between the support table 1 and supports the flexible substrate 51 on the side surface serving as an end of the plate-like member. The lower presser plate 12 is fixed to the lower presser plate support base 41. The height of the end of the lower presser plate 12 that supports the flexible substrate 51 is equal to the height of the support table 1.

  The upper presser plate 11 is a plate-like member disposed above the lower presser plate 12. The upper presser plate 11 is attached to the upper presser plate support portion 13, and the upper presser plate support portion 13 is moved in the vertical direction by a cylinder (not shown in FIG. 1). Accordingly, the upper presser plate 11 also moves in the vertical direction together with the upper presser plate support portion 13. A cylinder that moves the upper presser plate 11 is referred to as an FPC presser cylinder. When the upper presser plate 11 is lowered, the flexible substrate 51 is sandwiched between the upper presser plate 12 and the lower presser plate 12. At this time, the upper presser plate 11 sandwiches the flexible substrate 51 at the side surface serving as the end portion of the plate-like member.

  In the end portions of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12, the thickness of the portion sandwiching the flexible substrate 51 is preferably 0.4 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. FIG. 1 shows a case where this thickness is 0.4 mm. However, it is not necessarily limited to 0.4 mm. Further, the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 are made of metal. Examples of the material of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 include SUS304, but are not limited to SUS304.

  Both the first roller 21 and the second roller 22 are provided on the opposite side of the support table 1 with the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 as the center. The first roller 21 and the second roller 22 are arranged in the vicinity of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12, respectively, and move up and down in the immediate vicinity of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12, and the movement The flexible substrate is bent accordingly. The first roller 21 is provided above the second roller 22 and descends from the origin position of the first roller 21 to bend the flexible substrate 51 sandwiched between the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 at a right angle downward. . The origin position of the first roller 21 is above the end of the lower presser plate 12 that supports the flexible substrate. The second roller 22 rises from the origin position of the second roller 22 and bends the flexible substrate 51 sandwiched between the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 at a right angle upward. The origin position of the second roller 22 is below the end of the lower presser plate 12 that supports the flexible substrate. Hereinafter, the upper first roller 21 is referred to as an upper bending roller 21, and the lower second roller 22 is referred to as a lower bending roller 22.

  The diameters of the upper bending roller 21 and the lower bending roller 22 are, for example, 2.0 mm, but are not limited to 2.0 mm. Further, as the material of the upper bending roller 21 and the lower bending roller 22, a metal having hardness is used. An example of such a material is SKD11, but is not limited to SKD11.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the bending apparatus of the present invention, similarly to FIG. 1, and is a rear view schematically showing a state viewed from the arrow direction shown in FIG. The same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper bending roller 21 is supported by an upper bending cylinder 23 on one side of the shaft. Similarly, the lower bending roller 22 is supported by a lower bending cylinder 25 on one side of the shaft. The upper bending cylinder 23 moves the upper bending roller 21 in the vertical direction by moving a piston (not shown in FIG. 2). The lower bending cylinder 25 moves the lower bending roller 22 in the vertical direction by moving a piston (not shown in FIG. 2).

  The upper bending cylinder 23 lowers the upper bending roller 21 to a position lower than the height of the end portion of the lower presser plate 12 supporting the flexible substrate 51 when lowering the upper bending roller 21 from the origin position. Moreover, when raising the lower bending roller 22 from an origin position, the lower bending cylinder 25 is made to inform to a position higher than the edge part of the upper presser plate 11 in the lowered state.

  The upper bending cylinder 23 supports the upper bending roller 21 by a bearing, and the upper bending roller 21 is rotatable. Similarly, the lower bending cylinder 25 also supports the lower bending roller 22 by a bearing, and the lower bending roller 22 is also rotatable.

  The upper bending cylinder 23 and the lower bending cylinder 25 are disposed so as to be located on opposite sides of the lower presser plate 12 as a center.

  Moreover, the bending apparatus of this invention is provided with the control apparatus which controls each cylinder. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a control device that controls each cylinder. The control device 61 controls the start and stop of the operations of the upper bending cylinder 23 and the lower bending cylinder 25. Similarly, the control device 61 controls the start and stop of the operation of the FPC presser cylinder 55 that moves the upper presser plate 11 and the upper presser plate support portion 13 (see FIG. 1). The control device 61 controls the start and stop of the operations of the first cylinder 31, the second cylinder 32, and the third cylinder 33. Furthermore, the control device 61 controls the stop of the suction operation of the vacuum pump 2 that sucks the flexible substrate 51.

  When the control device 61 moves the support table 1 to any one of the first cylinder 31, the second cylinder 32, and the third cylinder 33, the control device 61 raises the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55. Further, the lower bending roller 22 is moved to the origin position in the lower bending cylinder 25, and the upper bending roller 21 is moved to the origin position in the upper bending cylinder 23. Therefore, the flexible substrate moves in a state where the upper presser plate 11 is separated from the lower presser plate 12 and the rollers 21 and 22 are at the origin positions.

  Further, when the upper bending roller 21 or the lower bending roller 22 is moved, the control device 61 stops the first cylinder 31, the second cylinder 32, and the third cylinder 33, and further moves the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55. Lower. Therefore, bending is performed in a state where the flexible substrate is stationary and sandwiched between the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the bending position on the flexible substrate 51 and the movement of the support table. Here, a case where the flexible substrate 51 is bent four times will be described as an example.

  The flexible substrate 51 is disposed on the support table 1. Further, the support table 1 has a metal cover 7 for protecting a circuit (not shown) mounted on the flexible substrate 51 on the lower presser plate 12 side of the upper surface. The flexible substrate 51 is disposed on the support table 1 and is protected by the cover 7. Note that the cover 7 may not cover the entire support table 1.

  Moreover, the 1st cylinder 31, the 2nd cylinder 32, and the 3rd cylinder 33 move the position of each piston with which each is provided to an initial position. This initial position is determined by a cylinder stopper (not shown). In this initial state, the distance between the support table 1 and the lower presser plate 12 (the length of the portion A shown in FIG. 4) is preferably 15 mm or less. That is, the distance between the surface 1a on the lower presser plate 12 side of the support table 1 and the surface 12a on the support table 1 side of the lower presser plate 12 is preferably 15 mm or less. When the distance between the support table 1 and the lower presser plate 12 in the initial state is 15 mm or less, the flexible substrate 51 can be prevented from being bent between the support table 1 and the lower presser plate 12.

  The bending positions of the flexible substrate 51 are P1 to P4. The flexible substrate 51 is arranged such that the initial bending position P1 protrudes from the roller-side surface of the lower presser plate 12 by a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance will be described. The surfaces of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 on the roller side are on the same plane. Let this plane be S1. Moreover, the diameter of the upper bending roller 21 and the lower bending roller 22 is the same, the central axis of the upper bending roller 21 is located just above the central axis of the lower bending roller 22, and the two central axes are parallel. Accordingly, there are two tangent planes of the upper bending roller 21 and the lower bending roller 22 which are cylinders, and the tangential plane closer to the upper pressing plate 11 and the lower pressing plate 12 is defined as S2. The predetermined distance is the one closer to the presser plates 11 and 12 among the plane S1 including the roller-side surfaces of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 and the tangential planes of the upper bending roller 21 and the lower bending roller 22. What is necessary is just to be the distance L or less with the tangent plane S2. Further, the flexible substrate 51 may be arranged such that the predetermined distance is 0 and the first bending position P1 is positioned on the roller side surface of the lower presser plate 12.

  In addition, even if the part (B part shown in FIG. 4) located in the roller side rather than the lower presser plate 12 is bent, it does not affect a bending process, Therefore B part shown in FIG. 4 may be bent. A circuit may be mounted on a portion (B portion) located on the roller side of the lower presser plate 12 or a portion located on the support table 1 on the surface of the flexible substrate 1. Even if circuits are mounted on these portions, the upper presser plate 11 can move up and down, so that the flexible substrate can be arranged on the support table 1 and the lower presser plate 12. However, a circuit is not mounted between the support table 1 and the lower presser plate 12 at the initial position (A portion shown in FIG. 4).

  The first cylinder 31, the second cylinder 32, and the third cylinder 33 sequentially move the support table 1. Here, the case where the support table 1 is moved in the order of the third cylinder 33, the second cylinder 32, and the first cylinder 31 will be described as an example, but the order in which the cylinders 31 to 33 move the support table 1 is an example of this. It is not limited to.

  After any one of the rollers 21 and 22 performs the bending process at the bending position P <b> 1, the third cylinder 33 moves the support table 1 together with the second cylinder 32 and the first cylinder 31. The moving distance at this time is set in advance in the control device 61 (see FIG. 3). In this example, it is moved by an interval between the bending positions P1 and P2. As a result, the bending position P2 moves to a position where a predetermined distance (distance equal to or less than L shown in FIG. 4) protrudes from the roller side surface of the lower presser plate 12, and either of the rollers 21, 22 is bent at the bending position P2. Processing.

  After the bending process at the bending position P <b> 2, the second cylinder 32 moves the support table 1 together with the first cylinder 31. The moving distance at this time is also set in the control device 61 in advance. In this example, it is moved by an interval between the bending positions P2 and P3. As a result, the bending position P3 moves to a position where a predetermined distance (distance equal to or less than L shown in FIG. 4) protrudes from the roller side surface of the lower presser plate 12, and either of the rollers 21 and 22 is bent at the bending position P3. Processing.

  Similarly, the 1st cylinder 31 moves the support table 1 after the bending process in the bending position P3. The moving distance at this time is also set in the control device 61 in advance. In this example, it is moved by an interval between the bending positions P3 and P4. As a result, the bending position P4 moves to a position where a predetermined distance (distance equal to or less than L shown in FIG. 4) protrudes from the roller side surface of the lower presser plate 12, and either of the rollers 21, 22 is bent at the bending position P4. Processing.

  The last bending position may be a position close to the ends of the cover 7 and the support table 1. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the distance between the bending position P4 and the cover 7 may be about 0.5 mm. Even in such a case, when the thickness of the portion sandwiching the flexible substrate at the ends of the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 is 0.4 mm, the position is close to the cover 7 and the support table 1 ( Bending can be performed at about 0.5 mm).

  In the control device 61, the amount of movement by each of the cylinders 31 to 33 of the table moving unit 3 is set in advance. Then, when an operation start is instructed by the operator's operation, the movement of the support table 1 by the cylinder of the table moving unit 3 and the bending process by the upper bending roller 21 or the lower bending roller 22 are repeated to perform multi-stage bending process on the flexible substrate 51. I do. Whether the upper bending roller 21 is lowered or the lower bending roller 22 is raised at each bending position is set in the control device 61 in advance.

  Further, the suction of the flexible substrate 51 by the vacuum pump 2 is started, for example, by an operator's operation, and the control device 61 stops the suction by the vacuum pump 2 after finishing the multistage bending process for the flexible substrate 51.

  During the movement, the upper presser plate 11 is raised, and the flexible substrate 51 is supported by the support table 1 and the lower presser plate 12. Therefore, the flexible substrate 51 can be moved smoothly.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the relationship between the bending strength at the time of a bending process, a roller, etc. is demonstrated. The bending strength increases as the distance W between the rollers 21 and 22 and the upper pressing plate 11 and the lower pressing plate 12 decreases, and the bending strength decreases as the distance W increases. Further, the bending strength increases as the distance between the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12 when the upper presser plate 11 is lowered and the flexible substrate 51 is sandwiched between the upper presser plate 12 and the lower presser plate 12 is increased. The strength of is weakened. Further, the bending strength increases as the radius of curvature of the corners 111 and 112 at the ends of the upper pressing plate 11 and the lower pressing plate 12 decreases, and the bending strength decreases as the radius increases. If the bending process affects the flexible substrate 51 (scratches, breakage, etc.), the bending strength may be adjusted to be weakened.

  Next, the operation of the cylinder provided in the bending apparatus of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the lower bending cylinder 25 and the upper bending cylinder 23. FIG. 6A shows a state where the lower bending roller 22 and the upper bending roller 21 are arranged at the origin position. FIG. 6B shows a state where the lower bending roller 22 is raised. FIG. 6C shows a state where the upper bending roller is lowered. 6A to 6C, the upper stage is a top view of the lower bending cylinder 25 and the upper bending cylinder 23, and the lower stage is a front view. The lower bending cylinder 25 includes a piston 25a, and the lower bending roller 22 is supported by a support portion 25b that moves together with the piston 25a. Similarly, the upper bending cylinder 23 includes a piston 23a, and the upper bending roller 21 is supported by a support portion 23b that moves together with the piston 23a.

  When the lower bending roller 22 and the upper bending roller 21 are disposed at the origin position (see FIG. 6A), the lower bending cylinder 25 is in a state where the piston 25a is lowered. As a result, the lower bending roller 22 is also lowered together with the piston 25 a and is disposed at the origin position of the lower bending roller 22. Further, the upper bending cylinder 23 is in a state where the piston 23a is raised. As a result, the upper bending roller 21 also rises with the piston 23 a and is disposed at the origin position of the upper bending roller 21.

  When the lower bending roller 22 is raised (see FIG. 6B), the lower bending cylinder 25 raises the piston 25a. Then, the lower bending roller 22 also rises with the piston 25a, and bends the flexible substrate sandwiched between the lower presser portion 12 and the upper presser portion 11 upward. In FIG. 6, illustration of the lower presser portion 12, the upper presser portion 11, and the flexible substrate is omitted.

  When the upper bending roller 21 is lowered (see FIG. 6C), the upper bending cylinder 23 lowers the piston 23a. Then, the upper bending roller 21 is also lifted together with the piston 23a, and the flexible substrate sandwiched between the lower pressing portion 12 and the upper pressing portion 11 is bent upward.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing operations of the first cylinder 31, the second cylinder 32, and the third cylinder 33 provided in the table moving unit 3. In FIG. 7, the first cylinder 31, the second cylinder 32, and the third cylinder 33 are referred to as a one-stage moving cylinder, a two-stage moving cylinder, and a three-stage moving cylinder, respectively. 7A to 7D, the left side is a top view, and the right side is a side view.

  The first cylinder includes a piston 31a, and the support table 1 is fixed to a support member that moves together with the piston 31a. The second cylinder includes a piston 32a, and the first cylinder is fixed to a support member that moves together with the piston 32a. The third cylinder includes a piston 33a, and the second cylinder is fixed to a support member that moves together with the piston 33a.

  FIG. 7A shows the state of each cylinder in the initial state. The 1st cylinder makes the piston 31a in the 1st cylinder advance. Similarly, the second cylinder is in a state in which the piston 32a in the second cylinder is advanced, and the third cylinder is in a state in which the piston 33a in the third cylinder is advanced. Here, “advance” means moving in the opposite direction to the lower presser plate 12 (not shown in FIG. 7), and “retreat” means in the direction of the lower presser plate 12. It means to move. That is, in the initial state shown in FIG. 7A, the support table 1 is kept away from the lower presser plate 12.

  FIG. 7B shows a state in which the third cylinder moves the support table 1 from the initial state. The third cylinder moves the piston 33a in the third cylinder backward to move the support table 1 in the direction of the lower presser plate 12 together with the second cylinder and the first cylinder.

  FIG. 7C shows a state in which the second cylinder moves the support table 1 after the third cylinder moves the support table 1. The second cylinder moves the piston 32a in the second cylinder backward to move the support table 1 in the direction of the lower presser plate 12 together with the first cylinder.

  FIG. 7D shows a state in which the first cylinder moves the support table 1 after the second cylinder moves the support table 1. The first cylinder moves the piston 32 a in the first cylinder backward to move the support table 1 in the direction of the lower presser plate 12.

  In this way, the table moving unit 3 moves the support table 1 in the direction of the lower presser plate 12 step by step from the initial state.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the FPC presser cylinder 55. The FPC presser cylinder 55 includes a piston 55a. The upper presser plate support portion 13 is attached to the piston 55 a, and the upper presser plate 11 is further attached to the upper presser plate support portion 13.

  FIG. 8A shows a state where the FPC presser cylinder 55 raises the upper presser plate 11. The FPC presser cylinder 55 raises the piston 55a when the upper presser plate 11 is raised. Then, the upper presser plate 11 also rises with the piston 55a. FIG. 8B shows a state in which the FPC presser cylinder 55 has lowered the upper presser plate 11. The FPC presser cylinder 55 lowers the piston 55 a when lowering the upper presser plate 11. Then, the upper presser plate 11 also moves down together with the piston 55a.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of operation timing of each element of the bending apparatus according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the bending apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 9. Each cylinder included in the table moving unit 3 is in an initial state (see FIG. 7A), and the flexible substrate has a first bending position at a predetermined distance from the roller side surface of the lower presser plate 12 (see FIG. 7). It is assumed that the distance is equal to or less than L shown in FIG. Further, it is assumed that the movement amount of the support table 1 by each cylinder provided in the table moving unit 3 is set in the control device 61 in advance.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 9, the case where the bending process is performed once and then the bending process is performed three times is illustrated.

  In the above state, the vacuum pump 2 is operated by the operator and starts the suction of the flexible substrate 51. Further, the control device 61 starts multi-stage bending for the flexible substrate 51 by an operation of the operator. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the control device 61 first lowers the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55 and then raises the lower bend roller 22 to the lower bend cylinder 25. The lower bending roller 22 rises and contacts the flexible substrate. Then, the lower bending roller 22 continues to rise while rotating and bends the flexible substrate upward. By this operation, the flexible substrate 51 is bent at a right angle in the upward direction at the initial bending position. The flexible substrate is sandwiched between the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12, and the lower bending roller 22 bends the flexible substrate while rotating, so that the bending position does not shift. Subsequently, the control device 61 lowers the lower bending roller 22 to the lower bending cylinder 25 to the origin position, and raises the upper pressing plate 11 to the FPC pressing cylinder 55.

  Next, the control device 61 causes the third cylinder 33 to move the piston 33a (see FIG. 7) backward. This amount of movement is predetermined. As a result, the support table 1 moves in the direction of the lower presser plate 12 and stops, and the table moving unit 3 is in the state shown in FIG.

  In this state, the control device 61 first lowers the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55 and then lowers the upper bending roller 21 to the upper bending cylinder 23. The upper bending roller 21 descends and comes into contact with the flexible substrate. Then, the upper bending roller 21 continues to descend while rotating and bends the flexible substrate downward. By this operation, the flexible substrate 51 is bent at a right angle downward at the second bending position. The flexible substrate is sandwiched between the upper pressing plate 11 and the lower pressing plate 12, and the upper bending roller 21 bends the flexible substrate while rotating, so that the bending position does not shift. Subsequently, the control device 61 raises the upper bending roller 21 to the upper bending cylinder 23 to the origin position, and raises the upper pressing plate 11 to the FPC pressing cylinder 55.

  Next, the control device 61 causes the piston 32a (see FIG. 7) to move backward in the second cylinder 32. This amount of movement is predetermined. As a result, the support table 1 moves in the direction of the lower presser plate 12 and stops, and the table moving unit 3 is in the state shown in FIG. The bending apparatus performs the third bending process in this state. This operation is similar to the second bending process.

  Next, the controller 61 causes the first cylinder 31 to move the piston 31a (see FIG. 7) backward. This amount of movement is predetermined. As a result, the support table 1 moves in the direction of the lower presser plate 12 and stops, and the table moving unit 3 enters the state shown in FIG. The bending apparatus performs the fourth bending process in this state. This operation is the same as the second and third bending processes.

  Subsequently, the control device 61 causes the vacuum pump to stop the adsorption operation and ends the operation.

  Here, the operation has been described along the timing chart shown in FIG. Hereinafter, examples of operations of the support table 1, the upper presser plate 11, the upper bending roller 21, and the lower bending roller 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 10, and 11. 10 and 11, an example in which the bending process by the upper bending roller 21 is performed once, the bending process by the lower bending roller 22 is performed twice, and then the bending process by the upper bending roller 21 is performed once. explain.

  FIG. 10A shows an initial state of the bending apparatus. The flexible substrate 51 is fixed to the support table 1 by suction.

  When the control device 61 starts operation, first, the control device 61 lowers the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55, and then lowers the upper bending roller 21 to the upper bending cylinder 23 (FIG. 10B). reference.). As a result, the flexible substrate 51 is bent at a right angle in the downward direction at the initial bending position.

  Subsequently, the control device 61 raises the upper bending roller 21 to the upper bending cylinder 23 to the origin position, and raises the upper pressing plate 11 to the FPC pressing cylinder 55. Then, the control device 61 moves the table moving unit 3 toward the lower presser plate 12 (see FIG. 10C).

  In this state, the control device 61 lowers the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55 and then raises the lower bend roller 22 to the lower bend cylinder 25 (see FIG. 10D). As a result, the flexible substrate 51 is bent at a right angle in the upward direction at the second bending position.

  Subsequently, the control device 61 lowers the lower bending roller 22 to the lower bending cylinder 25 to the origin position, and raises the upper pressing plate 11 to the FPC pressing cylinder 55. And the control apparatus 61 moves the table moving part 3 to the lower pressing plate 12 direction (refer Fig.11 (a)).

  In this state, the control device 61 lowers the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55 and then raises the lower bending roller 22 to the lower bending cylinder 25 (see FIG. 11B). As a result, the flexible substrate 51 is bent at a right angle in the upward direction at the third bending position.

  Subsequently, the control device 61 lowers the lower bending roller 22 to the lower bending cylinder 25 to the origin position, and raises the upper pressing plate 11 to the FPC pressing cylinder 55. Then, the control device 61 moves the table moving unit 3 toward the lower presser plate 12 (see FIG. 11C).

  In this state, the control device 61 lowers the upper presser plate 11 to the FPC presser cylinder 55 and then lowers the upper bending roller 21 to the upper bending cylinder 23 (see FIG. 11D). As a result, the flexible substrate 51 is bent at a right angle in the downward direction at the fourth bending position.

  From the state shown in FIG. 11D, the control device 61 raises the upper bending roller 21 to the upper bending cylinder 23 to the origin position, and raises the upper pressing plate 11 to the FPC pressing cylinder 55. Thereafter, the control device 61 causes the vacuum pump to stop the adsorption operation and ends the operation.

  According to the present invention, the flexible substrate fixed to the support table 1 and moved by the table moving unit 3 is sandwiched between the upper presser plate 11 and the lower presser plate 12. In this state, the upper bending roller 21 contacts the flexible substrate and bends the flexible substrate while rotating. Alternatively, the lower bending roller 22 contacts the flexible substrate and bends the flexible substrate while rotating. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the bending position from being shifted during bending.

  Moreover, since the upper bending roller 21 and the lower bending roller 22 move up and down in the vicinity of the upper pressing plate 11 and the lower pressing plate 12, it is possible to suppress the curve at the bending position and bend the flexible substrate at a right angle with high accuracy. . Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a groove or a slit in the base of the flexible substrate, and a decrease in the strength of the flexible substrate can be prevented.

  Moreover, if the control device 61 sets the movement amount of each cylinder of the table moving unit 3 and sets whether the upper bending roller 21 is lowered or the lower bending roller 22 is raised at each bending position, various flexible substrates can be used. Can be bent into any shape. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare dies corresponding to the shape of the desired flexible substrate.

  The present invention is suitably applied to a bending apparatus and a flexible substrate bending method for bending a flexible substrate.

Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the bending process apparatus of the flexible substrate of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the bending process apparatus of the flexible substrate of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the control apparatus which controls each cylinder. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between a bending position and the movement of a support table. Explanatory drawing which shows the component of a lower press plate vicinity. Explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of a lower bending cylinder and an upper bending cylinder. Explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the 1st cylinder with which a table moving part is provided, a 2nd cylinder, and a 3rd cylinder. Explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of a FPC presser cylinder. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the operation | movement timing of each element of a bending apparatus. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of operation | movement of a support table, an upper pressing board, an upper bending roller, and a lower bending roller. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of operation | movement of a support table, an upper pressing board, an upper bending roller, and a lower bending roller. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the flexible substrate which bent the some place at right angle. Explanatory drawing which shows the metal mold | die for forming the flexible substrate illustrated in FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the problem of the multistage bending process in a metal mold | die.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support table 2 Vacuum pump 3 Table moving part 11 Upper presser plate 12 Lower presser plate 13 Upper presser plate support part 21 Upper bending roller (1st roller)
22 Lower bending roller (second roller)
23 Upper bending cylinder 25 Lower bending cylinder 31 1st cylinder 32 2nd cylinder 33 3rd cylinder 55 FPC presser cylinder

Claims (4)

A flexible substrate bending apparatus for bending a flexible substrate,
A support table for supporting a flexible substrate;
A plate-like member provided at a distance from the support table, and a lower presser part that supports the flexible substrate protruding from the support table from below,
A plate-like member that can be moved up and down and arranged above the lower presser part, and when the lower presser part is sandwiched between the upper presser part and the lower presser part,
A first bending roller that can move up and down and bends the flexible substrate sandwiched between the lower presser part and the upper presser part by lowering; and
A second bending roller that bends the flexible substrate sandwiched between the lower presser part and the upper presser part by being movable up and down and rising;
A table moving unit that moves the support table to the lower presser side ,
The table moving unit has a plurality of cylinders, and each cylinder sequentially moves the support table to move the support table in stages.
Bending of a flexible substrate, wherein a bending process is performed on a predetermined portion of the flexible substrate by lowering the first bending roller or raising the second bending roller each time one cylinder moves the support table. Processing equipment. The flexible substrate bending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the table moving unit is controlled by a control device. The first bending roller and the second bending roller are disposed on the opposite side of the support table around the upper pressing portion and the lower pressing portion, respectively, and the diameter of the first bending roller and the second bending roller The apparatus for bending a flexible substrate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the diameter of the flexible substrate is the same . 4. The flexible substrate bending apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a surface on the first bending roller side of the upper pressing portion and a surface on the second bending roller side of the lower pressing portion exist on the same plane. 5.

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