JP5278843B2 - Coating apparatus and coating method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating head which can improve a yield by eliminating a volumetric change by the fluidizing pressure of a coating material to certainly obtain a uniform coated film, and to provide a coating method and apparatus using the same. <P>SOLUTION: The coating head is disclosed which discharges the coating material through a slitlike opening part by feeding the coating material from a material feed opening and keeps the discharge of the coating material precisely controlled by a material feed part sucking the coating material from a material tank and directly discharging the coating material from a material discharge opening to the material feed opening. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a coating head suitable for a slit coater or a die coat type coating apparatus, and it is particularly necessary to obtain an approximately rectangular coating shape for an object to be coated such as a sheet, a sheet, or a web. In the manufacture of products, display products, etc., precise intermittent application can be performed.

  A conventional coating apparatus will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional coating apparatus. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a coating state by a conventional coating method.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the conventional coating device 37 a includes a coating head 1 a, a material tank 13, a material supply pump 32, a control device 16, a holding table 19, and the like, and is controlled by the control device 16. 32 is a device that supplies the coating material 9 from the material tank 13 to the coating head 1 a by 32 and applies the coating material 9 to the coating target 20 on the holding table 19.

  In addition, in the conventional coating method 39a, the coating head internal pressure 34 shown in the middle part of FIG. 11 has a delay 34a from the start of supply to the pressure increase with respect to the pump supply amount 33 shown in the upper part of FIG. The residual pressure 34b remains until the pressure drops after the supply is stopped. For this reason, the coating film thickness 36 shown in the lower part of FIG. 11 causes a large variation in the coating thickness at the coating start end portion 36a and the coating end portion 36b.

  As described in Patent Document 1, in the single wafer coating process for the substrate, the supply amount of the coating liquid supply pump is changed in multiple stages, the actual discharge speed is made closer to the steady speed, and the relative An invention is also disclosed in which the amount of coating per transit time of the moving means becomes constant by changing the speed of the moving means.

  In addition, as described in Patent Document 2, the operation timing of the valve that opens and closes the flow path, the suck back valve, and the residual pressure release valve is monitored while monitoring the pressure change in the vicinity of the application head at the start and end of application. An invention for adjusting a plurality of parameters is also disclosed.

Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 3, the coating head internal pressure optimizes the amount of coating material discharged at the start and stop of coating, and the clearance between the coating head and the target to be coated at the coating end point. The invention to adjust is also disclosed.
JP 2002-86044 A JP 2000-5682 A JP-A-2005-205268

  What is important in the intermittent coating operation to obtain a highly accurate coating film with a rectangular shape by the slit coating method is the supply of coating material that suppresses film thickness fluctuations at the start and end of coating, and the clearance between the coating head and the coating target. Optimized.

  However, in the conventional technique, it is necessary to use a flexible material supply pipe as the coating head moves up and down, and the fluctuation of the material supply pipe volume due to the pressurization caused by the flow of the coating material is This is a cause of a decrease in the accuracy of the coating thickness, and is a situation in which a great deal of waste of adjustment materials and application materials for solving the problem is generated.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a coating head capable of reliably obtaining a uniform coating film and improving the yield by eliminating the volume change due to the flow pressure of the coating material, and a coating method and a coating apparatus using the coating head. It is for the purpose.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention
(1)
A material tank for storing a coating material and connecting the pressure source for extruding the coating material with a pressure valve;
With a Rutotomoni air vent valve comprises a pump for supplying the coating material from the material tank and flexible movable resistant material supply pipe and through the material supply valve is connected to the suction applied material from the material tank material discharge port A material supply unit;
An application head for receiving the supply of the coating material from the material supply port connected to the discharge port of the material supply unit and discharging the coating material from the slit-like opening through the liquid reservoir;
A pressure gauge that measures the pressure of the flow path of the coating material in the coating head that communicates the discharge port of the material supply unit and the liquid reservoir;
A coating head lifting and lowering means for lifting and lowering the coating head;
A control device for controlling the operation of the material supply unit and the application head elevating means;
An applicator comprising:
Based on the pressure value of the pressure gauge, it controls the opening and closing of the pressurization valve, material supply valve and air vent valve, and discharges the coating material directly from the material discharge port to the material supply port, thereby precisely controlling the discharge of the coating material. The coating apparatus is characterized by the above.
(2)
The coating head of the coating apparatus according to (1) is lowered to increase the pump supply amount, the pump supply amount is decreased at the coating start end portion, the coating material is applied, and the coating head is sucked in at the coating end portion while sucking the coating material. Is applied to eliminate the delay in the internal pressure of the coating head at the start of coating and the residual pressure at the end of coating, thereby obtaining a coating film having no variation in film thickness at the coating start end and coating end. The method was configured.

  The present invention is a coating head having the function of a material supply pump, and by eliminating the volume change of the piping between the material supply pump and the coating head, high precision of the start and end portions of the coating film in the approximately rectangular intermittent coating And stabilization can be realized.

  Further, it is possible to improve and stabilize the reproducibility of the shape such as the linearity of the coating film at the same site.

  The object of the present invention is to eliminate the volume change due to the flow pressure of the coating material, to ensure a uniform coating film and to improve the yield, to lower the coating head and to increase the pump supply amount, Apply the coating material by reducing the pump supply amount, and lift the coating head while sucking the coating material at the coating end, eliminating the delay in the coating head pressure at the start of coating and the residual pressure at the end of coating In addition, this was realized by obtaining a coating film having no film thickness variation at the coating start end and coating end.

  Below, based on an accompanying drawing, the coating head which is the present invention, the coating method using the same, and the coating device are explained in detail. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating apparatus using a coating head according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a coating apparatus using the coating head according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the coating device 37 includes a coating head 1, a material supply unit 21, a material tank 13, a holding table 19, a control device 16, and the like.

  The coating head 1 is a member that discharges the coating material 9, and includes a material supply unit 21 that sucks the coating material 9 and sends it into the interior. The coating head 1 is installed above the holding table 19 and can be moved vertically by the coating head lifting means 17.

  The material supply unit 21 is a pump that sucks the coating material 9 from the material tank 13 and supplies the coating material 9 to the coating head 1. By installing in the coating head 1, the discharge control of the coating head 1 is refined.

  The material tank 13 is a container that stores the coating material 9, and supplies the coating material 9 to the material supply unit 21. In order to prevent the coating material 9 from flowing backward, the inside of the sealed material tank 13 is pressurized so as to flow in a certain direction.

  The holding table 19 is a plate on which the application target 20 is placed. The holding table 19 is installed on an anti-vibration table 38 that reduces vibrations, and can be moved horizontally by the holding table moving means 18.

  The control device 16 monitors and controls operations of the coating head 1, the holding table 19, the material supply unit 21, and the material tank 13. The control device 16 monitors the value of the pressure gauge 8 and controls the opening and closing of the pressurizing valve 14, the material supply valve 11, and the air vent valve 24.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 16 applies the coating target 20 while lowering the coating head 1 by the coating head lifting / lowering means 17 and moving the holding table 19 by the holding table moving means 18 at the coating start end position. The material 9 is discharged, and the coating head 1 is raised by the coating head lifting / lowering means 17 at the coating end position.

  The pressurization valve 14 is a valve that adjusts the pressurization source 15 for pushing out the coating material 9 from the material tank 13. The control device 16 confirms the pressure gauge 8 installed near the material supply port 6 of the coating head 1 and adjusts the pressure valve 14 so that the discharge pressure of the coating material 9 becomes appropriate. The pressurizing source 15 is compressed air or the like.

  The material supply valve 11 is a valve that supplies the coating material 9 from the material tank 13 to the material supply unit 21. The control device 16 opens the material supply valve 11 at the start of discharge and sends the coating material 9 from the material pipe 12 to the material supply pipe 10, and closes the material supply valve 11 and stops the delivery when discharge is stopped.

  Since the material supply pipe 10 does not exist between the coating head 1 and the material supply unit 21 as in the prior art, the supply amount of the coating material 9 can be adjusted precisely. Moreover, since the material supply part 21 and the material tank 13 are connected by the flexible flexible material supply pipe 10, the coating head 1 can be moved up and down smoothly.

  The air vent valve 24 is a valve that adjusts the pump of the material supply unit 21. When the coating material 9 is first introduced into the material supply unit 21 or when air accumulates in the material supply unit 21 and the pump performance drops, the air is extracted.

  As an operation procedure, first, as a preparation, the material supply valve 11 is closed, the pressurization valve 14 is opened, and the material tank 13 is pressurized by the pressurization source 15. Next, with the air vent valve 24 opened, the material supply valve 11 is opened. When the coating material 9 is filled in the material supply section 21, the air vent valve 24 is closed. Next, the material supply unit 21 is operated to feed the coating material 9 into the coating head 1, and the coating head 1 is filled with the coating material 9 to complete the preparation.

  After the preparation is completed, the application target 20 is set on the holding table 19, and the supply of the coating material 9 is started while the distance between the application head 1 and the application target 20 is held by the application head lifting / lowering means 17, and the holding table is moved simultaneously. The coating material 9 is applied to the application target 20 by moving the holding table 19 by means 18.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coating head according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of the coating head according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the coating head according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the coating head according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the coating head 1 includes a head chamber plate 2 and a head plate 3, and is joined with a slit 4 interposed between the head chamber plate 2 and the head plate 3.

  The coating head 1 is provided with a material supply unit 21, and the coating material 9 is supplied from the material tank 13. While the holding table 19 is moved horizontally at a desired speed by the holding table moving means 18, the coating head 1 coats the coating target 9 on the application target 20 fixed on the holding table 19 by vacuum suction or the like.

  In addition, since the material supply part 21 and the material tank 13 are connected by movable pipe | tubes, such as a tube, the coating head 1 can be horizontally moved or raised / lowered smoothly with the material supply part 21. FIG.

  The object to be coated 20 is a sheet, a sheet, a web or the like such as a glass substrate used for an electronic product, an engineering product, or a display product, and the coating material 9 is intermittently applied in a substantially rectangular shape with a predetermined thinness. Is done.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the head chamber plate 2 is a precisely processed metal plate, and the lower surface has a shape inclined from the bonding surface side where the slit 4 is provided to the outer surface side. The head plate 3 has the same material and shape.

  A material supply port 6 is opened in the head chamber plate 2, and a liquid reservoir 5 is also provided above the slit 4 on the joining surface side. The coating material 9 supplied from the material supply port 6 reaches the slit 4 through the liquid reservoir 5.

  The slit 4 is a vertical gap having a width formed in the coating head 1, and the lower end serves as an opening 7 for discharging the coating material 9. The slit 4 is formed with a desired coating width and pattern using a thin plate having a good thickness accuracy, or is formed on the head chamber plate 2 or the head plate 3.

  The liquid reservoir 5 is a wide space formed in order to increase the filling efficiency. The coating material 9 supplied from the material supply port 6 is expanded to a predetermined coating width in the liquid reservoir 5 and then fed into the slit 4.

  The material supply port 6 is a horizontal hole formed from the outer surface of the coating head 1 to the joint surface, and the supplied coating material 9 passes therethrough. The material supply unit 21 is attached so that the material supply port 6 of the coating head 1 and the discharge port of the material supply unit 21 are aligned, and feeds the coating material 9 directly without passing through the material supply pipe 10 or the like.

  The coating head 1 and the material supply unit 21 may be integrally formed, or the material supply unit 21 may be manufactured as a detachable unit and installed on the coating head 1.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the material supply unit of the coating head according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the coating head according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as the material supply unit 21, a uniaxial eccentric screw pump including a casing 23, a stator casing 27, an intake air vent 22, a material discharge port 30, a rotary drive 31, and the like is used. . The same applies when a piston pump or the like is used.

  In the case of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump, the discharge of the coating material 9 is controlled by rotating the thread portion of the material discharge port 30 by the rotary drive 31 in the cylindrical main body in which the casing 23 and the stator casing 27 are connected.

  The casing 23 is a hollow container that sucks the coating material 9 and holds and holds the coating material 9. The casing 23 has a flexible shaft 28 that is a rotating shaft for transmitting the rotational force of the rotary drive 31 therein. A mechanical seal 29 is provided to prevent leakage.

  The stator casing 27 is a container that conveys the coating material 9 in the casing 23 to the material discharge port 30 at the tip. The stator casing 27 includes a rotor 25 that is connected to the flexible shaft 28 and rotates, and a through hole that is rotated spirally by the rotor 25. It has a certain stator 26.

  The rotor 25 is a rotor having spiral blades and is inserted into the stator 26. The stator 26 is a stator having a through-hole formed in an elastic material such as rubber or resin, and a helical path is formed by fitting the rotor 25. Further, the stator 26 is held by the stator casing 27 so that it does not rotate together with the rotation of the rotor 25.

  By rotating the rotor 25, the coating material 9 in the casing 23 is drawn into the stator 26, and by rotating in a spiral manner, the coating material 9 is sent out one after another without interruption, thereby functioning as a pump.

  A plurality of intake air vents 22 are provided in the material supply unit 21. One is connected to the material tank 13 and sucks the coating material 9 into the casing 23. The other is provided with an air vent valve 24 and used as an air vent for filling the casing 23 with the coating material 9.

  The material discharge port 30 is an outlet vacant at the tip of the stator 26, and the coating material 9 that is spirally fed through the stator 26 is discharged. The coating material 9 is fed into the coating head 1 in connection with the material supply port 6 of the coating head 1.

  The rotation driving device 31 is a device that rotates a rotation shaft by the power of a motor or the like, is installed at the end of the casing 23, and rotates the rotor 25 in a spiral shape via the flexible shaft 28.

  The uniaxial eccentric screw pump is a positive displacement pump, and the liquid feed flow rate is uniquely determined by the rotation amount and the rotation speed of the rotor 25. Therefore, the liquid feed flow rate can be adjusted by appropriately changing the rotation drive unit 31. It is. If the rotation operation is reversed, the coating material 9 once applied can be sucked from the material discharge port 30.

  The material supply unit 21 needs to send the coating material 9 to the coating head 1 without any breaks. If the material supply unit 21 is detachable, maintenance cleaning and the like are facilitated, and the pump performance is easily maintained.

  FIG. 9 is a view showing a coating state by a coating method using the coating head according to the present invention. The first stage is a graph showing the pump supply amount 33, the second stage is a graph showing the coating head internal pressure 34, the third stage is a graph showing the coating head position 35, and the fourth stage is the coating film thickness 36. It is.

  In the coating method 39 according to the present invention, the discharge control response of the coating material 9 can be greatly improved by eliminating the stretchable material supply pipe 10 between the coating head 1 and the material supply unit 21.

  By increasing the pump supply amount 33 at the start end as shown by the start discharge amount 33a and by reversing the pump supply amount 33 at the end stop as shown by the suck back amount 33b, the application head internal pressure 34 is delayed. 34a and residual pressure 34b are minimized, and the application can be precisely controlled.

  First, the coating head position 35 is lowered to the coating position 35b at a position before the coating start end 36a, and the pump supply amount 33 is increased. The pump supply amount 33 is reduced at the position of the application start end portion 36a, and a constant amount is applied. When reaching the application terminal portion 36b, the application head position 35 is raised to the retreat position 35a while sucking with the pump supply amount 33 reversed.

  If the pump supply amount 33 and the coating head position 35 are appropriately controlled, a high-quality substantially rectangular coating film with little variation in film thickness at the coating start end portion 36a and the coating end portion 36b is obtained at the coating film thickness 36. be able to.

It is a perspective view of the coating device using the coating head which is the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the coating device using the coating head which is this invention. It is a perspective view of the coating head which is the present invention. It is a front view of the coating head which is the present invention. It is a top view of the coating head which is the present invention. It is a side view of the coating head which is the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the material supply part of the coating head which is this invention. It is sectional drawing in AA of the coating head which is this invention. It is a figure which shows the application | coating state by the coating method using the coating head which is this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional coating device. It is a figure which shows the application state by the conventional application method.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coating head 1a Coating head 2 Head chamber plate 3 Head plate 4 Slit 5 Liquid reservoir 6 Material supply port 7 Opening part 8 Pressure gauge 9 Coating material 10 Material supply piping 11 Material supply valve 12 Material channel 13 Material tank 14 Pressure valve DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Pressurization source 16 Control apparatus 17 Coating head raising / lowering means 18 Holding table moving means 19 Holding table 20 Application object 21 Material supply part 22 Intake air vent 23 Casing 24 Air vent valve 25 Rotor 26 Stator 27 Stator casing 28 Flexible shaft 29 Mechanical seal DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Material discharge port 31 Rotation drive machine 32 Material supply pump 33 Pump supply amount 33a Starting discharge amount 33b Suck back amount 34 Coating head internal pressure 34a Delay 34b Residual pressure 35 Coating head position 35a Retraction position 35b coating position 36 applied film thickness 36a applied beginning 36b coating the end portion 37 the coating device 37a applying device 38 vibration isolator 39 coating method 39a coating method

Claims (2)

A material tank for storing a coating material and connecting the pressure source for extruding the coating material with a pressure valve;
With a Rutotomoni air vent valve comprises a pump for supplying the coating material from the material tank and flexible movable resistant material supply pipe and through the material supply valve is connected to the suction applied material from the material tank material discharge port A material supply unit;
An application head for receiving the supply of the coating material from the material supply port connected to the discharge port of the material supply unit and discharging the coating material from the slit-like opening through the liquid reservoir;
A pressure gauge that measures the pressure of the flow path of the coating material in the coating head that communicates the discharge port of the material supply unit and the liquid reservoir;
A coating head lifting and lowering means for lifting and lowering the coating head;
A control device for controlling the operation of the material supply unit and the application head elevating means;
An applicator comprising:
Based on the pressure value of the pressure gauge, it controls the opening and closing of the pressurization valve, material supply valve and air vent valve, and discharges the coating material directly from the material discharge port to the material supply port, thereby precisely controlling the discharge of the coating material. A coating apparatus characterized by: The coating head of the coating apparatus according to claim 1 is lowered to increase the pump supply amount, the pump supply amount is decreased at the coating start end portion, the coating material is applied, and the coating head is sucked in at the coating end portion while sucking the coating material. Is applied to eliminate the delay in the internal pressure of the coating head at the start of coating and the residual pressure at the end of coating, thereby obtaining a coating film having no variation in film thickness at the coating start end and coating end. Method.

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