JP5627365B2 - Coating device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating apparatus that sprays and coats a solution on a surface of a substrate, and more particularly to a coating apparatus that has a wiping means for wiping off a solution adhering to a nozzle surface of a coating head.

  In general, in a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device, a functional thin film such as an alignment film is formed on the surface of a glass substrate. Conventionally, when a functional thin film is formed on the surface of a substrate, an ink jet type coating apparatus is used in which a solution (solution for forming a functional thin film) as a material is sprayed and applied to the surface of the substrate.

  This coating apparatus has a table for transporting a substrate, and a plurality of coating heads are arranged in parallel on the upper side of the table so as to intersect the transport direction of the substrate. A large number of nozzles are arranged in parallel on the nozzle surface, which is the lower surface of each coating head, and a solution is sprayed from these nozzles toward the substrate conveyed under the coating head.

  By the way, the polyimide solution used as the material of the alignment film is diluted with an organic solvent. Usually, since this organic solvent is volatile, if the time during which the solution is not applied continues for a certain period of time, the concentration of polyimide remaining in the solution remaining on the nozzle surface of the application head increases, and the nozzle surface or nozzle It solidifies in the holes of the nozzle and makes it difficult to normally discharge the solution from the nozzle.

  Therefore, in the prior art, as described in Patent Document 1, when application of the solution by the application head is completed, the solution remaining on the nozzle surface is wiped off by a blade-like wiping member such as rubber.

  Further, as described in Patent Document 2, there is a liquid absorbing wiping member that absorbs and wipes off the solution remaining on the nozzle surface.

JP2005-103453 JP2005-305845

  The wiping members as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are fixed to a mounting bracket provided on a table that conveys a substrate by fastening means such as screws.

  The wiping member having liquid absorbency is replaced when the amount of liquid absorption reaches a limit, but it is forced to perform a troublesome operation for attaching and detaching fastening means such as screwing. It took considerable time to replace the number of wiping members provided in the coating head, and the downtime of the coating device was increased, resulting in reduced productivity.

  An object of the present invention is to simplify the detachability of the wiping member with respect to the mounting bracket and improve the productivity of the coating device in a coating device that wipes the solution adhering to the nozzle surface of the coating head with a liquid-absorbing wiping member. There is to do.

The present invention includes an application head in which a nozzle that sprays and applies a solution to the surface of a substrate is formed;
In a coating apparatus having a wiping means that slidably contacts the nozzle surface of the coating head and wipes off the solution adhering to the nozzle surface,
The wiping means has a liquid-absorbing and elastically deformable wiping member having a circular cross-sectional shape and a mounting bracket that supports an outer peripheral portion of the wiping member having a cross-sectional shape. And
The mounting bracket is
A lower support portion that supports the outer peripheral portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wiping member from below;
A pair of upper support portions that are in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wiping member from above at two locations at a position higher than the radius of the wiping member from the lower support portion,
It is characterized by comprising.

  According to the present invention, in a coating apparatus that wipes off the solution adhering to the nozzle surface of the coating head with a liquid-absorbing wiping member, the detachability of the wiping member with respect to the mounting bracket is simplified, and the productivity of the coating apparatus is improved. can do.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a coating apparatus. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the coating apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a wiping operation by the wiping means. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the wiping means. FIG. 5 shows wiping means, (A) is a side view, and (B) is a plan view. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the pushing amount of the wiping means and the load. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a modification of the wiping means. FIG. 8 shows wiping means, (A) is a side view, and (B) is a plan view.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the coating apparatus of the present invention has a base 1. A pair of rails 2 spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval are provided on the upper surface of the base 1 along the longitudinal direction of the base 1. A table 3 is movably provided on the rail 2 and is driven to travel by a drive source (not shown). A large number of support pins 4 are provided on the upper surface of the table 3, and a glass substrate W used for a liquid crystal display device or the like is supplied and supported on these support pins 4.

  On the upper side of the substrate W conveyed by the table 3, a plurality of solutions for forming a functional thin film such as a color resist and an alignment film are spray-applied to the substrate W. In this embodiment, three inkjet systems are used. The coating heads 7 are arranged in a staggered manner along a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate W.

  Hereinafter, the wiping means 20 included in the coating apparatus will be described. The wiping means 20 is supported by the table 3 and slidably contacts the nozzle surface 11A formed by the lower surface of the coating head 7 where the nozzles 14 are open, and wipes the solution adhering to the nozzle surface 11A. The wiping means 20 enables the wiping member 21 having liquid absorbability to be detachably fixed to a mounting bracket 30 provided on the table 3. In the present embodiment, the wiping means 20 is arranged one to one for each of the three coating heads 7.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an L-shaped support member 40 is provided on one end surface of the table 3 with one vertical side fixed to the end surface of the table 3. In the center, a pneumatic cylinder (which may be a ball screw device or a linear motor) constituting the lifting / lowering means 41 is provided with the axis line vertical.

  A mounting plate 43 is attached to the rod of the elevating means 41, and the mounting bracket 30 is fixed to each of the three positions of the mounting plate 43 via intermediate members 44. The wiping member 21 is detachably fixed to each of the three mounting brackets 30 as will be described later. The wiping member 21 fixed to each mounting bracket 30 has substantially the same width as the nozzle surface 11A of the coating head 7, and can slide on the nozzle surface 11A.

  In the present embodiment, the single lifting means 41 raises the wiping members 21 fixed to the respective mounting brackets 30 of the three wiping means 20 simultaneously by the same stroke. Then, when the solution is applied to the substrate W by each application head 7, each wiping member 21 is set to a height at which it can slide in contact with the nozzle surface 11 </ b> A of each application head 7.

  The solution of the nozzle surface 11 </ b> A wiped by each wiping member 21 is absorbed by the wiping member 21, but the solution falling from the wiping member 21 is provided on the mounting plate 43. It is dropped into the collection tank 45 and collected in the collection tank 45A (FIG. 2). That is, an inner bottom portion of the collection tank 45 is provided on the mounting plate 43, a guide plate 46 is provided on one side of the collection tank 45, and a guide member 47 is provided on the guide plate 46. The guide member 47 moves up and down while being guided by guide rails 48 extending up and down the end surface of the table 3. When the elevating means 41 is driven, the mounting plate 43 is driven, the guide plate 46 moves up and down along the guide rail 48, and the collection tank 45 moves up and down together with the wiping member 21 and the mounting bracket 30.

  Therefore, in the coating apparatus, the substrate W placed on the upper surface of the table 3 is transported in the direction along the rail 2 together with the table 3. Then, the solution is sprayed toward the substrate W from the nozzle 14 facing the application target area in accordance with the timing when the application target area on the substrate W to be conveyed reaches the lower side of the application head 7. Further, after the table 3 is driven and the substrate W passes under the coating heads 7, the wiping members 21 of the wiping means 20 set in advance to a predetermined height by the lifting / lowering means 41 are applied to the respective coatings. The solution remaining in contact with the nozzle surface 11A of the head 7 and remaining on the nozzle surface 11A can be wiped off. When the table 3 moves in the direction opposite to the above, the wiping means 20 is lowered by the elevating means 41 so that the wiping member 21 does not contact the nozzle surface 11A.

Hereinafter, the detailed structure of the wiping means 20 will be described.
The wiping member 21 of the wiping means 20 is made of a liquid absorbent fiber material such as a nonwoven fabric. In the present embodiment, the liquid absorbent 23 made of the fiber material as described above is disposed around the cylindrical core material 22 made of an elastic material such as a silicon tube. In addition, the cylindrical core material 22 may be comprised from hard materials, such as a metal and a plastics. The core material 22 is not limited to a hollow shape, but may be a solid shape. However, the core material 22 can be provided with hole portions serving as tool engagement holes on both end surfaces. When the wiping member 21 including the core member 22 is attached to and detached from the mounting bracket 30, the engaging protrusion of the attaching / detaching tool can be engaged with the hole.

  Here, the wiping member 21 has a columnar shape in which the liquid absorption 23 has the core material 22 as a central axis, and is stretched in a convex shape (arc shape) with both circular side portions having a cross-sectional shape facing outward. The bulges 23F and 23F can be elastically deformed. The wiping member 21 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but is a pentagonal column or a hexagonal column as long as the wiping member 21 protrudes in a convex shape with both side portions of the cross-sectional shape facing outwards and is elastically deformable. It may be a polygonal prism.

  The mounting bracket 30 of the wiping means 20 fixes the mounting plate 31 to the upper end portion of the intermediate member 44 supported by the above-described lifting means 41 and connects the lower plate 32 to the front end portion of the mounting plate 31 in the horizontal direction. The lower front plate 33 and the lower rear plate 34 are erected over the entire length in the width direction of the lower plate 32 at both the front and rear ends of the lower plate 32 in the horizontal direction. Left and right side plates 35, 35 are erected. Both side plates 35 are generally T-shaped, and their leg portions 35 </ b> A are fixed to the lower plate 32. The rod 36 is fixedly bridged between the front end portions of the head portions 35B of the side plates 35, and the rod 37 is fixedly bridged between the rear end portions of the head portions 35B. The rods 36 and 37 each have a hexagonal column shape, and are provided from the upper surface of the lower plate 32 at a height H higher than the radius R of the cylindrical shape formed by the liquid absorption 23 in the wiping member 21 and arranged in parallel to each other. The The both side plates 35 are provided with U-shaped notches 35C at the front and rear central portions of the head portion 35B.

  With the wiping member 21 fixed, the mounting bracket 30 causes both end faces of the core member 22 of the wiping member 21 to face the outside from the U-shaped cutout portions 35C of the side plates 35, as shown in FIG. And the mounting bracket 30 forms the lower support part 32A which supports the lower outer peripheral part 23L of the cross-sectional shape of the liquid absorption 23 in the wiping member 21 by the upper surface of the lower plate 32, and the liquid absorption 23 in the wiping member 21 The upper support portions 36A, 37A on both sides for pressing the upper outer peripheral portions 23U, 23U adjacent to the respective bulging portions 23F, 23F on both sides of the cross sectional shape are formed by the outer peripheral surfaces of the rods 36, 37. The upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides of the mounting bracket 30 form an interval A smaller than the width dimension F (F = 2R) formed by the bulging portions 23F and 23F on both sides of the wiping member 21, and are arranged in parallel to each other.

  The mounting bracket 30 abuts the upper end portions of the front plate 33 and the rear plate 34 sandwiching the lower support portion 32A of the lower plate 32 against both outer peripheral portions of the lower outer peripheral portion 23L of the wiping member 21. The lower support portions 33A and 34A are supported.

Therefore, according to the present Example, there exist the following effects.
(a) The wiping member 21 has bulge portions 23F and 23F that can be elastically deformed while projecting both sides of the cross-sectional shape outward. The mounting bracket 30 is adjacent to each of the lower support portion 32A that supports the lower outer peripheral portion 23L of the wiping member 21 and the bulging portions 23F and 23F on both sides of the wiping member 21 in the cross sectional shape. The upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides for pressing the upper outer peripheral portions 23U and 23U from above are provided.

  Accordingly, when the wiping member 21 is attached to the mounting bracket 30, the wiping member 21 is pushed into the space between the upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides of the mounting bracket 30 from above as shown in FIG. The wiping member 21 passes from the top to the bottom between the upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides of the mounting bracket 30 while the bulge portions 23F and 23F on both sides are elastically deformed and compressed, and the lower outer peripheral portion 23L. Is positioned at the mounting position where it is pressed against the lower support portion 32A of the mounting bracket 30. In this mounting position, the bulging portions 23F and 23F on both sides of the wiping member 21 are restored, and the wiping member 21 is connected to the upper outer peripheral portions 23U and 23U adjacent to the bulging portions 23F and 23F on both sides on both sides of the mounting bracket 30. The lower outer peripheral portion 23L is pressed against and supported by the lower support portion 32A of the mounting bracket 30 so that the wiping member 21 is at least above the outer peripheral portion. The point and the bottom one point are pressed and all three points are supported. The wiping member 21 is securely fixed in this stable three-point support state, slidably contacts the nozzle surface 11A of the coating head 7, and allows the solution adhering to the nozzle surface 11A to be wiped off.

  In the present embodiment, the wiping member 21 is supported by being pressed against the lower support portions 33A and 34A of the mounting bracket 30 at the two outer peripheral portions of the lower outer peripheral portion 23L. 5 points are supported.

  On the other hand, at the time of replacement when the liquid absorption amount of the wiping member 21 has reached the set use limit, the wiping member 21 at the mounting position in the mounting bracket 30 is moved to the upper support portions 36A on both sides of the mounting bracket 30. Pull upwards from within the spacing of 37A. The wiping member 21 passes through the space between the upper support portions 36A, 37A on both sides of the mounting bracket 30 from the bottom to the top while the bulging portions 23F, 23F on both sides are elastically deformed and compressed. Removed. Thereafter, the new wiping member 21 is newly attached to the mounting bracket 30 and is used.

  The wiping member 21 is pushed into the interval between the upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides of the mounting bracket 30 or pulled up from within the interval between the upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides, thereby bringing the wiping member 21 into the mounting position within the mounting bracket 30. Easy to attach and detach.

  When removing the wiping member 21 from the mounting bracket 30, the detachable tool is locked to the tool insertion hole of the core member 22 of the wiping member 21 facing the outside from the U-shaped notch 35 </ b> C of the side plate 35. The protrusion is engaged, and a pulling force for pulling up the wiping member 21 from the mounting bracket 30 is exerted on the wiping member 21 by this tool. The detachable tool may be any tool provided with a protrusion that can be inserted into the tool insertion hole of the core member 22.

  (b) The wiping member 21 positioned at the above-described mounting position in the mounting bracket 30 elastically projects at least three points on the outer peripheral portion by the lower support portion 32A of the mounting bracket 30 and the upper support portions 36A and 37A on both sides. The mounting bracket 30 is fixed so that it cannot rotate. Accordingly, when the wiping member 21 repeats the wiping operation of the solution on the nozzle surface 11A of the coating head 7 many times, the wiping member 21 wipes the nozzle surface 11A with the wiping work surface wetted by the previously wiped solution, The nozzle surface 11A after wiping is maintained in a wet state without being excessively dried, and stable ejection performance can be maintained. When the wiping member 21 rotates with respect to the mounting bracket 30 and the new wiping work surface of the wiping member 21 comes into contact with the new nozzle surface 11A, the new wiping work surface that has not yet been wetted is the nozzle. The solution on the surface 11A is completely removed, and the subsequent nozzle surface 11A can be easily dried to cause solid foreign matters on the nozzle surface 11A.

  (c) The space between the lower support portions 32A, 33A, 34A of the mounting bracket 30 and the upper support portions 36A, 37A on both sides is a non-support region where the wiping member 21 is not supported. Therefore, in order for the wiping member 21 mounted at the mounting position in the mounting bracket 30 to slidably contact the nozzle surface 11A of the coating head 7, the wiping member 21 is pushed into the nozzle surface 11A at a certain level. A part of the load that the nozzle surface 11 </ b> A acts on the wiping member 21 escapes from the unsupported region of the mounting bracket 30 when pushed in by an amount. Even if the pushing amount of the wiping member 21 against the nozzle surface 11A is increased, the nozzle surface 11A can exert an appropriate load on the wiping member 21 (the minimum allowable load F1 required for ensuring a certain wiping performance to rapid wear). This avoids the occurrence of an excessive load that is within the range of the maximum allowable load F2 that does not occur and is sufficient to maintain good wiping workability, and prevents rapid wiping of the wiping member 21.

  Here, the load acting on the wiping member 21 refers to a pushing reaction force that the nozzle surface 11A exerts on the wiping member 21 when the wiping member 21 is pushed into the nozzle surface 11A.

  (d) The wiping member 21 is configured by disposing a liquid absorption 23 around a core material 22 made of an elastic material. Therefore, in order for the wiping member 21 mounted at the mounting position in the mounting bracket 30 to slidably contact the nozzle surface 11A of the coating head 7, the wiping member 21 is pushed into the nozzle surface 11A at a certain level. When pushed in by an amount, part of the load exerted on the wiping member 21 by the nozzle surface 11 </ b> A causes the core material 22 to undergo elastic compression deformation and elastic bending deformation, and escapes. At this time, the relationship between the load actually generated in the wiping member 21 and the pressing amount of the wiping member 21 is as shown in FIG. 6A, and the wiping member 21 in which the core member 22 is not made of an elastic material. It changes more slowly than the load B generated in Therefore, the width of the pushing amount of the wiping member 21 in which the load generated in the wiping member 21 is within an appropriate range is increased, and the adjustment is facilitated. Thereby, it can avoid that 11 A of nozzle surfaces generate a load larger than a proper load in the wiping member 21, and can prevent the wiping member 21 from wearing rapidly.

  (e) When the wiping members 21 are arranged one-on-one for each of the plurality of coating heads 7 and the plurality of wiping members 21 are lifted by the same stroke by the lifting and lowering means 41, If there is a variation in the height position of the nozzle surface 11 </ b> A, there will be a variation in the amount of pushing that each wiping member 21 is pushed into after contacting the corresponding nozzle surface 11 </ b> A. If the pushing amount is smaller than the appropriate value, only a smaller load than the proper load is applied to the wiping member 21, and if the pushing amount is larger than the proper value, the wiping member 21 is larger than the appropriate load. The load will act. If the load acting on the wiping member 21 is less than the aforementioned minimum allowable load F1 or excessively greater than the aforementioned maximum allowable load F2, the above-described good wiping workability is impaired.

  However, in the present invention, the load A generated in the wiping member 21 due to the use of the core material 22 made of an elastic material causes the wiping member 21 not using an elastic material to the core material 22 as shown in FIG. The change in the load generated on the wiping member 21 due to increase / decrease (variation) in the amount of pressing the wiping member 21 is pushed into the nozzle surface 11A is smaller than the load B generated in the above. Accordingly, even when there are variations as described above in the height positions of the nozzle surfaces 11A among the plurality of coating heads 7, the load acting on the wiping member 21 is within an appropriate load range (F1 to F2). It can be made difficult to exceed. Some of the wiping members 21 generate an excessive load with the corresponding nozzle surface 11A of the coating head 7, and the load collides so as to push up the coating head 7, which is a liquid chamber inside the coating head 7. It is possible to avoid such that the solution of the liquid 12 is vibrated and the outside air is taken into the nozzle 14 communicating with the liquid chamber 12 to impair the discharge operation of the coating head 7. Thereby, the wiping performance and lifetime of the wiping member 21 can be stabilized.

  The wiping means 20 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is obtained by replacing the mounting bracket 30 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 with a mounting bracket 30A. The mounting bracket 30A includes the wiping member 21 as a lower support portion 32A of the lower plate 32, a lower support portion 33A of the front plate 33, a lower support portion 34A of the rear plate 34, and upper support portions 36A of the rods 36 and 37 on both sides. Anti-rotation portions 51A, 52A, and 53A for preventing rotation with respect to 37A were provided.

  The anti-rotation portion 51A is formed by a square hole 51 in which a part of the lower surface of the lower plate 32 with which the lower outer peripheral portion 23L of the liquid absorption 23 in the wiping member 21 abuts is cut out. When the liquid absorption 23 of the wiping member 21 is pressed against the mounting bracket 30 and supported at least three points (in this embodiment, five points are supported), the edge of the square hole 51 facing the lower surface of the lower plate 32 is the wiping member 21. And bites into the lower outer peripheral portion 23L of the liquid-absorbing liquid 23 to prevent rotation.

  The anti-rotation portion 52 </ b> A is formed by intermittently arranging the front plate 33 provided at the front end portion of the lower plate 32. When the liquid absorption 23 of the wiping member 21 is pressed against the mounting bracket 30 and supported at five points, the upper end corner edge of each front plate 33 bites into the outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorption 23 in the wiping member 21 and stops rotation.

  The anti-rotation portion 53A is formed by sword-like protrusions 53 provided at a plurality of positions on the upper end surface of the rear plate 34 provided at the rear end portion of the lower plate 32. When the liquid absorption 23 of the wiping member 21 is pressed against the mounting bracket 30 and supported at five points, each protrusion 53 bites into the outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorption 23 in the wiping member 21 and stops rotation.

  Since the mounting bracket 30A is provided with the rotation preventing portions 51A, 52A, and 53A, the wiping member 21 is more reliably fixed to the mounting bracket 30 so as not to rotate. The wiping workability for the nozzle surface 11A is further improved.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is included in the present invention. For example, in the mounting bracket 30, the lower support portion 32 </ b> A that supports the lower outer peripheral portion 23 </ b> L of the cross-sectional shape of the wiping member 21 is configured by two parallel-arranged bars, not a plate like the lower plate 32. May be. However, the two bars constituting the lower support portion 32A may be arranged at an interval at which the bulging portion 23F cannot pass even if the wiping member 21 is elastically deformed.

  Further, in the coating apparatus to which the present invention is applied, the lifting means 41 is individually provided for each of the plurality of wiping means 20, and the mounting member 21 fixed to the mounting bracket 30 of each wiping means 20 is individually provided. It may be one that moves up and down.

  According to the present invention, in a coating apparatus that wipes off the solution adhering to the nozzle surface of the coating head with a liquid-absorbing wiping member, the detachability of the wiping member with respect to the mounting bracket is simplified, and the productivity of the coating apparatus is improved. can do.

W Substrate 3 Table 7 Coating head 11 Nozzle plate 11A Nozzle surface 14 Nozzle 20 Wiping means 21 Wiping member 22 Core material 23 Liquid absorption 23F Swelling portion 23L Lower outer peripheral portion 23U Upper outer peripheral portion 30 Mounting brackets 32A, 33A, 34A Lower Support part 36A, 37A Upper support part 51A, 52A, 53A Anti-rotation part

Claims (5)

An application head in which a nozzle for spraying and applying a solution to the surface of the substrate is formed;
In a coating apparatus having a wiping means that slidably contacts the nozzle surface of the coating head and wipes off the solution adhering to the nozzle surface,
The wiping means includes an elastically deformable wiping member having a liquid-absorbing shape and having a circular cross-sectional shape, and a mounting bracket that supports an outer peripheral portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wiping member. And
The mounting bracket is
A lower support portion that supports the outer peripheral portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wiping member from below;
A pair of upper support portions that are in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wiping member from above at two locations at a position higher than the radius of the wiping member from the lower support portion,
An applicator characterized by comprising: The coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a rotation preventing portion that prevents the wiping member from rotating in a circumferential direction . The wipe member comprises a core member made of an elastic material, the coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 comprising is composed of a fibrous material provided around the core material. The coating device according to claim 3 , wherein the core material is formed in a hollow shape. A plurality of the application heads are provided,
The coating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wiping member is provided for each coating head.

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